18. Chapter 18

Chapter eighteen

I made a list and checked it twice before leaving the archives. It contained the names of all non-pack property owners along the property lines, as well as those that abutted the national reserve. There were less names than I had expected.

Which meant we had less leads to follow up.

There weren’t many to begin with. The killer or killers were always one step ahead of us—Dr. Bennett, Lykos Labs. Every time we got close, they slipped away.

And more people died.

I should have been out gathering recon. Instead, I was dressed to the nines in a nude gown with black lace overlay that hugged my curves tighter than Lucas had on our second date and a pair of heels guaranteed to break an ankle.

Or my neck.

The reception, and the challenge for that matter, couldn’t have been scheduled for a more inconvenient time. I had hoped to have made at least some progress uncovering the killer’s identity before they began.

Weeding them out during the elimination rounds would have been so much easier. As it was, I had a dozen contenders from the respective packs and one possible lead. It felt like the odds were stacked against me.

Still, I had no one to blame for the deadline, but myself.

When I came home, I let my emotions get the better of me and agreed to Benjamin’s blind conditions. I should have demanded more specific terms. I knew better.

The art of negotiation may as well have been a Redford family pastime.

A knock sounded at the door. My escort had arrived. The council wanted a grand entrance. I hated the idea of a dog and pony show, but they had already made the arrangements. I decided it was best to pick my battles when it came to the council.

If the way events had unfolded were any indication, it was safe to assume there would be bigger battles with the council ahead. So, I bit my tongue and agreed to an escort.

“One second.” I called out before grabbing the list of names scrawled on a single sheet of notebook paper.

After stowing it in a wall safe hidden behind a landscape painting of the Blue Ridge mountains, I tucked my room key in my strapless bra and opened the door.

“Hey, Jeff.” I recognized the wolf at the door which eased some of the tension that had knotted up in my neck and shoulders.

“Caroline.” Jeff nodded and as he’d done numerous times in the past, he offered his elbow in lieu of his hand.

Jeff and I went way back. He had been assigned to the Redford pack’s security detail. More specifically, to my detail. Right up until I ditched him for the last time, putting Cedar Grove and my family behind me.

Apart from a few flecks of gray in his inky black hair, which had no doubt been caused by me, Jeff hadn’t aged a day since he became my shadow when I developed a penchant for disappearing at the age of five.

“You look good. It’s nice to see you.” I said and meant it.

I knew that I had Benjamin to thank for sending a familiar face. No doubt a show of gratitude, because I had acquiesced his request without a fight.

“You too. It’s been quiet since you left.” He winked and started down the hall when I slipped my hand into the crook of his elbow. “The dress suits you.”

“Thanks. The shoes, not so much.” I said half kidding. “Actually, can we just … One sec.”

I let go of his arm, hiked the form fitting dress up enough to bend at the waist without busting the zipper and unbuckled the thin straps that secured the high heels to my feet.

“That’s better.” I grabbed the strappy stilettos and padded barefoot down the hallway alongside Jeff.

While I missed the height advantage, I much preferred my ankles the way they were—in one piece.

Muffled music could be heard from behind the closed doors to the banquet room.

“You can do this. You can do this.” I murmured to myself as we approached the room filled with potential suitors and enemies alike.

A few unfamiliar faces loitered in the lobby with drinks in hand. Their conversations stopped when we walked past, and I felt the weight of their gaze as they sized up their prize. I had hated the spotlight when I was a welcomed member of the Redford pack and Southeastern territory.

This was worse. So much worse.

“Never let ‘em see you sweat, kid.” Jeff patted my hand. “Deep breath.”

With my shoulders back and spine steeled, I did as instructed and braced myself for the onslaught of unwanted attention.

“Ready?” Jeff asked as he reached for the lever handle to open the door.

“Nope.” My chest tightened and pulse quickened. “Just yank it open. Like ripping off a band-aid. Before I tuck tail and run.”

“If I knew you planned on coming back, I would have kept up on my cardio. So, take it easy on an old man, would you?” Jeff gripped the door handle while I fought to get my breathing under control. “On three.”

I plastered a porcelain smile on my face as Jeff counted to two and pulled the door open.

As I feared, every head turned in our direction and all eyes were on me.

“They’re staring at you, Jeff.” I deflected my nerves with lame jokes and gripped his arm tighter.

I was outside of my comfort zone. The fact that I would have rather been back in the rubble of a burning building than in a ballroom spoke volumes.

“They’re staring at that dress.” Jeff tugged me along, leading us further into the room.

And further away from the door.

“Not helping.” I said through my clenched jaw and strained smile.

Benjamin led a group of council members from the far side of the room and met us in the middle. He lifted two champagne flutes from a passing tray and handed one off to me. With a clink of our glasses and a sip of sparkling wine the cocktail reception had officially begun.

I let out the breath I’d been holding and emptied the slender glass of its contents as conversations resumed around me.

“Lina, I believe you’ve met Ethan Tremblay.” Benjamin motioned to the gentleman on his left while dismissing my escort with a jerk of his head.

“I’ll take these off your hands. Just give a shout if you need me.” Jeff took my heels and flicked his gaze to a high-top table in the back corner of the room. “I’ll be over there.”

“I’ll be sure to scream loud enough to be heard over the band.” I assured him.

