We stepped through the gates and into the small courtyard. It already looked like a different place. The rubbish had beencleared away and the weeds had been uprooted. I nodded approvingly as someone called out from the rooftop to my left. I glanced up and spotted two workmen carefully replacing the broken window.
The wolf beside me followed my gaze. ‘A game of football that went wrong,’ he said wryly.
I smiled faintly, then he led me inside.
There were very few circumstances under which I would have openly entered the Barrow wolf stronghold on my own. For that matter, there were very few circumstances when I’d have openly enteredanywerewolf stronghold without extensive back-up. Right here, right now, however, I definitely had the upper hand. No wolf, not even Thane’s hot-headed half-brother would lift a finger against me.
Captain Montgomery had returned the bone boxes and their painfully extracted magic to their original owners – apart from the box belonging to Ashina Barrow. I still had that one. The Barrow alpha wouldn’t receive her wolf until she’d satisfied my conditions. It wasn’t fair, but I didn’t care. Thane was on board with my actions and that was all that mattered.
I was taken through a long hallway with wooden floors and dust-free corners to reach a large anteroom with closed double doors at the far end. The wolf gestured to a chair set against a wall. ‘I will inform Alpha Ashina that you are here,’ he said. ‘Please wait one moment.’
I didn’t bother sitting down; instead I walked over to the wall opposite. Doubtless the real reason for the delay was to give me time to peruse the large display of photographs of important Barrow werewolves from the past eight decades. Naturally there was no picture of Thane, though young Cayden was deemed important enough for a spot.
I glanced at the picture of Ashina Barrow then flicked my narrowed gaze towards Mark Barrow, Thane’s dead uncle.There were laughter lines around his eyes and mischievous amusement in his face. He looked friendly, approachable and kind. I snorted derisively and turned my back on him. It was a tiny rebellion but I felt better for it.
The double doors swung open and a loud male voice invited me to enter. As I walked into the room, I absently plucked at some strands of cat hair that had seemingly glued themselves to my sleeve and allowed my peripheral vision to do my work for me. The room was large, well-appointed and dominated by a large chair in the centre. There were antique cabinets and unremarkable paintings on the walls. There was also a window ajar on the right-hand side.
Five werewolves, including Cayden Barrow, were present. Ashina Barrow was in the centre, seated in the chair with a blanket draped over her. She was very pale, sunken-eyed and almost skeletal. Clearly she’d been struggling with the loss of her wolf for some time.
‘You will understand, Ms McCafferty,’ she said in a papery whisper, ‘why I do not get up to greet you.’
I met her eyes; they were the same vivid green as Thane’s although her hair colour was brown rather than coppery red. ‘Sure,’ I said with a dismissive wave of my hand. ‘Stay where you are.’
The man to Ashina Barrow’s left, whom I immediately recognised as my old pal Grizzly, straightened his shoulders and spoke up. ‘I cannot help noticing that you are empty-handed,’ he said.
I deliberately played dumb. ‘I was told that weapons wouldn’t be allowed. I gave my word that I wouldn’t bring any.’ He glared. ‘Oh,’ I said. ‘Are you saying that I should have brought a gift? Some flowers perhaps?’
Grizzly wasn’t the only member of the Barrow household who looked pissed off.
‘He’s saying,’ snapped Cayden, ‘that you should have brought the box containing my mother’s wolf.’
I smiled. ‘So you could wrap your hands around my throat and wrest it from me?’ I clicked my tongue. ‘That wouldn’t be a very clever move on my part, would it?’
‘I apologise for my son’s actions,’ Ashina Barrow interjected. ‘That should not have happened.’ For someone knocking on death’s door, she was managing remarkably well.
‘Although you are not blameless yourself, Ms McCafferty,’ she said, eyeing me with a sharp coldness that continued to belie her immediate health problems. ‘We have investigated you and we know that you are friendly with my other son, regardless of what you may have suggested during your last visit here.’
I tilted my head. ‘Oh, I’m not justfriendlywith Thane.’ I allowed my smile to extend until I was grinning ear to ear. ‘He’s been in my house. He’s slept in my bed. I’ve kissed him.’ I paused. ‘Not just on his mouth. I’ve seen every inch of him naked.’ I didn’t look away from Ashina Barrow. ‘Including the deep scars on his back.’
She stiffened. Doubtless she was little more than a shadow of the woman she usually was, but she wasn’t without strength. Her green eyes glittered coldly and I felt the temperature in the room drop by several degrees. I looked away, glanced at the open window then returned my gaze to her.
‘So it’s true then,’ she whispered. ‘You are here on his behalf. What does he want? Money? Blood? Does he want to see me suffer?’
I was surprised that she didn’t click her fingers for mournful violins to accompany her words. Was I supposed to feel sorry for her? ‘Thane has no need of your money. He’s far richer than the entire Barrow pack.’
‘Yeah, right,’ Cayden spat sarcastically.
Ashina reached across and placed a trembling hand on his arm. He continued to huff and bristle but he shut up. Small mercies.
‘Nor does Thane want blood,’ I continued as if Cayden hadn’t spoken. ‘He has no great desire for vengeance, no matter how much is owed.’
Cayden snarled again; so did Grizzly and the other werewolves, for that matter.
Ashina Barrow flinched. Her reaction was barely perceptible but I noticed it. I licked my lips and lifted my chin. ‘In return for the bone box containing your wolf, all I ask is for some information. If you tell me what…’
She interrupted before I could finish my sentence. ‘Leave us.’ She wasn’t talking to me.
Grizzly stiffened but he didn’t need to be told twice. He threw a quick glance at Ashina’s face then marched out of the room with the other three werewolves beside him.
