Born to Love (The Vampire Reborn Series) (Entangled Ignite) by Caridad Pineiro

humor instead. “It was all I could do not to hurl, myself.”
    “Have you confirmed the cause of death?” Diana asked, and strode over to Maggie’s worktable to skim over the papers there.
    “Her neck was pulled apart between the C2 and C3 vertebrae from a violent shaking by the throat. The action created an internal decapitation, separating her spinal cord from her skull. If that didn’t immediately kill her, a crushed esophagus and larynx would have led to asphyxiation. And if that didn’t do it, exsanguination would have occurred shortly thereafter due to the damage to the abdominal aorta and nearby arteries.”
    “Hell of a savage attack. I’m almost afraid to ask, but—”
    Maggie shook her head. “I don’t think it was Rafe who killed her. I didn’t find any bites on her that match the impressions we took from him…yet.”
    …
    Diana released a relieved sigh. Thank God for that . Although that alleviated one kind of worry about whether they were safe with Rafe, it didn’t stop the concerns that the pack might be out for his hide, unaware of who had actually done the two killings.
    She took another deep breath and braced herself to inspect the body. She walked over to the victim and did a cursory exam to confirm Maggie’s report.
    “So it looks like, in addition to Rafe, we have a second unsub of indeterminate origin.”
    “I’d say a werewolf, for sure. But we both know that can’t go in any report.” Maggie handed the metal clipboard with her notes to Diana. “I haven’t added the results of Rafe’s blood test. But he’s a match to the droplets and splatter on my hand.”
    “Is his blood…different?” Diana asked as she skimmed Maggie’s report, afraid that the ME would be treated to a view of non-human cells such as those now floating around in her own bloodstream.
    “No. Nothing in mine either. Whatever causes the change is invisible to the tests I’ve run so far. Or there’s not enough titer of any foreign cells to register. Or maybe it’s not even carried in the blood.”
    Both good and bad. No way for anyone involved to be flagged as alien or otherworldly, but also no hint of how to stop the changes going on in Rafe’s and Maggie’s bodies.
    Diana handed her back the clipboard. “Melissa kept samples, as well. Maybe she’ll have better luck isolating what causes the change, but as far as this report is concerned—”
    “We’ll have to talk to Jesus and see how he wants us to handle the information we do have.”
    Diana nodded. “Did NYPD send over the victim’s clothes, too?”
    Maggie walked over to a large banker’s box sitting on her table. The victim’s name and date of death were written on the box. Maggie lifted the lid and removed the evidence bags with the remnants of the jogger’s clothes. “What are you hoping to find?”
    “The scent of the other werewolf. Maybe Rafe can acquire the odor and track the other wolf tonight.”
    “Only problem is, he’ll probably stay human tonight. The full moon is done,” Maggie said.
    Diana reached into her pocket and rocked her smart phone back and forth. “I checked the moon phases, too. I’m hoping his senses have been enhanced even in his human form. Well, at least we’ll be safe tonight.”
    Maggie’s forehead scrunched with concentration, considering the safety issue. “Diego said something about ‘sentient shifters.’ Does that mean there are some who can shift at will?”
    Diana scoured her brain, trying to recall every little tidbit Diego had imparted last night in the basement of the Blood Bank. He clearly had more information than he was sharing, maybe because of his role on the Vampire Council. “He did say that, and he seems to know a great deal. I wonder why he’s holding back.”
    She had thought about having Ryder ask his partner, but then she’d remembered her husband’s harsh words about his involvement in her cases. About treating him as an “office gofer.” As much as she wanted to ask