Page 17 of A Wolf's Treasure
When Duncan got home, he went straight to his apartment and got in the shower. Then he put a load of laundry in the washer, including the clothes he’d been wearing, and texted Cedric to let him know he was back and would come see him first thing after they’d both gotten some sleep. He had promised Ryanne he would tell no one about her, and he was taking no chances that any of his brothers got a whiff of a strange Fae lass on him or his clothing. They would never believe him if he told them he’d only danced with her at the club.
He glanced around his room, double checking he hadn’t forgotten anything. Then he crawled naked into bed to try to get some rest.
The sun had been up a good three hours when it finally roused him. He woke up in an unexplainable panic, heart pounding near out of his chest. Grabbing his phone from the nightstand, he checked for missed calls or messages. But there was nothing. No one was looking for him. He hadn’t been missed, nor was he forgetting about something he was supposed to do.
Sitting up, he ran his hands through his hair and over his face. It must have been a dream.
He texted Cedric to see where he was, and when he received confirmation that he was at home, Duncan showered once more for good measure and brushed his teeth twice. He wasn’t sure why. He hadn’t kissed the lass or anything. Yet somehow, he still had the taste of her in his mouth.
Ten minutes later, he was knocking on his alpha’s door. He was right glad they lived in the same building. For the sun that had so cheerfully woken him up had only been making a quick guest appearance and was now hidden behind some angry looking clouds. The threat of a good rain hung heavy in the air.
Hearing voices within the apartment, Duncan let himself inside. Cedric was standing by the window, speaking quietly with Marc. When he saw Duncan, he slapped Marc on the shoulder. “Dinna fash yerself. Just keep an eye on her and tell me if anything more happens.”
“Aye,” Marc told him. He gave Duncan a tight smile, slapping him on the back of the arm as he passed before he let himself out of the apartment.
There could only be one “her” they’d been speaking of—Marc’s mate—and Duncan felt a keen sense of unease roll through him. Bronaugh was one of thean olc—the Dark Fae—though she’d been raised by twona maitheparents, the ones who didn’t turn into zombie-like corpses running around trying to suck out souls because they didn’t have any.
Some said it was an addiction, like the humans with their heroin and such, but Duncan didn’t know if he believed that. He thought they were more like vampires. Feeding on those who had what they craved.
And if the problem Bronaugh was having was what caused that expression on Marc’s face, Duncan was right worried about his brother. The words he’d spoken to Cedric just the day before ringing in his ears.
“Good Mornin’, Duncan.”
“Mornin’, Cedric.”
“How was yer night off?”
He pulled himself from his thoughts with effort. “Sorry, wha’?”
“I asked ye how yer night off was. Or did I dream that phone call last night?”
Right. The wolves. “It was interesting. As I told ye, I went into th’ city and ran into some wolves there that were no’ from around here. But they came walkin’ in like they belonged, sure enough, their balls practically dragging th’ ground.”
Cedric’s ears perked up at that last bit. “Ye dinna say? Wha’ pack do they belong tae?”
“I dinna ken.”
“Well, ye look like ye made it away without a scratch.”
“Aye.” He paused, thinking carefully what words to say that wouldn’t give away his Ryanne. “I got th’ feeling it was no’ me they were looking for. They barely gave me a glance, though they had tae ken I was there. I smelled them th’ moment they walked in, and they would’ve done th’ same.”
“Who were they looking for then?”
“I dinna ken.” And that was the truth. He didn’t. Not for certain. Though one could argue that they wouldn’t have been chasing his Jeep if it hadn’t been for the passenger he’d had with him. But he did not know that for sure. He hadn’t heard any of them threaten her or call her name. Perhaps it had been a case of mistaken identity? “A fight broke out in th’ club where I was—humans, no’ wolves—and I went out th’ back door and hightailed it back home.” Also true. For the most part.
Cedric frowned, his eerie eyes sharp as they studied Duncan’s face. But he was confident his alpha would find nothing to make him think Duncan hadn’t been telling the truth. Nor would he scent a lie. For he’d told him everything as it had happened. Perhaps not the whole truth, but the truth, nonetheless.
“Ye dinna recognize these wolves? What did they look like? Did ye hear them speak? Hear an accent o’ any kind?”
“There were three o’ them. All big males, though no’ as big as ye.” He grinned as Cedric waved away his comment. But the truth was, his alpha was one the most respected pack leaders on three continents. Maybe more. And his size was only one part of it.
He continued his description. “Short locks on all three, dark as mine but a wee bit lighter than yers. Two were clean shaven and the other had fluff on his jaw, though nothin’ tae write home aboot.” Duncan gestured toward the fridge. Cedric nodded his permission and he walked over to grab something to drink. He opted for one of the waters. Though his alpha was known for drinking his Guinness, and alcohol burned off quickly in a shifter’s system, Duncan preferred to keep a straight head this early in the day.
“Ye didn’t hear them speak? Hear them say anything that would give us a clue as tae who they were?”
“Och. No. I dinna. They said no’ a word. Just came in and started working th’ place, splittin’ up and searchin’ th’ crowd.”
“But they dinna find who they were lookin’ for?”
