📎 A/N. Hello my lovelies,

I hope you all had a great weekend and are ready to face the brand new week!!!

This chapter is dedicated to @EliciaHyder - check out her new story The Soul Summoner, you won't be disappointed.

For those of you following the Rugby World Cup... Go the All Blacks!!!!! And Scotland ... you were robbed!!!!

I hope you enjoy this chapter. If you do, don't forget to vote :-)

Thanks for your continued support.

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PS. This chapter is unedited. If you spot any mistakes, don't hesitate to let me know.

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Kaitlyn had managed to get home, unpack and had carried out a quick search of their best lead yet before Murphy arrived. To say she was excited was an understatement. She was that much closer to her father's killer - she could almost taste it.

When she had first seen the photo of Francis Giordano, she was confident she had seen his likeness before. At first, why he appeared so familiar eluded her. It didn't however, take long to remember why. Francis was one of the faces in the grainy video of Elijah with the other Werewolves in New York. The one that had found its way into the possession of the Boston Globe reporter.

"I assume that you have his address?" Kaitlyn asked as she jumped into Murphy's Escalade.

He grimaced as she slammed the door behind her. "Yes, and why do women feel the need to be so heavy-handed with car doors?"

Kaitlyn clicked her seatbelt into place and glanced across at him with a bland expression. "Probably the same reason men need to leave the toilet seat up," she said, "can we go now?"

They pulled up outside of an impressive colonial style two story home in Lexington. A prestigious and upmarket suburb of Boston.

"He must be making a killing at selling houses," Murphy remarked as they got out and headed up the narrow path that led to the front door.

"According to what I could find," said Kaitlyn ensuring that her voice didn't carry, "our new Immigrant has a string of offices across the state. He's one of the big hitters in the industry. I was actually expecting something a little grander."

Kaitlyn rang the doorbell and took a step back.

"Remember," warned Murphy gruffly, "if he starts anything, I want you to clear out and leave it to me."

"Yes, dad."

Murphy had only managed to emit a low growl from the back of his throat before the door was opened by a woman whom Kaitlyn guessed was the wife. She plastered a disarming smile on her face and flashed her badge at the woman, careful to keep her finger on the letters FBI, as well as make sure the other side of her wallet was hidden from view. Kaitlyn had pocketed it before the woman had a chance to take a proper look.

"Hello," Kaitlyn began, "I'm Inspector Quinn, this is my colleague O'Neill and we are special investigators for the District Attorney's office. We were wondering if we could speak to Mr Giordano?"

"He's at a Real Estate conference at the moment. I'm his wife, Linda, can I help you?" asked the woman, her eyes a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

"We can't divulge too much information with regards to an ongoing investigation, but the DA's office has been looking at some criminal activities of a particular dog breeder here in Massachusetts. We understand your husband was a recent victim to one of his dogs who had been let loose."

Linda visibly relaxed and nodded. "He was. And let me tell you, it gave all of us a scare. I thought it was going to kill my poor Frankie. They shouldn't be allowed to breed dogs like that."

"Mrs Giordano, since you were there and witnessed the event, would you mind if we ask you some questions," asked Kaitlyn, "it might help us in ensuring that the breeder is brought to justice."

"Not a problem. Anything to stop those sort of attacks in the future. It could have easily been my children it attacked."

Kaitlyn and Murphy were very quickly invited into the Giordano residence and asked to take a seat in the lounge while she went and made a pot of coffee for them.

As soon as she was gone, Kaitlyn glanced around the room. It looked like a typical upper-middle-class house. She could tell from the photos, the Giordano's had two boys who were very much into hockey. Many of the photos on the mantle were of the boys holding up one trophy or another. Kaitlyn turned to Murphy and raised an eyebrow, nodding towards the photos and then towards the kitchen.

Murphy picked up on her unvoiced question and said in a low voice, "She's human, but I can scent a Werewolf in this house. It's strong, although he hasn't been here in a few days."

Linda was back before Murphy could say anything further. "So what exactly did you want to know about the attack on my Frank and the others?"

Kaitlyn pretended to consult her notes, "Could you tell us in your own words your version of the events."

