Moonlight (6 page)

Chapter Six

Adam

My shoulders tensed, my hands shook with rage as I closed my cell phone and put it back into the front pocket of my jeans. Aren, my younger—by a few minutes—twin brother, was staring at me with his arms crossed over his chest. If he expected me to tell him who I called, he could keep waiting. Instead, I cleared my throat, working to keep my expression neutral.

“Everything okay?” Aren asked.

No, it was fucking miles from okay. I shifted with a nod. “Yeah, it’s fine.”

Aren waited for more, but I didn’t bother to fill in the silence. He knew me better than anyone else on earth; being twins, we had a sixth sense when it came to one another. Keeping a huge secret, like the fact that I accidentally found my mate, was going to be tough. But I didn’t see any other way around it. I couldn’t introduce him to her any more than I could tell him that Lana was a jaguar. I needed to either keep quiet or lie.

I didn’t have any other choice.

And Lana knew who killed my friend.

How could she have found out? I left her at her hotel. Did she have some kind of jaguar hotline I didn’t know about? She couldn’t possibly know.

Unless the jaguar found her.

My pulse skyrocketed. If I could smell the jaguar in her, then her own kind most definitely could. I shouldn’t have left her alone. My muscles tensed with adrenaline. I reminded myself that Lana had managed to keep ahead of the armed mercenaries who tailed her before she ever met me. She didn’t need me to come to her rescue.

But that was my human rationale. For the wolf inside of me, the physical need to go to her was almost overwhelming. The wolf demanded protection for his mate. For the first time in my life, my loyalties were torn. The wolf wanted to go to Lana, but my Pack needed me to stay and honor Gabe.

Aren’s eyes narrowed, but he finally shook his head and his arms slid down to his sides. “We should get back down there with the others.”

The rest of the Pack was gathered at the end of the barn aisle. My gut twisted and grief burned inside me, coloring my voice. “I can’t believe he’s gone.”

“We’ll find out who did this, Adam.” Aren gripped my shoulder. “We’ll make things right.”

“This will never be right.” I shook off his attempt at comfort. I didn’t deserve it. “He died in my sector. I let the Pack down.”

Aren ground his teeth and grabbed my arm, pulling me in closer to him. “Don’t put this on yourself. I know Gabe was your friend, but this is not your fault. The Pack is lucky to have you. You’re fast, and you never turn away from a fight.”

Yanking my arm free, I shook my head. “Not fast enough.”

Without another word, I stormed through the center of the barn, away from Aren. I couldn’t stomach listening to him trying to convince me this wasn’t my fault. I knew the truth. While I was out watching over Lana, I should’ve been warning the others about another jaguar. Instead, Gabe was ambushed and dumped out on the shore of Lake Tahoe.

Gazing at all of the faces gathered around Gabe’s body, my throat tightened until I felt like I was choking on my own emotions. My father, Malcolm, our Alpha, stood at the head of the pyre. The breeze pulled at his silver hair. His piercing green eyes and strong jaw made clear our family resemblance. Although he was nearing sixty years old, he had an aura of power that surrounded him, giving him an animal magnetism that was hard to deny.

His gaze met mine for a moment before he carefully washed the blood from Gabe’s face with mineral oil. The oils helped the fire dispose of the bodies faster. Cremation was the only way to ensure those from our wolf clan wouldn’t be examined by a coroner. Secrecy was a cloak our kind had worn for thousands of years.

Luke and his twin Logan stood shoulder to shoulder across from me. Their ice blue eyes pointed down at the dense wooded pyre as if they could light it with the intensity of their stares. Logan wore his light brown hair longer than his brother, but the cut of their sharp features were identical. Jared and Jason stood across from one another on opposite sides of their fallen friend.

Jason looked like a surfer with his tan skin and sun-streaked light brown hair, but he actually spent most of his time at the local hospital working as a doctor. Every pack needed one since traditional medical centers were too risky. As Malcolm applied the oils to Gabe’s body, exposing the extent of his wounds, I could see Jason studying the injuries. I bit back the urge to smack him—Gabe was our friend, not a cadaver to learn from.

Then I reminded myself it wasn’t Jason’s fault Gabe was on the pyre.

Facing forward again, I found myself staring directly into Gareth’s dark brown eyes. His rough hands clenched into fists at his side, every muscle in his arms tense. For a moment, it felt like Gabe’s twin brother could see right into my soul. Did he see the regret that weighed on my shoulders? How would Gareth go on without Gabe?

