Unspoken (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3)(19)

Della still hadn’t responded to his text. Not that he was all that sure she would. Something he intended to fix very soon. He wanted to get back to where they were before. When she was happy to see him. When leaning in and stealing a kiss wouldn’t actually put him at risk of losing an eye.

Recalling that kiss, he realized he wanted more. He wanted all of her. He wanted to protect her, to touch her. To have her at his side day and night.

Would it be enough that he’d quit the council and come to work for the FRU? Or would she still be inclined to make him pay for his past mistakes? He hoped like hell she wouldn’t. But knowing Della, forgiveness wouldn’t be handed over too easily.

As he followed the property line, he spotted headlights pulling into the school’s parking lot.

As Lucas stepped out of the car, Chase approached. “Hey.”

“You’re out and about late,” Lucas said.

Chase debated how to play to this, then decided not to play.

“Is Della okay?”

“Yeah, she’s fine.”

“What happened?” Chase asked.

“An elderly couple, neighbors of Della and her parents, were murdered. Della seemed to know and care about them quite a bit.”

“Damn,” Chase said, remembering Della hearing her father’s rude conversation last night and knowing she didn’t need any other crap right now. “Have they caught who did it?”

“Not yet. Burnett’s looking into the autopsy.”

“So it’s an FRU case? The killers were supernatural?”

“Possibly.” Lucas started walking to the gate.

“Vampires?” Chase asked, knowing that would make it harder on Della.

“Weres,” Lucas said. “But it’s not for sure.”

“Where were they killed?” Chase remembered the were scents he’d gotten when leaving Della’s house.

“A strip center in front of her subdivision.”

“Damn. I got a scent of a couple of weres, and blood, hanging right outside her neighborhood earlier tonight.”

“Blood? And you didn’t check it out?”

“No. I mean, I dropped down, but the blood was animal.”

Lucas’s frown held. “Was it feline?”

“I … I’m not sure.” Weres, being hunters by nature, were better at distinguishing different types of animal blood. “Why?”

“A cat was injured, too.”

“Shit,” Chase said. “It could have been them.”

“You might want to let Burnett know.”

“I will.” But he’d do it after his appointment, an appointment Chase had strong suspicions Burnett would object to. Face it: Burnett was about to set down the rules, so Chase had better do all he could before he swore himself to them.

They walked past the office, heading back to the cabins. Chase tried to think of a way to ask more about Della.

“So Burnett wouldn’t let you come tonight?” Lucas asked.

“No,” Chase said, another straight-up answer. It felt good not trying to hide things anymore. He could get used to this.

The were shrugged. “Probably just as well. Della’s pretty pissed at you.”

“She told you that?” What else had she mentioned?

“No. She told Kylie.” He frowned. “And Kylie made me promise not to say anything. Which means I need to learn to keep my mouth shut.”

“Don’t worry,” Chase said. “I don’t think Della’s dislike toward me is a big secret right now.”

*

Della headed back to her house. Thankfully, Burnett hadn’t insisted on escorting her. But he hadn’t been able to send her off without a warning. “Be careful.”

Like she would be anything but careful.

“Text me when you get there.”

She rolled her eyes, but didn’t waste her time giving him more hell.

As tempting as it was to defy Burnett and go find Chase, she knew Burnett would come unglued. And an unglued Burnett would not be easy to handle. Yet, still buzzing with unwanted emotions, she took the long route just to blow off some steam. And to check the area for any stray weres. Even with her heart overloaded with Chase, her uncle, and her dad’s murder case, she intended to find whoever had killed her neighbors. Find them and make them pay.

Following the line of trees, she dropped down low near the strip center, close enough to pick up any scents. Nothing. Even the earlier traces had faded. Dodging treetops, she headed back to her place, then spotted the thicket of trees at the park. Deciding to just give it a quick pass, she changed course.

The moon, almost full, cast sprays of light into the trees, causing shadows. At first she got nothing, then it hit. The musky scent of were, more than one. Knowing the dangers of confronting a were this close to a full moon, she decided to just fly by. If they looked suspicious she’d give Burnett a ring.

See, Burnett? I am careful!

Darting a little lower, the scents grew stronger, and familiar. But because she hadn’t fully paid attention to the scents at the jewelry store, she wasn’t sure if the trace came from the guys she’d seen earlier. She needed to see the guys to confirm.

Before she spotted the weres, she spotted someone else. A girl. A human girl, if Della’s nose was right. She was running, sweating, fear seeping out of her pores. Della lost the visual as another thick clump of pine trees rose from the ground. But what she didn’t lose was the sound of the girl’s scream. It rose up and the sheer terror in it sent a shiver down Della’s spine.