Page 14 of Filthy Fae

“If I’m here, yes.”

The sheriff pursed her lips and nodded, stopping at the end of the hall before the lobby. She lowered her voice to a near whisper. “Something shredded those people. This doctor was the only shifter in attendance and the only survivor.”

“And he’s innocent,” I added.

“Maybe he is. That burden is on you, I’m afraid, Alpha—or do I call you Scarlet?” she asked.

“Still trying to figure that one myself.” I nodded. “Let’s just do Scarlet, as long as I can call you by your first name.”

“Darlene,” the sheriff said. “As I said, Scarlet, this office is putting our resources into finding evidence that Dr. Zane Reed is guilty, and it’s not looking like that’s going to be a hard task. The burden to prove otherwise is on you.”

My wolf surged forward, furious at the insult to one of ours, but I pushed her down. Losing my shit in this moment might feel good, but it wasn’t going to help Zane.

Mack waited for me in the lobby. Thank all that was holy that there was no sign of his mother. Even though I was relieved we weren’t about to have another face-off, I was smart enough not to take her departure as a good sign. If we didn’t have an all-out war on our hands yet, we would soon.

Mack took my shoulders and held me at arm’s length, his familiar and beloved features creasing with concern. “How’d it go?”

“It went,” I said with a sigh. I reached up to smooth the little furrow between his brows with my thumb. “I’m sorry about causing shit between you and your mother. You don’t deserve to be dragged into this.”

“Scarlet, there’s only ever been shit between my mother and me. You would know that if you’d let me bring you into my life before disaster hit.” His aquamarine eyes searched mine. “Like I’ve been telling you for a month, plus, a confrontation between our families was always going to be inevitable. If you’d let me do it the right way, as I’ve been trying to do…” He gave me a look that clearly said things would have gone different if I’d just listened to him.

“Are you seriously taking this opportunity to tell me that you told me so?” I lifted my brows, but for some reason, getting grief from Mack about this old argument was making me feel worlds better. He wanted us to blend our lives after years of keeping them very much separate. And he had a point. Withholding that information had nearly gotten us both killed.

Mack gave a little smile, drew me into his arms, and kissed my forehead. “I will always take any opportunity to tell you that I told you so, Scar.”

“Well, at least you’re consistently a butthead,” I said, wrapping my arms around him and laying my head on his chest, reveling in the strength and safety of his arms for just a few seconds before I had to pull away.

He opened his mouth, but then he closed it and shook his head. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

“What? You were going to say something.”

He shook his head again. “It doesn’t matter. Not right now, anyway.”

“Okay…” I stretched out the word. “Well, then, I better get back home before someone lights Meadows on fire.”

Mack’s eyes flickered, but I couldn’t read his expression before he smiled and chucked my chin. “We can’t have that.”

I wanted to ask him what that look was about and what he wasn’t telling me, but it would have to wait. I couldn’t ask in front of Jane or in the lobby of a police station. And maybe some small part of me was afraid to hear the answer. So, I said nothing more as Mack walked us to my car.

Chapter Six

Lance

I rubbed my aching eyelids before blinking a few times and focusing back on my book. Within the book of Pre-Islamic Arabian mythological spirits and monsters, I examined the ink drawing of a ghoul. Darrel had already said that the drawing bore little resemblance to what they’d seen before my twin decided to “go check on his bike.” That was an hour ago. There was little doubt in my mind that he was just waiting in the lot, making sure that monsters weren’t lying in wait for Scarlet’s arrival.

For probably the thirtieth time, I had the overpowering urge to go down there and check if he needed help. Who the fuck was I kidding? I wanted to check if she’d arrived. But neither Scarlet nor Darrel would want me there. Would they just take off to be alone together without updating me?

Fuck that.

I closed the book. I’d already combed through modern ghoul hunter’s safety guides and crypt guides. There were mentions of ghouls shape-shifting to become animals or humans they’d consumed, but nothing about elongated bodies, engorged tongues and genitals, or having no eyes. The mythological accounts of ghouls confirmed that modern ghouls hadn’t evolved in thousands of years. The only thing the creature that attacked Scarlet had in common with ghouls was the smell, and there were hundreds of creatures that smelled like rotting corpses.

Heading back to the necromantic shelf, I traced my finger over the spines. I really only had a basic collection.

Across the apartment, the door opened, and Darrel’s voice echoed through the space. There was the whisper of a hand moving over cloth, probably him rubbing his hand over her back, and then he asked, “They’re not going to release him?”

“No.” Scarlet sounded bone-tired and a little angry. “And it’s definitely better that way.”

“Hey, come here.” There was the soft smack of her lips pressing to his.