Entranced Read Free Page B

guilty, though, so I decide not to try.
    “I didn’t do anything,” I tell him, stealing a glance at the roof again.
    He appears unconvinced. “Then how the hell did Anastasiya end up dead at your feet?”
    “If I staked her then there wouldn’t be a body.”
    “That’s not the only way to kill a vamp, and you know it. You could’ve poisoned her, beheaded her.” His gaze drops to the body. “Although, her head's intact.”
    I sigh then give him a brief rundown of what just happened.
    “So, you think it was the same wolf you ran into in the club?” Jayse asks after I’m done explaining.
    I shrug, retuning my knife to my ankle sheath. “He had the same silver eyes, but he was totally rocking his hairy beast, fangs, four legs wolf suit, so I couldn’t tell for sure.”
    Jayse rubs his jawline, contemplatively glancing from the roof to the woman. “I think we need to call the Guardians and have them come take a look.”
    I instinctively pull a face. Guardians are investigators for murders committed in the paranormal world. They’re very analytical and always ask way too many questions. In my opinion, it’s one of the worst titles a person can get, and many Keepers would agree with me. Spending time examining dead bodies without actually fighting anything—no one is ever too thrilled to get that position. No one sane, anyway.
    “You don’t know for sure if she was murdered,” I say to Jayse. “And she could’ve attacked the wolf first or he was just defending himself.”
    He gives me the look he always gives me whenever I’m being difficult and he’s trying to tolerate me. “I get that no one likes the Guardians, but we need to follow protocol.”
    “But you know how they are. They’ll end up questioning me until they think they’ve pried every single detail out of me, and I don’t have time for that,” I explain with a frown. “I’m supposed to go archery shooting with my grandpa in the morning. We’re having a competition, too. Winner gets a hundred bucks. I want that hundred bucks, but I’ll never be able to win if I’m so tired that I can’t keep my eyes open.”
    “Alana, you know the rules. If it looks like a murder, then we have to call it in.” He retrieves his phone from his pocket to make the call.
    “Fine, but just for the record, I miss the old rule-breaker Jayse,” I tell him as he paces the alley with the phone pressed to his ear.
    “Yeah, but you still love me,” he replies with a grin.
    I roll my eyes, not arguing, because he’s right. I’ll always love Jayse, and he’ll always be my best friend, even if I’m going to lose a hundred bucks because of him.

Chapter 3
     
    An arrow springs forward from my bow and smacks the target with a thwack, slamming too far away from the bullseye. I stifle a yawn as I lower the bow to my side, frustrated over how exhausted I am.
    I was right about the Guardians. By the time I finished answering their questions, it was nearing sunrise. I probably got a total of two hours of sleep before I had to wake up to go shooting with my grandpa Lucas.
    “You seem tired,” Grandpa Lucas remarks with an I’m-so-gonna-win-this-competition smile. Like me, he’s competitive, so he isn’t going easy on me just because I’m his granddaughter. “Stay out too late?”
    “Like you don’t already know the answer,” I say in a teasing tone. My archery skills may suck today, but that doesn’t mean I’ve lost the ability to joke around with my grandpa, who’s one of my favorite people in the world. “I know my mom and dad told you all about my little stunt last night. You may think you were talking quietly, but my teenage hearing is way better than your old people hearing.”
    He shoots me a joking scowl. “Hey, I’m not that old.” He raises the bow with an arrow loaded, shoots it straight into the center of the target, and then grins at me because he just won the competition. “And I can still kick your teenage butt at archery.”
    I set