Page 34 of Waifs And Strays
‘You’ll kill me?’
‘In a heartbeat.’ I meant it; my continued existence depended on as few people as possible knowing who I used to be. Nick MacTire’s safety depended on our mutual silence. Thane, however, remained an unknown quantity.
‘If people know what you are, they’ll come after you. They’ll want revenge, even if you weren’t the assassin responsible for their loved ones’ deaths. Or,’ he added, ‘they’ll see you as a challenge. They’ll want to prove they could take out an EEL assassin.’
‘Ex-assassin. I’m retired.’
For the first time, I’d surprised him. ‘By choice?’
‘All EEL employees have to retire after twenty years’ service. The organisation don’t want us to become too used to killing, and their research has indicated that older killers’ abilities grow less sharp. You have to be top of your game to be EEL.’
‘So I’ve heard.’ Something shifted in Thane’s bright-green eyes and I waited for whatever was coming next. Finally he said, ‘I’d love some of that stew.’ He grinned easily. ‘If that’s alright.’
He Who Crunches Bird Bones chirruped then flopped by Thane’s feet with a light thump. The moment had passed. If the white cat had decided there was no threat then I had to trust Thane. At least for now.
We ate.I needed to fuel my body as much as Thane did, and we both shovelled down the stew without speaking. He only paused for one moment to carefully pick out a cat hair that had somehow found its way onto his plate. I didn’t apologise; cat hair was an occupational hazard as far as I was concerned. It was fortunate that I had to swallow a large tuft of it to start my shapeshifting process rather than a single hair or I’d have been transforming into a feline in a far more regular and uncontrolled manner. No magic spell or cleaning method could rid a five-cat home of loose fur.
Once we’d finished, Thane scooped up the plates and started washing up. ‘So,’ he said, ‘talk to me about the blood.’
I told him what I knew. It didn’t take long.
His expression darkened, returning to the same snarling fury I’d encountered when we’d fought in Galbraith House, so I gave him a moment or two to absorb the information and calm down. I was surprised at his level of emotion because a lonewolf wasn’t supposed to care what happened to anyone else. It wasn’t as if he had any allegiance to Nick; they weren’t in a pack together.
During the last couple of days I’d learned a lot of new information about werewolves that had made me revise much of what I’d already known. I hoped some of that learning could be put to good use.
‘I’m going to want to see that blood for myself,’ Thane said eventually.
I’d expected as much. ‘I’ll take you upstairs – butI’mgoing to want to talk to this other lone werewolf you mentioned. Lorna? The most likely culprit is another wolf who wants to piss off the MacTires or gain control of a vulnerable werewolf who’s fresh for the taking. I can’t think of any packs that would risk invoking war, but a lone werewolf is a different prospect.’
‘She didn’t take Nick,’ he snapped. ‘A lone wolf did not do this.’
I didn’t waste my time arguing. Another beat passed before he gave an unwilling nod. He spoke more calmly. ‘I’ll take you to her, but Lorna definitely didn’t do this.’
His shoulders dropped as he relaxed slightly. ‘It has to be Alexander MacTire – that’s why Nick wasn’t killed at the scene. His uncle wants him alive. He’s a fucking idiot because this isn’t the way to gain the boy’s trust. I thought he’d know better but at least MacTire won’t hurt him so maybe this isn’t as bad as I thought initially.’
I shook my head. No, it was exactly that bad. ‘Alexander MacTire doesn’t know that Nick has been abducted.’
Thane scoffed. ‘You’re right that no other werewolves would kidnap the boy and risk war with the MacTires, so that means Alexander took Nick or ordered one of his pack members to do it. No MacTire wolf would act without their alpha’s knowledge.’
I licked my lips but said nothing.
‘What?’ Thane asked.
‘That’s not necessarily true. If it’s not Lorna?—’
‘It’s not.’
I inclined my head. ‘Then there is another MacTire suspect.’ I told him about Quack and her attempted poisoning without explaining how I’d got into the MacTire stronghold.
‘Bullshit. You can’t begin to fathom how hard it is to murder your own alpha.’
I flicked him a glance. There was an odd note in his voice although his expression remained blank. I thought about Alexander MacTire and his father as Thane stared at me.
Finally he exhaled heavily. ‘Well, damn,’ he whispered.
Chapter
Fourteen
