43Edited 6/22/13
Killian watched Isobel's back until she disappeared at the end of the hall. He leveled his gaze on Nadia and had the satisfaction of watching her squirm under her furious gaze. "She's a young, abused wolf so her behavior is expected and tolerated. You, on the other hand, are not a wolf but a human. An adult human who acted like child trying to dig a reaction out of their older sibling. Your behavior is not just intolerable, but disappointing. I must say that I expected better from you."
Nadia blushed and looked away, her gaze on the floor. "I'd tell you that I'm sorry but I wouldn't mean it." She muttered and grabbed a plate from the cupboard on her way to the stove. "Who made this? It smells fantastic."
"Isobel." Even Grady sounded irritated and it took a lot to irritate Grady. Nadia's hand tightened on the serving spoon briefly before she released it and took her full plate back to the table, taking the seat nearest Killian.
She ate for awhile then finally cracked under the weight of their stares. She threw her fork onto the plate and leaned back in her chair, glaring at Grady since she couldn't glare at Killian. "I can't believe you two would let someone stay here without asking me first! I come home from a jog around the block and find some curly haired freak standing in my kitchen."
Killian snarled and the entire room went silent as Nadia's fear spiked. Unfortunately for her, he didn't care about her fear. He only cared about Isobel's. "I will not have you speak of her in that manner. She is living here now whether you like it or not so I suggest you get used to the idea because she is staying."
Nadia couldn't even lift her head to remove her gaze from the floor. A tear slipped down her cheek. "I'm sorry, Killian."
He scoffed and took his plate over to the sink. "No, you're sorry that you got corrected for your childish behavior." Killian took a deep breath to calm the wolf. All that he wanted was a chunk of Nadia, preferably her throat, between his teeth.
Killian knew that Nadia had feelings for him, more than friend's feelings and she'd expressed them to him on more than one occasion but his answer had always been the same: he wasn't interested. Nothing about her appealed to him in a sexual nature. She was more like a puppy or the daughter he never had. Isobel, on the other hand . . .
For the sake of Nadia's feelings, he would try not to be so harsh. But he wouldn't lie to her or apologize. She deserved neither. "You will apologize in the morning. It's been a long day for her and she needs rest."
"Yes, sir," she whispered and he could hear the soft clink of her fork on the plate as she continued eating.
"I'm glad we understand each other." Killian muttered and concentrated on keeping the wolf separate from the human as Isobel got farther and farther away from him.
Need her, the wolf whined and Killian sighed.
I know, but she doesn't need us.
Her wolf calls to me. She needs us! His wolf slammed against Killian's mind, trying to break free and take control.
Killian snarled back at him. Enough! If I get closer, will that satisfy your hunger?
The wolf paused as he considered his offer. Not completely.
Killian rolled his eyes and worked to calm the beast. He went into the living room and collapsed onto the couch, remote in hand. He flipped the TV on and put it on mute before allowing his eyes to slip closed. The wolf was still restless, but now he could hear Isobel pacing and that eased the worst of his anxiety.
Grady waltzed into the room and plopped down on the armchair to Killian's left. "Relax, old friend. A little cat fight is no match for the big bad wolf and his loyal sidekick, Dumbledore."
Killian laughed and cracked an eye open to peer at the sorcerer. "I suppose I'll have to huff and puff and blow the house down in order to set the peace?"
"Of course. And once you're done doing your wolf mojo I'll come in and magic the house back together. The plan's foolproof." They grinned at each other until Nadia came in and took the chair opposite Grady. The smile slipped off Killian's face and he turned his focus to the TV.
"Nice of you to join us, princess. Did you bring me a beer?" Grady teased.
Nadia tossed him a withering look. "Get your own goddamn beer. You have legs, use them." After countless minutes of bickering, Killian had had enough. He opened his mouth to put in a piece of his mind when an image on the screen caught his eye.
He put his hand up and their voices cut off instantly. He grabbed the remote and turned the volume up. A plump woman with brown hair chopped off just under her chin had her back to a front lawn blocked off by yellow police tape. Her pink suit jacked crinkled at the elbows as she brought the microphone up to her mouth.
"I'm standing here, right on West 67th Street, where the murder of Jacob Edwards occurred not hours ago. Neighbors reported what sounded like a dog fight but when police got to the scene to investigate no dogs were in sight. This is detective Mark Clements, here to update us on what happened tonight." She pointed the microphone at an obviously exhausted man with five o'clock shadow and disheveled graying brown hair. He treated the microphone aimed at his chest as if it were a gun and glared at the woman off camera.
