and he lost it, became that lovesick boy again. Only now, his emotions were impossibly stronger.
Because Garnet? She was no longer the girl he’d worshipped; she’d become a tough-as-nails lieutenant who was respected and loved by her packmates. And she’d done it without changing herself or losing the ability to play with their most innocent. Was it any wonder that the more he saw of the woman she’d become, the deeper he fell?
He was fucking screwed.
“Door’s open,” Garnet said when they reached Athena’s apartment. “Athena,” she called out.
The other woman’s voice was barely audible but it appeared to come from the direction of the bedroom. “Come in, Jem.”
Kenji went with Garnet to the bedroom door but stayed outside while she went in to talk to the older woman—who’d struck him as delicate in spite of her earlier spirited defense of her lover. Kenji had delicate packmates in his den, too, ensured they were safe and protected and happy, same as the rest of his denmates, but he’d never been attracted to delicate.
He wanted to pat those men and women on the head and say, “There, there.”
Garnet would tear off his arm and snap it in half if he tried that with her. She’d probably use his finger bones for toothpicks for good measure. He grinned. How messed up was it that he found it hot that she was so fucking dangerous? And even though that was a singularly inappropriate thought to be having right this instant, it steadied him in a way nothing else could’ve done.
He listened as, inside the room, Athena told Garnet that Julie had popped out, would be back in ten minutes. Allowing the other woman to talk until she was settled, Garnet asked her who else might’ve had access to the knives.
“You know Shane,” Athena said in her soft and breathy tone, a tremor beneath the surface. “He’s always showing them off.”
“Would he notice if one was missing?”
“Not right away, but he tidies and cleans them every Sunday.” Her tone changed, warmed, as if she was smiling. “It’s his hobby, you know? I do my art and he sits with me and we talk and he babies his knives. To him, they’re works of art, too.”
“It’s Thursday today, so who’s had access to the knives since Shane’s last cleaning session?” Garnet’s voice was gentle but firm, compassion and strength entwined.
“Well, aside from me,” Athena said, “there was Taneese and her mate, Cameron. Cameron has an interest in Chinese weaponry from a particular era and Shane had a special blade to show him.” Her voice steadied as she went through her memories. “The men went into the studio, but I’m pretty sure Shane just took out that one blade to show Cameron.”
“You didn’t see?”
“No, I was chatting to Taneese, but Shane and Cameron went in and came back out together.” A pause. “I’m sure Cameron was never alone with the knives.”
“Okay. Who else?”
“Two younger packmates who’re working part-time with Shane. Mitchell and Eloise.”
Kenji straightened at the name of the young soldier who’d discovered the murder. Coincidence? If so, it was a damn convenient one.
“That’s it?” Garnet’s response betrayed neither surprise nor shock.
Athena took time to answer. “Yes.” The tremor returned. “It’s been a quiet week. We w-were planning to hold a dinner party on Saturday. It’s not really Shane’s kind of thing, but he indulges me.” A shaky sniff. “Russ never let me do things like that—he just didn’t like people all that much.”
The sadness and pain in her words made Kenji wonder why she’d stayed with Russ for so long, but while SnowDancers had a primal wolf heart, they also had a human one. The animal’s clarity and simplicity was at times overwhelmed by the complexities and inexplicable yearnings of their human side.
“Do you lock your door when you go out?”
“No. Who does?” A wet laugh. “But Shane padlocks the studio to make sure pups don’t hurt themselves if they come in while we’re out. They can get into the unlikeliest places, can’t they?” Another pause, her next words soaked with a poignant sense of loss. “I always wanted a pup of my own, but Russ . . . I loved him once, but he was so much work. And now I’m too old.”
Kenji’s heart ached.
“There are always children in the world who need love,” Garnet said gently. “After this is all over, we can talk about your options.”
“You believe Shane is innocent?” Athena’s voice rose into a higher pitch.
Garnet’s reply was tempered. “I’m keeping an