“Will do. And thanks again.” I left quickly, taking the tiny map of Richmond Park that we’d found. It had been made by the Royal Botanic Society about thirty years ago and showed the locations of many of the flower beds in the park. Things could have changed since then, but it was a start.

The fact that the killer was living out in human London was definitely a problem, especially if he was mad. I just prayed he still had enough sense left to keep his species a secret.

Lachlan

 

Glencarrough wasn’t far from our ancestral lands in the Highlands. They adjoined each other at their northern and southern sides, making it easy to reach them.

Fortunately, the Alpha at Glencarrough, a regal woman named Eleanor, had agreed to meet me on our turf. I needed to see the seer again, and we were running out of time.

I waited for her by the stone circle and was grateful when she appeared on time, wearing a dark cloak that blew in the wind with her graying hair pulled up around her face. The steel in her eyes reminded me of my father. No doubt it would remind others of me.

“Eleanor. Thank you for meeting me.”

She nodded, her gaze somber. “There are terrible things happening in Guild City, from what I hear.”

“Two murders. My father’s grave desecrated.”

Sadness flashed in her eyes. “Your poor father. How are you?”

“Fine.”

“Fine? Hardly.” She looked me up and down. “You look like you could use a week on a beach.”

“When does an Alpha ever get a week on the beach?”

She laughed softly. “Don’t try to distract me. This can’t be easy for you.”

“It’s fine.” She didn’t know I took the potion to suppress any errant emotions. Had no idea that I feared the Dark Moon curse, in fact. “Were you able to find the names of anyone that my father put away for a particularly long time while he was with the security force?”

“Aye. I served with him, which you might not have known.”

“I didn’t.”

“Well, he was good at his job. There are three individuals that have been released after doing their time, though I’m not sure that any of them would have done this.”

“Do you know where they are?”

“I do not. They left our land, understandably so. But their names were Finn MacCallum, Douglas Connor, and Sean Faraday.”

“Thank you.”

She nodded. “I’ll see if I can find anything else about them, and if I do, I’ll let you know.”

We said our goodbyes, and she departed.

For the second time in as many days, I entered the stone circle and made the blood sacrifice required. Now that I had the three names, perhaps the seer could help more.

After a few moments, her cottage appeared, and I approached. I reached her door and knocked, waiting only a few seconds for her to open it.

Her eyes widened. “More questions?”

I nodded. “Aye. May I come in?”

“You’re lucky I answered a second time.” She shook her head, sorrow in her eyes. “But I can sense the tragedy that is happening in Guild City.”

She stepped back and gestured for me to enter. I breathed shallowly, hating the thickly perfumed air. She shut the door and followed me deeper into her suite. “What is it?”

I gave her the three names. “What can you tell me about them?”

“You want to know if they’re your murderer.”

“I do.”

She frowned. “You know I probably can’t see that. Not without them being here.”

“What can you tell me? Anything will be helpful.”

She shrugged. “Let’s see, shall we?”

Gracefully, she strode to a small pink couch and sat. I waited, uncomfortable and impatient, as she closed her eyes and began to hum low in her throat.

Her magic swelled on the air, the faint scent of powder and rose blossoms. Minutes passed, until finally, she opened her eyes. “One of them is dead. Just recently. Finn MacCallum has left this plane. The other two are alive, and not far from here. Both in the UK. Douglas Connor may even be in London.”

I nodded. “Good. Thank you. Can you tell me where?”

“No, not specifically. But I’m certain he’s there.” She frowned. “He’s been there a month. Perhaps a little more, but not much.”

I’d take what I could get. This was further than we’d been.

“Will there be anything else?” she asked.

The question popped out of my lips before I could stop it. “The girl who was meant to be my mate. Where is she?”

Her eyes flared wide. “You’ve never asked this before.”

Guilt stabbed me. Duty had kept me moving…but she had been my duty. Taking her as my mate had been foretold by fate itself. And yet, I’d ignored it.

I’d had to.

From the moment I’d met her—that brief flash of time—I’d known she’d be the death of me. She had the ability to make me feel so deeply that I’d fall to the Dark Moon curse.

It had been a calculated sacrifice. No matter what fate wanted from me, I had to ignore her to protect my clan. They couldn’t lose another Alpha to the curse.

But now that I was starting to feel something for another, I needed to know what had happened to her.

“I know I haven’t asked this before,” I said. “And I had good reason. But I need to know now.”

“She is your destiny, and yet, you have avoided it. I understand why. You don’t want to fall to the curse the way your father did. And it was wise of you to be concerned.”

Hearing her say it made ice stab me in the chest. She confirmed that the Dark Moon curse stalked me.

“I need to know,” I said. “Can you find her?”

“I can already tell you no. She disappeared from my sight eight years ago.”

“Dead?” The icicle in my heart twisted. That was two years after she’d disappeared from Guild City.

“I don’t know. Perhaps.”

“What else could it be?”

She shook her head. “I have no idea. But she is lost to me.”

I clenched my fist, disappointed. “Thank you for your help.”

I left, returning to Guild City.

Douglas Connor. He could be our killer. He could even be in London.

After I arrived in Guild City, I ran into Eve in the courtyard outside my guild tower. Her eyes were bright, and her silvery pink hair gleamed under the sun.

I stared, entranced by her. The sight of her felt more welcome than a hot shower after a fight. More welcome than my bed after a long day. Impossible thoughts ran through my mind.

Finally, I asked, “Did you find something?”

“I did.” She grinned widely. “Richmond Park.”

“The big one in London?”

“The very same. This flower only grows there. At least, in London. It’s a rare variety.”

“Let’s go. Immediately.” I was going to find that bastard Douglas. “I don’t have a transport charm, but it shouldn’t take long to get there.” I strode past her, headed for one of the city gates.

“Excellent.” She hurried to join me. “What did you find?”