Chapter 20 Nathan
Nathan
The phone buzzed on the seat between us, shattering the peaceful quiet of the drive home from the bar. I picked it up and frowned when I saw Gavin's name on the screen. Strange for him to call this late.
I answered on speaker while Rissa watched. "Yeah?"
Gavin's normally easygoing voice came through tight and strained. "Nathan, you need to get home. Now."
I stiffened, my grip tightening on the steering wheel. Something was wrong, very wrong. "What happened?"
"We found her. The missing tourist."
My stomach plummeted. I swallowed hard, almost afraid to ask. "Alive?"
Gavin's heavy pause told me everything I needed to know. "No." His sigh crackled through the speaker. "Nathan, she was found on pack land."
Cold fury swept through me, my knuckles turning white as I gripped the wheel. My land. Someone had the audacity to leave a body on my goddamn property.
"I'll be there in ten," I bit out through clenched teeth. "I just need to drop, uh, someone off first."
Silence hung heavy in the truck cab for a long beat. Then Rissa straightened in her seat, determination settling over her delicate features. "I'm coming with you."
I should tell her no. To stay out of it. She wasn't an enforcer, or even officially part of the pack structure yet. But my wolf rebelled against the thought of letting her out of my sight right now. Having her close soothed something in me.
I gave a curt nod. "Fine. But stay close." I shot her a meaningful look. "And think of a reason to tell your brother why you're with me at a crime scene in the middle of the night."
Several minutes later, we pulled into my driveway, the flashing red and blue lights of the patrol cars casting an eerie glow over the property. The vehicles were parked haphazardly, doors flung open as officers milled about.
I stepped out of the truck, Rissa following close behind. The coppery scent of blood assaulted my nostrils, and I struggled to suppress a growl. My wolf clawed at me, demanding we track the scent and find the threat. I shoved him down, striding toward the tree line where the odor was strongest.
Gavin appeared, meeting us halfway. His arms were crossed, expression unreadable as his gaze flicked to Rissa. "What are you doing here?"
She gulped, glancing at me before answering. "I was already walking over when Nathan passed me on the road."
Gavin looked between us, then up at the sky, as he gave an exaggerated sigh. "Will you two just own up to it already? I know you've been seeing each other behind my back."
Heat flooded my face as Rissa and I both sputtered, caught off guard. I stared at her pointedly. This secret relationship was her idea, her insistence. Not that I didn't understand her reasons, but still.
Rissa sighed and threw her hands up. "Fine. Yes. We've been seeing each other. Okay?"
A wide grin broke out across Gavin's face, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "It's the best news I've heard all day." His expression sobered as he turned to me. "We'll have to celebrate later. For now, you're gonna want to see this."
He jerked his head toward the woods. I had to see; my wolf was dying to, but at the same time, I really didn’t want to know.
"Tell me," I demanded, my jaw clenched so tight my teeth ached.
Gavin glanced over his shoulder. "Body was dumped sometime in the last twenty-four hours. No sign of a struggle here. She was killed somewhere else."
Rissa made a small, choked sound. I reached for her instinctively, my fingers brushing hers. "How?" she asked softly. I shot her an admiring look. Tough as nails.
Gavin hesitated, his eyes flicking to Rissa, then back to me. "You sure she should be here for this?"
Rissa's shoulders stiffened, her chin lifting. "Yes." The word was clipped, resolute. No room for argument.
A sigh gusted from Gavin's lips. "The poor woman’s throat was torn out and Nathan, her body was marked."
Ice slithered through my veins, my chest constricting. Marked. The word echoed in my head, ricocheting like a bullet. "Marked how?"
Gavin didn't answer. Just motioned for us to follow, his face grim. We walked until the smell of blood was overwhelming, a nightmarish tableau spread out before us. Rissa inhaled sharply and clutched my hand like a lifeline.
I wanted to send her away, shield her from this horror. But she was strong. Stronger than anyone gave her credit for. So I let her stay, let her see.
The woman's body was splayed in the dirt, limbs akimbo like a broken doll.
Her clothes were shredded, more crimson than white now, fabric clinging to skin that had been savaged by merciless claws.
Deep gouges marred her arms, her torso, the brutal slashes unmistakably from a wolf.
There was no longer any doubt that this was a wolf shifter kill.
But it was the word carved into the flesh of her abdomen that made bile rise in my throat, that sent a tidal wave of dread crashing over me.
My last name. Gallagher. The letters were jagged, angry, the final 'r' extra deep across her side. I couldn't look away, or even blink, as the world tilted precariously around me.
Rissa shifted closer, a warm, steadying presence at my side. Her face was ashen, eyes glassy with unshed tears. But her voice was steady as she asked, "What does it mean?"
I didn't answer. Couldn't. The words were lodged in my throat, trapped behind the hammering of my heart.
Gavin rubbed a hand over his face, his shoulders slumping as if under a sudden weight. "Nathan, there’s no doubt now that this is personal."
An almost hysterical laugh bubbled up my chest, escaping in a harsh exhale. "Yeah. I know. I just don’t know why.”