Page 3 of Wolf Claimed
The metallic soundof the zipper’s teeth grinding together as the agent in charge zipped the body bag closed echoed through Graves’ office. The sight of Graves’ body lying on the ground hadn’t affected Tiernan. Not as much as Alyssa’s scent all over the crime scene.
At least the humans wouldn’t scent her. Tiernan glanced behind him. The other shifters were far enough back in the hallway that they wouldn’t, either.
He hoped.
“Outside. All of you,” one of the DSA agents said as he shoved back the gathering crowd of trainees.
Tiernan watched as two agents lifted Graves’ body onto the gurney and out the door, while their forensics team continued collecting evidence. He pushed his way through the crowd of shifters and humans clogging the lobby of the admin building at the DSA’s training facility.
The area had been taped off, and one-by-one a half-dozen DSA agents took shifters and humans aside for statements. Tiernan had already been interviewed, explaining where he was, who he’d been with, and what he knew. Which amounted to nothing.
He’d found the body, nothing more. His damn wolf’s senses were heightened and had easily picked up the scent of blood mixed with her scent. Finding Graves’ dead, blood all over his body, had shocked him. His only thought at the moment had been to report it to the DSA, but he should have been thinking of Alyssa. Stalled for time while her scent dissipated. If another shifter entered the crime scene, they’d report her scent to the DSA.
Tiernan glanced behind him. The agents had already strung yellow crime scene tape across the office and corridor. Good. The shifters wouldn’t cross that, not without reason. Her scent would disappear in time.
He followed the other shifters outside of the building. The moment a breeze carrying Alyssa’s scent hit him, his otherwise agitated wolf calmed. She was nearby and, more importantly, alive. He was eager to see her again, to make sure she was unharmed.
But not to ask her about the murder. She didn’t kill Graves. He knew as much in his soul. Alyssa was sweet, strong-spirited, and open-minded. Andnota murderer.
Her amazing hazel eyes drew him in every time he saw her. Except now. His sweet Alyssa had her full attention on Maddox as they emerged from the woods. She was too engaged in their conversation to notice Tiernan. Her wavy blonde hair contrasted with Maddox’s pitch-black hair and eyes. She looked tiny compared to Maddox, who was broad and larger than most shifters. Guards tended to be bigger, and Maddox was a white wolf as well. Dangerous and cunning. So unlike Artemis. Nothing about the two seemed to mesh. And yet they walked together, laughing and smiling as if they were meant for one another.
Tiernan’s wolf bit him at that thought. His wolf wanted Alyssa. As did Tiernan.
Despite the gruesome discovery of Graves’ bloody body inside the training facility’s admin building, all Tiernan could think about was Maddox’s hand on Alyssa’s lower back. Tiernan’s wolf snarled, though Tiernan quickly covered the snarl with a cough.
Maddox wore a grin a mile wide as if he’d made a conquest of Tiernan’s female.
Their smiles disappeared when they looked his way and took in the circus around the admin building. The coroner’s van was parked amidst a half-dozen dark SUVs. At least there were no human news vans here. The Department of Shifter Affairs would contain the crime without the public finding out. Though Tiernan wasn’t sure if that was to keep the DSA’s training facility secret from anti-shifters or if that was the general protocol in any crime involving shifters. Humans tended to be skittish when it came to shifters.
“What’s going on?” Alyssa asked.
Tiernan heard her question, wanted to answer, but his wolf was too focused on another male touching his female. “Move away from her, Maddox,” Tiernan ordered with a sharp growl supporting his intent.
Maddox cocked a brow. “Take control of your wolf, Tiernan, before I’m forced to do some damage.”
Alyssa looped her arm through Tiernan’s at that moment, which immediately calmed him and his wolf, especially since she was no longer touching Maddox. She’d made her choice.Him. Not Maddox, not Rafe. Tiernan would mate, blood-bond, and always ensure she had what she needed.
“Enough of this jealousy,” she said to Tiernan before pointing to the gurney with a body bag being rolled out of the building and loaded it into the black van with no markings. “What happened here?”
“Graves is dead,” Tiernan said, now that he could think straight again.
“Dead how?” she said as she paled. Her fists clenched and unclenched at her sides.
“Murdered,” Tiernan said, not sure if he should say anything about her scent. He’d never betray her, even if she were guilty. He wanted her to know he’d defend her with his life, but he didn’t want her thinking he suspected her of murder. “The DSA’s taking statements from everyone.”
“Murdered? Are you sure?” Alyssa asked, her voice gaining a high-pitch as she stared at the admin building.
Surprised. Yet not. He wasn’t sure how to interpret her reaction.
He shook his head. He’d let what he knew slide. She must have been in Graves’ office recently. Could have been hours ago, long before the murder.
“No question about it. There’s blood all over his office.”
“Blood? That can’t be,” she said, shaking her head.
“Artemis,” Tiernan addressed her, still using her codename when they were in public. “How would you know that?” Fuck, he’d asked to satisfy his damn curiosity about what had happened. “Never mind. You don’t have to answer.”
“I’m just digesting the facts. Are you sure there’s blood and that he didn’t die of a heart attack or something like that?”
