Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Time was ticking, and I needed to get back inside. But I couldn't risk leaving this drawing out here where someone else might see it. This was a hidden message for me; it had to be. Most people probably wouldn't think much about it, but I didn't want to chance any sort of talk starting about a silver wolf painted on this building. The people hunting me could hear about it and come by to check it out.
I shuddered, remembering that whomever they worked for wanted me to have his babies.
A breeder .
The thought of what that would entail made a shiver run down my spine.
Every night, I dreamed that they found me, and I'd wake up in a cold sweat and not be able to go back to sleep. A run would make things better, but I couldn’t risk it after last week in the woods.
To make matters worse, Rosemary had been feeling me out each day when she grabbed her morning coffee. Maybe this painting was how she was forcing my hand. She'd been growing frustrated with my evasiveness, so she wanted me to react and confirm it was me. She must be dedicated to getting to me to paint the wolf out here while enduring the smell, even if her nose wasn’t as sensitive.
I hated to admit that her plan was effective. But I'd deal with that bitch later. I had to focus on the most immediate problem so I didn't get overwhelmed.
The trouble was I had no clue how to remove or cover up the wolf. I searched the area, trying to find something—anything—to help me fix this situation. I relaxed my arms and shoulders, trying to remove the panic from my mind. If I let the fear take hold, I wouldn't be able to figure out a solution... if there even was one.
Ignoring the putrid smell, I walked around the edge of the cement, staring into the distance, but there wasn't a damn thing that could help. All that was back here was the large blue dumpster, trash, and cement. There were a few trees not far away, but that wouldn't help me any.
Dammit .
Maybe the person had tossed the spray paint in the dumpster.
Holding my breath, I lifted the lid and stuck my head into the opening, but nothing but plastic bags of spoiled food and coffee grounds could be seen. I dropped back down to my feet and squatted, looking under the small crack of space between the bottom of the dumpster and the ground.
Small wheels on both ends of the dumpster caught my eye. I could roll it closer to the door, at least temporarily. Few people came back here, so there wasn’t a huge risk of anyone else seeing it, but I didn’t need to take the chance. The dumpster was large enough to block the painting from view.
The idea of touching that disgusting dumpster made me gag, but my life was way more important. Besides, the painting’s existence put Killian at risk too. This wasn't about keeping me safe.
With renewed determination, I walked behind the dumpster and pushed it toward the wall, tapping into my wolf. At the first push, something brown drizzled from one of the crevasses and almost spilled on my shoe. I jerked my foot out of the way in the nick of time.
A glutton for punishment, I leaned over to examine the liquid more. It reminded me of the murky brown Tennessee River, which was disgusting in its own right. I pretended the liquid was coffee even though my nose screamed how wrong I was.
Footsteps sounded from inside the building toward the exterior door. I pushed harder, needing to get the dumpster over to block the painting and fast. However, even with my strength, it was slow going.
I hadn't gotten it over the wolf yet when the door opened. Thankfully, Killian's musky sandalwood scent covered up a portion of the stench.
He stepped outside and grabbed his nose. "Oh, God. Carter wasn’t kidding when he told me to hold my breath."
He had a flair for the dramatic. "You can smell it in the hallway, so you should've known."
"It wasn't nearly as bad there. It's like someone magic-spelled the hallway to take down their enemies by luring them through it and then shoving them out the door." Killian shivered. "Carter said you've been out here for a while and that I should check on you. I thought he was overreacting until now."
I understood he was trying to be cute and funny, but now wasn't the time. "I've got a problem."
"This smell—"
"No, I'm being serious." I wasn't trying to be a bitch, but I needed him to focus. "Look." I gestured to the brick.
He pinched his nose, keeping up his antics, until his gaze fell on the silver wolf on the wall. "Holy shit." He glanced around and then sighed. "That could be awful luck."
"Let's see." The more I thought about the situation, the more I realized that this was done on purpose. "I've been the only person taking the trash out the past five days I've worked. Someone painted this back here where it smells like ass. And Rosemary has been sniffing around me since she found me in the woods last week."
"You had me at them coming back here and smelling this shit on their own terms." Killian sucked in a breath and pretended to dry heave. "I have got to stop doing that."
"Will you help me?" I nodded toward the other end of the dumpster. "The only solution is to use this to cover it until I can get back and spray paint over it."
"Of course. Let's do it." He clutched the other end of the dumpster and helped me guide it to the wall. Once it was positioned over the drawing, he frowned. "Go in before Carter comes back out here. I'll run to one of the hardware stores and get some spray paint. There's one not too far from here. I’ll paint over the wolf and meet you out front."
He was already doing too much. "If Rosemary finds out that you know my secret, then she could lump you in with me too. I don’t want the council to be out for you.”
"If she knows, then she'll assume that I know too." He placed a hand on my arm. "Especially with how a girlfriend suddenly popped up."
Ugh, I hadn't thought of that. But he was right. "Fine, I'll go in before someone else comes out here and snoops around."
"I'll be back and meet you out front." Killian removed the keys from his pocket. "Finish closing up the shop."
"Are you sure?" Leaving him to clean up my mess didn't settle well with me, but at the same time, having someone come back here and see the painting sounded worse. "Thank you."
"Of course." He kissed my cheek. "You're one of my best friends now. I'd do anything for you." He walked around the building, heading to his truck.
How I wished we felt a romantic connection to each other. He was the type of guy my dad would've been so proud that I found. He was kind, considerate, and loyal. Although, if my dad was still alive, Killian and I probably wouldn't have become friends even if the silver wolves had returned to Shadow City. We’d bonded over the loss of our families and created a connection through that.
