Shadow Watcher (Darkness #6)(30)

Although…on humans. Not dogs.

The dog’s lips pulled away from his gums in a silent snarl. He did not like the taunting.

“I bet you wait to bed a woman before you tell her what you turn into, huh? Try to get her liking your inner beauty before you have to break the news?” Paulie laughed and took two more steps.

The animal began a low growl. It stepped toward the end of the table with a clear shot of the door. Paulie stepped in the same direction, blocking its path. This thing would charge, and Paulie would act. Any time now. This was about to go down—

A loud and low snuffle sounded off right behind him. Paulie jumped and backed to one side so both whatever had just come in the door and the dog were still in sight. He then nearly crapped his pants.

A huge bear—probably Tim because there couldn’t be more than one massive bear in this area-- was standing in the doorway. Twice as big as a normal bear, this thing was a huge boulder of muscle and power. Only one thought ran through Paulie’s head: I’m not the top of the food chain, anymore.

The dog must’ve thought the same thing. It let loose a whimper and started running for the door. The bear gave a grunt and took a hop-step toward the window. The dog, in what must’ve been blind panic, changed his path and jumped straight at the window. Shards of glass rained down as the window broke and allowed the animal through.

The bear roared. The sound shook the walls and almost stopped Paulie’s heart. The huge animal ran at the window, but there was no way it could fit through. It would have to take down the wall, and that was doubtful.

Paulie could, though.

Summoning his magic and doing exactly what Master Bert had incorrectly shown him, Paulie threw a spell to create a warming orb. When the spell hit the wall, the whole place erupted. Chunks of wall blasted outward. The explosion rocked the Mansion. A huge hole opened up in the side of the strategy room.

With another grunt, and without waiting for the smoke to clear, the bear took off in pursuit. He didn’t have far to go, though. A collection of wolves and a mountain lion waited on the other side, surrounding a cage made of burnished gold magic. Inside the cage was a black dog and a puddle of blood.

“He must’ve cut himself on the window!” Paulie yelled as he ran through the wall after the bear. “Stitch him up quick or he can’t tell us who his employers are!”

A Watch member ran forward. A blast of magic had the bear turning into Tim, panting and kneeling. He rose slowly, as if he’d just run three miles, and stepped closer to the dog. The box winked out as he approached.

“It wouldn’t matter,” Tim said with disgust. “This is way too much blood, and this shifter isn’t even trying to make it.”

“It’s his throat.” One of the Watch, a woman with auburn hair, knelt down and pointed at the glistening neck. “Yeah, he’s a goner.”

“Turn back to human,” Stefan said as he also knelt beside the form.

“Push on a wound to coax an answer,” someone instructed.

The woman reached for a blood coated furry shoulder but it was too late. With a low whimper, the rising and falling of the dog’s chest stopped.

“Shit.” Stefan stood and looked into the room. His gaze hit Paulie next. “Is she safe? She didn’t chase this guy?”

“No. I came instead. Boss, listen, this guy wasn’t in the map room by accident. I’d bet these guys are trying to get the perimeter of your territory down. That’s what I’d do. You’re too strong to take without heavy losses, so the best bet is to stick to the outskirts and watch. Don’t broach the territory until you are ready to make a move. It’s the smartest play.”

“And how do you figure all that?” Tim asked with a furrowed brow.

“He spent some time on the street,” Stefan answered for him. “He was one of the go-to guys for his gang. It was a mid-level gang without a lot of clout, but under this human’s guidance, they held more territory than a lot of larger gangs. In prison, he was rarely messed with. And those who did didn’t walk away. He’s never been accused of playing someone dirty—he seems to have a strong sense of loyalty.”

Paulie’s couldn’t help his wide eyes and the uncomfortable urge to get the hell out of that black-eyed stare.

“I did some checking up on you. I can’t have an unknown around my mate.” Stefan walked into the Mansion. “It bears some looking into, but without knowing who’s running the show, we’re at a dead end. I’ll talk to Cato and Dominicous—see what they’ve heard. We need that panther, though. He is the one with the answers.”

Paulie noticed Selene standing off to the side. Her eyes were hungry and beauty ethereal. But he wasn’t in the mood. Without another glance at anyone, he made his way back to his room. He couldn’t shake a strange, warm feeling.

The Boss had checked up on him. He had learned of all of Paulie’s past failings. He had found out about the time he had done in prison, the gruesome fights that he’d been in, and his resolve to not be bothered. He’d been vicious and nasty in prison in the beginning—it had been the only way to ensure people left him alone. And on the street he had horror story after horror story. The Boss knew about all of that too, and still he’d let Paulie guard his pregnant wife. He’d trusted Paulie with his most precious thing in the world.