I looked down at this woman. She didn’t have to prove anything—she just was. She was the opposite of Selene in every way. “I’d gladly trade myself for Marcy, but how do we know they won’t kill her anyway once we arrange a swap? What we need to do is break her out before they see us coming.”
Tally cocked her head, examining me, taking in my ragged appearance and my big talk. “You think you can defeat the entire Sect of Sorcerers on your own? With your ragtag crew”—she gazed over my shoulder—“and all your powerful combat spells?” She gestured at the boys. “These aren’t games for children. This is big. The High Council of Sorcerers is heavily guarded and you can’t just waltz in undetected.” Her voice ended on an edge and things in the room vibrated with energy. I glanced down at her fingertips and they were sparking, manifesting physically, just like Selene’s had. Tally’s signature was purple.
“No, but you could,” I said.
Surprise flashed over her features. “No. Even I couldn’t walk in under the radar. My radar is too big. What I could do is blow the place up—and likely my niece in the process—but that’s only if I could find it. These are wizards, not bunny rabbits. They are highly skilled and dangerous. I can break their wards, but that doesn’t get me anywhere, because they would be waiting for me with more. They wouldn’t just kidnap my niece willy-nilly. They know what I can do. This is a well-thought-out attack, and they’ve likely taken her to a place we won’t be able to find in time. Only a ransom will work without killing everyone in the process.”
“You might not be able to find them, but we can.” I walked toward the door. “Our noses are perfectly suited for tracking.”
“That’s big talk coming from a newborn wolf.” Tally took a step toward me and power crackled in the air. Rourke growled behind me. “I don’t care if you’re the only female born to your race, it doesn’t mean you can automatically defeat an army of Sorcerers with no training.”
“No, but together we can.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What are you proposing?”
“We pick up her scent, find where they’ve taken her, and get her back.”
“And what about the wolf who already went after her?” Tally said. “If it was that easy, he would have her back already.”
“Huh?” I wasn’t expecting that. “What wolf? What are you talking about?” I took a quick breath in to see if I could smell anything, but under Tally’s large signature, my entire office smelled like a wolf den. The entire Pack had been here last week. Wolf scent lingered all over. How did Tally know who’d gone after her?
“He won’t succeed, by the way, but he might have a lead,” she said begrudgingly. “If you can get ahold of him, we might have a place to start.”
“I’m sorry, but I still don’t know who you’re talking about exactly.”
She reached out to grab my arm and three sets of snarls rent the air along with a very polite, “Ms. Tally, I’m sure we can work this all out. There’s no need to get hostile.”
She ignored every single snarl and addressed them all with a glare. “I’m not abducting her, you fools. I’m taking her outside. With your superior scent detection—things wolves love to brag about—are you all telling me that you missed the most important piece of this so far?”
She tugged me by the shirtsleeve out of the office. Everyone trailed after her. She was a remarkably strong woman for such a tiny person. I had no idea how old she was, and witches aged differently than shifters, but I was thinking old.
She yanked open the door to the parking lot, the one we’d all just tiptoed through, and marched us directly across the asphalt, coming to a stop by a large patch of bushes.
I walked a few paces closer, my fingers reaching out to touch the green leaves. I took a big breath in and inhaled, pulling the night air over my tongue. My eyebrows shot up into my hairline and I turned around, meeting a few more surprised faces. We’d all scented the same thing.
“James.”
The End of Book Two.
The story continues in book three of The Jessica McClain Series:
Cold Blooded
Acknowledgments
To my husband, Bill. You are amazing. There’s no way I could embark on this journey without you. You’ve supported me at every turn, you pick up the slack at home with no complaint, and you keep me laughing. I love you.
To my kids, Paige, Nat, and Jane. Thanks for putting up with cheese and crackers for dinner and being patient with my deadlines. You guys are amazing. Someday you’ll get to read my books. I promise.
To my agent, Nicole Resciniti. You are beyond wonderful. You cheer me on, put up with my stress, and believe in me like no other. You’re so talented at what you do and have such a great heart. Thank you for all you do.
To Amanda Bonilla for keeping me sane all the time and without question. You are such a bright light on this journey and I’m so very thankful to have you in my life.