CHAPTER 13

Darien knew there would be trouble as soon as Leandi’s twin sister entered his favorite Friday night hangout after the passing of his partner. His soldiers had no doubt that he wanted her to succeed his deceased companion. He would be interested in another color, which made the women already envious. Despite his best efforts to not express any interest in her.

Aside from the kiss. Hell, he had only done it to prevent her from speaking. Yet, the kiss had not simply ended at preventing her from speaking, nor had he intended for it to, which was complete insanity. Even worse, he caused her to pass out without even giving her a passionate kiss. For Odin’s sake, she sustained serious injuries. What the hell was wrong with him in any case?

He stood in front of Hastings Bed and Breakfast, exhaling in frustration as he examined Sam’s flesh wound and saw where the bullet had grazed his upper arm.

Sam was recounting his tale once more—probably for the fiftyth time—enjoying every second of his triumphant moment as the villagers gathered around to listen. The shooter was after us, but Silva was talking as usual, which must have diverted my attention. Before I could fire, he opened fire. Whoever committed the murder hid on a ridge in some trees. I have no idea why he hasn’t come over to give us a high five.

He was probably afraid Darien would be upset with him for missing the shooter with a less lethal blow. Mason gave Darien a tilted gaze.

Sam and the other members of Darien’s tribe were circumspect about what they divulged since humans who were interested in what had transpired mixed with them. It prompted Darien to reconsider the kiss. He couldn’t even stand to hear the little red wolf, who was partially out of her mind, discuss lupus garous.

Darien interrupted the show by saying, “Let’s get you to the hospital.”

“I’ll go with him.” Mervin continued to dress in his traditional barber garb, including his vest, white long sleeve shirt with a red band around the arm, red bow tie, and straw hat perched atop his nearly black hair. “Darien, the sheriff has cut short his vacation and is coming back here.”

“Good. This afternoon, at two, my team and I need to meet.

Darien went back to the area where the gunman lay dead after he had witnessed the injured being taken to the hospital. The man’s clothes were searched through by two of his men. His long, unruly hair was messy, and a scraggly black beard that had grown on his face for two days hid his lifeless black eyes.

“No ID.” Mason took his fingers out of the man’s jacket pocket.

Not that Darien anticipated he would. Not a local, but a person, and a decent shooter. A paid gun? Or his own position?

Mason poked the lifeless man with his thumb. “With one lethal shot to the skull, the shooter ended his life. Knew exactly what he was doing. This person utilized a 9-mm, and there was evidence of gunfire on his hands and jacket, as well as silver rounds in his right side pocket.

Mason shrugged as Darien turned his attention from the shooter to him. “There are standard bullets in the chamber. Your brother and the small lady would have been slain by the weapons in his pocket.

He refused to believe. Darien recognized how fortunate the woman and his brother had been as he was overcome with relief.

Darien received the bullets from Mason. Hence, a lupus garou killed him. How much do you want to wager on our mine’s silver?

“May be related to the missing silver.” Deputy Peter Jorgenson and John Hastings, the proprietor of the hardware shop and bed-and-breakfast and one of the town’s founders, were two of Darien’s men who were moving north in his direction.

In agreement that they hadn’t found the second shooter, they both shook their heads.

Although Deputy Jorgenson was seldom easily agitated, his amber eyes were almost dark. “We took images of the area where he had stood and walked through the grass and found gunpowder residue.”

Is there any sign of his scent? Darien enquired.

It’s difficult to say because there were so many of us there. Even Sam and Silva’s odors were carried up there by the breeze.

Darien pointed at the shooter. “Bring him to the mortuary. I want an autopsy performed by Doc Featherston.

And send me a report right away. Get the bullet tested for ballistics and compared to every single garou gun here today.

Deputy Jorgenson responded, “I’ll start working on it.

Mason and Darien returned to the city as he was deep in meditation. Do you believe the shooter was a red or a gray person?

Because the gunman wouldn’t have left a red scent, I believe he was one of us. Simple to identify

Half of Hastings’ gray hair, freed from the leather strap and now fluttering over his shoulders in the breeze, whispered, “I smelled a scarlet scent.” It was faint, yet it existed.

Darien cast a quick glance across at the deputy setting up a team to carry the deceased man. Now that you bring it up, Jake claimed that he believed he smelled one close to Lelandi. We also heard a few howls. Why omitted Peter from mentioning sniffing any?

“I was the only person to smell it in the breeze. He disregarded the odor I detected. Claimed that my sniffer wasn’t as sharp as it once was. I’ll give him that, but I’m aware of my sense of smell. Shaking his head, Hastings. Youthful whippersnappers

Wait up, Darien, boss! Deputy Jorgenson yelled as he pursued him. “We’ve discovered proof that a red was nearby.”

Hastings received a knowing nod from Darien.

Hastings laughed. Indeed, my sniffer is malfunctioning. Darien received a patch of red fur from Deputy Jorgenson.

It was clinging to some brambles, and it smells unmistakably like a red lupus garou.

Darien turned to face his troops. It is new. He must be a prince, by God.

The same one I noticed. Hastings directed a glare at the deputy.

“Set guards for the woman around the clock,” Darien suggested.

I agree, sir. Deputy Jorgenson sped out in the direction of the town.

Mason remarked, “That young man has what it takes to be sheriff someday.”

Hastings clarified, “Only if he listens to his elders.

Darien moved on toward the town. “In another sixty or so years, Uncle Sheridan will no doubt retire.”

Shaking his head, Hastings. When he finds out that all hell broke loose when he was on vacation for the first time in ten years, he’ll want to retire.

Mason coughed. He’ll be commanding people in hog heaven. Since that mentally unstable person fled from a psychiatric facility, murdered his family, and then took refuge here, there hasn’t been this much excitement.

One argument against allowing people to reside in our town, Hastings stated.

Darien wasn’t on board. “Keeps us vigilant. Without it, we’d become careless.

At the outskirts of the city, a sizable group of men were discussing the crimes that had been committed. Most lupus garou civilizations merged with cities under human rule. Since the first settlers migrated west, the garous have dominated and run Silver Town, and Darien’s family has chosen to maintain this arrangement.

Mervin talked to Darien when they got there. “The red certainly made a noise in this sleepy little town. Don’t think for a second that it will eventually calm down.

As soon as I tell the woman how her sister died, she will go.

Many people exchanged sidelong glances.

When she is healthy enough to travel, he continued,

Several nodded, but it was clear that they didn’t take him seriously. The only way to stand by his word was to send her packing, which he duly did.

“See you later, boys.”

Darien stalked up the street to his SUV. Three weeks had passed since Lelandi had been buried, and now this. Yet he was perplexed by another idea. How could Larissa have found out about her sister’s passing if she had severed her links with her family?