know that,” I said.
“Then what do you suggest we do?”
“We could... follow Stephen,” I said. “See if he leads us to someone or to the Unholy Vessel.”
“That might turn out to be a big waste of time,” Damien said. “I doubt the mage who’s controlling him would make a mistake like that.”
I didn’t point out that a witch, and not a mage, could be responsible. There was no way to be sure, except...
“Do you think Jenson Boyle is powerful enough for something like this?” I asked. “Could he be the one trying to create the hybrids? He seems power hungry to me.”
So far, I’d been thinking of Jenson as an accomplice, someone beneath Stephen in the pecking order, but what if that wasn’t the case? What if this was all his doing?
Damien nodded, if a bit reluctantly. “He’s a Copper Mage now, so yes, he could be the one controlling Erickson. But he’s not the brightest bulb in the box. He’s been a laughing stock in our circles since he appeared on the scene some years back. He has ambition, sure, but not the smarts to come up with a scheme like this.”
“How about some of the other pack leaders. Craig Blackridge? Walter Knight?” I hated to bring Jake’s grandfather up, but he struck me as the ruthless, manipulative kind. Hesitantly, I added one more name, “Travis Hillworth?”
Eric and Damien exchanged a glance.
“I know he’s my father.” I shrugged. “I asked my mother, and she told me.”
After considering for a moment, Eric spoke. “I could be wrong, but I don’t think any werewolf in their right mind would turn another one into a hybrid. The St. Louis packs may not always get along, but they have learned to live in relative harmony. The local packs are doing well. Why would they try to upset the balance?”
“The vampires then. Bernadetta Fiore, her driver was there the day we found Stephen. Though that would mean she’s responsible for rhabo and killing many of her own kind.”
“Bernadetta Fiore would kill her own mother for a pittance if it gave her another gram of power,” Eric said. “Though, if she’s involved, I’d like to know how she found out about the Unholy Vessel. Its existence is only known by a few packs whose ancestors made a pact to protect the secret.”
Gah! My head hurt just thinking about all the possibilities.
I hopped off the stool. “I guess I’d better get back to the office. Will you call me when the cure is ready?” I asked Damien.
He answered with a simple nod. I couldn’t wait to surprise Aaron and Josh with the good news.
WHEN I GOT BACK TO the office, I found Rosalina sitting at her desk, typing away at the computer. Her cheeks were flushed, and her makeup wasn’t as perfect as usual. I sat across from her, frowning.
“Where were you?” I asked.
“Oh, just running around,” she said, waving a hand in the air and never meeting my gaze. “My abuelita needed me to buy a few things for her. What about you?”
I told her what had happened at The Chained Wolf. She abandoned the computer to listen, her eyes getting wider and wider as I went on. When I was done, her surprise had morphed into something close to anger, though.
“I’m glad Jake was there,” she said. “I never figured Stephen for a coward. And these new powers of yours, what if they hadn’t showed up in time? You would be dead.”
I winced at that. She wasn’t wrong. Loud Mouth would’ve taken my head off and played football with it.
“You got lucky, Toni. Admit it.”
“I know I did.”
I waited for her to get started on me, telling me that I was taking too many risks, that I would get myself killed. But she didn’t. Instead, she took a deep breath to calm herself and changed the topic of conversation.
“I think I have someone lined up who will sign a contract today.” She hit a few keys on her keyboard, and the printer came to life. “He’s not a high-profile client, more of a mid-list one, but better than nothing. If we book him, we’ll almost have enough to pay all our bills without touching our savings.”
“Sounds good!” I took the newly printed papers and looked them over. “Thanks for doing this.”
She shrugged.
“Oh, I forgot to mention... Damien’s cure should be ready soon. I can’t wait to give it to Aaron and Josh. It must be nerve-racking, going through that. And not to sound self-centered,