Elwood took the turn toward the Whispering Pines at a speed that made me tighten my grip on the handle above the door. In my peripheral vision, I could see Declan doing the same with the dashboard.
“Elwood,” Declan said.
“Mm?”
“How do you drive this fast and still seem so calm?”
“Years of practice,” Elwood said pleasantly. “And excellent reflexes for a man my age.”
The Whispering Pines came into view at the end of the road. It had the half-empty look of a hotel mid-checkout. Cars loaded. Luggage in lobbies. Elwood brought the microbus to a stop in the car park with a screeching halt.
We got out and headed inside the conference center.
Mellgren was behind the front desk, dark suit immaculate, reviewing something on the computer with the focused precision of a man who preferred order to chaos and had spent centuries learning to project it regardless of what was actually happening.
He looked up when we came in. His expression didn’t shift, but his eyes sharpened in the way that meant he’d already assessed us and decided something was wrong.
“Gideon, what are you doing here?”
“Donny Pace,” I said. “Is he still checked in?”
Mellgren’s gaze moved to his screen. “Yes. He requested a late checkout. He’s in the Birchwood Suite. Second floor, end of the hall.” He looked back at me. “Should I call Grady?”
“Yes,” I said. “Quietly.”
He reached for the phone without hesitation. “I’ll monitor the lobby for anyone who shouldn’t be here.”
“And I’ll stay down here and wait for Grady,” Elwood said.
“Good.”
We took the stairs and hurried down the hallway to the Birchwood Suite at the far end. I stopped outside it and put my hand flat against the door.
My wolf went still and listened.
Two heartbeats inside. One of them was faster than it should have been.
“Someone’s already in there with him,” I said quietly. “One of them is scared.”
Declan looked at me. “Can you tell who?—”
“No. We go in.”
He glanced at the door handle. “We don’t have a key.”
I tried the handle first. Locked. I looked at Declan. “Stay behind me.” I put my shoulder into the door. It flew open.
Donny Pace stood near the window with his hands half-raised.
Fletcher stood with his back to us, but I could see the gun pointed at Donny.
He turned at the sound of the door and saw me and Declan standing there.
Nobody moved.
“Gideon,” he said.
“Fletcher.”
