I shake my head. "Look at me. I'm not lying to you. Yes, they tried to get me back. Yes, they almost succeeded. They caught me once, but I got away. Not before finding out one important thing, however: They can't put a collar back on an uncollared adult. Not after more than a day or two. It would kill me. So their choice was between killing me and letting me go."
He still looks at me suspiciously. "I know the Pack. They'd prefer killing you rather than let you set a precedent for others who might want to leave."
I snicker. "Everyone wants to leave. Except for the leadership, obviously. I don't think anyone wants to be in the Pack."
"I know a few people who loved being there," Lennox says. "It gave them a sense of community that they hadn't experienced before."
I laugh bitterly. "On the expense of those they bullied. But anyway, you're right. They would have killed me - if I hadn't provided them with an incentive not to."
"What?" he asks sharply.
"Money. Lots of it. The... friend... who helped me leave also gave me some money to start my business with. Instead of using it for that, I gave it to the Pack to leave me alone."
I've never told anyone that. The others at Meow believe I only got the house and maybe a modest sum, but I've not had the courage to admit to them that I've used the rest as a bribe.
"It must have been a lot," Lennox mutters. "A hell of a lot. Who's the friend who gave it to you?"
Good question. Wish I knew.
"Can't tell you," I quip. "You didn't tell me who your employer is, either."
He sighs. "Let's say I believe you. What did you do at the house last night?"
Last night? Have I been out that long? The room doesn't have any windows, and my watch has disappeared along with my other belongings.
"What time is it?" I ask.
He sighs again, impatience beginning to show in his eyes. "Half past nine in the morning. I can get us breakfast once you've finally told me why you were there."
"I'm investigating a murder case," I admit, but before I continue, he starts laughing.
"Investigating? Are you serious? You've switched sides?"
"Just this once," I say grudgingly. "The offer was too good to refuse."
He's still laughing. "I can't believe you're doing this. You, especially. You were always the best at killing."
I smile proudly. "You really think that?"
Lennox nods. "Yes, and you know that. Nobody else had your touch. They were either too brutal or too gentle. You simply went there, killed the mark and left. Cold as ice but I loved it."
A faint blush spreads over his cheeks, but it disappears quickly. "Who was murdered?"
I hesitate for a moment, not sure how much information I can give him. For all I know, he could work for the murderer. Or worse. He could be involved in the Fangs.
"No one special," I reply vaguely. "But I discovered a basement full of corpses while following a lead, which then, in turn, led me to the house last night. I'm sure there's a connection."
"You should stop there," he says quietly, staring at his mug. "The people I work for... they're dangerous. I'm not saying they're involved, but you don't want to get in trouble with them. Hell, you don't even want them to know that you exist." He pauses for a second, then takes a wallet out of his trouser pocket. "How much did your client offer you to solve the case? I can match it if you stop investigating."
I gape at him. "Are you trying to bribe me?"
"You just told me you bribed the Pack," he replies with a hollow chuckle. "How is this different?"
I jump up and glare at him. "Because I had to pay the Pack or they would have killed me. It was a matter of life or death. This... this is nothing like it."
He sighs. "Maybe it is, Kat. There is more to this than you know."
Chapter Twelve
He looks up at me, a sad frown forming on his forehead.
"I can't."
"So you just want me to take your money and leave this case alone? Not find out who killed Winston Kindler? Not give his brother closure?"
His eyes widen. "What did you say?"
This time it's my turn to frown. "What of all that didn't you understand? I was saying no, basically."
"That name... Kindler?"
I sigh. "Yes, the name of the murder victim. Winston Kindler."
Suddenly, he smiles, confusing me. "That's got nothing to do with us. But I know who did it."
Standing outside in the cool morning air, I'm surprised by how quick that kidnapping was. I'd always imagined being imprisoned for days or weeks, tortured, forced to tell my kidnappers all my secrets - and here I am, talking to my former best friend, wearing my own clothes again and having had a lovely tea. Kidnapping has never been this nice.
"The people in the house last night weren't all part of the organisation I work for," Lennox explains. "I wouldn't be able to help you if one of us had done it, but the man responsible is already in our bad books. We were planning to get rid of him soon, so it's actually rather handy for you to want him. If you kill him, it won't be blamed on us. Just leave a calling card, and nobody will suspect that I helped you."
I grin. "Win-win. What organisation do you work for?"
I'd hoped to surprise him, but sadly, he's too well-trained.
"Nice try, but you know I can't tell you. I don't officially work for them anyway, but my boss does, so I'm involved but not on paper. It's better that way, I wouldn't want my name to appear on any of their files. Sometimes, it's better to stay in the shadows."
I huff. "Tell me about it. Life has become harder since I'm no longer working as an anonymous Pack assassin, but at the same time, I get to decide who to kill, so it's worked out better in the long run."
Lennox smiles at me. "Self-employment suits you. Do you get enough contracts to make it worth it?"
I nod. "I have to reject some of them because I don't have the time. Murder is in high demand, and I doubt that will ever change. And with the streams of refugees settling in the city, there's always more people filling the places of those who've died. Otherwise, I'd be scared that soon nobody would be left in this town but us assassins. By the way, do you still get to do that? Or does your master make you do other things?"
