Heart of the Wolf (35 page)

Chrissie handed her the pie. “I’m so sorry about your greenhouse. I wanted to come over last night and say something more, but Henry stayed late and helped me take the kids over to their dad’s place. Then, well... “ She shrugged.

Saddened about her greenhouse, Bella managed a small smile, glad that Chrissie had found someone she enjoyed being with after her husband had dumped her for a much younger woman. “I’m thrilled the two of you hit it off so well. Come in.”

“I’m sorry I’ve been kind of distant, too. Henry and I have been dating up a storm, and, well, you know how it is when you’ve getting involved with someone. I have to make time for the kids, too, so it’s been a juggle.”

“No problem.” Bella headed for the kitchen and Chrissie followed, glancing around the living room. Bella was sure she looked for signs of the naked hunk and was glad Chrissie hadn’t come any earlier in the day.

“Devlyn still sleeping?” Chrissie took a seat at the dining room table.

“Devlyn’s looking over some emails. Want a slice of pie?” Bella carved up a piece.

“Sure. Things have been awfully quiet over here. Well, except for the insurance people and the arson investigators tromping all over the place.” Chrissie took the plate Bella handed her. “I wondered if you needed me to run out and get you anything. I imagine you don’t want to leave the house after what has happened, and Devlyn shouldn’t leave you alone.”

No one needed a neighborhood watch program with Chrissie acting as the eyes and the ears of the whole community. “We’ve been rather preoccupied, but we have plenty to eat and are just fine.”

Chrissie sat at the table and considered Bella’s neck.

This morning, at least, Bella’s appearance was neater, although she imagined Chrissie was looking at the hickey gracing her throat. Bella’s hair rolled in shiny waves over her shoulders and down her back. No one would suspect Devlyn’s hands had tangled her curls in the throes of passion only half an hour earlier.

Chrissie scooped up a bite of crust, stained blue and dripping with berries. “Are the two of you getting married?”

“We’ve already done so.”
In the lupus garou way.

Chrissie’s eyes widened. “When?”

“About the time we first had our reunion.” How could Bella explain that, for
lupus garous,
selecting a mate meant for a lifetime and the traditional human-contrived marriage vows meant nothing? Hell, half the human population ended up divorcing the same mate they promised to share their lives with together forever. Hmph. Look at Chrissie, even!

Chrissie seemed saddened not to have been told earlier. But then she looked at Bella’s unadorned fingers. Explaining the lack of a wedding ring would be even harder.

“Allergic to metal.” Bella flipped her hair back and pointed to her ears. “No earrings, no bracelets, no necklaces. Can’t wear any kind of metal.” In truth, most jewelry hindered their turning into the wolf. If it didn’t, it would be lost with the change. Or, in the case of pierced-ear jewelry, what would someone think if they found a wolf with pearls or gold secured to the leather of their ears?

Chrissie glanced at Bella’s wrist. “Jeez, I never realized.” Her gaze met Bella’s. “I never noticed you don’t even wear a watch.”

“Nope. Can’t.”

“How do you tell time?”

“Clocks. When I’m in the Escape, it has a clock. The computer has the time. The oven, microwave, my alarm clock in the bedroom... clocks surround me. If I’m somewhere that I don’t know the time, I just ask.” She couldn’t let Chrissie know she had an innate ability to know the time, from the elevation of the sun in the sky.

“I would have liked to have been present when you got married,” Chrissie said softly. “I would have gotten you something.”

Bella’s heart wrenched. She hadn’t wanted to hurt her feelings. Bella gave her a hug, and Chrissie reciprocated with a heartfelt embrace. “Chrissie, you have been the best of friends, and I don’t want to ever lose that. But I imagine you know I left my heart in Colorado, and, now that Devlyn has found me, we’ll be returning there soon.”

“Oh,” Chrissie sniffled. “Oh, sure, I knew it would happen someday because of all of the pictures of your family you keep on the fridge. I can’t tell if it’ll ever come to that, but, if you’re back there and Henry and I, well, if he, you know... “

“Asks you to marry him?”