Werewolf pairs were nearly inseparable from birth. Two identical infants who would one day be identical hunters when the moon was full. Gareth was an exact copy of the mutilated body lying on the pyre behind my barn, only their haircuts differed. Gareth wore his jet black hair tied back in a ponytail, while Gabe always kept his in a short military cut. It was on the inside where the two brothers differed. There was a cold edge to Gareth. He was the first-born son by three minutes, and he took the mantle of older brother onto his shoulders like a second skin. He was always tense, while Gabe was quick to laugh. But Gareth seemed content to fade into the shadows and allow Gabe to shine.

I stared down at Gabe’s pale, lifeless face, and my chest constricted.

I’d never see him smile again.

Malcolm lifted his arms, his face up toward the stars and the sliver of moon that shone above us. The Pack lifted their heads in response as our Alpha chanted into the night.

“We offer our brother back to the moon and the night. May his spirit be lifted, free to run with the pack of our ancestors and watch over those he left behind.”

It was tradition for each Pack member to speak before the pyre was lit. Gareth, being Gabe’s last living relative, spoke first.

“I call to our father, Dominic, and our mother, Isabelle. Please guide my brother. Take him back into your arms.” Gareth paused, but his voice never betrayed the emotions he kept so well guarded. “He is no longer bound by his physical body. His spirit is free.”

After a moment of silence, Luke and Logan spoke in unison. “Run free, Gabe.”

“Spirits guide him. Moon embrace him,” Jason said quietly.

His twin Jared added, “I can almost hear you howling, Gabe. Be free.”

“Gabe…” Aren cleared his throat, but his voice wavered anyway. “Watch over your brother.”

I blinked my eyes hard trying to force back the tears that were threatening. What would happen if I ever lost Aren? We’d been together since birth, watching each other’s backs, and leaning on each other when we couldn’t stand on our own.

I gazed across the pyre. Gareth was alone now.

With a deep breath, I tipped my head up toward the stars. “Spirits, please guide my friend, our brother.” I clenched my jaw, allowing my pain and guilt to smolder toward anger. “Help us avenge his death. He was taken too soon.”

Malcolm lowered the torch to the dry timbers and the flames crackled to life. Someday the task would fall on my shoulders as the eldest son of the Alpha, and it was a responsibility I never wanted to face. But fate made the decision for me, like it or not.

Smoke stung my eyes as I turned and walked away. Aren was close behind me. Only Gareth would stay behind to watch his brother’s spirit soar up to the moon.

The muted nicker of the horses broke the silence as Aren and I walked the length of the barn. When we got to the other end, I sighed and shook my head, staring out into the darkness. “I’m going to make whoever did this pay.”

“And that’s going to bring Gabe back, how?” Aren asked.

I glanced over at my brother. Aren was always so logical. It was annoying as hell.

“Nothing can bring him back,” I said. “But knowing the cat who did this is no longer breathing might go a long way to relieving some of my anger.”

Aren nodded, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “It might. But the question is, why are you so angry?”

“What?” My blood pressure shot up a couple of notches, but I did my best to hide it. “I’m pissed because one of our best friends is dead. Gone way too soon. A jaguar murdered him, and I intend to even the score. Simple.”

“Is it?” Aren raised a brow.

I shook my head. “They murdered Gabe, Aren. Are you going to stand by and let that happen? Doesn’t this piss you off, even a little?”

My brother nodded slowly. “Yeah, I’m upset. We all are. But we also hunt as a Pack. You’re acting like you’re going to jump in your Jeep like a one-man militia. We’ve lost Pack members before. I want to know why this time has you so riled up.”

I stared at my brother. My twin. My best friend. For the first time in my life, I was hiding something from him. How could I tell him that while I’d been on patrol for jaguars during the new moon, I actually found one? And instead of killing her, the wolf inside of me recognized her as my mate.

I couldn’t. I couldn’t tell any of them. They wouldn’t understand. Hell, I didn’t understand it myself. Until I did, I couldn’t let any of the Pack know about Lana.

I shook my head. “I’m not going to debate this with you. I’ll find the bastard who did this, and then I’ll make him wish he never set foot in Reno.”

“I’ll go with you,” Aren said. “No one should go after this guy alone.”

“New moon is over. He won’t be able to shift. I can take care of it.”

“He may not turn into a jaguar, but he could still fire a gun.”

