Chapter 30
The rest of the week trudged by slowly. Fortunately, Ben and I had split up the work we needed to do for our case, so I didn’t need to see him much.
Which was good because I was barely hanging on.
“Is it really only Wednesday?” I asked Wyatt as we ate our lunch in my office.
“Yep.”
Like I said, taciturn.
“What would you be doing if you weren’t out here with me?”
He shrugged and took another large bite of his sub before answering. “Probably running patrols with Wes.”
“Do you miss your brother while you’re here?”
He shrugged again. “It’s not so bad.”
That didn’t really answer my question. Or maybe it did. Wyatt was forced to be away from his family while protecting me. Suddenly, I felt really selfish and unimportant.
“Maybe Abraham should assign someone else for next week.”
Wyatt sat up straighter and pinned me with a look. “Am I not doing a good enough job?”
My eyes widened in shock. “No, that’s not it at all!” I took a deep breath before attempting to explain myself. “I don’t want to be a burden. It’s not fair you have to come out here with me every week. Maybe it would be better if you alternated with someone else.”
He shook his head. “The Alpha doesn’t trust anyone but me or Wes with your safety. If it wasn’t me out here, it would be him.”
Now that he mentioned it, I remembered Abraham saying something like that. These brothers had joined his pack after the killings started and therefore were most likely not responsible for them. He wouldn’t trust my safety with anyone else.
I sighed and slumped back in my chair. “I just feel bad,” I admitted.
He took another massive bite of his sandwich. “Don’t. I’ll see him on Friday. It’s not a big deal.”
Just then, I remembered something else. “Your mom lives on Abraham’s pack lands too, doesn’t she?”
Wyatt nodded. “She lives with me and Wes.”
I searched my memory for that first conversation I’d witnessed between the brothers and Abraham. “She was sick, right? How’s she doing?”
“She’s better. She’s got lupus and wasn’t doing well at our old pack. We couldn’t afford to send her to a doctor and the pack doc wasn’t helping her.”
“They wouldn’t or couldn’t?”
His jaw tightened. “Don’t know. But she wasn’t getting any better.”
“That’s awful. So, what happened? Is she okay now?”
He nodded. “As soon as we got to this pack, Abraham sent over Doc Monroe. He’s done wonders for her.”
My heart lightened at this. “I’m so glad to hear that.”
“She still has her bad days, but we help her and she’s getting stronger.”
And, just like that, the warmth in my chest turned to frost.
I was keeping Wyatt from taking care of his mother. Because I refused to move to Asheville and insisted on keeping my life out here in Raleigh, Wyatt had to sacrifice time with his sick mom. I felt awful.
“I’m sorry you’re out here with me instead of with her,” I said softly.
Wyatt frowned. “Why would you be sorry?”
“You shouldn’t have to be out here. You should be with your mom, helping Wes take care of her, not babysitting me. It’s not your fault I won’t give up this job or that there’s a serial killer after me. It doesn’t seem fair.”
Wyatt was quiet as he reached for a napkin and wiped his face. He crumpled the thin paper in his fist and turned to me with serious light brown eyes.
“Elizabeth, you might not understand how pack dynamics work because you’re so new to this world, so I’ll explain it.” He took a deep breath. “There’s no greater reward than being given a job by your alpha and fulfilling it. Abraham trusted me with your care and that’s a high honor. Trust me, there’s no place I’d rather be.”
I felt the frost thaw a tiny bit. If babysitting me was an honor for Wyatt, who was I to complain? And he’s right, I didn’t know much about pack dynamics. I barely knew anything about being a werewolf. Which brought me to my next thought.
“I didn’t realize werewolves could get diseases like lupus. Abraham mentioned you can’t get STDs and I guess I thought that meant your immune systems were different.”
Wyatt eyed me critically. “Mom’s not a werewolf.”
My eyes widened in shock again. “She’s not? Then how are you a werewolf?”
His light brown eyes were still trained on me, the expression in them slightly wary. “Dad was a werewolf, Mom isn’t.”
I sat back in my chair. “Wow. I didn’t even know things like that could happen,” I admitted.
His jaw tensed again. “It’s not something we advertise. Their relationship wasn’t a popular one. Especially in our old pack.”
“Why not?”
He looked away. “Werewolves and humans don’t mate. And they certainly don’t marry.”
“Why not?” I asked again.
Wyatt shrugged. “It’s two different worlds that have no business mixing. That’s what most people think, anyway.”
I sat up straighter again. “I’m a human.”
He shook his head. “You used to be a human. Now you’re a wolf.”
“And your parents didn’t want to risk trying to change your mom?”
He shook his head. “My dad would never take that chance with her.”
