Page 87 of Bitter Discord

What?

I needed to ask more about this later. It was a mystery I didn’t have time for tonight.

“I’ve got it. Thanks, Dirk.”

“No problem. Jacky, don’t get killed.”

“I’ll do my best.”

As everyone hung up, Heath’s truck moved, and I followed, staying close but not on his bumper. This late, there weren’t many vehicles on the road, which made it easy not to lose him.

We drove out of the city until Heath stopped, pulling off the road and into a ditch. This far out, the houses were spaced with enough room to have small bits of tree growth. We were northwest of my territory, getting more rural. I didn’t go into the ditch with the pack, staying on the side of the road. Getting out to meet Heath, he climbed up to me as I considered the location.

We’re pretty close to my territory.

“We’re going to stay here. Fenris knows you’re coming and that we followed him. He’ll give you a sign where he is as you pull up.”

“What am I heading into?”

“A rental house that sits on five acres. Two bedrooms, two baths, less than fifteen-hundred square feet. You’ll be in tight spaces with these two. We didn’t enter a werecat territory. Maybe there’s a territory border closer to the house. Fenris has been wary and slowly drawing closer, making sure he doesn’t rush over it. We can sense the border, but sometimes, they can sneak up on us. You would know better if one comes up. If you find one, park and send Fenris and me a text.”

“Yeah… more than likely, it would be weak. It takes time to connect to the region and make the border strong.” There was no way a werecat could have made a territory this close to my home without me realizing it. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility, though, which had me turning in the direction of my territory. “Heath, we’re really close to home.”

“I know. Lonan might be the target tonight. This close to home…”

“Makes it easy to move into my territory when I’m not here.”

As we stared at each other, the pieces were coming together, the implications growing with every passing moment.

“I have this,” I promised. “I can do this. I just need backup when things get dangerous.”

“You’ll have it,” he promised. “You know that.”

Getting back in my car, I took a deep breath. I didn’t kiss him goodbye. I didn’t want to. We would see each other soon enough, that much I was certain of. Before I closed the door, he leaned in.

“It was a good idea to bring Fenris out to follow Lonan. I want you to know that.”

“Thanks,” I said, smiling a little. “Let’s hope this will end before someone else dies.”

“You’ll take the next left,” he explained. “The private drive for the place, paved not gravel. Should be easy to drive or run on.”

I nodded, so he closed the door and took a few steps back. I drove, taking the next left down the drive, studying my surroundings as I approached the house. They had cleared some trees, but it was trimmed just enough to build the house and clear some land around it, then it was woodland, just like my property.

As for the house itself, it was quaint, even a bit unremarkable, like a model home, as if someone picked it from a catalog and dropped it in place with little thought. There was nothing special on the front porch that told me who lived there, like gardens with someone’s favorite flowers. It was just there and was so bland, it almost covered the potential threat inside.

I parked before getting too close, deciding to walk the last one hundred yards. I could see the front porch clearly and the lights on inside, which held no shadows of potential watchers. I heard a sudden, too loud noise, a branch snapping, and turned, looking to my left, ready for anything.

Only to see Fenris in the tree line. He gave me a nod of acknowledgment, then threw the stick in his hands to the ground. He was downwind, a smart move to keep the breeze from bringing his scent to me. Fenris was a warrior, and the night was teaching me he wasn’t just a mad man. He could be an effective and intelligent predator, even on his own. He had to be, stalking two werecats without giving himself away.

He’s one of those… enforcers, as other werewolves call them. They don’t mesh well with groups. I guess that would mean he had to be good at hunting by himself. They should think of a different name.

I didn’t reply, knowing I could be seen if someone looked out the window. Looking back at the house, I took two steps up to the front door, then took a deep breath to calm my nerves.

It’s just politics. Zuri was right that I had to come out here. It’s a coin toss if this is Mason’s murderer. A coin toss if Arlo is in the building.

I have backup in case something goes wrong, plenty of it.

All I need to do is knock on the door and introduce myself.

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