Page 11 of Assisting the Alpha
“Yes, but not well. They’re all—wereall a fair bit older than me.”
“I’m investigating their murders. You’ll be assisting me as and when I need you.”
I swallow hard and nod, even though he’s not looking at me. “Good.”
Ethan glances at me but doesn’t say anything else, leaving me too much time to think. Frida was killed just a few days ago and her death, added to the other two, is making the entire coven nervous. Female coven members don’t go into the neutral zone alone anymore, especially after dark, since all three women disappeared from there before being found dead days later. In fact, most people are staying home at night as much as possible.
Ethan parks on a street in the Southern Quarter, the area of the neutral zone nearest cat territory. Since he doesn’t get out, I wait.
“We finally have access to the crime scene where Frida Clemens was killed. I haven’t seen it yet, but I want you to let me know if you sense any magical residue or evidence of spellwork.”
Shit. “Okay.”
His nostrils flare, but he doesn’t look at me. “If this is too much, you can wait in the car.”
I steel myself for whatever I’m about to see. Her body won’t still be there; I know that much. “The bastard who did this needs to be caught. I don’t know if I’ll be any help, but I want to try.”
This is exactly the chance Nyoka wouldn’t give me. Well, not seeing a murder scene exactly, but the opportunity to make a difference.
Ethan considers me for a moment, then gets out of the car. I follow him towards a narrow back alley blocked off with human police tape. As soon as we get close, I recognise the leopard shifter in the human police uniform guarding the scene.
My smile is a little forced considering the circumstances. “Jack, how’s it going?”
Jack greets me with a bro hug. “Hey, what are you doing here? Nyoka finally let you off the leash?”
“Not in this lifetime, bro. Nah, this is my new boss, Ethan Lupo of Soldati Security. You got us on your access list?”
Jack’s nostrils flare as he assesses Ethan, but ultimately nods. “Yeah, you can both go past. Your fam haven’t been here yet. Should be an uncontaminated scene. Keep it that way, yeah?”
“Yeah, I got you. No worries.” I duck under the tape with Ethan, very aware that he stayed silent throughout that entire interaction.
I wait until we get far enough down the alley that Jack can’t hear us. “Jack doesn’t like wolves, but if you need any deets from him, let me know and I’ll ask.”
Ethan’s jaw remains firm, and he gives me a sharp nod. “Noted.”
It’s not exactly a thank-you, but baby steps. If the man is concerned about my loyalties or confidentiality, I’m not going to win him over in a day.
A bit further on, we both stop at the same time. Faint bloodstains streak the cobbles despite last night’s rain, and my magic tingles unhappily. I don’t know how long I stare at the same spot while Ethan moves around the area, alternating between inhaling and examining things without touching them. Eventually, he comes back over to me.
“What do you sense?” His voice is quiet, respectful.
I blink a few times and manage to meet his eyes. “She didn’t die in this spot.”
“Elaborate.”
“A magical death leaves a residue. It varies in intensity depending on the power level of the magic-user, the location where they died, and how recently the body was in a specific place. As a witch, Frida didn’t have a lot of magical power, but it was enough that if she’d been killed in this alley there’d be a lot more residue than there is. There’s death here… but not enough. Fuck, that probably doesn’t make sense.” I press my palm to where my focus lies under my shirt, not sure how to explain it better.
Ethan turns and studies the spot I’ve been staring at. “It makes more sense than you’d think. Based on the way she was killed, there would be a lot more blood if she’d died here. Either the bloodstains would cover a larger area, or rain would have washed all of it away before it dried.”
“How was she killed?” I immediately regret my question.
Thankfully, Ethan just scowls. “Later. I can smell a small amount of magic that isn’t yours, but it’s barely there. I’m notgetting any distinct species scents. Is there any evidence she tried to defend herself magically?”
I shake my head. “If she did, it wasn’t here. It would have been difficult unless she had a charm on her, though. Witches need time to prepare the spells they perform, as well as the right ingredients.”
Ethan nods, expression thoughtful. “I think we’ve done all we can here. I want you to walk around this area with me. Talk me through any supe businesses, discreetly of course, and any reason a witch might have had for being in this part of the neutral zone late at night. While it seems likely she didn’t die here, there may be a reason her body was dumped in this location, or she may have been killed close by.”
“Of course.” My voice comes out a little hoarse, and Ethan eyes me. “I’m fine.”
