Chapter 17
I'm standing underneath a spray of hot water in the wolves' bathroom, feeling like a knife's been shoved into my chest.
The second we saw Terry's body, we all shifted back and changed into our clothes and took in the mess in front of us.
There were no words to express how I felt in that moment when I looked at Terry's dead body. His throat slashed, body mutilated with blood spattered everywhere on the ground. Numb would be a reasonable answer, but the realization that I knew this man who's been somewhat of a father figure to me for all these years, makes the pain inside my chest a lot worse.
The question I keep asking myself is why target someone like Terry? He was a man who kept to himself and worked extremely hard at the diner to earn his way in life. There were days where he'd shout at the customers who would insult his cooking, but nothing to result in him getting killed.
Another dead body found yet it's the same month as Mr Daniel's death - could it be a different killer or has the motive changed? But what could've changed to make the killer target two innocent men who were kind and forgiving?
It's still hard for me to process the fact that Terry is now gone and that there won't be someone there who was like a father to me.
I'm engrossed at the scene in front of me but when I realise that Kellan's moved from his position to grab something in Terry's hand, it takes my attention away from the lifeless body. Kellan picks up what appears to be a piece of crinkled paper and hands it to Ryder. He looks at the paper handed to him, takes it from Kellan and opens it in silence. I watch Ryder's face changing a split second from having no emotion at all to anger.
“Ryder, you alright?” Kellan looks worryingly at Ryder. Ryder looks away, I can see him tensing his jaw. “What's wrong?” I look at the piece of paper.
He puts the crinkled paper in the back pocket of his jeans. “Nothing's wrong. Let's just do something about the body.”
I frown. “What does it say?” “I said it's nothing.”
“Ryder, it's obviously something to do with me otherwise you'd show it.” I snap.
Ryder turns his back on us. “Alice, just leave it, okay?”
I scoff. “What do you mean just leave it? Another body has been found, and this time it's on your property. You're standing there like it's no big deal!”
He swings back around. “No big deal? Do you think that I don't care that there's a dead body here? You're wrong to think that I don't give a damn about this! Not only do we have a murderer to look out for, but someone who wants to definitely pursue you.” Ryder takes the crinkled paper from his pocket, grabs my hand and slams the paper in my palm.
I turn over the paper and feel nausea creeping up on me. In black handwriting are the words 'Over the clothes you're definitely an eight, but without the clothes, you're a ten. I hope you don't mind that I took a few pictures' ending with a smiley face.
The tears start falling as I look repeatedly at the message personally written to me just minutes after I shifted, but another realisation hits me when not only has someone caught me changing, but that person has undoubtedly watched me shift in pure daylight, putting me and the wolves in danger.
I look around to try and gather some sense from where that person could've been hiding.
“I thought I was alone.” I wipe my eyes. “Obviously not.”
Bane speaks up for the very first time. “The property goes on for miles, and the fucker could've been hiding anywhere.”
“What if they're watching us right now, making it look like we did this to Terry?” I point at the body.
“They've got no evidence to prove that we had anything to do with this.” Ryder frowns down at the body. “But why here? Of all places, why place the body here?”
A few minutes go by without anyone talking.
Kellan speaks with a gentle voice. “I think I need to call my dad. A dead body placed on your property Ryder is something we can't handle ourselves. This person really wants us to get caught for this murder. My dad would say a murder like this, is definitely personal.”
Each and every one of us looks at the body in silence.
Silver growls. “Why are we just standing here looking at a dead body like it's gonna come back alive? We should be out there looking for this psycho right now because, for all we know, they could still be out there.” Silver points out into the forest.
More silence.
Ryder doesn't say anything for a while. “Kellan call your dad, but make sure he doesn't bring any reporters here.
The last thing I need is people pointing their fingers at me making me out to be the murderer.”
He dismisses Kellan and looks at both of his Betas. “I want you two to stay clear when Kellan's dad gets here. Do whatever you feel the need to do. Search the area, look for footprints, but for gods sakes don't shift. We don't want to add more fuel to the fire.”
Both Silver and Bane leave without a word.
Ryder comes over to me and rests his hands gently on my shoulders. “The cops will be here soon, searching the area for a few hours, but you can stay and get yourself cleaned up or I can take you home.”
My mother won't be home for a few hours and the thought of being alone especially with someone out there watching me sickens me. “I'll stay if it's okay with you. I don't want to be alone after...” I look over at Terry and feel my eyes welling up with tears again.
