Wolf's Secret (District Shifters Book 3) Read online

  Archer felt his temper surge.

  “Are you working with the hunter?” he demanded.

  Caroline smiled almost shyly and shook her head. “Of course not. You might not like what I do, Archer, but it’s a service, one that many supernatural creatures use. That doesn’t make me a murderer. Do you think the hunter would spare me simply because I’m despised by some of my own kind? I’m in as much danger as you are while he lives.”

  “So you tracked him down, and now you want me to do your dirty work for you?”

  “Exactly. You catch on quickly. I like that.”

  Archer ignored her sarcasm and focused on getting what he had come for; information he could use to find the hunter.

  “What do you know?” he asked.

  “The hunter isn’t working with the Venandi Lupi. He used to, hence the branded weaponry, but he was exiled after he fell in love with a fairy and let her escape their hunt. He was ready to give up his life as a hunter, but the fairy had used him to find the location of the Venandi Lupi headquarters. By the time she got there, they’d moved on, of course. She left the hunter, and he was bitter enough to continue his life working solo.”

  Archer raised an eyebrow. Caroline sure knew more about the hunter than he had been able to find out.

  “That’s a great story, but it doesn’t help me to find the hunter, does it?” he demanded. He couldn’t let himself sound impressed or too eager, or Caroline would up her price.

  “No.” Her smile widened. “But I’m sure his full name and the address he’s currently living at would.”

  “Yes, I’m sure it would. So, are you going to tell me, or are you going to keep playing these games?” Archer asked.

  “Ah, come on now, Archer. I think we both know I’ve told you everything I’m going to reveal for free.”

  “I figured as much. What’s your price?”

  “What’s the information worth to you?” she asked in a teasing voice that made Archer’s temper rise a notch. If she kept talking to him that way, he wasn’t sure he would be able to control the wolf within him, crowd or no crowd.

  “Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars,” he said.

  “It’s tempting,” Caroline admitted. “But my girls make me more than enough money. I don’t want money from you.”

  That caught Archer on the back foot, and he couldn’t help but show his surprise, which got another soft laugh from Caroline.

  “So what do you want?” he asked, knowing he would likely regret the question.

  “A mutually beneficial working arrangement,” Caroline replied. “You’ve made no secret of the fact you want the district free of Matchmakers, myself included. I have no intention of dying, Archer. Or giving up my business. But I have to admit it would be a little easier if I was the only Matchmaker in the district. So here’s the deal. I’ll tell you everything you want to know about the hunter, and once you’ve taken care of him, I’ll also tell you everything I know about every other Matchmaker who operates in this district. In return, you’ll leave me alone to conduct my business as I see fit. I’ll even give your pack first refusal of my wares. You know, I’ve had to enroll in medical school for my latest find. A teacher. Very intelligent. She would be perfect for you, Archer. I’ll throw her in as a freebie.”

  Archer felt his temper threatening to get the better of him. Not only did Caroline want free reign to hurt mortal women as she saw fit, but she seemed to think giving him one of her victims would seal the deal. He fought with everything he had to keep his wolf at bay. Caroline took his silence while he fought for control to mean he was considering her offer. She smiled at him.

  “You know it makes sense. And it would stay between the two of us, if you would prefer. Your pack will never have to know.”

  “You are disgusting,” Archer hissed.

  “So I’m told.” Caroline shrugged. “But it’s funny how many of those people who find me so disgusting come to me for mates when they realize they’re going to live a very long and very lonely life without my help.”

  “I would rather be alone than be with someone who doesn’t want me,” Archer said.

  “Suit yourself. Helen will make a great price for me, so if you don’t want her, I’m more than happy to keep her. Do we have a deal or not?”

  Archer wanted so badly to say yes. Caroline could give him the information he needed to avenge Brody and keep the rest of the pack safe. But her price was too high. He couldn’t let her roam the district, picking off women. And the way she talked about the poor professor turned his stomach. He could agree to the deal and then end Caroline anyway at a later date. But that would be too late for Helen. Besides, Archer’s word meant something. It was his bond, and he couldn’t break it.

