Beneath a Darkening Moon (33 page)

He shifted to human form, as did Ronan. Vannah didn’t move or shift shape until the drugs in the darts had taken effect and Candy went limp. As she spat the hairs from her mouth, his gaze skated down her body, noting with relief that the wounds on her side were little more than scratches.

“That wasn’t a frenzy,” she said eventually, wiping a hand across her mouth but still missing several cream hairs, “or we wouldn’t have downed her so easily.”

He brushed the hairs away from one corner of her lips with a fingertip. “No. She killed these people because she wanted to. Because she enjoys the taste of flesh.”

Her gaze flicked to the mess behind them, and her face lost what little color it had left. “God, those poor people.” She hesitated, and there was a catch in her voice as she added, “I can’t even see Marion.”

If Marion had spiky black hair and leathery brown skin, then her head and part of her torso were lying in a ditch just off the main path. But she didn’t need to know that, and didn’t need to see it. He touched a hand to her chin and forced her gaze back to him.
“Can Ronan handle the cleanup? We need to get Candy contained so I can begin questioning her.”

“You can’t.”

He frowned. “What do you mean, I can’t?”

“I tried to touch Candy’s mind when I was attacking her. She has extremely strong shields. I doubt I’d get through, let alone you.”

“I have to at least try. If I can’t, I’ll let you loose on her.”

Her grin was wry and at odds with the horror still lingering in her eyes. “Not sure about your use of the word ‘letting.’ After all, this is my town, and I have as much right to question her as you do.”

She didn’t, but he wasn’t going to argue the point when it wasn’t really
that
important.

He bent down and scooped up Candy’s limp form. “Why don’t we get this bitch to the safety of a cell, and then we’ll worry about who does what?”

T
O SAY
C
ANDY
was unhappy about waking and finding herself confined by three walls and a set of bars would be the understatement of the year, Savannah thought dryly. The pale-skinned woman, her clothes half-shredded and covered in mud and blood, paced her prison, occasionally stopping to kick a wall or fling abuse at the monitoring camera. She didn’t go anywhere near the cell bars, though—mainly because they were coated with silver. Even the simplest of brushes could burn a wolf’s skin.

“How long are you going to let her stew?” she asked, glancing at Cade. He was watching Candy’s actions with narrowed eyes, as if every movement
told him something new. And maybe they did. This is what he did for a living, after all.

“Just a few more minutes.” He glanced at her, his navy eyes gleaming with cold amusement. “She hates being confined. It’s getting to her.”

She glanced at the monitor. Candy was back to pacing rather than kicking. “Looks like fury to me.”

“It was at first, but she’s starting to get fidgety. Look at her eyes. Wide open.”

“But angry rather than scared.”

“For the moment.”

Savannah crossed her arms. “Are we leaving her in that cell to interview her?”

“Yes. I’m not taking the risk of her being able to call up the blood frenzy at will. Not when there are only the two of us here.”

“And Kel.”

He flashed her a grin. “Kel can’t even make decent coffee.”

“I heard that,” Kel said, walking into the room with two mugs of coffee. “Maybe I should go back to giving you dishwater, Agent Jones.”

Savannah accepted the coffee gratefully. The rich aroma had hints of cinnamon and chocolate, meaning Kel
had
given them the good stuff.

“I do so appreciate good coffee,” Cade said, grabbing his cup with a nod of thanks. “I just don’t get it often.”

“With the attitude you fling about, I’m not surprised.” Kel winked at Savannah as she left the room.

Cade raised an eyebrow, his expression half-amused. “Is she always that sharp-tongued?”

“You’ve actually caught her on a good week. She can be quite acidic when she’s in a mood.”

“Bet she’s great for weeding out the callers who are just intent on wasting your time.”

Savannah grinned. “That she is.”

She glanced at the screen as Candy stopped in front of the monitor and glared at them. It was a god-awful sight, given her face was covered in blood, strings of flesh, and short, dark hairs. Marion’s coat had been black, she thought, and clenched her free hand against the desire to beat the hell out of Candy.

