Unlikely Meetings

CHAPTER 14 - QUESTIONS

The following day had a slow start. Max didn't get any rest until a decent amount of patchwork was done on his home with the door being replaced and Eli being able to keep a decent core body temperature without being relegated to beside the wood stove heater or under a heated blanket. She didn't hear everything Max said whilst on the phone with Trevor but she could feel the tension build in his muscles, like steel cables ready to snap at the slightest provocation. She tried to comfort him in his aggravated state but everytime she looked at the bruises he sustained from the other night sometimes brought her back to that moment. Flashes of that man's awful smile plagued her thoughts as she recoiled away from both Ian and Max.

Max wasn't a fool to how she was recoiling emotionally or that she was trying to use intimacy to distract her from the dark actions she was forced to take. He would catch her fingers twitching as she tried to help with some of the repairs or her hushed sobs as she stood in the shower. He held her tightly as she slept and thrashed in her nightmares. He whispered to her, reassuring her in her restless state that he was there. Calming her for an hour or two until the cycle repeated.

The only one of their small group that seemed well rested was Ian even though he was usually attempting to recover from the severe concussion he suffered from. Few words were shared between the newly minted group as unnecessary words seemed...trivial between them. Simple questions of dinner ideas or focused work talk was all that was shared in the otherwise still air as they repaired his small home.

"Max, you look like you want to say something." Ian questioned as he sipped the dark coffee that was a staple in the human's home. The early morning light breaking through the partial clouds that heralded yet more snow to fall. "What's up man? Ya gotta talk to us."

He simply scratched the back of his neck as he thought about a way to break the meeting between him and Jeffery that fateful night. With a heavy sigh he took a mouthful of his breakfast before he opted for just ripping the band aid off. "Jeffery was there the other night."

Ian was indifferent to what was just said, seemingly more confused than anything as he dug into the venison steak in front of him. Eli however it took a moment to process what was said. Then it hit her and her mug fell to the floor, shattering at her realization. "No...there's no way he would." She began to pace back and forth, her features pulled into the emotions of desperation, sorrow and disbelief. "Max, you must have been mistaken," Her denial was wavering even as she spoke. "there's no way he would do something like that."

"Even if his family was threatened? Trevor has run into him before and I assure you he would dirty leverage. Either family or friends aren't safe from those kinds of tactics." Eli's eyes fell, wide with shock as his words sunk in. "I need to confront him and by extension I assume you want to as well." She was silent as she nodded her confirmation. Emotional pain evident in her posture and movements.

"I understand you feel that way but-"

"No!" Her harsh tone cut through the air as she dropped her onto the small table they shared. Plates and mugs clattered under her newly stoked anger. "I'm going. He HAS to have a reason. A good one." Her anger ebbed and her clenched fists relaxed and let her eyes fall to the table to the plate of food that was now far more unappetizing than before. "He's like a father to me."

"If we're going I doubt he'll be in the shop." Ian said plainly as he focused on the meal in front of him, unshaken from the recent outburst from the snake next to him.

"You're not going, you still need to rest. Eli and I can handle ourselves so just try and get some sleep, alright?" Max tried to keep his tone steady as he tried to keep the wolf's best interest in mind even as his own head throbbed from the blows to his own head.