Alpha East: Contrition (Unedited Version)

Chapter 10: Different Sides

Antonia

Feral animals?

Bullshit!

There was something about his expression that wasn't right. There was untold violence reflected in his dark unreadable orbs.

But she knew without a doubt, he would be dealing with more than just feral and committed to hunting such prey to protect others.

However, Antonia couldn't fathom which poor souls he would love to eradicate.

Why did Logan have to lie to her? The question was foremost on her mind.

She had felt the barrier he suddenly erected, leaving her cold and with suspicions. Though it was not outright dismissal, he had already concluded her fragile, therefore, in his mind, she had to be kept in a box. Or in a high tower.

When he left, nary a backward glance because of his goal, disappearing from her sight, the dense treeline hiding his retreating form, an unknown feeling invaded her heart.

Confusion. Hurt. Distrust.

More so, fear. She felt the danger he was about to face. An intuitive reaction borne from her growing feelings for her boss.

Her little crush had thrived into something else much deeper. But she needed to know what was going on. Even the executive secretary, his closest friend, was not able to deny her trepidations. But he was able to dodge her questions.

"He should be here by now, Mr. Marshall." Toni insisted. She was trying to track him from the thick glass windows in her mother's room, gnawing her cheek.

Lynne, her mom, was asleep, drained from her treatment. She kept her voice low and quiet, loathe to disturb their patient.

"Call me, Fred, please." Her companion murmured from the sofa while he was staring at Mom's personal nurse with undisguised adoration. "Logan will be back soon. Don't fret." He kept his voice soothing.

Antonia's eyes settled on him, observing, narrowed in doubt.

Fred was trying to project a sense of calmness but he was failing. He was also on high alert if his posture was any indication or maybe he was nervous about something else. It was hard to tell.

"You are not going to tell me what's going on?" She tried again, sighing in frustration.

"East is a big guy. He can take care of himself. And besides, the boys are with him, they are almost done tracking those wild...boars." He answered with indifference.

His words got the attention of the other person in the room.

"Wild animals? Boars?" Missy whispered. Her green eyes widened, nodding after a second. "Well, it makes sense now."

"How so, Missy?" Toni went to take a seat beside her friend. She didn't want to admit it outright but she was spooked.

The nurse shuddered. "Well, these past few nights, we had been hearing a lot of...fighting, coming from that hill beyond the river. Terrible howls and growls. Groups of them. Followed by whining and shrieking. Happens always at midnight." She trembled again. "Animal control has been called numerous times but they always come up with nothing. It's weird. None of us had wanted to walk in the back garden when it was dark outside."

The caregiving facility was in a rural area, located miles from the city proper of Los Angeles. Wildlife thrived and was protected in this part of the state.

But poachers and hunters were abundant, too. Most dared to be at the fringes of the law.

Still, it did not explain the weird activities.