  He slowly shook his head. Caroline raised an eyebrow.

  “I’d sooner scratch out my own eyes than let you have the freedom to do what you like in my district,” Archer said.

  “What do you think your pack will say when they find out you had a chance to find the hunter and you turned it down?” she asked, her eyes amused.

  “When they find out what you wanted in return, they’ll understand.” He wasn’t so sure that was true, but they would never find out. He would make sure of that.

  Caroline stood up and shook her head. “I thought you were a rational man, Archer, but it seems you’re letting your own prejudices come before your pack’s safety. Shame. We could have been good together.”

  She walked away, slinking in between the crowd. Within seconds, Archer had lost sight of her. It didn’t matter. She had shaken his hand, and he could use her scent to track her. She clearly didn’t know quite as much as she thought she did.

  He stood up and casually wiped his hand over his face, taking in Caroline’s scent. He moved his hand and sniffed the air. Her trail was as easy to follow as it would have been if she’d left a trail of red paint on the ground behind her.

  He wasn’t going to let Helen become her next victim. He was going to end her today, as soon as she was somewhere out of sight. And then his pack would never know what he had turned down. He would simply tell them she had been lying, toying with them, and for that, he had killed her.

  He fingered the gun in his pocket, the one loaded with silver bullets. He upped his pace and stepped back out of the mall. He hung back when he spotted Caroline, but she wasn’t looking back. She was holding her cell phone and casually moving through the crowd with no idea that today would be the day her career choice finally caught up with her.

  3

  Brianna had headed back home after finding Caroline missing. She had planned to get showered and changed and then text Caroline to see what had happened to her. She brushed her hair into place and added a slick of lip gloss. Her cell phone pinged, telling her she had a new text message. She smiled when she saw Caroline’s name on her screen. It seemed Caroline must have had the same idea. She was glad they had all swapped numbers yesterday now.

  She opened the text.

  I’m so sorry for running out on you this morning. I had an appointment I couldn’t miss, and I figured you’d be hungover, so I left you to sleep it off. Want to grab lunch?

  Brianna laughed when she read the message. She had definitely been hungover, and she appreciated the extra sleeping time she’d gotten. She could only imagine how much worse her hangover would have been if Caroline had woken her up early.

  She tapped out a response. I’d love to. When and where?

  Now! I’m starving, haha! Anywhere you fancy.

  Brianna thought for a moment and typed out a reply. How about Shelly’s Diner on Green Street?

  See you there in twenty minutes.

  Great. I’ll invite Macey.

  Cool. See you soon.

  Brianna found Macey in her contacts list and sent her a text to invite her for lunch. The reply pinged in quickly, but Macey asked for a raincheck, saying she already had plans for the day. Brianna had gotten used to Caroline’s questions, and they got on well. She texted M
acey back, saying, No worries, and grabbed her handbag. She dropped her cell phone into it and checked that she had enough money for lunch without having to go to an ATM. She decided to set off now and take a slow walk to the diner. It was close to her apartment building, and she wondered if she should have suggested somewhere in the middle, but she realized Shelly’s was the only place she actually knew that had good food.

  She reached the diner and went in. It was busy, though not so much that it would be uncomfortable. She debated texting Caroline and seeing what she wanted so she could order now, but there was a chance Caroline hadn’t been here before and had no idea what she would want. Brianna took a booth where she could see the door, and when the waitress approached her table, she ordered a Coke, explaining that she was waiting for her friend and they would order their meals once she arrived.

  The waitress brought Brianna’s Coke. The caffeine instantly made her head feel better, and she realized she was starving, too. Her stomach growled loudly, and she felt herself blushing, even though no one was close enough to hear her.

  She didn’t have to wait long before Caroline burst in. Brianna stood up and waved to her. Caroline’s face spread into a warm smile, and she made her way over to Brianna. She sat down opposite her and smiled again.

