"You should call her back," Jodie shrugged, her voice tinged with confrontation. "I don't mind waiting until you're finished with whatever you both were doing. It's not like I have anything to do around here anyway. So what's it going to take? Ten? Fifteen minutes?"
She wanted to sit, but the expression on his face held her stationary. His eyes were glinting with barely suppressed anger, his features hard, grim, and unusually pale. In a single brief sweep, he gave her appearance the once-over, then his mouth tightened and he took a seat across from her.
"Sit," he clipped out. "I have some questions to ask."
Much to her chagrin, her butt sunk into the lush couch before her desire to disregard him could take over. Not that she had much of a choice in the matter, but the compulsion to argue and fight him every step of the way had been brewing since the office incident earlier in the day. Her flesh still tingled where he'd touched her, and his rough, firm grip would've left a scar if she was still a wolf-less little girl, fighting everyone off with human strength and a truckload of audacity. But now she had so much more.
"Has Ingrid said anything to you about a lover?"
Her thought train slowed to a staggering halt. Ingrid's love life was the last thing she imagined they would be discussing. "What?"
Irritated, he asked again. "Did she tell you about anyone who caught her attention or someone who had been trying to?"
Confused, Jodie adjusted herself on the couch to process things comfortably. "I...err, no. I'm not sure we've known each other long enough to start discussing boys."
Ares closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as he felt the beginning of a headache. "I found something in her room," he sighed as his eyes opened again. "A love note, a rose flower, and a crystal pendant."
"Crystal pendant?" Her ears perked up at that.
"Yes, crystal pendant." He eyed her wearily. "Do you know who sent them?"
She shook her head. "No. I only just arrived; how will I know?"
His suspicion didn't dwindle, but he didn't fester on it. "Okay, well I need you to find out who sent them."
She raised one dark brow, amusement twinkling in her eyes. "What?"
"You heard me the first time."
Jodie chuckled, and the sound skittered across his nape, raising hairs in its wake. It was warm and vibrant, and he derived so much pleasure from it that he wanted her to laugh again, although nothing about the situation was remotely amusing to him. He waited till her amusement died down before continuing like she hadn't interrupted.
"I want you to find out who's sending her these gifts. If she'd found her mate or someone in my pack is just messing with her."
"Like a spy?" she asked huskily. "You want me to spy on your sister?"
He frowned at the playfulness he heard in her voice. "No, spying would require time I don't have. Just ask her. She... likes you. I'm sure she'll let you in on the gory details of her love life."
"Okay, but why should I do this for you?" One elegantly craved brow raised with the demand.
He shrugged. "You don't have a choice in the matter if you still wish to train with my warriors. The moment you give me the information I need, I'll permit your training at first light tomorrow."
"Wait," she frowned. "In other words, you're saying I only have till tomorrow to get back to you?"
He was glad she was starting to take him seriously. "You have until midnight, actually. I'm sure she'll try to apologize for whatever went down at the arena. You can bond over that, or whatever."
"The timing is too short," she argued. "I've known her barely for seventy-two hours; I doubt she's willing to share something so personal."
"You wouldn't know until you try, but for the most part, Ingrid's an open book with people she loves. I'm sure she'll tell you."
"And she wouldn't tell you?"
"No. Not if she's interested in this person, she wouldn't." He rose to his feet. "I would rather you do it and get back to me. Again, you have until midnight."
"Wait!" He'd turned towards the door before she called after him. He stopped and acknowledged her with a slightly raised brow.
"I need to see this pendant."
His frown deepened. "Why?"
She shrugged anxiously. "It could help me ease into the conversation. I'm assuming it's very beautiful, so I'll ask her about it. I can come up with a story as to how I found it, but it's a good place to start as opposed to directly asking her if she's in a relationship."
Ares thought about it for a second, then nodded thoughtfully. He dug his hands into his jean pocket and took out a shiny hexagonal crystal pendant.
Jodie's heart dropped to her stomach as the feeling of deja vu engulfed her. It was the same pendant from her vision. The one Ingrid snatched from her killer's neck.
"Are you okay?" Ares took a step closer. Her face had gone white, and she appeared to have seen a ghost. "Jodie?"
Her gaze snapped up to his, and she blinked her horror away multiple times.
"You should sit," carefully, he assisted her to the couch and crouched beside her. "What's wrong? Do you know who sent this?"
"No," her head shook. She took a deep breath and rubbed her hand against a tension buildup in her chest. It was tight and painful. "I-I don't know who sent it, but we need to find out... I'll find out for you."