"Lilith has nothing to do with this," Adam told Miranda.
"Yeah, about that. I'm starting to think all the werewolves are terrible at choosing mates," I whispered to Adam.
"We will see once we find what is beneath that buffet table," Miranda returned. She looked to two of the deputies, and the men bowed their heads and hurried away.
"Beneath the buffet table?" Adam repeated.
"Yeah, I found some of that white stuff from the passages in the floor. It might be a clue," I explained.
"It had better be something in your favor," Miranda spoke up. She grabbed a loose chair and swung it down in front of Adam. Her eyes flickered between us. "Now what really happened up there?"
I nodded at Lilith. "She pointed a gun at us when we asked her to look into the billiard room. She said she didn't want us getting into a box."
"Did she say what was in the box?" Miranda continued.
I shook my head. "Nope, but it could fit into this bag." I held up my weapon of choice.
One of the werewolf deputies appeared at the study doorway. "Miranda, there's definitely something there, but we have to break it out of the floor."
"Then do it. I'll take responsibility for everything," she promised. He bowed his head and left. Miranda turned her attention to Lilith. "What's in the box?"
Lilith pursed her lips and turned her face away. "You can tell us now or we will find out in a few-" Her threat was interrupted by the sounds of crunching and cracking wood. Miranda stood and the next moment her men appeared in the entrance with a small silver box in one of their hands. It was wrapped in the other's shirt to protect their hands. "What is it?" she asked them.
"It's a safe-box," one of them replied.
Miranda walked over and took hold of the box. The lock faced upward and I saw it was a dial made of stainless steel. She lifted the box to her nose and took a sniff. Her eyes narrowed and she turned her head to face Lilith. She strode over to the werewolf woman and held the dial toward her. "Open it."
Lilith shrank from the box. "But I don't-"
"Your scent is all over the dial. Open it," Miranda ordered her.
Lilith sighed and hung her head. "I need these cuffs off."
Miranda looked to one of the deputies who strode forward and unlocked the cuffs. Lilith stood and rubbed her wrists. She reached out for the dial, but instead she turned her hands and slapped the bottom of the box, the part covered by the shirt, upward. The silver box was tossed into Miranda's face and I smelled burned flesh as Miranda yelled in fury and pain.
Her deputies raced to help her, and Lilith made a break for the large windows behind Adam. I grasped my bag like a baseball and tossed it into her path before she could pick up her super speed. She ran face-first into the bag and choked on the scent of garlic. Lilith stumbled into the windows and only her face crashed through the glass rather than her whole body. The deputies raced after her and dragged her out of the glass. They turned her around to reveal a hideous sight of blood mixed with running makeup. Her mouth was twisted into a snarl filled with long teeth and she glared daggers at me.
"You filthy creature! You filthy, worthless-"
"Human. I know, I know," I quipped.
Meanwhile, Miranda partially recovered from the attack. She pushed away the helping hands of her deputies and revealed that the lower half of her face was burned, but healing. Miranda snatched the box off the floor and whipped her head to Lilith. She stalked towards the captive and shoved the box into Lilith's chest.
"Open the box or I will make you claw your way through the silver," Miranda growled.
Lilith cringed and nodded. One of the deputies released a single hand and she turned the dial of the box left and right. The combination wasn't your usual bike-lock combo. There was about ten different numbers in the mix. At the final number there was an audible click and the door popped open a few centimeters.
Miranda pulled the box away and walked over to her chair. She set the box on the seat and opened the interior. I slunk over and leaned in for a peek. My eyes widened when I beheld a treasure-trove of jewels. Red jewels inlaid in gold, green jewels in silver, loose diamonds that filled the bottom of the box.
"Wow. You werewolf guys really are rich," I quipped.
Miranda pulled out one of the silver necklaces. "That's one of Lilith's necklaces! The one she wore when we came to visit Abel!" Cain exclaimed.
Miranda sniffed the necklace and then the interior of the box. Her eyes narrowed, and she glanced between Cain and Lilith. "Why would Abel have her jewels?"
"He always thought jewels would tempt thieves, so he had Lilith give him her jewels for safekeeping. He never said where he kept them," Cain explained.