I yanked my keys out of my pocket as I walked toward my Jeep. “I’ll call you once I track the guy down, okay?”

Aren stepped in front of me, blocking my path, his gaze searching, judging my own.

“I know you’re hiding something, Adam.” Aren kept his voice low. “Whatever it is, you can’t shut us out. Family comes first.”

I clenched my jaw and nodded. “I know.”

“But you’re still not going to tell me what’s going on?”

“Nothing’s going on.” I moved around Aren to the driver’s side.

I jumped into the driver’s seat and Chaney’s engine fired to life. I drove up the road, but my eyes were on my rearview mirror. Aren never moved. I watched my twin get smaller and smaller as the distance between us grew.

Chapter Seven

Lana

I stayed inside the Starbucks for at least a half hour, sipping coffee and hoping Gabe’s killer was long gone. Adam still hadn’t called, but I understood. His friend died in his arms today. It didn’t stop me from wishing I knew when he’d be meeting me back at the hotel though.

At this rate, I had to make my own plan. There was no one to rely on but myself, and being on my own was my way of life. I could figure something out.

Creepy cat man’s threat to track me down echoed through my mind, and a chill crept down my back. I’d never been on the run from an actual
murderer
before. I’d been on the lookout for the gray riot gear, sure, and they definitely weren’t thrilled with me, but a tall, exotic-looking man with heightened senses who killed in cold blood? That added a whole dimension I wish I’d never confronted.

Actually he confronted me, but either way, now that I knew he was out there, waiting for me, it made it much tougher to devise a plan and force myself to go outside again. Knowing the Starbucks was about to close was an effective impetus though. I needed to get back to the hotel.

I wasn’t sure if Gabe’s killer knew which hotel I was staying in. He’d caught up with me at the library, but I didn’t have a clue how long he’d been following me. What if he was back at the hotel waiting for me to arrive? Adrenaline lit up my bloodstream.

When my cell phone rang I almost fell off my chair. Yeah, I was the picture of calm and cool.

I flipped open my phone, grateful to hear Adam’s voice. “Lana? Tell me how you found this guy. Are you all right?”

“I’m okay, but don’t go to the hotel. I’m not sure it’s safe.”

I could almost hear him frowning through the phone. “Where are you?”

“I’m at the downtown Starbucks on Virginia Street.”

“Good. Stay there. It’s well-lit and public.”

I rolled my eyes. Why did he think I came in here in the first place?

“They’re about to close, so hurry.”

“I’ll be there in ten minutes,” he said.

I closed my phone and got up to throw away my cup when a thought struck me. If the creepy cat man was the one who attacked Gabe and then dumped him at the lake so we would find him, just how long had he been following me? What did he know of Adam?

A cold chill shot down my spine.

I collapsed back onto my chair, trying to make some sense of the jumbled facts floating around inside of my head. By the time the door opened, I’d lost all track of time. My gaze shot to the entrance, and my heart jumped at the sight of Adam. It was like all the problems plaguing me vanished for a split second when I saw him walking toward me. At that moment, I was incredibly grateful he couldn’t read my mind.

Adam came to the table, walked right past the other chair, took my hand, and tugged me straight up into his arms. Instinctively, my own slid around him and my hands grazed up his back. While my brain was reprimanding me that I was already getting way too attached to this man, I couldn’t stop myself from accepting his comfort. Knowing I had someone in my corner was a new sensation. When he finally drew back, his voice was rough with emotion, and his gaze burned into mine. “I’m glad you’re all right. I shouldn’t have left you alone.”

My hold on him loosened as I took a step back. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I didn’t realize this guy was following me or I wouldn’t have left the hotel.”

“We knew someone dumped Gabe off at the lake so we would find him,” he said. “I should’ve realized he’d still be following.” His hands clenched into fists at his side. “So who is he? Do you know—”

“I’ll tell you everything I know,” I said as I grabbed my cell from the table and slid it into my pocket. I scanned the coffee shop. “But let’s get someplace safe so we can make a plan.”

He nodded. “First we’ll find another hotel where he won’t find you.”

“He claims he can track me anywhere.”

Adam’s brow shot up. “I can track you too, but it’s tougher if we stay in crowded places. Too many scents to isolate a trail.”

“I need to go back for my bag and my laptop.” Adam’s shoulders tensed up. I shook my head. “Don’t start. I need my laptop. All my work is in it. No laptop, no money. I have to go get it, creepy cat man or not.”

