****
By the time Aiza woke, her bruises were beginning to fade and the worst of the open wounds were starting to close, no stitches necessary. The room seemed homier in the warm afternoon sunlight. She stayed in the comfortable bed for a long time after she woke up, a part of her wishing she could just remain there forever. She felt safe and comfortable, warm and secure.
Hunger and a full bladder eventually drove her from the warm bed. Noah was nowhere to be seen, but she found more soup and cold beer in the fridge, and she helped herself to both. There was still pain in her ribs and neck, but she could move freely and she knew it wouldn’t be too much longer until she felt like herself again.
But what would happen after that?
She wanted to step back into her life, but could that even be possible now that her life was legally over? Aiza wasn’t sure about the legal implications of faking her own death, but she had the feeling it would just be one more thing for the district attorney to bring up in court.
With no phone, no money, and no idea where she even was, Aiza felt a little like a prisoner. She paced around the small apartment and even ventured into the narrow hallway, but the sudden scent of a dozen wolves drove her back, the door closing quickly behind her. She had no way of knowing if the other wolves were friend or foe, and she wasn’t in a hurry to find out. With no other options, Aiza crawled back into bed and almost immediately returned to sleep.
When she woke up again, she wasn’t alone.
“How are you feeling?” Noah asked.
“Better.” She gently ran her fingers over her ribs. “Much better.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear it. Are you hungry?”
“Yeah. I helped myself to some soup earlier.”
He smiled. “That’s fine, that’s what it’s there for. I ordered some Chinese and it should be here soon. Let me have a look at those bandages.”
She patiently allowed his inspection, performing one of her own while he was distracted with his task. His face was even more handsome than she remembered, his brow creased with concentration, his full mouth set in a thin line. In the light, she could see his hair was closer to blonde than brown, and pale whiskers sprouted across his chin and cheeks. He wore a dark T-shirt pulled tightly over his broad shoulders and solid chest, and the memory of what that chest felt like made her shiver.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Oh, yeah, just a little chilly.”
He helped her replace her clothes and stood up with a small nod. “You’re going to be fine. Is there anybody you’d like to call? Or maybe I can give you a ride somewhere?”
“I’d appreciate a ride home.” She frowned. “Where are we?”
“Yakima.”
“Oh. Do you mind taking me all the way back to Portland?”
He shook his head. “I don’t mind at all.
“Thanks. I appreciate that and, well, everything. More than you can know.”
A knock on the door pulled his attention from her, and as soon as she caught a whiff of the Chinese food, her stomach cramped with hunger. She felt like she hadn’t taken a bite in weeks and began to devour an order of boneless spare ribs. Noah didn’t seem to mind, though he did eat his skewer of teriyaki beef a considerably slower pace. A few times, she caught him watching her with a strange smile on his face, as though she were a particularly amusing sort of puzzle.
“Before we head to Portland, I was hoping you’d come to my office,” he said as he reached for a second skewer.
Aiza paused between swallows. “Your office? Why would I want to go to your office?”
“To make a statement.”
“A statement?” Her eyes widened. “You’re a cop.”
“Well, no, I’m not a cop. But I am a federal officer.”
Aiza’s involuntary gasp drew a piece of pork down her throat and quickly turned into a ragged cough. He jumped to his feet to her assist her, slapping her between the shoulders to dislodge the food.
“What...you’re a...a federal officer?”
“I work for H.O.W.L. Have you heard of it?”
“Homeland Department of Wolfs and Lycanthropes,” Aiza stated numbly.
“Yes. We’ve been investigating the Wolf Brotherhood and your old friend Dwight for a very long time.”
“So...you didn’t just happen to find me, did you?”
Noah shook his head.
“You were following me.”
“We’ve been staking out his cabin for some time,” Noah said.
“So...you knew about the attack, too?”
“Yes. I know a great many things, Aiza, and you don’t have to be afraid of me. I want to help you.”
“How can you help me?” Aiza demanded. “I’m...I’m guilty, too.”
