by Melissa Haag
“Megan,” he said with impatience, and I realized it wasn’t the first time he’d had to say my name.
I tore my gaze from his abs and met his eyes.
“Yeah?”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Sure. Fine. Why?”
“You look flushed.”
“Nope.” My gaze remained laser-focused on his. “Just confused. You were pretty aggressive with Aubrey.”
“Shouldn’t I have been?”
“I don’t know. I mean, my anger says yes, but my brain is questioning why I’m so angry with her. She didn’t kill this guy. We know that. Yeah, she ate him, but I think Trammer put the guy here to bait her or someone like her. I don’t know much about werewolves, but I do know that if you leave out food around a dog, it’s going to be eaten. We all have instincts we’re fighting to control. I suck at controlling mine. Is it fair for me to condemn Aubrey when she can’t control hers?”
“This is more than just punching someone in the face. This is about eating humans. We can feed on their energy, on their blood, even on their life force, but we cannot feed on their flesh. Seeing her, I snapped. What she did not only goes against my nature, but it's against our laws, too. We can no longer delay reporting this.”
Without another word, he shifted back to his griffin form. I smoothed my hand over his neck feathers and climbed on. I hoped he didn’t think I’d been justifying Aubrey’s actions. I hadn’t. I was empathizing with them.
The flight to Oanen’s house took longer than I anticipated. My fingers were numb by the time he landed on the roof of the stone mansion. Dismounting, I paid more attention to the glass greenhouse that took up half the space than bare Oanen.
“Dad built this so Mom could watch me learn to fly.”
“Your Mom doesn’t fly?”
“There’s no such thing as a female griffin,” he said with an amused smile.
“Hey. How am I supposed to know?”
“Come on.” He clasped my cold hand, and I enjoyed the warm contact as he led me inside the greenhouse. He stopped at the shelves near the back of it and quickly dressed before opening the door that led down a set of stairs.
I shivered slightly at the sudden change in temperature and rubbed my arms. At the bottom of the steps, Oanen tapped the digital display mounted on the wall.
“Mother. Father. Please meet me in the study,” he said, his voice echoing from different locations around the house. He tapped the screen again and started walking.
“Your house has a freaking intercom?”
“Yes. Yelling for me wasn’t cutting it. Mom wanted it installed. Dad made it happen.”
He led the way down the hall, another set of stairs, turned right, and opened a set of heavy double doors to a very manly, grand room that only vaguely looked study-ish because of a mahogany desk in the back corner near the balcony doors.
“This place is ridiculous,” I said quietly, looking around.
“Yep. It is. Family homes usually are around here. Are you still hungry? I can get you something.”
“No. I’m fine.” I wandered to one of the overstuffed leather chairs and took a seat.
When I glanced at the door, I found Oanen’s parents there, dressed as if it weren’t close to two in the morning but mid-afternoon. Neither one said anything as they studied me. Crap. I stood again. How much had they heard?
“Hello,” I said, unsure.
“Megan. Oanen. What’s going on?” his mom asked.
“Quite a bit. You might want to contact Adira as we explain.” His father pulled his phone from his pocket and sent off a quick text as Oanen recounted what we’d witnessed in the last few hours.
“Where is Aubrey now?” Mr. Quill asked.
“I sent her to report to Raiden.”
Oanen’s mom walked further into the room. She kissed Oanen on the cheek then turned to me.
“Megan, please sit. Can I get you anything while we wait for Adira?”
“No, thank you.” I sat, feeling more than a little nervous. Oanen moved next to me, sitting on the arm of my chair. Surprisingly, the move made me feel better instead of more freaked out.
Oanen’s father slowly joined us, his attention on the text message he was typing into his phone. When he looked up, he let out a heavy exhale.
“Adira is bringing Raiden.”
“Raiden?” I asked. “Why not Trammer?” The guy was running around killing people, and we’d witnessed it. What more proof did they need?
Oanen’s mom reached out and put her hand on mine. A soothing calm filled me. Not quite like what Eliana did but close.
