Page 83 of Black Bird

She let the tears wash down with the water pouring from her chin. Every step was agony. Every mile was a breath of life the farther she got from him. He had crushed her so completely. That beautiful stranger that had stolen every piece of her broken heart. He and that woman that she had thought was becoming a friend she could trust. Both of them were supposed to protect her. The only thing she had left was herself. Her own strength. This piece of her mother that had been returned to her that felt warm in her clenched fist as she continued through the rain and the storm that pelted her. She’d do it alone. She’d survive this, too.

She only had to get through this day.

“I need officers stationed for witness protection.” Rhaena paced in Athan’s living room, her phone pressed to her ear. “Northwood, badge number 22842.” Wren watched from the hallway, one eye on her new roommate and one on the broken detective crouched in the kitchen with his face lowered and both fists in his hair. “Sarah St. James. Residence should be logged in the case file. I need them sent as soon as possible. They report to me,” Rhaena said from the other room.

“You need to tell me what’s going on, detective. No matter how bad this hurts you,” Wren finally said, crossing her arms and leaning on the wall. “What have you done?”

Kane didn’t move. His voice was low and defeated. “I told her the truth. You can kill me if you want. Nothing matters anymore.”

“Kill you for what? What did you tell her?” Wren pressed, growing impatient.

“I hurt her. It was me that put her in the hospital. It’s been me the whole time,” he breathed. Wren clenched her fists.

“What are you talking about, Kane …”

Rhaena approached beside her. “You should sit, Wren. And no matter what you hear in this room, you have to keep it to yourself, do you understand?”

Kane raised from the floor, dropping his hands to his sides. “Fuck it. It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m done playing this game.” He looked at Rhaena, who stood horrified.

“Kane,” she started, attempting to shut him up.

“Who gives a shit, Rhaena? If they all died right now, who would give a singlefuck!” He turned toward Wren. “I’m a vampire. I killed her. The night that I saw the two of you at the club. I attacked her in that alley, and I killed her.” Rhaena slumped against the wall and Wren couldn’t find a single word to say. “Sarah is the only person I can say I’ve ever loved … in overtwo centuries.” He ran a hand through his hair and turned away. “And she’s gone. Because of what I am.”

There was a long silence and Wren felt a churning in the lowest pit of her stomach. “I’m not—I’m not saying I don’t believe you …” she said, noticing Rhaena’s attention from beside her. “But … how?” Kane turned back to face her. “Are you the one that’s killing all these people in these cases?”

“No. Not all of them.”

“The body that you said looked like her. That wasn’t you?” Wren asked carefully. His eyes didn’t shift, his body remained steady. Every feature remained solid when he answered.

“No. And seeing that body nearly took me out before I realized it wasn’t her.”

Holy shit … he’s telling the truth.

Wren didn’t know how she wasn’t dreaming, or completely freaking out. She looked over at Rhaena. “Are you like him?” Rhaena shook her head forcefully. That was a truth, too … but shewashiding something. “Whatever it is, you might as well tell me.” She shrugged.

“I’m not … human. But I’m not a vampire,” Rhaena admitted.

“Then what are you?”

“She’s a werewolf,” Kane answered, staring at the floor. Wren thought that hearing it would spark some kind of shock or reaction … instead she found herself nodding.

“This seems strange to even say, but … I’m shocked that you’re not … running,” Rhaena finally said.

“Well … that makes two of us.” Wren smirked. “I wanna go back to the issue of my best friend, if we could.”

“I never meant to hurt her. I never meant for any of this to happen. She lived. Somehow, she lived—”

“Yeah, she did.” Wren cut him off, jerking her head up and meeting his eyes. “Her blood is different. We know how. It’s not even a question. What I was leaning more toward is what you just said.”

“I can’t control it. I never wanted to be this way. I never had a choice.”

“I’m not talking about that either, though I would appreciate a thorough explanation.” She pointed a finger at him. “You said you loved her.” She held his stare as he went wholly still and swallowed. “For two years, I sat by and watched her with Brent. He used to believe the same thing. Maybe Sarah even believed it, dude. I knew from the beginning that something wasn’t right. I knew since he took her on their first date that this wasn’t the real deal. But you?” She smiled and shook her head. “Do you have any idea how much she cares about you, Kane?” His mouth tightened. “I’ve known it since I caught her staring you down in a crowded bar while she was standing rightnextto the prick. Out of her fiancé and about a hundred other men in that place, she couldn’t keep her eyes off of you. That was before this even happened.”

Rhaena pressed her fingers over her mouth, intently listening. Wren continued, “Every time you’ve been around each other since you met, anyone within a five-mile radius could burn alive with how hot that eye contact was between you. You’d be a fool not to see it. I couldfeelit. It radiated off you both like some living, breathing thing. Whether you were the reason that her life turned upside down or not … the fact that you aren’t goingafterher makes me wanna kill you.”

“She has every right to hate me,” he breathed.

“Fine, she does.” Wren flailed her arms and dropped them to her sides, rolling her eyes. “I don’t care what you are. Neither one of you are gonna find this anywhere else. The situation is only as bleak as you’ll let it be. Once she has time to cool off … youbettergo to her. I don’t care what she says. This isn’t what she wants. Sheneedsyou, Kane.” They all stood quiet for several minutes and Wren stepped into the wrecked kitchen, grabbing the broom. “Let me help you clean up. Both of you can explain all this to me. It doesn’t end here. This case isn’t over and she's out there alone. I wanna help.”

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