She took a sip of her coffee, then leaned forward and placed a finger on the screen. “What do you want to bet that line of bruising is Denny’s doing?”

“Most likely. It’s certainly the oldest of her bruises.” He hesitated, glancing at her. “The kid went down fighting.”

“Yes.” She paused and forced away the images of Candy’s frenzy, even though she knew they’d haunt her dreams for years to come. “So, are you going to question her while reading her telepathically?”

He nodded. “And if that doesn’t work, you can have a go.”

“And if
that
doesn’t work?”

He shrugged. “She can rot in the cell until she decides to cooperate.”

“That’s not exactly legal.”

“We don’t have to be legal. The reservation is not bound to obey all criminal laws.”

A fact she knew. She also knew that it didn’t apply to major crimes, like murder. But maybe he was banking on the fact that Candy didn’t know that.

He thrust to his feet. “I think the time is right to question her.”

She pressed the record button so they had a verbal record of what was going on and followed him out the door and down the short corridor to the cells. Candy swung around as they entered.

“About fucking time,” she spat. “I demand my rights. I want a lawyer.”

Cade leaned against the wall opposite the cell and sipped his coffee. Energy stirred the edges of her mind as he reached out mentally for Candy. “You’re getting neither until you answer some questions.”

Candy sneered. “That ain’t legal.”

“Actually, it is. This is a reservation. We don’t have to abide by human laws.”

“I ain’t talking until I get representation.”

“Then you can sit in that cell and rot for all I care.” He paused. “I hope you enjoyed what you did, because it’s the last meal you’ll be getting for quite a while.”

He pushed away from the wall and began walking to the door.
Your turn
, he said, as he passed Vannah.
You’re right. I can’t get through her shields
.

It hadn’t taken him long to figure that out, but she was more than a little surprised that he’d given in so quickly.

Not given in,
he corrected.
Just acknowledging a fact. In all my years of training, I’ve never encountered a shield like hers.
He hesitated, and amusement rippled through her mind, as warm as summer rain.
Or a mind as strong as yours. I’m lucky you didn’t kick my telepathic ass to kingdom come that night, aren’t I?

She wondered if he realized he’d read her mind as easily as if she’d spoken. Wondered if he knew that only someone extremely close to her could ever have done that. Like immediate family. Or the man who was meant to be her mate.

I was under the impression that was the other reason you’d run that night
. She flashed him a mental smile to take the sting from her words.

He paused with his hand on the door handle and turned to look at her.
I never intended to run out on you, Vannah, which is why I’ve spent years looking for you
.

She smiled.
Yeah, so you could give me a piece of your mind
.

His smile echoed hers.
Yes. And whatever else you feel inclined to take
.

She raised an eyebrow.
Careful. I might take that as an admission
.

And you might be right
. He opened the door.
You’d better question our suspect. She’s just about to blow her top because you’re ignoring her
.

Tough. And there’s no guarantee I’ll do any better than you. Her shields feel as strong as my dad’s
.

It’s still worth a go. If she tries anything, I’ll be just outside the door
.

“Hey, bitch,” Candy said, as Cade walked out and slammed the door behind him. “You going to let him do that?”

Savannah sipped her coffee and pretended to ignore her. Candy slapped a hand against the cell bars, but quickly ripped it away. Anger had obviously made her forget about the silver. Or was it fear? Certainly
there was something that sounded an awful lot like forced bravado in her voice now.

“Hey,” Candy said, louder this time. “Don’t you pretend you can’t hear me!”

Savannah finally looked at her. “I’m sorry. Were you talking to me?”

“Yeah. You gonna let that bastard do this?”

She paused, as if considering the question, while she reached out telepathically to the other wolf. Candy’s shields weren’t actually shields, but something far stranger—a swirling vortex of power that threatened to suck her in and then spit her out. She’d felt the power of it briefly on the trail when she’d had the woman pinned, but this was like comparing a sun shower to a tornado. And it was just as impossible to pass through. Maybe the frenzy—or the bloodlust, or whatever it had been—had caused the shield to weaken earlier. If that was the case, then she had no choice but to try to achieve a similar weakening.

Can’t do it
, she said to Cade.
But I think there might be another way to break her down
.