Miranda turned her attention to Lilith. "You knew the combination. How?"
Lilith hung her head. "He. . .he told me."
Cain started. "Abel would never have told anyone."
"I. . .I made him. He wanted to pull a prank, but he needed my help. I'd only agree to it if he told me where he kept my jewels." She snorted, but there was no humor in the noise. "I told him it was in case something went wrong. He was so eager to pull the prank that he told me the combination and where it was hidden."
"What did this prank involve?" Miranda questioned her.
Lilith sighed. "He would get Cain drunk and fake that Cain murdered him."
"Did you decide to change the prank into reality?" Miranda guessed.
Lilith pursed her lips, but nodded. "There's a fortune of jewels in there. I wanted it. I deserved it after the pranks he'd pulled on me."
"But I could have given you more money!" Cain argued.
Lilith raised her head and sneered at him. "I didn't want anything else from you. I wanted you gone. You're old, Cain, and not much fun. Your friends were even stupider. I was sick of this boring life with you." She lifted her nose and flung her luxurious hair to one side. Besides, you probably would've dumped me sooner or later, and you had all the money. What did I care that I'd pin the murder on you and get away with the jewels while you rotted on one of Hawthorne's gallows?"
Cain's mouth dropped open and he slowly shook his head. "No. Lilith, please tell me you're lying."
Miranda held up the lock box. "Her scent is all over the inside of this box, and she just told us her motive. She had the opportunity. That's enough to convict her."
"Please! Mercy!" Cain pleaded.
At his shouts the prone body of Hawthorne stirred beside him. The judge's eyes fluttered open and he looked around the room in bewilderment. "What happened?"
"The case was solved, and you have a new suspect to convict, but I'll tell you about it later," Miranda told him. She returned her attention to Lilith and jerked her head towards the door. "Take her to her room and don't let her out of your sight."
They pulled Lilith forward, but she dug her heels into the carpet and thrashed in their grasps. "No! Let me go! I said let me go!" They dragged her feet along the floor and out the door they went.
Cain was released from his manacles and he followed after Lilith. The judge stood and winced. He clutched at his cheek and glared at Miranda. She smiled and shrugged.
"What a strange ending this is. . ." I heard Adam mutter beside me.
I wrapped an arm around his shoulders and smiled at him. "You know the most interesting people. Remind me not to invite any of them to the wedding."
Chapter 14
So ended our foray into mystery solving. Unfortunately, our foray with the law wasn't over. Hawthorne rubbed his cheek and glared at his mate. "You attacked a servant of the law?" he growled at her.
"No, she attacked an idiot who was serving out helpings of foolishness," I retorted.
Hawthorne whipped his head around and glared at me. "Speak nothing to me, criminal."
I folded my arms across my chest and, as was my mature want, I stuck my tongue out at him. "Yeah, our innocence was established while you were taking a nap."
The judge frowned and looked to his mate. "Is this tr
ue?"
"Conclusively. Another confessed to the crime. The woman named Lilith," Miranda confirmed.
The judge's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. "Lilith? Are you sure?"
I rolled my eyes. "Now you doubt somebody's innocence."
"Chris, we don't wish to make enemies those who still have me in manacles," Adam spoke up.
"My apologies. I'd forgotten about you," Miranda replied. She pulled out a key chain and walked over to him.
In a moment his hands and the rest of him were freed. He stood and rubbed his wrists. I took this opportunity to jump him and wrap my arms around his neck. "You're much easier to hug when you're standing," I teased.
He wrapped his arms around me in a hug and lifted me four inches off the floor so we were nose-to-nose. "And you are much easier to hold with my arms."
"What exactly happened while I was knocked out?" Hawthorne demanded to know.
Miranda walked over and looped her arm through one of his. "I'll explain just as soon as we discuss your trust issues," she replied as she led him out of the room. The remaining deputies left with them. That meant Adam and I were alone.
I swept my eyes over the empty room and lowered my voice to a whisper. "Adam?"
"Yes?"
"Are we really alone?"
"I believe so."
"How long's it been?"
"Since when?"
"Since we were alone."
"A few days too long." He leaned down and captured my lips in a stunning kiss. My body ached for more contact, for more feel of him against me.
