CHAPTER SEVEN
I washed my bloody and shaking hands in the bathroom of the train as it flew over the Atlantic Ocean. I tucked my gun next to me on the bed at the back of the transport and closed my eyes. Sleep never came for me, never whispering her sweet lullaby. Only flashes of fists, teeth, blood, and splattered brains tormented my mind every time I almost hit slumber. The gentle, soothing hum of the clean, blue energy fueling my train didn’t soothe me, either. Nothing did.
Halfway across the ocean, I sat up on the small bed and stared at the wall. I had no idea what I was going to do. I’d programmed a destination I knew well in King Eastern Province, but now that the seer, Cassander, was indeed dead, killed by the king, I wasn’t positive I needed to travel so far. He’d never be able to track me again, and the other seer, Joshua, had given me the story. Joshua wanted it published.
My brows furrowed deeply over my brown eyes.
I knew what the seer was now. I’d witnessed it with my own eyes. If the devil wanted it published…
Maybe I shouldn’t do it.
I swallowed hard and dropped back down onto the bed, linking my hands behind my head while I scowled the boring as hell ceiling.
Did I want to turn back from this now?
Didn’t the world deserve to know the truth?
I thought it did. But still, ifhewanted them to know…
I was missing something. Vital information, I was sure.
I contemplated my options as the hours passed.
With a wrinkle of my nose, and no closer to sleep, my decision was set. I lifted my arm and started tapping quickly on my silver bracelet, code after code after code, all of the encryptions that I could think of—and then a few I stole. The man I was about to call was dangerous. But if I wanted to know the truth, both sides of the story, I needed to go directly to the source, just as I had one side of the story with Joshua.
After an hour of making sure my untraceable bracelet was truly un-freaking-traceable, I manually typed in a number dug up from the deep underground. It would be the middle of the night in New City, but this couldn’t wait. I held my breath as I tappedCall.
A groggy, sleepy voice growled, “Who the fuck is this?”
My encryptions must be working so far.
I licked my dry lips, and responded with a question of my own, “Is this Wolfe Cooper?”
“It is. Now, answer my question.”
“I’m Noelle Harvey.”
The quietest of pauses. Except I could hear him rustling around on his bed. Probably grabbing a computer board to start hacking into my program. I’d definitely caught his attention. “Hello, Noelle. We’ve been looking for you today.”
“I imagine you have.” I chewed on my thumbnail and attempted to keep my voice even. “I have questions.”
Wolfe grunted. “I’m not answering.”
I needed to explain. “I already know about shifters and mates, and the rules for how each of you can die. I know you’re a wolf shifter. I have video proof of you shifting into your form. That’s not what I have questions about.” The tapping of keys flying over a computer board—nailed it—were all that I could hear, not even his breathing. “I have questions about Joshua Striker.”
The tapping came to an abrupt halt. “Did you sayJoshua Striker?”
“Yes. I want to know what kind of man you think he is. What type of grudges he may have against your kind. What he’s capable of. What he likes to eat. I want to know it all. Every. Damn. Thing.”
The tapping started again, as fast as ever. He wasn’t holding back on his own attack. His voice was calm, though, as he asked, “I take it Joshua Striker is the individual who gave you your information?”
“Correct.”
“Do you have a way to contact him?”
“No. I had a bank account number, but I’ve already checked it. The number was a dead end.”
He stated evenly, “Give it to me anyway.”
