Terry Spear - Destiny of the Wolf

Tom served up the lasagna and Jake finished the salad and set it on the table, both casting them a sideways glance. She assumed it was a sore subject.

Darien kissed Lelandi’s mouth, then smiled and hugged her tight. “Let’s eat.”

She frowned at the dismissal. “What about your uncle? He might be the key to knowing what Trevor was doing the night he said he was working a mudslide.’

Darien pulled out her chair. “We’ll discuss it later. This afternoon, we’ll have a memorial service for Doc.”

“What about for Ritka?” Tom asked.

Darien cast him an annoyed look like he shouldn’t have mentioned it. “Her family wants a private ceremony. Immediate family only.”

Jake and Tom exchanged glances but neither said a word.

Lelandi hated it when the brothers knew something she didn’t and were bent on keeping it from her. “Okay, so why do they want a private ceremony? Is this done regularly here?”

Back home pack members buried their kind. No one had a simple, family ceremony, although humans were excluded. She assumed humans would come to Doc’s funeral since his work had impacted so many in the community.

“That’s what the family agreed upon,” Darien said casually, giving her a look like he wanted her to leave it at that.

“But it’s not normal. Which means something. Care to speculate?”

“No.”

“It means,” Lelandi said, clenching her teeth, “since Ritka was involved in my sister’s death, her family’s too ashamed to have the pack witness the burial.”

None of them said anything.

“Right?”

“It means the family wanted it. Nothing more to it than that.” Darien’s voice had a warning edge to it.

“Sorry, if I don’t agree.”

Darien let out a harsh breath. “They feel your sister contributed to her death.”

Lelandi’s jaw tightened and she fought tears welling up deep inside.

“They know they can’t exclude you from the funeral without offending me, but they look at you and are reminded of Larissa. So they are having a private funeral. Most likely she was involved in the blackmail. But we have no hard evidence to support this theory.”

Lelandi got up abruptly from the table. “There’s no need. You and the rest of the pack can go. I wouldn’t want to deprive them of their leader’s presence.”

Darien seized her wrist and made her sit back down. “They made their decision. Under the circumstances, it’s best for all concerned.”

Because Ritka was involved in Larissa‘s death.

“All right,” she said. “so tell me—when Ritka screamed for Trevor at the hospital, why didn’t he stop Joe?”

Jake and Tom concentrated on their lasagna while Darien placed his fork on his plate and leaned away from the table. “When Joe saw Trevor was guarding Ural, he knocked him out.”

“Really,” Lelandi said, rolling her eyes.

“He had a concussion, Lelandi. So yes, really.”

“And my brother and uncle conveniently got the better of him in the jail. Maybe Trevor needs a different job.”

“Uncle Sheridan counseled him.”

“ Hmpf . He needs a heck of a lot more than counseling.”

“As to another matter,” Darien said, “we’ll have a Thanksgiving feast for the pack.”

She figured the feast was a tradition they’d always carried out like so many people did across the States until she saw the questioning glances on his brothers’ faces. “Why?” she asked, because Jake and Tom wouldn’t, and she figured something more had to be up.

“A feast to give thanks that I have a mate. Is that not reason enough?” Darien’s expression was lighthearted, but the façade didn’t hide the darkness brewing beneath the surface.

She offered a smile. “I’m sure everyone will enjoy a feast, no matter the reason. Free food puts everyone in good spirits.”

“Where did you want to have this feast?” Jake asked, his voice shadowed. “The civic auditorium? School gym? The tavern, perhaps?”

“Here.” Darien lifted his cup to his lips.

Lelandi suspected the worst. Darien knew who killed her sister, and he needed the majority of the pack together.

The feast was the battleground. Or at least the beginning. The battle would take place in the woods, secluded from town, perfect for a fight between wolves.

Her eyes filling with tears, she sat back in her chair. Ever since she’d learned her sister had died, she’d had this overwhelming ache to right the wrong, to avenge her sister’s death. And now Darien knew who it was? But he would have told her right away if he’d planned to. Which meant he was keeping it a secret. Anger and upset bottled up inside threatened to spill out. She fought the emotions, trying to maintain a cool, alpha stance. “Who is it?”

“He’ll reveal himself when the time comes.”

She ground her teeth, attempting to stay calm, but her blood was running hot.

Jake scraped his empty wineglass across the oak table.

“What, Jake? You know how much doing that annoys me.”

“Does he know you suspect him?”

“Who?” Lelandi asked in exasperation. She quickly brushed away insolent tears that dared streak down her cheeks. She was not a wilting damn flower.

Darien looked torn between comforting her and being the indomitable pack leader and setting up the rules. “I’m not sure, but I won’t openly speculate. Too much of that has been going on of late. Several pack members have unduly ostracized Trevor because many think he had a hand in Larissa’s death. At the feast, the murderer will reveal himself. That’s all I’ll say.”

“I’ll organize the men to cook the turkeys beforehand at the school,” Jake offered.

“Tom, I want you to get the word out to the pack about the feast.”

“Will do, Darien. I can coordinate the efforts of those making the vegetables.”

“Good.” Darien turned to Lelandi.

She couldn’t stand his seeing how teary-eyed she’d become. Looking down at the table, she swallowed the lump in her throat.

“Lelandi,” he said softly, “maybe you, Carol, and Silva can make some more of those apple pies that everyone loved so much?”

Her heart aching to the core, she glowered at him. “You know who it is, don’t you?”

“Leave us,” he said to his brothers.

“We’ll make the arrangements at once,” Jake said.

Tom inclined his head slightly to Lelandi, then the two brothers hastened to leave the dining room.

Darien didn’t move from his chair, but just studied Lelandi.

Why did he have to keep her in the dark? Why?

He rose from his chair and walked around the table to join her, touching her cheek with his fingertips in a gentle caress. “If I tell you who I suspect and I’m wrong, you’ll harbor a mistrust of the individual. But more than that, I know how you are. You’ll confront him without regard to the danger you’d put yourself in. I won’t have it. In two day’s time, we’ll know once and for all.”

“Then you’ll fight him to the death.”

The phone rang and Tom hurried back into the room to get it. “Tom here.” The look of shock on Tom’s face made her suspect something awful must have happened. Jake poked his head in.

“Now what?” Lelandi asked.

Tom looked at Darien, waiting for him to allow him to speak in front of Lelandi.

He seemed indecisive about allowing it or keeping her further in the dark. Then he finally gave a slight nod, his gaze hard as he caught Lelandi’s eye.

“Angelina’s dead,” Tom said.

“How?” Darien asked.

Heart gave out.

“Natural causes or was she helped along?”

“Coroner won’t be able to tell us for a few days.”

Lelandi closed her eyes, not believing the killer could have struck again. She felt hands on her shoulders and looked up to see Darien rubbing them. He leaned down and kissed her cheek.