Fury Frayed

by Melissa Haag

  I took my phone out and sent Oanen a text.

  I think we need to follow Trammer when he takes the guy out of town.

  I’ll be at your place in 10.

  “What are you thinking about?” Eliana asked.

  “I'm not sure. I just think there's a reason I'm angry at Trammer, and I shouldn't give up on finding out why. I’ve asked Oanen to help me follow Trammer when he leaves town with the guy from tonight.”

  She slowed and pulled into my driveway.

  “If Oanen’s going to come to get you in a little while, I might as well go home.” She parked by the back door. “Call me when you're done, though, okay?”

  “I will.”

  I ran inside and up the stairs. Riding a griffin in a dress once had been enough for me. Stripping from my dress, I kicked it aside and quickly put on jeans and a dark, long-sleeved shirt, which I layered with a hoodie for warmth.

  Jogging back downstairs, I pulled my hair into a ponytail and drank down a glass of water. When Oanen landed in my backyard, I was outside and ready.

  “I hope you know where to go,” I said, climbing on his back.

  He launched himself into the air, his wings beating hard to gain altitude. Once we soared well above my house, he took off south toward the barrier.

  “Just don’t run into the thing,” I shouted.

  A booming cry answered me.

  He circled over a section of road twice then started to descend. Just before we dipped below the trees, I caught a glimpse of approaching headlights. Oanen set down near the tree line beside the road. I quickly hopped off his back and ducked behind a tree. Oanen shifted to his skin and moved behind me.

  “We should have brought you clothes,” I said softly, not taking my eyes off the road.

  “I don’t feel the temperature unless it’s really cold.”

  “I wasn’t worried about you. I was worried about me.”

  He chuckled, and I blushed.

  Trammer’s police car sped past and kept going down the road through the barrier.

  “I wish we could follow him through that,” I said.

  “Me, too.”

  The faint smell of burnt hair reminded me not to think too hard about leaving Uttira. With Oanen standing behind me, I didn’t feel the least bit cold. I did, however, feel very nervous. Why hadn’t I thought to grab the pants he’d left at my house?

  “You looked nice tonight,” Oanen said.

  My fading blush re-ignited.

  “Thank you.”

  “I wish I would have been there when you arrived. I would have liked to dance.”

  Heat flared in my middle.

  “We need to focus,” I said.

  “I am focused.”

  “On watching for Trammer,” I clarified.

  “I don’t think he’ll be back anytime soon. The nearest town is a twenty-five minute drive from here. There and back? That’s close to an hour. So we have time to pick up our conversation from the roof.”

  “Huh?”

  “The conversation where you were trying to tell me you don’t date.”

  My throat burned, and sweat beaded my forehead as my pulse jumped into hyper speed.

  “Are you serious right now?” I asked.

  The bark of the tree bit into my palms as I pressed harder against it.

  Oanen’s hand settled on my shoulders.

  “I have excellent hearing, Megan. You need to calm down. We’re talking. You’re not angry, which means I’m not doing anything wrong.”

  The approach of headlights from the south saved me from saying anything. With increasing anger, I watched the maroon car speed through the barrier and blinked at the driver.

  “Wasn’t that—”

  “Yeah. Trammer. Hop on.” The fallen leaves rustled behind me. When I turned, Oanen dipped his feathered shoulder for me to climb onto his back.

  I gripped him tightly as he took off in a rush. Why had Trammer switched cars?

  Oanen coasted on the currents, following the car from high above. Trammer signaled on the last left before my house and followed the meandering backroad to its end, not more than two miles from my back door. There he pulled over and killed the engine.

  “We need to get closer,” I said softly.

  Oanen started to descend. Landing quietly on the top of one of the towering pines, he gave us the perfect vantage point to watch Trammer. The man climbed out of his car and looked around as he walked to the trunk. The sight of him tormented me with the need to cause him pain. The intensity of my need to hurt him had increased since the last time I saw him. Why?

