“I guess you’ll have to turn tomorrow night?”
“Yes. I won’t have any choice. For ordinary werewolves like me, we have to turn on the first night of the full moon. The two nights after that, we can choose to shift or remain human. Alphas like my father or Phil can shift or even partially shift whenever they like.” She gave him an apologetic look. “I won’t be able to help you tomorrow. Sorry.”
He waved that aside. “Don’t apologize for what you are.”
She recalled the words he’d said the night before. He liked her just the way she was.
He took another sip from his bottle. “And don’t apologize for last night. I was . . . flattered.”
She glanced at him, then back at the road. “You were?”
“Of course. I hope someday we will make love.”
Her heart jumped up her throat. He did want her! She clenched the steering wheel as her heart pounded. Calm yourself. He could probably hear her heart racing.
A question popped into her mind. If he wanted to make love, why did he turn her down last night?
“Okay, here’s the town.” He motioned to the lights up ahead.
She parked in front of the emergency clinic and accompanied him inside. In a matter of seconds, he had the receptionist’s mind under his control and she gave them the news. No one had been admitted in the past two weeks with bite marks or a low level of blood. No unexplained deaths.
They went on to Greybull, Manderson, and Worland. No victims there. Brynley headed east to Ten Sleep.
Bingo.
The receptionist nodded, glassy-eyed. “Yes, we had a patient last night. Dead on arrival.”
“What can you tell me about it?” Phineas pressed.
The receptionist tilted her head. “It was very strange. No sign of trauma, but somehow he had bled out.”
“May we see his file?” Phineas asked.
Brynley leaned close to read the page detailing the victim’s personal information. Earl Giddons had worked as a cowhand on a nearby ranch. “See this?” She pointed at Nate Carson’s address.
Phineas nodded and closed the folder. “Looks like we’ll be visiting your old friend after all.”
Chapter Thirteen
“What can you tell me about Nate?” Phineas asked as Brynley drove toward the Carson ranch house.
“He’s a really nice guy. A mortal. Served in the army. He would never get involved with the Malcontents.”
She was quick to defend him, Phineas noted. “If Corky’s taken over his mind and his ranch, then it doesn’t matter how nice a guy he is.”
Brynley winced. “I hope he’s all right. He’s been through so much already, poor guy.”
Another twinge of jealousy pricked at Phineas. “If he’s a mortal, how did you meet him? At college?”
She shook her head. “Rodeo circuit. I used to do barrel racing.”
“You raced barrels?”
“No, my horse and I raced around them.” She gave him an incredulous look. “You’ve never been to a rodeo?”
“They’re not big in the Bronx.”
She snorted. “Well, they’re a lot of fun. You should see one sometime.”
“I’m surprised your dad let you hang out with a bunch of mortals.”
“Well, he wasn’t very happy about it. When I first started, I thought I was being so clever, that I’d found a way to get away from him and make some money of my own. But I soon realized that the rodeo had plenty of werewolves, and they were reporting everything I did to my dad. He could have ordered them to bring me home whenever he wanted. My freedom was only an illusion.” She made a face. “Still, it was a lot better than being at home. It was one of the happier times in my life.”
“And this guy Nate was in the rodeo, too?”
“Yep. He and his brother were into team roping. Kyle was the header, and Nate was the heeler.”
“What—”
“Kyle would lasso the head of the calf, and then Nate would manage to lasso the hind legs. It’s really amazing to watch.”
Phineas frowned, picturing her gazing at Nate in amazement. “So it takes two guys to tie up a little cow?”
“The calf is moving at the time.” Brynley shot him an annoyed look. “And they’re on horseback. It takes a lot of skill, and they manage to do it in a matter of seconds.”
“Okay. So what was the problem with Kyle?”
Brynley waved a dismissive hand. “It was no big deal. He kept pestering me for a date and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Nate told him to leave me alone.”
Phineas strongly suspected that was the sanitized version of what had happened. He recalled her fear of being attacked from behind. “Did this Kyle hurt you?”
“No. It wasn’t that bad.” She glanced at him. “Really. It was never bad enough to make me quit the rodeo circuit.”
“Then why did you quit?”
Her hands gripped the steering wheel, and he heard her heartbeat speed up. He’d touched on something, but he wasn’t sure what.
They rounded a hill, and some bright lights came into view in the distance.
“Nate’s house.” She motioned ahead. “Do you really think Corky could be there?”
Phineas winced. The house looked more like a mansion. Nate had to be rich. And he probably had a thing for Brynley. “Corky would definitely prefer this to a cabin in the woods. And she would have some handsome cowboys here to nibble on.”
