by Cheree Alsop
“I figured as much,” Officer Dune replied. He sat back. “What made you take such an interest in Greyton?”
Alex studied the table top. The wood was worn but polished. He could smell the scent of lemon from the cleaner. “A friend of mine was killed and I had to let off some steam.” He met the officer’s gaze. “I have a few friends here. They mentioned how scary it was getting.”
“And you felt like you could do something about it,” the officer guessed.
Alex nodded.
The waitress returned with two plates of chocolate mousse pie. The officer thanked her and took the bill.
Alex took his first bite. The taste of the chocolate reminded him how long it had been since he had eaten.
“This is really good. Thank you.”
“I wasn’t sure about chocolate, you know.”
Officer Dune’s tone caught Alex’s attention. “What do you mean?”
The officer shrugged, looking uncomfortable for the first time that night. “Well, uh, I have a dog, and with chocolate, you know...”
Alex almost choked on a bite of his pie. “You mean because dogs can’t have chocolate, you thought the same thing applied to werewolves?”
“Well, yeah,” Officer Dune replied, chuckling. “You never know.”
Alex couldn’t hold back the answering laughter. “Chocolate is fine,” he said. “Have you ever tried to take chocolate away from a werewolf?”
“No. I imagine it’s scary.”
Alex nodded, his eyes wide. “Especially the girls. Never mess with a female werewolf and her chocolate.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Officer Dune replied.
Alex enjoyed the rest of his pie in silence. He finally sat back feeling fuller than he had in a long time. “So how do we keep the gangs from terrorizing Greyton?”
Officer Dune used his fork to smash crumbs on his plate. “That’s the question, isn’t it? We’ve been trying to keep the gangs at bay for as long as I’ve been on the force. They’re getting stronger and you’ve seen their lack of fear.”
“They’re afraid now.”
“Yes, they are,” the officer replied. “They’re letting girls go. Nobody wants a visit from the Demon.” He watched Alex as if curious how he would react to the title.
“I’ve been called worse,” Alex replied. “You can use that fear.”
“How?” Officer Dune asked, sitting up straight.
“Get some big dogs, German Shepherds, Alsatians, Caucasian Shepherds, Malamutes, anything with a dark coat that you can pass off as the Demon. If I keep at it the next couple of weeks, just the sight of anything with paws is going to send them running.”
Officer Dune cracked a smile. “That’s not a bad idea.” He gave Alex a searching look. “But it involves you running the streets some more. I can’t ask you to put your life on the line again.”
“You’re not asking me to. I’m doing it whether you’re with me or not,” Alex replied seriously.
Officer Dune was quiet for a few minutes. “Will you try to be a bit more careful? From what I’ve seen, you’re a touch reckless.”
Alex fought back a smile at the thought that Cassie would most definitely agree. “I’ll try,” he said. “But I’m going to do whatever it takes to make this city a safer place.”
“Me, too,” Officer Dune replied with respect in his tone. “I’m glad you’re on our side.”
***
Dawn found Alex on Cherish’s fire escape again. He watched the sun rise with a warmth in his chest that felt unfamiliar and nice. It took him a while to realize it was satisfaction. He had made a difference. Helping Officer Dune take steps to ensure Greyton citizens’ safety was a step in the right direction, and people were actually safer because of him.
A tap on the window made him turn.
Cherish slid the glass up. “Want some breakfast?”
Alex climbed inside. “I had pie with a police officer earlier.” The smell of the bacon and eggs Mrs. Summers was making made his stomach growl. “But I know better than to turn down your mother’s cooking.”
“You had pie with a police officer?” Mrs. Summers repeated. Her hair was caught back in a messy bun and there were flour streaks on her apron from making pancakes.
“Yeah. Officer Dune. I went to check on Officer Smith because he got shot the other night, and Officer Dune invited me to grab a bite to eat.” Alex sat at the table and leaned on his elbows. “I thought he might arrest me.”