Linda handed Kaitlyn and Murphy their coffees and poured herself one before speaking. "The burial had just finished and everyone was paying their last respects," she said as she sat back down on the couch across from Kaitlyn. "A few of us were chatting and out of nowhere, this dog attacks Frank and the others. It managed to maul a half dozen people before it ran off. We were lucky that there are a few doctors in the family so they could treat the injuries straight away."

Linda's hand shook as she recalled the day at the cemetery. "I kept on worrying that the beast had rabies. They all had shots within an hour and we had to wait on tender hooks for fourteen days to confirm that they hadn't contracted the virus."

Kaitlyn took a sip of coffee and placed the cup back on the table. "I can't imagine the pressure it must have put on your family," she said sympathetically. Mrs Giordano was still visibly upset at the memory and genuinely concerned for her husband and the others.

She knew she needed to tread carefully with the next question, the woman could easily decline to answer. "Linda, could you reconfirm the names of the others that were bitten that day - we want to make sure we have correctly identified all of the victims to this vicious attack," she said as she picked up her pen.

Linda was a fountain of information. She was more than happy to provide them with all the details, names - and her own opinion on each of the family members that were bitten. Kaitlyn wasn't surprised to discover that Elijah knew exactly who to bite and wasted no effort on any of the others. She spent the next twenty minutes jotting down copious notes that she would pour over later.

"When do you expect Frank to be home?" Murphy asked as they were leaving, "Just in case the DA has any further questions."

"He's due back tomorrow sometime."

After thanking a very helpful Linda Giordano for all her assistance, they reassured her that provided their investigation went well they would not be called to testify.

"Do you think she knows?" Kaitlyn whispered as they headed away from the house.

"Not a clue."

"What are you thinking?" Kaitlyn asked as they pulled out of the driveway and headed back to the city. She could tell he'd come to a conclusion on something.

"The timing is right," he said, "Elijah started butchering those humans a week after Frank and the others were bitten. My guess is that he was after one particular victim to turn but when he followed them to the cemetery he found a goldmine from the same family. I think he lost one of them. And the only way to find him was to start torturing people to give him the info to track him down."

"Who would be so important that he would need to..." Kaitlyn's eyes widened in shock, "Oh my God! He'd bitten the Don of the New England Mafia! Remember how Pilkinton said no one knew who it was. I bet you, Elijah only discovered the information at the cemetery and didn't know how to track him down after that."

She slumped back into her seat, "The only problem is, how do we work it out?"

"That's easy," Murphy said.

Kaitlyn waited for him to finish the sentence. After hearing no further explanation, she glanced across at him. "You know what else is easy?" she said getting irritated at his smug expression. "Tasering an immigrant who's full of his own self-importance."

Murphy threw her a cheeky grin and then turned back to navigating the early evening traffic. "Ambrose."

"Pardon?"

"The cousin she mentioned, Ambrose. He's in charge."

"How do you know?"

"Linda told us," he said.

Kaitlyn snapped her head to face Murphy. "She did? And where was I at the time?"

"It was her change in tone and posture when she spoke of him. He is at the top of the family tree in power, it makes sense that he would also be the one in charge at a business level."

"That's made our job easier," remarked Kaitlyn as she relaxed back into the seat. Maybe today wasn't such a disaster after all?

It was near midnight and Kaitlyn was frustrated. She now knew why Elijah had to resort to the methods he had. "I can't believe there is no address listed for him," she moaned as she threw her head into her hands and shook her head in disgust. "Everything is listed against PO Boxes or his company's offices."

She looked over at Murphy, who had just gotten off the phone and had stood in relative silence listening to her rant. "What did he say?"

After their new working assumption, Murphy had no alternative than to contact the Alpha Commander. She knew he was less than thrilled with having to have the conversation and had been dragging his heels before relenting and calling the Alpha.

"Daniel is alerting the Alliance council. He's agreed with my assessment and is going to contact the packs on the eastern seaboard to send in reinforcements."

"Why? You didn't need help with bringing Elijah down before."

"It's not Elijah that's the issue. We now have an unaligned pack that has been made by a deranged mind. We have no idea on how many there are or how protective they are of Elijah. If this isn't handled properly this could get out of control," he explained

Kaitlyn briefly closed her eyes. Of course, he was right. She had been so focused on putting the pieces together she had missed sight of the fact that they were now facing a more serious issue. Assuming they were correct and Elijah had turned members of the New England Mafia into Werewolves, the ramifications reached well into the human world.

