Page 28 of Oracles Always Win

Lately, her questions had become increasingly probing, like she knew something was going on with me.Iignored the speculative gleam in her eyes and poured more drinks.Jeremycame back a few minutes later and got to work, but it didn’t take long for his mind to wander again.Iwondered what a typical conversation was like betweenAdrianand him.Ithad to be wild if he was like this all the time.

“So… my book is about paranormal stuff.Butlet’s say one of my heroes was magical but didn’t know it.Atwhat point in a novel should the clueless hero be shown he’s actually magical?”

“Idon’t know.Isuppose it’d depend on what else is going on in the story.Itcould be anywhere really…Idon’t know that there is just one way.”

“Mmhmm,”Jeremyhummed.Hethought things over for a bit, then he wiggled, andIknew he had just come up with another oddball question for me. “Doyou think a small town with lots of magical beings would feel different?”

“Everytown has its own energy, doesn’t it?LookatWillowLake.Itisn’t like any place elseI’vebeen.Itmust be all that fresh air sweeping down from the mountains.It’sinvigorating.”

“Ha!”Jeremylet out a choked laugh. “Yeah…Thatmust be it.”

Sallyleaned forward and waggled her finger inJeremy’sface again. “That’senough.”

Hepouted but didn’t argue with her.Istill didn’t understand whySallycared what we talked about.Itwas just a bit of fun.Whenhe didn’t ask any other questions,Iwas a little disappointed.Theconversation was a lot different from whatItalked about withAlicewhen she worked, but it was entertaining.Andhe was great with the customers and the work in general.Ihoped he’d be interested in picking up some shifts on a regular basis.It’dbe a relief to have some backup staff.

AndIlikedJeremy, even if he was a bit strange.

Chapter Ten

GAGE

Itstill seemed strange to me that we weren’t relocating to a place where we could talk more freely about the case and what had ultimately brought us toWillowLakeagain, but it looked like that wasn’t what was happening.Vanhad settled into his chair across from me and didn’t appear to be interested in moving any time soon.

“Ineed more information about who these people are,”Hayden, the alpha wolf shifter, said toVanas he gestured to us.

“Weneed information too,”Isaacsaid.Thecentaur was leaning forward with his forearms on the table, a picture of eager interest.

Nelsonwas more circumspect.Hewas leaning back with his arms over his chest and his eyes partially closed, butIknew he was alert and paying close attention.Hisface was blank.

“Alright, fine.”Vannodded.Hepointed at me. “That’sGageStewart.Demon.He’sthe lead on a team sanctioned by theSupernaturalCouncilto undertake investigations.”

Thewolf shifter studied me, but eventually he nodded. “GageStewart.Sure.I’veheard your name.”

Idipped my head in acknowledgement.Idoubted the wolf was much older than his late thirties or early forties, so a hell of a lot younger than me, butIwasn’t surprised my reputation had reached him.Ihadn’t always gone by that name, butI’dbeen using it for a couple of centuries now.

“Youalready knowAdrian,”Vansaid, nodding to the wolf. “AndIdon’t know the rest of his team.Onlymet them once.”Thenhe faced me and pointed atHayden. “IknowIalready told you his name, but this is theWillowLakealpha who doesn’t think he’s an alpha.”

“Fuckoff,Van,”Haydenmuttered in a weary tone that suggested this was a long-standing argument between the two.

IsaacandNelsonintroduced themselves quickly, offering nothing more than their first names.

“Thewolves we’re having problems with used to be part of the pack here, but they severed ties withWillowLakeand formed their own pack about twelve years back,”Vanstarted.Iknew most of this becauseAdrianhad at least managed to tell me that much in his very short and chaotic debriefs. “It’sHayden’sbrotherRobbiewho pretends to be the alpha to those other wolves.”

Okay.Thatwas good to know.

“Otherthan the robbery, have they done anything else?Arethey dangerous?”

Vanwinced and shot a look atHayden. “Whydon’t you go grab us another round?”

Haydenscowled and crossed his arms over his chest. “Justsay it.”

Van’sjaw tightened, but then he gave a short nod. “Itwas never proven, but we believeRobbiewas involved in his parents’ deaths.Hewanted to be alpha.Morerecently, he sent his men afterDillon, whoIthink you’ve met.Theytried to kill him andAsh,Jeremy’sfriend.Wethink it was because he was angryDillonleft his pack.Wehaven’t been able to prove any of it, though.Heengenders enough loyalty—or perhaps it’s just fear—that people willingly take the fall for whatever happens.”

Weall sat in silence for a long moment.

“Sohe is dangerous when he wants something or when things don’t go his way,”Isummarized.

“Soundslike a toddler when you put it like that,”Isaacsaid.