Claws & Cover Ups (Werewolf Regulation Bureau Files #2)

Prologue

Six Months Ago

Elliot

“So, Oliver tells me you’re a veterinarian?” Nicholas, one of Oliver’s annoyingly hot and cheery guests, asks. I thought I was doing a good job projecting a ‘don’t talk to me’ forcefield around myself. Apparently not.

“Yup,” I say. Not gonna add more. I stay rooted in my spot, looking at everyone getting drunker and louder by the second.

I just need to bide my time until I can leave this stupid Christmas party filled with werewolves.

I wanted to bolt as soon as I stepped into the apartment.

Does Oliver know the guy he’s almost dating and all his friends are werewolves?

What has this naive man gotten himself into?

This was definitely not something I expected when he told me he’s co-hosting a party with his enemy next door.

“You must get to hang out with the craziest animals,” Nicholas says, like we’re just two people happily conversing.

The man is not deterred by my very obvious disinterest in mingling. “Yup, that’s what I do, hang out with animals,” I mutter. I wish I could be hanging out with animals right now. But Oliver was really excited about this Christmas party, and I had instructions not to be the first one to leave.

Nicholas huffs out a laugh, nothing more than a sharp rush of air slipping past his lips. Because he heard me with those werewolf ears. At least, it was only a mild snark. Just a dash. He’d melt under the full force. “Did I offend you, Doctor?” he asks.

I turn to look at him. His stupidly sculpted face now has a dimple.

I narrow my eyes, a difficult feat when you have to crane your neck to look up at someone.

Not only is this man tall, but he’s extremely jacked.

Of course, he is. A werewolf and a detective, the guy was putting those muscles to use on the daily.

“Your lack of knowledge doesn’t offend me,” I say snottily.

He laughs. I sharpen my glare. Again, difficult with the angle. “Dude, I love how—” He snaps his mouth shut and jerks his head towards the front door behind me.

I look around, and every person in the room is looking at the door, eyes wide and focused.

Something is wrong, something my human ears haven’t picked up.

“Wha—” I start when Matt rushes out of the house, yanking the door open so forcefully, it ricochets against the wall with a loud slam before swinging shut.

But not before I see him shift and stalk towards Oliver’s apartment right across the hall.

I whip my gaze back to the front before anyone catches me looking. No one can know I’m aware of werewolves’ existence. Especially the werewolves.

When I turn to Nicholas, his eyes are focused right on me. He’s not smiling anymore. He looks serious. The expression feels strange on his face. But then there’s a loud noise from the hallway that even my ears pick up. Nicholas shoves me behind him and plants himself between me and the door.

I don’t move. I can’t win here. Everyone has gathered around the door now, with expressions ranging from confusion to panic. I try to find Oliver in the chaos.

Then I remember seeing him go to his apartment just a few minutes ago. Fuck.

I fight the urge to shove past them and check on him myself.

I know I’ll fail. And I’ll give everything away.

Oliver is in danger, and the people here are way more capable of saving him than me.

I just hope it's more of a threat of a ‘falling off a high surface’ variety than a ‘psychopathic werewolf on the loose’ one.

I clear my throat.

Every head in the living room turns to me. “Umm…” one of Matt’s friends says, uncertain. “You know how those two are. Matt can’t be away from Oliver for a second,” she laughs awkwardly.

That snaps Nicholas out of the entire Captain America routine he’s doing.

“Laura, stay with Bree and Elliot. Guys, let’s go,” he orders like he’s the fucking king commanding his army, his gaze glued to the door.

And then they’re gone.

“They just want to go check if everything is fine,” Laura tries.

I nod enthusiastically.

Nothing can hurt Oliver with five fully grown werewolves at his side.

It was time for me to leave before people start asking questions or being more obvious than they already are.

I’m always amazed by how their entire species has managed to keep itself a secret from humans when they’re so obvious all the time.

Then again, humans have selective blinders for things that don't fit their definition of normal. It’s probably an ego thing, or the sheer desperation to keep everything neat and controlled in a world that’s anything but.

I yawn exaggeratedly. “I’m gonna leave, if that’s alright. Have an early shift tomorrow. I’ll text Oliver later and apologize,” I say to Laura.

She nods quickly. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

“Sure.” Like it’s completely normal behavior to walk a grown man to his car. But the quicker I get out of here, the better.

We move fast through the silent hallway. Laura is visibly tense on the short elevator ride and cautious during the shorter walk to my car in the eerie parking lot.

I let her do her thing and book it out of there as soon as I’m in my car.

I text Oliver once I’m back home, and only go to sleep when I receive his overly apologetic ‘alright’ text back. The text is pure Ollie. No one could sound that genuinely sorry for being the one possibly dodging a serious danger.

Good to know Nicholas and team got to play hero and save the day today.