In the Shadow of the Wolf 3 - Splintered Lies by RJ Scott, Diane Adams Read Free Book Online Page B

personified.
    "What?" he asked tersely.
"That the way in for two wolf shifters to nose around the senator's home is a cat protection charity?" Nick sounded amused. Rob had definitely come through on the tickets, or Jamie was using his connections to a charity he was deeply involved in. Freaking cats. Joe said nothing and Nick subsided into silence for the rest of the cab ride to the city limits and the most expensive of the suburbs—the residential enclave of Gentle Hill. Single mansions separated by acres of grass and surrounded by tall fences and walls were not conducive to breaking and entering by a wolf desperate for information. The guise of concerned patrons was exactly the perfect cover for Nick and Joe to get inside without tripping alarms. The gates slid open smoothly as soon as they showed the invitations. Joe catalogued the security. Three guards on the gate and cameras on every plinth and statue secured the drive ending in a simple round drop-off area with a fountain at the center. The cab deposited them at the front entrance and drove off immediately. Nick watched the gates shut behind the retreating taxi. Two more guards checked invitations against a list. Both wolves, unlike the humans on the gate. One of the wolves scented the air and narrowed his eyes at Joe.
In response Joe pasted on his best innocent smile and gently rearranged his identification badge. This drew the security wolf's attention to what the badge said. The Cat Protection charity lent them an air of innocence. After all no wolf who liked cats was anything other than completely off his rocker. Right? He saw the wolf guard smirk and ached to shift and put an end to the whole farce. Struggling, Joe didn't let the aggression rise to the surface. Nick was doing a very good impression of urbane wolf about town and there was no way Joe was going to fuck this up.
Wolf guard one inclined his head. "Have a good evening, gentlemen." And finally the two of them made it through the huge carved-wood front door. The scents inside were overwhelming. The cloying smell of vanilla and something else assaulted Joe's nostrils as soon as he stepped inside. Fucking candles everywhere, all releasing the same scent. He couldn't get a real handle on anything except the stink of the candles. Suspicious thoughts of deliberately disguising a smell, one potentially harmful to wolves, spun in his head. Joe felt vulnerable without the grounding of his ability.
Joe could see Nick was just as confused, but he had to depend on visual clues. Even the familiar scent of friend was missing, making staying in control of his wolf just that much harder.
"Gentlemen?"
Joe realized a smaller man, short in height and wide in girth, was standing patiently with his hand extended, clearly waiting for something. Joe, still off balance from the loss of a sense he depended upon as strongly as his sight, wasn't following what the guy wanted.
"Could I see your invitations?"
Nick grabbed Joe's and passed both to the little man whose face broke into a wreath of smiles. "Aha, you're the representatives from the Covington Cat Rescue. I've heard great things about what you've been accomplishing lately. I am so pleased to meet you."
"Likewise," Nick said conversationally. "We're very pleased to be here. Aren't we?"
Joe realized Nick was talking to him.
"Very." His terse response caused Nick to raise a brow at him. Joe thought Nick should be grateful the he managed to refrain from rolling his eyes.
"My name is Errol and it's my job to arrange for likeminded charities to connect. I know just who you'll be interested in speaking with."
"You do?"
"Oh, yes! I know everyone. Vera and June BoylesHayward are the people for you. They have an Alpaca sanctuary. You will have so much in common."
Joe inhaled and took a lungful of vanilla as well as the other aromas flooding the manor. He smothered a cough in his fist and little man looked concerned.
"Are you feeling all right, sir? Can I get you some water?"
"I'll