Page 45 of His to Possess

Desires. I was incensed at his accusations. “Only if you allow them to breach the surface. We have been in control of our beasts for centuries,” I retorted.

“I guess some of us don’t have as muchcontrolas you purport yourself to have.” Gregor walked even closer, his confrontational tone pissing me the hell off. He knew better than to challenge my past decision or my leadership, yet he was doing both. He’d certainly become a true rival for control of the pack. “And my instincts tell me the killer is a human, a vile monster but certainly not a wolf.”

“Then you would be wrong,” I said without reservation. “The stench of our kind lingering in the air means we need to initiate tracking. We have a significant amount of ground to cover and we will begin with the areas surrounding the three murders.”

“And what if we can’t catch his scent?” Gregor asked condescendingly.

“He will make a mistake and we will capture him.” I kept my answer succinct.

“I daresay your tracking skills are much more human than Wolfen. You should allow someone who knows what they’re doing to lead.”

Gregor’s retort had a portion of the group buying his crap.

I turned toward him, hissing under my breath, sweeping my arms out to the others. “You can either assist in the hunt or stay behind, Gregor. The choice is your own, but know if you refuse, you will be judged. And for the rest of you, I have the pictures to prove that I’m not wrong in my knowledge we are chasing a powerful and cunning wolf, not one with failing mental faculties, which makes him incredibly dangerous.” I yanked the group of photographs from my jacket, smacking them down on the table where the councilmembers sat.

Each councilmember tentatively glanced at the pictures and I was surprised at their lackluster reactions. As if they’d known for days, perhaps weeks a rogue wolf had been attacking humans.

“It is the council’s decision on how this is to be handled,” Gregor insisted, storming up on stage and yanking the pictures from the table. I could see utter surprise in his eyes as he hissed under his breath. When he lifted his gaze, he’d seemed to accept my findings. “What a bastard. Jesus. We have to catch him.”

“And he will kill again,” I offered.

“Gregor is correct. A hunt of this magnitude and one that would expand outside of our city limits is the council’s decision only and must not be taken lightly,” my father affirmed.

“Then please decide, Father, other councilmembers,” I stated firmly. “My gut tells me that he will kill again very soon.”

“The wolf must be found,” my father stated. “The council will discuss tonight.”

“Tonight. Fine. Please call me when some decision has been made. In the meantime, I’ll be investigating in another manner.”

I walked toward the door, pushing my way through the crowd. I could still hear the rumblings of so many who had no idea who to believe. What I did know is that a new war was set to begin. I slammed my hands on the door, storming outside. The entire meeting had felt more like a monkey show than anything else. While there were rules to follow, waiting could allow for another human to be killed.

I took long strides toward my truck, admonishing myself for even trying. The night air was chilly, a light fog forming low to the ground and the sliver of moon fully obstructed by the swirling clouds. A perfect night for a murder. I took a deep whiff, filling my lungs with scents of the forest.

“You really think you can track this fucker?”

I heard Gregor’s voice and stopped in my tracks. Why the hell was he bothering? “I think I have a better chance than most. Humans have no idea what they’re dealing with.”

“That is true.”

There were so many things I’d wanted to say to him over the years, to attempt to mend the broken bridge. Perhaps there was no chance of doing so after all this time. It was time to at least begin the process. “I’m sorry about Kayla. I would have done everything in my power to save her.”

He hesitated and I could hear the rumble in his chest, the same vicious growl I’d heard the day his fiancée had been found dead. I swallowed hard, remembering the wretched case, the very first one I’d worked on. The murders had been horrific, the end result coming too close to home. If only I’d been able to save the woman he’d loved.

“Yeah, I know you are,” Gregor said as he glanced toward the sky. “I know you did your best.”

My best. I’d always questioned that concept after being unable to save her. “I’m just…”

“Time to let the past go.” He shook his head and even in the ugly darkness, I could see the tears sliding down his cheeks.

“Time to ensure our future.”

The tension remained between us. I wasn’t certain if he would ever forgive me, no matter his words or the time that had elapsed.

“You reek of a woman,” he said as he inched closer.

“I have a female partner,” I countered, finally turning to face him. Even in the barest of light, I could clearly see the continued contempt in his eyes. “She is very good at what she does.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Have it your way, Max. I really don’t give a fuck who you sleep with. What I do care about is keeping this monster away from my community.”

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