"Mr. Edwards suffered hundreds of lacerations and bite marks all over his body before he was finally killed by a bullet through his frontal lobe. We have no suspects or evidence as of now but it's very early in the investigation and I'm sure something will turn up that will put the person responsible behind bars." Off camera, the newswoman murmured to him and the detective sighed.
"There's a man or woman with what appears to be a pack of wolves walking around NYC and we have no fucking clue what to do about it. So as long as you stay indoors and away from wooded areas you should be fine. Now if you'll excuse me, Miss Burkhart, I'll be getting back to my job now." He turned and stalked away from the camera, angrily pushing the yellow tape up before he disappeared into the masses of cops.
The camera turned to Miss Burkhart as she gaped at the path Detective Lucas took. She quickly regained her composure and gave the screen a smile that was obviously forced. "This is Ashleigh Burkhart, reporting from West 67th Street. Have a good night NYC!" Her image flickered away and a commercial about Florida oranges started playing.
Grady turned the TV off when Killian dropped his head into his hands. "They're out of control." He growled and listened to the creak of the floorboards when Grady started to pace.
"They've always been out of control. Marcus doesn't have a strong enough hold on the wolves and Matthias is too ignorant to haul his ass out here to settle things." Grady muttered absently.
"Who's Marcus?" Nadia asked.
"The New York Subordinate. He's supposed to keep all the New York werewolves in check so the Alpha doesn't have to come in and knock heads together. Or off, whatever he feels like on that particular day." Grady explained carefully, trying to make her feel included in the issue without giving away pack secrets that could get her killed.
"And Matthias is the Alpha." She said it as more of a statement than a question. Sometimes, she was too smart for her own good.
Killian sighed and sat back in his chair, his gaze locking on Grady. "Enough. You're done spewing dangerous information out of your mouth." He glanced over at Nadia. "And you're done asking dangerous questions. This house may be protected but it's not soundproof." Grady opened his mouth to speak but there was a loud thump just above their heads.
Killian was at the foot of the stairs in the next instant, head tilted to the side as he listened. "Were the wards breached?"
"Nope. They're still thick as my dick." Grady reassured as Killian chuckled and started up the stairs.
He paused on the other side of Isobel's door and knocked softly. "Hey Bells? Can I come in?" There was no response. He twisted the doorknob but it was locked. He fought back the rising panic and cleared his throat. "Isobel? I need some type of response. Words or a growl, I don't care. I'm just making sure you're okay."
It was silent for a minute then there was a soft thump as she jumped off the bed. The clicks of claws on the wood told him that she was in wolf form but what he didn't understand was why. Most werewolves only changed when they were angry, in danger or if it was the full moon. Isobel was angry, but he hadn't thought she was that angry.
She growled softly and the wood creaked as she paced back in forth in front of the door. "Are you alright? One growl for yes, two for no." She was alright. Killian let out a sigh of relief and turned to go back downstairs but stopped at the top of the staircase.
"We need to talk tomorrow." She growled, loud and menacing. He smiled and ran the rest of the way down the stairs. Grady was standing by a bookcase and Nadia was still sulking when he returned.
"How's Tinkerbell?" Grady asked absently, his gaze on the books as he searched for one in particular.
"She sounds fine to me. She's wolf, and I wouldn't recommend taunting her through the other side of the door." Killian's gaze locked with Nadia's briefly. "She could break through it without any real effort on her part." He stood next to Grady and the sorcerer glanced over at him briefly before continuing his search.
"What are you looking for?" Killian asked.
Grady shook his head. "Spellbook. You won't be able to find it; I made sure of that when I put it on the shelves." Killian frowned. Grady hid a book from him?
The sorcerer sighed and moved onto another shelve. "It's nothing personal. The spell hides it from everyone but me. You know I trust you with my own life but her…" He jutted his chin towards Nadia who put a hand to her chest as if stricken. Hell, for all Killian knew maybe she was. "She's a pixie."
"I'm going to assume that wasn't a compliment." She said dryly and Grady smiled at the binding of a book that he deemed wasn't the one.
"You would be correct."
Pixies were the assassins of the fae, if they were trained properly. They were backstabbers and thieves, completely untrustworthy. Nadia wasn't any of those things but she was human, making her unreliable. Killian couldn't tell her important things and it wasn't because he didn't trust her: it was because she was so weak. Humans were the weakest race, the race that heals the slowest and dies quickest. If she knew everything he did she would be dead within the week.
