Rogue Wolf: Shifter Squad, #4

Chapter One

SITTING ON AN ANTIQUE couch in the parlor of a once haunted mansion, a chill was working its way deep inside my bones. My unease had nothing to do with the ghosts who had now passed on to another plane of existence. My anxiety came from an entirely different source.

I hadn’t really known what I was signing up for when Mark Steel walked into my life and had asked for my assistance. After four short weeks on his team, I’d learned that monsters weren’t just myths and legends, they were very real. My first clue had been when I’d turned into one. I had become a creature of the paranormal underworld that most humans weren’t even aware of.

Becoming a werewolf had altered my life forever and I’d had to put my hopes and dreams behind me. Mark had offered me a permanent position on his team of shifters and I’d had no choice but to accept. While I was human most of the time, for three nights out of every month I became a ravenous beast. Mark had the facilities to contain us when we turned. He was both our protector and our jailer.

The Shifter Squad, as they’d nicknamed themselves, was tasked with hunting down and eradicating any creatures that posed a threat to humanity. That included any of our kind who had turned rogue. Once a shifter tasted human flesh, they always came back for more.

Mark had received a call from one of his contacts a short while ago and I now feared we were about to face this exact scenario. A body had been found on the far side of the woods from the bed and breakfast that was our temporary base. A corpse being found wasn’t exactly all that remarkable. The difference this time was that the contact was fairly certain a werewolf had killed the human.

Reece and I had spent the past three nights hunting in the same stretch of woods where the corpse had been dumped. If we failed to find the murderer, it was possible that we would find ourselves at the top of our own agency’s most wanted list.

Shifters were tolerated by the Paranormal Investigation Agency, but only up to a point. Once a human life was taken it was our job to hunt the rogue down. If Mark’s superiors suspected that one of us had eaten a human, they’d send another team out to bring us to justice. That would result in a bloodbath, which was something we were anxious to avoid.

What’s the plan? Reece asked Mark far more calmly than he actually felt. Thanks to our bond, I could pick up on his emotions fairly easily. Except when he was shielding himself from me. His mind might as well be an impenetrable vault when he wanted to keep me out.

Mark had already thought through our options. I’d hoped to track Katrina down and put an end to her before she causes us any further trouble, he said. Everyone turned to look at me with varying degrees of concern.

I’d grown up believing that my mother had been murdered. While it wasn’t a total lie, it was also far from the truth. A master vampire had taken a shine to her and had turned her into his unholy handmaiden. While she wasn’t technically dead, she also wasn’t alive. Caught between two worlds, vampires were suspended in a state of undeath. They were unable to age or to change, except to become increasingly evil over time.

I’d only been a few months old when my mother had been stolen from us. She’d returned home in the middle of the night and my father had caught her in the act of trying to drain me dry. A talented marksman, he’d shot her in the head but the wound hadn’t killed her. She’d escaped and had disappeared into the swamps of New Orleans.

A link had been forged between us when she’d bitten me. When our team had been sent to New Orleans to hunt down a zombie raiser, she’d sensed me and had come to investigate. She’d stalked me for a few nights before finally striking.

She was aware that I was a werewolf, but that hadn’t stopped her from biting me. It was apparently well-known in the supernatural world that a vampire’s bite was supposed to kill shifters. They died horribly and painfully every time. For reasons I still wasn’t sure of, I hadn’t died when she’d fed from me, but I hadn’t gotten away unscathed. I’d become tainted by her vampirism.

Katrina must have held some sway with her master. She’d talked him into bringing his nest to West Virginia to eradicate us. Her plan to kill my friends and to turn me had backfired spectacularly. She hadn’t told them that we were shifters and they’d made a colossal mistake by attacking us on the first night of a full moon.

Far stronger and deadlier in our were-forms, we’d torn the nest of bloodsuckers apart. My mother had the luck of the devil and she’d scurried away before we could put an end to her. She had escaped us far too many times now. I was starting to think she was protected by some unholy dark magic that we weren’t aware of.

I’m afraid we’ll have to postpone our personal mission for a little longer, Mark decided. He clearly wasn’t happy about it, but our job came first.

