Page 58 of Top Secret Vampire

Detective Carter led us to the front desk. “I need to process Ms. Hamilton.”

The woman at the desk had thin, pursed lips that spoke of long nights on the job and no interest in making this processany easier on me. She glanced from me to Wolfram, then back to the detective, before she tapped the keys on her computer, not saying a word.

My stomach dropped further, if that was possible.

“Alright,” she finally said, sliding a clipboard across the counter. “Put your details here. Name. Address. Date of birth.”

With shaking hands, I grabbed the pen and filled out my information. It felt surreal. I shouldn’t be here. This was happening to someone else.

Except it wasn't.

Once I'd finished, Detective Carter looked it over and handed it to the clerk. “Take her out back. I’ll join her shortly.”

The woman rose from her chair, motioning to a door to our left. “Through there, Ms. Hamilton. I'll meet you on the other side.”

Wolf remained with me; his eyes boring into the clerk with a look of cool indifference. Anger thrived in his eyes.

“I’m staying with her.” His growl came out low enough that only I could hear the rage simmering beneath it.

She eyed him warily but led us down a narrow corridor, our footsteps echoing off the walls until we came to a stop in front of a closed door.

“Not without me,” someone said in a sharp voice behind us. A tall, muscular man with tousled blond hair and deep green eyes joined us. “I’m Brandon Sharvish. I represent Ms. Hamilton.”

The clerk sighed and urged us into the room.

We sat inside on hard wooden chairs with only a pitted wooden table between us and an empty chair. The clerk left.

“Thank you for getting here so quickly,” Wolf told Brandon sitting on my opposite side.

“Always glad to help.”

“Don’t answer without clearing it with me first,” Brandon said. “I’ll guide you through this. Be as honest as possible butspeak with me before revealing anything that might incriminate you.”

“Yup,” I said.

A short time later, Detective Carter joined us.

We sat in the cold, sterile booking room, and my pulse echoed in my ears. My heart hammered, and no matter how deeply I tried to breathe, I couldn’t get enough air.

Wolf squeezed my hand. He sat on my right, his presence reminding me that he and Brandon were here to help me.

Before Detective Carter could speak, Brandon leaned forward, his forearms landing on the table. He shot the detective one of those evaluating looks that seemed to imply he already knew far more than he let on. “I’ll assume you’ve got something concrete since you brought us in here.”

“Of course,” Carter deadpanned. He placed his phone on the table and tapped at it a few times. “Let’s start simple. Reese, where were you last night at about eight fifteen?”

After receiving Brandon’s nod, I swallowed hard. “I was home. With Wolf.” My fingers knitted together in my lap, and I gripped my hands tight to stop their trembling.

His eyes flicked to Wolf. “Is that true? Were you with Reese last night?”

“Yes.” Wolf's voice came out harder than stone. “As I said, I did step out briefly.”

“Define briefly.”

Wolf exhaled; his brow furrowed. “I was gone for ten, maybe fifteen minutes. I went to get some personal belongings from my house and returned immediately.”

Carter's jaw tightened. “Fifteen minutes. That's not much time. Did you drive?”

“I . . .” Wolf shot me a sharp look tinged with humor. “Imistified. I'm a vampire.”

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