48. Jax

48

Jax

The moment Anna joined me, I could smell Emerson on her. My nostrils flared, and I snarled, but she shook her head. "I'm fine. What is going on? Who's dead?"

"I don't care if you're fine. I want to know why the fuck you smell like a man who shouldn't have been able to get within twenty feet of you."

"I let him."

"You…" Horrified, I stared at her. "Tell me I did not hear you correctly. You let him? Are you out of your fucking mind?"

Narrowing her eyes, she planted her hands on her hips. "No, I'm not. I thought maybe if I wanted to know what he had planned, I could just ask him. And later, I will tell you what he said, just not fucking right now. Who is dead?"

If she thought this conversation was over, she was dead wrong, but this really was not the time to continue the discussion. Kenzi's cry had alerted everyone, and they were all coming here.

"I'm not sure. No shifter. She's female and human. Saul is on his way, but I'm waiting for the other alphas to arrive before I move her. I want to make sure she's not attached to their entourage."

"Can I see her?"

I didn't want her anywhere near the dead body, and I had no reason to suspect that Anna would recognize a witch or a human that I didn't, but I nodded. I already had a perimeter set around the body so none of the hunting wolves would trample over her again.

"Kenzi found her. She's pretty shaken up," I said as I walked Anna toward the clearing.

Anna's head snapped up. "Oh, I just bet she's torn up."

"Anna…"

"She would be first in line to hand me over to Emerson. Are you certain this isn't a trap?"

"I'm certain of nothing yet. You don't think I haven't thought of that?" I was harsher than I intended, but I still couldn't figure out how the hell she smelled like Emerson. No one had reported an incident to me. "Do you think I haven't thought of that? I can't accuse her just because she doesn't like you. If I did that, I'd have to accuse most of my pack."

Cheeks flushing, she stared down at the body. "I don't recognize her, but I also can't smell her." Head swiveling, she glanced around and frowned.

"You can't pick up a trail, can you? Neither could Kenzi. It's as if she was dropped from the sky," I said darkly and pulled her away from the body. Nothing about this crime scene made sense. The only thing I could say definitively was that she was dead.

And chances were good that she was killed by a wolf.

Deep gouges scored her chest, shredding the black tank-top she'd been wearing. Below her waist, she wore a pair of cotton black pants with witch icons printed on them. Broomsticks, a witch's hat, a black cat, and a cauldron. They looked like pajamas.

Blood splattered her bare arms and her face, but that was it. There were no bruises or cuts.

Her face was naked. Not a speck of make-up on her, and her blonde hair had been piled up in some kind of bun on the top of her head. Her feet were bare, but there were no cuts on them or leaves sticking to them.

It looked as if she'd just gotten up from bed, was slashed with wolf claws, and teleported here to die.

The death was recent. She was still warm, and Kenzi, in all her babbling, swore up and down that the woman was still breathing and moaned.

"Were her shoes removed?" Anna asked quietly, as if she could hear my thoughts. "We'd smell a trail then. Maybe she was drugged, placed here, and then killed."

"Can you see a spell on her?"

"No, but I can only see active magic. If the spell's worn off, I wouldn't be able to see it.

Although now that I think about it, I can't see all active magic either or I would have seen the spell in you and Finn," she said bitterly before she glanced around and frowned. "Emerson was with me when we heard Kenzi. He should have followed me."

I growled, and she shot me a warning look. A group of wolves were joining us from my left.

Maeve and her guards.

Just as Maeve started firing off questions, London and his guards joined us. A few minutes later, Emerson ambled up. As soon as he saw Anna, he smiled and fury coursed through me.

My duties came first.

I explained the situation and let each of the alphas study the body. All of them confirmed that she was not one of their packs.

"We should get the witches here to look at her. If her clothes are any indication, she may be a dead witch," London observed. "The question then remains, what is she doing on your land, Jax?"

"More questions than that. Why doesn't she smell?" Emerson said with a frown.

"The witches are here," Maeve announced. I turned to see Jenson and a dozen of my guards surrounded Irene and the other pack witches. Thankfully, Lunessa wasn't with them.

The four witches stared down at the dead body. Irene and Ava both visibly paled.

"You know her?" London demanded.

"Her name is Amaya," Ava said in a shaky voice. "She was a solitary witch who wanted to be part of Darkwyn coven. When the last crone passed away, the roles shifted and a spot for Maiden opened up within the coven. Amaya was one of the top choices."

"And how do you know this?" London scowled.

"I was also one of the choices, but the spot was Irene's to take," Ava continued. "When Amaya and I learned that, we met with Irene to see why she didn't want to be part of the coven.

Her opinion was enough to make me drop out, and the role was given to Amaya, but she disappeared. Another witch was chosen."

Lunessa.

"When was this?" I asked. "How long has she been considered missing?"

Irene shook her head. "Two years, but you have to understand that we didn't consider her missing. The process to become part of a coven is often a rigorous one. We assumed Amaya dropped out when she couldn't pass muster and left the area."

"Can you tell if her magic was drained before she was killed?"

"I can tell you that a wolf killed her," Cam said angrily. "And I know of no wolf that can drain magic."

I studied Emerson's witch. She was the only one who hadn't spoken up, and she couldn't seem to take her eyes off the dead witch. There wasn't horror or fascination written on her face.

It was completely unreadable.

Cam threw up her hands. "How can you tell us that we're safe here when there's a dead witch in the middle of the woods!"

"That dead witch was not in a group nor was she protected," Maeve told her witch practically. "And I think it's best if we call the hunt off."

"I agree." Raising my voice over the crush of wolves that were joining us, I pushed my power through my pack bonds so they would quiet. "Hunt is over. Please return home or to your stations. Guards that currently have no assignments tonight or tomorrow but are willing to pull an extra shift, see me."

I glanced down at Anna. I didn't want to leave her to walk to the house alone, but I also couldn't ask anyone else to oversee the removal of the body. Saul still hadn't arrived, Bridget was dead, and Jenson's only priority was the protection of the witches.

"I will escort your mate to the house," Maeve said, stepping forward. "I'd like to have a little girlie chat with her anyway. Her guards are welcome to follow."

I glanced at Amelia who had already stepped up to Anna's side. I didn't want Emerson anywhere near Anna again tonight, but I couldn't say that out loud.

"Thank you, Maeve. Jax, I'll see you soon," Anna said airily.

Before she could step away, I grabbed her arm and pulled her close for a rough kiss. "You go straight to our room. You don't leave it, and no one but Amelia is to go in with you."

"Did you think I would invite someone into our room?" She said coolly before she pulled her arm away and joined Maeve.

That was not what I meant, and we both damn well knew it. Anna had spent far too much time alone, and now I was worried she was going to get herself killed because she couldn't follow directions.