Page 17

Chapter

Sixteen

K NOX

The persistent vibrating of my phone woke me on Saturday morning. I rolled over and reached blindly for the phone, swiping it off the nightstand. I rolled onto my back and blinked to clear my vision.

“Hello?” My breath fogged in the air, but the room was light so it must be morning.

“Knox?”

I didn’t recognize the voice.

“This is Craig from the butcher,” he continued, filling the gap. “I’ve had a break-in overnight. The police are on their way, but Ray told me you were doing your own investigation, and he gave me your number so I could call you too.”

I rubbed my palm over my forehead, sweeping my hair off my face. “I’m glad you did. I’ll be there soon.”

“See you then. I’ve got to go.” Craig hung up.

Summoning a burst of energy, I swung my legs off the edge of the bed and stood. I was pleased Craig had called. I’d been circulating around town, speaking with the locals and digging up as much as I could this past week, but without their cooperation, I doubted I’d get anywhere.

I didn’t bother to shower. Any time I delayed would just make it more difficult to get access to the crime scene. Instead, I tugged on the T-shirt, jacket, and jeans I’d worn yesterday, shoved my feet into my heavy boots and rode my Harley into the town center.

Once again, locals were gathered on the street outside the location of the break-in. I parked at the end of the block and cut a path through them until I reached the front door. A different officer stood guard this time. He was shorter and slimmer than Clay, with a slightly hooked nose and eyes a shade of gold that I’d never seen before.

I glanced at his badge. “Good morning, Deputy Hawk.”

He cocked his head. There was something very avian about the movement. “It’s just Hawk. I’m guessing you want to come in and use that sensitive nose I’ve heard about.”

“That’s right.” I wasn’t surprised that word had gotten around about my nose. Small towns gossiped. It was just a fact of life.

“Just so you know, the sheriff has a good nose too. Now that he’s smelled the wolves at the hardware store, he’ll recognize their scents if he comes across them again.”

I inclined my head in acknowledgment. “I’d still like to check.”

“Let him in,” Zander called from somewhere behind Hawk. “He’s too stubborn to leave. Knox, keep your hands to yourself.”

“Will do, Sheriff.” I shoved them into my pockets to emphasize the point. I had no interest in jeopardizing their investigation. I just wanted information to fuel my own.

I clomped inside, my boots slapping on the vinyl floor. I made my way around the glass cabinet that would usually display an array of high-end meat products and to the door that led through to the rear of the shop.

The metallic scent of blood and meat disguised the more subtle scents beneath. I sniffed, definitely catching a hint of that rottenness associated with wolves turning feral.

As I entered the workroom at the rear of the building, I came up short. Zander and a female officer were inside, along with a portly red-faced man that I assumed was Craig, the butcher.

What I didn’t see was meat.

“How much was taken?” I asked, not bothering with any niceties.

“Everything I had in stock.” Craig’s voice was thick with frustration, his anger just barely reined in. “I had the shop warded by a warlock after the break-in at the hardware store, but they must have brought a stronger warlock who was able to overcome the wards.”

Interesting. I sniffed again. Now that I was paying better attention, I could detect the aroma of ozone that often accompanied magic, accompanied by that of concrete during summer rain, which must be the warlock’s personal scent.

“They did,” I confirmed, then hesitated over whether to share my suspicions. The break-in at the hardware store could have been random, but this wasn’t.

Zander sighed. “What is it?”

“They might be stocking up.” I met his gaze. “If they’re planning to move on, they’ll need supplies, and they could have exhausted whatever was available in Moonlight Cove. They’ve been bleeding the town dry for months.”

Zander scratched his jaw. “You might be right.”

“Isn’t that good?” the female officer asked. “We want them gone.”

“It depends where they’re planning to move on to,” Zander replied before I could. “And what they intend to take with them when they go.”

Gods forbid they decided that Grizzly Ridge would be their new home. Hopefully they were smart enough not to come here. A town consisting of primarily bear shifters wouldn’t be easy to subdue.

“What do you mean, ‘what they intend to take’?” I asked, my brow furrowing. “You think they’ll steal more supplies?”

Zander’s jaw tightened, and a muscle flexed in it almost imperceptibly. He looked around, then moved closer. When he spoke, it was barely above a whisper.

“We’ve had reports of strangers lingering outside the Children’s Home and the Omega House. This particular wolf pack has been known to kidnap local omegas and…” He trailed off, but I understood where he’d been going, and my blood ran cold.

