Chapter Four #2
“It’s a town thing,” Aaron said. He seemed reluctant to share the information, but Carter knew how to push in just the right way.
It was his job to get people to talk to him.
“There is a concern that a hyena pack that seems to cause issues wherever they go might be around. With the fires around town, the two might be more connected than we’d first thought. ”
“We’re looking into the fires,” Carter shared. “There isn’t much there. Arson is probable but nothing much left behind. Luckily no one has been harmed. Yet. And it is a big yet. Fire is not something to play around with.”
“I know. Axel has a copy of the police files. Bas has been going through them.”
“How?” Carter demanded. That is something that should stay within their precinct. Carter couldn’t help but wonder just how much power the paranormals had.
“He asked,” Aaron said with a shrug. “If it was the county sheriff, we probably wouldn’t have gotten them, but we’ve helped the police department out here. They trust us.”
There were only three officers, including Carter. “Do my coworkers know?”
“About the paranormal? No. Axel has just been around long enough that they know him.”
Carter hummed. That gave him something to think about later. “You think the hyena pack might have set the fires?”
Aaron’s eyes darkened. “And killed the puppies’s mom and siblings. They also chased a young boy from his tent and deep into the forest. Whatever they’re up to, it’s dangerous.”
“Why would they come here if there is such a strong paranormal family?” If Axel had claimed the town and area as long ago as Aaron had suggested, shouldn’t that keep them safe? Or at least keep those with bad intentions away?
“Unfortunately, that might be why they came here,” Aaron said. “As a sort of a challenge.”
Carter snorted. “That’s stupid.” He might not know much about this new world but he wouldn’t want to go against Axel or any of the other guys that Carter had met. And as new names seemed to be popping up, Carter realized he hadn’t even met everyone.
“This pack doesn’t seem to be made up of more than bullies and criminals. We got word this morning that they might be involved in killing humans,” Aaron said quietly.
“What?” His voice rose as he sat up.
Aaron winced as Legolas let out a small bark.
“Shit. Sorry.” Carter sat back against the couch. He hoped the pups went back to sleep.
“No, I’m sorry. We don’t know for sure that it is the same pack. We just have our suspicions. With the way that our group interconnects with…another, it is a concern.”
“What do you mean?” Carter asked.
“Remember when I mentioned all the types of paranormal in the family?”
Carter nodded.
“Several of them are mated to beings from the hell realm,” Aaron explained. “Demons, a reaper, the hellhound alpha.”
Carter waited as Aaron paused. Something was coming. Something big that Aaron was hesitating on saying.
“And Lucifer,” Aaron finally stated.
“Lucifer,” Carter said.
“Yes.”
“Lucifer like Lucifer…the king of hell.” Okay, was Aaron just fucking with him? This was a serious discussion. “Satan?”
“Who is the nicest guy that you will ever meet,” Aaron said quickly. “I’ve only just met him. He’s great. Loves his mates. They’re a part of the family.”
“You’re serious.”
“Yes.”
“Okay.” Lucifer was a friend of the family. Carter didn’t want to think about that. No, he was okayish with the shifters and vampire, maybe demons, but Lucifer?
“One of the princes of hell just found his mate. We’re still trying to piece things together but apparently his family was killed by a pack of hyenas.
Bastian found a file from the council about them tracking a hyena pack that might be in the area.
We’re just putting together all the information we have.
We actually have a meeting in the morning to go over all of it,” Aaron told him.
Carter wanted to ask if he could be there. Was that overstepping? He was the police officer in the town…except he was human.
“We have the time to look into this,” Aaron said. “It’s what we want to do.”
“Let me know if you need any help,” Carter asked.
“Thanks. Did you want to ask more questions?” Aaron inquired as he settled deeper into the couch cushions.
“You’re not too tired?” Carter hated to keep Aaron up when it was obvious that he didn’t get much sleep.
“I like talking to you,” Aaron replied. “And your couch is comfortable.”
“Put your feet up here,” Carter ordered. He grabbed the colorful knit blanket from off the back of the couch and placed it over Aaron as he stretched out his legs.
“Thanks.”
“Can you tell me more about what being an oracle means?” Carter knew he should be asking more about the family and all the different species. Maybe even bring up Lucifer again. Except Carter was dying to know more about Aaron.
