her to tell you what she really is and what the hell she was up to in there.’
‘No.’ I was determined. ‘I’ll get her to tell me herself.’ I’d make her trust me if it killed me.
Lucy cleared her throat. ‘Actually, she told me she was…’
Don’t say it, I said, before she could voice the thought. I want her to do it.
Yes, my Lord, she responded. If she thought I was being daft for wanting to hear it from the horse’s mouth, she didn’t say.
‘Come on,’ I said. ‘We’re not going to get any answers by hanging around here and Mack is not the reason we’re here anyway. Mel, if you can prepare a preliminary report on the fights, I’ve got a call to make.’
Staines’ mouth tightened. ‘The Arch-Mage?’
I nodded. ‘We need all the help we can get. No matter how expensive things are likely to get.’
***
‘How’s the werebear?’ I asked as we sat down to lunch, praising the heavens above that Johannes had arranged for some outside catering.
Mel shrugged. ‘He’ll recover. It’ll take some time though.’
I sniffed. I should bloody well think so after the show he’d put on. He’d obviously been goading Mack into fighting properly. I could only think that the reason was something to do with feeling emasculated and threatened by her presence. He already had an impending new female alpha to deal with. I could imagine that playing second fiddle in fighting prowess to a girl didn’t sit well with him either. It was a shame. He had the potential to go far as a shifter. He wouldn’t do well if he couldn’t get a grip on his ego, however.
I glanced around the room, noting that both Mack and Anton were absent. I felt vaguely disappointed. Everyone else was present so I nodded at Boyne and he stepped over.
‘Is there anything to report?’ I asked quietly. We were going to have to start making some headway in our investigation of John’s death before we started looking incompetent.
‘There is something, my Lord. It took us a while to spot it but…’ His voice faltered as a couple of Cornish shifters walked past us to reach the buffet table.
‘But?’ I prompted. I could understand why he thought it would be a good idea to keep any discoveries to ourselves until we knew what we were dealing with, but I wasn’t going to skulk around and hide the truth from the very people who needed to know it.
He coughed. ‘There are some strange signs etched into several of the trees round where his body was found.’
I started. ‘I’ve been there twice already. I didn’t see anything.’
‘They’re not easy to spot,’ he answered. ‘You really need to be there during the day.’
I had the distinct feeling he was trying to make me feel better. ‘Well done,’ I told him. ‘I’ll come and see them as soon as we’re finished eating.’
‘My Lord Alpha!’ I glanced over at two young women who bounced in my direction. ‘Can we have the honour of fixing your plate for you?’
‘Um…’ I blinked, somewhat surprised, but Boyne was grinning at me as if he thought it was hilarious. ‘Thank you, but I really can do it myself.’
They both looked remarkably disappointed, backing away in haste.
‘Get used to it, my Lord,’ Boyne whispered. ‘You’re now the Otherworld’s most desirable bachelor.’
I scowled at him and quickly moved up to the buffet table before anyone else decided I needed help. I piled my plate high and took my seat to eat, looking up only when the chatter in the room abruptly hushed as Mack limped in. Her face was drawn and she seemed to be in even more pain than earlier. She’d clearly not taken the opportunity of having some privacy to shift and help the healing process. I wondered if I’d been too hasty in assuming she was lying earlier: maybe she really was avoiding it as part of the mourning process. She sat down next to the woman I recognised as Betsy. It was probably just as well. If she’d tried to walk much further, I’d have been taking bets on her collapsing. I finished off my lunch just as she stood up again, walking right past me. I inhaled deeply, trying yet again to get a handle on her scent. There were too many other smells mingling in the room, however. Irritated, I leaned back, keeping an eye on her in my peripheral vision, especially when Lucy wandered up and started chatting to her. I