“All right.” He held his hands up in mock surrender and nodded. “But I’m going with you.”

“Actually, you’re not.”

His hands dropped and his brow furrowed. “Oh, yes, I am.”

“I don’t think he knows what you look like, Adam. I don’t think he knew what I looked like either. He bumped into me at the library, and let me go. It was like he needed to match a face with the scent he’d been tracking. That could be our only advantage in this. He knows I knew who Gabe was, and he mentioned I should stay away from wolves, but I’m pretty sure he tracked me to the lake by scent. He didn’t actually see us up on the rock.”

He thought about it for a minute and met my eyes again. “Why would he leave Gabe at your feet?”

“I have some hunches, but we need to go get my stuff first.”

“I’ll drive you back to the hotel, and you get security to take you up to your room to collect your things. Don’t go up there alone, got it?”

“Got it.”

Adam dropped me off at the back entrance to the hotel, and then drove away to park at the rear of the lot. While he watched the doors for any sign of a certain someone following me, I went to the front desk to check out and to ask security to escort me up. Being in the heart of Reno’s downtown gambling district, most of the hotels kept armed security on staff, and within five minutes I had a tall security officer walking me to the elevators. His badge read “Joe”—seemed like a perfect security name to me.

“Which floor, ma’am?”

Cringing inwardly over the
ma’am
, I answered. “Fifth floor.”

He pressed the button and stepped back from the elevator panel. Awkward silence descended as I watched the floor numbers light up. The elevator lurched to a stop at the third floor. I held my breath and waited.

When the doors opened to reveal a couple with their young son, I let out a sigh of relief. Joe and I stepped off the elevator on the fifth floor, and he followed me to my door. I slid the key card in, waited for the green light to flash, and then twisted the knob. As soon as the door opened, I caught his scent.

“Wait.” I stopped Joe the security officer. “Someone’s been in here.”

“How can you tell?” His hand hovered over his Taser.

I peered inside trying to see if anyone was hiding in my hotel room, but it looked empty.

Except for a note on top of my computer:
You cannot run, Little One
.

I crumpled the paper and packed up my laptop, trying not to let it affect me. He could be watching me right now.

Why was this “Organization” even fixated on me? They were sparing no expense, sending in a team and now some kind of lone agent to bring me in. And what did he mean about me being a treasure to their kind?

I had no idea.

Frustrated and scared, I headed out the back door, relieved to see Adam waiting right at the curb. I tossed my duffel in the backseat before I remembered a bloody body had been back there. I didn’t want to reopen a wound with Adam, so as I climbed into the passenger seat, I glanced over into the back.

His voice was quiet. “I cleaned out the Jeep while I was at the ranch.”

I turned around and slid down into my seat. “Sorry. I didn’t think about it when I tossed my bag back there.”

“It’s fine.”

But nothing seemed fine about Adam tonight. He drove cautiously through downtown Reno, circling around until I wasn’t sure where we were headed anymore.

“Are we lost?” I asked.

“No. But if this guy’s a tracker, I want your scent everywhere. Too many trails for him to follow.”

“He could be following us right now.”

“I’ve been watching for that. Unless he can fly, he’s not behind us.”

Adam finally slowed and pulled into a driveway. A pink driveway.

“You’re kidding right?” I was looking up at the bright pink towers with neon letters spelling Circus Circus down the sides. “Nothing about this place says ‘Don’t notice me.’ It’s like a big, pink, neon nightmare.”

Adam started to smile, but it faded away before it ever reached his eyes. “Sometimes the best place to hide is in plain sight, right? Plus, this is one of the busiest tourist hotels in Reno. It’ll be tough for him to find your scent here.”

I peered up at the pink tower one last time and sighed. “All right.”

Adam grabbed my duffel, and I slung my laptop bag over my shoulder to go check in. The good news was the pink hotel was half the price of my previous home base. The bad news? Screaming kids were
everywhere
.

It was like Las Vegas and Ringling Brothers all baked into one so-sweet-you’re-going-to-be-sick cake with pink neon frosting. Lights flashed, slot machines chinged, and trapeze artists performed overhead. We followed the psychedelic-patterned carpet to the tower elevators and headed up to my new accommodations.

Once we were safely inside, Adam sat on the bed and watched me set up my laptop at the small desk by the television.

“So, who killed Gabe, and how do you know he did it?”