“All will be well. We will address Trammer’s crimes. However, he is not the greatest threat at the moment.”
“How is he not? Just because humans are his victims and not us?” I only barely managed to keep the resentment from my tone.
Eliana shuffled into the room, rubbing her eyes. “Trammer’s killing people?”
“And Aubrey’s eating them,” Oanen added.
His mom didn’t look away from me.
“There is a reason consuming flesh is against our laws. It changes the nature of the creature. Makes them more violent. Makes them crave more at any cost. Even at the risk of exposing our world to the humans. For most of us, ingesting flesh holds no appeal. No temptation.
“That is not true for some, though. We need to ensure Aubrey is the only one to have succumbed and is dealt with appropriately, so her actions do not tempt others to do the same.”
I understood what Mrs. Quill was politely saying. They needed to get to Aubrey so she didn’t spread her brand of crazy. It might be a little late for that, given how long ago the first body was found, but I kept that bit of criticism to myself.
Oanen’s mom’s eyes sparkled with amusement almost as if she knew what I’d just thought. I gently eased my hand out from hers, and she smiled.
Eliana came over and sat on the other arm of my chair. Oanen’s mom reached out and ran a soothing hand down Eliana’s bare arm.
“You should sleep, dear one,” Mrs. Quill said.
They might not be mother and daughter by blood, but I could see the true affection Mrs. Quill had for her ward.
“I’m okay. I want to know what happens.”
A shiny portal opened near the door, drawing our attention. Adira and Raiden stepped through. The older man’s hard, silver gaze swept the room and landed on me.
“Are you sure it was Aubrey?” Raiden asked without preamble.
“Yes,” I said before Oanen could. “I recognized her white fur when she was a wolf and saw her as a human, as well.”
Raiden’s shoulder seemed to sag just a bit.
“We need to know if this was her first time,” Mr. Quill said. “Or if there are others responsible for the prior incidents.”
“Agreed,” Raiden said.
“How was she missed when you questioned the pack?” Mrs. Quill asked without censure.
“I didn’t question the young without the mark since the human was killed outside Uttira. Now that we know what Trammer was doing, I will question them all.”
“Good. Perhaps you should issue a ban on solo runs while this is unresolved. If any others have had a taste of flesh, we don’t want them hunting for more of it,” Mr. Quill said.
Raiden gave a curt nod, and Oanen’s father looked at Adira.
“Given the number of deaths, I feel it’s unwise to wait until morning to question Trammer.”
“I agree,” Adira said.
“Agreed,” Raiden added. “I believe my presence isn’t as necessary here as it is with the pack now. With your agreement, I will return and start seeking answers from my own while you direct the interview with the liaison.”
Mr. Quill nodded to him, and Raiden stepped back through the portal.
“I will return shortly,” Adira said then disappeared.
Twenty-Four
The silence in the study grew to deafening proportions in my mind. What was the co
uncil going to do with Trammer? No one seemed overly upset that he’d been killing his own kind. Why not? And, why was no one talking? Was it because of my presence or because their son was sitting right next to me with his thumb giving my back a discreet and occasional caress? I hoped they weren’t noticing that. I hoped they were instead speculating about why Trammer had killed those humans. They had to be at least a little curious, right? I sure the hell was.
When the shimmer finally returned, Oanen’s stroke paused and I exhaled in relief.
Trammer stepped through first, dressed in full uniform. The shirt was a bit wrinkled, and his hair wasn’t as neat as usual. The sight of him made my blood boil, and only Oanen’s restraining hand on my shoulder kept me in my seat.
Trammer’s gaze swept over us all before settling on Oanen’s father.
“Mr. Quill,” he said. “What seems to be the problem?”
“Oanen and Megan witnessed what you did to Mr. Ryan tonight.”
Trammer’s whole demeanor changed. He didn’t look worried; he looked pissed.
