“Briggs came through with the lead,” Finn said, voice tight with concern. “Is Nexi coming?”
Kyden shook his head, as he stepped out into the hallway and shut the door quietly behind him. “She’s sleeping.”
Nexi might be burning with hells-fire at him for not waking her, but the lead might turn up nothing, so why not let her rest. Besides, she looked peaceful. In the chaos that happened to be her life, if he could give her some reprieve he would, whether she liked it or not.
He started down the hallway with Finn matching his stride. “What’s the lead?”
“Briggs found a member of the Texas pack in New York.”
Kyden exhaled, hoping this would give them some answers. He hated the dead end he currently faced. He had no explanation for why Nexi’s family had been murdered, why wolves were killing in New York City, or why a vampire had vanished in Salt Lake City. Most of all, he had no idea if they were all connected, or were random events.
From experience, he knew all these events could be a coincidence. He’d seen it happen before. However, he couldn’t overlook the fact that the first werewolf death was at Nexi’s family home, a supernatural hidden in the Earthworld. Yet, at the same time, if her family was the target, why did the other killings still happen?
That was the biggest flaw to that theory.
He craved to end this assignment, help Nexi find that final werewolf who killed her family, then this could all be over for her. Frustration tightened his muscles, knowing at the moment he was powerless to settle her life.
In quick time, Kyden, with Finn in next to him, entered the Council’s Foyer, and he discovered Briggs waiting by the portal. Kyden noted the tight set of Briggs’s jaw and that brought a bit of hope. “I take it this lead is good.”
Briggs inclined his head. “It’s solid.”
“Glad to hear it.”
Once he reached Briggs, Kyden kept his mind blank so Briggs could carry them all to the New York location, as he opened the portal’s door. The second Kyden followed Briggs through, with Finn right behind him, the bright light flashed before his eyes.
Within seconds, Kyden inhaled the exhaust from the busy cars around him, as his boots stood atop a sidewalk. He stepped away from the large dumpster they had arrived behind, then he glanced in front of him, as the sun shone down from the mid-afternoon sky.
Confused, he turned to Briggs. “Our lead is at a church?”
Briggs shrugged. “You got it.”
Thinking it an odd place for the werewolf to go, Kyden followed Finn and Briggs as they crossed the street. When they headed up the church’s stairs, the bell rang high above them in the tall, enclosed tower.
Once at the large wooden doors, Briggs entered the church and Kyden stayed right on his heels, instantly surrounded by dozens of candelabras reflecting a glow off the large arched windows. Rows of pews filled the church and in the second row sat a sobbing werewolf.
Glancing at Briggs with an arched brow, he received a shrug, then a shove forward, as well as two smirks from his so-called friends. Kyden shook his head; of course they’d send him in to deal with a crying man.
Approaching the pew, he studied the man who had a head topped with brown hair, which was buried in his hands as his entire body trembled. Kyden stopped next to the pew and when the werewolf didn’t acknowledge him, he cleared his throat. “What’s your name?”
The man raised his head with tears soaking his face. “Calder from the Texas pack.” He glanced over his shoulder, spotted Finn and Briggs before he looked to Kyden. “Go on, kill me. I have nothing to live for anyway.”
Kyden glimpsed over at Briggs, and noticed that even he was regarding the wolf strangely. The man’s behavior seemed all wrong. The wolves Kyden had met so far had showed no emotion or guilt, and Calder was a broken man. “All right. Start talking.”
“I’ve gotten myself into a situation.” He wiped his tears and sucked in a breath, gathering himself. “After a new alpha took over our pack, which left the pack divided, a group of us made a plan to leave.”
He leaned against the back of the pew, sending it squeaking beneath him, as he added, “My brother left our pack in Texas so I went with him, feeling it was the right thing to do. I hadn’t known taking innocent mortal lives would be included in that plan.”
Kyden heard the meaning in Calder’s statement. “You haven’t been involved in these recent string of killings?”
Calder shook his head. “I refused to kill.”
