Chapter 36 Aniyah #2
Taking a breath, I ran my tongue over my teeth, trying not to leap on this man and start wailing on him just to knock some sense into him. I needed to think… HWEA. How Would Ezra Act?
Smiling through clenched teeth, I turned to face the chief.
“I understand,” you puny fucking idiot, “but bad things happen everywhere. If you think about it, the perp could’ve been human—maybe someone lashing out at a supe? Would explain why they used this place.”
His dull human eyes narrowed, fists clenching at his sides, mouth in a thin angry line. I almost rolled my eyes. Sure, it was a stretch, but not impossible.
Behind him, Maso tossed another body part onto the pile. I motioned toward it, trying to steer the conversation back.
“Also, no humans were harmed,” which you already know, you dick, “and from what I hear, no humans were even around. This happened after hours.”
My eyes flicked to Alic. He gave me a subtle nod, confirming my educated guess.
“So, you see, this could’ve happened anywhere. To anyone. Not just supes.”
The chief looked away, muttering under his breath, “...goddamn supes… fucking vermin…”
Power flared under my skin, sharp and itchy.
Did he really hate us, or did he secretly want us?
Was there lust buried under all that righteous hate?
Either would give me leverage. Maso’s hand touched my shoulder, steady and grounding.
He gave a small shake of his head, so I calmed my power back down.
He was right. Poking the chief of police would only cause a shitstorm we’d be stuck cleaning up. I had better things to do than spar with bitter, useless humans.
Alic stepped in, voice calm but firm. “We’ve got it from here, Chief. Looks like this was done by another supe, anyway, so we’ll clean up and make it like nothing ever happened.”
Polite words for: Get the fuck out.
The chief scanned the scene, sighed, then turned to leave, but not without one last jab.
“Clean it up. And make sure it doesn’t happen again. Keep your kind in check, Mrs. Glovefox.”
Gritting my teeth, I forced a smile and waved.
“You bet, Chief. Have a nice night.” Under my breath, I added, “You worthless bag of maggot food.”
With that done, I could focus on what mattered. My eyes dropped to the shredded remains.
“What’ve you got?”
Alic straightened, hands locked behind his back. “Human called it in this morning. Once they realized it was a supe, they contacted me. Maso and I assumed it was a fight gone bad. Turns out, not so simple.”
Maso pointed to the mangled mess that barely resembled a person.
“With everything torn to ribbons, it was hard to make an ID, but there were two pieces left intact.” He nudged an arm with his boot.
The Syndicate tattoo was unmistakable, a skull with lightning-struck eyes superimposed over a five-pointed star, the whole thing surrounded by a bold circle.
“And that,” he added, nodding toward the severed head.
Taking a few steps toward it, I crouched down for a better look.
Lifeless brown eyes stared up at me, fear frozen in them. His blood-matted curls stuck to the ground. His mouth was open like he’d died mid-scream.
Standing up, I wiped my palms on my pants, trying to get the stench off.
“If I didn’t need him alive to talk, I’d almost admire the handiwork.” Shaking my head, I cursed. “Fuck. Fucking shit.”
Kicking at the dirt, a tight knot formed in my chest. This was my only lead. Now? Nothing.
I looked off, closing my eyes as my nails bit into my leather jacket. I let the fury, failure, and disappointment wash over me, then forced it out. Couldn’t let it fester. Not now. Not with the club reopened.
I’d tell Ezra I needed help. I hated it, but we needed to find out whether this was personal or a message to the Syndicate. Was it for money? Power? Either way, someone had signed their death warrant.
Turning, I made a mental note to text Ezra. “Gather the remains,” I told Alic and Maso. “Send them to his mother.”
Alic raised a brow.
“What? It’s not like she did anything to me.”
His voice dropped, becoming quiet and cautious. “So, we’re treating a traitor like kin?”
Meeting his gaze, my voice grew softer. “That hasn’t been proven.”
Alic made a show of glancing at the ribbons of flesh, his silence thick with judgment.
I shook my head. “Him turning up dead now, right when we were closing in? It’s too neat. Tell me, what werewolf do you know who can shred someone this precisely? Has the patience for this kind of work? Nova wouldn’t, and she’s the most powerful, most controlled one I know.”
Maso’s brows furrowed as he studied the remains again. He knew what werewolves were capable of, and this… wasn’t it. Alic still didn’t look convinced.
“Look, I’m not saying throw a parade. Pay for his funeral and give the pieces to his mom. She doesn’t deserve to be punished for something she wasn’t a part of. That’s what sets us apart.”
Maso’s head lifted, and the respect shining down at me told me he understood.
“We’re killers, criminals, the bad guys, sure. I even enjoy it, but we show respect where it’s due. She’s getting pain no matter how the dice rolls. The least I can do is let her mourn.”
Alic finally nodded. “You’re right…” His lips tipped up, instantly changing the mood. “Mrs. Glovefox.”
With a groan, I turned away from them, heat blooming across my cheeks. “Don’t start. It just slipped out.”
The twitch of his lips told me he wasn’t letting it go.
“I mean, we didn’t mind.” He nodded toward Maso, who now sported a wolfish grin.
Rubbing my hands over my face, I muttered, “Why did I say that? It’s not even true.”
A low growl rolled through the air.
Alic grabbed my wrist, eyes blazing. “It’s more than true. You’re our mate. That bond’s already carved into our souls. There’s no turning back, Aniyah.”
His grip tightened. “We’ll marry you. Every tradition. Every ceremony. Whatever makes it real for you. Hell, all of them if that’s what it takes. You’re ours.”
Maso stepped closer, eyes locked with mine. One solid nod. He didn’t need to say a word.
They weren’t letting me run, letting me hide. Joke was on them, though. I wasn’t planning to.
I surged forward, biting Alic’s bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. He groaned, arms caging me in as he kissed me like last night hadn’t just been a marathon.
Fingers tangled in my hair. Maso. He yanked my head back to claim my mouth while Alic kissed down my neck, branding me with his teeth.
Caught between them, I felt… whole. Right.
We stayed like that, suspended in the moment, until a putrid stench cut through the haze.
I wrinkled my nose, tapping Alic’s shoulder. “Yeah, I’m not fucking in a dump. I do have standards.”
They chuckled, but their eyes said they’d been this close. Honestly? So had I. My eyes dipped to their growing lengths.
No! No, Aniyah. Bad. Bad girl. You don’t fuck in dumps, no matter how good the dick is.
Alic cleared his throat. “I’ll tell security—”
“Don’t worry about it.” I waved him off, backing away from him to get some distance. Maybe that would keep me from jumping to kiss him again. “I’m heading back to the club anyway. I’ll talk to them.”
With that settled, I gave them a wink and turned around, walking back to my bike before they could stop me. Swinging a leg over and pulling on my helmet, a new thought hit me.
Why kill him now? When they knew we were looking for him?
No way this was some local grudge. No one crossed the Syndicate like this.
Something didn’t sit right, and I was going to figure out what.