Chapter 23 Truths and Lies (Ember's POV)
I stared at the bodies. At the blood pooling on the sidewalk. At my father standing over them with a blade that had been designed specifically to kill creatures like me.
"You're a hunter." The words came out flat, emotionless.
"Ember, please..."
"You're a werewolf hunter." I took a step back, and he flinched like I'd slapped him. "The Widower. That's what the wolf called you."
Marcus lowered the blade, his expression anguished. "Let me explain."
"Explain?" A hysterical laugh bubbled up. "You just killed two people in front of me. What is there to explain?"
"They weren't people. They were monsters." His voice turned hard, defensive. "They were going to attack you, Ember. I protected you."
"By murdering them?"
"By eliminating the threat." He moved toward me, and I backed away instinctively. He stopped, hurt flashing across his face. "Honey, please. I know this is shocking, but you have to understand..."
"Understand what? That my father is a killer?"
"That your father hunts monsters who prey on innocent people." He gestured to the bodies. "These creatures, they're not human. They're predators who kill without remorse. Who destroyed our family seventeen years ago."
"What are you talking about?"
"The attack. The night your mother died." His hands were shaking now, the blade still dripping blood. "It was werewolves, Ember. A whole pack of them. They came to our home in the middle of the night and they..." His voice broke. "They tore your mother apart while she tried to protect you."
I couldn't breathe. Couldn't process what he was saying. "I thought it was a fire."
"That's what I told the authorities. Easier than explaining that supernatural creatures had murdered my wife." He wiped the blade on one of the dead wolves' shirts, the action casual and practiced. "I ran with you. Got you to safety. But when I came back, there was nothing left. I thought you'd died in the attack. Thought I'd lost everything."
"So you became a hunter."
"I became what I needed to be to make sure no other family suffered like ours did." He sheathed the blade inside his jacket. "I've spent seventeen years tracking these creatures. Stopping them before they can hurt anyone else."
"By killing them."
"Yes." No hesitation, no remorse. "By killing them."
I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold in the scream building in my chest. My father was a hunter. A legendary, ruthless hunter who'd killed seventeen werewolves. Who was standing in front of me right now, covered in blood, expecting me to understand.
Expecting me to approve.
"Ember." He took a cautious step forward. "I know this is a lot to take in. I should have told you sooner, should have prepared you. But I wanted to protect you from this world. From knowing what's really out there."
"What's out there," I repeated numbly.
"Werewolves, vampires, witches." He gestured around us. "The supernatural world exists, honey. And it's dangerous. But you don't need to be afraid. I'll keep you safe."
Tell him. The thought screamed through my head. Tell him you're one of them. Tell him the truth.
But the words wouldn't come. Because looking at my father's earnest expression, at the blood on his hands and the absolute certainty in his eyes, I knew exactly what would happen if I told him.
He'd try to save me. Or he'd try to kill me. Either way, everything would end.
"There's something you should know." The words came out before I could stop them. "About Thornfield."
His expression sharpened. "What about it?"
"There's a... a werewolf problem." The lie tasted like acid. "At the school. Some of the students are, they're not human."
"I know." He said it so calmly that I nearly stumbled. "That's why I'm here. I've been tracking supernatural activity to this area for months. The school is a hotbed. Multiple packs operating openly under the guise of athletic programs."
"You knew?" My voice rose. "You knew there were werewolves at my school and you didn't tell me?"
"I didn't want to scare you. And I didn't know how deep the infiltration went." He moved closer, and this time I didn't back away. "That's why I reached out. Why I wanted to reconnect. I needed to get close enough to the school to investigate properly. To make sure you were safe."
He'd only come back because he was hunting werewolves. Because his mission had led him to my school.
Not because he'd missed me. Not because he'd been searching for me specifically.
Because I was a convenient cover for his hunt.
"How many are there?" I forced the question out. "At Thornfield. How many werewolves?"
"At least two dozen that I've identified so far. Possibly more."
"What are you going to do?"
"Eliminate the threat." He said it like he was discussing pest control. "Starting with the leadership. Take out the Alphas, and the rest will scatter."
"No." The word burst out before I could stop it. "You can't just... you can't kill people because of what they are."
"They're not people, Ember."
"Some of them are kids! My classmates!" I grabbed his arm, desperate. "Please, you can't do this."
"I have to." His expression was pained but resolute. "You don't understand how dangerous they are. These creatures, they look human, they act human, but underneath they're monsters. They'll hurt you without hesitation if they feel threatened."
