4. The unwanted males
2049 Words
Theo
The motel room is too small for this many predators.
I lean back against the wall near the window, arms crossed, watching the two men standing by the door like they belong here.
They don’t.
Every instinct in my body says they don’t.
My wolf agrees.
They smell wrong, he growls inside my head, pacing beneath my skin.
I can smell it too. Under the cheap motel soap and stale hallway air.
Faint
And something heavier.
Grimm.
Why would they send a Grim to investigate a human?
My wolf snarls at the unwanted males.
Across the room, Ronan looks like he’s about three seconds away from tearing someone’s throat out.
His emotions are so palpable that even Aria keeps looking his way.
His shoulders are stiff, jaw locked tight, Alpha power simmering in the air like heat before a storm. Liam stands beside his sister, calm on the surface but just as angry underneath. Barric leans against the dresser with his arms folded, silent and dangerous. Kade is near the door, blocking it like a living wall.
If they thought they were leaving without Ronan’s permission, they thought wrong.
Aria sits on the edge of the bed, right in the center of all this supernatural tension, completely human.
Completely unaware.
My wolf’s hackles rise.
Fragile, he mutters.
We won't let anything happen to her, I reply.
Because if she knew what we were, the world she understands would shatter.
The two consultants glance between the Alpha and us like men standing in a room full of loaded guns.
Then Aria breaks the silence.
“Well, isn’t this cozy?”
Her voice is dry, dripping with sarcasm. Her frown when seeing us arrive with Liam didn't go unnoticed.
I almost smile.
She looks between the two strangers, arms crossed.
“You wanted to speak to me,” she says, tilting her head slightly. “Now that my brother is here, I guess you have the floor.”
The Grimm steps forward.
He’s tall, broad, with eyes too dark to be comforting. Grimm always carries that heavy energy, like the air around them remembers every death they’ve ever witnessed.
They are the warrior class of the shifter world. It's known that all Alphas are Grimm, but not all Grimm are Alphas.
My wolf snarls.
I look at the Faint. My own designation. We are built for stealth and used to unearth hidden information.
Grave-walker, my wolf warns.
“Mrs. Vale,” the Grimm says smoothly. “Sorry if we startled you earlier; that wasn't our intention. I'm Henry, and this is Jasper.”
“Well, maybe next time you plan on speaking to a woman traveling alone, you try a phone call instead of a 90’s murder playbook call.”
Kade holds in a laugh.
Liam shifts closer to his sister.
Subtle.
Protective.
The Grimm notices.
Everyone does.
“As we were saying,” the Grimm continues calmly, “we just wanted to present you with some paperwork.”
“Right,” Aria replies. “Only I'm not sure when you explained why this couldn’t wait?”
She gestures toward the stack of papers the man is pulling from a leather folder.
Henry’s scent peppers with frustration, and I almost feel bad for the male.
They clearly didn't know what they were getting into when they came to question Aria.
“We like to have these matters settled quickly,” Jasper says. “To avoid… mishaps.”
Ronan’s eyes flash.
Alpha fury rolls off him in waves.
Sending consultants directly to a pack member’s family without notifying the Alpha first?
That’s not just disrespect.
That’s a challenge.
My wolf bristles.
They test our territory.
Yeah, I think. And they picked the wrong damn pack.
Jasper stays quiet, standing slightly behind Henry.
He’s pale, sharp-featured, with eyes that shimmer faintly silver.
My wolf bares his teeth.
Trickster.
Aria takes the papers.
Her brow furrows as she flips through them.
“What exactly is this?” she asks.
“Standard settlements,” Henry says. “Your brother arranged certain contingencies with his employer to take care of the family. Your mother's share now legally becomes yours.”
Her confusion deepens.
“My…” she looks at Liam. “What is this?”
The room goes very still.
We don't know what the Assembly is playing at, but there was never any settlement of any kind.
Liam doesn’t react, but I feel the tension radiating off him. “Life insurance. I took out proxy sets for you and mom.”
“Why would you?” Aria says.
“I wanted to keep you safe. You and mom both.”
She looks down at the papers again, using her pointer finger to pick at her thumb's cuticle.
“Corporate logistics can be… complicated,” Henry replies smoothly. “ All we need is a simple exit interview so we can get the process started.”
Ronan’s voice cuts in like a blade.
“Funny,” he says lazily. “You didn’t think to notify our department before approaching Liam's sister.”
Aria looks around the room. “You all work for this…company?”
“Yes,” I say, keeping the lie simple.
The Grimm turns to him.
“An oversight,” he says.
Ronan smiles.
No warmth.
“No,” he says softly. “It wasn’t.”
My wolf grins darkly. Alpha enjoys hunting.
Aria looks between them.
“Okay,” she says slowly. “I feel like I just walked into the middle of something.”
“You didn’t,” Liam says quickly. “Sorry, I didn't mention this.”
She gives him a look that clearly says I don’t believe you.
The Grimm clears his throat.
“Mrs. Vale, if we could just confirm a few details.”
And then it begins.
The questions.
They sound normal.
