the fact that someone made an effort to sweep away footprints. Opal steps forward and waves her fingers again when she’s facing the door. The lock snaps open.
“Must be very helpful to do your job. Damn, I’m fucking jealous.” Caz leans in next to me. “I think we all want to be her when we grow up.”
Opal throws her head back and laughs. “I heard that. And believe me, you’re not the only one who is jealous of someone else’s abilities.”
I don’t care if my VP and Caz are right there with us, I need to hold her close because I know she’s referring to her lack of ability to shift.
I reach out and wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her against the front of my body. “Just wait, you’ll make ’em even more jealous with your captivating beauty. All you need is time…the wait will be worth it.”
She places her hand over my arm, stroking my skin gently with her thumb. “Waiting sucks.”
A chuckle ripples through me and I place a kiss on the top of her head. “Yes, it does.”
I push the door open and Opal takes the lead, stepping into the house as she heads for the living room. All of us have heightened senses and while we inhale deep it gives us a flow of information. One of those things is the knowledge no one besides us is here. Another thing is the stench of blood.
Opal closes her eyes and gently guides her hand around her. I’m still watching her face as she opens her gorgeous eyes again but the curses of Caz and Ash makes me swing my head to the open space.
It’s like a loop from a movie playing out in front of us. A damn hologram showing a man stumbling back and hitting the floor as another man stands in the doorway. He shifts into a werewolf and jumps the man on the floor, shredding him into pieces. The hologram disappears but the destruction painted in red stays on the floor and walls.
“I don’t recognize him,” Opal states. “Any of you?”
“I repeat,” Caz croaks. “I wanna be her when I grow up.”
“We might not recognize him, but we now know what he looks like and we have his scent.” Ash glances around the room. “The blood stains stay?”
Opal nods. “I think so. When I recall a memory, it draws energy from its surroundings. What happened here was recent and he might have cleaned the blood but it’s still in every fiber of the carpet.”
I glance at Ash. “Call Nick and give him the address. He needs to see this.”
“On it, Prez.” He grabs his phone and stalks outside to make the call.
“Want me to see if I can track his scent?” Caz asks.
“Shift and see what you can find. But if he went as far as cleaning this room and getting rid of the body along with wiping out his footprints outside?” Frustrated, I rub a hand over the back of my neck. “I’d say you wouldn’t be able to track him, but it’s worth a shot.”
Caz grunts in understanding and heads for the kitchen to shift and go out back.
“We need to go to the bar and the diner. You and I can go to one while Caz and Ash go to the other. The four of us know his scent and it’s easier if we split up.”
“You’re right,” I tell her.
I hate the fact she’s putting herself in danger but those are my issues to deal with. They might involve the fact I haven’t claimed her yet, and I don’t want to lose her. But I also have to realize she’s been doing these kind of things for years. On her own for fuck’s sake.
“I think there are more than seven, well…now eight, people he killed. Who knows how long he’s been doing this until he got sloppy. There will be more because he won’t stop. He’s not only money hungry, he craves the kill. He–” She shivers and closes up.
Closing the distance between her, I take her into my arms. “What is it?”
Her head tilts back to connect our gaze. “He partly eats them. It’s why he cleaned up in here. He’s evolving as a serial killer. Nick would agree.”
“Nick would agree to what? He’s on his way, ten minutes out since he was heading for the clubhouse,” Ash says as he steps into the room.
I’m thankful Opal doesn’t step away from me but snuggles closer in my embrace