Page 38 of Where There's Smoke
Plus, I had no proof.
Honestly, the idea that she had caused the fire seemed far-fetched, even to me, but I was the captain of our station and the head of my pack. I had a duty to protect everyone and check everything.
“Don’t you think you’re rushing into things?” I asked.
Fitz shook his head. “Not at all. I told her we can take things at our own pace; she’s going to take her time getting to know you guys. But she did agree that we should have a conversation together ’cause she felt weird talking about having a relationship with the pack with only me there. But I told her there was no rush, she didn’t have to go jumping onto our knots just because we did it once. Though I’d very much like to do it again, because I swear to god, my knot has never taken so long to deflate. She had it in a choke hold.” He laughed, talking a mile a minute.
All I could do was sigh. I wasn’t ready to send Fitz into a depressive spiral because things about that fire looked fishy. I needed more information. For now, I’d just have to get to know the girl. And maybe that would tell me what I needed to know about the fire and suspected arson. As much as I hated it, some undercover work was necessary.
“Well, shit. I guess we better start talking, then.” I gripped Fitz’s shoulder, nodding once. “I’ll follow you.”
With a grin, Fitz turned and headed into the kitchen. I was right behind him, though I was dragging my feet. Dammit, I didn’t want to do this. But I really didn’t feel like I had much choice.
As I stepped into the room behind Fitz, I noticed Melody right away. She was standing next to Samson, both ofthem making sandwiches, and something about the effortless, stripped-down look of her went straight to my cock.
I could tell that she’d been fucked, knotted, and holy hell, her scent was so potent. As she stood next to Samson, he knocked her in the shoulder with his, and she chuckled, pulling into herself. It was clear she was still pretty skittish and even embarrassed about the situation, but Sam was doing his best to warm her up.
“Better not eat all the turkey, Sam. I’m not running back to the store because you devoured all the deli meat. Again.”
He turned around and rolled his eyes at me. “Yeah, yeah. It won’t be just me this time. Look at the size ofMelody’ssandwich.”
I did, and I had to say I was impressed. “I guess you’re starving, huh?”
Her eyes went wide as I leaned against the counter near her, her stare going from me to the sandwich and back.
“I can put some back. I didn’t know that it was?—”
I waved that idea off. “Nah. It’s no big deal.”
A shy smile lit up her face, and she nodded. “Okay.”
“So, Melody,” I started, never great at small talk, “do you have any siblings?”
Melody and Samson finished creating their towering sandwiches, taking them to the small table in the kitchen and sitting down. Once settled with her food, she cocked her head to the side, deep in thought as she chewed. “I have two brothers, but I never see them. They live across the country.”
“Why?” Fitz asked.
I was thankful for his question because it made me seem less like a one-man inquisition.
Melody scrunched her nose. “My family and I don’t really share the same values.”
“Well, you’re going to have to explainthat,” Fitz said, handing her a bottle of water with a frown.
“Youwillwant to tell them about everything, won’t you?” Samson asked.
“Well…” Melody glanced at the three of us, her anxiety written all over her face. “They don’t exactly approve of my life choices. They set me up on tons of blind dates with beta businessmen early in my twenties, and I couldn't stand it. They saw me as an asset. They couldn't understand the fact that I wanted to help animals in a meaningful way instead of accepting theopportunitiesthey presented. As far as they were concerned, my use as a daughter was to marry someone affluent enough that they could potentially support them in their retirement.”
Fitz rolled his eyes. “My parents have a few friends like that, and they are insufferable.”
Melody nodded. “It was all very fake. So, about five years ago, I decided I was going to do my own thing. As you can imagine, they weren’t exactly supportive.”
“And your brothers felt the same way?” I asked. I didn't have any siblings of my own, but I was fairly sure that if I had a sister, I would want to protect her from dating anyone who was only after status or looks.
A delicate snort escaped Melody as she shook her head. “One of my brothers is worse than my parents and is a complete raging misogynist, and the other one just kind of stayed out of it. He’s my little brother.”
Was she telling the truth? I wanted to believe her, but I wasn’t completely convinced. Was I leaning toward her telling the truth because I thought she was pretty and smelled amazing, or because she genuinely seemed honest? Was I being too harsh because I didn’t want to admit that I could be wrong, that Melody was in my head and not leaving anytime soon, and that scared the shit out of me? What about her insurance payout?
I needed to know just how big it would be, because if Melody was going to profit off this situation, that would make her look all the more suspicious. But if it was nothing, if it could barely pay for a replacement building, that said the opposite. Complicated wasn’t what I needed more of, and here I was.
