caffeine?” Arwan forced a grin.
“Hard night?”
“Haven’t slept good for the past week. My oil furnace has bit the dust. The radiators knock all night. Crummy luck, huh, since it’s the coldest week of the winter.”
Kane heard the lie in Arwan’s voice, but Carrie seemed oblivious.
“Better get that thing fixed. Can’t have you falling asleep on the job.” Carrie noticed Kane’s eyes on her, and she quickly glanced down at the table and said, “I’ll brew up some strong coffee.”
“Thanks. And give me the breakfast special.”
“Right—cream, eggs, bacon and herring.” Carrie nodded, then disappeared behind the swinging kitchen door.
When Carrie was out of hearing range, Arwan lowered her voice to a soft whisper. “Look, I couldn’t say anything. You know how Carrie gossips, but we’ve got a gleaner in our territory.” Annoyance tightened her lips. “And the bastard is wily as hell. I lost his scent and went around in circles all night.”
They lapsed into silence, both frowning at the same time. Each knew what the other was thinking. Their unspoken words swung like a scythe between them.
Arwan’s eyes filled with worry, and she gave voice to their fear, “What if it’s Ethan?”
Kane flinched at the name. He waved a hand to stop her. “Don’t say any more.”
“But…”
“If it is my brother, the less you know the better. If you’re questioned by the council, then you can tell them you came to me for help in tracking the gleaner.”
“But I’d like to help you.”
“No. It’s better you don’t know what I find. I won’t have you forfeit your life because you’re involved.” Kane shifted uneasily, growing aware of the scars on his back. With vivid clarity, he recalled the punishment he’d received for letting Ethan go the first time. Seniph prides had remained hidden from humanity by observing the Book of Laws. He’d broken law number one: never suffer a gleaner to live. And he bore the physical evidence to prove it.
The council had warned him that if his brother ever returned and Kane didn’t kill Ethan, then not even Kane’s status as alpha could save him from the ultimate punishment: death. And Kane knew Arwan would endure the same fate if she was involved. No, he couldn’t let her become embroiled in this. Ethan had left miles of destruction in his path, but Arwan wasn’t going to be one of his casualties.
Arwan stared at her hands and looked miserable. “I hate this. You know, I love Ethan as much as you do. He was like a brother to me. You both were.”
“I know. But he’s a gleaner.” Kane’s expression darkened with resignation as he said, “Where did the attack occur?”
“The Baldoon farm. Found the animals fried and her body nothing but ash.” Arwan shook her head in sadness. “I liked that old lady. For a human, she wasn’t bad.”
“Yeah, she minded her own business and never wandered onto our land. She didn’t deserve to be murdered by a gleaner.” Ethan’s face materialized inKane’s mind, and he hoped Ethan hadn’t returned home. But Kane wouldn’t put it past him. He asked, “Anyone cleaning up the site?”
“Jake and Clive are out there.” At the mention of the two inept deputies she’d been forced to hire, Arwan grimaced.
“Can you be assured of their silence?”
“I threatened to rip out their throats if they spoke to anyone.”
Kane knew Arwan had the strength to easily carry out the threat. When pushed, an alpha female could hold her own against most male seniphs—especially one trained in self-defense as Arwan was.
“Just make sure this—” she hesitated, not using Ethan’s name “—gleaner is taken care of quickly. We don’t want the press getting word of the murder. They’ll be screaming spontaneous combustion, and every tabloid reporter in the country will be here. I only have so many mind-easing drugs on hand before we’ll be forced to bring in the mind eaters.”
Kane grimaced at the mention of