Her Mom isn’t going to give up, Kala pointed out. She’ll keep following us around until she can get her fangs into Lexi again.

Hearing footsteps approaching, we went silent when Margaret appeared. Our hostess was pushing a trolley that was loaded up with coffee, tea and a selection of cookies and pastries. Kala’s eyes lit up. Her momentary moroseness was replaced with joy at the meal before us.

Thank you, Margaret, Mark said with his usual politeness.

In her fifties, she was motherly, pleasantly plump and favored floral dresses. She beamed at him as she placed the food and beverages on the coffee table. Will you be joining my father and me for dinner this evening? she asked. It’s Thanksgiving and I’m sure you can take one night off to celebrate. I’m just about to make the stuffing for the turkey and I’ll be popping it into the oven shortly. Margaret didn’t know what we did for a living, she only knew that we were here for work rather than for pleasure.

I’d lost track of time and didn’t realize it was thanksgiving already. That meant Christmas wasn’t far away. When my dad was sent away on his missions he’d always tried to make it home for the holiday. After seeing me change into my alter ego three nights ago, I doubted he’d bother to come home this year.

Reece reached out and took my hand. He sensed my sadness and had gleaned my thoughts directly from my head. If anyone else had been able to infiltrate my mind like that, I would have found it invasive. Reece was my mate and I didn’t mind him being aware of my emotions. It saved me from trying to explain my fluctuating moods to him.

Mark accepted her invitation on behalf of all of us. We’d be delighted to join you and Edward for dinner.

Flynn waited until Margaret left before making an astute observation. I see you two have had an attitude adjustment.

When did this happen? Kala asked then stuffed a pastry into her mouth.

After I realized my dad can’t get past the fact that I’m a monster, I said. Reece’s hand tightened on mine at my stab of grief.

Mark winced in sympathy. Give Philip time, Lexi. It couldn’t have been easy to watch his little girl turn into a seven foot tall werewolf. He tried to hold onto a shudder, but his shoulders shook a little anyway.

Am I really that scary? I asked in a small voice. Our boss was well used to living with shifters, but even he’d been creeped out by our display. Being trapped inside a dilapidated old church with us when we’d transformed probably had something to do with it.

Reaching inside his jacket, he pulled out his tablet, opened a file and handed it to Reece. See for yourself.

Kala and Flynn crowded around behind our couch and leaned in to watch the small screen. It was automatic for him to keep records of supernatural activities and he’d filmed our transformation. I hadn’t found any records relating to any of us on the PIA database, apart from the file on Mark’s wife and daughter. I wasn’t sure where he stored the data he kept on us. He must keep it somewhere private so no one else in the agency could stumble across it.

We watched in horrified fascination as we changed into creatures from a nightmare. Flynn turned into a half-man, half-snake. He had the torso and arms of a human, the head of a cobra and the tail of a constrictor. His scales were the same shade of green as his eyes, but his belly was a much lighter cream color. He had an intricate black pattern on the back of his head. He swayed from side to side slightly. It was almost mesmerizing to watch him move.

The rest of us weren’t nearly as spectacular. Kala became a werecougar with tawny fur and vicious claws and fangs. Her golden eyes were flat and hungry. She let out a roar that raised the hairs on my arms. I wasn’t sure why she had a tail and werewolves didn’t. Felines were different from canines in many ways when it came to shifters.

For the first time, I saw exactly what happened to me when I transformed. My jaw lengthened into a snout and fangs sprang from my gums. My hands and feet elongated and my nails became claws. My back bowed, my spine popped audibly and my ribs broke down and were realigned. Fur erupted from my skin and became a thick pelt. The change was quick, but it was far from painless.

Reece went through exactly the same process as me, but he was closer to eight feet tall than seven when he finished changing. His fur was a beautiful shade of silver, while mine was black and strangely menacing. Standing side by side, we were terrifying.

Ugh, Kala shuddered. It’s one thing to know you turn into a ravenous monster, but it’s another thing to actually see it happen. Her tone was appalled, but I sensed she was also fascinated. We were all strangely beautiful in our own way.

