Page 51 of Grave Robbing and Other Hobbies (Grave Concerns 1)

I lifted a finger. “Right here, so you don’t need to talk about me as if I’m not.”

They both ignored me.

“She’s unclaimed. She doesn’t require anyone’s permission.”

Andwowdid that sound sexist. And also vaguely familiar. I thought back to Kase saying something similar about me back when he’d run into Troy that first time.

It didn’t mean anything to me. Were they saying humans were claimed by werewolves the way vampires took in ‘pets’? As a helper under that werewolf’s protection?

Again, my lack of knowledge of their world annoyed me. Maybe I should have been paying more attention over the years, but I’d been hoping to never need such information.

“Claimed or not, you knew better. I’ve left you be, not interfered if your business, in pack business, and in exchange, you’ve left me alone. Right now, you’re in my business, and I don’t appreciate it.”

Fredrick rose slowly, as if trying not to further agitate Troy. “This is an easy request. We have a wolf in custody who’s affected by the same thing as the vampire she’s investigating. We need to understand their connection, and right now, Ms. Harlin is our only lead.”

“So you want her to go play nice with a wolf who is a killer? We both know I’m not allowing that.”

“He is properly restrained in silver, Troy, and has three of my best wolves as guards. She will be perfectly safe.”

“Not a chance.”

Fredrick glanced in my direction but continued to speak as if to Troy. “The wolves we’ve caught and put down murdered a total of twenty-six people. Four of them were children, and eight were people the werewolves cared for deeply before the incidents.”

My stomach dropped. Twenty-six people? Children? The abstract idea of some random wolf killing random people was something I could bury my head in the sand over, but when I considered the reality…

It was like the picture of Olin and Rachel. It became real. The werewolves weren’t just anyone—they could have been Troy.

“No,” Troy assured Fredrick, though his tone carried a hesitation.

I already knewhisplan. Keep me out of it and safe while he did something about it himself. He wasn’t uncaring—he wouldn’t ignore murdered children—but he wouldn’t want me anywhere near it.

Too bad.

“I’ll do it.”

Troy and Fredrick kept arguing back and forth as though neither heard me.

I repeated myself, but again, they ignored me.

Finally, I stepped between them even though they stood tall enough they could have just looked over my head. “I’ll do it. This is important, Troy, and if I can keep anyone else from dying? I have to.”

He met my eyes, frustration in his expression, a desire to keep me safe while he probably was figuring out I’d do what I wanted no matter what. “This is dangerous, Ava.”

I offered a smile I knew didn’t reach my eyes. “I get bothered daily by dead people. I know how dangerous the world is, no matter what. I still have to do something.”

He pressed his lips together, then uttered a soft curse that sounded odd from him. Finally, he turned his glare on Fredrick, one so menacing I nearly took a step backward as well. “I’ll go with her, and if you want to meet with her again, youwillgo through me.”

“You haven’t claimed her,” Fredrick insisted.

“Do you recall what happened to the last person who came between me and my mate?”

Fredrick swallowed hard, the firstrealshow of fear. He nodded. “Very well.”

Troy caught my wrist and tugged me against his side, as though he wanted no chance of anyone else being near to me.

Fredrick reached out with a card—to Troy, not me. “This will be the meeting place. I expect another five days to finish transporting Paul, but they will contact you when it is ready.”

Troy nodded before escorting me out without a goodbye to Fredrick. No one looked at us as we left, except for Sarah, who stared as if she could unman Troy with the knife she had clutched in her hand. Not that Troy took any notice of her.

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