by Tiffany Foxe
***
Cecelia recommended Em take some time off of work. Making the call took a great deal of nerves to complete. Em was sure they would go after her right there over the phone, but to her surprise, nothing happened. Nothing was said of Jack, although he wasn’t due to come into work for another five hours. There was still time before they would go looking for him.
Em continued to call in at Cecelia’s request which eventually turned into a leave of absence. Em didn’t understand why she couldn’t just quit and turn in her badge and gun, or why she had to do anything at all. Captain’s Reynold’s did call to ask Em about Jack, but to her astonishment it wasn’t about his murder. It was in regards to his whereabouts. According to Reynolds, Jack had gone missing the first day that Em had called in sick. The whole thing didn’t make sense. She had left Jack’s house a blood bath. It was practically a swimming pool. She denied having heard from Jack and promised to keep Reynolds abreast of any changes. Reynolds also informed her that he had a couple of detectives looking into the matter, and insisted that she not get involved in the investigation since Baldawin was her partner. They couldn’t risk someone investigating that was too close to the case. From an outsider’s perspective, whether it be a judge or jury, it never looked good. Emiline was perfectly fine with that. She hadn’t offered to join the investigation and she wanted no part of it. When she finished speaking with Reynolds Em went straight to Cecelia.
“What happened to Jack?”
Cecelia was at her desk on her computer. She looked up from the screen bewildered.
“What do you mean?”
“The body? Where is the body? I just talked to Reynolds and he said Jack is missing. Missing! I left him there in a pool of his own blood. How is that possible?”
Cecelia shrugged.
“How should I know?”
Em rolled her eyes and stormed into Ralph’s office. He was in the middle of a meeting with several of the Sons. They all stopped and stared at Emiline.
“What happened to Jack? Where’s the body?” she demanded.
Ralph glanced around at the other men in the room and motioned for them to leave. They quietly left but not without passing looks of pity at Em as they walked by. This fueled her anger even more.
“What did you do with the body?” she asked with desperation.
Ralph calmly stood up and motioned for Em to take a seat. She curtly shook her head.
“We took care of it,” he said.
“...took care of it? What do you mean?”
Her heart raced and breath quickened. Ralph watched the green in her eyes glow brighter. He tried to calm her.
“I mean you won’t have to worry about that coming back to haunt you.”
She scoffed and grew more irritable.
“Haunt me...haunt me? That’s all it does.”
“My dear,” he interrupted. “You may not believe me, but it will pass. Time heals or at least it dulls. We took care of it so you won’t be tormented for an uncontrollable mistake. You’re still green. You have yet to master your wolf. This happens... it’s not usually with such high profile people, but it happens.”
Em’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t believe how he made light of the situation. She had killed several people, and he acted like she got into a tiff on the school playground.
“But, don’t worry. I’m taking care of it. You can keep your job and continue to do what you love. And don’t worry about the Watchers. They won’t touch you so long as Brutus and Daemian are around.”
“Who?”
“Brutus and Daemian. Two of my strongest. You can go wherever you like. If you get into trouble, they’ll be there.”
Em was perplexed. How could she go on representing justice while she herself ran from it, and who were these guys? Were they following her, keeping tabs? Was it for surveillance or protection?
“I’d rather not have my own entourage.”
“It’s for your own safety, babydoll.”
“I’d rather not. And, please…,” she put her hand up and grimaced.
“...don’t call me that.”
Ralph nodded.
“As you wish. No protection. No pet names.”
This appeased her a little. Her pulse slowed and her fist relaxed. She left his office certain she had barely avoided shifting by no fault of her own.
The next several weeks were spent training on controlling when she shifted. To Em’s surprise this meant controlling her emotions. Extreme anger and frustration proved the quickest paths to shifting into wolf form. Faelan said she had to find her calm which Em interpreted as accomplishing some sort of zen-like state which seemed futile. Finding a state of peace amongst the death and destruction she had caused felt like some kind of sick joke. Her life as she knew it had been thrown out the window along with her career which she adored. She felt like her entire world had flipped upside down. Once the dispenser of justice, she now fled from it. Living in an unfamiliar house packed full of strangers, she had never felt more alone. The more she tried to control her emotions and find peace, the more frustrated she became. Serenity was inconceivable.
She did find some solace in the bottle, the one thing that helped her forget what she had done to Jack. How she had betrayed him, how she had...taken everything from him. She couldn’t remember actually doing it, but she was sure it must have been gruesome and brutal. She could vividly recall the blood spewed across the living room floor, the torn flesh and muscle, her own reflection in the mirror, her face covered in blood and eyes wild. It made her sick to her stomach. With each recollection a drink followed until feelings weren’t felt and sleep paused the mind.
Em grew sick of the walls of her confinement. The mansion was grand with lots of areas to explore, but lacked the comfort she found in her own home free from prying eyes. She resolved to venture back to her apartment for a bit, but only during daylight when she was less likely to shift. She told no one at the mansion she was leaving. She had grown tired of the incessant vigilance and yearned for some time solely to herself.
