“Don’t,” he snapped. “Don’t ever speak of her.” She could see that the pain of his loss was still very close to the surface. This didn’t surprise the fae. It was unnatural for a wolf not to follow his true mate in death. For Jericho to still be here, alive—having not completed the Blood Rites, was an insult to his mate, or at least that’s how he felt about it.

“Have you moved on?” Peri asked nonchalantly. “You know that some mates left behind in this world still find love, despite the fact that their true mate is gone. No, it’s not like what you had with your female, of course, but it could ease the loneliness.” Why in the hell was she giving this fleabag advice? She mentally kicked herself.

“Are you concerned about my well-being, fae?” Jericho sneered. It was not a good look on him.

“I have more concern for an ingrown hair on a pixie’s ass than I have for you,” she shot back. “I’m here investigating other matters.”

“Since when did the high fae become detectives, sticking their noses into wolf business?” Jericho’s teeth were beginning to grow and his hands were shaking as he continued to dry the same glass he’d been drying since she’d started speaking to him.

“Oh come now, there aren’t any high fae detectives here, just little ole me—a gal trying to get herself a quick drinky-poo. There’s nothing wrong with that is there. It must be pure coincidence that I happened to come into the one establishment where a rogue wolf, hundreds of miles from his pack, is dutifully tending bar. Yep, pure coincidence.”

“Don’t insult my intelligence,” Jericho snarled. The words were garbled and slobber flew from his mouth as his canines lengthened. The glass in his hand shattered and claws began to grow from his fingertips.

Peri slammed her hand down on the bar and pushed her magic out in a flash of light. No, the light or sound wasn’t necessary, but she’d admitted already to having a flair for the dramatic. The room stilled. The humans, completely unaware that she’d suspended them and their minds, took no notice. In their own minds, they were still moving and talking. Nifty little trick, she smiled to herself.

Peri could feel the light pulsing around her body. She didn’t fully reveal her power, but it was enough to put the wolf in his place.

“Are you challenging me, wolf?” Peri said smoothly, as though she could flick her finger and wipe the floor with him—which she could. “I thought I made it clear at the beginning of this little encounter that it wouldn’t be wise to do such a thing.”

Jericho took a step back and averted his gaze as the glow receded from his eyes, and his teeth and claws returned to the normal human length. Peri might not be an alpha wolf, but she was more dominant and more powerful than the man before her and he knew it. So at least he wasn’t as stupid as she had thought. But she probably shouldn’t be giving him the benefit of the doubt just yet. Sometimes stupid took time to present itself.

“We’re not causing trouble, Perizada. We’ve done nothing to warrant your scrutiny, or anyone else’s.

“That’s where I would have to disagree with you. I have reason to believe that you have something very important that belongs not only to me but also to another pack and another male. And, well, I guess I need to add that she also belongs to her two psychotic best friends.” Peri made a motion with her hand as if to wipe the comment away.

“What could we possibly have that belongs to you?”

“And a pack, a male and—”

“The two best friends, I get it,” he snapped.

“Psychotic best friends. That is a distinction you cannot leave out, and I suggest that you remember it just in case they ever decide to visit Oceanside.”

Jericho crossed his arms in front of him and leaned back on the counter behind him. It was a deliberate pose to make him appear relaxed, as if he didn’t fear the being before him. “We don’t have anything that is not ours.”

Peri nearly reached out and slapped the cocky wolf. He’d chosen his words carefully. He could have said that they didn’t have anything that belonged to her and the others, but instead he’d deliberately said that they don’t have anything that is not ours. It was a passive aggressive attempt to put Peri in her place. He clearly knew who she was looking for and he was making a claim on Sally.

“So the pretty brunette with big brown eyes and the sweetest disposition, like, ever, who answers to the name, Sally, isn’t working here?” Peri held up a finger to stop him from answering. “Let me just tell you before you speak. If you lie to me—and I will know, believe me I will know—it goes back to that whole high fae detective thing, then I will hurt you…badly. If you know me at all, then you know that I am not bluffing. I’m sure someone has told you before that it is a very, very stupid idea to lie to a high fae, especially this high fae. Don’t be stupid, Jericho.”

He was quiet for a few minutes before finally letting out a resigned sigh as he unfolded his arms and ran a hand through his hair. “Yes, we have a new employee named Sally, which is a very common name in the human world,” he added hastily. He paused before continuing. "And she does have brown eyes, but she isn’t a brunette, he added quickly. And she knows nothing of the supernatural world so she cannot possibly be the same girl. She is as completely oblivious as the rest of the human race.”

Peri sucked in a slow breath as she considered Jericho’s response. She stared at the wolf for a few silent moments, narrowing her eyes.

“It’s the truth, I promise,” the wolf said, holding up his hands.

But Peri had no doubt about the veracity of the wolf’s words. The fae’s mind was spinning with possibilities. Oblivious. He said that she was oblivious to the supernatural world. Her chest was tight as she considered the possibilities. Only a few supernatural beings were powerful enough to perform the kind of magic that was capable of wiping memories so completely. It sure as hell wasn’t done by someone who wanted to play nice and be friends. Whoever had done this wasn’t just powerful, they were desperate. The person or persons were messing with some big, big mojo—memory modification, bond magic, pack magic. They were opening up all kinds of Pandora’s boxes. This was not good.

Sucking in the breath she’d been holding, Peri composed herself and finally spoke. “Does this clueless, not brunette named Sally work today?” Peri asked, needing desperately to see for herself whether or not Sally remembered her.