  “I really am hungry. What’s good here?”

  “Everything.” Brianna grinned. “But if you’re starving, you want the tower burger.”

  “Sounds good,” Caroline said.

  Brianna waved at her waitress, who came over quickly, and ordered two tower burgers with large fries. Caroline asked for a chocolate milkshake.

  “So if yesterday was your idea of a quick couple of drinks, I can’t wait to see what you’re like when you decide to go for a sesh,” Caroline laughed.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever drunk as much wine as I did last night,” Brianna replied. “The only difference is, on a real sesh, there would have been shots.”

  “Ugh, don’t,” Caroline said. “I can’t even think of alcohol right now.”

  “So, what was your mystery appointment, then?” Brianna asked. She would normally not be so forward, but Caroline didn’t think anything of firing off questions, so she figured she’d do the same.

  “I suppose you could call it a business meeting.”

  Brianna raised an eyebrow, suddenly interested. “You run your own business?”

  “I do a bit of selling now and then. It pays for medical school,” Caroline said. “But the meeting this morning was a waste of time. Guy wouldn’t know a good deal if it jumped up and bit him on the ass.”

  “Bummer. What sort of stuff do you sell?” Brianna asked.

  “This and that. It depends what’s going and what the market is after,” Caroline answered. She was smiling, but Brianna thought she had seen a shadow cross her face as she spoke, and she was being pretty evasive. Caroline saw Brianna studying her and laughed. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing illegal. Here. I’ll show you.”

  She pulled her cell phone out and tapped on the screen. She handed the cell phone to Brianna, who took it and looked at it. It was displaying an Etsy store with a range of handmade jewelry.

  “You make this?” Brianna asked, looking up Caroline.

  “Mostly,” Caroline said. “Sometimes I buy pieces at garage sales and stuff and sell them on. But obviously, I sell those pieces on eBay.”

  The waitress came over with their meals, and Caroline’s eyes almost fell out of her head when she saw the burger. It consisted of four meat patties loaded with cheese and bacon and pickles. A tower was definitely the right word for it.

  “Holy shit,” she murmured.

  Brianna smiled. “You did say you were hungry.”

  “Oh,” Caroline chuckled, “I’m not complaining.”

  They thanked the waitress and tucked into their food.

  “So you make enough money from this to pay for medical school?” Brianna asked Caroline as they munched on their burgers and fries.

  Caroline nodded. “What can I say? I have a good eye for pretty things, and I know the market.”

  “I’m lucky if I can get a couple of bucks for a dress I’ve worn once,” Brianna sighed.

  “You need to up your game, girl,” Caroline teased her. Brianna nodded her agreement.

  “Have you given any thought to your internship?” she asked after a few minutes of eating quietly.

  “Not really.” Caroline shrugged. “But I want to go into general practice, so any doctor’s practice, really. Have you?”

  “No. And I’m kind of worried about it. I mean, there’s only a small hospital here. What if there aren’t enough places for everyone, and I don’t get one?”

  “Why wouldn’t you get one?” Caroline asked.

  Brianna thought about her last dream and the heartbreak she’d suffered chasing it. How she had been rejected from gig after gig, and how she always seemed to end up in some tiny little dive bar where she was nothing more than background music that people just ignored. She shrugged her shoulders.

  “I don’t know. But what if I don’t?”

  “Then go to the hospital in the next town. It’s a lot bigger, and they’re known for taking a lot more students. But we don’t have to worry about that now. First years don’t get internships. So study hard, get good grades, and you’ll get first pick of the places available next year.”

  Brianna smiled, feeling a little better. Caroline was right. Medical school was nothing like singing. It didn’t rely on luck and trawling around, trying to get a break. It relied on brains and grades, and Brianna was no fool. She knew if she put the work in, she could get the grades.

  “I guess I’ll have to, won’t I?” She grinned. “And you’re right. I’m not going to worry about it now. Over a year is a long time to worry about something.”

