BLOOD DREAM (Ongoing)

7.1: All Dogs Are Boys And All Cats Are Girls

A little before midnight, Kitra was called to the pack house. Actually, first, she was called to pick up Liam from the bar, then take him to the pack house, all under the explicit instruction not to tell Theron what happened: one of their packmates had been murdered.

It was Patrick Davis, one of their older members and a longtime colleague of Oliver's that accompanied their budding pack's move to Winnipeg. Frank said they found him in tatters near the fringe of their territory, just past the perimeter, close to where a farm had experienced a brutal slaughtering of some of their livestock. They thought it was all Sadie until they found traces of Theron around the farm.

Kitra arrived downtown in Theron's car. Frank told her to take it. She only had to wait a few minutes before Liam drifted onto the sidewalk, spotted her, and slid inside the passenger seat. He reeked of booze.

"Is Theron still inside?" Kitra asked as the car pulled out.

Liam inhaled sharply, rustling himself into alertness. "Yeah. Yeah, I left him in there with Nora. I think she'll take real good care of him," he laughed.

"Is she the same girl?"

"Naw." Liam's head rolled back against the headrest.

He was obviously drunk. He was too lighthearted given the circumstances. "I'm sorry to hear about Patrick. I can't believe that happened."

Liam closed his eyes. "Somebody was bound to cross Sadie's path."

"Yeah... Do you really think Theron had something to do with it?" asked Kitra.

"I know he was at that farm, Kit. They found Sadie's smell around there too, both fresh. They think Theron left a trail to lure somebody out for Sadie."

Kitra's blood ran cold. "He wouldn't do that."

"He was gone a full twenty-four hours without telling anybody. I'm sure he was expecting to be taken into police custody. You don't think it's beyond Theron to get back at everyone and try to win over Sadie by offering up a sacrifice?" Liam slurred on tiredly. She caught glimpses of his hand on his eyes, rubbing his face to wake himself up.

It shattered her that he could be right. Theron avoided her that weekend and underwent a complete change from his promises of unity last week, and it all started after Saturday's crucifixion of him. "You said he acted weird when he came to see you on Tuesday?"

"Super weird, Kit. He was all violent like how he used to be."

"What do you mean?"

"Like how he used to be with Sadie," said Liam. His voice went hoarse and quiet.

Kitra felt worse by the second. "What did he do exactly, Liam?"

They stopped at a red light. Kitra spied Liam with his head tilted, a dark bruise blooming on the side of his neck. She didn't ask for any more clarification.

Would Theron really do that to somebody? And not just anybody, but Liam? His own friend? Was this the abuse everybody had warned her Theron was capable of?

"Sorry if I've been acting weird," murmured Liam.

Kitra shook her head. "Don't apologize."

They were mostly silent on the drive to Amir's house, but every so often Kitra caught Liam's soft hazel eyes and her heart shook with pity. And anger. And betrayal. Didn't Theron know how hard she was trying to prove he was worth forgiveness? It was just like when she rescued him. Didn't he appreciate anything she did, or was she always going to be just his meddling sister?

Nearly every light in the pack house was on. They crawled up the long driveway before Liam had her pull over halfway. "Kit, before we go in, I just... I just want you to know I'm here for you. It's probably going to be really intense in there, and I doubt it's going to end well for Theron," he said, reaching over to touch her thigh.

Kitra clasped his hand. "Thanks, Liam. But I'm ready for whatever's going to happen. I want to know the truth."

"Yeah..." Liam sighed. "It's going to be really important for your future who you support here. Frank's already worried you might be divided."

"Theron's my brother. I love him," said Kitra, "but if he really did all that, I can't condone it."

Liam nodded. She held his gaze, tired and wounded and somehow still compassionate. Kitra was drawn in, and despite Theron's accusations of Liam, tried to kiss him. He let her. They kissed for a couple minutes before Liam tucked his fingers behind her neck, pulling her closer. She wanted so badly to comfort him from the gloomy reality hanging over their heads.

"We should go," she said.

Liam reluctantly detached. They drove the rest of the way up to the pack house, where a few packmates stood outside consoling each other. Inside, Dorothy and Gabby were already waiting.

"Hey. We worried about you getting away from Theron in one piece," said Dorothy.

Gabby rose to greet them, but hung back when Liam put his hand on Kitra's waist. She gave Kitra a dull smile instead.

Standing at the casual dining room table, Frank took notice of their arrival. "Is Theron with Castor & Holloway?"

"Yeah," said Liam.

Kitra bristled. "Wait, what?"

"Nora," clarified Frank.

Except it didn't clarify anything. Kitra grabbed Liam's arm. "You said Nora wasn't the girl."

Liam drooped. "I'm really sorry, Kit. I thought you should hear it from Frank."

"Hear what?"

Frank looked unimpressed. "The truth, Kitra."

The truth that she had so frantically been chasing. The truth that nobody wanted to tell her, the truth that Theron tried to hide, the truth that Kitra deserved now that she was part of them. This whole time her stomach was tossing with nauseous anxiety, and now it dropped, heavy as a lead weight with the omen of Frank's words.

"They're here to retrieve Theron and Sadie. We called them in after Sadie first appeared because we feared if they got together, it would endanger us. Castor & Holloway provided a blood sample to their police connection after the incident on the 16th and we've been trying to coordinate their capture before anybody got hurt. We let Theron go out on Monday hoping for evidence that he's been in contact with Sadie, but we didn't expect she would strike so soon," said Frank. He stared down at the table. "We were so distracted trying to get Theron to go for Nora we didn't pay close enough attention to our borders. I blame myself for this."

This whole time, they were setting up Theron to be captured and taken away. Ever since Sadie reappeared. And he proved them right by going after her in the ice rink, then again by going out on Monday. Since the beginning, Theron was biding his time, vengefully hoping that Sadie would take him back if he apologized in blood and treachery. Kitra's mouth went dry with despair. "So Dorothy getting me to record the video, you being on that app, going out tonight, it was just so you could trick Theron into going to Castor & Holloway?"

Liam was wrought with guilt, rubbing the back of his neck. "He's dangerous, Kit. He already proved he would risk all our lives to get with Sadie," he muttered. "I just... can't believe it was tonight of all nights. I can't believe he actually did that to us. Patrick would still be with us if we were just one day faster..."

Now Kitra second-guessed her suspicions about Castor & Holloway. That they were shady. That something malicious had gone on between them and her family. They were just trying to help the pack survive against Theron and Sadie, and that was why Theron so aggressively shut down her investigation.

Theron really did discard them all to have a chance with his murderous ex-girlfriend.

She felt like she meant nothing to him. She was the fool. Dorothy said she'd see soon enough how bad Theron was, but she didn't think it would be like this. Kitra sat down, staring with disbelief at the floor. Liam sat beside her, his arm around her shoulders, and kissed her hair.