Free Last Wolf Standing by Rhyannon Byrd Page B

Mason muttered, running his hand over his jaw, wincing at the sound of his whiskers against his callused skin. He could’ve used a shower and a shave, but knew he wasn’t getting either. At least not anytime soon.
    “Nothing they can trace?”
    “Hell, there’s no trace of Lycan musk for them to even identify, but they mentioned a sharp odor like vinegar all over the place. They tried to track it at both sites, but it messed with their noses, which reminds me too much of what happened with Simmons today. Anyway, they’re heading back up to the Alley tomorrow, said they’ll bring us up to speed then.”
    “Good,” Jeremy grunted. “Because the killings are too ritualistic to be your average rogue kill. I’m telling you, man, I’ve got a bad feeling about it.”
    “Yeah, me, too.” Within the past few weeks, two female bodies had been found in wooded areas, not far from the Silvercrest pack’s territory. Both of the human victims had been blond and blue-eyed, both were clearly Lycan kills, and both had suffered the macabre fate of having their hearts eaten out of their chests. So far the Runners had been able to keep the grisly killings contained, but Mason knew they needed to settle the matter quickly, not only to ensure there wasn’t another victim, but to keep the pack’s existence safe from discovery. It was a challenge they constantly faced as Bloodrunners—one that became harder each year.
    And then there was the shocking discovery they’d made that afternoon, its potential consequences along the lines of earth-shattering. Simmons’s ability to dayshift was the kind of thing that could prove disastrous not only to the Runners, but the entire Lycan race.
    He was making a mental checklist of people he needed to question, when Jeremy suddenly said, “You know, I meant to say something earlier, but everything just started happening and I never got the chance.”
    Mason sent his partner a wary look. “What is it?”
    Jeremy rolled one shoulder in a restless gesture. “I just wanted to make sure that you’re handling this okay.”
    Oh, he knew exactly what Jeremy meant by this. Torrance. His mate.
    Mason tossed the cigarette on the ground, his voice tight as he asked, “Why wouldn’t I be?”
    “Come on, Mase,” Jeremy snorted, shaking his head. “I’m your partner. Your best friend, man.”
    “You make it sound like we’re going steady,” Mason grunted, knowing where this was headed, and not wanting to go there.
    “I’m just trying to say that…hell, I know how you’ve felt about this kind of stuff ever since Dean, and I know you never planned on it happening to you. Now that it has, I just wanted to make sure you were handling it okay.”
    “Yeah, I’m fine,” he stated flatly.
    “Are you sure?” Jeremy pressed, clearly unwilling to just let it go.
    Blowing out a rough breath of frustration, he growled, “Jesus, Jeremy, what do you want from me?”
    A lopsided smile played over Jeremy’s mouth, but his eyes burned with a directness that said he was seeing through Mason’s bluff. “The truth would be nice.”
    The truth? Damn, Mason wasn’t even sure what the truth was anymore. All he knew was that he had to keep Torrance safe. After that, he could figure out what the knot in his gut was about. Figure out how to deal with it. Until then he’d keep waiting, watching, making sure she was okay. Didn’t matter how long it took, because he knew Simmons. Knew the bastard wouldn’t be able to rest until he’d finished what he’d started. And when he made his move, Mason intended to be right there. Torrance Watson was just going to have to learn to deal with it, no matter how she felt about werewolves.
    Whether the fiery little redhead wanted him or not—she had him.
     
    “Torry, wake up! Come on, honey. Snap out of it. You’re having a dream…”
    Torrance could hear the urgent words, their sound muffled as if she were underwater. She struggled to make her way back, thrashing