“Mr. Ryan? That shitbag gets a fancy ‘Mr.’ for selling drugs in your town while plain ‘ol Trammer is burning bodies to clean up your messes? Your standards are screwed up. You treat me like I’m inferior, but I’m not a parasite that only exists to feed off of others.”
His gaze went straight to Eliana. She made a small, hurt noise; and I glared at Trammer while reaching for her hand. Her fingers shook in mine.
“Do you admit to killing Mr. Ryan?” Mr. Quill asked.
“Unbelievable,” Trammer said. “Yeah, I killed him.”
“Why? He’s your own kind.”
Finally, I thought.
Trammer laughed angrily.
“Neither of those men I killed was my kind any more than I’m your kind, you ignorant prick.”
“Those men? What about Camil?” I asked.
His accusatory gaze pinned me.
“Do you seriously still think I killed that girl? I had no reason to.”
He gave me a dismissive glare before facing Mr. Quill.
“Camil died from an overdose. The very man who you wanted to let go is responsible for her death.”
“Is that why you killed him?” Mr. Quill asked.
Trammer snorted angrily.
“You remove what you consider trash to keep Uttira safe, but you’re looking at it all wrong. Those men feed on humans just like you do. Do you even know what happens when you return them to their depraved lives? You claim to exist to protect humanity. But by letting the scum live, you’re condemning hundreds of innocents to death. You’re not protectors of anything but your self-interests.”
“Fine,” I said. “You killed those men to keep others safe and had nothing to do with Camil’s death. But why bring the bodies back here? Why put Camil in the dumpster?”
He barked out a laugh again.
“I brought the first guy back to prove you’re all just animals waiting to kill us humans. I don’t know who found the body, but they sure had a feast despite your no flesh law. Camil, I didn’t touch. I saw her after you did, and I only realized what happened when Mr. Ryan got a glance at her file in my car on the way here. I don’t know who cut her open and fed on her, but I hear, once a wolf gets a taste of human flesh, they can’t stop craving it. Bringing Mr. Ryan back inside the barrier and leaving him in the clearing was to prove that. We all know I’m not the monster here. Or, at least, not the worst monster.”
He was talking about all of them. Us, actually. But, in my mind, I only saw Aubrey’s face the night I’d discovered Camil’s body. Aubrey had tried to get me to leave Ashlyn’s table, and I’d sent her on a wild goose chase looking for Fenris. She would have had the time and opportunity to discover Camil’s body before I did. Aubrey also would have already had her first taste of flesh and the motive to try to set me up for the kill. All of that just because of jealousy?
My head was starting to hurt. When I tried to see past the fury-anger, I wasn’t sure what to think. Aubrey lost to her jealousy and instincts. But, what about Trammer? Yes, Trammer had killed people but only ones who were hurting other people. He wasn’t just some vigilante; he wore the town badge.
“Given your statement, we no longer believe you hold the best interest for all humans in your position. As such, we find you no longer suitable as human liaison.”
Trammer snorted.
“We sentence you to a memory wipe and removal.”
So they were going to make him forget about Uttira and just send him back out in the real world?
“Wait,” I said. “What about Ashlyn?”
“Was she involved with your actions?” Mr. Quill asked.
“Of course not!” Trammer said angrily.
“That wasn’t what I meant,” I said. “What happens to her when his memory is wiped?”
“She continues with her responsibilities.”
“She doesn’t get a choice to go with him? He’s her uncle. From what I understand, she has no parents. No one else.”
“Haven’t you been listening?” Trammer said. “They only pretend to care about humans. But they don’t.”
“That is untrue, Trammer. The council will continue to provide for her like it has always done,” Adira said.
“So she has no choice?” I asked.
“If she would want to leave, her memory would need to be wiped as well,” Adira explained. “Since she has been here for three years, that would be a traumatic experience.”
“But shouldn’t it be her decision? And if she does choose to stay, shouldn’t you get her so she can talk to her uncle and at least say goodbye?”
Some of Trammer’s anger faded from his expression.