“I wish I could tell you more,” Aaron replied. “For the longest time, the council trainers didn’t know what I was.”
“But they still took you to the home? School? Whatever you call it.” Why would they do that?
“Yes. I only have a few memories about my life before being taken in by the council. I was young, so I guess it makes sense that I don’t remember a lot.” Aaron’s voice lowered. “I can clearly remember my mom, dad, and sister dead in our living room.”
Carter hissed.
“The council guards came in and took me away. The only reason I know where they are buried or even their names is because I stole my file when I was a kid. Okay. Bas shifted and snuck in the office and stole it for me,” Aaron explained.
“That…I bet the three of you caused all kinds of havoc,” Carter said.
“We totally did,” Aaron agreed.
Carter sobered. “I’m sorry about your family.”
“Thanks.” Aaron peered back at him intently. “And I’m sorry about your parents.”
It seemed tragedy was something that they had in common. “Thanks.”
“Anyway.” Aaron waved his hand in the air.
“There I was a kid with no family locked in a building with shifter, vampire, and other paranormal kids. They knew I was different. I smelt funny to them. I was bullied a lot until Leo was assigned to my room. Then Bas came. With the two of them by my side, we began to run that place.”
“Sounds about right.” From what he’d seen, Aaron, Bas, and Leo were all very strong-minded guys. “How did you find out about being an oracle if no one knew?”
“I kept waking up screaming from nightmares and passing out during the day. The trainers called in some mages that tested me.” Aaron winced as he said tested.
“They hurt you?” Protectiveness burned in Carter’s chest. How dare anyone hurt Aaron, especially when he had been a child.
“Sometimes. I was mostly afraid because I didn’t know what was happening. I couldn’t shift like Leo or Bas. I didn’t need blood like the vampires. I had no magical abilities that I could control.”
“It sounds terrible.” Carter shoved his hands under the end of the blanket so Aaron wouldn’t see the way they shook. His palm smacked into Aaron’s socked foot and he grabbed Aaron’s toes.
“Once they had a name for what I was, the research began. They sent out a request for any other oracles, but none came forward. It was determined that they must have been wiped out during the great hunt.”
“The what?” Carter questioned.
“It was a time long ago when humans hunted down paranormals or who they suspected of being paranormal. It was when Leo lost his family. Bas too. Most of us in the compound were there because of the great hunt. We had no family remaining,” Aaron shared.
“A long time ago? You can’t be much older than me,” Carter pointed out.
Aaron laughed. “Oracles have an expanded life span like some of the other paranormal.”
Carter squeezed Aaron’s toes. “How old are you, Aaron?”
“Let’s just say that the age gap between us would be one for the books,” he replied mysteriously.
* * * * *
Aaron
Standing in the spot that he’d rescued Aragorn, Legolas, and Arwen from, Aaron turned in a circle as the sounds of whooping echoed around him.
The hyena pack.
They were close.
With the hairs on the back of his neck standing straight up, Aaron knew he was right about the hyenas’ intentions.
Darkness smudged the area around him. The beautiful flowers that Aaron had been dreaming about were trampled and dying.
Once the echoes of the hyenas’ whoops faded away, the silence that surrounded Aaron was wrong. Cold. Evil.
Aaron stared straight ahead. A challenge clear in his gaze.
This was his home. The people that lived in town and in the area were his family.
Aaron wasn’t going to let these monsters get away with hurting anyone else.
And he had no doubt these shifters were monsters.
Not because they were shifters but because they killed people.
Human or paranormal, it didn’t matter: a monster was a monster.
Living through the great hunt, Aaron had seen the worst of the worst. The loss of humanity. The destruction of entire species. Those days might be long behind them but it wasn’t something that any of them would ever forget. Or allow a repeat of.
While working for the council, Aaron had understood that policing their own kind did serve a purpose.
When a paranormal creature went after humans, it put them all in danger.
Plus any paranormal that used their natural enhancements against innocents deserved to be treated like the monsters they were.
Not that they’d only gone after paranormals within their duties.
The other side of that was making sure that humans didn’t harm the innocent paranormals.
Those tasks Aaron had agreed with. It was what came after that left Aaron sick to his stomach.