“I’m here for the night. Tomorrow night you’re with the pack, though.”
Levi raised a brow. “For the full moon?”
“They want me to be there for them to run. They like me there.” I smiled behind my coffee mug.
Mario huffed. “Being with the wolves makes you hard to protect.”
“I’m safe with them and with Simon,” I promised. “I’ll be back first thing in the morning.”
Mario looked at, Levi who shrugged. “She’s safe there. The wolves will protect her.”
“We talked about this,” Mario stated, and it was my turn to raise a brow. “She is the Princess now.”
“The tabloids already know that Simon and I are dating.”
“I’m worried about someone knowing you’re up there and attacking,” Mario growled.
I blinked a few times at him. “But you’re not worried about me being on a crime scene.”
“Not with Mason, no.”
I tried not to roll my eyes. “I can’t with you right now.”
“You are the Princess,” he drawled out.
Levi put a hand on his shoulder. “She knows that, and we both have to admit that she’s done a lot to work with us on this aspect.”
“And we all agreed I’m only princess in title, not in practice.” I sat my coffee down. “I thought we were past this.”
Mario threw his hands up and disappeared.
Levi shrugged. “The council is worried since you were shot.”
“Random act of violence. I’m fine.”
Levi nodded. “As I know you are. I will get you what notes I have from Liz and hope that you can pick up her trail.”
“Do you have any idea of what we’re dealing with?”
He was quiet for a moment. “Something old.” Was all he told me before he also disappeared.
“Because that’s not cryptic as hell.” Simon rubbed his eyes. “Your life is weird.”
“Mmm, and now you’re part of it.” I grinned and sat my coffee back on the table. “Now, where were we?”
CHAPTER FIVE
The next morning, I woke wrapped in Simon’s arm. It was the best way to wake up, especially when I woke to my phone ringing.
I groaned and reached for my phone. Simon handed it to me, and I slid the answer bar without looking at it. “Special Agent Collins speaking.”
Crackling static came through the phone line, and I sat up, trying to listen to the faint words that were coming through.
“Find me…”
I frowned as the crackling continued. There were more words that I couldn’t decipher. I nudged Simon, hoping maybe he could hear what I couldn’t.
He sat up as I put the phone on speaker. The crackling faded out, followed by a terrifying scream.
My heart pounded in my chest. “Hello?”
No one answered, no other sound came through. I looked at Simon. “Did you catch anything other than ‘find me’?”
He shook his head. “I didn’t. It almost sounded like the phone was rubbing against fabric? It was so muffled.”
I looked at the recent call list and didn’t know the number. I sent Oliver a text with the number and instructions to track it. I was worried it might have been Liz, and if it was, she was in trouble.
“I don’t like the sound of it.” I put my phone on the nightstand and got out of bed.
“I don’t either. I don’t know whose voice that was.”
Me either, but there was a sinking feeling in my stomach. I tried to push it off, trying to blame it on paranoia, but there weren’t many people who had my phone number that would send me such a message.
“I’m going to grab a shower.” Simon kissed my cheek. “Let me know if you figure out anything.”
I nodded. “I’m going to make some coffee.” I walked out of the room and to the kitchen where Merick was already at the coffee pot.
He looked at me with a smirk. “Good morning.”
“Morning.” I went to the cupboard to get a mug and filled it with coffee. “I got a strange phone call.”
He raised a brow. “That’s not a typical way to start your first day of vacation.”
“No, not normally.” I got the creamer out of the fridge.
“You’re worried that it was Liz?”
I nodded. “Yeah. She said to ‘find me.’ There aren’t a lot of people who would call me with a request like that. It ended in a scream.”
“What kind of scream? And before you say, I don’t know, really think about it. What kind of scream?”
I stood there and poured the cream in the coffee and grabbed the sugar. I took a moment to think about what he was asking. “Terror.” I frowned. “She was scared.”
“Better than pain.” He offered and motioned to my coffee. “Drink up and get ready for the day. You have a lot to work on.”
It was so odd to hear him boss me around. “Who put you in charge of me?”
“Well, no one, but you have your case with Mason, this phone call, and you’re supposed to go up with the wolves tonight. Nothing is going to get done while you’re up there, and if you don’t accomplish anything today, your brain isn’t going to let you relax and enjoy the magic of the full moon tonight. I’m trying to be helpful.”
I sipped my coffee. “And what are you doing for the full moon tonight?”
“I’m going to go to a meeting with the coven. I do wish you would come.” A few months ago, he had dropped an invitation to join the coven in my lap, but I hadn’t taken them up on it.
I wasn’t ready to make that commitment yet. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be willing to join another coven, even one filled with as many misfits as the Cult of Ra.
“I’ve already obligated myself to the wolves tonight.”
“Another night then.”
