Chapter 275

Martha lay still on the driveway in front of the mansion. Her breathing was slow, and her skin pale.

Victor ran inside and returned with a linen cloth from one of the foyer tables. He covered Martha with the cloth while I called for help.

Benson, Alex, and Cassidy came outside to see what was happening. They were speechless when they saw the old Luna lying on the ground.

“We should move her inside,” I said. “The driveway asphalt is hot, and she’s probably dehydrated from running all the way from the city on such a warm day.”

“I’ll get her some water,” Cassidy said and ran into the house.

“Daisy is right,” Victor said. “We should carry her inside where it’s cooler.”

The men gently carried Martha inside and laid her on a foyer sofa, ensuring she was covered.

Cassidy hurried to Martha’s side. I helped raise her head while Cassidy got Martha to swallow some water.

After a few sips, Martha’s eyes fluttered open. I cringed when her stern gaze settled on me.

“You don’t realize what you’ve started,” she said. Her voice was weak, but her tone was as imperious as ever. “They are smarter than you think, and you are in more danger than you know.”

Martha took another sip of water from Cassidy and became agitated. She shook her fist at Cassidy and me, and her voice grew shrill.

“Now I’m in danger too. They’ll come for me, and they’ll try to blame it all on me. But I refuse to allow them to make me their scapegoat.”

“What do you mean, Martha?” Alex asked. He knelt next to her and took her hand. “Tell me, who is coming for you? You know I’m a fair man, and I’ll help you.”

Martha’s eyes closed, and she mumbled, “Don't let them get away with it again.”

“Martha, don’t let who get away with what?” Alex asked. “Martha, can you hear me?”

But the elderly werewolf was unconscious again.

Alex tucked the cloth around Martha. “I’ll go to the hospital after the doctors stabilize her. She’ll make more sense when she’s in better shape.

The first responders arrived moments later. The EMTs loaded Martha into the ambulance and rushed her to the hospital.

“I’m a little freaked out by Martha,” I told Victor. “Can we stay here tonight? We can work on my self-defense skills in the gardens this afternoon.”

“If that’s what you want, sweetheart,” Victor replied. He pulled me into his arms for a kiss that was interrupted by a text from Bert.

“Moose is going to be okay,” Victor said. “The doctors are keeping him overnight for observation, and then he can go home tomorrow.”

“That’s fantastic news,” I said.

“This isn’t,” Victor said when he finished reading the text from Bert. “The fingerprints on the crowbar aren’t Martha’s.”

“Why do the police have her prints on file?” I asked. “She must have been arrested sometime in her life, or the police wouldn’t have her fingerprints.”

“She was printed years ago after she slapped a policeman who gave her a speeding ticket,” Victor said. “I remember my parents talking about it when I was about ten.”

“What happened after she was arrested?” I had to know how the story ended. But I doubted there was any justice. The very wealthy and influential were above the law.

“She spread some money around and called in some favors,” Victor replied. “She never saw a day in jail, but her arrest is still on her record along with her fingerprints.”

“If Martha didn’t lure Moose into that supply closet, who did?” I thought out loud. “Moose said he opened the closet door because he heard a woman calling for help.”

Victor brushed his lips across my forehead. “Do you think she was lucid when she said someone was coming for you and her and about her being the murderer's scapegoat?”

“Yes. I think she knew what she was saying,” I replied. “My instincts are buzzing like a live wire. Things are coming to a head. The evil that took Deidre from this world is fully awake and angry.”

“Let’s go outside and work on your self-defense skills,”

Victor suggested. “It will make you more ready to take on anything.”

“Let’s go,” I agreed.

We walked to the ballroom and exited the house through the patio doors.

“The ground is soft by the pond,” I said. “What are you teaching me today?”

“Let’s review on our way there,” Victor said. “What are your opponents' weakest points when they are human?”

“Nose, toes, groin, stomach, and the side of the neck,” I replied.

“Very good,” Victor praised. “What are your strongest points?”

The heel of my hand or foot, my knee, my fist, or my elbow,” I answered.

Victor took my hand and kissed the palm. “Correct.”

Victor picked up a stick from near an oak tree. “What do you do if someone comes at you with something like a crowbar or baseball bat?”

“I would get close enough to my attacker so they couldn't swing the object,” I answered. “Then I’d use the heel of my hand to make an upward strike to their nose.”

“Technically, that’s correct,” Victor said. “But I would rather you got away from them if you could.”

We arrived at the pond and reviewed everything I had already learned. Then we stripped and shifted before running out into the field.

“I want you to defend your back legs from me,” Victor said as he lunged at my hindquarters.

“Jump and roll,” he said when he caught my left foot in his mouth. “Try again.”

Victor drilled me until Diana and I could successfully avoid his jaws on my back legs and feet.

“How about a break?” I asked.

“You’re not tired already, are you?”

“No, but it’s such a nice day,” I looked up at the blue sky.

“I think you’re tired,” Victor teased.

“If I was tired, would I do this?” I took off and began running around the field.

Victor caught up with me and leaped onto my back, causing us to roll together toward the trees.

When we came to a stop, I shifted human and laid back in the high grass. “Don’t I get a reward for all my hard work this afternoon?”

Adam stood next to me and morphed into my hot, human fiancé.

He laid down and rolled on top of me. “What did you have in mind?”

I pulled his head down and kissed him. Our passion grew as a breeze flowed through the tall grass and over our naked bodies.

“I want you here, right now,” I said before I plunged my tongue into his mouth and wrapped my legs around his waist.

“Oh, my love,” Victor groaned and drove his manhood inside me.

The birds seemed to stop chirping, the breeze stopped blowing, and there was nobody else in the world as our sensual gyrations immersed us into a place where there was nothing but pleasure.

I was aware of his warm breath in my ear as he pistoned himself harder and deeper inside me.

My nails lightly scored his back as I felt my climax approaching. I wanted to wait for him. Our connection and his quickening pace told me he was almost there.

“Victor,” I moaned, making him open his incredible sapphire eyes.

Our gazes locked, and our souls entwined as we reached the summit of ecstasy together.

After our pleasure faded, we remained locked together, unwilling to separate yet.

“How I love you, Daisy,” he said while raining kisses on my face. “You are my life.”

“And I love you, my true mate,” I whispered into his ear. “Forever.”

“Forever,” he agreed.

“But we should get back to the house,” I said. “It’s almost time for dinner, and I have another hunger to be satisfied.”

We rolled apart and shifted before running back to the pond for our clothing.

Then we strolled to the ballroom doors and went inside the mansion. On our way down the long hallway, Victor got a call from Findlay.

We ducked into the music room for him to answer the call. He put Findlay on speakerphone.

Findlay sounded frantic. “Mr. Klein, I’ve been trying to contact you for an hour. The police want to speak to you and Miss Wilson.”

“We are at the Wilson mansion,” Victor said. “My phone was in another room. What’s going on?”

“Martha Archer is dead,” Findlay said.

“Oh, no!” I gasped.

“That’s sad, but why do the police wish to speak to us?” Victor asked.

She was found with her pillow over her face,” Findlay replied. “There were other signs that she had been smothered.”

I began to shake. Martha had been right. Anyone who would smother an elderly woman was sick and cruel.

Was I next?