She stopped at the liquor store on her way in and grabbed a bottle of liquor. She arrived at her apartment and gave a sigh of relief as she closed the door behind her. Everything was just as she had left it. She immediately felt comforted by familiarity. She plopped down on the couch and opened the bottle of tequila. The smell made her mouth water. She took a swig and leaned back against the couch.
How did I get here?
Her life could have gone a lot of different directions, but she never anticipated anything like this. Murderer, delinquent...wolf. It all felt too surreal, like a bad dream she couldn’t wake from. She took another swig and closed her eyes. She was out in seconds.
Knock, knock, knock.
Em awoke to blackness outside her window. She had only meant to stay a few hours. She didn’t trust herself at night. She had no idea who could be at the door. She got up and cautiously went to the door. She opened the button on her holster and peered through the peephole. It was Reynolds. He had finally figured it out. He was here for her. She knew it. She looked back towards the window. Maybe she could sneak out, and…
“I know you’re there Zadok. I can see your shadow through the door.”
Damnit!
“What do you want?”
“Christ! Open the door, will ya?”
Emiline opened the door. Reynolds walked right in.
“Man, you look like shit.”
“...Thanks,” said Em as she peeked out the door and quickly shut it.
He had come alone.
Reynolds spotted the bottle of Patron on the table.
“Ah!” He walked up to it and grabbed the bottle. “You mind?”
Em shrugged. He headed into the kitchen to look for a glass.
“It’s like he walked off the face of the earth,” he started. He pulled two glasses out of the cabinet and poured into each. He pushed one of the glasses over to Em. He took a sip and swallowed with pleasure. “I haven’t had Patron in
ages.”
He set the glass down.
“I don’t know what the hell happened,” he continued. “There’s absolutely no evidence at his place. No foul play. Nothing to suggest he skipped town. All of his clothes are still there, suitcase, toothbrush. None of his accounts have been closed or even used. Utilities, trash, phone...all still open. They haven’t been paid since he disappeared. His phone shows no usage since then, either. The man’s either dead or he wants us to think he is. And I can’t imagine why he’d want that.”
Em’s breath grew shallow. She looked down at her glass.
“There’s only one lead left to follow,” he said as he eyed Em.
“Yeah?”
She could feel his eyes on her. She looked up.
“What were you doing at Jack’s the night he disappeared?”
Her heart galloped. She felt lightheaded. There must have been a neighbor of his that placed her there that night. She knew this moment was inevitable, though she still wasn’t ready to handle it. She swallowed hard.
“What are you saying, Captain?”
She looked him dead in the eye.
“Emiline, I need to know what happened that night? It could help us find him.”
Em shook her head. Cecelia had instructed her on what to say if this moment ever came. She was prepared but she dreaded the fact that she was going to have to lie.
“Nothing. I...went over there to talk.”
“That’s it?”
Em nodded.
“You just...talked?”
“Mhmm.”
“About what?”
“Work. The case we had just been kicked off of. I wanted to stay on it. He didn’t think it was a good idea. Then...” she trailed off.
Her nerves were on end, but she was amazed out how much easier this was all coming out than she imagined.
“Then, what?” he asked.
“Then...he came onto me. I turned him down.”
“When did you leave?”
“Eh…”
This one was hard. Whatever she said needed to match what the witness saw. She didn’t want to say she left the next morning. That could imply all sorts of things, that they were a couple which would give her motive. Significant others were always the first to be investigated. It could also mean that there was time to kill him and get rid of the evidence. She really didn’t want to admit to being there all night, but her story had to match the witness account. She had no choice.
“...the next morning,” she grimaced.
His eyes widened.
“Did you…?”
Em shook her head.
“No. I said I shot him down. I had a few. I didn’t feel comfortable driving so I crashed on the couch.”
She poured another shot and took a swig.
“I left around eight. I haven’t seen or heard from him since.”
“Can you account for the rest of that day?”
“I went by Cecelia’s to talk...about the case. I started feeling ill...called in...and crashed at her place.”
This was good. At least she now had someone credible to alibi her.
“Did you go to the doctor?”
“No. I think it was food poisoning. I had some Thai the night before. I guess it didn’t settle well.”
Reynolds looked at Emiline with discernment. He finished the rest of his drink and slammed it down.
“Well, I guess that’s it. I’ll be out of your hair.”
He walked over to the door.
“Wait. That’s it?”
He nodded.
“Well, am I the only lead? Is that all you’ve got?”
“Yep.”
He opened the door, but stopped and raised a finger.
“Well, there is one more.”
“What?”
He smiled.
“Em, I can’t tell you. You’re a person of interest in a missing person’s case. How will that look?”
He stepped out the door and closed it behind him. Em didn’t feel any better about any of it. She was a person of interest. That wasn’t good. The front door opened back up and Reynold’s poked his head in.
“Oh, and sorry about the formalities. You know, protocol. Have to explore all avenues.”
Em nodded and he closed the door, again.
