Moon Sworn (Riley Jenson Guardian 9)

West shrugged. "He challenged for the lead. I guess since he was mated to the pack leader's eldest daughter, they allowed it."

Then they were fools. "So what, exactly, did he ask you to do?"

"He told me he needed to get a troublesome wolf out of the way for a week or so. He asked me to keep on eye on both her and her brother, and to report back anything and everything they did."

"Did he tell you why?"

West shook his head. "He just said you were causing serious trouble within the pack, and he needed you out of the way while he calmed things down." He hesitated. "I asked how the hell I was supposed to even keep you here, and he said that wouldn't be a problem."

"Because I was being drugged and I had my memory tampered with."

"He didn't tell me that. He said it was Evin's job to keep you calm."

"But surely to God you suspected something was up?" Harris said, frustration edging into his normally smooth tones. "You're a good cop, Mike. You had to have to have been a little suspicious."

"I've known Tyson for years. We went through training together - although he washed out during the last few weeks." West shrugged. "I had no reason not to trust what he was telling me. Not initially."

"And yet you didn't send through Harris's request for information about me to the Directorate. Was that at Tyson's order?"

He hesitated. "It wasn't an order."

Order or not, it wasn't right and he knew it. "Did he say why?"

West took a sip of coffee, then shrugged again. "He asked me to delay it a day or so, that's all. When I asked why, he begged off, saying it was related to the mess he was trying to sort out."

"And this didn't raise your alarms?"

"Of course it did. That's why I was keeping an even closer eye on you. And how I knew that damn fool Denny was up to something." He hesitated. "I did go out to the whaling station to rescue you. I wasn't involved with that idiot's plans in any way, shape, or form."

"So why did you keep driving toward the whaling station when we passed you on the road?" Evin asked.

West frowned. "I didn't see - " He hesitated, and snorted. "You were in Grant's truck. That's why he was so pissed off."

"Shame we didn't actually wreck the truck," Evin murmured. "The bastard certainly deserves it."

I smiled. Evin might not be blood kin, but he certainly thought like us. "How do you contact Tyson?"

"He phones me."

"Home or cell?"

"Cell. Every night at ten."

I raised my eyebrows. "Even tonight?"

"Yeah. He was furious when I told him that Denny had snatched Evin and was holding him hostage against your appearance."

"So you also went out there because he ordered you to?"

Anger flashed through his expression. "As I said, I went out there because I'm a cop and it's my duty to stop him. No one told me to do anything."

But the fact that his duty and Tyson's orders coincided wouldn't have hurt.

"Is Tyson the only contact you've had?"

"Yes."

"What number does he phone from?"