Do you understand now why it will take Philip some time to become accustomed to this? Mark asked when Reece handed the tablet back to him.

I nodded without saying anything. How could any parent become accustomed to seeing their child change into something so inhuman? My father could tolerate a lot, but I couldn’t expect him to love me now. First his wife had been turned into a vampire and now his daughter was a werewolf. We were both abominations and he would be better off without us in his life.

Reece glanced at me and I slammed the door shut on my thoughts and emotions. The Shifter Squad was my family now. As long as I had them, I’d be able to cope with anything.

Chapter Two

WE NEED TO EXAMINE the area where the body was found, Mark said. I’d like someone to stay behind and keep their eye on Beatrice, just in case we don’t make it back before dark.

Beatrice was a white witch who had flown all the way from England to help us during our last mission. She was upstairs in her room, fast asleep at the moment. Exhausted from casting her spells, she was weak and vulnerable. We couldn’t repay her kindness by letting her be attacked. My mother had stalked me first and then she’d turned her attention to Reece. There was no telling who she’d target next.

Kala put her hand up. I’ll stay.

I wasn’t the only one who was shocked that she’d volunteered. Flynn’s stare was bordering on suspicious. Her expression was far too innocent. It was a sure sign that she was up to something. We just didn’t know what it was. With her mischievous nature, it was difficult to predict what she had in mind.

While I was glad I wouldn’t have to stay behind and perform guard duty, it was doubtful Mark would have allowed me to stay behind anyway. I’d already fallen beneath Katrina’s spell several times. It was frightening how easily she could invade my mind. I suspected she was able to control me so easily because she’d bitten me when I’d been a baby. She’d fed from me twice since then, tightening the hold she had over me.

We’ll be back as quickly as we can, Mark said and stood, signaling us to follow him.

Take your time, Kala said nonchalantly and stuffed another pastry into her mouth. There’s no rush. The words came out slightly garbled and clumps of blueberries were stuck in her teeth. She grinned at our grimaces.

You’ll make some lucky man a fine wife one day, Flynn said in mock seriousness.

Wife? she responded in disbelief and swallowed the mouthful down. That’s way too permanent. Why would I chain myself to one guy when there are so many hot guys out there to choose from?

I had the opposite view. One man was more than enough for me. Reece flicked me a smile when he caught that thought. He slung his arm over my shoulder and hugged me to his side as we followed Mark out into the hall.

Reece might have surrendered to our bond, but I didn’t have exclusive rights on him. He wasn’t yet aware how strongly he’d bound me to him with the sheer force of his will. I’d promised myself to him as more than his mate. I’d vowed that he would be the only man who I’d ever share my body with. Even if something catastrophic happened and we became separated, I still wouldn’t want any other man. My vow was binding and it would remain with me until I died.

I wasn’t as strong willed as Reece and I hadn’t bound him with the same restrictions that he’d imposed on me. It was my deepest fear that he’d one day meet the woman he was supposed to have mated with and that he’d end up hating me.

Zeus emerged from the trees and raced to meet me when I stepped out through the backdoor. The link I had with him was nothing like my bond with Reece. I had to strain to pick up what the Rottweiler was thinking. His thoughts were rarely deep. They were mostly focused on how much he loved me. His love for food came in as a close second.

Reece and Flynn wrinkled their noses at being forced to share the SUV with my guardian. Mark was more philosophical about the newest addition to our squad. Zeus wanted to sit next to me in the backseat since Kala was staying behind. A glower from Flynn made him slink around to the back of the vehicle instead.

I let Zeus in before climbing inside. Used to being squished in the middle of the seat, I luxuriated in having more room. Flynn turned to speak to me and blanched when he came face to face with Zeus. Ugh! he recoiled and waved a hand in front of his face. What are you feeding him?

Dog food, I said blandly.

Maybe you should try brushing his teeth.

I examined the long teeth of my canine companion and shook my head. I don’t think so. You’re welcome to try, though. If you’re lucky, he might not bite your hand off.

I’ll pass, he said. He’d either forgotten what he’d been about to say, or he didn’t think it was worth the risk of inhaling more dog breath.