“Guilty of what? Being Dwight’s accomplice?”
“Yes, for starters.”
“Aiza, you and I both know that Dwight forced you to do things.”
“Forced? He never...he never forced me. I...I made my own decisions.”
“Including the decision to attack your sister?” Noah asked softly.
“How did you know about that?”
“I told you, I know a great many things. He told you to attack her, didn’t he?”
Aiza nodded slowly.
“He planted that suggestion as your maker. God knows what else he planted in your head. Now that he’s dead, his control over you will fade. Make a statement. Explain what happened. Then instead of being a suspect, you’ll be a witness.”
“Against who? Dwight is dead.”
“Against the Brotherhood.”
“Oh no. Oh no, no, no. I’m tired of them tangling in my business and I don’t want to have anything to do with them. If I testify against them, they’ll catch wind that I’m actually still alive and they’ll come after me.”
“We’ll keep you safe,” Noah promised. “I’ll keep you safe.”
Aiza shook her head. “Excuse me if I’m not impressed with the promise. I mean, they attacked me in my own home. How will you stop them?”
“Well, for starters, I’ll make sure they can’t find you.”
“So...if I help you, I can’t go home.”
“Not right away,” Noah conceded. “But when it’s all over, you can go back to your home. Your bar. Your life.”
“My bar,” she murmured. “You already know everything, don’t you? What will happen to me if I don’t cooperate? Will I be placed under arrest?”
“Not by me, certainly. But the local authorities might have different ideas. Especially if they’re on the take.”
“So, if I tell you everything I know about Dwight and the Brotherhood and...everything, I won’t be sent to jail?”
“No, you will be given full immunity and protection.” Noah leaned forward, his eyes serious, and she had no choice but to meet his gaze. She felt like he was looking right through her, and it was impossible not to squirm under the weight of his stare—until she realized that he wasn’t trying to pick her apart; he was giving her the chance to read his face, and even his soul, before she made her decision.
“Okay.” Aiza took a deep breath. “I’ll do it.”
His face broke into a wide smile. It was the nicest smile she had ever seen, and under any other circumstances, it would have been impossible not to return the gesture. “You made the right choice. I promise you.”
“Are we going to do this now?”
“If you’re ready. Or you can rest here for another night and we’ll head over first thing in the morning.”
Aiza opted for the morning, thinking that would give her time to gather her thoughts and prepare herself, but she passed the whole night in nervous agony. Noah disappeared again just after ten—no doubt on official business—giving her plenty of space and time to sleep, but instead she tossed and turned on the narrow bed, seeing Dwight’s face every time she closed her eyes. She tried to reason with herself; she tried to accept that she would be truly free of him, but an unidentifiable dread settled in her stomach and make itself at home there.
Noah returned the next morning just after dawn with coffee and bagels. Aiza was already awake and dressed when he opened the door, and he didn’t comment on the bags under her eyes or the carefully made bed. She ate in grateful silence, her appetite still making itself known despite the nerves twisting her stomach into knots.
Once she was done, she signaled her readiness and he led her to the car. He walked with long, deliberate strides, his posture perfect, his carriage one of supreme confidence. The sun caught the blonde highlights in his hair and the golden hue of his skin, and she had the feeling he spent far more time outside than he did sitting behind a desk. It was easy to imagine him fishing beside a mountain stream or rock climbing or sailing.
“Who else will be there?” Aiza asked, wondering if he could hear the tremor in her voice.
“My partner, Dana.”
“Should I have a lawyer?”
“You’re not being charged with anything, but you’re welcome to have an attorney present.”
“I have one...I mean, I know one. He’s not a criminal attorney, though. He worked with me when I purchased the bar.”
“I can help you find one.”
“But I’m not being charged, you said.”
“Not a public defender. There are plenty of wolves who provide their services pro bono. I know a few; I can call them when we get there.” He offered her a reassuring smile. “I want you to be comfortable, Aiza. You’re going to be a very big help to us.”