"Yeah? Well you're a witch, and there isn't anything worse than a witch." Grady's hand froze over the spine of a red leather book at her biting words. He turned to face her slowly, his entire body rigid with fury. Nadia glared right back at him.
"A sorcerer. Not a witch or a wizard, a sorcerer. You're just a human, and there isn't anything weaker than a human." He growled dangerously. Nadia's cheeks burned bright red and she leapt to her feet.
"I'm not weak!" She shouted and Grady's expression softened.
"No, you aren't. Not in the way you're thinking." He murmured and stared at her silently.
She was silent for a long moment and then she turned and stalked to the stairs. "Sometimes I wish I was one of the dead people Ashleigh Burkhart talks about on the eleven o'clock news." She muttered on her way up.
Grady and Killian were silent until her door slammed and then Grady resumed looking and Killian plopped down on the couch. This was how their nights usually ended; with Nadia storming off angry that they didn't tell her something or told her something that she didn't like hearing. Killian had long since gotten used to it but sometimes Grady got upset and went after her.
Tonight, on the other hand, Grady was pissed. He threw the book he held onto the coffee table, glaring at it when it made a sharp slap. "She's so irritating! And insolent!"
Killian rolled his eyes and gazed up at the ceiling. "She's young. You've known her ever since she was a babe, you know how she is. It'll all be blown over by morning."
Grady dropped into the armchair and glared at the book. "I'm sick of her, Killian. She's acting like a teenager. I think we've spoiled her." Killian raised his eyebrows at him. "Okay fine, I spoiled her."
Killian, deeming he'd fixed the problem, closed his eyes and crossed his arms behind his head. "She's your leech, you get the salt."
Grady sighed. "What do you say that I give her one more chance? If she manages not to set Tinkerbell off, then she can stay. If not, she can go buy that apartment she's been ogling for the past five years."
Killian nodded absently. "Whatever. I don't care. But if she even thinks about hurting Isobel, her throat is mine."
Grady laughed. "So it is true, eh? Wolf males are extremely protective of their females."
Killian sat up and met his gaze with a growl. "Are you planning on testing that theory?" His voice was flat and cold when he spoke but Grady just grinned and put his hands in the air.
"Of course not. You've already practically claimed her as your territory and I know better than to breach that." A snarl tore its way up Killian's throat and Grady leapt to his feet. "Dude, totally not how I meant it. Sure, she's pretty and funny but the woman's got baggage that I don't really want to deal with. She's all yours, bro."
Killian sat down again and spread out. "Damn right she's mine. If I see you going near her with harm or sex in your intent you'll be moving in with Nadia."
Grady chuckled softly and grabbed the book off the table. "Yeah yeah I know. Take a breather; you've got to be exhausted after defending all that territory so tirelessly." Killian laughed and let his eyes slip closed. He would need all of the energy he could get to deal with whatever shit Isobel had brought to his doorstep.
Isobel woke up at five thirty well rested and safe. Safe. God how long had it been since she felt safe? She jumped off the bed and stretched happily, her tongue lolling out of her mouth when she yawned. And how long had it been since she'd slept in a bed? It was wonderful.
She glanced over at the door and sighed. She would have to Change to be able to unlock it and she was already dreading the experience. The Change was slow and painful and the first to go was the fur. It slowly slid back into her skin like little needles as her arms and legs snapped together then broke again at the elbows, knees, wrists and ankles. By the time her muzzle had retreated and her hair had grown back she was curled into fetal position, buck naked.
Slowly, she rolled to her feet, her new skin painful to the touch. The comforter brushed her thigh and she yelped, jerking away as carefully as she could as to not touch anything else. She decided to take a shower before roughing the jeans and t-shirt so she cracked the door open and peeked down the hall. When she deemed it safe she made a mad dash across the hall into the bathroom.
Isobel emerged a half hour later with a fluffy white towel wrapped around her torso and dripping hair. She couldn't remember the last time she took a shower without worrying that the wolf would come and kill her while she was shaving. She dressed in her only other pair of jeans and a purple t-shirt but hesitated at the threshold of her bedroom.
Should she go downstairs? Or would Nadia be there? No, Nadia was in her room, snoring softly. Grady was also in his room sleeping but Killian's door was open and his bed, empty. She took a deep breath and decided to chance it.