“Where’s your dad now?”
His jaw ticked. “He’s dead.”
My stomach fell. “I’m so sorry.”
He balled up the wrapper from his sandwich. “What’s done is done.”
I could hear the finality in his tone, but I wasn’t ready to drop it. I’d been living with Wyatt for weeks and this is the most I’d learned about him. I didn’t want to stop.
“How long ago did he pass?” I asked softly.
Wyatt stood up and walked across the room to throw away his trash. “About six months.”
I did the math in my head and put together what I’d learned from Abraham about the brothers.
“So, that must have been right before you came to this pack.”
Wyatt nodded once. “About a month before, actually.”
“Why’d you leave your old pack?”
His shoulders were instantly touching his ears. I could tell I’d hit a nerve and wanted nothing more than to take my words back.
Wyatt was saved the trouble of answering, however, when my cell rang on my desk. I picked it up, noticing it was a video call from Abraham. I answered immediately.
“Abraham is everything okay?”
“No, it’s not. I’m on my way to you right now.”
My stomach fell, leaving behind a crater in my insides. “What happened? Is everyone okay?” I whispered.
“The girls are fine.”
I swallowed. “And Nana?”
Abraham sighed. “I’m sorry, El. Everyone’s okay. That’s not the problem.”
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, willing my rapid pulse to slow. “Then what’s going on?”
Abraham was silent for a long time; the only sound was that of whatever high-speed highway he was on. “We found another body.”
My heart skipped a beat entirely before resuming its fast pace. “When?” I whispered.
“About an hour ago. It looked like she’d been there a few days.”
I did the math in my head. “Could she have been killed while I was still out in Asheville?”
Abraham paused again before answering. “That’s what we think.”
I shook my head to try to clear it. “But, why are you coming out here? Don’t they need you in Asheville?”
“I need to see you,” he said, leaving no room for argument.
But, I found a way anyway.
“Tell me what’s going on. What’s different about this?”
He’d been finding bodies in the woods for months. Although I wouldn’t say he was immune to them at this point, they certainly didn’t send him into this kind of panic usually.
He let out a deep breath before he said in a tortured voice, “She could be your twin, El.”
I closed my eyes again and just listened to the thumping of my heart. We knew he was killing women that looked like me. That wasn’t anything new. I hadn’t seen them myself, and didn’t want to, but none of the others had scared Abraham like this.
Because that’s what was in his voice, I realized.
Fear.
He was scared, and he was rushing to me to assure himself that I was okay. Suddenly, all I wanted was to be in his arms.
“How long till you get here?”
He sighed into the phone. “It’s gonna take me a while. I just left.”
“It’s okay, Abraham. I’m safe. I’m here with Wyatt, and I’ll see you when you get here.”
He sighed again. “Please stay safe.”
“I will,” I promised.
“Can you put Wyatt on?”
I handed the phone to him and took a seat at my desk. My brain was spinning with thoughts about the poor woman they’d found. Another person’s life had ended because of me. The killer was after me and killing these substitutes instead. It made my stomach churn with dread.
How long before he was sick of the stand-ins and came after me? How many more innocent lives would be lost before we could catch this guy?
The problem was, he was hiding his trail too carefully. He used foreign wolf urine to mask his scent and knew too much about the woods around Abraham’s land to get caught in the act. I didn’t know what it was going to take to catch him, but I knew we needed to do it soon. It felt like this whole situation was coming to a head, and I feared where it would lead.
Wyatt stepped into my space and held out my phone, breaking me out of my thoughts. Abraham’s tense face was still on the screen.
“Everything okay?” I asked. I should know what they talked about since we were in the same room and I had werewolf hearing now, but I’d tuned the whole conversation out.
“Yeah. Just please, stay safe until I get there.”
“I will. I promise. Just drive safe and get to me as soon as you can.”
“I will.”
He disconnected the call after that, but I stared at the screen for long minutes after it had gone black.
“You okay?” Wyatt asked, breaking me out of the staring contest I was having with my phone.
“I just wonder when it’ll all end. And worse, how it’ll end. How much longer can we go on like this?”
Wyatt took a seat near me. “I don’t know, but I’m not gonna let anything happen to you. I promise.”
I smiled. “I know, Wyatt. I trust you. Thank you.”
He shrugged. “Just doin’ my job.” He took a look around my office. “Speaking of, do you have any more meetings today?”
I turned to scan through my schedule on the computer. “Nope. Let’s get out of here.”
He smiled. “Yeah?”
“Yep,” I said with a nod. “I’ll be useless the rest of the day, anyway.”