"They haven't hurt me."
"Yet." He cupped my face with blood-stained hands. "But they will, honey. It's their nature. And I won't let that happen. I won't lose you again."
"What if some of them are good? What if not all werewolves are monsters?"
"There are no good werewolves." His voice was flat, final. "I've been hunting them for seventeen years. I've seen what they do, the lives they destroy. Every single one I've killed was a threat to innocent people."
"Even the ones who never hurt anyone?"
"They would have eventually. It's in their blood." He pocketed his phone. "Ember, I know you want to see the good in people. That's who you are, kind, compassionate. But these creatures prey on that kindness. They use it to get close, to make you trust them. And then they strike."
Like Trey, I thought. Like the boy I loved, who'd held me while I cried, who'd promised to figure out a future together. Who my father would kill without hesitation if he knew the truth.
"These creatures might seem friendly, might act like normal teenagers, but they're not. They're predators playing a long game. The moment you let your guard down, they'll strike."
I thought about Trey holding me last night. About Sage throwing herself between me and danger. About the way even Knox, who wanted me dead, had given Trey three days instead of just attacking immediately.
Predators. Monsters. That's all my father could see.
And I was one of them.
"There's something else." Marcus's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "This boy you mentioned. Trey. What do you know about him?"
My heart stopped. "What do you mean?"
"You talked about him a lot at dinner. With a lot of emotion." His eyes were sharp, assessing. "Is there any chance he's one of them?"
"One of them?"
"A werewolf."
I could lie, could say no, could protect Trey from my father's suspicion. But that would only last until Marcus did his own investigation. Until he connected the dots I'd been trying to keep separate.
"I don't know," I said carefully. "I've never seen anything that would make me think he's not human."
"But you haven't seen anything that proves he is human either."
"How would I even tell? You said they look normal."
"They do. But there are signs if you know what to look for." He pulled out a small vial from his jacket. "Wolfsbane extract. Put a drop in someone's drink, and if they're a werewolf, they'll react. Nausea, weakness, sometimes a partial transformation if the dose is strong enough."
He tried to hand me the vial, but I backed away. "I'm not drugging my boyfriend."
"He might not be your boyfriend. He might be a wolf using you to get to me." Marcus pocketed the vial again. "I'm not asking you to poison him, Ember. Just to be cautious. To test him if you get the opportunity."
"And if he is a werewolf?"
"Then you tell me, and I handle it." His voice was gentle, like he was explaining something to a child. "I know that sounds harsh. But if this boy is a supernatural creature, he's dangerous. No matter how much you think you care about him."
"I love him." The words came out before I could stop them. "I love Trey. And I don't care what he is or isn't. He's good to me, and that's what matters."
Marcus's expression softened. "Oh, honey. I understand. First love is powerful. All-consuming. But you need to trust me on this. If he's a werewolf, he's using those feelings against you."
"You don't know that."
"I know their tactics. I've seen it happen." He started walking again, and I followed because I didn't know what else to do. "They're very good at making people love them. At creating emotional bonds that make their prey loyal. That's how they survive—by making humans protective of them."
Every word felt like a nail in a coffin I was building for myself. For Trey. For any chance of this working out.
"I want to meet him." Marcus's words made me stumble.
"What?"
"This Trey. I want to meet him properly." He smiled, and it should have been warm but looked predatory in the fading light. "Any boy who matters to you matters to me. Let me take you both to dinner. Get to know him. See what kind of person he is."
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"Why not? If he's as good as you say, he shouldn't have any problem meeting your father." His tone turned slightly challenging. "Unless there's a reason you don't want me to meet him."
Trap. This was a trap. I could see it clearly—Marcus assessing Trey, looking for signs of supernatural nature, possibly even trying to test him with wolfsbane. And Trey trying to act human while suppressing every instinct that would give him away.
But refusing would raise more suspicion. Would make Marcus dig deeper, maybe investigate on his own.
"Okay," I heard myself say. "I'll ask him. See when he's available."
"Good." Marcus pulled out his phone again. "How about tomorrow night? Sunday dinner. Nice restaurant in town, my treat."
"Tomorrow?" I scrambled for an excuse. "That's pretty soon. He might have plans."
"Then he can change them. Meeting his girlfriend's father should take priority." There was no give in his voice. "Text him now. I want to get this set up."