“Are you sure?” Cyn challenged Gabe.
“Yup.” Gabe’s grin turned sheepish. “I’d own it.”
Tabby glared at Cyn and Glory, who were giggling like loons. “Y’all suck.”
Julian couldn’t give two shakes of a rat’s ass about videogames just then. His focus was still on the most important thing. “There’s got to be another way to bring this guy out into the open. Using Cyn to draw him out is unacceptable.”
“Do you have a better idea, Super Bear?” Cyn crossed her arms and smirked at him. She thought she had him.
She was wrong. He turned to the one person in the room who should be out there hunting a killer, not sitting in his living room scarfing pizza. “Gabe, what were you able to find out about the shooter?”
“Not a hell of a lot. He took the shot at Marie from an empty apartment. I’m just glad the inhabitant had already left for work that day. As it is, she’s scared to death to go home.”
“Puma?”
“No, but she is a shifter and has requested sanctuary. Max has granted it. That’s all I can tell you.” Gabe pulled Sarah close again and rested his chin on the top of her head. “He left behind no fingerprints. The lab reports are starting to trickle in, but from what we can tell he didn’t leave behind a single hair. The only thing he did do was smash parts of her apartment to bits. He punched a few holes in her walls, broke some of her knickknacks. It looks like when he missed Cyn he had a tantrum and then booked.”
“What about the other crime scenes?”
“We’ll probably get more information out of the pipe bomb than anything else. I got my guys working on that, tracing where the components were bought. It’s going to take time, though. We just have to be patient.”
Julian wanted to snap at Gabe. If it were his mate would he be so patient? He turned to Rick, hoping the Wolf Alpha knew where he was about to go. “Would it be easier to hunt him up on your land?”
“If I had his scent, yes.” The Wolf Alpha sounded absolutely certain of that. “Those woods are mine. There’s no way the fucker would be able to hide there.”
“Then we split up. Tabby, Alex and Glory head up to the Poconos where Rick’s Wolves can protect them. I stay down here and try to draw the shooter out where the Pumas can take care of me.” Cyn held up her hand as Tabby opened her mouth to object. “Alex, take some of your relatives with you and leave some here. That will help Julian and Tabby feel better about all of this.”
Alex shared a look with Tabby. No matter what Tabby wanted, she’d be visiting the Poconos, in-laws in tow. “If the Foxes pick up the scent, they’ll make useful scouts.”
“And I’ll finally get to answer the age-old question.” Belle tilted her head, her expression more vapid than Julian had ever seen on anyone outside of Paris Hilton. He heard tales of the Poconos Luna. Perhaps the rumors were true. Maybe she really was Psycho Barbie. “Does a Bear shit in the woods?”
Alex returned her look with a bland one of his own. “Only if there’s a roll of toilet paper on a convenient nearby branch.”
Julian nodded sagely. “And it has to be the kind that doesn’t leave toilet paper dust on our poor furry behinds.”
“Yup. That is a total breach of Bear etiquette.”
Rick clamped his hand over Belle’s mouth before she could respond. “Do we have a plan, then?”
Glances were exchanged. After nods all around, some reluctant, some not, it was agreed. Alex would be taking Tabby and Glory into hiding while Cyn played tag with the killer. Julian damn near growled out his frustration. It had not gone the way he’d planned.
Fuck a duck.
Chapter Eighteen
Cyn opened the front door as quietly as she could, hoping Julian was taking that nap she’d ordered him to. When she didn’t see him loitering around in the front hall she sighed in relief. He’d been adamantly against her being bait, but what else were they supposed to do? It had been over a week since Marie’s death and they hadn’t found more than where the sniper had been hiding. None of the lab work had come back, and even Cyn’s new sense of smell couldn’t track the killer. She’d tried following the scent only once, but Gabe had stopped her before she’d gone too far.
At least Tabby and Glory were safely away. Alex had whisked her friends away so fast Cyn had barely had time to say good-bye. But that was all right, as long as she got to say welcome home when it was over.
She hung her coat up with a sigh, rubbing her neck wearily as she closed the closet door. She was so tense she could probably be used as a tuning fork. “The Amazing Cyn, vibrating in C minor.”
A low chuckle had her whirling around. Julian sat halfway down the stairs, a smirk on his face. “I could take care of that for you.”
Shit. He was awake. “Hey, Jules.” She tried her best to smile for him, but knew she failed when his welcoming smile dimmed.
“You’re hurting. Let me help.”
Her muscles were one tight knot, but no way in hell was she going to allow Julian to heal her. “No. You just got out of the hospital.” He’d only been home for six days, and already he was trying to act as if nothing had happened. It was like it didn’t matter to him that he almost died. Meanwhile, Cyn was having nightmares about Julian lying in a pool of blood.
When she met Tai Boucher she was going to kick his ass. The leader of the Spirit Bears had never called Julian back, and it was driving both her and her mate crazy.
She rotated her shoulders and tried to hide her wince. His eyes still had silver flecks in them. There was still more white in his hair than black. Did he really think he was fooling her?
“I could give you a massage.”
She didn’t trust him. He’d try and sneak a healing in, she just knew it. “No.”
He sighed. “I give you my word I won’t use my powers.”
She eyed him warily. “You promise?” He’d break his word in a heartbeat if he thought she was in serious pain.
“I promise.” He even crossed his heart, the silly Bear.
She studied him, but he was the picture of innocence. He was definitely up to something. “Fine.”
The wicked grin that crossed his face worried her. “Get naked, then get on the bed.”
She took off her clothes quickly, not wanting this to turn into something sexual. Julian wasn’t up to any antics. She lay down and pulled the sheet up over her butt, hiding herself from him. Her butt didn’t hurt, after all, her shoulders did.
