tamper with the vials.” Gerald huffed out a breath. “So one of my people is guilty. But why?”
“I don’t know. But at least nobody was harmed.”
“My people aren’t good saboteurs. I’m not sure if I should be grateful or embarrassed by that.” Gerald turned back toward the steel door. “We’re missing the party, my dear. Let’s go get some pasta salad.”
“Sounds good.” Maggie eyed the guard on the way out.
The guy looked like he could take down a bear. “So, you don’t have any idea who could’ve damaged the drugs?” she asked Gerald.
“Anybody could’ve gotten to the drugs before we put security measures into place.” He led her back into the dusky evening. The band was softly playing, while people milled around with full plates. The cheerleaders from the other day sat over on a grassy clearing with a bunch of teenage boys.
Their laughter filled the air with mirth.
The woman from the protest, Bobbi, hustled up. “Gerald, there’s an issue with the band. Something about not enough plug-ins.” She rolled her eyes.
Gerald patted Maggie’s hand. “I’ll catch up with you later.” He took off toward the band.
Bobbi held out a hand and smiled. She’d pulled her dark brown hair into a clip, emphasizing high cheekbones and green eyes. “I’m Bobbi—Shannon’s mother.”
“Maggie.” They shook hands.
Maggie eyed the area, her shoulders relaxing when she spotted Terrent across the clearing. The wolf leaned against a tree, his gaze on the crowd. Alone and thoughtful.
Bobbi followed her gaze. “Terrent’s a sexy one, isn’t he?”
“Uh, yeah.” Maggie started.
Laughter erupted from Bobbi. “I’m making small talk.
No interest here—happily mated to a soldier. Who hopefully will be home soon.”
Maggie smiled. “Ah. Well, I have no claim on Terrent, so no worries.”
“Right.” Bobbi snorted. “It’s nice to see him happy. Almost at peace.”
Warmth flooded into Maggie’s face. “He’s happy?”
“Yes.”
Several people approached the man to talk, but he remained off to the side. Separate from the party. Maggie sighed. “He’s not very friendly.”
“Sure, he is. He’s just not comfortable with people.”
Bobbi waved at an older couple zipping onto the dance floor.
The woman’s defense of Terrent lightened Maggie’s shoulders. He had friends, whether he wanted them or not. Being alone in life hurt. She knew. But this Raze pack seemed like a good place to make a new life, to belong.
Bobbi elbowed her. “Let’s get some food. You can take a plate to the guy you have no claim on.” Her laughter increased the intensity of Maggie’s blush.
Terrent’s gaze landed on her. Heated and possessive.
She swallowed. “I could eat.”
Chapter Eight
The party went on for hours, and the band played the entire time. Maggie danced with Terrent, with Gerald, and with several other wolves. Being among her own people filled her with a lightness she hadn’t realized she’d missed. Sure, she loved the vampires. But this pack might be home.
She and Terrent stood to the side, drinking cider after a rather ambitious two-step. Her toes might never recover from his huge boot landing on them. Of course, she’d tripped the poor guy several times. “I told you that klutzes shouldn’t dance.”
He surveyed the area, always on alert. “I had fun.”
Throughout the night, he’d loosened up and had even par-ticipated in several discussions with folks about the war.
With the kids, he’d seemed comfortable from the beginning.
Little Toby had hung around him for quite a while until his mother had taken him to bed.
Terrent took a deep breath. “Did you enjoy your tour earlier?”
Instinct raised the hair on her arms. “Yes. Very interesting place.”
“Did you find any clues, Sherlock?”
Maggie jerked her head to meet his gaze. “Clues?”
“Please.” He brushed her forehead with warm lips, his focus on a group of men arguing about football scores. “Any clues on who messed with the drugs?”
She swallowed. “You knew? I mean, you knew the king sent me to investigate?”
A dimple flashed in Terrent’s cheek. “Yeah. I knew. Find anything?”
Her shoulders slumped. “No. You?”
“Nope. The entire situation is a mystery. An odd one.”
Gerald hustled up. “We have a problem. The Ausgel Alpha just contacted me with another offer to buy the mountain. If we don’t sell, he’s going to attack.”
Terrent straightened. “When will your soldiers be home?”
“End of the week.” Gerald rubbed his chin. “We should be fine, but this time of transition is over. I’m turning over leadership to Roger tonight.”
Terrent shook his head. “You should wait until your soldiers get home.”
“No. We need stability.” Gerald sighed. “I put together a defense plan in the lodge. Will you take a quick look at the diagram? I’d like to implement what we can starting tomorrow morning.”
“Sure.” Terrent handed his glass to Maggie. “You okay here?”
“Yes.” She waved at Bobbi, who was doing the cha-cha with a lumbering wolf.
Terrent left with Gerald. Maggie wandered around and grabbed a cookie from the table. The sound of the festivities rose in the air, the feeling light and happy. The entrance to the rock stood quiet and dark. How easy would it be to get inside and poke around? This was the last night anybody had to mess with the drugs—so if it was going to happen, it would be soon. Maybe she should set up inside and wait out of sight. Then she could report back to Terrent without even having to confront anybody. Now that was a plan.
Smoothly angling around the table, her foot only catching once, she maneuvered to the cave entrance. Nobody seemed to notice.
Her breath heated. Goose bumps rose on her arms. She could investigate like the best of them. Moving backward, she allowed the cave to consume her.
Winding through the quiet hallways, she paused before making the final turn where the guard was stationed. Darn.
She should’ve brought him some punch or a cookie. Oh well.
Too late. Plastering on a fake smile, she breezed around the corner.
And stopped short.
Her entire body stiffened. Adrenaline flooded her system.
The guard was down.
Passed out, his head at an odd angle. Maggie crept toward him, dropping to one knee in order to feel his neck. She sighed in relief at the strong, steady heartbeat. Thank God.
Shoving his neckline to the side, she revealed twin burn marks. A stun gun? An injection site swelled an inch away.
So the poor guy had been stunned and then injected with what had to be a rather powerful sedative.
She gulped in air, her gaze going to the metal door, which stood partially ajar.
Getting help seemed like the best idea, but she couldn’t let whoever was inside mess with the inoculations. Or get away.
The gun in the guard’s holster fit easily into her grip, and she stood on shaking legs. Toeing open the door,
