Nocturne 040 – Scions 02 - Patrice Michelle - Insurrection Read Online Free Page A

did. A detailed outline always surrounded the bodies. It was as if, at the moment of their death, each victim left a strong energy signature behind—a signature to give her clues. And this time it was a neon-purple color. Purple meant the death had been brutal.
    Death always upset her, especially violent murders, but what frightened her most was the shape of this outline surrounding the ashes. While she scanned the forest with her flashlight to make sure no one was lurking in the woods, she contemplated what she’d tell her fellow officers once they showed up. The aura wasn’t like any human she’d ever seen. She knew the other police officers wouldn’t be able to see the energy signature she did, but she hoped the lab might be able to lift the DNA of the victim from the ashes.
    Lights flashed behind her and her insides jerked to attention. Kaitlyn turned to see a vehicle pulling into the parking lot. It wasn’t a squad car.
    “Damn,” she whispered and crouched to quickly turn off the light. This wasn’t the best area of town and she was alone. Even though Abby had trained her to red belt level in tae kwon do and she had a gun, she wasn’t taking any chances.
    She had no idea who was in that black truck, yet the distinctive grille across the front looked familiar. As she racked her brain, trying to remember where she’d seen the vehicle, a tall man stepped out. Landon Rourke.
    His wide shoulders looked even broader covered by a leather jacket that stopped at his thighs. The streetlight shone on his light brown hair and highlighted his strong jaw as he started across the lot toward the playground.
    Breathing a sigh of relief, Kaitlyn stood up slowly. She tucked away her gun and stared at the man approaching.
    Landon had offered his P.I. expertise to the police from time to time in the past, most often in the field. Hence the reason she’d seen him only a couple of times at the station while she interned during her last year in college. His dominant presence wasn’t easy to forget. From his confident bearing to his aggressive stride, the man was definitely an impression maker.
    She’d heard that he’d stopped working with the police a few years ago. Rumors abounded; the most popular was that he’d had a falling out with the now-retired chief.
    What was he doing here?

    Landon made his way across the playground toward Kaitlyn McKinney. His teeth were clamped so tight, he thought his jaw might shatter. He couldn’t believe it when he’d pulled into the parking lot and her car was there.
    It was bad enough the bastard who’d called him on his cell phone twenty minutes ago had told Landon to come to this particular park. The fact that Kaitlyn was also there sent a warning through his body, while guilt slithered a slimy, winding path through his conscience.
    “If you want your missing pack members, go to Morningside Park. They might be a bit steamed when you get there.”
    The line had gone dead. All Landon knew, until he could have the phone number traced, was that the caller was a man. It wasn’t a voice he’d ever heard before.
    When he was within thirty feet of Kaitlyn, Landon bit back a howl of fury. His chest tightened with the need to roar. He scented burned flesh—Lupreda flesh—floating through the air toward him. The need for revenge rippled through him, contracting every muscle in his body. Sick bastards. Fisting his hands, he mentally vowed to rip apart whoever was responsible for murdering his pack mates…zerkers or not.
    He approached Kaitlyn as the last ember on the ground changed from orange to black.
    “It’s Landon Rourke, right?” Kaitlyn held out her fine-boned hand to him.
    “Detective Kaitlyn McKinney.”
    Detective? When did she get promoted? Landon glanced at her outstretched hand. Shoving his hands in his jeans’ front pockets, he gave a curt nod. The last thing he needed was to touch her. “Nice to meet you, Detective.”
    “Call me Kaitlyn. What are you doing here?” She