Brynley snorted. “Not all cowboys are handsome.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” He checked the knives he had hidden in each of his boots and the automatic in his shoulder holster. “You have the silver chains I gave you?”
“Yes.” She patted her jacket pockets.
“If we see her, I’ll grab her. You get the silver around her as fast as possible.”
“Got it.” Brynley turned into the long driveway. “I’m glad you included me in the plan.”
“I’m grateful for your help as long as it’s safe. But if we come under attack, I’m teleporting you out.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not helpless, you know. I’ve fought in a few of your vampire battles.”
“Yes, but you were in wolf form.” He gave her a wry look. “Which makes you even scarier than usual.”
She scoffed. “You’d better believe it, bloodsucker.”
“Snout-Face.” He spotted a surveillance camera by the front door. “We’re being watched. Stop in front and wait in the car till I come around to your door.”
She braked and turned off the engine. “I don’t see any guards. It looks peaceful.”
“Appearances can be deceiving.” He climbed out of the car, and scanned the area. Listened. Nothing but the rustle of the wind blowing through trees.
He skirted the front of the car and opened Brynley’s door. “Stick close to me, so I can teleport you out if I need to.”
She groaned with frustration, then climbed out of the car and dropped the keys into her handbag. “Stop worrying so much about me, Phin.”
“Impossible, Bryn.”
Her eyes met his for a second, and a wave of desire ripped through him. He clenched his fist to keep from caressing her face and looked away. This was not the time. Nate’s house could be infiltrated with Malcontents.
“Come on.” He escorted her to the front door.
She glanced warily at the camera and pressed the doorbell. “It’s almost midnight. They may not answer.”
Phineas slipped his hand inside his jacket, ready to pull his weapon. When the last jangle of the door chimes faded away, he could hear footsteps echoing in what sounded like a large foyer. “Someone’s coming. Maybe it’s Nate.”
“No, it couldn’t—” She stopped when the door swung open and a well-dressed elderly man glared at them.
“It is a bit late to be calling, don’t you think?” he asked with a British accent.
A butler? Phineas removed his hand from his jacket. As far as he could tell, the man was mortal and not suffering from any vampire mind control. “We’d like a word with Nate Carson, if you don’t mind.”
The butler looked down his nose. “And you are?”
“Phineas McKinney, and this is Brynley Jones.”
“Nathan and I are old friends,” Brynley added.
The butler glanced at her. “Quite old, obviously, since you’ve never darkened this doorstep in the three years of my employment.”
“John,” a voice called from across the foyer. “Let them in.”
An annoyed look flitted over the butler’s face, and he lowered his voice. “Very well. You may come in, but do not overly tire Mr. Carson.” He stepped back and motioned for them to enter.
“Nate!” Brynley ran into the foyer.
Phineas followed and stopped short. Nate was hurrying toward Brynley. As fast as he could in his wheelchair.
“You seem surprised,” John murmured as he shut the door. “You didn’t know?”
Phineas shook his head. “I heard he was in the rodeo.”
“That was before his unit was called up and he was sent to Iraq,” John explained. “He jumped on some fellow soldiers to protect them from an explosion. Took some shrapnel in his back. Saved his buddies, but injured his spinal cord.”
Phineas watched Brynley hug her heroic friend and felt lousy that he’d ever entertained bad thoughts about the guy. “So he’s paralyzed?”
“From the waist down, yes. But he manages the ranch. By the way, I’m John Brighton, his personal valet and physical therapist.”
“Oh.” Phineas shook hands with him. “I thought you were a butler.”
John smiled. “My father was a butler. I’ll take that as a compliment. Good evening.” He inclined his head and strode away.
“Come on, Phineas.” Brynley waved him over. “This is Nate.”
“Hey, dude.” He shook Nate’s hand. “It’s an honor to meet you.”
“You too.” With a grin, Nate turned to Brynley. “It’s great to see you again. You’re looking good!”
“Thank you.” Her smile faded. “I should have come sooner. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Nate waved a dismissive hand. “I heard that you’d flown the coop, and I was relieved you’d managed to escape.”
She winced. “You heard about that?”
“Everybody around here gossips about the mighty Jones family. According to the rumor I heard, your dad threw a big birthday party for you when you turned thirty, then announced you were engaged to be married. In three days. When everyone woke up the next morning, you were gone.”
She made a face. “That’s pretty much what happened.”
“Are you kidding?” Phineas asked. She was thirty years old?
“It’s true,” Brynley muttered. “My father arranged a wedding with a groom and a twenty-piece orchestra, but forgot to tell me.”
“Because he knew you would refuse,” Nate added. “Who was the groom? Some rancher from around here?”