“Thank you.” It did seem like a good idea to at least consult with a lawyer before she spilled her guts and incriminated herself. Why would they offer her full immunity when Dwight was already dead? She didn’t know anything else about the rest of the Brotherhood—the only members she ever met, she killed. It was in self-defense, true, but what proof did she have of that?
Only the truth. The whole truth. And nothing but the truth.
With bathroom breaks, water breaks, and crying breaks, it took a little over four hours to get through the entire story. Noah remained standing for most of it, his face set in a pensive mask as his partner, Dana O’Driscoll, asked questions to guide Aiza’s long narrative.
She started at the beginning, the night she met Dwight, and continued through the details of her accident, her damaged memory, and her decision to be made into a werewolf. That was the easy part.
After she started talking about the night Butch came to her bar and demanded money, and then attacked her, she couldn’t look at Noah any longer. She couldn’t meet Dana’s eyes, either. She just stared at her hands and recited as much as she could remember. By the time she detailed the attack that killed Franklin, she felt winded and sick to her stomach with shame and fear. It seemed to her that she gave them no choice. They would have to arrest her when she confessed that Dwight convinced her not to call the police, to just let him hide the bodies, like it was no big deal.
She half-expected her new attorney to stop her story, but he allowed her to continue speaking without interruption. He’d introduced himself as Sam Longtail, and Aiza’s eyes had darted to Noah’s face, searching for a family resemblance. Maybe it was only a coincidence, but Yakima wasn’t that big and the name wasn’t that common. But if they were related, her guess would be distant cousins.
Finally, she ran out of things to say and Dana ran out of questions to ask her. She stood and offered her hand with a small smile that reached her eyes. “I wish we’d met under different circumstances, Ms. Simpson, but I’m very grateful you chose to come in and speak with us today.”
“Oh, um, you’re welcome. I hope I can actually help with your investigation. I never meant...I’m not a murderer.”
Dana’s warm grip tightened and her smile turned reassuring. “It will help and we know you’re not a murderer. Now if you’ll excuse me for just a moment, I need to talk to my partner.”
They stepped into the hall and Aiza turned to Sam, looking for any sign of what to expect next.
“It sounds like you’ve had a hell of a year,” he said.
“It’s been rough. I just hope the next year isn’t spent in jail.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Sam said confidently. “You did the world a favor when you removed those mutts from it. And those two have bigger fish to try. Noah said he’s going to keep you safe, and he will.”
As if summoned by his words, Noah reappeared. “Are you ready to move?”
“Where are we going?”
“A safe house we’ve got ready for you.” He looked to Sam. “I’ll be in touch.”
She followed Noah out of the room, her heart still hammering in her ears. She didn’t feel better until they were in the car and the building was several miles behind them. “Where’s the house?”
“It’s best if you don’t know.”
“What do you think I’m going to do? Call the Brotherhood and tell them where to find me?”
“No, but a secret safe house is a secret safe house. Until everybody knows the secret.”
“Why not just blindfold me then?”
“I will if I think it’s necessary,” he said lightly.
She smiled despite herself and let it drop. It didn’t really matter to her where the safe house was or why he wanted to keep the location a secret, as long as she was safe and had a place to heal and figure out her life.
He took her north, further from Portland and the Brotherhood’s territory. She never spent much time in Washington, so she could gauge the direction but not the location. He slowed down to thirty miles per hour as they entered a tiny town and began pointing out different places of interest—the general store, the bank, the post office, and the local watering hole. Finally, he pulled to a stop in front of a bungalow at the outskirts of town.
“Home sweet home.”
It looked nice enough on the outside. The house had been recently painted white with green trim, the yard was well cared for and bursting with flowers, and a tall oak tree cast a long shadow over the front porch. He opened the car door for her and moved to the trunk where he pulled out several bags of groceries, loading his arms before moving to the front door.
“The key is in my pocket,” he said, nodding towards his right leg.
