Page 65 of Crimson Moon Falling

“We need backup and more weapons,” Parker grunted.

I had that fuzzy, hungover feeling from being buffeted by too many strong emotions and sleep deprivation. Guilt and grief clung to me like a fifty-pound coat. “What exactly are we going to do with more weapons? The Pack Council is partially compromised, and the authorities who’d usually investigate a conspiracy this big are the ones perpetrating it.”

Freda crossed her arms. “The Alphas are tied up with the registration vote, and you’re in the middle of a missing persons investigation, but it’s all connected. Drew is a Statistician, and you have that chip device in your head that pretty much makes you one too. I say we get a little sleep, then call Drew and make some plans.”

Just then, my phone rang. I looked down and saw Fergus’s name on my caller ID.

I glanced at Gunnar. “Our supervisor is calling. What do you want to do?”

“Fuck,” he sighed. “Take it, I guess. But give him just enough information to get him off our nuts.”

Freda raised an eyebrow. “I’ll be outside.”

I answered the call, and Fergus started yelling. “Where the hell have you been? I get a call from the FBCI saying you’re impeding one of their investigations, Alfson’s gone missing, and I don’t know anything about what’s happening with your case.”

Gunnar leaned over. “Don’t get your tighty whities in a wad, boss. I’m right here. And the FBCI Director himself came here with six other agents and tried to take one of our investigators without getting a warrant first. Maybe you should check your facts before you go off on us.”

“My tighty whities in a wad?” Fergus whispered hoarsely.

I picked up the phone and took him off speaker. “My partner’s on pain meds. You should disregard everything he just said, except he’s right about the FBCI.”

Fergus sniffed. “I’ve always disliked Langston. He’s an unpleasant man with an inferiority complex. But you brought heat onto the Investigative Branch. If you can’t keep Pack politics out of your work, we’ll need to rethink your position. Maybe an internal desk job will keep you safe and out of trouble.”

I gritted my teeth. “Sir, with all due respect, my Pack affiliation had nothing to do with my being kidnapped.” And tortured, I thought bitterly. “Or Langston wanting to interrogate me. He wanted information on the facility and what they did to me there.”

“Put him back on speaker,” Gunnar growled as Fergus started talking again.

I covered the mouthpiece. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Do it,” he growled.

I shook my head, but put the phone back on speaker and set it on the coffee table.

“…why the FBCI doesn’t like shifters,” Fergus finished.

Gunnar leaned in. “Langston said you authorized Riley to be picked up for questioning. Is that true?”

Fergus was quiet for a moment. “I didn’t ‘authorize’ anything, but I did tell him he could talk with her.”

Gunnar’s eyes narrowed. “You didn’t warn her. Why?”

“I didn’t know he planned to take her into custody and bring six agents with him,” Fergus said loudly. “Why aren’t there any new updates in the case file, and why haven’t you been checking in?”

Gunnar opened his mouth, but I beat him to it. “We’re checking leads, but we’ve been interrupted several times. Then I had to go back to Denver for my interview with the FBCI. But we’re on it. In fact, we have an appointment in a few minutes, so we need to hang up.”

Gunnar raised a bushy eyebrow, and I gave him a wide-eyed shrug. I had an appointment with my bed. That counted.

“I know you’re holding out on me, and probably making faces right now. Jesus, I thought you two would hate each other and be nagging at me for different partners. I expect an update by this time tomorrow.”

The line went dead.

Chapter 20

Conall

He stood at the head of the conference table, his palms flat on the polished mahogany, staring down the other Alphas in the room. Testosterone and aggression filled the air.

These Alphas could mobilize most of the wolf shifters across the country, and the sheer power and dominance crackling through the room left everyone on edge. The supple leather chairs didn’t quite accommodate their larger frames, except for Ingrid Glazer, the female Alpha of the Alaska Pack.