He shrugs, running a hand through his black hair. It shimmers in the sunlight, making it seem even more black than it already is. I wish I could touch it. No. I don't. What am I suddenly thinking?
"Sometimes," he says, distracting me from my inappropriate thoughts. "I do a lot of different jobs for him. It always depends on what he's working on. Sometimes, I still do freelance contracts for other people if I get the chance." He turns and looks around the deserted street. "We shouldn't stay here. Let's move and talk on the way."
I nod and follow him down the street and right into a narrow alleyway.
Suddenly, relief floods me, but it isn't my own. I stop and look around until I spot a black cat far above us on a roof. I smile at Storm and continue walking, glad to know my new friend kept watch on me. I'm sure she would have called the other cats for help should I have stayed away for longer. I've got a good feeling about Storm, like she's a kindred spirit. If I was just a cat, without this human side, I might be just like her.
"Everything alright?" Lennox asks, following my glance, but Storm has already disappeared.
"Yes," I mutter, not quite wanting to divulge my secret yet. I used to trust Lennox implicitly, but that's years ago, and right now, I don't even know who exactly he's working for. Worst case scenario, his boss is part of the Fangs or somehow connected to the Pack. The latter is unlikely, not with Lennox's history, but still. Better to keep some of my cards hidden until it's time to play them.
"Tell me about what happened," I ask, not just to distract him but also out of genuine interest. "You left me a note, you told me you'd come back for me, but you never did."
I try to keep the accusation out of my voice, but my twelve-year-old self has taken over, drenching me with the pain I felt back then. I shudder at th
e intensity of the emotion. I'd tried to forget how hard his disappearance hurt me. After Lennox, I never tried to befriend one of the other children. I'd lost him and I wasn't going to go through that anguish ever again. Only when Lily came along, that changed. She was the first person who I'd allowed into my locked heart as an adult. While I like Benjamin and Bethany, I love Lily. Not in a sexual way, but as a friend. She's become family, the first time I've ever really had that feeling. Well, except for when I had Lennox. He'd been like a brother. Now... I'm not sure what to call him, how to think of him. Friend? Acquaintance?
"... I didn't manage to, I'm sorry. I never forgot about you. I tried to get the funds to buy you from the Pack, but when I finally had the money they asked for, they took it all and laughed in my face. Then tried to kill me. I almost died, Kat. If my master hadn't found me, I'd be dead."
I stop walking, staring at him. "You tried to buy my freedom?"
He nods. I can almost see the dark memories that are making his brows draw together. He used to do that when he didn't want anyone to know that he was feeling sad.
"Yes, I did. But as I said, they betrayed me. I shouldn't have expected it to work, but I was both desperate and stupid. Somehow, I still had the hope that not everybody in the Pack was rotten to the core."
I laugh bitterly. "I would have been able to tell you that."
Lennox sighs. "I know. They always treated me differently from you. I always had more privileges, so I thought I could count on the same leniency again. I was wrong."
He rubs his abdomen.
"Did they stab you?" I ask, and he immediately removes his hand from his belly.
"Amongst other things. But as I said, I survived and have been working for my master ever since. He made me stop trying to get you out of there, but he promised that he would help me set you free once you were an adult and able to work for him."
I raise an eyebrow. "I guess that never happened?"
He looks to the ground. "No, it didn't."
We walk on in silence. He leads me through the crafters' quarter, but we avoid any of the busy streets where shops will be open by now.
"Where are we going?" I ask finally. I know where we are, and I have a few theories about where we're headed, but I don't like not being in control.
"Almost there," he replies. To my frustration, he doesn't expand on that.
"How did you escape?" I ask, unwilling to stay in silence. He owes me that answer. I've been wondering for almost ten years how he managed to get away from the Pack. And why he didn't take me with him.
"Remember how they always told us that only those with special abilities could open our collars? And how they proved it by having us try it on each other?"
I nod, remembering it all too well. We couldn't even touch our own collars without pain shooting through our heads. They showed us that we could touch other children's collars without either of us feeling the pain, but none of us ever managed to open them.
"Well, that's only partially true. Actually, it's not true at all. It wasn't about abilities. The adults who opened the collars, they always did it with one hand only, remember?"
Again, I nod. It's not something that's struck me as strange before, but he's right. We even tried to copy them by touching it with only the fingers of our right hand, but it was useless. None of us ever managed to open a collar.
"That's because they were holding a key in their other hand," Lennox says, and I stop, staring at him.
"A key? They never used a key on the collar, there was no lock, just that clasp at the back."
He smiles grimly. "Not a key in the physical sense. It's an object that needs to be held so that the holder can open the collar. Not sure if it's some sort of magnet or electricity, or magic, but you need that key to open it. With the key, anybody can do it.
"So all you had to do was figure that out and steal a key," I whisper, the implications of it all rushing through my mind. All those children, they could all be freed. I never thought it possible because I believed in the special power bollocks, but now... so many possibilities.
