Corrigan Fire Bloodfire - Helen Harper Page 0,14

Lord,’ Boyne said, his nose wrinkling, ‘it absolutely reeks of death.’

‘Where is it?’

‘In an outhouse.’ He grinned. ‘We are in the countryside, after all, so there are bound to be plenty of sheds all over the place. I still can’t get the stench of it out of my nostrils though.’

‘Make sure it’s carefully examined at first light.’

He nodded dutifully while I stood up.

‘You don’t want seconds, my Lord?’ Staines asked, a gleam of amusement in his eyes.

‘I’ll pass,’ I said drily.

It wasn’t just the food that was making me desperate to leave; it was the constant sidelong glances I seemed to be receiving from just about everyone who wasn’t Brethren. The vast majority of looks were adoring, which simply rankled. I’d not done anything yet to receive such positivity. I wanted to earn my place, not merely receive silent praise as a result of nothing more than my rank. Despite that, however, I couldn’t help noticing that there was one particular shifter who was absent.

‘I’m going for a walk,’ I told my dinner companions.

Staines wiped his mouth. ‘I’ll come with you.’

‘No,’ I said. ‘Some thinking time will do me good.’

‘My Lord, we don’t know what killed the alpha yet. The perpetrator could be anywhere.’

I couldn’t help teasing him ever so slightly. ‘Are you suggesting I’m not strong enough to take whatever it is on?’ He visibly balked and I felt instant contrition. ‘I’m sorry. I have the Voice if I get into trouble though.’

‘He had the Voice too,’ Staines grumbled, although he didn’t argue any further. I probably only got lucky because we were in public – relatively speaking, anyway.

The outside air was crisp and cool. It felt good to no longer be cooped up. I quickly pulled off my clothes and inhaled deeply, relaxing my muscles in preparation. The familiar tingle of pain rippled across my skin but, before goosebumps could form, my bones snapped and creaked and dark smooth fur sprouted. Then I was on all fours, bounding away from the keep, my vision already altered. My heightened senses tingled as I caught wind of a rabbit. I battened down the urge to hunt; I had to take advantage of my werepanther abilities while I could and leave bunny rabbits alone in favour of using my enhanced skills to retrace John’s trail again. At least in this quiet little county, it would be easier to enjoy the freedom of the outdoors than in London. It would hardly do for the Lord Alpha of the Brethren to be seen by a human.

The wind whipped past me as I sped up, heading towards the same forest path Anton had led us down earlier that day. The smell of old blood was more obvious now and, Staines’ concerns in my mind, I slowed to a walk, padding more carefully and quietly. My ears told me there was nothing larger than an owl in the vicinity but it never paid to be reckless. I paused momentarily at the odd, acidic-smelling patch; it was no easier to identify now than it was when I had been in human form. Trusting that we’d find out the truth sooner or later, I moved on.

It wasn’t simply because of secrecy that I enjoyed shifting at night. Night or day, the range of colours I was capable of seeing as a panther was considerably diminished. I could still register different hues, but they weren’t as bright or as attractive as when I was merely human. I had often wondered why pet toy manufacturers wasted time creating brightly coloured baubles for cats to play with. I guessed the cats weren’t the ones with the bank accounts though. During the darkness of night, however, colour didn’t matter – in fact, everything was clearer when I shifted. My peripheral vision became extended and I was able to detect motion with far more ease than usual. When a nearby hedgehog stirred, pattering across some dry leaves, I could pinpoint exactly where it was and what I’d have to do if I wanted to catch it. So even though the light pollution in Cornwall was minimal, I could still see with perfect clarity.

I continued down towards the beach to the location where John’s body had been found. I wasn’t quite willing just yet to venture onto the sand. I didn’t know this area well enough to tell whether it would be safe to allow myself to make giant paw prints across the dunes. Better safe than sorry. Instead, I kept myself to