Big Game

Asa



Over an hour ago, Pat raced down to the basement with Jon's bloody form draped over his shoulders. Dr. Cook was already on the premises and began working on his wound immediately. Candy paced the halls, unwilling to be too far from her new lover's side.



The delectable scent of werewolf blood filled the lower level, prompting Cy to leave, getting out of temptation's way by locking himself in Paul's room. I would have thought being married to a werewolf meant he'd have his fill of their potent brew, but maybe the opposite has occurred and he's been too long from his wife.



Romeo and Elsa left with a few of their pack to help Pat retrieve the captured hunters and Eric. The hunter who shot Jon, the one called Greg, turned out to be the man who organized the expedition. We had to hold his questioning until Jon could attend. While everyone wants to know what's going on, it's been agreed only Romeo, Jon and I will interview the man.



I sit in the conference room, sipping my bloodcoffee and glance at the clock. It's almost ten a.m. and I'll not be much good at mesmerizing the dude if Jon doesn't hurry. The pale Were staggers into the conference room, swathed in bandages and rolling an IV drip alongside.



Candy helps him with the IV pole then leaves, respecting the privacy we've requested.



"I'm here," Jon says. "Let's get this over with."



Before the door closes, we hear Eric bellow as the doctor sets his broken ankle. I wince at the sound, pity for my brother welling up.



"Wipe that sad sap look off your face, man," Jon directs my way. "I'm the one who got shot."



I smile at the bloody alpha. He didn't even shower off the dried blood before coming in. The bastard is tough, I'll give him that. "Yeah, whatever, Jon. I'm not related to you."



Romeo drags in the hunter, throwing his cuffed form in a chair and placing his hands on his shoulders to keep him in place.



"You freakin' animals!" Greg screams, spittle flying in his rage. "I'm gonna-"



I place my hands on the table and lean forward, pressing my will to voice while saying, "You're gonna be quiet." The man's jaw snaps shut and a glassy look overtakes over his eyes. "Now, you're going to truthfully answer every question we ask."



There's a hushed expectance in the air as the group waits for Greg to nod. Once he does, Jon launches in. "What brought you here to hunt werewolves?"



Romeo no longer needs to hold the man in his chair, and walks to the other side of the table to sit down and join in the questioning.



"One of you killed my sister," Greg says, the pain clear in his voice.



I look at Jon, raising an eyebrow. "Dude," he says. "It wasn't me. I told you I've been here."



I direct my attention back to the hunter. "What made you think it was a werewolf?"



"I tracked the prints for hours after the incident. They eventually led to a large clearing where only human footprints led away." He shrugs, the anger in his posture making him stiff. "It was easy to track cars into the park via the cameras at the entrances."



Romeo clears his throat. "Where did your sister die?"



"North of Winnipeg, we were camping off season where I'm a ranger."



A look of sorrow passes over the Manitoba Alpha's face. "When?"



"Last fall, late October. The cops closed the investigation, no matter what I said. Saying she was mauled by wolves-but I knew better."



"What made you think they were wrong?" Jon asks.



"Because I was there at the end. I'd returned from showering and saw the creature leaving the campsite. It was too big to be a regular wolf." Greg appears drained, remembering the incident. "I called for help but it was too late. After the cops investigated, I did a little searching of my own."



Romeo's face collapses and a heavy sadness fills the Were. "I know the accident he's talking about."



Greg looks ready to leap out of his chair. "You call killing my sister a fucking accident?"



One glance from me has him lowering back down.



"What happened?" Jon asks Romeo.



Romeo looks toward me, pain in his eyes before he looks away. "He doesn't know he did it."



A cold steals down my spine, and suddenly I'm very afraid for my brother, and not because he's moaning down the hall over his fractured ankle. "Spill it, man."



A sigh escapes the stocky alpha and his shoulders hunch. "It was Eric's first change. Freezing rain came down heavy that night, making it hard to keep on top of both him and Pat. He broke away from the pack and it took us hours to track him. By then it was too late. He'd ripped the girl to shreds."



I sit in shock, listening to the recounting of how Eric killed an innocent woman.



"Asa," Jon says, pulling my gaze to him. "It wasn't his fault."



"Oh yeah?" says Greg. "Then who's fucking fault was it?"



"Mine," says Romeo, he looks at me with steel in his gaze. "And Eric doesn't need to know what he did. He was too out of it-like a lot of new werewolves, the animal side had almost complete control during that first shift. When he remembered some of the details, I told him the girl lived. Reassured him she didn't contract the disease since he hadn't been a wolf long enough to spread it."



I nod and lean toward the hunter, ready to wipe all their minds of what they know and block out the secret I've learned of my little brother. "Now, who else knows you're here?"