Where was the body found? Reece asked Mark. He wasn’t shielding himself from me and I could feel his concern. He doubted it was a coincidence that a werewolf had killed a human in the same woods that we’d used as our hunting grounds. I shared his doubt. We’d only sensed the rogue at a distance when we’d been in our werewolf forms, but we’d both sensed there was something very wrong with him.

It was clear that he wanted us to become aware of him. He’d accomplished that task, but he’d shortly realize that he’d made a mistake by coming to our attention. Now that we were aware he’d been hunting humans, we had no choice but to find him and put him down. That was what the PIA employed us to do after all. Our official name was the Track and Kill Squad and we were very good at our jobs.

It’s on the other side of the woods. Mark gestured at the dense forest that we were driving past. He’d already keyed the location into the GPS. All we had to do was follow the directions and it would lead us to the murder site. It should take us around three hours to get there.

I take it there aren’t any shortcuts? Reece queried.

Not that I’m aware of.

You never knew with these types of backwoods. Locals sometimes created their own paths that went unmapped for years. Unfortunately, we didn’t spy any helpful access roads that would shorten our trip.

Traffic was light as we made the long, scenic drive around the large forest. Flynn was listening to music through earphones. Mark and Reece were quietly discussing a similar case where they’d had to hunt down a rogue. Knowing I was bound to grow bored sooner or later, I’d brought my ereader along. Choosing one of the hundreds of digital books that were stored on it, I focused on reading.

Three hours later, just as Mark had predicted, we left the highway and turned onto a road that cut through the forest. After several miles, the GPS told us that we’d reached our destination. A tiny parking lot had been carved into the woods. We pulled in beside an older model tan sedan that had been parked haphazardly across two slots. The local sheriff’s insignia was on the driver’s door. A deputy must have been tasked with guarding the scene from morbid onlookers. A disturbing number of people liked to see the grisly remains firsthand. Some even took photos as mementos. Humans could be sick sometimes.

You’d better leave Zeus behind, Mark said to me. I doubt the deputy will want him contaminating the scene.

Can you stay here and guard the car? I asked my guardian when I opened the backdoor to let him out.

Picking up a disturbing scent, he whined and sent me a picture of a large, shaggy beast. He’d been in the church when Reece and I had transformed into our alter egos, but he wasn’t concerned about us. He knew that a strange shifter had been in the area recently and that they were dangerous. Keep your eye out for any strangers. Let me know if you see the person this scent belongs to, I instructed him. He’d look human now, but his scent would still be easy enough for Zeus to recognize.

With a low woof of agreement, he sat down and settled in to guard the SUV. Most dogs would have rushed over to the nearest tree to mark their scent. Zeus merely watched the area alertly.

This way, Mark said and led us towards a sign that warned us we were about to enter a hiking trail.

I smelled the deputy before he came into sight just around a bend. Short and portly, his sweat was rank with what I suspected was fear. He held his hand up, signaling us to stop as we walked over to him.

I’m going to have to ask you folks to leave, he said in an officious tone. His hat was angled so low over his eyes that he had to tilt his head back to see us. He had a young face, but I suspected he might be in his early thirties. A body was found here this morning and the area is closed to the public.

Mark pulled out his PIA identification and flicked it open to reveal his unsmiling photo and credentials. We’re federal agents, he explained as the deputy studied his ID closely. We were sent to investigate the murder.

What murder? the deputy asked in bewilderment. It sounds like you have your wires crossed, Agent Steel. The unidentified male person was killed by what we believe was a pack of wolves.

He was trying hard to look nonchalant and to pretend that he wasn’t terrified. I noticed his gun holster was unclipped for quick and easy access. Reece and I exchanged knowing glances. Now that we were here, we could confirm that wolves hadn’t killed the man. We’d have detected them as soon as we’d stepped out of the SUV. Even without seeing the kill site, we knew a werewolf had been behind the attack.

We have information that leads us to believe the death was staged to look like an animal attack, Mark said smoothly. In his mid-forties, average in height and build with receding brown hair and gray eyes, our boss looked almost ordinary. In truth, he was