How had she missed it?

The mob was bad enough, but pumped up with Werewolf abilities? She shuddered at the thought.

"So why would they be in New York?" Kaitlyn began musing out loud remembering the video. She froze as a thought struck her. "Oh shit!"

"What?" asked Murphy. He had just pulled a bottle of beer from his fridge and was tossing the cap in the bin.

She stood and began pacing the room as she spoke. "The New England crime syndicate is controlled by New York. They have always been seen as the poor cousin. What if they are there to ensure a change of guard?"

"They wouldn't expose themselves. Even Elijah wouldn't be so stupid," dismissed Murphy before taking a sip of the amber fluid.

"But they wouldn't need to expose the fact that they are Werewolves, don't you see?" she countered. "You've said it yourself. Humans are no match for Werewolves - in either form. They would just need to have a show of force."

She darted across the room and grabbed her cell phone from the bench.

"Who are you phoning?"

"Pilkington. He might have heard something."

Murphy glanced at his watch. "It's after midnight."

She shrugged her shoulders. "And?"

Kaitlyn's attention was now focused on trying to convince the task force unit leader to give her the information without asking too many questions. She was lucky that she had caught him on his way home from a boy's night out. In his half inebriated state, he was more than happy to supply her with the information - provided she agree to dinner the following week.

By the time she had finished her conversation, she was filled with a sense of dread. Pilkington had informed her that all hell had broken loose in New York. They knew there had been a change in the power base - the problem was -- they didn't know who it now rested with. No one was talking and a few FBI informants had suddenly disappeared off the face of the earth.

After thanking Pilkington for his help, she hung up and turned to Murphy. "I'm assuming you heard all that."

She was mystified at his hard and icy expression. "Yes," he said tersely.

Kaitlyn placed her phone back onto the bench. "So it looks like New England has made a move on their bosses."

His confirming grunt caught her attention.

What the hell has gotten into him? She thought as she watched him stomp across the room and gaze out her window onto the street below.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing," he snapped.

Kaitlyn rolled her eyes and headed back to her computer. Two could play this game. Ignoring his sudden change in mood, she focused on her new task. The only way they were going to find Elijah was through tracking down Ambrose first.

As she worked, the room was silent. The only sound coming from the keyboard as she tapped away. The tension that had been building was broken when Murphy sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Things just went from bad to worse," he said.

"You're telling me," Kaitlyn mumbled without looking up.

"No, you misunderstand my meaning," began Murphy, "Elijah is involved. But he's not calling the shots. He would never be so strategic. He doesn't have the capabilities. Providing it's Ambrose Giordano that's in charge - he's using his newfound abilities to his advantage. Somehow he's managed to get Elijah to go along with him, and he's managed to keep him under control at the same time."

"You make it sound like you admire the man."

"You have to admit," he said as he crossed the room toward her, "It's no small feat for a newly turned Werewolf."

Kaitlyn snorted in a very unladylike manner. "You have got to be kidding me. You do know what the man and his organisation does? Drugs, prostitution, trafficking, and racketeering are just the tip of the iceberg - I could go on for days. He needs to be brought to justice for the misery he's caused."

"And how exactly do you think that justice, in this case, will be served?" Murphy murmured.

"He needs to be locked up just like the other Mafia bosses and taken off the streets."

"Kait, I think you are forgetting one major issue with that scenario - he's no longer human. He will expose us if he's incarcerated."

"So we just let him continue to carry on?" Kaitlyn chided. Her voice had now increased by at least three octaves.

"I didn't say that," he said holding his palms up in mock surrender. "All I am saying is that you will need to seek justice elsewhere. Daniel and the rest of the council will need to decide their fate."

Kaitlyn wasn't happy. But she knew he was right. If the FBI actually managed to catch up with him, they could never take him in. And if, by some miracle they did, it wouldn't be long before his wolf forced a change and they would be exposed.

Her shoulders visibly slumped in defeat and she closed the lid of her laptop. It was late and her mind was all over the place.

Kaitlyn swung around on her stool and looked over at Murphy, who was perched on the back of her sofa, intently studying her. His obsidian eyes giving nothing away.

