I strode straight into the portal at the base of the tree, letting the ether sweep me up and spin me through space. It spat me out in the fresh, brisk wind of a Highland afternoon. The sun shone brightly through the space in a thick white cloud, illuminating the rolling hills and tall mountains that were our home.

I breathed deeply.

I’d come here with my father as a boy, long before the curse had taken him. They’d been good times. I’d first shifted here. Raced with my brother here.

Damn, I missed him.

Inside, my wolf howled, desperate to be let free. It wanted to run, to chase, to hunt. I let it out far too infrequently, and it was getting anxious. I felt restless deep in my bones, almost an ache.

I longed for more than just running. I longed for the past, when my father and brother were still here. Before everything fell apart.

I shook away the thoughts and headed toward the stone circle near the river. We owned thousands of acres in this desolate part of Scotland, but no one lived here except for our most revered seer. Her cottage was hidden, though, and one had to earn entry.

As I approached the standing stones that soared toward the sky, I felt the hum of their magic deep in my soul. There were thirteen of them, all nearly identical in shape and size.

I stepped through the ring and stopped in front of the stone basin situated directly in the middle of the circle. Quickly, I drew a blade from my pocket and made a small slice across my palm. Pain pinched, and the blood flowed freely. I let it drip into the basin before clenching my fist tightly and returning the blade to my pocket.

In the stone bowl, my blood sizzled and smoked. Magic would detect if I was one of the pack, and when it did, the seer’s cottage would appear.

If she were willing.

I looked up toward the river about a hundred meters away. When the air began to shimmer, I felt a grim smile stretch across my face.

I was in luck.

I strode from the stone circle, heading toward the small cottage that was appearing at edge of the river. Mountains sloped up on the far bank, dotted with fluffy white sheep that would need to get a move on before the next full moon.

As I walked toward the cottage, I reached into my pocket and retrieved the claw. It dug into my hand where I clutched it.

All black eyes.

A sign of the Darkest Moon curse.

There were a few wolves in the world who had it, but which of them would attack us? And which would keep a gruesome talisman like this? It was the entire claw, from root to tip. That could only be obtained by cutting it out of the wolf’s foot, which would be hard as hell to do while a wolf was alive.

I reached my destination and pounded on the door. “It’s your Alpha.”

A few moments later, the door swung open, revealing an older woman with silver hair and bright green eyes. She was ageless, as far as I could tell, without a line on her face. Her hair fell in a waterfall down her back, gleaming brilliantly against her purple dress.

Agnes was the most powerful seer in our pack’s history, with a particularly gifted ability for seeing into the past and future of the pack.

“Alpha.” Her brows rose. “What can I do for you?”

“May I come in?”

She nodded and stepped back, letting me into her cottage. It was a small space, decorated with too many frilly cushions and pillows. The scent of incense hung heavy in the air, making my nose itch. Fortunately, I wouldn’t be here long.

As soon as she shut the door, I turned and held out the claw. “I need to know who this belongs to. And which shifter killed Danny.”

“You know I tried to see the answer to the second question already.”

“This might give you more to go on.”

“True.” She frowned, looking at the claw. “But I’m not overly hopeful.”

“Just try, please.”

“Of course.” She held out her hand and took the claw, gasping as her palm closed around it. Immediately, her gaze flew to mine. “It belonged to your father.”

Head spinning, I stared at her. “My father. You’re sure?”

“I am. I’ve never been surer of anything.”

He couldn’t be the murderer. I’d killed him myself, and the deed still haunted me. We’d laid him to rest in the pack crypt almost immediately after—in his wolf form.

Had someone desecrated the grave? And why?

Suddenly, the seer’s eyes went dark, and her face went slack.

“Are you well?” I asked.

She blinked, her eyes clearing. All the color rushed from her face. “No. There’s been another murder.”

12

Eve

 

When I returned to the shifters’ turf later that night, everything seemed different. Weird.

For one, the courtyard was completely empty. It was an hour when at least a couple people should have been going out to dinner or sitting at one of the open-air cafés on the square, yet it was dead silent.

I crossed the courtyard, nerves singing through me. The tower loomed overhead, every window blazing bright. I could see people hurrying back and forth behind the glass, never standing still.

Something is wrong.

When I got to the main steps and started to climb, the air felt electric. I’d just reached for the door when Lachlan appeared at my elbow, having come around from the side so swiftly and quietly that I jumped.

I turned to him, surprised to see the shadows beneath his eyes and the grim lines bracketing his mouth. “Lachlan! What’s going on?”

“There’s been another murder.”

Horror shot though me. “What? When?”

“Just a few hours ago today.” His gaze moved to the scrape on my cheek, and he frowned. “What happened?”

“The killer attacked me. At least, I thought it was him. When I was walking back to my place, he grabbed me.” I told him the whole story. “Do you think he failed with me and came here?”

“He may have.”

“Damn it.” Guilt streaked through me. “I should have fought harder. Chased him faster.”

“No.” His voice was sharp. “That’s too dangerous. Why did he attack you?”

“I have no idea, and I didn’t get anything that Alia didn’t tell us already. Tall, like you. Dark eyes. Hood covered his face.”

“Come with me.” He gripped my arm and pulled me around the side of the building.

I followed, hurrying to keep up so that he didn’t yank me off my feet. I thought he just might.

“Was it poison?” I asked. “Who was killed?”

He said nothing, just dragged me up the stairs and pulled me right back into the bedroom he’d put me in before. At the door, he turned to look at me. “For fates’ sake, don’t leave this room, or you’ll answer to me. There will be six guards on the door to protect you. You can’t get past them, and no one can get in here.”

I swallowed hard, the coldness in his voice sending shivers down my spine.

Shit, shit, shit.

He left, shutting the door behind him. I heard a lock click.

What the hell was I supposed to do now? He couldn’t just keep me here.

At least it was the bedroom, and not the dungeons. I could fly out the window, but did I want to do that right now?

Maybe not.