"Wait. You hear that?" Jared asks. We all cock our ears. Trey starts swearing and doesn't stop as the piercing emergency sirens grow louder and louder.
Trey
I STAND in the middle of the fight club lot, my hands loose and open at my sides. Best not to make fists and look angry with this many cops around. Staying relaxed is a real effort.
Behind me, the officers question Grizz and Jared. They already interviewed Sheridan and me. I called Garrett to get his mate Amber, a lawyer, down here in case they find a reason to haul us away. Of all of us, they're the most suspicious of Grizz, shooting him dark looks and muttering. The bear is the most likely suspect-he's from out of state, found the body, and has priors.
Someone fucking set us up. The tip was phoned in at 8:02, right when Sheridan and I got here. No time to move the body. I barely had time to stuff the trash bags in the dumpster before the cars filled the lot, sirens screaming. We didn't have time to move, or run, or even think up a story.
Sheridan comes up behind me. I know it's her from the soft vanilla-orange scent on the breeze. "I called my dad." She hugs her arms around herself. "He and Alpha Green are gonna pull strings, try to figure out an explanation for the bite marks on the body."
I give a short nod. I hate asking for favors, but the Phoenix pack has more clout with human officials than I'll ever have.
"We should also let Frangelico know." I rub the back of my neck. I'm getting a headache thinking about having that little conversation.
"Yeah, and Garrett should be here soon. He's bringing Amber." Sheridan chafes her arms. She shivering in her jacket-the one I gave her. I want to pull her into my arms, but don't think she'll allow it. At least she's wrapped up in something of mine.
We both watch the police tack up yellow tape over the door.
"That's it then." There's more bitterness in my tone that I mean. "I guess you got what you came for."
Her eyes widen. "What?"
"Fight Club's officially closed until further investigation. That's what you wanted, right? You and the Phoenix pack."
It's a mean shot, and one I definitely shouldn't be taking after marking her as my mate. The wolves have made and accepted their claim, but the wounds between our human sides... they haven't totally healed. And we still have a helluva lot to figure out.
"That isn't fair," she retorts, coldness in her tone. "You think I wanted this?"
Fuck.
"No," I sigh. I'm worn out and pissed, but it's not right to take it out on her. "I think it was just shit timing."
"I didn't want another body. I wanted to stop this from happening." She bites her lip, glancing back at the crime scene.
"Yeah." I deflate. The officials carted away the body, but in my mind's eye I'll always see the victim huddled at the door of the place I worked so hard to build.
"Hey," Garrett calls, crossing the lot with his mate, Amber, by his side. He stops in front of us, caressing his mate briefly as she points to Grizz and murmurs something. He nods and she rushes off, making a beeline for the grizzly standing a head taller than the officials buzzing angrily around him. Amber elbows her way into the fray, her voice rising about 'my client' this and 'jurisdiction' that.
"Thanks for coming." I grasp my alpha's hand and accept his back slap.
"Of course. We'll get through this."
Sheridan hovers just out of arm's reach.
"My dad knows?" Garrett asks.
"Yeah. Sheridan called him." We both wince.
"All right." He sighs. "I better brief him. Chin up. We'll figure this out."
"Yeah," I mutter. I know as well as he does that I put everyone's ass on the line. If word gets out about the marks on the victim's neck, all paranormals might be exposed. That would be a shit storm like we wouldn't believe.
Fuck me. How did this all go so wrong, so fast?
"Hey," Sheridan murmurs at my elbow. Even with just the few minutes we had to change and race over here, she looks pretty and perfect, not a hair out of place. Definitely doesn't belong in this shitty gravel lot, the site of a crime scene.
I did this. I brought her here, made this part of her life. Marked her, binding her forever to me. Dragging her down like I did before. Soon she'll wake up and realize she's sick of slumming. Only a matter of time.
"You okay?" She searches my face.
"Yeah." I can't bear to look at her anymore.
"Well"-she hesitates, then places a hand on my biceps. At her slight touch my dick gets hard-"I guess I better go."
I want to stop and drag her into my arms. Apologize for being an ass-wipe. But it's like high school all over again-her dad pointing out how I'm a bad influence on her. Now I've gone and marked her and we have so much shit to figure out. It's hard to see how we'll ever get through it.
I sigh. "Yeah, you better."
She sucks in a breath, like she didn't expect me to agree with her. I cradle her face and stroke her cheek. "You shouldn't have to see any of this ugliness."
Her expression softens. "I'm a big girl," she murmurs and squeezes my arm, but I don't look down at her, or watch her slowly take her leave.
My whole world is crashing down, and once more, she's here to witness it. If there ever was a reason we don't belong together, this is it.