The stairs creaked under her feet as she slowly descended. She looked around the corner into the living room but no one was there. She released a breath she didn't know she'd been holding and continued down the hall to the kitchen. She had just gotten to the fridge when a shadow fell over her.
"Good morning," Killian yawned and Isobel spun around, a scream rising in her throat. Killian's baseball mitt sized hand pressed against her lips. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." That hand seemed to burn her lips it was so warm. Slowly, she brought her hand up and pulled his wrist. He dropped it an apologetic smile.
"It's not your fault. I'm just…jumpy." She whispered nervously.
He grinned and gestured to the fridge. "What would you like for breakfast? We've got eggs, bacon, cereal, toast and pancake mix." She backed up into the fridge when he moved to the cupboard above the sink, her eyes never leaving him.
Mine, her wolf whispered when Isobel watched the muscles in his back flex as he reached up to grab a vibrant box of Cheerios. Damn him for wearing such a tight shirt! It made being afraid of him so much more difficult. It was so tight she could just make out the shadows of a spidery tattoo. Crayon maybe? But why would he have a tattoo of the word crayon?
"Cheerios okay? We have bananas and strawberries." Those green eyes sought hers and when they found them, fearing him became no problem.
"That's fine," she whispered and he grabbed two bowls from the same cupboard. She shook herself and pulled the strawberries and bananas from the fridge. She washed the strawberries and cut them into bite sized pieces while Killian sliced the bananas over their cereal. She dumped the red fruit into her bowl and took it to the table.
Killian took the seat across from Isobel and she made sure she kept her gaze down. Most dominants didn't like it when less dominant wolves held their gaze and who knew how long he would keep up his good behavior.
They ate in silence but she could feel his heavy gaze on her face and of course, that brought all the blood up to her cheeks. She sighed and was about to put her empty bowl in the sink but Killian put his index finger under her chin. Her breath caught and her heart beat faster as that hated fear spiked.
"Look at me," he murmured and she let her gaze travel over the muscles barely hidden under the thin white fabric and up to those emerald eyes. When he looked at her, her wolf purred in satisfaction as she peeked out through Isobel's eyes. That was wrong on so many levels. Wolves should not purr.
Mine, she growled again and right now Isobel couldn't find it in her to disagree. The possessiveness that her wolf felt towards him was undeniable.
"What are you doing to me?" She whispered and he blinked in what appeared to be shock.
"What am I doing to you? I think it's quite the contrary."
A startled laugh bubbled past her lips and she grinned at him. "Please, you set my wolf on a territorial high. The level that she wants you is unparalleled by any other male we've ever encountered."
His eyes blazed amber and that finger under her chin started to rotate in slow circles. "It's the same with mine." He murmured and Isobel cocked her head to the side to peer at him more closely. His lids dropped to half mast as his finger traveled over her chin to run the length of her jaw. And it wasn't only her wolf that sighed when he touched her this time.
"Are you sure it's just your wolf?" He asked in a husky voice that sent shivers down her spine.
"Sometimes I'm not sure who's feeling what." She admitted with a tiny smile. He chuckled softly and drew his hand back to the table. Her eyes tracked those long fingers as they tapped on the dark wood.
"I'm going to warn you now that I won't tolerate other males in this house. As long as you're here, you're mine." He stated brusquely, but his eyes told of an entirely different world of hurt.
Her jaw dropped at the possessiveness and jealousy in his voice. "I—I wasn't planning on I mean there isn't anyone?" It came out as more of a question than she had intended.
His eyes narrowed and he leaned across the table until his face was inches from hers. "Are you sure? My wolf doesn't like your uncertainty."
She chewed on her lip anxiously. When his hungry gaze fell to her feverous gnawing she knew that it had been a mistake to have started doing it in the first place.
"I—I'm sure." She stammered and he leaned even closer.
"Only one way to be sure." He breathed just before his lips brushed hers but when she tried to jerk back he didn't let her this time. Instead, he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her flush against the table. He kissed her brutally, his tongue assaulting the seam of her lips until she surrendered to him. The moment his hot breath rolled into her mouth she whimpered softly.
Killian sighed and pulled back to lean his forehead against hers, allowing her to catch her breath. He cupped her face in his hands and ran his thumbs over her cheekbones lightly, his lips quirking up a little when her breath caught. "No other males."
She laughed breathlessly. "You couldn't just take my word for it?"
His expression grew serious as he released her and leaned back in his chair. "No, I couldn't. I had to make sure no other wolves were laying claim to my…territory."
