Chapter 23
Willow wished she were alone.
Officer Keech had dragged her in through the house, warning her not to scream. The second he stopped his police cruiser, he opened the back door and slammed her against the grate, using her shock as a chance to slip handcuffs on her. He had a gun in his holster and a grimace on his usually kind face. The house was large – three stories, somewhere between a Victorian house and a modern one with the decor. The power was out, probably since the owners went missing and couldn't foot the bill anymore, and it added to the horror of the situation.
Family pictures lined the hall he pushed her down, each face echoing back the 'missing person' reports. She realized where she was and dread filled her like a thick sludge, coating her heart and mind.
What the fuck?
Willow started kicking again, wanting to run, wanting to escape, and he knocked her to the ground, dragging her by the handcuffs around her wrists.
“I offered to give you a tour of this place before,” his voice was almost casual, making the hairs stand up on Willow's entire body. She considered shifting, biting, and running, but the terror in her heart held her back from it.
“Where are we?” Willow asked, playing dumb. She hoped it would earn her some time, and she was right.
“This,” James said, pushing her into the middle of the floor of a sitting room, her face slapping down against the cold wood. “This is your inheritance from people who never knew you existed, all because of a dumb birth mark,” he explained, motioning around. “Legally, it was bequeathed to many members of the pack, but that's just to hold it until a blood Alpha shows up,” he explained, looking disgusted. “Alphas who are leaders because of what's in their family's history instead of what they're actually capable of,” he continued. “You're the worst of them!” Keech exclaimed, turning on her. “You come here, snooping around in things that aren't your business, drawing attention to things that belong to the pack and you don't understand…and then end up being a shifter,” he said angrily. “You know nothing of us as people, of our lives and traditions, of our values–”
“I'm one of you, too, though. So these are mine to know as well. I want to know all of that,” Willow shook her head. Keech scowled at her.
“You're not even entirely a shifter,” he spat the words out at her like acid. He took a deep breath, and his facial features smoothed into almost a smile. It was so wrong on his face in that moment. It was worse than his scowl.
He leaned down to Willow's eye level. “I'm going to set you up for all of this,” he said keenly, conspiratorially. “I'm going to let the town believe you're the one who's been killing off the Alphas, that you've eaten them or something. It's something the Lycaon line would do, after all,” he quipped. “I'll say that you confessed this to me, thinking I'd support you, and when I didn't, you attacked and I drew my gun,” he grinned. “You'll be dead, I'll be free of any suspicion, and the pack will be free of freeloaders like you,” he spat out. “My family has lived in this damned town since it was started a hundred fifty years ago. Literally built it with their own hands. Why the hell should a stranger be in charge of that?” he asked angrily.
“I shouldn't,” Willow agreed completely and utterly. “I shouldn't be, at all. I've been telling Carter that since I found out,” she added quickly. “I am just a journalist, a crap writer for a company that doesn't appreciate me. I can think of so many other people more deserving than me,” she admitted. She'd say anything to stay alive. It was just luck that she felt what was saying was true.
“You are the worst,” he growled out, she didn't seem to be helping herself here. “Completely denying the people who accepted you in like they did. They were going to help you settle, and you have no loyalty to them? Some bloodline,” he said angrily. Pulling out a large knife, he sat in front of her and stared her down, his eyes looked like they could see every flaw in the universe in her.
“Please, don't kill me,” she asked softly, she wasn't above begging.
She just needed to get out.
Keech's phone buzzed, and he pulled it out of his pocket and stared down at it.
“Hmm, looks like your confidant has noticed you're gone,” he said, turning his phone to her.
“Hey, Willow is missing. Can you help?” the text read, Carter's name as the contact.
He'd noticed.
It had only been a couple hours, and he'd noticed.
Her heart was pounding in her ears.
'Please, please, come here to me,' she thought at his contact name, trying to will him to know. She didn't want in him in harm's way, but she was sure Keech wouldn't try anything if his childhood best friend was there for it.
They sat there in silence for a couple minutes. He didn't look like he was any closer to reaching to the knife and stabbing her.
“What do you want from me? I can leave if you want,” she said earnestly. “Let me leave town. I'll do it with nobody knowing, without a word,” she swore, knowing in her heart it wouldn't work.
“I want the thing that makes you so special,” he shrugged, turning over the knife.
“My blood?” she asked, horrified. Suddenly, she couldn't entirely remember if it was werewolves or vampires who drank blood. Was it both?
“No, don't be stupid. You wouldn't be recognizable without that damn star on your neck when you're a wolf. I want to carve it out of your back and keep it,” he said. Willow's blood felt like ice. “I already have a little collection of them. I want to show that anybody can have a star pelt. Hell, I own eight. Doesn't mean that you'd be a good leader,” he explained easily. “I'm waiting for you to shift,” he continued.
“And if I never change?” she asked, her heart racing.
“I'll start breaking bones,” he shrugged. “Every ten minutes, another finger. Your body will panic at the adrenaline and automatically change, regardless of whether or not you want to,” Willow needed to get out – fast. “I can't just break them all at once. If you go into shock you won't be able to shift,” he remorsed.
Willow had never been so scared in her life.