The Wolven by Deborah LeBlanc Page A

coroner would have dispatched one of his assistants to make the pickup. But normal meant Simon and Nicole would have been in human form. The fact that they remained in were-state called for a different strategy.
    They reached River Road before Danyon had a chance to ask how she’d heard the idling engine, so he tucked the question away for later. As he’d suspected, Andy’s black SUV was parked on the side of the road facing the levee.
    Andy got out of the SUV as soon as he spotted them. He was taller than Danyon and twice his weight and bulk. His skin was the color of slate, and his thick black hairwas braided in multiple rows, each braid hanging down to the middle of his back.
    “What you got, boss?” Andy asked.
    “A nasty clean up,” Danyon said. “And I need you to keep quiet about it.”
    “Zipped lip, boss, you know me.” Andy looked over at Shauna, and Danyon saw from his expression that he thought her being there was a huge mistake. Although Danyon agreed, he had to respect the fact that she was their Keeper.
    Andy gave her a short nod. “Ms. MacDonald.”
    Shauna returned the greeting. “Andy.”
    “Where’s Andrea?” Danyon asked him.
    “The kid was bad off. Really upset. So I told her to stay put, have a drink to calm herself down.”
    “Good call. Did you bring the tarps?”
    “You know it. Andrea told me you said messy, and metal, too, so I brought wire cutters, a hacksaw, gloves, stuff like that. Oh, yeah, and flashlights.” Andy leaned into the open driver’s window of the SUV and pulled out two Maglites.
    “Perfect.” Danyon grabbed both, turned one of them on and aimed it at the thicket about three hundred feet away. “Get one of the tarps and meet us over there.”
    Andy nodded and headed for the back of the SUV.
    “Ready or not,” Danyon said to Shauna, then signaled for her to follow.
    “Where’s Paul?” she asked.
    “He’s supposed to be keeping watch over there.”
    When they got halfway to the thicket, Paul came running out of the shadows. “Man, am I glad to see—” He did a double take when he saw Shauna, looked back at Danyon. “I thought you didn’t want us to tell nobody?”
    Shauna jumped in before he had a chance to answer. “You know I’m the wolvens’ Keeper, Paul,” she said. “It’s important that I be involved in this.”
    “Uh…okay.”
    Grateful that they didn’t have to explain further, Danyon asked Paul, “Any problems?”
    “Just that you took too long. Other than that, nothin’.”
    “Good.” Danyon held a flashlight out to Paul. “Hang on to this. When we get back there, I’ll need you to aim the light where I tell you. I want to—”
    “When we get back where?” Paul asked, frowning.
    “To Simon. I want to take a closer look at his body, make sure we’re not missing any—”
    “Whoa!” Paul jumped back as if the flashlight was ready to strike out and bite. “Why…why you gotta do that? They’re gonna do all the examin’ over at the morgue, right?”
    “Not with Simon in that condition they’re not,” Danyon said. “We can’t let anyone see him that way.”
    “But somebody’s gonna start asking where Simon’s at anyway,” Paul said, pacing a short, two-step path. “Somebody’s gotta eventually see him.”
    “Word will get out to the wolven soon enough, but nobody else needs to know right now. We take care of our own, remember? I’ll make sure Simon’s well taken care of, don’t worry.”
    Paul whimpered and paced faster, almost spinning inplace. “Danyon, I—I know…I know we need to take care of him. I know we gotta, but I can’t do it. I’m—I’m—I been sittin’ here like you said. I been doin’ good, so don’t make me, okay? D-Don’t make me hold the light. P-Please, I can’t—don’t make me hold the light.”
    “I’ll do it,” Shauna said. She held a hand out to Danyon. “I’ll help with the flashlight and whatever else you need help with. Looks like Paul’s been through enough