Alpha Micah Black: Homecoming

Chapter23

March 8th, 1:03 P.M., in an alley near 5698 Hill Street

Detective Isaiah Barton and lead Detective George Harper did as I suggested and were staking out Emogene Lawrence. We don’t know her complete involvement with either of the cases, but she is important to us. The department’s dark-colored SUV blended with the shadows the alley provided for cover. My colleagues enjoyed their long Code 7 (eating) while keeping a sharp eye out for our POI.

Isaiah stretched his arms over his head and dumped the rest of the cheese curls over him. George brushed the hoagie crumbs off of his suit and onto the floor. Slobs…eh, as if I’m one to talk. Great. We’re gonna have to send the SUV out for a detailing after this.

“Shouldn’t that weird girl be showing up anytime now?” Barton inquired, saving as many cheese curls as he could.

“Trixie? Yeah,” George mumbled, taking another bite from his sandwich. Damn, that sandwich looks good. I should ask him where he got it from.

“How do you know her again?” Isaiah asked, crunching on his cheesy snack.

“From the university’s biology department. She’s the entomologist’s assistant.”

“Uh…you wanna try that again, but this time in English,” Barton smart-mouthed George.

Rolling his eyes, George explained to Isaiah, “An entomologist studies insects. We used one last case to establish a TOD*.”

*Time of Death

“That’s right,” Barton exclaimed, remembering. “Mike couldn’t stop calling him Buggy, or something like it.”

“Exactly…The sergeant has trouble remembering names,” George snickered.

Eh, he’s not wrong. That’s how Demi Mason, my favorite forensic minion, became Demon. It worked, so I went with it. Back to the story.

A short time later, a familiar black SUV belonging to Blackwater Security pulled up to the building. George immediately recognized the driver–Cole Grayson. His former partner, Roger Oren, dealt with him working on the last case. George wrote in his notepad the changes he saw in Cole.

The vehicle’s door slammed shut, and Cole pulled away from the apartment complex. Trixie bounded up the steps and into the building. Emogene’s connection to both the campus and the Blackwater Industries, Inc. building site is now established.

“We’re deviating from our usual plans,” George stated, taking the lead. We knew he had it in him.

“Oh, where are we headed toward now?” Barton inquired.

“We’re gonna casually drive past the Blackwater building site. Identify our next POI, Mr. Cole Grayson, and then report to Sergeant.”

“Isn’t he still on vacation? Why disturb the man..er, beast?”

George gave him a side glare and a tiny snarl, reminding him with whom he’d been riding. Isaiah slumped in his seat and started the SUV.

“Blackwater is his cousin. Mike can get in to see him easier than we could on our own,” George explained. “s**t! I think I broke a promise I made to him,” he muttered. He did. But, I can let it slide. The truth needed to come out, anyway. Now’s as good of a time as any. Right?

Detective Barton counted to sixty before pulling the SUV out of the alley. This allowed for three cars in between them. There's no need to freak out or alert our POI to our presence. Isaiah nervously tapped his thumbs on the steering wheel while humming a tune. Poor George. But I guess having to listen to Roger drone on throughout each shift, he learned to tune out most things.

Sure enough, and as George called it. Cole Grayson pulled his SUV into the building site’s lot. He stomped his way over to Thomas Peterson’s office. The detectives watched the color drain from Thomas’ face.

“Who let Wolfdale City PD know our little secret? Hmm?” Cole gruffly asked the project manager.

Thomas swallowed hard before the Chief Security Officer lifted him off the ground and flung him into the side of the office trailer, pinning him to the wall.

“It wasn’t me… I-I swear,” Thomas struggled to explain.

“You know it’d be a real shame if that little boy of yours came up missing…a daddy,” Cole threatened. His face scrunched and subtly revealed his wolf. He snapped, snarled, and growled at Thomas. The project manager’s hair turned a few shades greyer that day.

You know, I never figured Cole Grayson would go rogue. He seemed like a pleasant fellow dealing with Detective Officer Roger Oren. But… If he touches one hair on Rocky’s head… There will be no amount of clapping that will bring him back from where I’ll send him. Not even our Moon G-ddess will save him.

With much restraint, Isaiah casually drove past the building site. Both detectives clenched their jaws in sheer frustration. They want to defend Thomas. But since the assault is taking place on private property, they can’t interfere unless someone calls it in. It's stated in Jabberwocky’s city ordinance. George knows Cole has broken supernatural protocol, specifically werewolf law. He’s causing bodily harm to a human. Even Eugene ‘Knapelli’ McDermitt owned up to his mistake–injuring Peter Bryant. His ass is sitting somewhat comfy in our jail.