We packed up and slipped out of the office without drawing too much attention. I just hoped Ben didn’t come looking for me the rest of the afternoon. I didn’t need him running to tell Hildebrandt that I’d left work early. Again.
When we got back to my apartment, Wyatt insisted on walking in first. He said that from now on, he needed to check things out before I could go in. I appreciated his dedication to his job, but it wasn’t fun standing in the North Carolina spring humidity.
Abraham showed up a few hours later, scaring both Wyatt and I with his abrupt pounding on the door. Wyatt was moments from shifting when Abraham’s voice rang out, and we both sighed in relief.
I opened the door for him and was pulled into his arms immediately. Instantly, the pain from missing him dissipated, and I was able to breathe easily for the first time in days.
He dug his face into my neck and took a deep breath. “I missed you so much.”
I ran my fingers through his hair. “I missed you too. I’m right here. Everything’s okay.”
He sighed deeply, his breath tickling my skin. When his heart had finally slowed to a normal tempo, he pulled back to look at me. His eyes scanned my features critically before he looked away.
I cupped his face and turned it back toward me. “What’s wrong?”
He shook his head and kissed the palm of my hand. “I was so scared, El,” he admitted softly.
My heart burned in my chest.
“She looked exactly like you. For a second I thought–” He choked on his last words and looked away again before finishing his sentence. “I thought it was you.”
I pulled him closer again, and he obliged willingly. His strong arms wrapped all the way around me making me feel small and protected. I stroked my hand up and down his back as he took a couple shuddering breaths.
“It wasn’t me, baby,” I cooed. “I’m right here. I’m okay.”
His arms tightened until it was almost painful, but still I wasn’t close enough.
He sighed heavily and pulled away to look in my eyes. “I never want to feel like that again. I can’t live without you, El.”
I wrapped my hand around the back of his neck. “Nothing’s gonna happen to me. You protect me when we’re together, and Wyatt watches over me when I’m out here. You have nothing to worry about.”
“But he’s still after you,” he said harshly, his words biting. “Maybe I should double your protection out here.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think I need it.”
“El, you can’t be serious. He just killed another woman. One who looks exactly like you! You can’t overestimate your safety.”
I waited until he’d calmed down some to speak again. “I just meant, it looks like I’m in the most danger when I’m in Asheville. Not here in Raleigh.”
His eyes flashed with worry and hurt. “Then you can’t come back out there. You need to stay here until we catch him.”
I shook my head again. “I’m not doing that.”
“El, this is not the time to be independent and argumentative. I love those qualities of yours, but not now. Now with this.”
“I need to train with Bea still. It’s the best defense I have against him. As of now, I’m practically powerless. Like all those women he’s killed, I’ll be an easy target.”
Abraham swallowed roughly.
“And I’m not staying away from my pack and my friends and most importantly, you.”
“I’ll come out here.”
I shook my head. “We both know you can’t be away from the pack every weekend. It’s not realistic.”
“El, I don’t care what it takes. I’ll keep you safe.”
I placed a hand over his pounding heart. “Then keep me safe while I’m out there. Keep Wyatt or Wes with me whenever you aren’t. Or even when you are. I don’t care. Just don’t tell me I can’t go back to my pack. Don’t keep me from the only family I have.”
I knew it was a low blow, but he wasn’t keeping me out of Asheville. I knew it wasn’t safe, but I’d also never felt stronger in my life. I needed my pack and my friends if I was going to put up any kind of fight.
Abraham shook his head and sighed. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
I pressed my lips against his. “You’ll keep me safe. I trust you.”
He groaned and pulled me against his chest again. “I’d protect you with my life.”
I closed my eyes as I let his words warm me from the inside out. I knew I’d be safe as long as I was near him. Nothing could hurt me in his arms.
“I know you will, Abraham. Everything’s going to be all right.” I took a steadying breath. “I can’t have anything happen to you either.” The truth of those words rocked me. If anything were to happen to him, especially if he was protecting me, I’d never recover. “We’ll catch this guy soon and never have to worry about him again.”
Abraham’s throat bobbed again, but he stayed silent, and squeezed me against him harder.
I knew this was hard for him. Evey told me that a wolf is most protective of his mate and so Abraham’s worry made perfect sense. He wasn’t the one in danger and still, I knew I’d sacrifice myself to save him in an instant if it came down to it.
I just had to believe that between him, Wyatt, Wes, and my friends, I’d be able to stay safe. And in the meantime, I really needed to throw myself into my lessons with Bea. I instinctively knew I wouldn’t always be able to depend on someone else for my safety. I needed to know how to protect myself too. I had a feeling when I finally came face to face with the killer that I wouldn’t be able to rely on anyone but myself.