Forcing myself to go back into the building, I rushed to the bathroom to wash my hands. As I looked in the mirror, I almost didn't recognize the girl staring back at me. My silver hair was pulled back into a bun, and my silver-purple eyes had darkened to almost steel gray. Hell, with the paleness of my skin, I could almost pass for a vampire.
My clothes were a little baggy on me, due to all the stress. Every time I tried to eat, I'd lose my appetite after a few bites. Lately, I’d been living on coffee, which amped me up even more on top of everything else. At some point, I would have to risk shifting and taking a run.
Turning away from the mirror, I cranked the paper towel dispenser and wiped down my hands and face. I tossed the paper towel into the garbage and pinched my cheeks, trying to add a little color to my skin, then left the bathroom.
The two girls in the kitchen were gone, and when I walked out front, only Carter remained.
He leaned over, trying to see behind me, and sniffed. "How'd you lose Killian? I need you to teach me that little trick."
Carter and Killian loved giving each other hell, but I could tell there was mutual respect on both sides.
"He was whining about the smell and said he needed to run to the store, so he took off." I placed a hand on my hip and forced a smile, trying to act somewhat normal. However, my mind kept seeing the artwork I'd left behind. "I'm assuming the smell is why you sent him out there in the first place."
"Maybe." He shrugged. "He did leave me drunk off my ass at a party a couple of weeks ago with this girl I can’t stand wrapped all around me." He shuddered at the memory. "All the things she did to me that night I can't take back. But I was hoping he'd puke."
"You do realize he's a shifter." Granted, that smell was awful out there, but our stomachs were sturdy.
"But the pain is real." He nodded toward the door. "Let's get out of here."
As we left the building, a certain dark angel caught my eye. Rosemary was outside all alone, lying on top of a picnic table like she was sunbathing. She had a bag propped under her neck and shoulders as she read some sort of textbook.
Anger spread through me like wildfire. "I'll see you tomorrow," I said to Carter as I headed toward her.
"Uh, yeah. See ya." He sounded confused, but I didn't have time to focus on that.
Of course, she would be perched outside the coffee shop to watch my reaction. I shouldn't confront her—that was what she wanted after all—but I was done playing this cat and mouse game with her.
It ended now.
I marched directly toward her, welcoming the righteous anger. The emotion was a soothing relief to the stress, anxiety, and pain that I felt most of the time.
When I reached her, I stood so that my shadow blocked her sun.
She dropped her book and sighed. "Can I help you?" Even though she sounded put out, interest seemed to spark in her eyes.
"You had to do it, didn't you?" My wolf brushed against my mind. She'd been struggling and cooped up, which was a dangerous combination to my already fracturing self.
"Do what?" She placed her book down beside her and sat fully upright. She examined my face and tilted her head.
"Don't play innocent." I lifted my hands. "You’re getting what you wanted. A reaction."
"Dove, what happened?" she asked, sounding perplexed.
"You want me to spell it out for you, don't you?" My emotions swirled inside me so much that I couldn't get a read on her. I was losing control, and I wasn't sure how to rein it in.
She chewed on her bottom lip. "Are you okay?"
"You drew a silver wolf by the dumpster, knowing I'd take out the garbage and see it," I hissed as my hands shook. "And you're asking me if I'm okay?"
"What?" She jumped to her feet and looked all around us. "I did no such thing."
"Oh?" I wasn't buying it. "You expect me to believe that after you've interrogated me at every opportunity the past week?"
"You're a wolf." She tapped my shoulder. "You'd know if I was lying."
Dammit. She was right. "But if it wasn't you—" My mind circled and landed me right back on the last new moon in my pack.
They'd found me. But how…? I'd been so careful. Hell, Killian didn't even know my real name because I was afraid he might slip.
I had to get out of here, and now. This would've been an excellent time to have a car... or wings. "Do you have any idea who could have done it, have you noticed anyone lurking around? You’ve been here every day."
"Not at all." Her wings sprang from her back, spreading out. "I'll go see if I can find anything out. In the meantime, lie low."
"Wait!" The last thing I needed was for even more people to know about me. "How many people are you going to tell?"
"Zero." Her forehead creased.
Clearly, I’d misunderstood her. "Zero? Is that the number of people you won't tell?" I couldn't hide the sarcasm that laced each word.
"Believe it or not, I don't want anyone else finding out about you either." Rosemary tapped her fingers on her leg. "There’s enough going on with the wolf attacks and another civil war brewing. The last thing we need is the story of an extinct silver wolf coming back from the dead. So many will consider you a traitor; it would cause tension to escalate."
"A traitor ?" What kind of story was she trying to spin? "We left because people were using us to commit crimes!"
"We?" Her face fell. "How many of you are there?"
"None of your business." If I gave her a number, she would be able to tell I was lying. But I didn’t want her to think she could kill me now and eliminate the problem.
She rolled her eyes. “Look, I’ll come find you when I figure out all there is to know.”
Yeah, I bet she would. “Why don’t you try to kill me now?” Dad had told me stories about angels not being huge fans of silver wolves.
"I don't want you dead." She laughed. "You may be a pain in the ass, but I don't need Griffin and Killian as the angels’ enemies. If anything, the races need to begin working together. Don't do anything stupid until we speak again."
She took off into the sky, leaving me with my thoughts, which wasn't a good thing at this point.
A howl sounded from the woods only a few yards away, making my heart stop. I spun around and found eyes glowing at me through the tree branches.
Good. Let’s get this over with . I clenched my fists, ready to fight.