Puppet Master Secrets - Part 3

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• Detective Casie Blackwood and the Moonlit Secrets   Puppet Master Secrets - Part 7

  As they left the morgue, the late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the parking lot. Casie felt the weight of their new reality settling more firmly around her shoulders—not just the case, but everything it represented about their future together."You okay?" Rick asked quietly as they reached the SUV, his newly enhanced senses picking up on her tension."Just processing," she replied, keys dangling from her fingers. "Twenty-four hours ago, we were regular homicide detectives. Now we're investigating Fae succession murders as part of a supernatural task force while navigating a three-way mystical bond that apparently makes us the most important triad in centuries.""When you put it that way, it sounds ridiculous," Rick said with a wry smile that didn't quite reach his eyes."Welcome to my world," Nathaniel remarked as he slid into the backseat. "Politics, prophecy, and murder—standard Tuesday for supernatural nobility."Casie started the engine, focusing on the familiar routine t

• Detective Casie Blackwood and the Moonlit Secrets   Puppet Master Secrets - Part 6

  Casie started the engine, her mind already mapping out their investigation. "Dr. Vasquez first. We need to know what this girl was before we can figure out who wanted her dead."The city morgue was housed in a brutalist concrete building that looked as cheerless from the outside as it was on the inside. Dr. Helena Vasquez met them at the security entrance, her olive complexion unnaturally pale under the fluorescent lights—a telltale sign of her dhampir heritage."The Luna's Triad," she greeted them, her accent carrying hints of her Spanish origins. "I've been expecting you.""Just Detectives Blackwood and O'Connor, please," Casie replied, uncomfortable with the formal title. "And our consultant, Mr. Thornwood.""As you wish," Dr. Vasquez said with a slight smile that revealed the tips of elongated canines. "Though titles have power in our world, whether we acknowledge them or not."She led them through sterile corridors to a private examination room where the body of Jane Doe #147 lay

• Detective Casie Blackwood and the Moonlit Secrets   Puppet Master Secrets - Part 5

  "How reassuring," Rick muttered.Casie could feel his distress through their bond—not fear of children themselves, but fear of losing control over fundamental life decisions. She reached over and took his hand, offering what comfort she could."The Supernatural Crimes Unit," she said, steering the conversation back to more immediate concerns. "What exactly are our parameters? "Jurisdiction extends throughout the tri-state area," Thorne replied, settling into one of the guest chairs with fluid grace. "Any crime involving supernatural elements, any case where human and supernatural law intersect, any situation requiring mediation between species.""That's... broad," Rick observed, his detective training kicking in despite his emotional turmoil."Necessarily so," Ashworth added, still focused on her device. "Supernatural crime doesn't follow neat bureaucratic boundaries. A vampire feeding ring might span three cities. A witch's curse could affect victims across state lines. Shapeshifter

• Detective Casie Blackwood and the Moonlit Secrets   Puppet Master Secrets - Part 4

  Forty minutes later, they stood outside Captain Mendoza's office, all three dressed professionally: Casie in her usual detective attire, Rick in the spare clothes she'd kept for him, and Nathaniel in an impeccably tailored suit that made him look every inch the successful businessman.Through the frosted glass, they could see Mendoza's silhouette as he spoke on the phone. When he noticed them waiting, he waved them in without ending his call."Yes, Councilor. They've just arrived." Mendoza's voice held none of the deference Casie might have expected from someone addressing a supernatural authority. "We'll proceed as discussed."He hung up and studied the three of them with new intensity. Captain Rafael Mendoza had always been an imposing figure—mid-fifties, built like a former athlete who hadn't entirely lost his edge, with shrewd eyes that missed nothing. Now, knowing what he represented, Casie saw him differently—not just as her commanding officer, but as someone who had been guidin

• Detective Casie Blackwood and the Moonlit Secrets   Puppet Master Secrets - Part 3

  "Terrified," Casie admitted, turning back to the window. "Not of you, or Rick, or even the bonds. But of everything else. The expectations, the prophecy, the idea that our choices might not be entirely our own anymore."Nathaniel moved closer, stopping just within her peripheral vision. "The prophecy speaks of balance and healing, but it doesn't dictate how we achieve those things. Our choices are still ours, Casie. The bonds enhance what's already there—they don't create feelings that don't exist.""And what about the pack expectations? The children's discussion you and Rick were having?""Was premature," Nathaniel admitted. "I fell back into old patterns of thinking—duty before desire, pack needs before personal wants. But you're right to push back against that."Casie studied his reflection in the window, seeing not the arrogant Alpha heir who had rejected her, but a man trying to navigate unfamiliar territory with the same uncertainty she felt."The heat cycle," she said quietly.

• Detective Casie Blackwood and the Moonlit Secrets   Puppet Master Secrets - Part 2

  "The mate bond naturally leads to offspring," Nathaniel explained, his tone matter-of-fact despite the intensity of the subject. "Especially with a Luna of Casie's bloodline. The pack will expect—""The pack can expect whatever it wants," Rick interrupted, his protective instincts flaring. "We're not breeding stock."Nathaniel's eyes flashed with surprise, then something that might have been respect. "You're right. I apologize. I'm still thinking in terms of pack politics rather than personal choice."The shower shut off down the hall, and both men automatically turned toward the sound. Through their bonds, they could feel Casie's emotional state—cleaner but still overwhelmed, drawing strength from their presence even at a distance.