The Kill Order

Chapter 8

"So, what are you exactly?"

My voice was blunt. I couldn't stand this limbo of uncertainty. If he really was the enemy, I needed to know so I could get my mind back on track. It was all too easy to fall under his spell.

Mason sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair. He knew what I was asking, and I think he had hoped we could put off the awkward conversation until later.

I couldn't. I had to know, before I let this go any further.

"I think you already know," he said carefully, shifting his weight away from me.

I shook my head and said softly, "You need to tell me, so I know it's real."

He looked at me for a long moment, before reluctantly stating, "Werewolf."

Bile rose in my throat. I lurched to my feet and began to pace — the movement helped me feel in control. The FBI had done their best to eliminate "flight" as an option, leaving me with one choice, and one choice only: when confronted with the enemy, we fight. But that wasn't my mission now, and my Glock was in the glove compartment of the Mustang. I vowed that if I made it out of this alive, I'd start packing 24/7 again. No more assuming that I was invincible.

Trying to sort out the tangle of feelings in my chest was impossible. There was an almost overwhelming sense of hatred, my training was rooted too deeply in me to give it up after a few positive interactions. But somewhere, deep in the mess, there was a disappointment I didn't expect. There was a hurt, for being lied to.

Smallest of all, in the quiet corners of my heart, I felt a dread for the day I would have to make a choice about what to do with Mason Beckett.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" I challenged, wanting some sort of proof that this guy, this nice guy, was a monster.

Mason sighed, and pulled the neck of his t-shirt to the side. Right in the soft part of his shoulder, there was a thick bandage. "That's where you shot me," he explained, releasing the fabric. "Aris, I'll answer any questions you have. Just — if I'm going to be honest with you, I want you to do the same for me."

I nodded, knowing I would never betray my squad by giving up the details of our mission. At least they would've been proud. Half dead from blood loss and I still got off a shot that hit something. "Who else knows about you?"

"The others — the other people like me. A few of the humans in town." He responded warily, as if he was waiting for me to run away screaming.

"The people at the hospital?" I questioned further, trying to figure out how deep this corruption went.

Mason shook his head. "Why do you think they gave you a rabies shot? If they knew where the bite came from, they wouldn't have worried about that."

Made sense, in hindsight. The hospital brought up another valid point. "So, then you know what I am."