“Isn’t he supposed to?” Cherish asked. “According to the news, the police department is taking a lot of criticism for not arresting you the first time.”
Alex nodded. “I don’t want to get them in trouble.”
“How is the officer who got shot?” Mrs. Summers asked.
“Doing alright, according to Officer Dune. He took a bullet in the calf at the Fivers’ hideout, but he’s recovering.”
Mrs. Summers set a plate of pancakes on the table to join the eggs and bacon. She smiled at Alex as she took a seat. “That’s where you freed those four girls, right?”
Alex nodded. He picked up the butter knife and twirled it through his fingers, concentrating on the blade to keep his thoughts from the scene of the girls chained in the back of the truck.
Cherish set a hand on his arm to stop him from fidgeting with the knife. “Alex, you should probably take a break. Sounds like you were pretty busy last night.”
“It gives me something to do when I can’t sleep,” Alex said lightly. He accepted the plate of pancakes Mrs. Summers handed him. “These look amazing.”
“Just know you always have a place to stay with us,” Mrs. Summers told him, passing him the syrup.
“I’d prefer not to get anyone else in trouble. I know what will happen if you’re found harboring a werewolf.”
Mrs. Summers shrugged. “It’s a risk we’re willing to take. Heroes shouldn’t spend their nights on fire escapes.”
Alex grinned at that. “You just happen to have the most comfortable fire escape in Greyton.”
Cherish laughed as she scooped eggs onto her plate. “Keep it up and she’ll have a cot out there waiting for you.”
Alex chuckled. “If you spoil me too much, it may just all go to my head.”
Mrs. Summers smiled in return. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like. You’re doing good things here. People aren’t as scared as they used to be.”
“Greyton needs a lot of work,” Alex told her as he stacked eggs between his pancakes. “It’s going to be a while before the streets are safe.” He thought of the fear in the mother’s eyes. “I think they fear me as much as the gangs right now.”
Mrs. Summers set down her fork. “I think I have an idea that might help with that.”
“What are you thinking?” Cherish asked her mother.
“Do you remember Lizzie Masters? We went to school together.”
Cherish nodded, her green eyes lighting up. “She writes for the Greyton Daily.”
“I’m thinking she could interview Alex. Maybe if he gives his side as to why he’s doing this, people won’t be so afraid.” She smiled at Alex. “They’ll learn to trust werewolves.”
Alex thought of the conversation between Jaze and his mother when he first asked for permission to have dinner at Cherish’s. When Meredith voiced her fear that the humans would betray Alex, the dean’s response had stuck.
“I worry that werewolves won’t learn to trust humans, and that our fear will keep us apart forever. Without trust, our lives will never hold peace. These humans trusted him enough to invite him into their home. Alex can protect himself. If he can trust them in return, perhaps they can make waves that will impact these next generations.”
Alex met Mrs. Summers’ gaze. “If they can learn to trust me, we can work together to make Greyton safer.”
“That’d be good for werewolves and humans,” Cherish agreed.
“I’ll set it up,” Mrs. Summers said.
Chapter Eleven
“How are things going?” Alex asked.
Trent sounded suspicious when he replied, “Good, I guess. Do you need me for something?”
Alex leaned against the edge of the roof of Cherish’s apartment complex. “Just figured I’d check in.”
Trent snorted. “You’re the one I should be checking on, not vice versa.”
Alex smiled. “I’m getting interviewed by a human reporter pretty soon. Anything you think I shouldn’t tell her?”
“That you’re a werewolf?” Trent replied.
Alex laughed. “That would be beside the point of the interview.”
“Are you sure she’s not bringing the police?”
Alex smiled at his friend’s worried tone. “Actually, she’s a friend of Cherish’s mom. We’re trying to soften relationships between werewolves and humans here.”
“You mean from using spoons instead of guns?”
“If you mean eating together instead of shooting each other, then yes,” Alex countered.
It was Trent’s turn to laugh. “Spoons hurt more,” he said, quoting one of their favorite movies.