Like what?

A two-pronged attack
. She hesitated.
The silver bars will hold a wolf in a frenzy, won’t it?

Yeah, but you wouldn’t want to get within range.
Apprehension swam through his thoughts.
What do you intend to do?

Speed things up a little. We can’t afford to waste the whole day
.

Be careful
.

Of course
.

“You gonna answer or not?” Candy snapped impatiently.

“That black wolf you tore to pieces?” Savannah kept her voice even, though it was hard when all she wanted to do was grab the bitch’s face and knock her lights out. “Her name was Marion, and she was a friend of mine. So yeah, I think I am going to let him do this to you.”

“Your daddy wouldn’t be pleased about you breaking the rules. If he was still around to care, that is.”

Savannah ignored the cold pit of fury forming in her stomach and raised an eyebrow. Her mom and dad were safe; she knew that. But that didn’t alter the fact that this woman had gone after them. Pack protection was born into every wolf, and Candy should have known better than to taunt her. “And why would you say something like that?”

The other woman’s smile was smug. Gloating. “Because it’s the truth, ranger. Because your sister will soon be dead meat, your lover will soon be dead meat, and then you’ll die, just as horribly as my daddy did.”

Her daddy?
Surely Candy couldn’t be talking about Jontee … could she?

It’s a possibility
, Cade said.

Annoyance swept through her. Was there ever going to be a time when this man stopped keeping secrets?
And when did you intend to tell me this?

When we knew for sure. We haven’t found her birth certificate yet
.

Well, there was one person who
did
know for sure. She returned her attention to Candy. “I was under the impression you were a fatherless bitch. Certainly no man wanted to claim you on your birth certificate.”

She snarled softly, anger gleaming in her eyes. “Just
because his name wasn’t on my certificate didn’t mean I didn’t know him.”

“The question is, did
I
know this nameless man?”

“Of course you did. You were fucking him at Rosehall, after all.”

“Ah. You must mean Jontee. I never killed him, you know. He did that himself, by doing what he did.” She paused, and to Cade said,
Who’s her mother?

We think it could be Jina Hawkins, Frankie’s older sister
.

So Jontee was doing them both?

There’s no proof, but it fits. He was only fifteen at the time
.

Told you he was charismatic
. To Candy, she said, “And how could you be Jontee’s kid? You’re too old to have come out of Rosehall and certainly your mother was never there.”

“She may not have been there, but she and Jontee shared a connection. She knew things. Saw things.” Candy’s gaze narrowed. “You betrayed him. You and that organizing bitch.”

She meant Nelle, obviously. “Is that why you set the bomb in my father’s diner? As payback for my perceived part in your father’s death?”

Malice glittered in the other woman’s eyes. “I’m not the ranger, you are. Find out yourself.”

“I will. Don’t worry about that.” Savannah finished the last of her coffee and pushed away from the wall. “So, tell me. Was what you did on the trail a blood frenzy or simply bloodlust?”

“What does it matter? I’m dead either way.”

Savannah stopped close to the bars, just out of Candy’s reach, and smashed the mug against the wall. It
broke—a sharp sound that made Candy jump. Shards of china scattered across the floor, glittering starkly against the dark carpet. She ignored them, concentrating on Candy, still holding the handle and one jagged piece of china in her hand.

Candy licked her lips, her uncertainty palpable. “You can’t cut me with that. It’s against the rules.”

“Who said I was going to cut
you
with it?” She raised her free hand and ran it across the sharp edge of the cup. The flesh across her palm parted and blood began to well, tainting the warm air with its richness. She clenched her fist, ignoring the pain as she met Candy’s widening gaze. “And you didn’t answer my question.”

Damn it
, Cade cut in,
there’s no need
—

This will work! She’s less afraid of me than you. Just stay where you are and watch
.

Candy licked her lips. “I can’t answer that question. It’ll incriminate me.”

Savannah snorted softly. “The three of us saw you standing over the bodies of the hikers and consuming their flesh. We don’t need you to admit to anything. Your fate will be the electric chair, regardless of what you do or don’t say here.”