Free Kindling Flames—Gathering Tinder by Julie Wetzel

gone.
    Darien leaned against the open windowsill with his arms crossed over his chest. “Now, what do you mean by coming here during business hours and accosting my employees?”
    Rupert turned serious. “Have you heard about the recent murders?”
    “The ones the reporters have dubbed the ‘Southside Slaughters’?” Darien asked.
    Rupert nodded.
    “I’ve been following them in the papers. What about them?”
    “There was another fire last night.”
    Darien shrugged at this information. “So?”
    “The shredded victims were all my wolves,” Rupert said grimly. He was the local pack alpha, and, although he was a rough man, he cared dearly for all the people in his pack.
    Darien uncrossed his arms and stared at Rupert in shock. He had assumed that the torn up bodies had something to do with a rampant werewolf. Such things normally were, but for something to have torn up werewolves without being seen or heard by anyone was insane. “If these murders weren’t caused by your kind, what did it?”
    Rupert shrugged. “I was hoping you could help us find out,” the alpha wolf explained. “There’ve been other strange happenings in the south side before the fires started, and we had been trying to track down the cause of the trouble. So far, we’ve been unsuccessful. I was hoping the Vampire Council would be able to help.”
    Darien looked at him, astonished. It had been a long time since the werewolves and vampires had gotten together to deal with anything. The last time had ended badly, and the two groups usually avoided each other like the plague. “You, of all people, should know there are difficulties between the vampires and the wolves,” Darien pointed out.
    Rupert nodded. “That’s why I’m coming to you. You’re the only one in town on neutral ground with both groups. Please, Master Darien,” Rupert begged, “we can’t handle this by ourselves.”
    Darien sighed deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to ward off the headache that he knew this would cause. How could he refuse a begging pack alpha? “All right,” he relented, “but you owe me twice for this. Once for dealing with the Vampire Council and once for injuring my people. And, I expect you and yours to be nice to Miss Westernly in the future. She works too hard to be treated with such disrespect.”
    “You have my word.” Rupert bowed deeply, accepting the demand of two boons. He would have given much more to ensure the safety of his pack. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to go visit my sister before leaving.”
    Darien waved him off with a growled warning not to disturb anyone else on his way out.
    Rupert agreed, chuckling as he exited the office.
    Darien looked over at the sleeping form of his assistant. He was going to have to get something to quiet his hunger before he really did sink his fangs into that undefended neck of hers.
    ***
    Vicky tried to breathe deeply as she woke, but coughed when the air caught in a sore place in her throat. She let out a pained noise as she raised her hand to her neck and touched it gently. Her eyes opened to reveal an unfamiliar ceiling. Rolling her head over to look at the room around her, she was shocked to find she was lying down on the couch in Darien’s office. Someone had placed a woven blanket across her to keep her warm.
    Pulling herself into a sitting position, Vicky puzzled over how she got into this predicament. She could just remember the violent man lifting her against the door, but everything after that was missing. Vicky could see her boss working on some project at his desk. When she tried to stand up, her head spun violently, and she sat back down.
    “Careful there.” Darien got up from his work and sat on the edge of the couch next to where Vicky was hunched over. He pulled her up, so he could look in her eyes to make sure she would be okay. “You’ve had a nasty shock.”
    She moved limply under his gentle hands. “Is he gone?” Vicky croaked hoarsely.