Alex slid down so that his back was against the roof. The sun had warmed it and the heat felt good as it seeped through his shirt. “You avoided the question. How are things going?”
Trent gave up skirting the topic. “Not well. My wooing of Jordan has been a disaster.”
Alex snorted. “Is that because you used the word wooing?”
“I’m serious, Alex.”
“Sorry,” Alex quickly apologized. “Tell me what happened.”
Trent sighed. “I asked her if she wanted to go for a walk, like you suggested, and she agreed, but when we made our way toward the cliff, I couldn’t think of anything to say.” He paused, then blurted out, “Alex, I was an idiot! I started talking about pistons and gaskets and by the time I realized she wasn’t walking next to me anymore, I couldn’t find her!”
“You lost her in the forest?” Alex asked, incredulous.
“Yeah,” Trent admitted. “When I finally trailed her back to the Academy, she was in her room and refused to see me.”
Alex tried to think of what to say to console his friend. “Maybe, uh, she’s not the one?”
“She is the one!” Trent was adamant. “She said she felt the same way, but that was before I blew it. Now who knows how she feels?” Heartache surfaced in his voice. “But I feel the same way. It’s like I know she’s the one, but I can’t do anything about it. It’s hopeless. And the worst part is, everyone around me is finding their one and enjoying each other’s company. I’m the only one who’s managed to destroy my relationship just when it got started.
At that, Alex figured out what direction to take. “Trent, remember when I fell for Siale, but I couldn’t tell anyone because of Kalia?”
Trent sniffed and said, “Yeah.”
“It was horrible,” Alex said. “I felt like my heart was torn in half. I couldn’t breathe or eat or sleep without thinking of her.”
“That’s exactly how I feel.”
Alex smiled. “Do you know what I did?”
“You moped around pathetically until she came to the Academy?” Trent replied.
Alex chuckled. “Thanks. I appreciate the image you hold of me.”
He was rewarded with a laugh from Trent.
“No,” Alex continued. “I got Siale to come to the Academy. Without me, she wouldn’t have gone and we never would have been together. I had to give her a reason to go.”
“What reason was that?” Trent asked with a hint of hope in his voice.
“Me.”
“You?” Trent asked, doubt replacing the hope.
“Hear me out,” Alex said. “The only thing that would convince Siale to leave the father she had only recently returned to was the knowledge that someone who cared deeply about her and who was her kindred spirit would be waiting for her when she reached the Academy.”
“Okay, that’s sweet,” Trent said dryly. “But Jordan’s already at the Academy. How do I convince her I’m worth overlooking my flaws in order for her to realize she loves me?”
Alex thought of his first conversation with Siale in the body pit. Both of them were covered in scars. He loved every scar on Siale’s body because she had survived them. They were a measure of her strength and the things she had gone through to stay alive and to be with him. Her scars were a part of the experiences that made her who she was. “You have to show her that all of you is worth caring about. You don’t have to hide parts of yourself. If she is the one, she will eventually come to understand and accept everything about you.”
Trent sounded lost when he replied, “Where do I start?”
“Is there something you guys have in common?”
Trent was silent for a moment, then he said, “She likes butterflies.” Before Alex could think of where to go with that, Trent continued, “It’s probably an unhealthy love of butterflies, more like. When we walk through the woods, she can name every type of butterfly we see. She identifies the caterpillars, and even knows where to look for cocoons. It’s crazy.”
“As crazy as your love of gaskets and pistons?”
Trent paused, then chuckled. “Probably.”
“Go with that,” Alex said. “Relate to her with something she loves. It’ll show her that you’re trying to meet her in the middle.”
“Okay, I’ll try it. Thanks, Alex.”
“Good luck,” Alex replied.
He was about to take the earpiece out when Trent said, “Tell the reporter about finding Siale.”
Ice ran through Alex’s veins. “Why?”