“I’ll stay on guard.” No way in hell was I letting them anywhere near Danny.

“Good.” He jerked his chin toward the door. “If there’s nothing else, you’d better leave. You really shouldn’t be here.”

“Thanks.” I headed out. It would be best not to push him if I wanted him to continue allowing me access to crime scenes.

I circled around the block to avoid any questions from the locals gathered in the street and pulled up Google Maps on my phone. I did a quick search for the location of the Children’s Home. It was within walking distance, so I started there on foot.

The Children’s Home was located within a large white house with a small plaque out front. The place had a neatly kept front garden—mostly bare, at the moment—and a covered porch. I strode up the paved path and knocked on the front door. It opened quickly, as if someone had been watching me approach.

A skinny kid in the doorway frowned up at me. They were in their mid- to late-teens with bright blue eyes ringed with eyeliner and pale ginger hair. A dark long-sleeved shirt hugged their torso, and a patterned burgundy skirt fell from their hips to the floor.

“Can I help you?” Their voice was soft but wary.

I breathed in subtly. Omega. Fox shifter. “I’m Knox. I’d like to speak to whoever is in charge.”

Their bony hip jutted out. “Why?”

“Adult stuff, kid.”

“Sam.” Their lip curled. “I’m nearly eighteen.”

I bit back my impatience. Despite their attitude, Sam’s arms were wrapped defensively around their waist and I got the feeling that they were a little scared of me.

“I’m trying to keep the town safe. Is that enough?”

Sam pursed their lips. “Is this about the rogue wolves?”

I struggled to hide my surprise. “What do you know about them?”

Sam shifted from one foot to the other, their skirt swishing. “I’ve seen a guy hanging around out here, mostly at night. He’s tall. Like, maybe six foot two or three. I’m pretty sure he’s a wolf because of the way his eyes change when he’s trying to see inside.”

My insides chilled. “That’s exactly the sort of thing I need to hear about.” Fear for this vulnerable omega rippled through me. They may be technically still a child, but many shifters would consider seventeen to be old enough to be fair game. “Whatever you do, don’t approach him. You hear me?”

Sam nodded. “I wouldn’t anyway.” They shuddered delicately. “I sense bad juju from him.”

“Good.” I cleared my throat. “So, the manager? ”

Sam pulled a face. “George isn’t here. He had to run to the grocery store.”

“Oh.” And in the meantime, Sam had used the opportunity to try to pump me for information. I had to admire the kid. “I’ll be back later then. Tell him to be vigilant, okay?”

“Okay.” As I stepped backward, they closed the door.

Returning to the road, I resorted to Google once again to direct me to the Omega House. This was a bit farther away, so I walked back to my motorcycle and rode it toward the south end of town.

There were no vehicles parked outside the large turn-of-the-century style villa. I left my motorcycle by the sidewalk and jogged up the path, rubbing my hands together to warm them. I hadn’t thought to grab a pair of gloves before leaving this morning.

I knocked and waited. This time, it took longer for anyone to respond. When the door opened, I hardly managed to conceal my shock. The omega on the other side was the largest I’d ever seen. Over six feet tall, with broad shoulders and muscular biceps.

“Whoever you’re looking for, they aren’t here,” he barked, scowling furiously.

“Um. The manager.”

The omega crossed his arms. “You’ve found him.”

I had, and he wasn’t anything like what I’d expected. It served me right for making assumptions.

“I just wanted to check whether you’ve noticed anyone suspicious nearby lately,” I said, keeping my tone friendly. “There have been some break-ins, and I’m working with the police to ensure the community’s safety.”

That was stretching the truth a bit, but it was unavoidable.

The man nodded. “I’ll keep the police updated if we notice anything concerning. I’m afraid I can’t let you in because you’ll frighten the other omegas, and without any formal identification in the form of a badge or a phone call from Sheriff Blackwood, I have nothing else to say to you.”

I tempered my annoyance. He was protecting his charges, and I respected that. “Thank you. I’ll be around.”

As I started to turn away, he called out, “Wait, there is one other thing.”

“What’s that?” I tried not to sound too interested.

His mouth twitched, leading me to believe I’d failed to appear uninterested. “Good luck with Danny. He deserves to have something good in his life. But you’d better not hurt him, or you and I will have a problem.”

“I won’t.”

He stared me down, and oddly enough, nerves fizzled in my gut. I got the impression that this omega would make a formidable enemy if he decided he didn’t like me.