Calder
It was a human heart. That’s what was lying on the concrete below the streetlamp.
And the moment I saw it I knew Ethan was right.
He had seen a monster. I could smell the werewolf too of course, that and the human blood leaking out of the organ on the pavement.
But I couldn’t call the police. That would bring things into the public eye in a big way and that was the last thing the Elder Council would want.
And I didn’t want to get Ethan involved anymore than he already was.
Instead I dialed Ageratum’s number, knowing he’d want to be the one on the scene first. And he picked up on the first ring.
“Alpha Thorne,” he said, his voice fresh like I’d caught him in the middle of the day.
“We’ve got a situation,” I replied, keeping my voice low. “I was out on my patrol when I got a call. You’re gonna want to get down here. The wolf was in town and he left… a gift.”
There was a long sigh. “Text me the address. I’ll be there in ten.”
“The journalist is here too,” I added. “Ethan Murphy.”
Another sigh. “I’ll teleport in. Send the address.”
The line went dead. I stared at my phone for a moment, then quickly typed out Ethan's address and hit send. Teleport. Right. Sometimes I forgot that the Council's demon liaison had abilities that went far beyond what the rest of us could manage.
I crouched down again, studying the heart without touching it.
The scent was wrong, not just werewolf and human blood, but something else underneath.
Something that made my wolf pace restlessly beneath my skin.
This wasn't random. The rogue had specifically targeted this location, and had known exactly where to find Ethan.
The thought sent a chill down my spine. If the rogue was tracking Ethan, then my mate was in more danger than I'd realized. And there was no way I could explain that to the Council without revealing the bond I'd been trying so hard to hide. But that also meant that Ethan wasn’t a werewolf hunter. At least not in the traditional sense. Maybe he really was just some guy getting mixed up in something far bigger than he’d imagined.
A subtle shift in the air told me Ageratum had arrived before I saw him.
He materialized from the shadows between two parked cars to hide his arrival, his violet eyes immediately zeroing in on the heart.
"Fuck," he muttered, his usual composure cracking slightly. "Right in a residential area. How many witnesses?"
"Just Ethan, as far as I know. He saw the wolf from his window." I gestured toward the third floor. "Called me in a panic."
Ageratum's sharp gaze flicked to me. "And you were conveniently close enough to respond immediately?"
Heat crept up my neck. "I was patrolling the area. Thought the rogue might target residential zones next."
"Mmm." His tone suggested he wasn't buying it, but he didn't press. Instead, he pulled out his phone and started typing rapidly. "I'm calling in a cleanup crew. This needs to disappear before morning."
"What about Ethan? He's scared out of his mind up there."
"That's not my primary concern right now." Ageratum's voice was cold, businesslike. "Though his proximity to these incidents is becoming... problematic."
My wolf bristled at the implied threat. "He's not a threat to us."
"Isn't he?" Ageratum straightened, fixing me with that unnerving stare.
"A journalist with a history of investigating supernatural attacks, who just happens to be in the right place at the right time for multiple incidents?
The Council is beginning to question whether his presence here is truly coincidental. "
"What are you suggesting?"
"I'm suggesting that Mr. Murphy's usefulness as an information source may be coming to an end. And when that happens..." He let the sentence hang in the air between us.
My hands clenched into fists. "You're talking about eliminating an innocent man."
"I'm talking about protecting our entire world from exposure." His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "Something you seem to have forgotten in your... enthusiasm for this investigation."
“Then let me keep an eye on him,” I said before I could stop myself. Ageratum just stared at me, one eyebrow raised. “He knows me already and trusts me,” I added quickly. “And if this rogue is tracking him, wouldn’t it be better to catch him than kill his prey?”
“You’re suggesting we use Mr. Murphy as live bait?” Ageratum asked in a surprised tone. “Are you so unattached to him?”
“He’s a human,” I scoffed, doing my best to convince him. “There is no attachment.”
He gave me a good long look, trying to pick apart the lie in my words I’m sure he heard. But I wouldn’t give in. I clenched my teeth and forced my face into a neutral expression. I had to convince him that this was just business and for the good of us all, that my personal feelings didn’t matter.
“You have my temporary approval to watch him,” the demon replied slowly. “But I’ll need official approval from the Elder Council to make you his guardian for the remainder of this investigation. They won’t want a human involved.”
“He doesn’t need to know anything,” I nodded. “But if I can tell him I believe him and win his trust, he might have clues that could help us. And if that rogue comes back, then I’ll be here to stop him.”
“Confident,” Ageratum nodded. “Just like all the other Alphas before you that died taking on more than they could handle. That’s the problem with your species, you know. Your fatal flaw.”
Anger flared under my skin and I felt my hackles rise. Swallowing hard, I tried to force it back. “I’m confident I can handle one rogue werewolf who’s too much of a coward to come out in the open.”
“Be that as it may,” he replied with a dismissing wave. “Get Mr. Murphy out of here for the night. Everything will be cleaned up by dawn and he can return. I’ll keep you up to date on the approval from the Council.”
I glanced back up at the window where I could see Ethan's silhouette still watching. "And if they don't approve?"
