Page 68 of Wicked Allure
“You do that. In the meanwhile, I want scouts out in the town and the woods. I want a man on the cottage.” She didn’t think Solomon would return there, but she didn’t want to chance it. She wasn’t going to let the traitor slip through her fingers again. He was going to answer for his crimes.
“Yes, General. I’ll handle this right away.”
She stepped back from him and motioned for him to leave. He moved past her. She blew out a deep breath to try to get herself under control. She was never one to lose her cool, but admitting failure didn’t sit well with her. Talbot was a good warrior, and he’d better keep his promise or he’d be answering to her personally.
“General!” someone called out.
Dru glanced at the sky before turning. This day had started off so well and had quickly gone to shit. She’d better be getting some good news now.
“What?” Dru snapped.
Orenda jogged down the stairs of the inn and headed in Dru’s direction, holding a cellular phone. “You have a call. It is the postmaster.”
Dru snatched the phone from her. “This is General Moldark.” She walked along the path that led to the back of the inn. This conversation she would take outside. There was no telling whose ears would be listening inside. She sensed Orenda following behind her at a distance.
“General. It is Postmaster Alexander. I have word that there was an issue today,” he announced.
“Oh? And who shared that information with you?” Dru narrowed her eyes on the clouds. They’d already dropped a significant amount of rain since they’d finished burning the lycans. Word sure got around fast. She’d planned to call on the postmaster once she’d settled in.
“General, I’m insulted that you wouldn’t consider that I have men who patrol the town or the surrounding areas,” he scoffed.
“Then why hasn’t anyone reported lycans?” she demanded.
The line went silent. She paused and stared off at the multi-car garage that sat back away from the inn. The doors were open, revealing it to be empty. The landscaping of the grounds was immaculate. Had she been in a better mood, she’d maybe appreciate it. “Or did your men report to you the burning lycan bodies we left out in the woods?”
“Um…”
“So if that wasn’t what you were calling about, then what?” Dru didn’t like the hesitation in his voice.
“Well, yes, of course I was calling about the burning bodies. From the reports of my men, there were quiet a few bodies found,” Alexander said. “The smoke could be seen for miles. They’re working to bury the remains as we speak.”
“What you’re telling me is that you didn’t know you had lycans residing so close by?” she demanded. She wasn’t going to go into details about the lycans working with a vampire. Alexander didn’t need to know that. “They openly attacked me and my men today, and believe me when I say they paid with their lives.”
“I have been unaware of them. There hasn’t been a lycan sighting since?—”
“The lycan attack where you failed to report that a single non-military vampire stopped them from attacking the town?” Dru stood in place and rested a hand on her waist. She didn’t like speaking over the phone to confront him about his reports and the information he held back.
“There were circumstances on why I decided to alter the report?—”
“I definitely want to hear these circumstances. I don’t want to speak on the phone about this. We’ll meet tomorrow night.” Certain conversations should be held face to face, and this was one of them. She wanted to be able to see his face as he explained to her why he’d left something as significant as a single vampire halting a dangerous lycan pack from destroying a town.
“Yes, General. I’ll be waiting for you.”
“In the meanwhile, I want warriors posted throughout the town. Those lycans were unprovoked, and we don’t know if more are coming or if they’ll converge on the town,” Dru said.
“Yes, General. We’ll secure the town. Have no worries.”
“I won’t.” Dru disconnected the call. She spun on her heel and headed back to Orenda. She tossed the phone to her in passing. “The men can rest and feed for now. You, I, and Talbot will convene at twenty-two hundred hours.”
“Yes, General.”
Dru glanced down at herself and took in all of the lycan blood and entrails that covered her. She grimaced and decided before anything else she needed to get the scent of the mangy lycans off her.
One thing Dru knew, she wasn’t going to allow Butterbush to come under another lycan attack. Not while she was here. The people didn’t deserve it. Vampires and humans should be able to live in peace without the threat of lycans trying to overrun their small town.
Dru entered via the back door and headed up the stairs to her suite. Thoughts of Tomesha crept into her mind. Her gums burned at the thought of her human.
Will you be needing me again?