“Yeah, I realize it’s way too early, but, if it did happen, would you be my matron of honor?”

Bella smiled. “You bet.” She might even entice Devlyn to come with her to the wedding. Actually, she was certain he wouldn’t let her return alone.

“Devlyn, too. I’d want him to come. You could use my extra guestroom.” “He’d love to.”

Devlyn walked into the dining room, but despite the smile that lifted his lips, his countenance was dark.

“What would I love to do?”

Chrissie groaned and the two ladies separated. “Tell him later. I’d hate for him to think I was scheming where Henry was concerned.”

Bella smiled. “We’ll keep in touch. What with the Internet, you can keep me posted. We can email each other daily. I’ll check your blog every day, and you can upload your kids’ drawings. It’ll almost be like I haven’t left.” She waved at the pie sitting on the counter. “Chrissie baked us one of her famous blueberry pies. Want a piece?”

“Yeah, I could use some quick energy.” He winked at Bella. “You know how much I like blueberries, and... “ He reached into the fridge. “Whipped cream.”

Chrissie quickly finished the last bite of her pie. “I’ve got to go. Enjoy. I’ll talk to the two of you later.” Her cheeks colored crimson as she hurried out the back door.

Bella touched Devlyn’s arm. “You embarrassed Chrissie.”

“She loves it.” He dabbed whipped cream on top of his pie.

“So what’s the bad news, Devlyn?”

As he met her gaze, his brown eyes darkened. “Alfred wants us to meet him, and he wants to fight me for you. His whole pack will be there. He’s laid down the challenge and — “

“You’ll win, Devlyn. I have no doubt about that. But we need to find the unknown killer, not establish your right to have me to the satisfaction of a bunch of reds.”

“It’s a challenge I can’t refuse. If we weren’t in their territory and you weren’t one of their kind, I’d have to agree with you. But under the circumstances... “

She growled at him and stabbed her fork into her pie. “We have more important concerns. We don’t know for sure that Alfred killed anyone.”

“This is important to me, Bella. At least while we’re here, I have to prove to the reds that you’re mine. That no one can make a claim to you.”

She attempted to curb the annoyance she felt. She hated this part of being a
lupus garou.
The part that could mean her losing Devlyn. She was certain he could win against the red, but the problem was that two more reds wanted her. They wouldn’t allow him time to recuperate. And she couldn’t help feeling that the reds should be handling this matter with Ross and Nicol. Neither one of them was the leader and both of them had murdered girls. So why didn’t the pack take them down?

Because Alfred approved it.

Fine. Despite the objections Devlyn would raise, she’d take her gun, to even out the odds a bit if he needed her help. Even if the bullets weren’t silver, they’d do enough temporary damage to save Devlyn’s hide until he could heal. No red would have her who hadn’t earned her justly. Hell, no one but Devlyn would have her.

Then the image came to mind of Volan, standing before her one second, lying on the ground dead the next, and alive after that. She squelched a shudder that threatened to undo her resolve. Still, the bullets had knocked him out for a time. Thinking it might work better, she’d aim for the head this time.

“When and where are we to meet?” she asked, not at all happy about the circumstances.

“Wolf Rock, as soon as the moon makes its appearance. I still say you should have stayed with my cousin.”

“Well, I think you already decided I was a better asset here with you than off with some distant cousin of yours.” She raised a brow, hoping that was his reasoning.

He grunted. “The notion had occurred to me that he might make a play for you himself.”

She laughed. “So that’s the real reason you agreed to let me stay by your side, mate of mine.”

She pointed to a map of the Cascades. “Wolf Rock is close to my cabin.” She twisted her hair between her fingers, trying to ease the concern that chilled her skin. “But what about the escort service we have out front?”

“One of the reds’ older couples is coming to see us. They’ll drive our Suburban out of the garage and, hopefully, the police will tail them. They’ll be heading east, toward Colorado. If that doesn’t work, Alfred said he’d work up another plan.”