  I had the answer when he opened his trunk. A long, lumpy form wrapped in black garbage bags lay within the dark interior. Trammer bent forward and tugged the plastic encased body from the trunk, letting it drop right to the ground. He squatted down and cut away the black material. The moonlight cast a pale glow on the drug dealer’s lifeless face.

  “But why?” I said quietly.

  Oanen turned his head and nipped at my jeans with his beak. Yeah, I’d be quiet. For now.

  We watched Trammer stuff the plastic back into the trunk then turn toward a nearby tree. He pulled a knife from the bark and squatted by the body once more.

  Pressing my face into Oanen’s feathers, I didn’t watch what he did next. I stayed like that until the car started again, and Trammer drove away.

  Oanen’s unexpected launch into the air startled a squeak from me. He beat his wings hard, gaining altitude enough that I could see Trammer’s headlights. Oanen silently tailed him. At the end of the road, Trammer signaled right, retracing his route.

  “Wait,” I said when Oanen started to do the same.

  “There’s no point in following him. We need to go back to that clearing.”

  None of what we saw was making any sense. Why would Trammer kill a human for trying to deal drugs to a siren? He didn’t like any of the creatures in Uttira. And why take the man out of Uttira only to bring him back in? Why not just kill the guy and leave him in a ditch outside the barrier?

  Oanen landed not far from the body. I slid off his back and tried to understand Trammer’s motive for gutting the guy. Blood and innards spilled out onto the grass. The scent of death tainted the air.

  “Why are we here, Megan? We need to report this to the Council.”

  “This doesn’t make sense,” I said. I turned and looked at the tree where the knife was once again embedded. “Why have a knife here, waiting? How could Trammer have premeditated this when no one knew we’d report this guy?”

  “Trammer and the Council always know when a human enters the barrier.”

  “They do?”

  Oanen nodded.

  “Most humans avoid Uttira. Well, the decent ones do. The Council keeps an eye on them all, though, to make sure that any human who happens to find their way into Uttira doesn’t discover anything they’re not supposed to.”

  I recalled the way Trammer had conveniently appeared at my front door the day the cable and TV delivery men had shown up.

  “Okay. So the Council and Trammer knew about him. That would mean Trammer could have come out here and put a knife in the tree in anticipation of having to remove the guy. But why would Trammer kill him for trying to sell drugs to a siren? Trammer couldn’t care less about any of us.”

  Oanen shrugged. “This guy had been delivering drugs to Camil every week for months. He’d never done more than stop at her house and leave again, though. Since the Council was aware of the deliveries and the man caused no trouble, Trammer’s orders were to leave him alone.”

  “It’s just not adding up for me. How many times has Trammer had to remove this level of scum from Uttira?”

  “At least a dozen.”

  “But no deaths until I showed up, right?” I paced around the body, studying it. “Why kill this guy tonight then? Why slice him open like this but not remove anything like Camil in the alley?”

  I stopped pacing.

  “The other bodies were e
aten. Trammer wouldn’t eat them.” I looked down again at the way he’d cut the man open and let his insides spill out. The scent of blood filled my nose.

  “This is bait,” I said with shocked realization.

  Oanen immediately shifted and dipped his shoulder.

  “We need to know who or what Trammer’s baiting,” I said. “We need to watch.”

  He nipped at my jeans until I gave in and climbed on. Instead of taking me home, like I’d thought, he flew us back up to the tree.

  “Good,” I said, running a hand down the feathers of his neck. “I want answers.”

  We sat in the tree for the next several hours in silence. When my eyes started to stay closed between blinks, he nipped at my pants again.

  “Yeah, yeah,” I mumbled, holding tighter. “I won’t fall off.”

  He tipped forward, falling out of the tree and catching an updraft with his wings. My heart thudded in my chest from the scare.

  “You could have warned me,” I said.

  Laying my head against his back, I held on as he flew the short distance to my house and enjoyed the warmth radiating from his feathers. Even with my eyes closed, I could feel it the moment he started descending. He reared back slightly as he landed, and he began to shift beneath me. Startled, I grappled for a new hold on bare shoulders as I slid off his back. He twisted and pulled me up into his arms. I blinked up at him.