Surface level.
But every wolf in the room hears the real meaning underneath. The assessment of how much she may or may not know about the death, about the pack.
“Did your mother ever mention feeling threatened?”
“My mother and I weren't on speaking terms, so no.”
“Did she leave any personal documents at home?”
“Not that I know of. But the police still have the house taped off, so I can't be sure.”
“Did anyone unusual ever contact her?”
Aria shrugs, but her eyes narrow.
“If junkies count as usual, then sure.”
Shock clouds Liam's scent.
Drugs?
The consultants watch her carefully the entire time.
Testing.
Probing.
My wolf growls low in my chest.
I push off the wall slightly.
Just enough for him to notice me noticing him.
His silver eyes flick toward mine.
Then away.
Good choice.
After ten minutes of polite interrogation disguised as paperwork, the Grimm gathers the documents again.
“Thank you for your time, Mrs. Vale.”
“That’s it?” she asks.
“For now.”
They move toward the door.
Kade steps aside slowly.
But not before leaning close enough to the Grimm to murmur something I don’t quite catch.
Whatever it is makes the Grimms’ jaw tighten.
Then the two consultants leave.
Ronan, Kade, Barric, and Liam are right on their tail.
I nodded to Liam before locking myself in the room with Aria.
For a moment, nobody speaks.
And suddenly the small motel room feels quieter.
Aria looks at me.
“Aren’t you leaving?”
“No.”
I lean against the wall again.
“Liam asked me to stay until he’s done speaking with them.”
“Right,” she says. “I guess telepathy is part of your little bromance, too, huh?
Suspicion creeps into her eyes.
They’re striking eyes.
Cool grey rings spanning into a neutral blue.
My wolf perks up. Pretty female.
Behave.
She studies me like she’s trying to solve a puzzle.
Then she sighs and sits back on the bed.
“So,” she says. “How’s work?”
I chuckle.
“Going great, as you can see.”
She huffs a laugh. “Clearly. So tell me what it is that you do again?”
“We work for a company with several investment properties in town,” I say, sticking as close to the truth as I can. “I run the lumber yard.”
She lets out a breath like she's been holding it. “I’m surprised you told me anything.” There is a pause. “Thank you.”
I feel like such an asshole.
For a moment, neither of us speaks.
Then I ask quietly, “How have you been?”
The question catches her off guard.
She lowers her eyes before looking back at me with a neutral expression. “I don’t know.”
Honest.
I move slowly, settling into a chair across from her.
“The city is different, but I found my way.”
My wolf softens.
Sad human.
She tucks a strand of obsidian hair behind her ear.
“I keep expecting Liam to walk through the door and tell me things can go back to how they were, that we can go back. I thought… Well, Mom isn't here anymore… so all we have is each other, right?” she admits, threading her hands together.
My chest tightens.
If I could change Liam's fate, or hers, I would if only to spare them from this pain.
“He loves you,” the words come out hollow.
A pathetic offering compared to the explanation she's owed.
Her head lifts. “I guess I'll have to take your word for it.”
I try to lighten the mood.“Do you still make terrible coffee?”
Her mouth drops open. “Hey!”
I grin.
“That was one time, and I’d like any of you to try and doctor up anything that came out of that old tin can.”
The memory of a young Aria making coffee for us the first time we visited Liam in his home springs back to me, causing a chuckle.
“Jerk,” she accuses through a smile.
The heaviness in the room lifts slightly.
My wolf relaxes.
She’s still smiling when she says, “You know, this is the most normal conversation I’ve had all week.”
“I think it's safe to say I feel the same.”
Her comfort is like fresh rain, the scent crisp and light.
“So, you don't strike me as a lumber worker.”
I raise a brow. “Are you implying I’m not strong enough?”
That hurts my ego a bit.
She gives me once over, color flooding to her cheeks as she passes over my chest and moves down to my legs.
Nevermind. It’s fully functioning now.
“No. You look…fine.”
“Only fine?” I tease.
“Clean.” She corrects herself.
“Ah, so showing isn't a thing lumber workers do, got it.”
The flush depends on pink to cherry. “That's not what I meant.”
“What did you mean?” I lean forward, drinking in the damp scent of her attraction beneath the embarrassment.
“I… you just seem…caring is all. And working in a lumber yard seems isolating.”
“I can keep myself entertained.”
“I'm sure you can. All of you seem to be quite good at keeping away from others.”
There it is. The blaring reason she can’t be in Black Ridge a second longer than she needs to.
“Aria,” I say quietly.
Something in my tone makes her straighten her spine.
Her eyes narrow slightly.
“What?”
I take a breath.
“You have to leave.”
The smile disappears.
“What?”
“After you visit with the lawyer. It might be best if you went home.”
Confusion floods her face.
“Why?”
I hesitate.
Too many truths.
Not enough lies.
“Because it will be better for you and Liam if you make a clean break.”
I meet her gaze nd the stricken look on her face makes me want to crawl into a hole.
And for the first time since walking into this room…
I realize just how hard it’s going to be to keep lying to her.
- Writer