Then all would be decided. At least with the reds. With volan, that was another matter.

Two days later, still several hours before the waxing crescent of the moon appeared and the first clear day since storms had pelted the area, a knocking at the front door made Bella’s heart nearly leap out of her chest while she worked on a pressed flower picture of a variety of Colorado wildflowers, a parting gift for Chrissie.

Devlyn pulled Bella from the kitchen stool where she’d been working at the counter and held her close, kissing her cheek. “Let’s get this over with and return to Colorado.”

“But the killer — “

“I think we’ll find out at Wolf Rock which one is the mystery murderer.”

Yeah, despite her considering otherwise, she assumed the murderer would be the right age to want to run the pack if Alfred and the others fell.

Together, she and Devlyn went to the front door to let the reds in.

The man and woman appeared to be in their seventies, both gray-haired. They must have assumed the police wouldn’t guess their ploy. And being that the couple was older, the police wouldn’t see them as a threat to Bella or Devlyn either as they approached the house.

To her surprise, the woman hugged Bella, and the man slapped Devlyn on the back in greeting. Then he reached over to hug Bella, and Devlyn growled low.

She frowned at him to cool it, but the red male tensed and backed off.

After showing the police that these people were friends, not foes, Devlyn closed the door.

The woman quickly donned a long, red wig, while the man covered his gray hair with a dark brown one. The woman eyed her for a moment and then gave an evasive smile. “I see now what’s got our boys stirred up. Haven’t seen a marriageable one like you in a while.”

“Who’s the rogue who’s killing the human females?” Bella asked, figuring if the woman knew she wouldn’t tell her but that her response itself might give a clue.

The woman snorted. “He’s a lone wolf. Got to be. Not one of the pack.”

“If he’s looking for a mate and a loner, why doesn’t he come for me, then? Only the three from your pack have approached me.”

The woman glanced at the man. Her reaction clued Bella into the truth. Nicol and Ross were definitely in on the killings. Alfred’s role was still not confirmed, but she highly suspected he was in on them, too. All three were sure to fight Devlyn. And maybe even the mystery fourth.

Devlyn handed the man the Suburban’s keys. “Be sure to turn it in at the rental company when you’re through with it.”

The old man grunted.

Ditching the SUV somewhere in the wilderness and then running like a wolf were more what the old man had in mind. At least that’s what Bella would do if the roles were reversed.

The man motioned to the woman. “Let’s go.”

The two disappeared into the garage, and Bella and Devlyn posted themselves at the front door. A bead of perspiration trickled between her breasts as they watched out the window to see if the police would take the bait.

Chapter Eighteen

The rental Suburban pulled out of Bella’s driveway and headed through the development, an older couple from the red
lupus garou
pack driving it. After a moment’s hesitation, the unmarked police car followed.

“Now what, Devlyn?” Bella asked. Her voice was tight and worried. Her cheeks flushed faintly.

He hated to see her so concerned, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Now we wait for — “

A different Suburban, this one black, pulled in front of the house.

“Is it a red escort? The police wouldn’t send someone else, would they?”

“I don’t think so.” Devlyn started to walk outside.

Bella tugged at his arm. “Wait for me. I’ve got to do something.”

He couldn’t help looking at her in disbelief.

“My mother always said to use the bathroom before I went anywhere,” she hastily explained. “Just don’t leave without me.”

He tilted his chin down. “I won’t be leaving without you, honey, that’s for certain.”

Her eyes held a wealth of worry; then she nodded and whipped around, disappearing down the hall.

Folding his arms, he watched out the window while a man climbed out of the vehicle. Again, this one appeared older, only his hair was nearly white. They must have thought Devlyn and Bella wouldn’t feel threatened by pack members who were way past the age of scrapping well.

Bella soon joined Devlyn and placed her hand in his. “Sorry, I had to really go to the bathroom.”