Beautiful Creatures Series

Feral Colorado…

Tyler opened the door to the Blood Moon Studio. A very popular tattoo shop located in some back-water mountain town called Feral, twenty minutes outside Aspen. Tyler was a detective with the Colorado State Patrol. He did not have a partner. He worked alone. A new case had landed on his desk recently. One that held his interest. Over the last six to seven months, there had been a staggering rise in animal attacks around the Feral, resulting in fatalities. The most suspicious one being the most recent one. What made it suspicious was that the car had been run off the road, then torn apart, and the victim dragged out into the street and torn limb from limb.

His investigation had led him to Feral. Since all the deaths had occurred within a few miles of Feral, he felt someone in the small town might know something. So today, he was pounding the pavement to interview the residents. He was starting with one Gordon Wilder, who owned the tattoo shop, and according to his research, owned most of Feral’s commercial properties.

Tyler walked into the tattoo shop. The chime above the door alerted those in the backroom to his presence. A middle-aged biker-looking fellow came out of the back room, standing behind the counter. Tyler knew this man was Gordon Wilder, the big man in Feral. He looked him over. The man was all ripped jeans and leather. He looked like a badass that was no stranger to law enforcement.

Tyler had looked into Gordon, and all he could find were a few transgressions as a youth, but he had not been arrested for any reason in over twenty years. Now Tyler knew that did not mean that Gordon Wilder wasn’t into some shady shit. It only meant he had gotten better at hiding it.

Gordon stood at the counter, looking Tyler over and sizing him up. Tyler knew he did not look like a cop. As a detective, he was not forced to wear a uniform, but unlike most detectives who wore cheap suits, Tyler just wore his everyday jeans and his favourite leather jacket.

“Can I help you?” Gordon asked.

Tyler pulled the bottom of his open jacket aside, flashing Gordon a badge clipped to his belt on his right hip. “I’m Detective Winthrop with the Colorado State Patrol. I’m investigating some strange occurrences on the highway this last year.” He said, identifying himself as law enforcement.

He knew he did not look like a cop. He was a First Nation’s man. His complexation was deeply bronzed, and his thin ebony hair was long but tied back. He was a fit man with broad shoulders and long legs. But it was his age that threw most people. He was only thirty and had been a detective for the State Patrol for three years. He was awfully young to be a plainclothes State Detective, but Tyler had risen through the ranks quickly because he was smart and his success raid with his cases thus far was 100% closed, with a 100% conviction rate.

“Do you have time to answer some questions?” Tyler asked. It was clearly a rhetorical question. He was going to make this man answer his questions whether he wanted to or not.

“Sure. Can we make it quick? I have another client coming in, and most of my clientele are bikers, and cops make them nervous.”

“No problem,” Tyler said. “I don’t know if you have heard, but there have been a few incidents on the highways around Feral mostly. People are getting run off the road. There has been some serious car wreckage.”

“Mountain roads are dangerous. Careless drivers die.” Gordon said, trying to sound disinterested. His attempt to appear indifferent was suspicious. This man knew more than he was letting on.

“That is true.” Tyler agreed. “Thing about these specific wrecks is that the crash is not what is killing these people.”

“Oh?”

making air quotes with his fingers to illustrate that he did not believe these accidents were accidents, “weren’t killed by the crashes. They were torn apart by animals. In fact, one car showed evidence of an animal. The driver’s door and the trunk had

the news. Yeah, he defiantly knew

You haven’t seen any strange animals roaming around the area,

with the State Patrol. Isn’t this an

I think someone is in possession of dangerous vicious dogs. I think they are running motorists off the road and using these dogs to kill the victims.”

his answer. “No,”

he knew too much. He was investigating

holding the other, staring each other down. Tyler was hoping to intimidate Gordon into saying something to incriminate himself, but Gordon did

A young pregnant blond

is nothing,” Gordon said firmly. “Go back into the back room. I’ll be back

from leaving. “I want to

was surprised. This woman had to be half Gordon’s age. Good for

you don’t mind, I want to hear her answers, not yours.” Tyler scolded

understood, and Tyler got the feeling she was not going to tell him anything, but he was going to ask

are you?” Tyler

“I’m Mackenzie Starr.”

you live around

“Yes.”

about the recent automobile crashes on the highway around here?” She shook her head, no. “Do you know

can’t say

know anything,” Gordon stressed. “Now, if you don’t mind, we were in the middle of lunch, and I’m expecting

pocket and took out his wallet. He removed a business card and handed it to Gordon. “If either of you remembers anything, we haven’t

card. “Will do.”

and the chimes sounded as another woman came into the shop. Tyler took one look at her and his breath caught in his chest. Dear Lord, she was stunning. The woman was of average height with an amazing figure that could make a man speechless. Her long blond hair was thick and hung in long waves cascading down her back and over her shoulders. Her face was round with soft features

managed, trying not to appear as if he