  “You’re not going to throw me on my bed again, are you?”

  His lips tilted up at the corners.

  “No. Not this time.”

  He set me on my feet but didn’t release me. His thumbs moved over my shirt on my biceps.

  “I’d like to stay again, tonight.”

  Warning bells went off in my head, but given what was going on just a few miles from my house, I wasn’t stupid enough to say no.

  “Yeah, that’s fine. I wouldn’t want to be alone if Trammer showed up, anyway. I don’t know that I’d be able to stop myself from going after him.”

  Oanen shook his head slightly and nodded toward the house.

  I turned and led the way inside. While I opened the fridge to use the door as a shield to keep my gaze from wandering, he grabbed his clothes from the chair in the kitchen and ducked into the bathroom. I glanced at the clock. Just after midnight. Despite seeing a dead body, I considered making us a snack since I already had the fridge open.

  Pounding on the front door interrupted my thoughts. I moved to answer it. Oanen stepped out of the bathroom and blocked my path.

  “I’ll get it,” he said.

  He turned away from me, and my gaze swept over the jeans riding low on his hips and the t-shirt hugging his back.

  I made a little face of longing before shaking myself from my mental cloud. Maybe I needed to tell him to hit the roof.

  He pulled open the door, and my temper flared at the sight of Aubrey.

  “He’s not here,” Oanen said before she could speak. “And I’ve been with Megan since she left the club, so there’s no need for threats, either.”

  She snarled and turned away, marching down the porch steps as he closed the door.

  “That girl needs a leash,” I said as tires squealed on the road.

  “Or maybe Fenris does,” he said, frowning. “How many times has Fenris been missing just before a body is found?”

  Twenty-Three

  “You think Fenris has been chewing on the bodies? No way,” I said firmly.

  “Why not?”

  “Because he’s not that kind of werewolf. He’s nice to everyone. He likes hugging, not biting.” Way too much hugging, I thought.

  Oanen quietly studied me for a long minute.

  “Is your opinion based on how you feel about him?” he asked quietly.

  “Yes, it is. He doesn’t make me angry. Besides Eliana, he’s one of the easiest people for me to be around.”

  Oanen stepped around me and walked to the kitchen. I wasn’t stupid. I knew why.

  “You know what? It’s after midnight on one of the longest days of my life. You don’t get to have hurt feelings because you’re reading something into words that have no deeper meaning than the surface.”

  He stopped walking and looked back at me.

  “What are you saying?”

  “That we already talked about this, and I don’t want to rehash it. If you didn’t believe me the first time, saying it all again won’t change your mind. So, the only feelings I want to discuss right now are how tired and hungry I am.”

  “I wasn’t walking away because of what you said. I believe you and trust your instincts. Fenris isn’t the one eating human flesh. But, with him missing, the females will be running around the woods looking for him. That means I need to go back and watch the body.”

  Females? There was only one who kept knocking on my damn door. A door not far from the dump site.

  “You want to go alone?” I asked, unsure.

  “I wouldn’t mind company. Still want to snack?”

  “No. I want to catch Aubrey red-handed,” I said.

  “It might not be Aubrey.”

  “What other reason is there for my anger every time she’s around?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  He motioned for me to follow him into the kitchen then held the back door for me.

  “I’ll leave my clothes in here, again.”

  I took the hint and stepped outside. Alone in the backyard, I watched the stars and listened for the door to open. He didn’t take long. Not wanting to turn too soon, I stayed as I was until something nipped at my finger, startling me.

  I turned and found Oanen already shifted. His feathers glinted in the moonlight, as did his beautiful golden eyes.

  “Ready?” I asked.

  He dipped his shoulder, and I climbed on his back. In no time, we once again soared the skies, flying toward the clearing. When we reached it, nothing looked different. Below us lay the remains of the drug dealer.

