Page 111 of Evidence of a Folktale

“No.” he traced her scars. “I only tried to harm you.”

“It’s why I asked you not to kill Rollo,” she said. “It reminded me too much of that night.”

“I’m sorry.”

“And I hate when you’re hurt. It makes me sick.”

“You know I heal.”

“Doesn’t matter.” She pressed her ear against his thundering heart. “I love you. I can’t watch monsters rip you apart. Are you okay?”

“Of course I am.”

“Then why do your eyes look like that?” She pinched his jaw and tilted his headso she couldstudy his unfocused eyes. “Are you on something?”

“I almost drank a werewolf to death,” he answered. “That’s a lot of supernatural blood running through me.”

“Will you be okay?” she asked.

“Yeah.” He tucked her hair behind her ears. “A little jacked up on the bloodlust, but it’ll wear off. Don’t worry. I’m not a danger to you. I fed before I came, and then all that blood. I won’t need to feed for a while.”

“Ok good.” She rubbed his chest as he lowered his nose to her neck to inhale her scent, and it didn’t surprise her that she wasn’t the leastbitafraid of his sharp canines so close to her throat.

“You smell incredible, though… sorry.” He cursed as he forced himself to step away from her. “The last time I drank like this was when I attacked you, so my instincts are raging. I won’t hurt you; I swear it.Ijustcan’t get over how your skin smells.”

“I’m not afraid of you.”

“I see that.” He smiled, and the red bathing his mouth made for an unsettling grin. “Thank you for not being afraid of me. For trusting that I can control myself around you.” He tapped his forehead against hers. “God, I made a mess of you, though.”

“I don’t care.” She stared down at the unconscious Rollo. “I was more worried about your life than my coat.”

“I’ll buy you a replacement, but for now, what do we do with these two?” he asked before she could protest.

“I know what we should do,” she said, gripping his hand for emotional support. “But, god, I don’t want to.”

Bel didn’t change,nor did she wash the blood from her body. The Bajka Police Department would demand proof that one of their own was to blame for the bloodshed plaguing their town, and the sight of her crimson coat would persuade even the most cynical doubter. Eamon had helped her dress the weak and wounded Rollo back into his uniform since his tee shirt and sweats shredded when he shifted, and then they’d locked both the werewolf and the actor in the rear of the squad car. He’d heal enough to explain the red on her clothes while not alerting anyone to the fact that he’d been shot twice. Eamon then took her SUV and forged a path through the nearly impenetrable blizzard, and she followed him with their prisoners, struggling not to cry during the seemingly endless trip.

One of Bajka’s own had betrayed their trust. A man she liked. A man whose arms she’d pushed her friend into. A man she almost didn’t blame for his sins. Because what would she have done if someone sacrificed her father so brutally for a reward as shallow as fame? What would she do if someone desecrated her sisters’ bodies and got away with it? What would she do if she couldn’t legally bring her family’s killers to justice, no matter how hard she tried? Would she walk away and move on from the people she loved, or would the tragedy drive her to madness? Could she ever let such a heinous crime go? Would she ever forget the way her sister’s mutilated body looked in the snow? Was she going to hell for arresting a man who did what the police had failed to do six years ago?

Darkness hadlong sincefallen by the time Bel and Eamon pulled into the station’s parking lot. Her hands were slick with sweat from gripping the steering wheel so intensely. It had been the mostdifficultdrive of her life, both because the roads were impossible to traverse and because the image of Rollo’s claws ripping apart Eamon’s body played on repeat through her memory. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t easily killed. She loved him, and when he bled, her heart bled with him.

“Are you ready?” Eamon asked when she finally stepped out of the squad car.

“No,” she whispered, still shocked they’d survive the drive through the storm. “Are we doing the right thing arresting Rollo? His victims made a deal witha devilto ensure their success. They deserve his punishment.”

“I agree, but he chose this fate. Rollo could’ve killed them quietly. He’s a wolf. He could’ve dragged them into the woods and ensured their bodies were never found, but he shoved hismurdersin your face. He wanted public vengeance for his grandmother, so this is the price he must pay.”

“The price we all must pay.” Bel gripped Eamon’s hand. “Walk inside with me?”

“I’ll raise questions.” He glanced down at his bare chest and feet.

“Back seat of my car on the floor,” she said. “I took a play out of your handbook after that IED almost killed us.”

Eamon jogged to her SUV, and after locating the duffle bag, he pulled on a hoodie and a pair of sneakers. Bel had learned the importance of carrying changes of clothes for them after his entire back had been blown off on the Darling Estate. Her foresight proved wise. She couldn’t do this walk alone, but he was right. He couldn’t emerge from a blizzard and enter the station half-naked.

“Breathe one word of the wolf, and you’ll have to answer to me,” Eamon whispered to the actor as they pulled the still listless Rollo and the terrified Draven out of the squad car. “Your testimony will forget what you witnessed earlier. Rollo tried to kill you to exact revenge on you for his grandmother, but if you so much as think of revealing the truth, I’ll come for you.”

Draven didn’t speak. He merely leaned as far away from Eamon as his handcuffs allowed. He’d made a deal, which meant he knew that powers beyond humanity dwelled in this world, and it seemed he understood Eamon was not a welcomed enemy. He kept his mouth shut, and as the foursome strode through the front doors, an oppressive heaviness descended upon them, infecting all trapped within the walls of the Bajka Police Department.

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