  “Yeah. You’ll be grey by the time it comes around if you’re stressing about it every day,” Caroline pointed out. “Speaking of that, is your hair natural or dyed?”

  “Natural,” Brianna replied, reaching up and tugging at the front of her sleek black bob.

  “It’s so shiny. I love it. I always wanted black hair, but I don’t have the complexion for it.”

  “It’s funny, but I always wanted mine blonde,” Brianna said. “But the thought of dealing with black roots every few weeks puts me right off.”

  “Oh, yeah, what a chore that would be,” Caroline commented.

  They went back to quietly eating. Brianna couldn’t help thinking about the internship. If she decided on surgery, the competition would be really stiff. She wished she hadn’t brought it up. She didn’t want it playing on her mind now. She forced herself to think of something else. They still had the rest of today and all of tomorrow before they had to even think of studies and lectures, let alone internships that wouldn’t happen for a year.

  Caroline pushed her almost empty plate away. She leaned back in the chair and rubbed her hand over her flat stomach. Brianna eyed her enviously, thinking of her own rounded stomach and curvy hips.

  “Oh, my God, I’m so stuffed,” Caroline groaned.

  “Me too,” Brianna said. She poked a last fry into her mouth and put her own plate on top of Caroline’s. She took a long drink of her Coke, which did nothing to make her feel any less full. A shudder went through Caroline, and Brianna frowned. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “Nothing, why?” Caroline said.

  “You shuddered. Visibly,” Brianna said, looking around for anything that could have caused such a reaction.

  Caroline laughed and waved away her concern with one dainty hand. “I was just thinking of walking, or should I say, waddling back to my dorm after all of that food.”

  “Why don’t you come back to my place? We can just veg out and watch movies or something. I’m less than five minutes from here,” Brianna said.

  “That sounds like a plan,” Caroline said. “I think I can just about make a five-minute waddle somewhere, as long as I don’t have to move once I get the
re.”

  Brianna waved their waitress down and asked for the bill.

  “And two slices of banoffee pie and cream to go, please,” Caroline added.

  “Are you mad?” Brianna laughed. “I thought you were stuffed.”

  “I am. But it won’t last forever.”

  The waitress came back with their bill and a large box, which she handed to Caroline. Caroline picked the bill up and dug out a credit card.

  “How much do I owe you?” Brianna asked.

  “Nothing. It’s my treat,” Caroline said.

  “Oh, no. I can’t ask you to do that,” Brianna said quickly.

  “You didn’t ask. I chose to do it. And if you’re that worried about it, you can get it next time.”

  Brianna nodded. “Okay. Thank you.”

  When the bill was paid, they headed outside.

  “This way,” Brianna said, leading the way. Caroline fell into step beside her.

  “Please tell me it isn’t uphill,” she pleaded.

  “It’s not,” Brianna said with a laugh.

  Even walking on the flat ground, she could feel her lunch sitting in her stomach like a lead weight. She had never finished a tower burger before today, and she had certainly never eaten so much when she was hungover. Thinking about it made her realize that her headache had gone, which was a bonus. Obviously, the burger had done the trick.

  As they walked, a shadowy movement caught Brianna’s eye, and she quickly glanced to the side. No one was there, but she felt like, if she had looked quicker, she’d have seen someone stalking along, keeping pace with them. She felt sweat seep out of her palms and her pulse rate speed up. She kept her eyes locked on the spot she’d seen the flicker of movement in, and even as they passed it, she turned her neck to keep looking that way.

  “What is it?” Caroline asked, peering at the empty street and then frowning at Brianna.

  “Nothing,” Brianna said, forcing herself to look away. “I just thought I saw something, that’s all.”

  They kept walking, and Brianna tried to subtly scan the street on either side of them. There were so many places someone following them could duck into. Shops and houses mingled here, and plenty of little alleys led off the main street. Even though she couldn’t see anyone hiding in any of the shadows cast by the buildings over the alleys, she felt as though she was being watched. She tried to tell herself she was being paranoid again, but it didn’t help at all.