Page 38 of A Wolf's Heart

There were a few smirks, some side glances at one another. From the back of the room, Rainor even smirked, looking up from his tablet. Had I said something wrong? I looked to Weylin, who stepped up.

“Just so we don’t get confused here, I’m going to make a few changes. You four, Team Amber. You four are now Team Blue. You four Team Charlie. And then you four Team Dallas.”

Oh. Oh! I had given them rankings. Shit. How bad of a mistake was this? Did I just make a fool of myself, giving away how little I actually knew about their world?

Max, who had been lying on the floor during my presentation, got up and came to my side, pressing his shoulder into my leg. Weylin walked over, turning his back to the group. “Plans for the teams,” he whispered.

Right. I cleared my throat. “The purpose of the teams is to gather more intel on the specific murders. I’m going to send you different assignments. If you could choose a leader that will be in direct contact with me, that would be helpful.”

I sorted through the files I had on the desk, putting together a folder. “Amber, you will be looking after Nadair Pack. Blue, you will be with Awlen. Crimson, you will be with Sgrios—” Afew chuckles. Damn, I was fairly certain I had pronounced it incorrectly again.

Before I could make a joke about the mispronunciation, Rain and Weylin moved in a way that had the hairs on my arms standing on end. Rainor walked forward from the back of the room, but he did more than that. His footsteps were slow and purposeful, his eyes searching each wolf as he passed. Every time he met someone’s stare, they were quick to look down at the table in front of them.

Weylin moved to my side, and soon, Rainor joined him at his other side. “Detective Evans, please continue.”

I nodded. “Dallas, you will have Ophidian.”

Rainor took the file before I could hand it to the group. “We have no victims from Ophidian,” he said as he handed the file to the group.

“Not yet, but they do have a missing alpha, and until we hear otherwise, we should treat it as if he is part of this case. Are we able to get a team of wolves out to search Cartway Park for any more bodies?”

“Done. As of two days ago, it was clear, but we can do nightly runs,” Weylin said.

“That might benefit us. If not to find more evidence, it could scare out a suspect. If they think we have eyes on their dumping grounds, they might look somewhere else to dump a body. That change could be enough for them to slip up.”

Weylin nodded in agreement before dismissing the group. They had their assignments in hand, but Rainor and Weylin didn’t leave my side as the shifters started filing out of the room, each one lowering their head to me as they left, until…

He was part of Team Dallas. His sharp jaw and blue eyes were striking, but the narrowing of his eyes had my heart rate picking up.

Weylin growled, “Watch yourself.”

“My respect is given to you, sir, but what has thehumandone to prove herself?”

Rainor had the wolf pinned up against the wall before I could blink, his claws elongating into the shifter’s skin. “You dare challenge her,” he snarled, and my heart dropped. Was he about to harm this wolf because of me?

“I accept,” I said as quickly as I could.

“No!” Weylin all but shouted.

I reached out, placing my hand on Rainor’s shoulder, the warm pulsing calming, reassuring. I nodded to the wolf. “You’re right. I walked into this pack without finding my place. I accept your challenge.” On the outside, I was the perfect poise of calm. On the inside, I was freaking out.

I thought I knew what this meant, but I wasn’t completely sure. It only made sense, though. We had learned about the pack pecking order in K9 training. There had to be some sort of initiation.

Rainor’s hands slowly moved from the wolf’s neck. “I accept your challenge on behalf of her.”

His blue eyes widened, his face paling, his lips losing all color. “But…but, she, she already accepted.” He stammered through his words.

A deep voice filled the room. “She accepted his challenge.” Kage stood in the doorway, filling out the frame and then some, having to duck his head while he stepped through.

The wolf before us was about to have an aneurysm from staring at Kage, I was sure of it.

I hadn’t seen Kage since the night in the alley, but his scent was so familiar to me, from my morning runs, that I relaxed in his presence. “Prepare yourself in the arena,” Kage told the wolf. With a nod, he scurried out of the room.

“The beast will not allow this.” Rainor spoke through clenched teeth.

“Iwon’t allow this.” Weylin glared at him.

“Then, stop it.” Kage folded his large arms across his chest, and that in itself seemed like a challenge. Both Rainor and Weylin froze.

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