Ryder immediately pulls me into his arms in an embracing hug and holds me for a few minutes. “You can stay with me as long as you want. It's easier for me to protect you if you're with me.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him deeply to me. It's the first contact I've had with another person since finding Terry, and it's all become very overwhelming.
Shortly after the moment with Ryder, I leave to go into the house and into the en suite bathroom in Ryder's room. I spend a good amount of time in the shower to gather my thoughts and think about what will happen when word gets out that Terry has become a victim of the murderer.
Something tells me that after this death, citizens are going to start noticing that people are going missing, but will the people of Small Town realize the danger they are in, or will they completely ignore the fact that there's a killer out there on a murdering spree?
I'm so lost in thought that I don't realize the door to the bathroom is opening. The steam from the water covers the shower door hiding whoever it is that's entered unannounced.
My heart starts beating when I think the worst is going to happen.
“Who's there?” I try to sound confident but my voice trembles instead.
“Relax, it's just me.”
I relax the moment I hear Ryder's soothing voice. 'I did knock, but I didn't hear your answer. So, I thought I'd check on you just to make sure you're doing okay.”
I sigh and try to cover myself from Ryder even though he can't see me. “I'm sorry, I was just thinking about Terry, and how people are going to react when they start realizing that he and Mr. Daniels are gone.”
Ryder stands in front of the shower door where I can see his silhouette. “We will find whoever's killing these people. They'll make a mistake, they'll get caught and we'll be there when they do.”
Why do I not feel reassured?
I turn off the water and sit myself down on the tile floor. “I just can't believe he's gone. I mean, what am I supposed to do when I show up at the diner tomorrow? Do I act like nothing's happened or what?”
“Going to the diner tomorrow if this gets out might not be a great idea. The killer might be there looking for its next victim, and for some reason they targeted Terry. All I can think about is what if it results in you getting hurt.”
“Why would I get hurt? I've done nothing wrong. They've already hurt me by killing two people that I considered friends.”
Ryder sighs. “Just stay away from the diner at least until the questions stop.”
“And how long will that be?”
Ryder shrugs. “I don't know, but from now on we're gonna watch ourselves because for all we know, the person who took those photos of you could be the same person killing these people.”
I sigh. “Ryder they have photos of me shifting. I'm so sorry to put you in this position.”
Ryder says nothing other than opens the shower door.
I bring my knees closer to my chest. He's seen me in this state more than once, I can't bring myself to ask him to leave after all he's done for me.
Ryder comes to sit next to me with his legs stretched in front of him. “Don't ever apologise when it's not your fault.”
I look at him. “But it is my fault, I should've been more careful, or at least hid somewhere in the forest and out of sight.”
Ryder shakes his head. “It's their fault for trespassing on private property. Stop blaming yourself, Alice. They shouldn't have been there in the first place.” A moment of silence passes.
“Ryder, I have to tell you something.” “What is it?”
“It's about Max.”
Ryder tenses his jaw and nods.
I clear my throat. “When Max came to school on his first day, we talked about stuff, and he told me something about his mum that I found out was a lie.”
He indicates me to go on.
“He told me that his mum works at the hospital, and last night I asked my mum if she works with someone with the surname Fields, but the thing is, she told me that she's never come across that name before. My mother's worked there for over twenty years. Why would he lie about something like that?”
Ryder shows no expression other than a slight frown on his face. “I don't know.”
“Look, I think you're right about staying away from him because ever since he came to Small Town, it's like everything's fallen apart or something's gone wrong. The lies and that mysterious recovery he had after being in a fight. I'm pretty sure after last night's fight he's probably recovered by now.”
“I swear Alice, the fight you saw last night was the only one I was responsible for.”
I look closely at Ryder and for some reason, I feel that he's telling the truth. “Okay, I believe you.”
Ryder nods and picks himself off the floor getting ready to leave. “I went to look for some clothes for you, but I could only find these.”
“Thank you.”
Ryder looks at my position on the floor and clears his throat. “If this whole Max situation bothers you, we could always ask him, you know.”
I scoff. “I hope you don't mean beating him up again.”
“Alice, I only did that because he lied about the first beating. I don't mess around when it comes to being blamed for something I didn't do.”
I say nothing.
“If you want we'll go and you can ask him whatever it is you want to know. It's better to know than to not know. That's all I'm saying.”
I think for a moment whether confronting Max is a good idea but after today I need answers more than anything.
“I'll go tomorrow, you can come with me if you want.” Ryder grins. “I'd love to.”