Brother Wolf

Ch 15 Questions

Allen's time spent in a hole of his own making had taken its toll on him. He looked miserable and reeked from sitting in his own filth. I stared at him impassively while he covered the trapdoor to his cell with straw. He straightened up before me when he finished. I could see the unasked question concerning the blood on me. For a moment, I thought he would ask, but he remained silent.

"Just so you understand," I told him once I was sure I had his undivided attention, "I have only treated you how you treated others. I'm curious; if I grant you leniency and let you stay in the top cell, how will you behave? Prove to me there is something in you that will cause me to trust you to some degree. Begin by telling me if the woman was the first to die by your hand."

I observed Allen, expanding my wolf senses without changing my human appearance. Even in high school, I'd been sensitive to the pheromones people released. Interpreting the combination of sounds, smells, and body language was second nature to me now. Allen's shoulders tensed, the scent of his nervousness increased, and the smallest shiver ran through him, but he stood calmly.

"She's the only one who ever died from a bite," Allen said. He had the audacity to look me in the eye while sidestepping my question.

"Where is her body?" I asked, believing his statement, but wondering about the truth he was evading.

"Burned, two fields over. I had some brush stacked up. I didn't know what else to do. She wasn't completely human. I'll show you where I buried what was left. You have to believe me! I didn't know someone could die from being bitten," he added sincerely.

"And the body of the one who bit you?" I asked, voicing my suspicions.

Allen's head jerked in surprise. He took a step back at the sudden change in me as I altered my head and shoulders at my fastest speed. I snorted before returning my visage to human.

"Even when we fought, a terror was hiding in your bones," I told him. "You argued against killing when we met, so I know you aren't a murderer." I motioned toward his naked body. "The bite mark on you is easy to see. It's obvious from the behavior of the others, none of them bit you. So I asked myself, where is the one who did? It is a tale I will hear."

I stared calmly at the shivering man as he looked away from me. I sighed at the sound of cars in the distance. I didn't have the time I needed right now. Running Elk's appearance at the barn door brought my interrogation to an end.

"We will continue our discussion later," I told Allen. "Right now, we have human company present. I suggest you don't cause any problems. A group I've been helping arrived, along with a few other people and members of my council," I added, reinforcing the concept of my authority in him.

"There are also a few law officials out there," I continued as I walked across the barn, motioning for Allen to follow me, "because a man died. You just need to tell them you were elsewhere, which is true, right? My lawyer has a land-use contract, which will explain why we are on your property. You can clean up after me," I finished as I took the change of clothes from Running Elk's hands, giving him a slight nudge and motioning with my eyes. I didn't want my human cousin around my resentful omega by himself.

Running Elk set down the second change of clothes he was holding on a nearby box, before silently leaving.

After watching the blood flow down the drain as I scrubbed myself, I was eager for the warmth of some sunshine. I stepped just outside the barn to join Running Elk as I waited for Allen to scrub up.