Lennox nods. "I wasn't sure though, and I didn't want to endanger you in case I was wrong. I knew that if they caught me, I'd be dead. You understand why I had to try it on my own, right? I was always planning to come back for you in case it worked. But..." He sighs deeply. "Do you remember how it felt when your collar was taken off for the first time? The rush of adrenaline, the urge to shift, all your senses going in overdrive?"
"Yes, I do. The man who opened my collar, he helped me control it."
"Then you were luckier than I was," he says, sadness tinging his voice. "I shifted and went feral. I ran and ran and it took me hours to get back in control of my wolf. By the time I managed to shift back, I was far outside the city, far away from the Pack's lair. I knew they would have noticed my absence by now and that all the guards would have been briefed. Security would have been too tight to sneak in and get you, especially if they'd figured out that I knew about the collars."
"They had us sleep in the main hall," I say slowly, remembering how we were all ushered out of our dormitories without any explanation, even though I knew it was because of Lennox disappearing. At least he'd left me a note. Otherwise I would have thought he'd been killed by the Pack.
"There was no coming back for me. I never expected to see you again, I didn't even know if you were still alive. A few years ago, I sometimes came across your paws, but then that stopped."
"Yes, I didn't think there was any point in continuing it," I reply quietly. After Lennox ran away, I'd started leaving tiny paw print marks near corpses. Just in case. They were too unnoticeable for anyone other than an assassin who was looking for a calling card. Most of us have one. A way to show each other who made the kill. Mostly, to brag. In my case, it was a message to Lennox. Not that I ever got an answer. But now, it feels good to know that he sometimes saw them. It wasn't all for nothing. In some strange way, our friendship didn't end when he left. It kept on going through those small moments, like when he saw my marks or when I heard about the white wolf being spotted.
"I'm glad you didn't leave me there voluntarily," I say eventually. "It was hard without you."
He puts an arm around my shoulders, surprising me. We've not touched in any way since I woke up. No hug. Now, I regret that. I should have hugged him. Let's do it now. I turn and wrap my arms around his chest. Once again, I realise how broad he has become. It used to be easy to hug him; hell, I was able to link my hands on his back. Now, not even my fingertips touch as I try to embrace him like a tree trunk.
He hesitates for a moment, then he returns the hug, pressing me against his warm body. I breathe in his scent, that wild, untamed wolf scent mixed with masculine spices.
"It's good to have you back," he whispers, pulling me even closer. Our bodies are touching everywhere now, and I'm suddenly very aware of how we have changed. He's a man now, I'm a grown woman. I didn't have boobs when I last hugged him. Well, not very developed ones. Now, they're squeezed tight against his hard chest. Little tingles spread from my nipples through my body and hastily, I step back.
He releases me and silence falls, both of us a little embarrassed. And shocked, in my case. My body responded to him. Not like him as a friend, but as a man. That's something I will have to think about. Not that there's any chance of us being more than friends. We're both busy, I still don't know who he's working for and besides. We're assassins. We don't do relationships. We kill and get killed, simple as. And not only that. I'm a cat, he's a wolf. It's no coincidence that dogs and cats hate each other. It's something intrinsic, something that sometimes burst to the surface when Lennox and I were arguing. An animosity that couldn't be explained. A tension that wasn't supposed to be there. Can things like that overcome? I'm not sure.
"We should go," I mutter and wait for him to lead the way. He looks at me, but I evade his gaze, not wanting him to see how vulnerable I feel in this moment. I thought I had my emotions under control.
/> Damn, I was wrong.
Chapter Thirteen
We stop in front of a tall, narrow building squashed in between two broader houses like a piece of cheese between bread.
"We're here," Lennox says and fumbles in his pockets, probably looking for a key.
"What's here?" I ask, still frustrated by the fact that he's led me to goodness where and I don't have a clue about who we're going to see. It could be a trap.
"Patience, kitty," he chuckles. I almost hit him for using that old pet name. I'd forgotten that he used to call me that. He was the only one who was allowed. Barely. Sometimes, I did hit him for it.
He seems to know exactly what I'm thinking. "I assumed you were going to beat me," he laughs. "Glad to know I was wrong. Can I call you pussy cat now?"
I knee him in the balls. Not hard, I'm not that cruel, but hard enough to make him wince and bend over.
"Alright, lesson learned," he wheezes. "No pussy cat. Now step back and wait out here while I check if he's there. He doesn't like being surprised."
I want to protest, but he shoots me one of his famous trust-me-don't-talk-back looks. I remember those, too. He was one of the few people I listened to. Well, one of the few who didn't need to use threats or violence to keep me under control.
While he unlocks the door and goes inside, I study the street. We're at the very edge of the city, close to the river. Old city walls surround this area, no longer guarded or used. They look pretty though, and I used to love running on top of them, imagining that I was a soldier protecting the city. I laugh to myself. Such a childish idea. Protecting the city. This town doesn't need protecting from outsiders, only from itself. From its people. I don't know if every city has such a high percentage of criminals or if it's just us. Most people I know are involved in some kind of shady business, whether it's forgery, theft or killing, but then, that doesn't say much. I don't really mix with ordinary people, unless it's to free them of life, obviously.
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