Skylar
took off at a run. His need was coursing
through his veins, his skin on fire from wanting her so badly. Xavier followed and they ran and ran. They let the surrounding woods bring back the
level headedness they needed to face her again.
Twenty
minutes later, they stepped into the living room of Aspen's house and accusing
eyes turned their way. Skylar knew this
look well, since he’d endured it during childhood often.
Aspen
stood and moved toward them but Caleb stood up and blocked her path. Skylar growled. No one kept his mate from him.
"Caleb! They didn't do it!"
"You
don't know that."
Aspen's
face turned red. "Yes I do."
A
large male stood and coughed to bring their attention to him.
"Caleb,
nobody is blaming anyone. I just came to
check and see if anyone knew anything."
"How
could it be a coincidence that all this started when they came to town?"
Aspen
stomped her foot and pushed past Caleb. "Oh for goodness sakes, Caleb, I told you it wasn't them; they were
with me last night."
Skylar
reached out and pulled her behind him his wolf settling some with him between
her and the perceived threat. The large
male stepped forward.
"I
think some introductions are in order. I'm Wesley Chambers with the Pinewood Creek PD and I'm investigating a
homicide."
Skylar
shook the hand extended to him.
"Skylar. This is my mate Xavier."
Wesley
nodded his brows drawing together. Xavier stepped forward and Wesley extended his hand once more.
"So,
you were with Aspen all night?"
"Yes,
they-"
"Aspen,
that's not entirely true, Skylar and I went running in the woods last
night."
Skylar
restrained Aspen who tried to step past him. His little cat hissed and he pinned her with a stare.
"Calm
down, baby."
Tears
welled in her eyes and Xavier pulled her into his arms. Skylar turned back to Wesley.
"What
exactly are we being accused of?"
"I'm
not accusing you of anything, but since you're new in town and we have a murder
at the same time you have to admit that's suspicious."
"What
murder?"
Wesley
turned and picked up a folder off the coffee table.
"I
don't normally do this, but given the nature of the injuries the victim
sustained I'd say this is a special case. I think we need to sit down and talk."
Skylar
turned to find Xavier whispering to Aspen.
"I'm
going to take her to work while you handle whatever this is, Sky."
Even
though he hated to see his mates leaving, but he was thankful that Xavier
understood she shouldn't see whatever depravity humanity had to offer. Aspen broke from Xavier's hold and stood in
front of Wesley her hands on her hips.
"They
may have left me to go into the woods, but I followed them. They didn't do whatever it is you and Caleb
think they did."
Xavier
sighed and took her by the hand.
She
pulled her hand from his and turned to Skylar. "I was there."
She'd
seen it all. He waited for disgust to
enter her eyes, rejection. Anything. But it
never did. She allowed Xavier to take
her from the house and Skylar sighed.
He
followed Wesley and Caleb into the dining room and sat at the table a
burgeoning file folder sitting in front of him.
"I
was called out early this morning on a call. A couple of runners found the body of Marcy Stevenson partially hidden
in the woods in between the pride and pack lands. We rarely have a homicide, but when we do the
whole community panics. I'm trying to
keep this hush-hush because…well open the folder and see for yourself."
Skylar
nodded and flipped open the folder. He'd
trained for this his whole life-his childhood a series of exercises that his
guardian concocted to ensure he was ready to take his place as an agent within
the human/shifter relations department of the Shifter Council. But no matter how many files he'd opened they
always took his breath away. The
pictures of lifeless victims, always tortured by a shifter were never something
he’d gotten used
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