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A real bedpan and a catheter had been stored in the cabinets and drawers, so no need for this nasty thing. I tossed it next to the door and reached under the sink of the adjoining bathroom and set about cleaning and disinfecting the entire place.
After an hour and some serious sweat and elbow grease, the place was more than spotless. Not that wolves would die from any sort of infection, but for any human that may have a need to be brought here. Shep had told me he’d only been here about two years, and all the buildings in this compound were very new-looking, so I knew they were just getting set up and coming into themselves.
As I shut off the light and closed the door, I thought about the girls again, the ones who hadn’t escaped. I could only hope and pray that Leann and Brittney had made it back to their families. Poppy’s face entered my mind again. Poor kid. At eighteen, she really was just a baby. I knew the bastards violated all of us the same way, and at twenty-nine, I could handle this shit a little better than someone so young and probably inexperienced. The other girls weren’t much older. I’d overheard the bastards once talk about having to “throw back” a few girls they’d picked up in clubs because in the light, they were much older than they looked. As if they were a fish not worthy of being traded and sold. They never asked my age and must have assumed I was much younger than I was.
It made me sick, but of course I was glad for the girls who had been set free. Who were these assholes taking and selling girls? Were they other vampires, maybe using them for blood bags? Or human traffickers, selling young women to men overseas to be used as sex things? I found it weird the bastards weren’t allowed to feed on us but they could fuck us all they wanted. It made me think they were selling to humans, as the neck scars wouldn’t be very explainable.
I carried the makeshift bedpan through the clubhouse and into the kitchen, then out back where I’d seen dumpsters. I opened the lid and breathed through my mouth before tossing it inside.
“What are you doing out here?”
I turned to see Cutter standing there with a bag of trash in his hand. He wore an apron full of red gore and my eyes widened. He looked like some macabre chef. I stared at him in horror.
He chuckled, his light-brown buzzed hair gleaming in the early morning sun. “Cat got your tongue?”
“I… I was throwing away the ‘bedpan’,” I supplied, using air quotes.
He made a face. “Good call.”
I pointed at his white apron. “What the hell is that?”
He looked down and grinned. “Cow.”
“Did you butcher it yourself?” I sassed.
“We get our meat imported directly from a local farmer. They ship it as is. As soon as it’s slaughtered, they deliver it in all its juicy glory.”
“Wow, they don’t even package it or freeze it?” I ask, curious.
He indicated with his head to follow him inside, so I did. “No, we save raw meat for the wolves. I clean it all up and then wrap it in butcher paper to send with the guys when they go to their, uh, you know.” He made a whistling sound and pointed to the sky, assuming he was indicating the full moon.
“So you’re human,” I deadpanned.
“Warlock actually, but basically.” He grinned.
My eyes widened and I felt an odd sense of relief. “Seriously? I’m so glad there’s another witch here.”
He went into the kitchen and picked up a disgusting machete full of blood and gore, and as I looked around, I saw he was elbow-deep in getting the cow separated into bits for cooking—or not—later. The smell was very strong.
“Don’t get too excited, I haven’t practiced in years. I was raised in the foster system. No cool witch parents or relatives to teach me shit.” He brought the machete down on a large flank of meat and blood and bits went flying. “But the Wolves took me in while the local covens shunned me, so here I am.”
That was interesting, but I didn’t pry.
“Is this a whole cow or what?” I asked instead, sort of fascinated. Obviously I wasn’t squeamish around blood.
“Pretty much. I can make you a steak later if you want.”
“You know what, that sounds delicious. You a good cook?”
He lifted a shoulder as he sliced through the raw meat. “So I’m told.”
“Well, you look like you know what you’re doing. I’d love that steak later. Medium rare.”
Cutter smiled as if I’d made his day. There was something handsome and boyish about him, and I wanted to ask him more about himself but then I refrained. Something told me I’d have plenty of time to get to know the guys here. Maybe in exchange for a steak, I could teach him some magic—if he wanted to learn.
Speaking of…
“Hey, I gotta go do some shopping. I’ll catch up with you later.”