“Oh...um.” She delicately reached past the tight lip of his pocket, sliding her fingers down his hard thigh in search of the key. She snatched it and quickly pulled her hand back, her cheeks suddenly suffused with heat. Ducking her head so he wouldn’t notice her strangely flustered reaction, she unlocked the house and pushed the door open. He stepped in first, turning off the security system and flipping on the lights before gesturing for her to follow.
“I’ll teach you how to use all of this. But I promise, you’ll never wake up with a stranger in your room again.”
“The alarm is that good, huh?”
“Nobody will even get this far. There are sensors all along the perimeter of the property. They are rigged to set off silent alarms that’ll bring down a team of armed men like the wrath of an angry god.”
Her eyes darted out the open door. “There’s a team watching the house?”
“Yes.”
“Where are they?”
Noah smiled and gently closed the door. “There will also be a two-man detail assigned to you at all times.”
“I’m going to be followed twenty-four hours a day?”
“For your own safety.”
“But only for, like, a couple of months, right?” His eyes darted away and she felt her heart sink. “You don’t think this is only going to be for a few months, do you?”
“There’s no way of knowing,” Noah said. “If it were up to me, I’d have every mongrel and cur locked up by tonight. But it’s not up to me. Come on, let me show you around.”
There wasn’t much to show. It was a single level home with one bedroom, one bath, and a kitchen split from the living room by a wet bar. The carpet was a neutral beige, the walls all a bland white, and the furniture was far from plush.
“I know it’s not much, but it’s got a satellite dish and Wi-Fi.”
“Wonderful.”
“The fridge is fully stocked,” he said, opening the door to show a fridge that was, indeed, full of food. None of it looked like anything she wanted to deal with, though. What was she going to do with a whole chicken, raw spinach, and a giant pork roast? She usually survived on cereal, burgers, and whiskey.
“The store is only a mile down the road,” he said, as if sensing her thoughts. “And you’ll be provided with an expense card. You can decorate the place. Hang a few things up on the walls. Make it more like a home.”
“Yeah, I’ll think about it.” She didn’t have any desire to make the place homier. She had a home. “What about you? Will you be staying here with me?
“I’ll be checking in on you often. And I have a phone for you with my number programmed in. If you need anything, call me anytime.”
“So, you’re just going to leave me alone up here? Can I let anybody know I’m here?”
Noah shook his head. “Everybody thinks you’re dead, Aiza, and until we wrap up our investigation, it’s safer for you if they keep thinking it.”
She saw there was no point in arguing so she inclined her head. “I guess that’ll give me plenty of time to...reflect on what I’ve done.”
“Hey.” He reached out, resting his hand lightly on her shoulder. She automatically leaned into the friendly touch, drawn to both the warmth of his skin and the strength she could sense in his long fingers. “I know it seems bad now.”
“Not as bad as jail,” Aiza said. “So it could be worse.”
“It could be worse,” Noah agreed. “But I promise, I’ll make it better.”
“Why do you keep saying things like that?”
“Like what?”
“Promising to help me, keep me safe, and make things better. Are you just, like, the world’s nicest guy or something?” He was still holding her shoulder, and for the first time, she realized how close they were standing. She wanted to move in even closer; wanted him to wrap both of his arms around her and hold her because she had the feeling he actually was the world’s nicest guy.
“No, I’m just a decent man who believes in helping those who need help.”
“In my experience, there’s not many decent men around. Not when you need them.”
“Then I’m grateful our paths crossed.”
“Grateful?”
“So I can be the one who gives you a new experience.” He squeezed her shoulder gently and then stepped back. “I’m sorry I have to go, but I’ll be back in the morning.”
He did return the next morning, bringing bagels, juice, and a half dozen thick books. “These are my favorites” he told her. “They got me through some rough times. Maybe they can help you, too.”
Every time he returned after that, he brought her something new to help her pass the time. She welcomed the books, the DVDs and the distractions, but she found—more than anything—it was his company, his smile, and his warmth that made each day better and better.