Buried and Shadowed (Branded Packs #3)(34)

Ignoring his strange reaction, Sinclair moved into the living room, the hair on the back of his nape rising at the unmistakable scent of Mira’s blood. A red mist of fury threatened to cloud his brain, and a howl locked in his throat.

Mira had been hurt.

Someone—or many many someones—was going to pay.

It took several minutes to regain command of his composure. Then, fiercely reassuring himself that there wasn’t enough blood to have been from a grievous wound, he headed into the bedroom that carried the light floral scent that belonged distinctly to Mira.

He was searching for any hint of who might have taken her, along with assuring himself she wasn’t sharing her intimate space with another male, when he caught the sound of the front door being pushed open.

In the blink of an eye, he was back in the living room, moving across the hardwood floor with blinding speed. Just as quickly, he was grasping the intruder by the arms and lifting her off her feet to pin her against the wall.

“Who are you?” he demanded.

The gently rounded face of a human woman in her mid-thirties flushed with fear, her brown eyes that matched her short hair going wide as she gazed down at his feral expression.

“Tanya Wade,” she managed to stutter. “I’m Mira’s neighbor.”

He allowed his senses to search for other intruders. When he found nothing, he returned his focus to the woman who looked like she was about to faint.

“I’m going to release you, but make a noise or go for a weapon and you’ll regret it,” he warned. “Understand?”

She gave a cautious nod. “Yes.”

Slowly, he lowered her back to her feet, waiting until he was sure her knees would hold her weight before he released her and stepped back.

“Where’s Mira?”

The woman made a visible effort to stiffen her spine, a look of genuine concern darkening her eyes.

“I don’t know.” She held up her hand as a low growl rumbled in his throat. “Truthfully. I haven’t seen her for almost two weeks.”

Sinclair believed her. Humans might be capable of lying with their mouths, but their scent always gave them away. This woman was deeply frightened. Not just for herself because of him, but for Mira.

“Did she tell you where she was going?” he asked.

“No.” She shook her head. “Two weeks ago, she came over to leave Sinclair-”

“Who?” Sinclair interrupted.

“Sinclair. Her cat,” Tanya explained.

Sinclair remained baffled. “Why Sinclair?”

“She said the cat reminded her of a stubborn, ill-tempered man she knew,” she said in impatient tones, her eyes narrowing. “Are you with the police department?”

Sinclair hid his smile, treasuring the knowledge that his little computer nerd had a quirky sense of humor. It was yet another piece of the complex puzzle that was Mira Reese.

“No. I’m a friend,” he assured the woman.

“Oh.” Tanya bit her bottom lip. “I called and reported Mira missing, but they said she probably met some man and took off.” Her lips flattened. “Idiots.”

Sinclair sent a glance around the worn but comfortable furniture and shelves of books along one wall. There would be no way to tell that anything had happened. Not unless a person had the heightened senses of a shifter to smell the dried blood.

“How can you be sure that wasn’t what happened?” he questioned.

Tanya didn’t hesitate. “Her car is in the garage, and none of her clothes are missing,” she explained with simple logic. “Besides, even if she’d been swept off her feet by some secret Romeo, she would have never left her cat behind.”

Sinclair felt a flare of hope. This woman was clearly intelligent, as well as observant.

It was possible she had noticed something that would give him the clue he needed to track Mira down.

“Tell me exactly what happened.”

Tanya took a second to gather her thoughts, as if she understood just how important it was to give Sinclair the facts as clearly and thoroughly as possible.

“Mira came by early one evening. I think it was thirteen or maybe fourteen days ago,” she said. “She said that she was meeting a friend out of town, and asked if I could watch Sinclair for the night.” She shivered, wrapping her arms around her waist. “When she didn’t come to pick him up the next morning, I used the key she gave me to come in and check on her. I waited another day before I called the cops.”

Sinclair assumed the meeting Mira had been talking about had been with him at the motel. His stomach clenched. He should have insisted then that she travel with him back to Boulder. Instead, he’d ignored his unease and allowed her to return to her home and her damned cat. Oh, he’d covertly followed her to make sure she’d made it to this house, but then he’d driven away.

Why hadn’t he tossed her over his shoulder and taken her to his lair where she belonged?

“She hasn’t called or tried to contact you?” he asked.

“No.” Tanya blinked away sudden tears. “And I’m really worried.”

“Me, too,” he bluntly admitted. “Did you notice anything the night that Mira disappeared?”

The woman wrinkled her nose as she gave a shake of her head. “Not really.”