“Two names, still living. Both men. One in London. Douglas Connor.”

“Douglas Connor. Our murderer?”

“Perhaps.”

She nodded. “Let’s go find him. The gate through the Haunted Hound is closest.”

We hurried through town, getting several looks as we passed through the main city street. I was rarely seen with a woman, and Eve was more than just any woman.

We reached the massive gate that led out of town and took the portal to the Haunted Hound. I rarely visited human London, preferring Scotland if I were going to leave Guild City.

But Eve apparently came here often. As we passed through the main part of the pub, the man behind the bar grinned widely at the sight of her.

Quinn McKay.

The only shifter in town who had left our pack but still lived in Guild City. It was an odd arrangement, but when the Shadow Guild had appeared, it had called to him. I nodded at him. I knew other Alphas who might be territorial about a nearby shifter not belonging to the pack, but I only wanted the willing.

The girl who’d run from me had certainly been unwilling.

“Eve.” Quinn smiled at her and leaned over the bar. “What can I do for you?”

“Just passing through, Quinn.”

Quinn’s grin widened. “Passing through my heart.”

It was a ridiculous line, and most probably a joke between the two of them. Still, the jealousy rose. My wolf went wild with it, rising inside me like a beast, scrabbling to get out. I forced it back, but not before I heard a faint growl come from my throat.

Fuck.

What the hell was I doing?

Apparently, Eve and Quinn had heard as well, because they both turned to me, eyes wide.

I patted my chest. “Something caught in my throat.”

Quinn gave me a knowing look, and I stared him down. After a few seconds, he diverted his gaze, forced by the chain of dominance.

“Let’s go.” Eve gestured me forward. “Thanks, Quinn, I’ll see you later.”

I followed Eve out into London proper, ignoring Quinn’s stare. With shaking hands, I withdrew the flask from my pocket and took several deep gulps, praying that the stronger potion would work.

What the hell was happening to me?

16

Eve

 

My head spun as I hurried out into London. Lachlan had just growled at Quinn for flirting with me.

Growled.

Even his eyes had gone bright green. His wolf could sense that I was his mate, even though his human mind hadn’t caught up. That potion that he drank was helping, for sure. Thank fates he was hooked on it.

But even as I thought it, I felt guilty as hell. It would be terrible to live without emotion. Even more terrible to fight every day to suppress it so that you could do your duty by your people.

I shook the thoughts away. There was no time for sympathy for Lachlan. I needed to keep my head in the game.

The Haunted Hound was located in Covent Garden, a charming part of London full of pubs and shops. Richmond Park was clear across town, however, so I flagged a black cab that went rumbling past.

“This good with you?” I asked as it rolled to a stop.

“It’s fine.”

We climbed in together, and I made a point to sit as far from him as possible.

The cabbie leaned back over the seat. He was an older man with a shock of white hair and dark eyes. “Where will it be?”

“Richmond Park,” Lachlan said.

“Have you there in the blink of an eye.”

We rode in silence. Fortunately, traffic was light, and the cabbie drove like a demon. By the time we arrived, my head was spinning from the speed at which he’d taken the turns.

Lachlan paid, and we climbed out. The park itself was massive, a rambling garden with thousands of acres of wild green space.

“Do you know roughly where these flowers are?” he asked.

I pulled the little map from my pocket. “It says here that they should be at the back, in a bed planted by Queen Victoria.”

“Lead the way.”

The park was quiet as we cut through. There were a few people picnicking and sunbathing at the front, but as we reached the more wooded area, it turned empty. The air prickled with an eerie chill, and I looked at Lachlan. “Magic.”

He nodded. “He’s trying to keep people away, and it’s working.”

“He’s got some connections if he can manage that.”

Generally speaking, shifters didn’t do that kind of magic. He’d have to be connected to a sorceress or witch of some kind to get a spell like that.

The shadows in the park grew darker as we moved deeper. We were nearly to the end when Lachlan stiffened. “Do you smell that?”

“No.” I sniffed, then caught the faintest scent of copper. My heart rocketed into my throat. “Blood?”

“Not human.”

It was too much to hope that it was our murderer.

“This way.” Lachlan turned left and cut through the trees, moving swiftly and silently.

I followed, albeit not as quietly. I was no slouch, but I didn’t quite have his talent.

We came across the deer a few moments later. The creature had been torn to pieces. As soon as I laid eyes on it, I looked away, up into the trees. “How long ago?” I asked.

There was silence for a moment, before Lachlan answered. “Less than twenty-four hours, I’d guess.”

“Was it him?”

“It was a wolf or another large predator. So it was probably our man.”

“He’s living back here and eating the deer.”

“Only a feral wolf would do that.”

“Dark Moon curse.” I shivered. Would I ever fall prey to it?

Please, God, no.

Lachlan pulled out his mobile, and I heard him make a call for a cleanup team to take care of the remains. The last thing we needed was humans suspecting that a massive wild animal was loose in the park. They did not need to find our guy before we did. Not only was he a threat to Lachlan’s wolves, but he could reveal our secret to the humans.

“Let’s keep moving.” Lachlan pressed on, and I followed, widely skirting the carnage.

I consulted the map once more, then led us through the park toward the flowers. It took a few tries to find it, but finally, we found a small patch of the Helleborensius.

“This is it.” I knelt and touched them.

“I’m going to shift. My senses are better in that form.”

I nodded, averting my gaze. It wasn’t like I could see anything when he shifted—the cloud of green magic obscured him—but somehow, it felt intimate.

Way too intimate with Lachlan.

Magic sparked on the air, and a moment later, I looked back and saw the massive wolf. He was truly gorgeous. Absolutely huge, far bigger than any other wolf I’d ever seen, with jet-black fur and brilliant eyes. He looked at me for one long moment, and I shivered.

It was almost as if he could see into my soul in that form. What else could he sense?

“Well?” I asked. “Smell anything?”

He turned around and prowled through the garden, his strides long and powerful. Just watching him gave me a thrill and made me wish that I could transform as well.

After a while, he shifted back. “There’s nothing out of the ordinary here,” he said. “There was a rain recently, and it’s covered up the scent of anyone who walked through.”