Burning the Alpha

CHAPTER TEN

River had killed Reg.

I had liked Reg. He barely spoke to me. I had learned his name.

Now he was dead.

Something shifted inside me. I could feel my skin heating up, and I had no desire to subdue it.

"You killed Reg." I said it out loud.

"What are you gonna do about it?" He pressed his challenge.

I considered my options. They didn't fill me with confidence. I couldn't afford to get hot-headed. So instead, I said the only thing I could think of:

"Kill me."

"Excuse me?" He hadn't been expecting that.

"I've had enough of this. I'm not doing it any more. You said you would kill me if I left. Guess what, I'm leaving." I said. "I would rather be dead, or be alone for the rest of eternity, than spend any more time with you."

"You're forgetting, I also said I'd kill your little werewolf friends." He taunted.

"So do it." I gave him a very human shrug. "They'll be dead soon any way. Take their souls. Let them haunt you for all eternity - if that's how you insist on existing. I'm done with you."

He dropped Reg's body on the ground. I kept my eyes trained on his, refusing to give him any further reactions.

"Okay. Good." He said, walking past me, towards my office. "I'll start with the one in here, shall I?"

Emotions are such an icky, human thing. I don't like to think of myself as having feelings - as a general rule - but I have to admit, I was certainly feeling some type of way as River grabbed hold of the handle and pushed the door open.

The room was empty, I'm happy to announce. Yes, it had a window. Yes, the window was open. Yes, River noticed this. No, I was not sorry about it.

"Well, then." River turned his attention back to me. "A slight change of schedule. No matter."

He took a step towards me.

Then, his phone rang.

We both looked towards the sound. He reached into his suit-pocket, pulled his phone out, checked the screen, and answered it.

"Speak." He ordered.

I hear werewolves have an acute sense of hearing. I am not a werewolf. All I heard were muffled noises, but whatever was said piqued River's interest.

"I'll be right there. Do not proceed without me." He ended the call.

"So...are you gonna kill me now, or later?" I asked.

"There is always an easy way, and a hard way, of getting things done." Was his cryptic response. "I'd have thought you'd have learned that by now. You've had long enough."

When he turned and left, I took that to mean 'later'.

The funeral home was empty of life.

All I wanted was to take a nice long bath in the furnace, a desire I was ready to act upon, when the sound of footsteps alerted me to the return of a living creature to the building.

Shaun pulled a twig out of his shaggy, copper hair.

"You mean to tell me...River...is your partner...?" He asked.

"Well...I mean...technically...I think we've broken up now..." Was my answer.

"River?" He continued. "The Raging River? River-god River? Head of the High Council River? That's who you're involved with?"

"I mean...if you'd been paying attention...river-god? I don't think--"

"--okay." He interrupted. "It's my turn to talk, and your turn to listen."

I looked around for somewhere to sit. It occured to me that it may not be wise to remain at the funeral home, but the werewolf seemed to want to take charge of the situation, which was fine by me. Events were unfolding much faster than I would have preferred, and to be completely honest, I was starting to feel a little lost.

"Can you talk while I get some fire?" I asked, after waiting a moment to see what he would do. "Or does this conversation need to happen exactly here?"

He huffed, ran a hand through his hair, and started walking out the door.

He's not given me any verbal clues, but I felt confident enough in my understanding of the situation to assume that he wanted me to follow him. Guessing from the direction he took off in once we were outside, he was walking back to his pack house.

"I heard everything." He said, as I reached his side, and we started walking in unison.

"Okay." I said, also throwing in the non-verbal cue of a nod.

"Is that all you have to say to me?" He asked.

Now, I'm no expert, but I have to say, he sounded almost angry.

I waited for him to give me any more hints. When they were not forthcoming, I said what was on my mind:

"I thought you wanted for you to talk and me to listen." Another forceful exhalation from him. "I seem to be missing something...are we fighting?"

"Yes." He answered, turning to me. "Yes, Avril, we're fighting."