“Megan, maybe living in the real world helped you become more human. Don’t let them kill that part of you.”
With speed I couldn’t have anticipated, he grabbed his gun from his holster and put it to his temple.
“Keep an eye on her,” he said.
The sudden explosion of noise and brain matter made me jump. Trammer crumpled to the ground. I stared at the heap as Eliana leaned into me and started to cry. Absently petting her hair, I looked at the adults. They shared a look, but none of them seemed overly upset that yet another human had met his end in their town.
Keep an eye on her.
He’d said it while looking at me. I knew he meant Ashlyn. How could he leave her like that? So much like my mom had left me.
“Children,” Mrs. Quill said. “I think it’s time for you to sleep. We will talk more in the morning.”
I couldn’t believe they were telling us to go to bed with Trammer still twitching on the floor.
“What about Aubrey?” I asked.
“We will let Raiden know Trammer’s confession, and she will be dealt with accordingly. Now go. Help Eliana to bed.”
Eliana shook against me. Maybe leaving was for the best. I pulled Eliana to her feet and looked at Mr. Quill.
“I think Aubrey sent me a text from Camil’s phone to get me into the alley that night. Have Raiden ask her about that.” In my heart, I knew my mom hadn’t come back, but I needed it confirmed.
Mr. Quill nodded, and with Eliana’s face buried in my shoulder, I led her past Trammer’s fallen body.
“Let me take her,” Oanen said.
He scooped Eliana up in his arms and headed out the door. I followed slowly, pausing in the doorway to look back. I couldn’t stop thinking about Trammer’s last words.
“What about Ashlyn?” I asked.
“I will tell her in the morning,” Adira said. “She will be given a choice, as you suggested.”
“Let us know what she decides. I’d like to say goodbye if she chooses to leave.”
Adira nodded, and I left to catch up with Oanen.
They weren’t more than a few steps from the door.
“Oanen, put me down,” Eliana said. “I just didn’t want to see him.”
Oanen set Eliana on her feet. She looked at me with sad eyes
.
“At least everyone will believe you, now, that you’re not the killer.”
“I couldn’t care less about that. Well, maybe not being the center of everyone’s attention will be nice. But, I’m more worried about Ashlyn now.”
“What he said in there wasn’t true. They do care,” Oanen said. “But we don’t understand humans the way the two of you do. Like he did. That’s why a liaison is necessary.” He gave a troubled exhale. “Why would he kill himself like that?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Maybe shame. He was angry and defiant until I brought up Ashlyn. Maybe he didn’t want her to know what he’d done. Whether justified or not, he was killing people in secret. That’s not something rational humans do.”
“And now Ashlyn’s all alone,” Eliana said.
“No. She’ll have us if she wants. We’ll keep an eye on her.”
Eliana rubbed her brow.
“I’m never going to unsee that. I’m tired, but I know I won’t be able to sleep.”
“Want to come to my house? Maybe a change of scenery will help?”
“I don’t think so. Let’s watch a movie in our living room,” she said, looking at Oanen.
“You guys have your own living room?”
She smiled slightly and grabbed my hand.
“Come see.”
She led me to a spacious room on the third floor. It wasn’t just a living room. It had a kitchenette with a full-sized fridge, a pool table, two large TVs at the back of the room attached to every gaming console known to man, and a TV toward the front surrounded by a full sofa and two loveseats.
“Holy crap. Why have we been hanging out at my house?”
I sat on the sofa while Eliana browsed the paid movie selection. Oanen brought me a bottle of water and a bag of snacks before sitting next to me. Eliana sat on the other side of me.
The movie started to play. I munched on my chips and stared at the screen, not really seeing it. I was tired. So was Eliana, because she fell asleep on my shoulder within minutes. Oanen sat beside me, seemingly unbothered by the need for sleep.
As soon as I finished my last chip, he took the wrapper and empty bottle from me. I leaned back and closed my eyes as I listened to him throw away my trash. I was glad I wasn’t alone because behind my closed eyes all I saw was red.