Free Last Wolf Standing by Rhyannon Byrd Page A

Muse. The quaint two-story sat at the end of a secluded, tree-lined street in an older, historic neighborhood of the city of Covington, surrounded by dense forest on three sides.
    On the surface Mason remained cool and calm, focused on watching the house to ensure she stayed safe—but on the inside, he still burned with a cold, relentless fury.
    He couldn’t believe she’d run out on him. Again.
    When he discovered that she’d escaped through the bathroom window, they’d taken off after her on foot, until Pallaton had called him and said she’d shown up back at Michaela’s Muse. Shortly after that they left the shop, and the Runners had followed her here to her friend’s house. He and Jeremy had parked the Tahoe several blocks away, then cut across the woods, until coming up on the back of the house. Then they’d planted themselves just within the cover of the forest and settled in for a long, cold night. Around them the wind surged, brutal and raw, while heavy storm clouds all but blanketed the glow of the moon, lending an ominous atmosphere to accompany his already crappy mood.
    “Man, she’s good,” Jeremy drawled, leaning his shoulder against a nearby tree. The blond whistled softly under his breath as they watched Torrance’s silhouette pass a second-story window in what was probably a guest bedroom. “There she is, all snuggly and warm in the house, while we’re out here freezing our asses off.”
    “I still can’t believe she tried to ditch me,” Mason grunted, lighting a new cigarette and taking a long drag, welcoming the burn of the smoke in his lungs, its acrid scent filling his nose. Yeah, he was pissed at her for bailing, and even more pissed at himself for ignoring his instincts when he’d allowed her to go off to the bathroom by herself. But he’d been trying not to spook her, and it had turned around and bitten him on the ass. Hard.
    “Forget ‘tried,’” Jeremy countered, his grin wry. “Her cute little backside definitely ditched you. Twice in one day. I gotta admit,” he confessed with a low chuckle, shoving his hands in the front pockets of his jeans as a brittle breeze whipped through the trees, ruffling their hair, “that I’ve always wondered what kind of woman would knock you on your arrogant ass.”
    “Yeah, well,” Mason muttered, staring at the window as if he could will her to reappear, “I’m glad I’ve been able to provide you with some worthy entertainment.”
    “Hey, what are friends for?”
    “Just remember that payback is going to be a bitch, and now the battle lines are drawn.”
    From the corner of his eye, he watched Jeremy’s cocky smirk slip into a scowl. “Meaning?”
    “Meaning I’m no longer going out of my way to help you avoid a certain little fair-haired witch.”
    His partner cursed softly under his breath. “You’re such a bastard, Mase. I always knew you played dirty.”
    “Just don’t forget it,” he warned, taking another long drag.
    Jeremy bent his knees, propping his back against the neighboring elm. After a few moments of silence, he cocked one tawny brow in Mason’s direction. “So what’s our next move?”
    “We wait to see if he shows.”
    “It’s quiet as hell out here,” Jeremy murmured, resting his arms on his knees as he leaned his head back against the trunk. “Not even the crickets are chirping. If he gets close, we’ll know it, even if we can’t pick up his scent.”
    Mason nodded, moving his gaze over the back of the house. “If he gets close, he’s gonna die.”
    “You hear from Pallaton again?”
    “I talked to him while you were running recon on the street. He and Reyes are combing over the warehouse district here in Covington, checking it out, but nothing’s turned up yet. Brody and Cian are still over in Delaine, working on that second murder.”
    Jeremy lifted his head, his straight brows pulled together in a scowl. “They still trying to finger the rogue?”
    “Yeah, and they’ve got nothing,”