Isobel frowned. Why had he hesitated? "Are you trying to tell me something?"
He cocked his head to the side and gazed at her through bright amber eyes. "Possibly."
Isobel snorted and crossed her arms, meeting his gaze evenly. "Don't play coy. Tell me or I'll have Nadia dig it up."
He scoffed but when his eyes returned to hers they were sparkling emerald chips again. "My wolf thinks that you're my mate." He paused, waiting for a big reaction. When he didn't get one, a slow smile spread over his lips. "And I'm starting to agree with him."
They're right, you know. Her wolf told Isobel smugly.
How can he be my mate if he scares the living shit out of me?
Her wolf sighed. Even you know that the fear won't last once you bond.
I'm not sleeping with him! Isobel practically snarled back at her.
You will when you're ready. Isobel had a feeling that she would never be ready for that. He was just too dominant. And pushy, to add to the fact. It just wasn't going to happen.
"Not to change the subject or anything, but we have things to discuss." He announced suddenly and propped his elbows up on the table to rest his chin in the cradle of his hands. "Do you happen to know a man named Jacob Edwards?"
Completely thrown by the abrupt change in subject she floundered for an answer. "Um, no I don't think so. Do you have a picture?" He stood and disappeared down the hall. Isobel stared after him for a minute then took her bowl to the sink. "Don't forget unpredictable." She muttered.
"What was that?" Killian asked from just behind her and this time he couldn't suppress her startled squeak. She spun around with her hands on her hips.
"What the hell Killian? Didn't I tell you not to sneak up on me like that?"
He grinned. "No you told me that you were jumpy and it wasn't my fault."
Isobel glared up at him but took the paper he held out to her. "Well, don't sneak up on me. I don't like it." He chuckled but the lovely sound faded when she looked at the paper. "I know him," she whispered and gripped the paper so hard it ripped.
"You do?" He didn't sound surprised. She shoved the paper against his chest.
"Are you trying to play with me Killian? Because I don't play nice when people try to screw around with me." She growled and circled closer, forcing him to back up. Finally his back pressed against the wall and once he realized he was cornered a low growl rose in his throat.
"Are you threatening me?" He asked, voice dangerously quiet.
She smiled wolfishly, trying to mask her bone deep terror with confidence. "Yeah, I guess I am." This time he was the one stalking her. In the end her back was pressed against the fridge and his chest was flush against hers.
"I don't take kindly to people threatening me, either." He growled and bent down until his nose brushed her throat. Her breath hitched and she put her hands on his chest to push him away but once she came into contact with the fabric over that warm skin, she couldn't make herself do it. Her wolf was purring again, offering no help whatsoever.
"Do you know that you scare the living shit out of me?" She asked softly and he sighed, finally giving in and backing away.
He leaned against the sink and crossed his arms, the emotion in those emerald eyes carefully hidden. "You are never without the stench of fear." Isobel flinched and wrapped her arms around her belly but Killian continued. "I'm not playing with you. After almost five hundred years of existence it's very hard to surprise me. I could smell trouble the moment you walked in the door and not an hour after you've been here someone turns up dead."
She blushed but he continued on relentlessly. "I don't mean to scare you. Quite the contrary, actually, but I'm not going to change who I am to please you. Don't threaten me again or I will retaliate in a way you won't enjoy."
Isobel swallowed past the sudden lump of fear in her throat and dared a glimpse of his face. He was watching her with the careful calculation of a hunter gazing at prey. At the prey they could obviously catch.
"Back to the issue at hand. How do you know Jacob Edwards?"
"He was one of my…he was one of the men that were with me in the cage. He was one of the kinder ones." She finally managed to choke out.
Killian tilted his head to the side curiously. "Kind in what way?"
"Kind as in stepping in when things had gotten too far. I'm not saying he didn't enjoy beating me but he preferred to be the only one beating me, if you know what I mean."
Killian nodded seriously, carefully considering her words. "You obviously haven't been around the best of wolf males but most are very protective over females. It's rare for them to survive the change."
Her curiosity was piqued at his last statement. "How rare are we talking here?"
He thought over her question before answering. "There are probably only twenty females in the entire North American pack. There are half a million males, give or take a few."
Her jaw dropped. "Are you telling me that twenty females have to balance out five hundred thousand males? How is that even possible?"
