Page 52 of An Uncertain Claim

When Allison popped into my office and asked if I was ready to go, I glanced at the clock and realized it was just past six. My panther had been bugging me, going stir-crazy, and I knew I’d have to go take her for a run before she flipped her shit. “Did Nathan say what time he’d be home?” I queried as I packed up files and my purse.

Allison took the box and led the way out. “He wanted to take you himself, but someone from the SCA called and he had to take it.”

“I hope it’s not another murdered shifter,” I murmured. I hated that my problem piled onto Nathan’s already heavily weighted shoulders.

She nodded, her face grim. “You and me both.”

We walked to the car and drove back to Nathan’s cottage. “Are you up for a run?” I asked her while I punched the code to the security system. “I need some exercise.” Not only hadn’t I been out for a run, but I also hadn’t done PT or yoga for days. Although I could probably count the very active and adventurous bouts of sex with Nathan as physical activity.

“Sure. But I need to see if someone else is available to come with us. Nathan’s orders.”

Two weeks ago, that would have annoyed the shit out of me, but after everything that had gone down, I was grateful for the extra protection.

Jase showed up ten minutes later. His wolf—a gorgeous, chocolate brown wolf with brown-gold eyes—barked from the back porch. Allison and I both discarded our clothes in the living room, then joined him out back before shifting. Allison’s sleek, light brown wolf with deep blue eyes led the way and Jase took up the rear.

Finally free, my panther relaxed immediately, and I felt bad for keeping her contained for so long. I settled back to let her have complete control and just enjoy the run. After trotting for a bit, our animals picked up speed. I smiled happily as I watched the trees go by through my cat’s eyes. The beauty of the forest, along with the wind in our face, the steady thumping of our heart, took away the stress of my life for a short time, rejuvenating me.

After an hour, Allison turned back toward the house and my panther obediently followed. She wasn’t stupid either, she understood the need for prudence. I doubted B would make another attempt on Silver Lake land, but at some point, he would become desperate and then it was anybody’s best guess on what he would do. Especially when his comments last time led me to believe he was working with someone. Perhaps the person with access to the DNA databases.

Nathan hadn’t made it home by the time we returned, and he’d left a message on my phone to let me know that Willa had managed to contact Rogan—the Fae prince was hard to reach when he was in Faery—and he’d popped in to ask a few more questions before setting up a meeting for negotiations.

I spent the rest of the night organizing the files I’d brought home. It was nearing nine when I realized I’d hit a brick wall. I needed to break into the databases for the information on the victims and I knew a deep dive into their lives was needed. However, Tanner was right that it would take a lot of time and manpower to do it. Which meant I needed to decide on some specific areas of their life to investigate. And again, I needed to see their records at the medical facilities to narrow it down.

Nathan walked in the door just as I was putting all the files back into the box. He looked exhausted and I wished I could help carry some of his burdens.

“Hi,” I greeted him softly as I padded over to the kitchen as he hung up his keys next to the door to the garage. My panther purred, happy to see him. She’d begun to pout about an hour ago, of the opinion that we’d been separated from Nathan for far too long.

“Hey, baby.” He reached for my hand and tugged me up against him, then he gripped my hips and leaned down to capture my lips in a deep kiss that left me a little dizzy. When we parted, he touched his forehead to mine. “Fuck, I needed that.”

“It didn’t suck,” I teased, making him chuckle.

“I have to say,” he murmured, “I never thought about having someone to come home to. But now that I’ve experienced it, I see the benefits.”

I smiled, pleased that I had given him even a moment of peace. That kiss made me want to climb him like a tree, but he probably needed sustenance. “Have you eaten?”

“Not since last night,” he growled, pressing me even closer.

I frowned, thinking over the day. “You had lunch with me.”

“I wasn’t talking about food.”

“Oh. Well, I wouldn’t want you to starve.”

Fifteen minutes later, I was sprawled naked on the kitchen island, satisfied and unable to move because my body was like a wet noodle. Nathan kissed each thigh on the light whisker burns he’d left, then he stood between my legs and licked his lips, his gaze heated as it roamed hungrily over my body. “I can’t,” I whined.

He grinned and I could tell he was tempted to prove me wrong, but he ultimately decided against it. “I’ll give you a little time to recuperate while we talk.”

I frowned and watched him warily as he scooped me off the counter and carried me to the couch. I had a suspicion about what he wanted to discuss, and I just wasn’t ready to delve into this whole mate thing. “Could you get me a glass of water, please?” I asked before a yawn overtook me. It hadn’t been on purpose, but it was perfect timing. He nodded and went to the kitchen. Faking sleep wasn’t an option since he’d be able to tell I was awake through our connection and the erratic beating of my heart. My only options were to stop avoiding the conversation or to actually fall asleep. Lucky for me, the pregnancy usually had me ready for bed by nine or ten—odd for someone who’d always been a night person.

Laying my head back against the cushions, I closed my eyes and relaxed. The next time I woke up it was the middle of the night and the baby was resting comfortably right on my bladder. I tried not to wake Nathan as I disentangled myself from his hold and climbed off the bed. After taking care of my business—which was starting to happen much more frequently—and washing my hands, I returned to the bed. Nathan dragged me back against him, one arm slipping under my head and the other resting on the swell of my stomach.

I’d nearly drifted off again when he whispered, “You can’t put off talking about it forever, Peyton.”

* * *

“Holy shit,” I breathed as I scanned the information I’d compiled, just to make sure I was reading it right.

Yep.It had taken me two days, but I’d cracked all the DNA databases and after analyzing the information on the victims, I found a clear link between them. An odd one, but, putting together some of the things B had said to me, a few theories were percolating in my mind.

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