Page 187 of Black Bird

“Yeah,” Rhaena answered, tossing her hand to the side and continuing to pace. “They were on a homicide case. One similar to the ones we take. They got a lead and went to go check back at the crime scene, and Trainor got attacked by a werewolf.”

Athan stilled, his eyes growing wider. “Damn …”

“Athan …” Rhaena breathed, pausing and facing the bedroom wall. “The—the wolf that attacked them was—” Her head dropped, and her throat started hurting around the building emotion. “It was my uncle.”

“What?” Athan rose from the bed and turned her around, holding her shoulders and forcing her to look at him. “How do you know that?”

Rhaena sniffled, and her eyes burned. “Because, dude. When Trainor didn’t make it, Foley chased him through the woods and the wolf was hit by a fuckingtransfer truck. When the driver met Foley to investigate it, he said it was a naked man that was hit.”

“Do you know for sure it was him?”

“Athan, how many other cases like this have you heard? The timing is … it adds up, okay?” Rhaena shook her head, battling away tears. “Jenkins pulled those files for me after Cap left … it was him.”

“But doesn’t that mean …”

“It means if he knows the truth, then he’s known it ever since I became a cop. It’s probably why he keeps such a close tab on me.” Rhaena could feel the nausea churning in her stomach again. Athan gripped her upper arms.

“You think he’s kept close to you to get justice for her?”

Rhaena loosed a heavy sigh and wiped her eyes. “I dunno anymore, Kane. If that were the case, I don’t think he’d give me back my gun. I don’t have a clue what he’s up to. But ever since he left, I will say Ifeelthat wolf. I feel that part of me. Like some kind of rudely awakened predator that’s quietly planning some hostile takeover.”

“But Sarah fixed—”

“We don’t know that she fixed it.” Rhaena’s head jerked back up to him. “It stopped my transition, but we don’treallyknow what it did. It isn’t gone. It’s still in there. Waiting.”

It took her by surprise when he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. She cautiously hugged him back and sighed deeply against his shoulder. “What are you gonna do?” he asked quietly.

“What I do best, partner … my job.” She sniffed, and the overwhelming scent of his blood was too much. “In the meantime …” She pushed away from him and scrunched her nose at the stain on his shirt and neck. “You need to change … take a shower. Do something … Jesus.” Rhaena waved a hand back and forth across her nose.

“Fuck you.” Athan smirked, rolling his eyes and sitting back down next to Sarah. “Last time I ever try being soft around you.”

“I don’t think you everwouldhave tried if you hadn’t met her.” Rhaena nodded towards Sarah, who continued to deeply sleep. “I’ll leave you alone. Call me if there’s anything I can do, okay? We’ll figure all this out. Don’t worry about my shit … take care of your mate.”

“Thank you, Rhaena … for everything.” Athan smiled, holding Sarah’s pale hand.

“Don’t thank me. We’re partners. I’ve always got your six, Kane.” Rhaena winked at him and smiled as she left his room and headed out of the apartment.

Athan wasn’t sure when he’d fallen asleep next to her. He’d watched over Sarah for what seemed like hours, checking for steady breathing, and placing a hand over her chest every so often. She slept so still, and barely made a sound the entire time. He woke up with his forehead pressed against her shoulder, and his arm draped protectively over her. It didn’t appear as if she’d moved an inch, though her eyelids twitched a little more. Maybe it wouldn’t be much longer. He didn’t want to be in his bloody clothes when she saw him. Athan pressed a kiss to her cheek and rose, lifting off his shirt and walking into the living room. Poe trilled in greeting, and he let him out, scratching the ruffled breast of the bird before teasing a fingertip in front of his beak.

He’d need to get more food. The chicken in the fridge was bad, but then again … Poe enjoyed that. He nipped the stinking meat from his hand and obnoxiously ate it on his shoulder as Athan checked the front door to make sure Sarah was locked in. He set Poe up on his perch stand in his bedroom and pulled his pants off on the way into the bathroom.

It was amazing how often a scalding hot shower remedied things. If he was ever overly-stressed, or had too much going on—or perhaps taken a bullet or two—he could always count on this water pressure in his crappy apartment. And he’d always prefer said crappy apartment, to the melancholy darkness of that club. He soaped up and rinsed out his hair quickly before bracing his palms against the tile and dropping his head underneath the steady stream of water. The pad of his thumb smoothed over the cracks he and Sarah had left when he’d taken her against the wall. He smiled to himself at the thought. So much had happened in the course of nearly three months. His entire life had changed. As he hung his head and stared at the water rushing down his legs, he filtered through every moment he could remember of the night he’d killed Sarah St. James.

He had been screaming inside. Fighting with everything in him to turn around and disappear into the stormy night. That hunger was so fierce that he had no choice but to watch as if he were outside of his body when she’d spooked and started to flee the alley. He couldn’t even remember how she felt in his arms when he’d grabbed her and tore into her skin. All he could remember feeling is the numb helplessness when he’d finally gotten back control of himself—and by then it was too late. She was so beautiful … even in death. That death was so violent, but she never screamed. She didn’t scream this time either, when he was forced to watch her die a second time, albeit more peacefully. He never wanted to watch it again.

Athan startled, lost in his deep thoughts as two slender arms coiled around him from behind, and a soft body pressed against his back. He raised his head, still facing the wall as water poured down his face. Helowered a hand to slide down one of her arms, holding them to him as he turned his head over his shoulder.

“Did I wake you?” he asked, softly.

“No,” Sarah whispered, pressing her cheek against his back and squeezing around him.

“I wanted to be there when you woke up. I’m sorry, love.”

Sarah kissed his bare back. “Youarehere. Don’t be sorry.”

“How do you feel?”

She rested her chin on his spine. “I—” she paused, her teeth clicking when she closed her mouth. “I’ve always had impeccable eyesight. It always irritated the piss out of my mom. She had contacts for as long as I can remember, and she had to wear glasses when she drove. When I woke up just now … the first thing I noticed was how incredibly aware I was of everything around me. Like it all intensified. It’s like I was always only seeing a fourth of everything.” Athan snickered and laced his fingers through hers. “Mom would shit a brick.” She laughed.

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