Killian smiled but it was without warmth. "Most of those females are mated and once you're mated, you're untouchable. The rest aren't forced to…sate the males but most do. In turn the males protect the females with their lives." He stopped and thought for a minute. "That's probably why you weren't raped. In case you ever escaped and had other wolf friends that would try to avenge you. Very smart people planned your torture." Very dead people, too, judging from the look on his face.
"Beating us is acceptable but rape isn't?" She whispered and his eyes softened.
"Of course not, neither is acceptable. Rape is an offense that would definitely bring death. Hurting you would most likely only bring him the same treatment you got, which is survivable." He took a good look at her face and a growl rose in his throat. "But it won't be when I get near him." She laughed and opened her mouth to reply but Grady took that moment to waltz in the room, topless. And he wasn't too bad to look at either.
"Why in the name of God are you two are up at six thirty?" He growled and sat in the chair Killian had sat in.
Isobel seemed to have lost her voice. Having two males in the room hadn't been a problem yesterday when both were calm. Now, both were agitated and agitated males were dangerous males with clenched fists. So she kept her gaze on the ground and tightened her arms around her belly.
Killian growled at Grady. "Calm down." Grady turned to shoot back at him but on his path to Killian he found Isobel. His gaze raked over her body and she curled in tighter on herself. Even her wolf whined in painful expectation for a fist coming at her face.
"You need to calm down too, Killian." Grady murmured and crooked a finger at her. "Come here." She felt her eyes widen and he smiled warmly. "I'm not going to hurt you, Tinkerbell." She walked over to him cautiously and kept her gaze down. He took her hand and pulled out the chair next to him, gesturing for her to sit.
Once she was settled he threw an arm over her shoulders and glanced up at Killian. "Pull a chair up on her other side and wrap an arm around her waist." Killian glared at Grady for a long, dangerously silent minute then dragged a chair up next to Isobel. He wrapped his warm arm around her waist and jerked her a little closer to his side.
"What's the point of this?" He growled.
Grady shrugged. "And experiment of sorts. Instead of scaring the shit out of her, we hold her, protect her in a way. It could be good for her, kind of like therapy."
And, the weird thing was, it was kind of working. Her wolf relaxed once Killian touched her and she even took comfort in Grady's arm around Isobel's shoulders. Even though they made Isobel nervous, she had to admit, being squished between two slabs of protective muscle was reassuring.
"This isn't exactly how I was planning on courting my mate." Killian muttered testily, and when Isobel glanced over at him it almost appeared that he was pouting. She rolled her eyes and pointedly focused on the table in front of her.
Grady looked from Killian to Isobel again and again until his gaze locked with Isobel's. "Mate, eh? What do you think about this?" What did she think about it? She really didn't think anything of it.
"I think he's crazy." She muttered and her wolf growled when Grady laughed.
Be nice to him. Don't hurt his feelings.
I highly doubt that he even has feelings.
Her wolf sighed. You're being irrational. Isobel didn't have an answer for that so she didn't give one. Instead she squirmed in the little space they granted her.
"She's in denial." Killian explained and gave her a knowing look.
She ignored him and turned to Grady. "Would you like some breakfast? I can get it for you."
He rolled his eyes. "Nice try, Tinkerbell but it's too early for me to eat. Now what were you two talking about before I came in?"
Killian opened his mouth to speak but Isobel beat him to it. "Werewolf sexism."
Killian snorted and shook his head. "We were discussing Jacob Edwards. She knew him." Grady glanced down at her and she nodded reluctantly. Discussing it once was bad enough but twice? It wasn't going to happen.
"I see. Do you have any idea why someone would want to kill him?" Grady asked. She rolled her eyes to cover up her wolf's sudden surge of anger.
"Besides being a complete asshole and a pig? Not a clue." Isobel snapped irritably, fidgeting with restless energy. Killian smoothed his hand over her belly, instantly calming her wolf. She glanced up at him and he gave her that irritating knowing smile.
"Did he have any enemies that you know of?" Grady pressed and Isobel gave him a withering look.
"Do I look like the type of person who digs through her persecutor's personal lives? No, I don't know of any enemies that Jacob had though I assume he had a lot of them."
Grady rolled his eyes at her sarcasm. "No need to be sassy. I just need to cover all the bases before we do anything."
She frowned. "What do you mean? The police are already on the murder; your involvement in the investigation would make you suspicious."
Grady glanced back at Killian and when he nodded, Grady answered, "Jacob Edwards was mauled and shot by a group of werewolves. I have a feeling that this murder is just the beginning of a slew of them and you two are going to be right in the middle of it."