SEAL Wolf In Too Deep(19)

“No, we weren’t.”

“Then you wouldn’t have any objection if I ask her out sometime?” Rowdy asked.

“Not at all.” Allan told himself she should go out with other guys. They could be work colleagues and maybe even friends, but nothing serious could happen between them. And if she were dating a police officer, that might deter any lunatic wanting to kill werewolves.

So why was he so annoyed with the idea?

He dropped Rowdy off at the pizzeria so he could get his car and then headed back to the site of the woman’s murder. The location was two miles from Paul and Lori’s cabin, but he didn’t intend to disturb them tonight. Not unless he found something important related to the case.

When he arrived as close to the scene as he could get, he parked on the logging trail and hiked to the killing site. He sniffed around the area in the dark, though he could see somewhat. He was mostly relying on his sense of smell. To his surprise, he smelled another wolf.

Maybe a real wolf attracted to the blood? If it was a lupus garou, it was a male and unknown to Allan. And it was recent. The male hadn’t scent-marked the area, but his wolf scent was in the air. Allan would have shifted to see if the wolf had left a scent from his paw pads, but he couldn’t do it if the wolf killer was watching.

Allan texted Paul with the news.

Paul texted him right back: You’re at the site now?

Yeah, just got here.

Drop by the cabin when you’re through.

Allan hadn’t wanted to alarm Lori, but he texted back: Sure.

Lori was the pack leader too. She had to know everything going on with regard to the pack.

Allan tracked the wolf’s scent trail for two miles into the wilderness. Snow covered the tracks, so Allan couldn’t tell if the wolf had been in human form or was a wolf. He thought if it had been a lupus garou, he would have headed for a vehicle parked on the logging road. But he hadn’t. He tracked it for another four miles and got another text. He checked it out.

Paul had texted him: Where are you?

Just tracking the wolf trail. I’m coming in. Be there in about two hours.

I’m coming for you if you’re not back in two.

I hear you.

Allan headed in the direction of his car, his boots crunching in the snow. He told himself the trail had to be a wolf’s. Why would a lupus garou be running through their territory in the vicinity of a crime scene?

He reached his car and paused, listening to the wind howling through the snow-covered branches. Then he got in and drove to Paul and Lori’s cabin. As soon as he parked, Paul opened the door. He was bundled up, looking as though he intended to search for Allan, which Allan hadn’t wanted. Not with Paul still on the mend. On a summer’s day, he probably could take a short hike. But in these snowdrifts and with his leg muscles and tendons still healing, no.

“Sorry it took me so long.”

“Verdict?” Paul asked as he pulled off his gloves and coat while Allan shut the door.

The place was quiet, and except for the living room, the rest of the house was dark. “Is Lori asleep?” Allan asked, his voice hushed.

“Yeah. She knew you were on your way. She hasn’t been sleeping well, so she wanted to go to bed early. I’ll let her know the news tomorrow.” Paul got them some beers. “So what’s going on?”

“No prints. Too much snow had fallen for me to tell if it was a wolf or a wolf shifter. But it was male and he didn’t mark the territory, just moved through it. He could have been attracted to the blood, thinking it was a fresh kill. We have a number of real wolf packs in the forests here, so that’s reasonable.”

“Your gut instinct?”

“My gut instinct is it’s a pure wolf. Why would a lupus garou be up here at the crime scene otherwise?”

“He’s related to the woman who was murdered?”

“I hadn’t considered that. Or maybe the killer was a lupus garou, but the first time he came through the area, he used a hunter’s spray to conceal that he was a wolf.”

“I don’t buy it.”

“I thought someone was tailing me today. Well, not me, but Debbie. I swore a black sedan was following me after we left the pizzeria, so I turned off on another street, then came back around, and the black sedan continued to trail Debbie’s car.”

“Why were you following Debbie’s car?” Paul sounded a tad suspicious of Allan’s motives.

Allan stiffened a bit. “She’d had a little too much to drink.” Before Paul could ask why he allowed her to drive home, he quickly said, “Rowdy met us at the pizza place and he drove her home. I gave him a ride back to the pizzeria.”

Paul visibly relaxed.

“I wouldn’t let her drive home like that.”

“I understand.”

But Allan thought it was more than that. Paul was glad Rowdy was with them sharing pizza, and he had driven her home.

“So how long did the sedan follow her vehicle?”

“As soon as I was behind him, he made a quick turn onto the next street. By the time I reached the street, there was no sign of him. There wasn’t anything really suspicious about him, but with this situation with Lori and Rose, and Debbie dropping by to see Rose today…I just feel the need to be more vigilant.”

“Agreed. I take it you didn’t get his license number?”