Polite laughter broke out among Ethan Tremblay and the other council members. I would have joined them had I been joking.

“You look ravishing, Miss Redford.” Ethan took my hand in his, brushed a kiss across my knuckles and bowed at the waist. “It’s lovely to see you again.”

He managed to unravel my nerves in one fell swoop.

“Thank you.” I wrangled my hand from his grip and snatched another glass of champagne from a silver tray as another waiter glided past.

The other council members in our company raised their glasses and took polite sips while I guzzled my wine down like a frat boy attached to a beer bong.

Ethan poured on the charm while I poured more champagne down my gullet. I had half a mind to ask the waiter to bring me a bottle. He was smooth silk, with mastered moves and a practiced charm that were wasted on me, because I only had eyes for two men in the room.

And they were both headed our way.

Lucas was dressed in a slim fit black on black suit that accentuated his chiseled physique. The traditional fit of Gabe’s Oxford blue suit complimented his personality and athletic build. I may have been the one in the evening gown, but I suddenly felt underdressed.

“Lina.” Lucas’ gaze seared my flesh as it tracked down my body before settling on the rise and fall of my breasts which had been pushed up to new heights courtesy of my dress’ built in bustier.

“Lucas.” His name fell from my lips on a sigh—which was immediately followed by a fermented hiccup.

My mother would have been mortified. I might have been had I cared about impressing anyone on the council. At least I hadn’t belched.

“Caroline.” Gabe’s smile and warm eyes soothed my savage soul and the beast contained within. His presence was an unexpected balm.

“Thank you for coming.” I matched his smile with one of my own.

“There isn’t anywhere else I’d rather be.” His gaze shifted down to my feet and stifled a laugh when I wiggled my stocking clad toes.

Gabe’s word meant more than he may have realized. I knew what it cost him to come back into the fold and surround yourself with the very people who chased you for so long. I wondered if that was part of my connection to him.

Not even a week before we had both been rogues on the run.

“Do me the honors?” Lucas motioned to the dance floor and held out his hand.

I slipped my hand in his and let him lead me out onto the parquet floor. Relieved he’d chosen to ask during a slow song, I molded my body to his and swayed to the music.

“That dress was made for you.” The warmth of his breath and brush of his lips against my neck sent quivers of anticipation through my body.

It had been a long time, but I still remembered what he could do to me with just his mouth.

“I think it was made for someone a size smaller than me.” I blamed my inability to breath on the tight fit of the gown and not my proximity to Lucas Williams.

“Don’t do that.” Lucas pulled back enough to meet my gaze. “You always brush off compliments with self-deprecating humor. Not tonight.”

He leaned me back into a dip that put his face a hairsbreadth from my décolletage.

“Tonight, I will shower you with affection which you will graciously accept, making me the envy of every man in the room.” His fingers were splayed against the small of my back as he raised me back up.

“Is that so?” I slid my hands up his forearms and across his chest to grip his lapel. “You seem pretty sure of that.”

“I’m positive.” Lucas stepped to his right in a quarter turn.

Gabe watched us from the alongside the dance floor. A wicked part of me had hoped he would be among the men Lucas made envious. But it wasn’t jealousy I saw in his eyes. It was something else—something that resembled acceptance.

As if he had reached some mutual conclusion before I even knew what the question was.

I held his gaze as if locked in a trance while Lucas swayed us to the slow beat of the music.

Until Ethan Tremblay cleared his throat.

“Mind if I cut in?” He tapped Lucas on the shoulder before prying my hand from Lucas’ suit jacket.

“I do, actually.” Lucas’ voice dropped an octave as it rumbled up from his chest.

“Be careful what you wish for.” I teased Lucas for wanting to be the envy of everyone in the room, while discretely shaking my head to discourage an unsanctioned fight in the middle of the dance floor.

“Benjamin was concerned you were playing favorites. I offered my services in the hopes of diffusing the rumors.” Ethan squeezed Lucas’ shoulder.

A silent warning to step aside without incident.

I disentangled myself from Lucas and stepped back until there was enough room for Ethan to swoop in and sashay us across the dance floor. The room spun as he twirled us around the center of the room. The faces in the crowd blurred together with each turn, but I was able to make out each member of my family as they stood up in unison and made their way to the door.

My mother’s silent protest. Yet another attempt on her part to label me a disperser in front of the council and members of the allied packs.

And based on the hushed voices in the crowd, it worked.

More than one pack alpha questioned the validity of the challenge if I were no longer a Redford.

“I’m sorry, Ethan, but you’ll have to excuse me.” I planted my feet on the parquet and brought our dance to a halt.

“No need to apologize, Lina.” Ethan dialed up the charm with a smile that revealed sparkling white teeth which lacked the elongated canine marker of a born wolf. “There will be plenty of time for us to get to know each other.”

“Looking forward to it.” I lied.

My dance card was already filled, and I had a killer to catch. Besides, my wolf and I weren’t the least bit interested in the local alpha.

I freed my auburn hair free from the low chignon and let the full length of my locks cascade down my back.

Every wolf in the room—including my mother—took notice of the one thing my mother couldn’t take from me.

Genetics.

I was a Redford in more than just name. I was my father’s daughter. A force to be reckoned with. It was high time I pulled the knife from my back and armed myself against my enemies. If it was a fight my mother wanted, a fight she would get.