I wanted to fall into his promise of something more than a kiss, but we had something important to discuss. I reluctantly pulled away and looked into his eyes. "We need to talk."
He raised an eyebrow and set me on the floor. "About what?"
"About the werewolves and their trust issues," I explained.
"They are no worse than those of a human," he argued.
I snorted. "Lilith betrayed Cain because she thought he was going to leave her, and Miranda had to knock Hawthorne out because he'd gone from social warrior to psycho in a matter of months. Those aren't healthy relationships, and they're definitely not normal."
Adam sighed and clasped my hands in his. He looked me in the eyes with his own unwavering stare. "Now do you see why I hesitate to bring you into my world? It's dangerous and fraught with suspicion. You would be much happier as-"
"-as your werewolf mate," I insisted. I freed one of my hands and cupped his cheek in my palm. "I want to be with you for the rest of your life, but I want to be sure that you trust me like I trust you. That means no more trying to ditch me or pushing me out of the way because you think it's dangerous. No matter what."
A sly smile slipped onto his lips. "No matter what?" he repeated.
"No matter what," I affirmed. "Even if I was dying or had an appointment with my hairdresser or was-"
"Pregnant?" he suggested.
"Yes, even that. Even if I wa-" I paused and furrowed my brow as I looked to him. "Why did you suggest that?" His eyes traveled down to my stomach. My mouth dropped open and my hand flew down to clutch my stomach. "I'm not-"
"You are," he countered.
I pointed a shaking hand at him and me. "Then that means-"
"We're to become parents," he agreed.
My legs became as jello and I stretched out my arm to catch the back of his chair. "I-I think I need to sit down and think about this," I commented as I fell hard into the seat.
Adam came to kneel in front of me, and he clasped one of my hands in both of his. "You are my mate and soon to be my wife. I realize my kind hasn't shown itself to be the most trusting, but I am willing to break with that tradition if it means you and our child will remain at my side."
I smiled and placed my other hand atop his. "For the rest of your life," I added.
He grinned. "For the rest of my life," he agreed.
I freed my hands and clapped them together. "Well, now that that's taken care of, what say you and I take a very long vacation from fighting baddies and saving the world?"
He leaned forward and pecked a teasing kiss on my lips. "I would like nothing better than to be alone with my mate."
I grinned. "Good because I'm quitting my job when we get back to free up the rest of my time. It's time for you to cash in on that Social Security fund."
Adam chuckled and pulled me to my feet. "But before we do those tasks might I suggest something more pleasurable?" He leaned forward to snatch my lips
I held up my hand and his delicious lips collided with my palm. "Wait a sec. Aren't you forgetting something?"
He pursed his lips and sighed. "You wish to become a werewolf."
"I wish to be with you," I reworded.
"And nothing will change your mind?"
"What'd we just say about that whole trust thing?" I scolded him. I clasped one of his cheeks in my hand and smiled into his worried eyes. "Trust me, this is what I want." I released his cheek, rolled up one of my long sleeves, and held out the arm to him. "Just don't dig too deep. This isn't the kind of hickey I appreciate."
Adam took my arm in one hand and raised his other. One of the fingers lengthened into a claw with a sharp point at the end. I turned my head away and scrunched shut my eyes. There was a soft prick of something on my arm, and then he let me go. My eyes flew open and I glanced between Adam and my arm. There was a tinge of blood on a round, tiny hole. "What's this?" I asked him as I nodded to the prick.
"Your mark. You are now a werewolf," he told me.
I raised an eyebrow. "Wait, so that's it? That's all it takes?"
Adam chuckled. "Did you not trust me when I warned you it took a mere scratch to be changed?" he teased.
I shrugged. "Well, kind of. Maybe. Sort of?"
My mate wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against his chest. "Now where was I? Oh yes." He swooped down and captured my lips in a passionate, breath-taking kiss that warmed me from head-to-toe.
I broke apart just to catch air, and my cheeks were warm from the heat of his passion. "I think this is the start of a wonderful relationship," I teased.
"And a very long one," he agreed.
And it was a very long and productive relationship. We stopped going to the troubles and only made trouble for ourselves and our little wolflings. So our story ended on a happy note for us, and all who came after us.
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