I sat in the chair and turned to face him. Raw emotion burned in his gaze and rippled through his tense shoulders. I thought after the memorial for his friend, he might need a shoulder to lean on. Apparently Adam wasn’t much of a leaner. “Okay, I guess we’ll get right to it.”

“It’s been a long day. I need to go make things right.” He ran his fingers back through his hair.

I started to frown a little. “And how exactly will things be made right?”

“Lana please…” He broke eye contact and went to the window. “Just bring me up to speed.”

“First off, this guy is dangerous, okay?” I crossed my arms, remembering the way Gabe’s killer gripped my throat. “Second, revenge isn’t going to make anything
right
.” Flashes of Gabe’s wounds filled my head. The weight of the danger around me settled onto my shoulders, and Adam seemed hell-bent to run right into its arms. “If he didn’t see our faces up on the rock, then we could use that to our advantage. He won’t recognize you until he’s close enough to catch your scent, right?”

He snapped around so fast I almost flinched. “I don’t want to talk strategy. I want to know who he is.”

I stared at the silver bullet hanging from Adam’s neck. “I don’t know. He didn’t tell me his name. His hair was black, his eyes were dark brown, and he seemed very well educated. I think he was quoting poetry at some point. Hold on.”

I turned around in the chair and quickly typed out the few words I could remember the creepy cat man saying. I could look them up later. Maybe it would be a clue. Hard to tell, but every little bit was worth a try at this point. I twisted in my chair toward Adam again.

“He also mentioned something about an organization that sent him to track me. It all still sounds nuts to me, but he said he knew what I was and that he was ‘like me.’ He’s also very strong and moves silently.”

“How do you know he’s the jaguar that killed Gabe?”

“Because he mentioned that I didn’t catch his scent at the lake today. And when I accused him of killing Gabe he didn’t deny it. He seemed…” I pressed my lips together, searching for the right words. “He seemed pleased. I know he’s the one who dumped him there, but I’m not sure why yet.”

Adam rubbed his forehead. “Maybe he’s been tracking you and found out you were in contact with werewolves. Maybe he left Gabe for you like some sort of warning.”

“Maybe.”

“Or he was setting you up.” Adam grabbed one of the chairs at the tiny hotel table, flipped it around backward, and sat straddling it, resting his forearms on the back. “Our Pack isn’t a secret to the Jaguars. They know we protect our territory. If he thought you were getting friendly with wolves, what better way to turn them against you than to dump one of their Pack members at your feet, right?”

“I’d lose any potential protection from the Pack.”

Adam nodded slowly. “Exactly.”

“Could this
organization
he talked about know about my CAT scan from Bellevue? Could they tell I was a jaguar? Maybe that’s why they sent one after me, to confirm their suspicions?”

“I don’t know,” Adam said. “But we need to find him to get answers.”

“Maybe so, but ever since you mentioned my real parents and how they should have showed me how to use my…powers? What did you call them?”

Adam smiled. “We call them instincts.”

“That sounds better. Less superhero-ey.” I cleared my throat, crossing my arms even tighter. “Since my parents never wanted me, I’ve spent my whole life not wanting them right back.” I stood up. I felt a little less vulnerable being taller than Adam for the moment. “If I had found them and they rejected me again…” I shook my head, unable to finish. I cleared my throat. “But now…” I caught myself biting at my lower lip again. “If this is genetic, what happens to me, I need to know what happened. Why did they give me up to the state? That guy told me they sent him to ‘bring me back,’ but I’ve never been there before. Maybe my parents were involved.”

A rock settled in my stomach. Already I wanted to believe they gave me up to save me. I was setting myself up for heartbreak. “Tonight I walked to the downtown library to see about finding the San Antonio Yellow Pages so I could find a PI to go to the county records department. That’s when I ran into Gabe’s killer.”

“Do you think he knew why you were there?”

“I don’t think so.” I shrugged, forcing my arms to my sides. “I didn’t say anything about it.”

“Hmm” was all Adam said in response.

“Anything’s possible at this point, so it’s at least a place to start. He also mentioned I’m a
treasure to my kind
. What do you think that meant?”

Adam shrugged his shoulders slightly and met my eyes. “I don’t know about jaguars, but with us, only males can carry the werewolf genes. No females are actually born as wolves.”

“What?” I could feel the confusion written all over my face. “Then how do you… Wouldn’t you be extinct by now?”