Page 64 of Investigation of a Quest

“Eamon…” Rollo shifted his weight to block his view of the unsightly buildings. Nothing surrounded the abandoned industrial park, but the three alphas hid below the trees miles away, where Morana promised the curse couldn’t reach.

“What do you mean, was?” Eamon surged forward, but Ethan caught him with a palm to the chest.

“There’s blood,” the werewolf said. “Her blood… a lot of it.”

“No!” Eamon pushed against the wolf’s restraint, but Ethan shoved him further into the trees. “Let go of me.”

“Eamon, calm down.” Rollo tightened his grip.

“How much blood?”

“Eamon…”

“How much blood?” Eamon roared. “Is she alive?”

“Calm down!”

“Is she alive?”

“I don’t know,” Rollo said. “It’s fresh, and there’s a lot. Too much.”

“You said she wouldn’t kill her until I was close.” Eamon whirled on Morana, grabbing her violently by the biceps as he yanked her off the ground. “You said she would be okay if I stayed away.”

“I…” the witch’s voice faltered. “I thought… maybe she didn’t need you close. Maybe she just needed your detective’s heart.”

“You stopped me from going after Isobel!” Eamon released her arm and seized her throat, squeezing with all the rage and panic pumping through his veins. “You stopped me from rescuing her, and now you tell me that this witch might only require her heart?”

“Eamon!” Ewan grabbed his friend and tried to pull him off the choking witch. “Eamon, stop. You’re going to kill her.”

“Good!” he growled. “She let my Isobel die. She was supposed to guard Morrigan’s tomb, but she failed, and now the woman I love is dead.”

“Eamon!” Ewan barreled into the dhampir, knocking the larger man to his knees and forcing him to drop Morana. She collapsed, choking and gasping onto the forest floor, but Eamon showed no such sign of weakness. He was on his feet in seconds and captured the bear shifter by the throat. “You dare to stop me?” He roared as Ewan fought to escape his death grip, but it was of little use. He was helpless in his human form, and Eamon threw him into the trees.

“Eamon, stop!” Rollo jumped in front of him, but Eamon flung him to the dirt. “You can’t go after her!” He spat blood onto the ground. “The witch will curse you.”

“If Isobel is dead, who cares if she curses me?” Eamon didn’t stop walking. He stalked through the trees like the devil himself until the hairs on the nape of his neck pricked.

“Eamon, stop!” Ewan’s voice contorted as the sound of ripping flesh tore through the air. “Don’t do this.”

“I am your alpha!” Eamon said. “I am your god. How dare you⁠—”

Ewan cut him off, his massive bear plowing into his chest. Man and animal went down hard, but Eamon recovered from his shock and threw the bear into the nearest tree, cracking it in half with the force.

“Stop!” Morana screamed. “Stop before she hears you. We’re too close!”

“Shut up!” Eamon rose to his feet and continued his race toward the concrete buildings.

“Eamon!” Rollo charged after him, mutating mid-stride as the wolf burst from his human body. “Don’t make me kill you!”

“As if you could kill me.” Eamon spun so fast that Ethan didn’t have time to slow, and the dhampir caught him by the throat, shoving him high into the air as he readied to snap his neck.

“When it’s two to one, we might!” Ewan’s bear charged forward, his fangs digging into Eamon’s shoulders as he ripped him away from the wolf.

“Three to one.” Morana contorted her fingers as she summoned her magic, and Eamon smiled at the creatures raging before him.

“I’m going to have fun killing you!” His body went stone-still as he calculated his attack. “Three against one means nothing. You will all die for keeping me from Isobel.”

“No.” Ethan’s claws extended as he readied for the battle. “You’re the one who has to die. We’re too late to save Isobel, but we aren’t too late to save the world. Morrigan can’t have you.”