Shifters (Feline english version)

Chapter 9-3

I gave her a small sad smile to thank her for her intervention, followed by a nod to tell her to let it go. Charles didn't want to share his secrets with me, fine. Nothing very surprising about that, and even if it was still annoying, arguing with him wouldn't change that. On the other hand, I may have a chance to learn more from Carla and maybe even from Jude. I glanced at him and although his posture had not changed, his expression was completely different. The brief look he gave Carla made me realize that I had been right. Clearly, they had plenty of theories. Either these were not to Charles' liking, or Charles had lied to me once again. I gave Jude an interrogating look. He simply held my gaze for a few seconds before resuming his imperturbable appearance. No help coming from him, then. I decided to act as if I hadn't noticed anything and asked the question that hadn't left my mind since I discovered Cassie's disappearance.

- 'Sure... you don't know,' I said, without completely obliterating my scepticism. 'But can you at least enlighten me as to why they would have wanted to take Cassie? It doesn't make sense. What could be the connection between you and her?'

- 'The connection, my dear, is obvious to me... It's you.'

His condescending tone made me angry.

- 'No. We've already thought about it and it still doesn't make sense. If anyone wanted to blackmail me, they'd already have done it!'

Frustrated and totally lost, I started pacing around the room to try to contain the panic and disbelief that I felt inside me.

- 'Not if they didn't know where to find you. You have been with us for three days and have therefore disappeared from the world,' he replied, taking a step forward.

- 'It didn't stop them from kidnapping your people,' I said meanly. 'Anyway, they could have reached me on my phone and I didn't receive any unusual messages.'

- 'What if they got it wrong?'

Jude's question brought a sudden attention to him as he stared at me, a flash of clarity in my eyes.

- 'What if they came to take you away, that would explain everything,' he continued. 'Hannah's arrival probably forced them to flee before you arrived.'

- 'Hannah came in after me,' I replied distractedly as I reflected on his theory.

- 'No. You didn't realize she was there until later, but she was already there,' he grinned. 'Now you'd notice.'

There was a hint of pride in his voice, or it could just be wishful thinking.

- 'It still doesn't make sense, because if the two cases are linked, they know you and this "community"! So they must know where I am.'

- 'Knowing and being able to reach you are two different things,' Charles said smugly.

- 'So how did they get to your people then?'

- 'Waiting for them to come out of the protective spell that surrounds the hamlet. You must have caught them off guard when you left so early. They did not expect it and must not have been ready.'

- 'You keep saying "they" as if you knew them,' I raged. 'Now, stop playing. Either you tell me what it's all about, or I'll go away and take my chances on my own,' I said in a firm voice as I watched them each in turn.

- 'We don't know anything precisely. We just have some solid assumptions. We think it's...'

- 'Carla...,' Charles stopped her with a loud growl that scared the hell out of me.

He had only said her name, but the way he said it hovered like an almost physical threat in the room and made me shiver. I saw Carla briefly crumble before her husband's icy eyes, then she straightened up and faced him.