Maybe she was in the clear, at least on the outside. Her conscience was another story. She finished her drink and poured another. She earnestly gulped it down and looked about her apartment. This was the first night she had been alone in weeks She used to relish solitude. It was her time to do whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. But, tonight she’d give anything not to be alone. There was too much silence and too little distraction. Images of Jack and the others rushed through her head. She took a swig from the bottle and focused on the burn that trailed down her throat.
She feared what might happen if she stayed the night alone. She still couldn’t control her shifting. She also feared attempting to head back to the Sons’ mansion. What if something happened on her way? What if someone cut her off in traffic and made her angry? Would she lose it over something so simple? She couldn’t risk finding out.
Perhaps getting wasted and passing out was her best option. If she was dead asleep then she shouldn’t shift. If felt like a shoddy option, but she couldn’t think of anything better.
“Bottoms up.”
She touched the bottle to her lips and tilted it toward the ceiling.
Chapter 9
Sophie sat at her desk intently perusing through old documents. A small lamp on her desk lit the dark room. She heard footsteps stop at the doorway.
“I don’t see anything related to this,” Sophie said still reading through the tattered papers. “They’ve always been so good at staying together. There’s no precedent for anything like this. Sam, I…” Sophie stumbled as she looked up to see that it wasn’t Sam in the doorway.
A large, white wolf glared at Sophie from across the room. It’s lips curled, revealing sharp pearly whites as it made a low growl. Sophie kept her eyes on her intruder as she slowly stood up at her desk. She cautiously walked around the desk toward the wolf. It’s growl grew more fierce as she moved closer.
“Em...I know you couldn’t help what happened.”
Emiline snarled. Her lip curled more. Sophie put her palm up as Em slowly advanced toward her.
“I’m not gonna hurt you.”
Em paced further forward, her eyes bright and wild.
“Em...you have to trust me. I…”
Em pounced forward pinning Sophie on the floor beneath her. She snapped furiously as Sophie cupped her hand around Em’s neck, holding her at arm’s length.
“I...won’t…”
Em snapped at Sophie’s arm, tearing flesh and muscle. Sophie winced at the pain.
“...hurt you.”
Em snarled and snapped vigorously at Sophie’s face. Sophie tried to hold her back without causing any harm which proved more difficult than expected. Em was strong. She thrashed about trying to get around Sophie’s grip. Her claws slashed across Sophie’s cheek. She gasped as blood trickled down her face. Their eyes met. Sophie’s eyes were full with fear and concern for them both. Em paused for a moment. Sophie took advantage of the moment and lifted her free hand. She slowly moved her hand towards Em’s head which Em quickly snapped at, Sophie pulled her hand away then cautiously moved back in. Em growled. Sophie hesitantly placed her hand on Em’s head and stroked her fingers over her head and ears. She ran her fingers through Em’s silky fur. Seconds later she watched as the fur turned to long golden strands of hair on her fingertips.
Emiline gazed back at her in her human form. Her long blonde hair fell into Sophie’s face. She apologetically touched her hand to Sophie’s scratched cheek and searched her eyes. Sophie lifted her head closer to Em, stopped for a second, then moved in further. Their lips touched. Passionately, they kissed. Em’s heart fluttered, her breath heavy, she didn’t want this moment to end. From the moment she had first
laid eyes on her this was all she had wanted. She tried to pull away, but Sophie clasped the front of her shirt and pulled her back down. Sophie kissed her eagerly, her tongue tasting her sweet lips. Emiline pushed away again and sat up. She tore off her shirt. Sophie ran her hands up Em’s hips as she gazed up in awe. Em yanked Sophie up by her shirt and pulled it off. They kissed again as Em pinned her back on the floor. She pulled back for a moment and gazed at her prize. Everything about Sophie screamed perfection: hair, lips, skin, body. Em leaned back in, kissing the object of her affection, her fantasies, with an all-consuming intensity that she had never felt before. Sophie began unbuttoning Em’s pants. She pulled the zipper down and slid her pants down. Her breath grew heavier as she took in the view. Em reciprocated by undoing Sophie’s pants and ardently yanking them off. They continued to kiss, their breasts pressed firmly together as Sophie rolled over on top and worked her way down Em’s torso, indulging every delicacy along the way. She reached her thighs and slowly spread them apart as she watched the anticipation grow in Em’s eyes. She ran her tongue in between her thighs, delighting in the moans that sprang forth. Em arched her back as she grabbed a handful of Sophie’s hair and pulled her into her, her hips gyrating to and fro. Em moaned with pleasure. Sophie smiled as she wrapped her arms around Em’s thighs. Em clawed the floor beneath her as she felt a rush of pleasure spring forth. She moaned louder. Her legs quivered. She didn’t want it to end. She clutched Sophie’s hair harder. Her other hand grabbed Sophie’s back as she leaned forward, her nails digging in uncontrollably as she came hard. She moaned with delight and gave a sigh of satisfaction as she pulled Sophie up to her.
Sophie smiled as she gazed into Em’s eyes. She looked happy, something Sophie hadn’t seen much of on her.
“This looks good on you.”