Page 17 of Wind with a Chance of Wolfsbane

Dwayne was suddenly before him, locking gazes with him, concern in his eyes. “You good?”

Jonathan blinked several times. “W-what?”

“Uh, maybe avoid shifting out in the open while we’re surrounded by incapacitated human criminals. The police are nearly here,” said Dwayne.

Only then did Jonathan realize there were sirens in the distance.

“We all good?” asked Leo, staring between the shifter males.

Jonathan nodded.

Leo motioned to Jonathan’s hands. “Really?”

It was then that Jonathan realized his fingernails were still lengthened. He concentrated, and they returned to normal. Lifting his hands, he made a big production of showing they were fine now. Externally, he appeared put together and in control. Internally, he was anything but.

Leo went toward the SUV, opened the back, and retrieved a small black tackle box. He opened it and pulled out a badge that was on a chain. He put the chain over his head and tossed one to both Dwayne and Jonathan.

Dwayne caught the badge meant for him with ease.

Jonathan’s attention was pulled to the ground—specifically on the items that were sprawled out there. The badge bounced off his chest and landed with a thud next to a silver cross necklace. He bent quickly to retrieve it, ignoring the bite of pain that raced through his fingers as he made contact with it.

Silver and shifters didn’t mix.

Jonathan had more resistance to silver than most shifters he knew. Probably because his makeup was slightly different. That didn’t mean he wasn’t sensitive to silver. Still, he held the necklace in his hand, his gaze sweeping up toward the direction the bus had gone.

It’s hers.

The thought left him putting the item in his front pocket. The very pocket his watch was in. As his fingers skimmed the pocket, his body tensed. The gold chain was snapped in half. The watch was missing.

He thrust the necklace into his pocket all the way and visually skimmed the area.

“Jonathan?” asked Dwayne.

“Look around,” he replied. “I lost my pocket watch.”

“Pocket watch?” asked Leo. “You moonlighting as a train conductor?”

Dwayne shook his head slightly, his gaze locking on the other man. “No jokes. It’s important to him.”

“Got it,” said Leo, as he began lifting unconscious men partially and looking under them.

Dwayne did the same thing, seeming to take joy in letting the men flop face-first into the pavement once more.

Jonathan was about to retrace his steps but stopped, his attention going to a small red journal. He touched it lightly at first as images of the young woman he’d assisted filled his head. The very same young woman his wolf had wanted him to chase after.

Why on earth would the wolf be so concerned about the welfare of one human? It had never shown that much of an interest in one before. Why now?

Before he could think more about it, something shiny near the curb caught his attention. Jonathan went to it and lifted it. A second later, he dropped it as pain shot through his hand.

There, lying face up on the ground, was something he’d not seen in decades. A Murray family slayer line coin.

“What did you find?” asked Dwayne.

Jonathan glanced around, making sure no humans were alert and near before allowing claws to emerge from his fingertips. He sliced a portion of his flannel shirt and used it to wrap the coin in, giving a layer of protection between it and his skin. He then shoved the coin into his back pocket. “Nothing of note.”

“Uh-huh,” said Dwayne, coming closer. He bent and touched the red journal. He flipped it open and chuckled. “Great. A diary. It's probably full of all the teenage crushes they’ve had and complaints about bad hair days. It probably mentions unicorns and crap. You know, girl stuff.”

With a grunt, Jonathan snatched the diary from the man, closing it as he did. “Regardless, it's private.”

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