Chapter 10
Ryan tossed the garbage in the dumpster, feeling the strength in his arms as he tossed the heavy bags away.
His body was solid, eerily so given the traumas of the last week.
But that was the only part of him that felt normal.
His thoughts, his feelings, even his breath felt different from any other time in his life. And that worried him.
It wasn’t normal for a bear to feel so protective of a wolf woman. It wasn’t normal for him to think of her safety before his fellow bears, his job, or his city. He’d sworn to protect and serve all of Detroit, not just Francesca Wolf.
But what really threw him was the sight of her holding a child.
She’d looked so perfect it had felt like a kick in the gut.
She’d seemed beautiful with easy strength in her body as she nuzzled the child’s head.
Like she could do anything she wanted with grace.
But even more, he’d felt a pang that she wasn’t loving his child.
That the babe in her arms wasn’t from him and her in perfect union.
He didn’t even believe in perfect unions.
He thought the best relationships struggled and that innate selfishness often won out over love.
And yet his mind and his heart felt completely dedicated to her and their child.
They didn’t have a child and frankly, the odds of them ever getting together were nonexistent.
He intended to make her entire family pay for what they’d done to Detroit.
She might end up blameless in that, but she’d never forgive him when he arrested her father.
Because he did hold the wolf alpha responsible even if Raoul was the force behind the throne.
That was the price of being a leader, especially in shifter clans. The alpha held ultimate responsibility for the pack actions, and in this case, what the wolves had done was heinous.
He left the dumpster, his senses on alert.
Nothing untoward happening out here. He hurried back inside the building and headed for the cases of bottled water.
An older gentleman was struggling to pick up a case, so Ryan grabbed two and followed the man to his apartment where his wife was waiting at the open door.
He knew they were wolves from their scent, and they must have known he was a bear just as easily. But though they eyed him and his police badge with suspicion, they accepted his help with grudging thanks. Even told him to be careful because this Flu was hurting everyone.
Which gave him the opening to question them, at least a little. “Isn’t it the wolves who are creating this Flu?” Just how much did the normal members of the pack know about what their higher-ups were doing?
Both of them gasped in shock. “That’s damn crazy,” the man said. “Fact is, latest email said the bears did it.”
Ryan reared back in shock. “The bears? Why? What would we gain from it?”
The wife shrugged. “What would the wolves gain?”
“So you haven’t taken any of the serum or drank any of—”
“Raoul’s vitamin water?” the man scoffed.
“We don’t hold with all that chemical nonsense.
We eat local farm to table, and vegetables I’ve grown myself at the Wolf Urban Gardens next to the community center.
Then Maisy here cooks it from scratch.” His eyes narrowed in aggression.
“That’s right. We’re vegetarian wolves, and we’re doing just fine. ”
Ryan held up his hand in surrender. “You look like you’re doing great.”
“So you stop dumping shit into the water, crazy bears.” He shook his head. “And if you aren’t the ones doing it, then go out and find who is. Because this Flu ain’t right. Things we’ve seen on the TV, it’s bad for all of us.”
“I agree.”
The man snorted. “So go fix it, cop.” He looked down at the case of water by his feet. “And thanks for the help.” Then he shut his door firmly in Ryan’s face.
Well, that had been enlightening, especially that part about an email saying the bears were the cause of the Flu.
He’d have to warn Simon that the lower pack wolves clearly believed they had right on their side.
Which made it all the more likely that the wolves would fight tooth and claw to defend their city.
Hell. He hefted the second case of water and headed to Noelle’s apartment while texting one-handed on a burner phone Vic had given him.
The need to get back to Frankie was heavy in his gut, but he also needed to solve this crime.
Someone was poisoning Detroit—he believed it was the wolves—but he needed to get proof. And that meant pushing Frankie—
He pushed opened the door to Noelle’s apartment, all his senses hyperalert. Then he felt ridiculous standing there all bristling and anxious because everything looked serene. The boys were playing with cars, Frankie worked in the kitchen making something, and Noelle…He cocked his head.
“Noelle in the shower?”
Frankie nodded. “Yup. Have a seat. I’m making dinner.”
Dinner? His stomach growled in hunger, but he looked around in confusion. “I thought we were going to find your brother’s cache of the serum.”
