The Master of Me

Chapter 16

It didn’t take long for Sterling to get home. After they put the groceries away he headed into his office and began pulling up the footage from his outside security came from two months ago.

                “Are these the two men you are referring to? It’s okay. Come in and take a look.” He told Alue, who was hovering by the door entrance of the office, as if worried about invading his territory. She look a few cautious steps inward and stood just behind him, while he sat in the office chair in front of his computer with video images of the blacked-out Mercedes pulling up to the front of the house. The two men completely shrouded in black clothing, exited the still running vehicle and approached the front door. His camera didn’t show them pick locking his front door, but the audio could be heard of their actions. 

                “Yes, I watched them from the side of the house. I’m sure Vice President Richard is the one I describe as the ‘pick-lock male’. His voice and scent identify him enough, but did you not see the scars on his left hand from where I bit him?” she asked Sterling, her hand twitching slightly at the urge for contact with him once more. Even though she had grabbed his hand in warning, her mind in that moment, forced the memory of the weeks before. When he had placed his hand over hers, as a form of reassurance during their first shopping trip. His hand had felt a bit rough from maintaining the acres of land on the property. Yet, the warmth she felt in that moment they contacted, she didn’t want to stop feeling it and took a hold of his hand before he removed his from hers. She held on his hand, enjoying the warmth and satisfaction of its masculine tenderness, until he wanted to by her something. Then she did force herself to let go in defiance.    

Sterling shook his head, “I did not notice, but that may be why the break ins stopped since the incident here. If you bit the hand that he relies on for pick-locking then he needed to wait for it to heal before continuing once more. As vice president he would have access to city files. Particularly any information containing careers and members of the household, including licensed pets, such as dogs. I’m sure he wasn’t expecting you.” Alue nodded her head and then the room fell silent.

After a long moment Sterling turned around in his chair and looked at Alue and said, “Alue, this is not something we can just ignore. I’m going to have to tell the police about this. You are the only eye witness to who broke in with sufficient evidence to actually bring justice to everyone who was not as lucky as I to have a guardian angel keep my home safe. Can you do that?”

Alue took a long moment to think about Sterling’s words. She didn’t want to be a witness to anything. That would mean being around other people and being in strange places where she didn’t have immediate escape routes. Even though she had her fears, she knew in her heart reporting the crime committed was the right thing to do. She didn’t know if the police would even accept her as a valid witness. She was just a shifter after all. A piece of property with no rights as a human or an animal, however that wouldn’t stop her from trying, for Sterling.

“I will do what is necessary to bring justice to this corrupt action that a significant authority figure has chosen to do.” She told him, taking a seat on the nearby chair. Sterling gave her a reassuring grin, “Thank you Alue. I appreciate it.” He told her and then pulled out his cell phone and made a call,

“City dispatch for all non-emergency situations, how may I help you?” the operator asked, a female voice in her late fifties.

“Yes, I would like to report a crime . . . “, Sterling spoke into the receiver and Alue hoped that she wouldn’t regret making this right choice.

After the phone call was made an officer came by to record a full detail of everything that Sterling stated as well as get copies of the footage of the intruders. It was pure luck that the officer was female and by default Sterling knew Alue would be at more ease when speaking with her then a male.

“So Mr. Winchester let me make sure I have my facts straight. You had a break in two months ago and you are just now reporting it because your pet has just now told you that the man in this footage is city vice president Richard Dick based on voice recognition, scent, and scarring on his left hand.” The female officer asked, flipping her shoulder length, brunette, thick, curly, hair to move her bangs out of her eyes.

“Alue is not my pet. She is my house guest who defended my home from these two intruders, while I was out. Why would you doubt our claim? Not only are we giving you footage, but eye witness account of the break in and proof on the intruder from an injury he sustained during the intrusion. What else could you ask for? Surely your techs can run the footage through voice recognition.” Sterling stated to the officer in a very exasperated manner.

The officer gave a sigh, “Right now I will take your statements and video footage, but all I really have is the word of your . . . ‘house guest’ against what would be the word of the one you are accusing. I can’t guarantee that the surveillance video is enough to do a voice recognition cross reference, but I’ll have the techs attempt it. Is there a number I can have in case we do need to speak to you or your ‘house guest’ should we need to speak with you?” the officer asked. Sterling gave the officer his cell phone number and escorted her out the front door.

The entire time Alue was silent accept for when she gave her statement and was asked questions. She wasn’t really surprised that the officer didn’t exactly take this case as a serious matter. Shifters were seen as lesser creatures that held the status of property. Such as livestock or indentured servants. Which made Sterling’s respect toward her all that more intriguing.

After dinner she decided to ask, “Sterling, why do you treat me like you do? Don’t you know that as a shifter I am considered not worthy of such respect?”

Sterling looked up at her and said without any hesitation. “When I was young, my grandma told me stories about her childhood adventures. Several of which involved becoming a friend to a shifter girl her same age, who worked long hours on the neighboring farmland every day of the year. My gran told me this friend of hers never got to go to school, but was allowed for three hours on Sunday to play. They would meet and play together and became best friends. Four years later that neighbor sold his farmland and his property and she never saw her friend again. Grandma said through that she learned valuable life lessons of respect and friendship. I guess that story taught me the same principles and I apply it to all aspects of life.”

Alue grinned as she listened to Sterling tell his story. His countenance told her that his grandmother must have already passed on from this life. From the look in his eyes, the memory he recalled of her telling him this story was a fond memory for him indeed. She stood up and opened the door to take her exit but before leaving asked, “Is that why you have been nothing but kind to me since the day I broke into your home and stole your breakfast?”

Sterling stood up and replied to her in a earnest tone of voice, “Yes, something like that.”