Kyden had a moment of relief looking at Calder. At least all werewolves hadn’t up and gone mad. This gentle wolf, one against such cruelty, showed typical wolf behavior. He believed Calder, and didn’t doubt that the wolf simply didn’t know how to get out of the mess he’d gotten himself into. Also, that Calder had no part in the brutal deaths Kyden witnessed.
He looked at Briggs then, and Briggs jerked his chin in agreement, obviously reading Kyden’s line of thinking. To Calder, Kyden said, “You have the chance to redeem yourself. Tell us everything you know and Briggs will help you either return to your pack—if they’ll accept you—or will find you a new pack.”
Calder’s eyes widened before he glanced over his shoulder at Briggs. “I’d be offered forgiveness?”
Briggs’s amber eyes were stern. “You tell the truth, and your honesty will prove your loyalty to the wolves. That’s how you’ll gain forgiveness.”
The wolf looked down to his lap, and at his soft nod, Kyden asked, “Where are the rest of the wolves involved in this?”
Calder lifted his head, shaking it. “I don’t know. The wolves keep on the move and I haven’t been with them for days. The last time I saw them they were staying at the Radisson, but I can promise you they won’t be there now.”
“Hrmph,” Kyden muttered.
Briggs growled, a low rumble, then he asked Calder, “What are the werewolves after by committing these murders?”
“Full destruction of the packs.”
Briggs’s eyes widened, and Kyden experienced the same type of shock. Of all the reasons the werewolves were killing the mortals, Kyden hadn’t once guessed their intention was to destroy the very foundation of their society.
He stayed quiet as Calder continued. “A way for the rogue wolves to overpower the current alphas so they can rule their own packs.” Calder looked to Briggs, then to Kyden. “A promise has been made to the wolves that the alphas and the Patriarch will be destroyed.”
“Shit,” Finn droned.
“Foolish wolves,” Briggs snarled.
Kyden sighed.
This was far worse than anyone could have anticipated. The wolves did have a plan, and as it seemed the plan was in full effect. Now he wondered why the wolves were so confident they would succeed. Taking down the Patriarch and the alphas wouldn’t be an easy feat. The next obvious question twisted his gut. He suddenly had the real sense he didn’t want to know the answer. Yet, he knew he couldn’t avoid it either.
With coiled anger in his veins, Kyden managed, “Who made the promise to the wolves they could destroy their alphas?”
“You see it’s all connected…” Calder paused, and the dismayed look the wolf gave Kyden dropped the floor out from underneath him. “I’m afraid you won’t like what I have to say.”
Calder was right—Kyden didn’t like it.
In fact, Calder was lucky Kyden didn’t kill him for the words that came out of his mouth.
…
Knock, knock, knock.
Nexi’s eyes fluttered open, as she became conscious enough to realize someone was knocking at her front door. Pushing off the pillow, she also realized she was alone in her bed, and Kyden was nowhere in sight.
Stumbling out of bed, she pulled on her gear, then dragged her feet along the carpet as she approached the door. Once there, she opened it, and Drake stood on the other side. She sighed in frustration, rubbing at her eyes. “I thought I told you that you don’t have to knock.”
At Drake’s silence, she lowered her hands, suddenly noticing her father’s tight expression. “What’s wrong?” Glancing behind her, she listened for any sounds coming from her kitchen, but it appeared Kyden had left.
Turning to Drake, she asked, “Where’s Kyden?”
“He went out on assignment,” Drake replied.
“Oh, he is so dead.” He’d gone out without her? Hadn’t they already gotten over that? But as she studied Drake, she spotted the concern in the depths of his eyes, making her pause. “What’s going on?”
He reached out his hand, and something in his expression made her hesitate to take it. “The Council has summoned us.”
Guarded, Nexi watched him for a moment longer before she took his hand and shut the door behind her. Each step she took down the hallway only raised more alarms. She’d never seen Drake so…worried.
He had stayed silent next to her, and that didn’t help any. He was usually so forthright with his answers to her questions, but she allowed the quiet to engulf her, and hurried along to match his stride.