“Yup.” Gabe’s grin turned sheepish. “I’d own it.”
Tabby glared at Cyn and Glory, who were giggling like loons. “Y’all suck.”
Julian couldn’t give two shakes of a rat’s ass about videogames just then. His focus was still on the most important thing. “There’s got to be another way to bring this guy out into the open. Using Cyn to draw him out is unacceptable.”
“Do you have a better idea, Super Bear?” Cyn crossed her arms and smirked at him. She thought she had him.
She was wrong. He turned to the one person in the room who should be out there hunting a killer, not sitting in his living room scarfing pizza. “Gabe, what were you able to find out about the shooter?”
“Not a hell of a lot. He took the shot at Marie from an empty apartment. I’m just glad the inhabitant had already left for work that day. As it is, she’s scared to death to go home.”
“Puma?”
“No, but she is a shifter and has requested sanctuary. Max has granted it. That’s all I can tell you.” Gabe pulled Sarah close again and rested his chin on the top of her head. “He left behind no fingerprints. The lab reports are starting to trickle in, but from what we can tell he didn’t leave behind a single hair. The only thing he did do was smash parts of her apartment to bits. He punched a few holes in her walls, broke some of her knickknacks. It looks like when he missed Cyn he had a tantrum and then booked.”
“What about the other crime scenes?”
“We’ll probably get more information out of the pipe bomb than anything else. I got my guys working on that, tracing where the components were bought. It’s going to take time, though. We just have to be patient.”
Julian wanted to snap at Gabe. If it were his mate would he be so patient? He turned to Rick, hoping the Wolf Alpha knew where he was about to go. “Would it be easier to hunt him up on your land?”
“If I had his scent, yes.” The Wolf Alpha sounded absolutely certain of that. “Those woods are mine. There’s no way the fucker would be able to hide there.”
“Then we split up. Tabby, Alex and Glory head up to the Poconos where Rick’s Wolves can protect them. I stay down here and try to draw the shooter out where the Pumas can take care of me.” Cyn held up her hand as Tabby opened her mouth to object. “Alex, take some of your relatives with you and leave some here. That will help Julian and Tabby feel better about all of this.”
Alex shared a look with Tabby. No matter what Tabby wanted, she’d be visiting the Poconos, in-laws in tow. “If the Foxes pick up the scent, they’ll make useful scouts.”
“And I’ll finally get to answer the age-old question.” Belle tilted her head, her expression more vapid than Julian had ever seen on anyone outside of Paris Hilton. He heard tales of the Poconos Luna. Perhaps the rumors were true. Maybe she really was Psycho Barbie. “Does a Bear shit in the woods?”
Alex returned her look with a bland one of his own. “Only if there’s a roll of toilet paper on a convenient nearby branch.”
Julian nodded sagely. “And it has to be the kind that doesn’t leave toilet paper dust on our poor furry behinds.”
“Yup. That is a total breach of Bear etiquette.”
Rick clamped his hand over Belle’s mouth before she could respond. “Do we have a plan, then?”
Glances were exchanged. After nods all around, some reluctant, some not, it was agreed. Alex would be taking Tabby and Glory into hiding while Cyn played tag with the killer. Julian damn near growled out his frustration. It had not gone the way he’d planned.
Fuck a duck.
Chapter Eighteen
Cyn opened the front door as quietly as she could, hoping Julian was taking that nap she’d ordered him to. When she didn’t see him loitering around in the front hall she sighed in relief. He’d been adamantly against her being bait, but what else were they supposed to do? It had been over a week since Marie’s death and they hadn’t found more than where the sniper had been hiding. None of the lab work had come back, and even Cyn’s new sense of smell couldn’t track the killer. She’d tried following the scent only once, but Gabe had stopped her before she’d gone too far.
At least Tabby and Glory were safely away. Alex had whisked her friends away so fast Cyn had barely had time to say good-bye. But that was all right, as long as she got to say welcome home when it was over.
She hung her coat up with a sigh, rubbing her neck wearily as she closed the closet door. She was so tense she could probably be used as a tuning fork. “The Amazing Cyn, vibrating in C minor.”
A low chuckle had her whirling around. Julian sat halfway down the stairs, a smirk on his face. “I could take care of that for you.”
Shit. He was awake. “Hey, Jules.” She tried her best to smile for him, but knew she failed when his welcoming smile dimmed.
“You’re hurting. Let me help.”
Her muscles were one tight knot, but no way in hell was she going to allow Julian to heal her. “No. You just got out of the hospital.” He’d only been home for six days, and already he was trying to act as if nothing had happened. It was like it didn’t matter to him that he almost died. Meanwhile, Cyn was having nightmares about Julian lying in a pool of blood.
When she met Tai Boucher she was going to kick his ass. The leader of the Spirit Bears had never called Julian back, and it was driving both her and her mate crazy.
She rotated her shoulders and tried to hide her wince. His eyes still had silver flecks in them. There was still more white in his hair than black. Did he really think he was fooling her?
“I could give you a massage.”
She didn’t trust him. He’d try and sneak a healing in, she just knew it. “No.”
He sighed. “I give you my word I won’t use my powers.”
She eyed him warily. “You promise?” He’d break his word in a heartbeat if he thought she was in serious pain.
“I promise.” He even crossed his heart, the silly Bear.
She studied him, but he was the picture of innocence. He was definitely up to something. “Fine.”
The wicked grin that crossed his face worried her. “Get naked, then get on the bed.”
She took off her clothes quickly, not wanting this to turn into something sexual. Julian wasn’t up to any antics. She lay down and pulled the sheet up over her butt, hiding herself from him. Her butt didn’t hurt, after all, her shoulders did.
