“Then it’s better we know sooner rather than later,” Zoe finished. “Yeah. Let’s get moving.”
I WAS STILL GETTING USED TO TRAIPSING through the woods to take on foes. In Detroit, the danger was abandoned buildings. There was no shortage of those. Still, it was different from searching for an enemy in the woods. We’d gone about a mile before we found the source of the tracks, and it wasn’t what I expected.
“Stop right there,” a female voice growled from behind a thick wall of trees.
Instinctively, my arm shot out to shove Sami back. Oddly enough, Zoe didn’t react the same way. Her hands ignited in purple fire before I could even draw in a full breath.
“Show yourself,” Zoe ordered.
“Or what?” The voice was cocky. Unfortunately for whoever decided to take us on, Zoe was even cockier.
“Or this.” Zoe aimed her magic at an overhanging branch. A terrific ripping sound filled the air before the branch detached and tumbled on those below.
“What the ...?” A disheveled brunette with fiery eyes and a bruise on her cheek stumbled out of the woods practically falling at our feet, and she fixed Zoe with a death glare. “Was that necessary?”
Zoe cocked her head, never lowering her hands. “Apparently so.”
Sensing trouble, since Zoe seemed the type to prove her dominance by killing first and asking questions never, I stepped between them. “We’re not here to hurt you,” I said to the female, taking a moment to look her up and down. She wasn’t a vampire. She also wasn’t human. “We’re simply looking for answers.”
“You’re looking for answers in the middle of the woods?” The woman was a furious mess. “That sounds smart.” She rolled her neck and darted her eyes to the east, instantly putting me on alert. “What do you want?”
Opting to take a page out of Zoe’s playbook — two badasses were better than one, after all — I unleashed a barrage of magic into the bushes to my left. It wasn’t meant to kill, but it was strong enough to elicit a wail from behind the foliage. I wasn’t surprised when another two individuals, both females, tumbled into the open. One was waving a hand over her behind to put out the small fire I’d started.
“That was completely uncalled for,” the singed woman hissed.
“Then don’t hide in the bushes and bide your time so you can jump us,” Zoe suggested.
“We had no intention of jumping you,” the first woman argued. “We were just watching.”
“What for?”
The brunette raised her chin, defiant. “That’s none of your business.”
Zoe narrowed her eyes. “I could make you talk.”
“I’ll die before I talk.”
The brunette was sincere, although I had no doubt Zoe was strong enough to carry out her threat.
“Let’s not fly off the handle,” I suggested, my gaze bouncing between the two women. “How about we start from the beginning?”
“We don’t know you,” the woman with the singed jeans snarled. “You’re not one of us. What makes you think we could ever trust you?”
Before I could respond, Sami stepped forward. She seemed intrigued by the turn of events and had forgotten all about the bear crap on her shoes. “I’m one of you.” She flashed a smile that eerily reminded me of her mother.
I was breathless when she partially shifted, the pale skin of her arm turning fuzzy as she flexed what should’ve been fingers but had somehow turned into claws for the benefit of the three women.
Zoe gave her daughter some serious side eye but didn’t admonish her, which I found interesting. She focused on the shifter females. “We have no interest in harming you, especially if you’re not moving on us. However, we do need an explanation.”
The brunette sighed. “I don’t know what we can tell you.”
“How about you start with names?” I prodded.
The brunette remained unconvinced, her jaw tense. On a whim, I decided to introduce the members of our team.
“I’m Scout Randall. This is Zoe Lake-Winters. We’re not going to simply leave you guys here without getting the answers we’re looking for. We don’t mean you any harm, but things are tense around these parts right now. We need to come to a meeting of the minds.”
The brunette narrowed her eyes and glared at Zoe before focusing on Sami. “And who are you?”
“My daughter,” Zoe replied. “You don’t need to know her name, especially since I don’t know your names. I’m sure you understand.”
The woman heaved out a sigh. “I’m Jasmine Holtz. These are my pack-mates Blair Redford and Creole Suffolk.”
Zoe nodded. “That’s a start. Now tell us what you’re doing out here.”
Jasmine put her hands on her hips. “What are you doing out here?”
While I expected Zoe to shut her down, she merely shrugged. “We’re looking for vampires.”
Jasmine’s eyes widened. “That’s convenient. We’re trying to keep vampires from encroaching on our territory. What do you know about them?”
“Their numbers are fewer after last night. I don’t think they’re gone, though.”
“Were you the ones fighting with the vampires over by the lake last night?” Jasmine looked genuinely intrigued. “We saw the light show. By the time we got over there, there was nothing left.”
Zoe nodded. “That was us. What do you know about them?”
“I’m ... not sure we can tell you.” Jasmine was contrite but firm. “The child’s ability to shift doesn’t change our orders.”
I grabbed Zoe’s arm before she could do something wild. Although it was unlikely she would attack, I’d learned in a short amount of time that she was more than willing to throw magic at a problem to solve it.
“I have an idea,” I said. “I think I know a way this can work out for all of us.”
“How is that?” Jasmine queried. “Do you have a secret link to our pack that I don’t know about?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.”
IN THE END, DESPITE HER RETICENCE, JASMINE agreed to meet us in town. She was familiar with the Cauldron, and the individuals who
