was early. She wasn’t worried about
Michael and Kane showing up yet. The sun hadn’t risen and darkness still
blanketed the mountain.
She drank one cup of coffee and then another. She took a
third with her when she left her room. Her step was light and a smile curved
her lips as she exited the elevator.
Heading out of the hotel, Alana inhaled the crisp, early
spring air. The sky was beginning to lighten. The tangy scent of nearby trees
and water on the air exhilarated her. It made her long to get into her fur and
run. Her mood had brightened, but the day would probably be a little dreary.
Clouds darkened overhead and she could feel her Familiar
ability feeding the storm. The ability was mainly with lightning, but when she
called on it, storm clouds brewed as well. If there was enough moisture in the
air, it would rain, but she couldn’t control if it would or not.
It was something in the coffee that amped up her Familiar
powers. She’d ruled out the caffeine part early on. It didn’t matter if it was
decaf, instant, espresso, cappuccino or the other various ways the beverage was
made. Anything made with the beans drew the same reaction from her. Even food,
if it had the actual bean or a little of the drink in it and not simply a
flavoring.
Getting in her car, she let out a sigh of relief. Michael
and Kane weren’t here. Grateful for the time alone, she started the car and
drove out of the parking lot. She turned toward one of the roads out of town.
Since she wasn’t ready to deal with the Council or her mates yet, she’d go see
a few of the suspected abduction sites. She had a list. Maybe she could
discover what she was dealing with here. Taking a shifter wasn’t normal
practice for most of the known anti-shifter groups. They didn’t want to keep
the shifter.
Or witch. She had to remind herself that one of those who
disappeared was a witch. Most of those hate groups would simply kill a shifter
or witch and leave their bodies in plain sight as a warning to others.
The first fat drops of rain hit the windshield while she ran
through the possibilities. Alana wasn’t sure what was going on in Devoe. It
probably wasn’t simple. She suspected that the crimes had ties within the
community, but if the missing people were still alive, they probably weren’t held
in town. Just from the list of addresses, most of which were near or in Corona
City, she could tell some of the places were isolated and not likely to be
found by an outsider to the area.
She drove around the wide curve in the road that led out of
town. When she reached the short, straight section beyond it, her car simply
stopped. The motor still ran and the tires spun on the black top, but the
vehicle didn’t move. For a moment, she simply stared, unbelieving.
Finally, the squeal of tires cut through her astonishment.
She took her foot off the accelerator and slapped the seat in frustration. Damn
it. She wasn’t in the mood for any wizard tantrums today.
That’s what it had to be. When she got her hands on those
two, she was going to shred them. She expected to see another car stop near her
soon. Michael and Kane wouldn’t have done this without knowing where she was.
It took longer than she expected and the car, which pulled around
in front of hers, was a police cruiser. Michael or Kane definitely wouldn’t be
driving that vehicle. An officer got out of the car and looked up at the sky.
He shook his head before walking back to talk to her He came to the door and
tapped on the window.
Alana took a drink and then pushed the button to lower the
window. Rain gushed in on a wild breeze. She flinched back, but smirked as she
looked at the soaked officer. He definitely hadn’t been prepared for rain
today. Well, at least, she was going to get some amusement out of this. He
looked familiar, but a name wouldn’t come to her.
“Hello, Alana, they told us to expect to find you having a
few problems today if you tried to leave the area.” The officer
Michael and Kane showing up yet. The sun hadn’t risen and darkness still
blanketed the mountain.
She drank one cup of coffee and then another. She took a
third with her when she left her room. Her step was light and a smile curved
her lips as she exited the elevator.
Heading out of the hotel, Alana inhaled the crisp, early
spring air. The sky was beginning to lighten. The tangy scent of nearby trees
and water on the air exhilarated her. It made her long to get into her fur and
run. Her mood had brightened, but the day would probably be a little dreary.
Clouds darkened overhead and she could feel her Familiar
ability feeding the storm. The ability was mainly with lightning, but when she
called on it, storm clouds brewed as well. If there was enough moisture in the
air, it would rain, but she couldn’t control if it would or not.
It was something in the coffee that amped up her Familiar
powers. She’d ruled out the caffeine part early on. It didn’t matter if it was
decaf, instant, espresso, cappuccino or the other various ways the beverage was
made. Anything made with the beans drew the same reaction from her. Even food,
if it had the actual bean or a little of the drink in it and not simply a
flavoring.
Getting in her car, she let out a sigh of relief. Michael
and Kane weren’t here. Grateful for the time alone, she started the car and
drove out of the parking lot. She turned toward one of the roads out of town.
Since she wasn’t ready to deal with the Council or her mates yet, she’d go see
a few of the suspected abduction sites. She had a list. Maybe she could
discover what she was dealing with here. Taking a shifter wasn’t normal
practice for most of the known anti-shifter groups. They didn’t want to keep
the shifter.
Or witch. She had to remind herself that one of those who
disappeared was a witch. Most of those hate groups would simply kill a shifter
or witch and leave their bodies in plain sight as a warning to others.
The first fat drops of rain hit the windshield while she ran
through the possibilities. Alana wasn’t sure what was going on in Devoe. It
probably wasn’t simple. She suspected that the crimes had ties within the
community, but if the missing people were still alive, they probably weren’t held
in town. Just from the list of addresses, most of which were near or in Corona
City, she could tell some of the places were isolated and not likely to be
found by an outsider to the area.
She drove around the wide curve in the road that led out of
town. When she reached the short, straight section beyond it, her car simply
stopped. The motor still ran and the tires spun on the black top, but the
vehicle didn’t move. For a moment, she simply stared, unbelieving.
Finally, the squeal of tires cut through her astonishment.
She took her foot off the accelerator and slapped the seat in frustration. Damn
it. She wasn’t in the mood for any wizard tantrums today.
That’s what it had to be. When she got her hands on those
two, she was going to shred them. She expected to see another car stop near her
soon. Michael and Kane wouldn’t have done this without knowing where she was.
It took longer than she expected and the car, which pulled around
in front of hers, was a police cruiser. Michael or Kane definitely wouldn’t be
driving that vehicle. An officer got out of the car and looked up at the sky.
He shook his head before walking back to talk to her He came to the door and
tapped on the window.
Alana took a drink and then pushed the button to lower the
window. Rain gushed in on a wild breeze. She flinched back, but smirked as she
looked at the soaked officer. He definitely hadn’t been prepared for rain
today. Well, at least, she was going to get some amusement out of this. He
looked familiar, but a name wouldn’t come to her.
“Hello, Alana, they told us to expect to find you having a
few problems today if you tried to leave the area.” The officer
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