Season of the Witch (Claws Clause 2)

His gaze flickered to the man’s nameplate. Diaz. The name sounded familiar.

He called up a smile, careful to keep his lips pressed together, concealing his fangs. Even though Diaz was on his territory, the man had a badge and a gun—and Colt didn’t want to give Diaz any excuse to use either.

“Can I help you?”

“Colton Wolfe?”

“That’s me.”

“You’re a hard man to find, Mr. Wolfe.”

Colt’s lips twitched. “Call me Wolfe. No need for the mister. And I’m not a man.”

Well.

Not entirely.

The cop nodded. “Detective Luis Diaz. I’m stationed out of Grayson, a liaison for the VIFPD. And I know what you are. Shifter type: Lycan, right?”

“That’s what it says on my P.I.D.,” Colt said breezily. “And I know what the VIFPD is, too. Mouthful, though, ain’t it? Most of us just call it the Cage.”

VIFPD. The Voluntary Incarceration Facility, Paranormal Division. The magic-free prison where the Ants tossed the Paras that they thought were too much trouble, but who weren’t actually criminals.

Like Maddox.

Because he was a bonded Para without his mate—after it appeared like Evangeline had died in that fateful accident—Colt’s brother was given three choices: being put down like a dog; having his half of his bond dissolved and his memories removed; or a life in the Cage until he was “rehabilitated”.

No one was ever rehabilitated.

If you chose—because voluntary, ha—to get tossed in the Cage, it was as good as a life sentence. The only reason Maddox managed to escape was because, three years after the tragedy, Colt was the one to discover that Evangeline had never truly died.

No, he admitted with a bitterness that had his fangs itching to grow, that was just Priscilla Winters, her twisted fixation on Maddox, and the lengths she would go to steal him for herself that caused everyone to believe that Evangeline was dead.

Of course, if Cilla had it her way, Evangeline would have definitely died. When she realized she failed and that Evangeline was slowly getting her memories back, she sure as hell tried to kill Maddox’s mate again last June.

Colt, too. One day, he hoped to return the favor.

For now, Evangeline was thankfully still alive. Maddox would never set paw inside of a Cage again if Colt had anything to do with it. And Colt… he still had no idea what

this Cage cop was doing in his Bumptown.

“Anyway, what’re you looking for me for? Grayson PD might be local law enforcement, but you don’t have any jurisdiction in a fully-sanctioned Bumptown. Which we are. We’ve got a bonding office onsite and everything.”

“You’re absolutely right. You see, that’s precisely why I’m here. And the reason why I’m looking for you is easy: I hear you’re the one in charge.”

Colt snorted. He couldn’t help it.

Him?

In charge?

Yeah, right.

“Sorry, but you got that wrong. Alpha’s in charge. You want the big, bad wolf, you’ve gotta get in touch with Terrence Wolfe. I’m not even next in line. That honor goes to my brother. You’re barking up the wrong tree with me, Detective.”

The cop’s nose scrunched, a look of confusion flashing across his face before understanding dawned in his dark eyes.

“You’re talking about the pack,” Diaz realized. At Colt’s shrug, the cop shook his head. “I’m not. This doesn’t have anything to do with your pack. This is a Grayson issue. Your settlement—”