Meanwhile…

1:15 P.M., 2526 N. Hampton St. Blackwater Industries, Inc. penthouse

The green foliage lapped up the water and fertilizer mixture the older version of Morticia Addams gave them. She hummed a melodious tune while tending to the indoor forest. The animosity oozing off the resident Blackwater Canyon wolves didn’t go unnoticed by her. Placing her watering can down on an accent table, Lila Montgomery sighed.

“I really thought Hanna could do this task by now,” she stated.

“She’s not doing much of anything,” Tiffeny grumbled, pacing in front of the stone fireplace.

“Oh, what’s the reason?”

“I don’t know.” Tiffeny crossed her arms in front and began chewing on one of her nails. I recall Hanna doing a similar thing. I'm wondering if that’s a Lowell thing.

“You need to stop pacing, dear. You’ll give your pup motion sickness,” Lila teased. “Come, sit down. We’ll have some tea and you can tell me all the details you know about Hanna’s current plight of stubbornness.”

“She sure is a stubborn ass like someone else I know,” Tiffeny muttered under her breath. I wonder who she’s referring to?

They both took a seat on the comfy sofa. The noise of rattling teacups came minutes later. Henry placed the tray on the coffee table. His hands shook, pouring the tea into each cup. Surprisingly, he didn’t spill anything during the process. He’s been well-trained to buttle.

“Henry, calm down and breathe,” Tiffeny suggested, taking the teacup from him.

“But… she’s a Montgomery,” he protested through his gritted teeth.

“Only by marriage”—Lila picked up the other teacup from the tray—“and divorced at that.”

“I see,” he said, smoothing his tie and vest. “Will there be anything else?”

“HENRY!” A booming voice reverberated into the living area, shaking the greenery.

“Pardon me, ladies, but my Alpha calls,” he said, politely excusing himself.

“Thank you, Henry,” Luna Tiffeny replied, dismissing the butler.

Turning to Tiffeny, Lila Montgomery continued her inquiry. “Now, where were we?”

“Hanna’s current bout of stubbornness.”

“Right”—Lila sipped her tea—“what brought it on?”

“According to Henry, Dylan came home early and locked himself in his office.”

“And Hanna?”

“Hanna is worthless and should go away…permanently,” Debbie Fergason spat out, interrupting their private conversation. “She’s a cripple, and no one wants her… Not even her mate.” She continued, addressing Tiffeny, “And your mate doesn’t want you either. You two must be cursed or something.”

Tiffeny growled, baring her canines. Debbie trembled and slightly bowed her head. Hate and envy emitted from her. Even with her missing alpha, Luna Tiffeny still held the type of power Debbie’s selfish heart greatly desired.

“Dearie, if you continue… I will turn you into a hairless cat,” Lila Montgomery taunted. Her teacup and saucer sat fixed mid-air. She focused her eyes on the annoying she-wolf. Her fingers twirled, creating a small ball of magical energy. It stretched and changed colors as it weaved through her fingers. When it became the desired color and size, Lila swirled and gathered it around her index finger. She twirled it around playfully, never taking her eyes off Debbie.

Debbie’s eyes grew wider and wider with each subtle movement made by Lila Montgomery. Her eyes darted between the hanging teacup and Lila’s fingers. This witch may not be a Montgomery by blood, but she is dangerous… or is she? Debbie swallowed hard and stepped backward. Lila wasted no time and hurled the purple magical tendril at her. She retrieved her teacup from the air and casually took a sip, giving Tiffeny a wink.

Debbie let out a loud whine. She darted to and fro throughout the penthouse, trying to dodge the magic. The purple tendril pursued her every movement. Her small howls and whimpers echoed throughout the upscale home. Luna Tiffeny covered her mouth with her hands, stifling her cute snorting laugh.

Dylan’s office door opened, and Henry’s head poked out. He watched his alpha’s "chosen for him Luna" running away from something magical. He gasped and quickly shut the door again.

Debbie continued to run until she reached her assigned room. With one last screech, she slammed the door behind her. The purple tendril crashed into hard. It burst into a stardust before fizzling into nothing. Lila Montgomery and Luna Tiffeny couldn’t hold their laughter and let it roar throughout the penthouse.