  He circled, lazily spiraling downward. As he glided, a pale shape slunk from the trees. The familiar rage that I associated with Aubrey flared up inside me.

  “I knew it,” I said softly. “That’s Aubrey.”

  Yet part of me wondered why I needed to feel so much anger toward her. The man was already dead. She hadn’t caused it. Not that I agreed with eating humans, but was it fair to want to beat her bloody for instincts she probably couldn’t control? I thought of Eliana’s struggle to contain what she didn’t like about herself. She fought her instincts constantly.

  Any pity I had for Aubrey disappeared as she dove for the man’s open middle. I gagged as she dipped her head inside and started devouring his soft bits. She wasn’t attempting to control anything. She was gorging herself.

  “Oh, that’s so gross.”

  Oanen screeched loudly and tipped forward, descending rapidly. I clung tightly to his feathers and watched Aubrey’s head jerk up at the sound of his cry.

  She snarled but didn't run or back away. Instead, she hunched over the drug dealer like she was guarding a treat.

  Oanen landed with a hard thump that clacked my teeth together and almost jarred me from my seat. A nearby snarl had me looking up in time to see Aubrey launch herself at us. My heart thudded with adrenaline, and I embraced the rage that filled me. Before I could slide off to face her, Oanen reared back, almost unseating me again.

  I gripped his feathers as he swiped at her with his front talons. She hopped back but didn't give up. Darting forward again, she went for his throat. Oanen moved to dodge her and used his talons once more. The vicious tips caught her hindquarters, ripping a swath of red into her fluffy white coat. She yelped and rolled away.

  Oanen dipped his shoulder, indicating I could finally get off. The wrong shoulder, though. I didn’t want to hide by the trees. Ignoring the direction he wanted me to go, I tried to dismount toward Aubrey. However, Oanen tilted his shoulders so I slid off the opposite side.

  Aubrey had regained her feet by the time I landed on mine. But i
nstead of facing me, she twisted around to look at her wound. She gave it a tentative lick and whined before turning on Oanen with another snarl. Bloody saliva dripped from her stiff, angry mouth.

  I took a step to the side, ready to go around Oanen, but he half-opened his wings, blocking me. Aubrey’s gaze finally darted my way. Oanen’s feathers ruffled, making him look bigger and scarier. The deep, threatening cry he emitted at her made me shiver.

  Aubrey didn’t try attacking again. With a stagger, her fur receded until she stood before us naked, bleeding, and filthy.

  “Did you leave this here?” she demanded, glaring at me.

  Oanen shifted quickly and lurched forward, grabbing Aubrey by the throat.

  “Is this the first time you’ve fed on a human?” Rage filled his words.

  Stunned, I did nothing as Aubrey pulled ineffectively at his hands and made a strangled sound in answer. He lifted her off her feet in response and gave her a little shake.

  “Is this the first time?” he yelled at her.

  Her eyes darted to me before a choked yes came out of her.

  “I don't believe you.” He dropped her.

  Aubrey landed on the ground in a heap, favoring her wounded leg. Moonlight glinted off her pale hair and exposed breasts as she looked up at Oanen. A tiny part of my mind hated that they were seeing each other naked.

  “Report to Raiden and tell him everything. He’ll know if you lie. Go!” he yelled when she didn’t immediately move.

  She hopped to her feet and limped off into the trees. I stayed where I was, letting my anger fade slowly with her retreat.

  Once I knew she was gone, I looked at Oanen’s back. Wisps of steam rose from his skin, and his shoulders moved with each angry breath as he continued to watch the trees where she’d disappeared. I wasn’t sure what to do. I hadn’t expected such a violent reaction out of him. He’d always been so controlled.

  “Are you okay?” I asked when he continued to face away from me.

  “No.”

  That single word sent a bolt of panic through me, and I rushed around him.

  “Did she hurt you?” My gaze swept over him from head to toe, more worried about a potential injury than modesty. However, seeing the unmarred perfection of everything Oanen erased my concern. It erased everything but yum-yum thoughts.