should. I generally don’t let things like that slip.”
“You’ve had a few other things on your mind.” Like the expansion of Cheval International and the various other companies within Chanku Global Industries including Pack Dynamics, their search and rescue team. And the pack, which had grown slowly but steadily over the years. It was almost as if her father had taken on the role as monarch of his small country of Chanku, with the vast majority of his subjects living on the extensive holdings he had in Montana, not far from the town of Kalispell.
He hadn’t asked for the role, but it had found him.
And of course, the deadly attacks on so many young women, presumably by wolves and men . . . or wolves who became men.
“Dad, what saved me last night, when Sebastian was chasing me across the flank of Mount Tam with sex controlling his wolven brain, was an attack by more wolves. Big wolves. A third again larger than Tinker.”
Anton stared at her for a long, silent moment. Then he nodded and carefully set the bent spoon on his desk. “What happened ?”
Now he sounded way too calm. “When I first realized that Sebastian was chasing me with more than a romp across the mountains on his mind, I took off and found a bolt hole in a small cave between tumbled boulders. He caught up to me; we were facing off, and I was trying to get him to respond to me as a thinking creature when I scented strange wolves.”
“You didn’t recognize them?”
“Actually, Dad, I did. There were two of them, and I recognized their scent from the place where that girl was killed last week, the one near Mom’s garden in Golden Gate Park.”
“How did Sebastian react?”
“My first thought was that the whole evening was a setup, that he was with them, but it didn’t fit with the way my wolf had so quickly responded to his. Mindspeaking, I told him we were about to be attacked. Finally, something broke through, and he responded to me. I honestly didn’t know if they were friends of his or not. I mean, what a perfect way to kill me—get me cornered in the boonies and call in his buddies, but he turned on them. Snapped the closest one’s front leg while I went after the second wolf. I nailed his nose and then got him by the throat. He was big, but I’m faster. Still, I’m not sure what would have happened, except Sebastian finished with the first one and took out the second one as well. His jaws are powerful. Broke the bastard’s hind leg.”
“Good. That’s good that he recognized the difference between right and wrong. Did he realize what happened?”
“Yeah. Later, he was embarrassed. Devastated, really.” She chuckled. “When he took me home and I invited him in, he was honestly shocked.”
“I don’t think I need any more of the details.” Anton’s dry comment was pure father.
“Good.” She laughed. “ ’Cause you’re not getting them. The thing is, we both knew we needed to talk about everything, and I thought he’d be there when I woke up. He was gone.”
“Have you spoken with him since?”
“No. I called you first.”
“I should hope so.” He laughed. “I’m glad you’re still keeping your priorities straight.”
“There’s more, Dad. I hope you’re taking notes.”
“I’m assuming you’re referring to the murder this morning. It was just a few blocks from your house.”
“I know. And Sebastian wasn’t with me when it happened. I’m worried, Dad. What if he’s involved? What if he really is guilty? I didn’t pick up his scent at the other murder site, but maybe I just missed it. He doesn’t strike me as a killer, but there’s darkness in him. It doesn’t fit with his actions or his personality or even his aura.”
“What, exactly, do you want me to do?”
So simple, really, to ask her father for help. She knew he was worried, knew he had a million questions, but he focused on what she wanted, what she needed.
Not on his own needs or wants, which, she imagined, included shooting Sebastian Xenakis between the eyes. Or maybe just ripping out his throat. She almost laughed, imagining what Anton Cheval was thinking behind that placid exterior.
Even though her father trusted her intelligence and her ability to think logically, he would always be her father, and it was his very nature to protect her. She laid out her requests as succinctly as she could. “I want to know