"Then you'll need to step aside when the time comes." Ageratum's voice held no emotion, just cold practicality. "The Council doesn't make exceptions, Alpha Thorne. Not even for you."
The threat was clear. If I didn't get approval, the Council would send someone else to deal with Ethan. Permanently. My wolf snarled at the thought, but I kept my expression neutral.
"Understood," I said through gritted teeth. "I'll get him out of here now."
Ageratum nodded, his attention already returning to the heart on the pavement. "I'll be in touch."
I turned and strode back toward the apartment building, my mind racing.
I needed to get Ethan somewhere safe, somewhere I could protect him until I figured out what the hell was going on.
The rogue wolf leaving a heart on his doorstep wasn't random, it was a message.
But for whom? For Ethan? For me? For the Council? All three?
By the time I reached Ethan's door, I'd decided on a plan. It wasn't perfect, but it would have to do. I knocked firmly, hearing his rapid footsteps approach. "Calder?" His voice was muffled through the door, still tight with fear.
"It's me," I confirmed. "Open up."
The locks clicked rapidly, and then he was there, green eyes wide with panic, his scent spiked with fear and adrenaline.
The urge to pull him close, to bury my face in his neck and breathe in his scent until that fear was replaced with something else, was almost overwhelming.
"What was it?" he asked immediately. "What did you find? "
I stepped inside, closing the door behind me. "Nothing good. Look, I don't think you should stay here tonight."
"What?" His voice rose slightly. "Why? What was down there?"
I hesitated, trying to decide how much to tell him.
Too little and he might not come with me.
Too much and I risked exposing everything.
"Someone left... something. A threat." I ran a hand through my hair, letting my genuine concern show.
"I called a friend who works security. He's handling it, but I don't think you're safe here. "
Ethan's gaze was sharp, too perceptive. "What kind of threat, Calder? What did they leave?"
"You don't want to know."
"I do, actually." His voice had an edge now. "I'm tired of people deciding what I can and can't handle."
I met his gaze steadily. "It was a heart, Ethan. A human heart."
All the color drained from his face. For a moment, I thought he might faint. He staggered backward until his legs hit the couch and he sat down hard. "A... heart?" he whispered, his voice barely audible. "Like an actual human heart? Not a... not a Halloween decoration or something?"
I moved to sit beside him, keeping a careful distance even as my wolf urged me to pull him close, to protect him. "No decoration. The real thing."
"Oh God," Ethan breathed, his hand coming up to cover his mouth. "That's... that's what happened to Marcus Greer. His heart was missing."
I nodded grimly. "I know. My friend told me about it."
"Your friend who works security?" Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly. "What kind of security friend knows details about a murder investigation?"
"The kind with connections in the police department," I said, keeping my voice steady as I lied. "Look, we can talk about this later. Right now, I need you to pack a bag. You're coming with me."
"Coming with you?" Ethan repeated, looking dazed. "Where?"
"My place. It's secure, and nobody will look for you there."
A flicker of something… uncertainty, suspicion, maybe both, crossed his face. "Calder, I appreciate the concern, but we barely know each other. And the last time we were together, you..." His voice trailed off, a faint flush coloring his cheeks.
"I know," I said, leaning forward, my eyes locked on his. "And I'm sorry about that. I was... confused. But right now, that doesn't matter. What matters is keeping you safe."
"From what exactly? What is going on?" His voice rose with frustration. "First Marcus gets killed, then something leaves a heart outside my apartment? Why would anyone target me?"
I took a deep breath. "I don't know for sure. But I do know that you’re not safe here. So go pack. Be quick about it.”
For a moment, he just stared at me, those green eyes searching my face for something. Then he nodded once, decision made. "Okay," he said, pushing himself up from the couch. "Give me five minutes."
I watched as he disappeared into his bedroom, listening to the sounds of drawers opening and closing, his movements quick and efficient despite the fear I could still smell rolling off him in waves.
My gaze fell on the scattered contents of his research box, years of obsession spread across his floor.
The book on werewolves lay open, its yellowed pages displaying an illustration that made my skin crawl. It was too accurate, too detailed. The kind of knowledge that got humans killed by the Council. I moved toward it, intending to close it, to hide the evidence of how close Ethan was to the truth.
"Don't touch that," his voice came sharp from the bedroom doorway. He stood there with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder, his expression guarded.
"Sorry," I said, stepping back with my hands raised. "Just... cleaning up."
"Leave it," he said, moving past me to gather the scattered papers. "This is private."
"Research for an article?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
His hands paused briefly before continuing to collect the documents. "Something like that."
He was lying. I could hear it in the slight uptick of his heartbeat, smell it in the subtle change of his scent. He didn’t want me to know the truth. Not yet. "Ready?" I asked as he shoved the last of the papers back into the box.
He hesitated, looking at the box. "I should bring this."
"We don't have time," I said firmly, knowing the box wouldn’t fit on my motorcycle. "My friend won't be able to keep the area secure for long. We need to go now."
Ethan looked torn, his gaze flicking between the box and me. Finally, he nodded, sliding the box back under his bed. "Let's go," he said, grabbing his jacket from a hook by the door.