“Maybe if the humans hear about what it’s like being a werewolf, they’ll have a bit more sympathy. You’re seventeen, Alex. You can appeal to the parents out there. No one wants to hear about kids going through something like that.”
“I don’t know if I can,” Alex admitted.
“I know,” Trent replied. “The pit was horrible, but you survived.”
Alex shied away from thinking about it. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“You do that,” Trent said and Alex could hear the smile in his friend’s voice.
Alex made his way back down to the third floor. He heard voices inside. He pushed down his nervousness and knocked on the door to apartment B.
“Alex,” Cherish said on opening it. “I didn’t know where you went.”
“Just talking to Trent,” Alex replied. “He needed someone to listen.”
“Now it’s your turn,” Cherish said. She waved him into the room.
“Alex, this is Lizzie Masters.” Mrs. Summers introduced him to a woman with short brown hair and a birthmark on her cheek.
“Hi, Lizzie. Thank you for meeting with me,” Alex said, holding out a hand.
Lizzie glanced at Mrs. Summers. Alex could smell how nervous she was about meeting a werewolf. He kept a warm smile on his face and didn’t lower his hand. At Mrs. Summers’ encouraging nod, Lizzie shook Alex’s hand.
“Hello, Alex. The pleasure is mine. I must say I never thought I would actually meet a werewolf in person.”
Alex nodded. “Understandable. There aren’t too many of us left.”
Lizzie gave a slight smile at his candor. “I understand your hope is to help werewolves find a bit more civility in the way they are treated.”
“I hope for my kind not to be shot on sight,” Alex said.
Lizzie led the way to the couch. At her offer, Alex took the easy chair. He sat on the edge.
“I record my interviews and transcribe them later,” Lizzie explained. She held up her phone. “Do you mind?”
“Not at all.”
Lizzie pushed a few buttons, then set the cellphone on the arm of the couch. “I’m here with the werewolf known as the Demon of Greyton. His wish is to reduce some of the prejudice concerning his race, and hopefully, someday, to help humans and werewolves learn to live in peace.” She smiled at him. “I must say, Alex, you’ve made a major impact on
this city. What has driven you to become the Demon of Greyton?”
“First of all, Demon is a loose term,” Alex said, bringing a smile from Mrs. Summers and Cherish. “I’m pretty civilized. As for my actions in this particular city, I was just passing through Greyton a few summers back when a couple of high schoolers invited me to join in their soccer game.”
“Really?” Lizzie replied. “What prompted them to do so?”
“I’m not sure,” Alex said. “I didn’t even know how to play soccer.”
Lizzie laughed. “I’m sure that went over well.”
“They were patient.” Alex smiled at Cherish. “And I learned pretty quickly. Since then, Greyton has become one of my favorite places.”
“Are there other werewolves in Greyton?”
Alex hesitated. He hadn’t thought about how to answer such a question. He didn’t want to make life harder for werewolves like Anders who were hiding out in peace, but he had already vowed to tell Lizzie the truth. “There are werewolves in every city.” At the woman’s widening eyes, he said, “But they live in peace, just as I want to. A werewolf’s life isn’t easy.”
“What makes it difficult?” Lizzie asked.
Alex fell quiet. He heard Trent’s voice, urging him to tell the reporter about the body pit and finding Siale. It was almost physically painful to bring the words to his mouth, but if it would help humans understand werewolves better, he would try. “I help Jaze Carso rescue werewolves from horrible situations.”
“What situations?” Lizzie prompted.
“Laboratories, torture chambers.” Alex willed himself to stay calm. “It’s amazing what Extremists come up with to put werewolves through.” He glanced at Cherish and Mrs. Summers, then studied the floor. “There was one particularly hard rescue.”
By the time he finished his story, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.
“That’s so horrible,” Cherish breathed.
“And you’re still together?” Lizzie asked, brushing a tear from her cheek.
Alex nodded. “She’s waiting for me to come home.”
“And where is home?”
That was the one question Alex knew he couldn’t answer. He went with, “Where she is.”
