Samuel gave my dog a look that could have curdled cream. Bo’s tail tucked half an inch. We exited the car, crossed the street, and climbed the porch steps. Samuel rang the doorbell.
Nothing happened for a long moment. Then I caught the faint shuffle of footsteps and a heartbeat that kicked up the second it registered we were there.
The door opened a crack.
Melody stared at us through the gap. She was in a loose sweater, her hair was down, and she was exhibiting none of the polished fae-witch composure she usually wore at Coven Headquarters. Without the armor of her office and her glamour, she looked smaller and fragile, the skin beneath her eyes bruised with exhaustion.
“No,” she said before Samuel could utter a single word.
“Good morning to you too,” I said lightly.
“You can’t be here.” Her knuckles whitened on the door frame. “I told you everythingI could at?—”
“This isn’t a social call,” Samuel cut in, his voice carrying the quiet authority that made lesser wolves show their bellies. “The Alliance has authorized a formal investigation into the Lincoln sisters’ disappearance. Cornelius signed off yesterday.”
I sensed Melody’s heartbeat stutter and narrowed my eyes.
“We know about the Ashgrove coven. Somebody’s been paying them through shell companies. And three of their former members transferred to your coven six months ago.”
The color drained from her face.
Samuel’s gaze was steady. “We can do this on your doorstep or you can invite us inside. Your choice.”
For a moment, I thought Melody was going to slam the door in our faces. Then her shoulders sagged and she stepped back.
The interior of the cottage matched the exterior; pretty on the surface, crumbling underneath. Teacups sat unwashed on a side table in the hallway. A stack of unopened mail had colonized one end of the sofa in the sitting room Melody entered.
But it was the air in the place that made my wolf go on full alert.
It smelled of stale herbs, cold tea, and something else.
Just like at Coven Headquarters, there was a scent layered over Melody’s natural fae-witch signature, faint but unmistakable once I caught it. It was cold and old and greasy, like finding mold behind fresh paint.
Bo’s nose twitched. He pressed closer to my leg.
Heat danced through my blood as my white wolf powers rumbled to life. Recognition came on a rush of air.
It reeked of the wrongness I’d picked up from the black cat Bo and I had seen in the parking lot.
Samuel shot a startled look my way when he sensed the luna energy across our bond. He quickly masked his surprise.
Melody didn’t offer us seats. She stood by the cold fireplace with her arms wrapped around herself, watching us with the wary stillness of a cornered animal.
Samuel remained standing near the doorway. I advanced inside the sitting room, close enough to read even the smallest expression on the fae-witch’s face.
“The Ashgrove coven has pulled a disappearing act,” I said.
Melody flinched.
“They removed their kids from school,” I continued in an impassive voice. “They’re even turning visitors away. A witch who went to their house said their eyes looked ‘wrong.’” I paused. “Any of this sound familiar?”
Melody’s knuckles whitened where she gripped her arms.
“Whoever’s behind the Lincoln sisters’ disappearance put their plan in motion over a year ago,” Samuel said. “They’ve been sabotaging the Lincoln sisters’ finances, are paying off the Ashgrove coven for a reason we have yet to determine, and”—my alpha narrowed his eyes, his pupils flashingwith amber power—“they put you in the Alliance seat. We have the financial records to prove it.”
Melody visibly wilted, her body shrinking in on itself. My chest tightened.
“We’re not here to accuse you.” I softened my tone. “We’re here because we think you’re in trouble.”
