In an instant, my muscles changed and lengthened, reforming until I was a wolf again. It took me a few steps to catch up with Donovan. We ran straight back to the stronghold. No playing or teasing. No chasing any game. I was left alone with my thoughts and as the castle came into view, I wondered if we’d really made any progress, especially when it came to the pack.

They hated me. I could feel that in the pain that ripped down my leg. We had to find the bad apple or else I’d be facing at least one challenge at the next full moon. If I was still alive then.

The prospect of running into Bhrunyz again terrified me. Qusay said we didn’t have a chance without the brooch. But as I thought about it, I realized that while we didn’t have much to go on, we’d actually been getting little sprinkles of information. And now we knew how Bhrunyz was controlled.

That gave me hope. If I could find the brooch, then I would have the person responsible and would have eliminated the threat of the fey beast. I’d kill two birds with one freaking brooch.

A little bit of time sniffing around the pack members, and I’d be golden. I’d have this wrapped up in a couple of days.

All I had to do was stay alive that long.

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

The library was a total bust. After a minor showdown with Feidhelm over the fact that he was still denying me access to the pack’s ancient, circa 1994 computer, the Were-cherub was officially on my shit list.

I’d tried using my phone to research the brooch instead, but after spending a fortune in data-roaming charges and an hour of my life that I’d never get back, I’d found exactly zero pictures or mentions of a brooch on the museum website or in articles about the robberies. Basically, I’d hit a dead end.

I needed this brooch. My life depended on it. But how the hell was I going to find it if I didn’t even know what it looked like?

Donovan was off checking if anyone in the pack was wearing a brooch. He didn’t want to leave my side, but having him hovering over me made me even more on edge. So, he’d left. I thought identifying the brooch was the best place to start, but if his approach worked, even better.

I’m not finding anything. Please tell me you’ve had better luck.

No. I did manage to have an extremely awkward exchange with Lydia. She was wearing a hair clip that looked like it could be a brooch.

I didn’t know who Lydia was, but I wanted to know more. What’d you do?

I asked to borrow it.

He’d asked to borrow a hair clip? Good call.