Frankie looked up, her eyes flashing new grass green in the sunlight. “We aren’t.”
“I’m not letting you go alone—”
“I’m not either.” She took a deep breath. “Noelle’s going to talk to her sister and brother-in-law. If it works, they’ll tell her, and she’ll tell us.” Frankie gestured to the boys. “We’re on babysitting duty until she comes back.”
“Babysitting?” he asked, his tone incredulous. It wasn’t that he objected to it. Hell, he’d watched his niece and nephew a few times when his sister was in a jam, and he’d really enjoyed it. But the city was in crisis. How could he just sit out the problem for a few hours because—
“You want to find the serum? This is the way we do it.” Frankie came around the kitchen counter to look him in the eye.
“Sometimes you have to trust your friends to do their jobs. No one can do it alone. Lone wolves get picked off…” Her voice slowed down, cutting off the rest of the typical saying.
But Ryan had heard it before and knew what she was covering up.
“Lone wolves get picked off by bears. That’s what you meant to say, isn’t it?”
She shrugged. “We’re stronger together.”
It was true. Especially since the bear side of the saying went “Bears get taken down by wolf packs all the time.”
“Besides,” she continued, “I know you feel good right now, but you’ve been through a lot in the last twenty-four hours. I’d feel better if you took some time to rest and regroup.”
“And what about the city of Detroit?”
She snorted as she passed him her phone.
It was open to a news app. “Quarantine’s lifted.
CDC has identified that the Detroit Flu is not a virus and is not contagious.
It’s caused by an unknown contaminant in the water.
Residents are advised to drink bottled water only until the source of the problem can be eliminated. ”
He frowned as he scanned more news articles. “They’re bringing in the National Guard to help law enforcement.” He breathed out a sigh of relief at the next headline. “Looting ended. That’s good.”
She grinned. “The city is well on its way back to normal.”
His gaze dropped heavy on her face. He didn’t speak, but just watched her. She saw his expression and sobered as well.
“This is good news,” she pressed.
“It will be when we find the source of the contamination and end it. Then we’ll make those responsible face justice.”
“I agree.”
“But you still want me to sit and wait while I trust your people to do my job.”
“You mean trust wolves.”
He arched a brow. They both believed the wolves were responsible, so why should he trust her? She was the alpha wolf’s daughter. She answered before he voiced the question.
“Don’t trust wolves, then. Trust me. I want this over as much as you do.”
And there was the crux of the issue. He was trusting her to do what needed to be done.
He was trusting her people, her methods, even that her serum wasn’t going to turn him into a drug-addicted crazy hybrid.
That was a lot to ask of a bear. It was even more to ask of him because he’d been betrayed by everyone in his life including his former alpha Nanook.
“I don’t trust anyone.”
“Which is how you ended up in the sewer alone. Work with me, Kennedy. We’re stronger together.”
She had a point. And the uncomfortable truth was that he did trust her.
He’d known her before as a smart woman who cared for her community and nothing in the last few hours had changed that.
She’d saved his life in the sewers and probably again in Hazel’s upstairs bedroom.
So, he did trust her. He was just uncomfortable with the feeling.
“I’ve been betrayed by people who I had more reason to trust than you,” he said. But to soften the words, he settled down at the kitchen table and accepted a bottled water from her.
“Who? Nanook? Can’t you bears recognize a narcissistic asshole when he bites you? Nanook was always out for himself, so of course, he betrayed you. That’s what narcissistic assholes do.”
Ryan looked away, his guts twisting at the thought.
Yes, Nanook had had his faults. He was greedy and had a temper, but he was sworn to protect them and if the clan got richer, then it benefited everyone, right?
That’s what they told each other until the day Nanook went too far.
Until he used his mind control ability to force people like Hank to obey his will.
And then he’d sent four hybrids to attack Ryan because Ryan had found out he’d been selling drugs and guns.
Betrayal, and it burned that the bears had been na?ve enough to think they could counter the worst of Nanook’s faults. It made everyone more wary of Simon, but so far the new alpha had proven himself both capable and loyal. Everything an alpha was supposed to be.
“What about Raoul?” Ryan countered. “Can’t you wolves smell a psychopath when he poisons you?”