said.
“I think you’re right. I haven’t been around him as much as you, but I think you’re right. That little mutt just made a fatal error.”
Virginia winced. “Maybe you could just talk to him first.”
“After he broke in to my honeymoon suite looking for my wife?” Carver struggled to keep his rage down as his fur itched underneath his skin. He knew that Edward was absolutely no threat to him, but the insult, the offense of any wolf putting the moves on an Alpha’s wife…it was unforgiveable.
“I know, I know. It was a really stupid thing for him to do. I’d really appreciate it if you gave the pathetic little bastard one last chance,” she pleaded. “Only one, I swear, and then if he ever comes around again, he’s pretty much issued you a Death Challenge.”
“We’ll see.” That was the best he could offer, and it was a huge concession. Carver didn’t want to distress his bride, but he also didn’t know if he could keep his fury under control when he found Edward. And find the little weasel he would, no matter how long it took.
Virginia looked around the room, puzzled. “You know, not that much is broken. The damage could be a lot worse. Given how…awful, how wrong, these things smell, I somehow would have expected the room to be completely destroyed.”
“True, but God only knows what those things would have done if you’d been here when they broke in. Let’s go back to the lodge where there’s more people, and then I’m going to do some tracking.”
When they told Clifford and Delores what had happened, they both burst out with exclamations of dismay.
“Nothing was stolen?” Delores asked, looking puzzled.
Virginia shook her head. “Nothing was stolen. A few things were knocked over. It’s very odd. Have the other guests mentioned anything?”
“No, and I’m sure they would have, but I’ll go start calling them all right now to make sure. And I’ll call the sheriff,” Delores said, and hurried behind the counter, where she grabbed the phone.
“Maybe we should have locked our doors,” Virginia mused.
“We’ll probably need to start doing that until this is resolved. We’ve never needed to before,” Clifford said. Shifters typically didn’t lock their doors. They lived in small towns; they all knew each other. If somebody was a bad apple, they were typically discovered pretty quickly and either moved on out or were culled from the pack. Shifter justice was harsh but efficient.
Carver growled impatiently. “I need to get out there and start tracking,” he said.
“The sheriff will be here in a few minutes,” Delores called from behind the desk. “He’s asking that you wait until he gets here.”
Carver nodded, stifling the urge to argue. He wanted to get out there right now, but he’d respect the local Alpha’s request. He and Virginia settled in to wait. Sheriff Peter Marsh, who arrived ten minutes later with five deputies, was also the local pack’s Alpha. He was a man in his fifties, his face lined and his hair shot through with gray. Privately, Carver immediately noticed that the man was one of the weaker Alphas he’d ever encountered, and he could sense it in the way his men behaved towards him. It wasn’t blatant, but they weren’t particularly deferential, interrupting him several times and shooting him looks of impatience as he slowly drawled his questions.
When the sheriff and his men went to Carver and Virginia’s cabin so they could pick up the scent, Sheriff Marsh stopped before they even walked through the front door. His jaw set with anger.
“That’s the same scent that I picked up at my sister’s home when it burned down ten years ago,” he said, his tone turned grim.
“I didn’t realize it was your sister and her family,” Carver said, nodding sympathetically. “My condolences.”
“My sister, her
“I think you’re right. I haven’t been around him as much as you, but I think you’re right. That little mutt just made a fatal error.”
Virginia winced. “Maybe you could just talk to him first.”
“After he broke in to my honeymoon suite looking for my wife?” Carver struggled to keep his rage down as his fur itched underneath his skin. He knew that Edward was absolutely no threat to him, but the insult, the offense of any wolf putting the moves on an Alpha’s wife…it was unforgiveable.
“I know, I know. It was a really stupid thing for him to do. I’d really appreciate it if you gave the pathetic little bastard one last chance,” she pleaded. “Only one, I swear, and then if he ever comes around again, he’s pretty much issued you a Death Challenge.”
“We’ll see.” That was the best he could offer, and it was a huge concession. Carver didn’t want to distress his bride, but he also didn’t know if he could keep his fury under control when he found Edward. And find the little weasel he would, no matter how long it took.
Virginia looked around the room, puzzled. “You know, not that much is broken. The damage could be a lot worse. Given how…awful, how wrong, these things smell, I somehow would have expected the room to be completely destroyed.”
“True, but God only knows what those things would have done if you’d been here when they broke in. Let’s go back to the lodge where there’s more people, and then I’m going to do some tracking.”
When they told Clifford and Delores what had happened, they both burst out with exclamations of dismay.
“Nothing was stolen?” Delores asked, looking puzzled.
Virginia shook her head. “Nothing was stolen. A few things were knocked over. It’s very odd. Have the other guests mentioned anything?”
“No, and I’m sure they would have, but I’ll go start calling them all right now to make sure. And I’ll call the sheriff,” Delores said, and hurried behind the counter, where she grabbed the phone.
“Maybe we should have locked our doors,” Virginia mused.
“We’ll probably need to start doing that until this is resolved. We’ve never needed to before,” Clifford said. Shifters typically didn’t lock their doors. They lived in small towns; they all knew each other. If somebody was a bad apple, they were typically discovered pretty quickly and either moved on out or were culled from the pack. Shifter justice was harsh but efficient.
Carver growled impatiently. “I need to get out there and start tracking,” he said.
“The sheriff will be here in a few minutes,” Delores called from behind the desk. “He’s asking that you wait until he gets here.”
Carver nodded, stifling the urge to argue. He wanted to get out there right now, but he’d respect the local Alpha’s request. He and Virginia settled in to wait. Sheriff Peter Marsh, who arrived ten minutes later with five deputies, was also the local pack’s Alpha. He was a man in his fifties, his face lined and his hair shot through with gray. Privately, Carver immediately noticed that the man was one of the weaker Alphas he’d ever encountered, and he could sense it in the way his men behaved towards him. It wasn’t blatant, but they weren’t particularly deferential, interrupting him several times and shooting him looks of impatience as he slowly drawled his questions.
When the sheriff and his men went to Carver and Virginia’s cabin so they could pick up the scent, Sheriff Marsh stopped before they even walked through the front door. His jaw set with anger.
“That’s the same scent that I picked up at my sister’s home when it burned down ten years ago,” he said, his tone turned grim.
“I didn’t realize it was your sister and her family,” Carver said, nodding sympathetically. “My condolences.”
“My sister, her
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