Page 39 of Waifs And Strays
‘And spy on the MacTires?’
‘Not for the reasons you think,’ Thane said quietly.
I reckoned it was exactly for the reasons I was thinking but I didn’t say anything. This was his story.
‘I’d been in a pack all my life and I didn’t know how to be alone – I didn’twantto be alone. I met good people on the streets and in places like this but they weren’t werewolves. They weren’t like me. I was young and scared, and naïve enough to think that another pack might take me in despite what I’d done.’
He gazed down at the MacTire mansion. ‘At least I was smart enough to scope them out before I tried to approach them. When I realised who lived down there, I spent a month watching them.’ His mouth twisted. ‘I knew within a day that I’d never ask if I could join them. Bruce MacTire was a fucking bastard.’
My response was soft. ‘So I’ve heard.’ I waited for a beat. ‘This building isn’t used by squatters now.’
‘No.’
‘But that flat, the one that gives access up here – nobody lives there?’
‘I own the building now,’ Thane told me. ‘I let the rooms out for a peppercorn rent to anyone who needs somewhere to stay for however long they need it. Sometimes I still come here and watch the MacTires. I’m long past the point where I want to join a pack but I like to check in and see what I’m missing about pack life, if anything. It’s how I learned about Nick. It’s why I approached him.’
A lot of things about Thane Barrow were falling into place. ‘Why do you watch the MacTires?’ I asked. ‘Why not the Barrow pack?’
‘Some things and some people are too close to my heart and too painful to see.’
I could believe that. I raised a hand to reach for him.
‘If you’re going to pat my arm in sympathy and tell me that I’m a survivor or that you feel my pain,’ Thane growled, ‘I’ll take your pity and ram it down your throat.’
‘That’s not what I was planning to do,’ I said and grabbed his arm anyway. ‘Look down there, in the courtyard at the woman who’s just come out of the front door. That’s her,’ I said. ‘That’s Quack. And it looks like she’s about to head out to the street.’
Chapter
Sixteen
We watched her until we were sure. Quack paused and spoke to the guards, both of whom were different werewolves to the ones I’d seen last night. She seemed to be on better terms with these two and chatted for several moments, at one point throwing her head back with what sounded like genuine laughter.
Even from this distance it was obvious that her nose was still bruised and swollen though she’d removed the bandages and done her best to disguise it with make-up. Quack wanted to appear tough; she would already have lost considerable respect by allowing herself to be bested by a little old cat lady. From the way she was acting, she was doing her best to butter up the guards and keep them on side. Doubtless she had a lot of ground to make up.
‘Could she have tried to poison Alexander MacTire because she wants to make her own bid for alpha?’ Thane sounded unsure. ‘She’d be opening herself up to a world of agony if she tried that. Believe me, I know what it feels like – and it wasn’t even the Barrow alpha that I killed. I recognise her face. She’snever appeared particularly ambitious or capable. I’ve not seen her look so … schmoozy until now.’
‘Schmoozy? Is that even a word?’
He waved a hand. ‘You know what I mean. There's no need for the grammar police,’
I grinned: he was right about Quack’s manner and I’d take the rest under advisement. But we were only seeing part of the picture. ‘Do you know who Samantha MacTire is?’ I asked.
‘I've seen her around and Nick mentioned her from time to time. He said she’s a scary bitch. She’s the blonde, the MacTire beta wolf, right?’
‘Yep. And Nick was right, she’s definitely scary. She's also intelligent, strong and about a million times more capable than Quack.’ I shook my head. ‘There’s no way Quack would make an alpha run with someone like Samantha in the mix.’
However, if I hadn’t intervened both Alexander MacTireandSamantha would have been poisoned. There was a slim chance that Samantha had been the main target but surely if Quack wanted Samantha out of the way, she wouldn’t have risked taking Alexander down too. Either he’d been the target or they had both been.
I conceded Thane’s point. ‘It’s possible she was the target. I don’t know where Quack ranks in terms of the MacTires’ pack but she’s not as good as she thinks she is. Maybe the MacTires are weaker as a whole than they pretend to be. I’m not convinced about that, especially given the timing, but we can’t rule it out.’
Thane scratched his chin. ‘That’s what I thought.’
We stayed where we were while Quack waved goodbye to the guards and went through the main gate. She paused on the street and glanced in both directions, almost as if she were expecting to be approached, then put her hands in her pocketsand turned right, moving briskly with her dark brown ponytail swinging behind her.
Thane and I didn't need to speak. He clambered down the drainpipe to the ground. I followed hot on his heels, then we were both running in Quack’s direction.
We picked up her trail quickly and fell in behind her as she marched along the old, cobbled street. If I'd been on my own, I might have been tempted to hold back and see where she was heading before I went for her, but I could tell from Thane's brisk steps and stiff spine that his patience had almost run out. He wanted answers – and so did I. I was still no closer to finding Nick and the sensation that his time was running out was growing stronger. Sometimes there was no choice but to act.