"You know he's with a new woman every other week?" he eventually said.

Kaitlyn looked blankly at Murphy. She was mystified with what he was referring to.

"Pilkington," he clarified, "When I worked with him a while back he was famous for it."

It was then she remembered her agreement for dinner with the FBI unit leader. "It's just dinner," she scoffed. "I'm a big girl and I can look after myself."

He was across the room and inches away from her before she knew it. "I don't want you anywhere near him," he growled as he reached out and trapped her, his arms on either side of her, his hands resting on the bench.

Kaitlyn was breathtakingly aware of the man towering above her.

"Why?" her voice hitched as she began to drown in the fiery depths of his brooding gaze that was very quickly turning into something else far more dangerous.

Tension built as his head slowly lowered towards her. She hauled in a breath and tensed as he loomed closer. Her entire body flooded with desire as his lips grazed hers. She could feel his warm breath as he nipped her bottom lip. Letting out a low moan, she leaned towards him and granted him entrance. His tongue skimmed her trembling lips and began to dip and swirl as they deepened the kiss and it became more urgent, more demanding. The need to touch him was too strong and she reached up to cup his face. His ever present whiskers were soft under her fingers as she explored his strong face.

Kaitlyn was overwhelmed with the messages her senses were sending her. She pulled away from his lips and began to nip along his jaw and trickle kisses down his neck. His pure male scent only escalated her hunger and goose bumps broke out as he returned the favour and trailed liquid kissed down her neck and along her shoulder as he pulled away the collar of her shirt to expose her silky soft skin.

Murphy chuckled as he trailed his long tapered fingers down her arm, catching her hand in his and then raising her palm to his lips. He sent tingles up her arm and down to her core as he tasted her.

A charge of excitement shot through her as he let her hand go and he began to flick open the buttons of her shirt one by one. Their eyes locked and she was undone by the desire and tenderness reflected back at her. There was no doubt she wanted this handsome, hypnotic and powerful man. And if his heavy, erratic breathing was anything to go by, he wanted her just as much. Kaitlyn's inner demon rose to the surface questioning her ability to come out of this in one piece. There was no long term future for them. He would be gone before Elijah's body was cold, and she would be left heartbroken.

But right now she didn't care. Right now, her entire body wanted him and only him.

Murphy slipped her shirt off her shoulders and gazed at her heaving bosom. She was finding it hard to breath under his intense scrutiny. He bent down and trailed kisses down her slender neck and downwards towards her pebbled bud which was straining against the lace of her bra.

"Do you know how beautiful you are?" he asked, his voice thick with intent and desire.

Murphy raised himself up, grasped her knees and eased them apart. He leaned against the bar stool she was perched upon and pulled her closer. She was straddling his hips as he snaked his arm around her waist to hold her flush against his body.

Kaitlyn moulded herself intimately against him and reached up to clasp her arms around his neck.

"We might be more comfortable in my room," she breathed as she twined her fingers in his hair and pulled his head towards her. All thoughts vanished as their lips fused as the brutal strength of his passion turned every limb in Kaitlyn's body into putty under his experienced touch.

She was dismayed as he pulled away and looked down at her questioningly, "Are you sure?"

"I've never been more certain of anything," she said huskily with desire.

In an instant, Murphy had wrapped her legs around his body and resumed his assault on her lips. She was being lifted as though she were weightless and she felt herself being carried towards her room. Low sultry incoherent mews could be heard as she felt his rigid body rub against hers. Kaitlyn was impatient to touch Murphy and began to fumble with the buttons on his shirt in an attempt to expose his perfect torso before they reached her room. Desire was making her tremble with each victorious opening. They were both becoming more urgent the closer they got to her room. By the time they fell onto her bed they were both frantic.

It was if she were on a high and Murphy was her drug of choice.

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IMPORTANT NOTE :  THE NEXT CHAPTER HAS BEEN MARKED PRIVATE FOR THOSE OF YOU  WHO PREFER TO NOT  READ WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, AS WELL AS THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE TOO YOUNG TO POSSIBLY KNOW OF THESE THINGS ;-)  If you DO want to read the chapter you will need to follow me, otherwise you will not be able to access it.

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