I sat before I realized I’d moved. I frowned at the alpha, and he smiled, revealing straight, white teeth. I’d seen photos of Nathaniel, and his eyes were usually an unfathomable dark blue. Today, they’d shifted to a blue so light it was almost the color of a winter’s frost.
“Excuse me,” he said, toning down his alpha-ness. “It has been a rough morning. One of my wolves–” He cut himself off and took a seat across from me in a delicate armchair that definitely did not look designed to hold his weight. Ignoring me, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and slowly let it out.
I’d known the alpha was dangerous, but I hadn’t exactly realizedhowdangerous. If there had been someone else in this room— even someone who meant me harm, I wouldn’t have noticed them at all, every ounce of my attention on the man in front of me.
His eyes were still closed and I gave him the moment he obviously needed, sitting back on the plush, sand-colored sofa. The sofa was positioned in front of the window, and behind me, the sun spilled daylight onto the back of my head. Nathaniel had positioned himself so he could keep an eye on the street outside.
A round, polished table sat between us, made from some kind of wood. It looked like an antique. The floor was wood too, but the walls were plastered in the same gray-sand as the sofa, sweeping up to tall ceilings with exposed wooden beams.
Nathaniel still had his eyes closed as he blew out a long breath and I took the opportunity to examine him. Unlike Tobias, Nathaniel was dressed casually, in light jeans and a blue t-shirt. He was built like a linebacker— his wide shoulders squared as he went through some kind of meditation routine. A few seconds later he opened his eyes; they’d darkened back to their normal color. But I knew what I’d seen, and I raised one eyebrow.
“Just like everyone else, wolves struggle for control,” he murmured. “However, unlike most, when we lose control, people die.”
“That must be difficult.”
He shrugged. “Most of us are used to it. New wolves are taught by those who have fought the same battles. Now, what can I do for you, Danica Amana?”
I smiled. “I have a few questions for you, if you don’t mind?”
He waved one hand, sitting back in the delicate chair. It had to have been magically reinforced, because it didn’t even creak.
“Something or someone is killing demons,” I said, and his face stayed neutral. There was no way for me to know if he was surprised by this information, or if he’d already known it.
“How worrying for the demons,” he said, and I tilted my head. His eyes laughed at me. “I have nothing against Samael’s demons, unless they threaten my territory or the lives of my wolves.”
“A werewolf was seen fleeing from the scene.”
His expression turned serious and he went eerily still. “Which scene and when was this exactly?”
I filled him in and he glanced toward the door. A moment later, Tobias appeared. “Find me a list of any wolves who didn’t attend the pack meeting that night, and their reasons for not attending,” Nathaniel ordered.
Tobias nodded and hurried away.
“I have a few more questions while we’re waiting,” I said.
He waved one hand. “By all means.”
I had a feeling I amused him. It didn’t put me in a good mood. “Mary Johnson,” I said. “She’s a second cousin to one of your wolves,” I pulled out my phone and glanced at my notes. “Jose Martinez.”
Nathaniel pulled out his own phone, pressed a button, and muttered in Spanish. A few minutes later, he ended the call and glanced back at me. “Jose described the witch as a bigot. The moment she learned that he had been bitten, she worked to make sure everyone in the family disowned him. He would never harbor her, and neither would anyone loyal to him.”
“Thank you.”
Tobias reappeared with a piece of paper in his hand. Nathaniel scanned the list and then glanced up at him, his eyes once again that disconcerting ice-blue.
“Find Matt.”
Tobias strode away and Nathaniel turned to me.
“You don’t believe my wolves had anything to do with this.”
I shook my head, choosing to ignore how well he could read my body language. “I’m just crossing off suspects. But if your wolf was there, he might’ve seen something that can help.”
A man appeared in the doorway, his shoulders hunched. His head was carefully angled so he didn’t meet the alpha’s eyes, and shame practically radiated from him.
“Matthew,” Nathaniel growled.
The wolf dropped to his knees, and I had the strangest urge to slide off the chair and do the same. My hands fisted. That was enough.
