Page 58 of A Wolf's Wound
He nods but still looks concerned.What I’m asking him to do—allow Hannah to stay in the packlands—isn’t a request any of us would make lightly.Gavin would be well within his rights as alpha to tell me she can’t stay out here, regardless of the risk I believe she faces back in the city.
Laughter wafts through the windows of this room where my brothers and I have gathered for this impromptu meeting.I glance out of the one closest to me, wishing we could all be out there, relaxing and enjoying the evening.
Hannah’s still talking to my parents.I wonder what they’re telling her and what she’s telling them.What she’s thinking about, and if she still regrets coming here.
“I agree,” Gavin finally says.“Although I have to admit that I have some reservations about having her stay indefinitely.”
“That’s okay, so does she,” I admit, and Gavin chuckles.
“So what exactly happened at her place?”Thomas asks.
I open my mouth, but Michael, who’s in charge of all of the enforcers, answers instead.“Some sort of wolf-human hybrid broke into Hannah’s apartment,” he explains in his calm, serious manner.“We think it would have attacked both Hannah and her roommate, but one of our team was nearby.He and Ryder subdued the creature.”
“Did you guys recognize him?”Jackson asks.Michael shakes his head.
“So how many attacks are we up to now?”Evan asks nervously.
Gavin sighs.“I’m honestly not sure.It depends on if you count what happened to the animals.”
“Man,” Evan says, shaking his head.“This is freaky.”
“It’s actually worse,” I say, and they all look at me.I sigh and look back out the window, wishing even more fiercely that I was out there, not in here.“I found another body.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?”Michael asks.
“I’m telling you now,” I reply.
“You know what I mean,” he growls.
“I’m sorry I didn’t.But I’ve been trying to figure out what it means,” I say.
Michael just shakes his head.
“Why not tell all of us?”Gavin asks.
“Because I think—look, there was a note addressed to me.”I swallow and decide to come clean.“There have actually been two notes addressed to me.I think they’re from whoever is doing this.”
I catch my brothers up on the events of the last few days.When I finish, the room is completely silent.
To my surprise, Jackson finally speaks.“You should have told us,” he says to me.
“I know.I’m sorry,” I say again.“I didn’t want to drag more of you into this mess.”
“We’re already in it,” Jackson points out.“This is happening to Stonehaven, Ryder.That means all of us.We can’t help you or anyone else if we don’t have all of the information.”
“Jack’s right,” Michael agrees.“I’m glad you’re telling us now, at least.Do you still have the notes?”
“Yeah.”
“Good.I’d like to look at them and have a couple of my guys take a look too.Is that okay?”But he’s asking Gavin, not me.Gavin nods, of course, and Michael looks a little mollified.
Then Gavin looks at me.I stand up straighter and directly meet his stare.I’m not proud of myself for keeping this information from my brothers, but I’m also not going to apologize again.
“This is our jurisdiction,” Gavin says.“From here on out, we all work together.”
“Is it, though?”I ask.“The councilman’s death… I agree that that’s our jurisdiction.But I’m honestly not sure the rest of it is something the pack should be dealing with.Especially if this is one guy with a vendetta against me specifically.”
“We all need to find out who’s doing this, what caused this,” Gavin says forcefully.“Jackson’s right.This is affecting all of Stonehaven.And you’ve seen bites,” he adds.“That all makes it our jurisdiction.”
