Page 25

Chapter 24

G enerally speaking, not all werewolves were muscular hunks. This was scientific fact. Yet putting on muscle was easier for werewolves than for humans or fae, and vampires just didn’t change all that much unless circumstances forced their bodies to adapt.

All of this, Gordon knew, and he had done autopsies on werewolves. What he’d never done was have a werewolf detective wearing tight pants, a black corset with gold detail and not much else, stick to his side like some hot and very firm parasite.

If anything, he’s a handsome symbiont though, Gordon thought.

They were in the back of a car, not Adler’s, and Adler had complained about that when Heath had told him to get in. Then again, that was after Heath got that donor for me, and Adler didn’t look too happy with that.

Heath’s argument for switching cars had been reasonable. If, by chance, Philippa Pearson was at the club or close to it, she might recognize a cop’s car. Gordon didn’t think the chances of that likely, but Adler’s car, while unmarked, still had blue lights mounted above the dash, and if you knew what to look for, you’d see them.

Which was why Heath had won the argument and had sent them off in this very nice town car with the uniformed driver.

Adler leaned over to Gordon. “Did you drink enough? Enough blood, I mean. I’m not sure, uh. I know how much you need is different for every vampire.”

Gordon petted Adler’s knee. “I’m fine, I promise. I won’t keel over in the middle of the case.”

Adler grumbled. “Not that. I don’t care. I mean I care about you, sweetheart. And, uh, I get pretty hungry for carbs after the full moon. So I get it.”

Gordon nodded, tugging on the hair Heath had gathered into a loose ponytail. “You’ll easily need twice of what you normally eat on the day after the full moon. That’s actually really interesting, from the scientific side of it. Did you know that how much they move when shifted will impact a werewolf’s metabolism more than anything they do for the rest of the month? You could be sedentary for twenty-seven days out of a moon month, and then for that one night, if you run a lot, your lab results will easily surpass those of most human athletes.”

Adler nodded. “That’s something. I never got lab tested. What I mean is, I’m always hungry after the shift, and I don’t ever want you to be hungry, sweetheart. You have to tell me if you are. Okay?”

Gordon blinked up at Adler. “You are…you are actually like Kawaii Demon Hunter in the Sunrise Z arc.”

Adler narrowed his eyes at Gordon. “Is that good?”

Gordon swallowed tightly. He felt his Adam’s apple bob. Before he answered, he glanced at the driver, but the woman and her tight bun seemed oblivious to anything not road related.

“I may have a stack of art.”

“Oh. You collect art? Maybe you can show me sometime. Like the themed place I took you to for our date?”

“Nope. No. It’s all not-safe-for-work art. There was actually an NSFW art book the creators did, and I got the signed and numbered version. You can’t look at that. But I got the regular version too, and you can absolutely touch that. Except maybe not touch it too much because fingerprints will still show up on the glossy pages.”

Adler blinked a few times but was otherwise still. “You got the same book. Twice?”

“The same—detective. One is signed and numbered. The other is the regular version that you can buy off the Internet. It’s like—you know when you get an ebook, but then you also get the paperback for your shelf and maybe the hardback if it’s really pretty? It’s like that.” I’m glad he’s not being weird about the NSFW art.

Adler nodded. “Huh. Okay. Signed and numbered can only be looked at with your eyes. Paperbacks you can touch and look at, but not too much. Digital versions for reading. Okay. Those rules make sense.” He looked at Gordon with concentration. “But following that logic and combining with what you said earlier, you can’t cosplay in the bedroom, but if I find you some non-cosplay costume—”

“Most cosplayers make their own costumes.”

Adler nodded. “Right. So if I find you something to wear that’s off the rack, would you wear that? Like what you are wearing under that blazer, but less?”

Adler eyes were bright and hopeful. There wasn’t a peep from the driver, not a one. Either she gets a lot of weird fares to and from 43 Ruthaven, or she’s been through rigorous training. Probably a combination of the two.

What the driver couldn’t prevent was taking turns, however, and when she went left, Gordon was pressed right against Adler’s side, who made a pleased wolf noise deep in his chest.

Gordon cleared his throat. “That sounds about right, detective. But I’m not sure…”

“Only if and when you are comfortable. We can discuss everything beforehand. Nothing too wild. Because, sweetheart, you don’t need to wear anything to get me wild.”

Nope, her hands are dead steady on the wheel, Gordon thought, glancing to the front.

“Yeah, we can talk about it.”

Adler nodded. Only then did he seem to snap out of whatever enthralling spell he’d fallen under—nothing Gordon had done. Adler looked around, one hand coming to rest on Gordon’s side.

“We’re almost there. You don’t have to do anything. Remember, we’re just going there to watch, and then maybe, if and when the situation presents itself, we’ll ask a few questions.”

“Is it a specialty club?”

“That’s the old-fashioned word for it. They call them groupie nightclubs these days. And I don’t think so.”

Gordon leaned back. “It has been years since I was at any type of nightclub.”

Adler’s mouth fell open.

Gordon shrugged. “I work a lot. And my assistants and corpses make good company.”

“Right,” Adler said. “Well, to tell you the truth, I’m not much into clubbing either. But we do have the occasional pack gathering. If you wanted to come to one of those, I would definitely be happy to let you know when the next one is. And I’d pick you up of course. Take you back too. Or you could stay over. Whichever you want.”

“Sure, why not? Your alpha seems really interesting. I wouldn’t mind getting to know her and the pack better.” Staying over is a lot though. Or is it? This should feel too fast. This is too fast, isn’t it? People spend nights at each other’s places all the time though, and I’d like to see his home.

Adler smiled from ear to ear, his chest swelling. The latter, Gordon only noticed because that corset was very snug indeed. Yeah. I think I could definitely spend the night.

“We’re here,” the driver said. “I’ve been instructed to wait close by.” She turned around and handed Adler a business card. “Call me if you need me. I’ll be no more than two minutes away. Mr. Vallois said he’d give you an hour and to text him if you need more.”

“Understood.” Adler pocketed the card.

“Thanks,” Gordon said.

Adler was already out of the car and holding the door for Gordon. Behind the werewolf, in red and scarlet, “Red Clover” shimmered above a building, a three-leaf clover neon-bright next to the club’s name.

There was a line that Gordon could see as well, and even on cursory inspection he could tell that it wasn’t just humans waiting to get inside.

He pressed his lips tight and took a deep breath. “Here goes nothing.”