Page 29 of Sweet Giant

She shook her head. “No, it’s not that. I like whiskey just fine—in small amounts, anyway. I was just thinking… what about the person who owns the cabin? I appreciate that you went to all this trouble for me, Mastorr, I really do, but I don’t want to steal from someone. Times are tough and the world is a scary place right now. What if the owner eventually returns only to find their food stores depleted?”

I set the bottle down and stared at Liv, taken aback by her response. I pushed down my distress over her less-than-enthusiastic reaction to the large offering I’d brought her and tried to see the situation from her point of view. Her heart was in a good place, I decided, after careful thought, but she didn’t possess all the necessary information. At least when it came to the cabin I’d just visited.

“My people consider anything and everything that is found on Starblessed lands to be ours. Even a domicile built by a human and all that rests within it. Furthermore, I do not believe the owner of this cabin will miss anything I took.” I drew in a quick breath, preparing to explain myself further, but hesitated out of fear that the truth might scare Liv. I wanted to protect her from all the evils of the world.

She gave me a confused look. “Why don’t you believe the owner will miss these items?” she asked with a gesture at the container.

I glanced over my shoulder, then shuddered as I recalled the gruesome scene I’d discovered in the other cabin’s basement.

“Mastorr?” She crouched on the edge of her seat. “What is it? Did you… see something? You look a bit pale.”

While I didn’t wish to share what I’d seen, I couldn’t refuse to answer her, or worse—lie to her. So, I placed a hand on her knee and endeavored to soften my expression, hoping the news I was about to impart wouldn’t disturb her too greatly. “I found the bodies of two humans—a male and a female—in the cabin’s basement. They were badly decomposed and while I cannot be certain how they perished, my gut tells me they were murdered. There were bullet holes in the wall near their bodies, and the entire house was torn asunder, ransacked as though someone was looking for something. Furniture toppled, pictures pulled off walls, drawers and cabinets open, and many items strewn about the floor.

Her eyes went wide. “That doesn’t sound good. But you say they were badly decomposed?”

I nodded, fighting off a chill as the scene flashed in my mind. I’d found dead hunters and hikers in the forest before, but all had simply died of the elements, almost looking as though they’d gone to sleep. Their bodies hadn’t looked as macabre as the scene at the other cabin.

“How-how long ago do you think they were killed?” She gulped hard and shot a worried look out the large front window.

“Several moon cycles. It didn’t happen recently. The killer isn’t nearby. If they were, I would easily detect their scent.” I stroked her thigh, trying to ease her fears.

“How tragic. Any idea how old the victims were?” She stole another glance out the front window. “Did you see any pictures of them around the cabin?”

“No pictures. Well, perhaps there were pictures in the mess that covered the floor, but at the time, I was only looking for food and other items I might bring you.”

I’d raided human cabins several times before—I’d accompanied my older brother, Brutus, on raids so we could get mattresses, sheets, clothing, furniture, and other things for our future mates. In fact, I’d already decorated my personal alcove in a manner I believed a human female would find pleasing. But for the first time, I experienced a stab of guilt for stealing what one could argue hadn’t belonged to me, never mind that the domiciles I’d visited were located on Starblessed land.

“The majority of the cabins my people raid are those that have fallen into disrepair and are most likely abandoned,” I said, “however, if you are not comfortable using items that have been taken from a house that rests on our lands, I-I will return the container and all that’s inside it to the other cabin. I am sorry, Liv, if I have caused you any offense. I only wanted to please you.” My spirits sank. I hated the thought of her considering me a thief.

She stared at the container for a while, then emitted a long sigh and shrugged. “Well, since the occupants of the cabin won’t have any use for these items, I suppose it’s all right to keep them. Besides, I don’t like the thought of you returning to a house that has bodies in the basement.”

Relief filled me at her words. “You have decided to accept my offering, then?”

“Yes, Mastorr. Thank you. Just, um, promise me you won’t raid any cabins that aren’t clearly abandoned from now on.” She peered out the window yet again before returning her gaze to me, and I sensed her increasing worry over the bodies I’d found.

I squeezed her thigh. “I promise, sweet one.”

Chapter24

Three days later…

LIV

It feltweird to be making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches using items pilfered from the Murder Cabin, but I wasn’t about to let it all go to waste. Plus… it had been ages since I’d had a good PB&J sandwich, especially one prepared with homemade bread.

Of course, I couldn’t stop glancing out the window in the direction of the cabin and thinking about what had happened to the poor souls who’d been shot. Mastorr’s description of the ransacked house made it sound like a possible robbery, but the Murder Cabin’s proximity to General Remington’s house gave me serious pause.

The general and a pilot had accompanied me to this cabin, having dropped me off via a hovercraft. The solar truck was already here—anold relic, the general had called it—though for a twenty-year old vehicle that hadn’t been serviced in some time, I’d thought it worked pretty well.

Anyway, General Remington hadn’t breathed a word about a nearby cabin. He hadn’t mentioned neighbors at all. Maybe since the Murder Cabin was a good thirty-minute walk, he’d thought it didn’t matter. He’d claimed he hadn’t used his vacation cabin in years, and it was possible he’d never met the deceased man and woman.

Why did the back of my neck prickle every time I thought about the bodies? Why did I feel likesomethingwas going on that I couldn’t quite put my finger on? Maybe I read too many mystery novels, but I couldn’t help but think there must be a connection between the Murder Cabin and the general.

Mastorr thought the man and woman must’ve died a few months ago, given the state of decomposition of their bodies. Coincidentally, or perhaps not so coincidentally, I’d been here for four months. Could the man and woman have died around the time of my arrival? Had the general visited his neighbors after dropping me off?

“Mm,” Mastorr said, reaching for his third PB&J sandwich. “You are an excellent cook, sweet one. Thank you for making our midday meal.”

“Thanks, and you’re welcome. Technically, there wasn’t much cooking involved, but I’m glad you like it. I used to live off peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as a kid.” A melancholy ache pierced my heart at the memory of Nana standing at the kitchen counter as she made PB&J sandwiches with the crust cut off.

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