The Truth

Chapter Five

My eyes are heavy at work the next day. I stand and feed Puffington bits of bread. Watching him wander around cooing. I'll just ignore it. If I don't acknowledge what has happened then it will go away...sure... My ears perk up. Was that a bike or just a very loud car? I look around but I don't see anything. Sniffing the air I can't smell anything either. Puffington relaxed at my feet when I relax back against one of the stone pillers with light posts coming out of them. I've run out of food to toss him, he's getting so fat it's not funny.

I check my watch only 30 minutes left of work. I help the customers, a curious pack member comes through and I put them though the wash as quickly as possible, ignoring their questions and slamming the office door behind me.

10 minutes to go, I go in the back and check on the chemicals and make sure all my hoses can reach.

5 minutes to go, I stick the bright orange traffic cone out in the middle of the drive. No more washes today folks, you should have shown up in the first 9 hours and 55 minutes. I sweep out the wash, rinse down the side brushes, and take out the trash.

A full day at work and I wasn't all that bothered! I'm practically giddy as I make my way back to my house.

I'd left my car at the meeting place last night so I have to walk until my mother brings it back. I can ignore her too, I had sent her a text eariler asking her to drop the keys off in the mailbox.

I walk down the public sidewalk when I hear him pull up. "Need a ride?"

I glance over at him and keep walking. “Come on, just hop on."

I stop and look at Diesel. "You don't have another helmet, and I'm not going to wind up with my brains smashed all over the road. I don't need any kind of ride from you." I turn and keep walking.

"That was a dirty trick you pulled."

I smiled "There's no such thing as a fair fight Alpha, you should know that by now." I let the word Alpha drop off my tongue with as much sarcasm as possible. I can hear him puff over the sound of the bike.

"Get on the damn bike."

I shake my head.

“Your supposed to do what I say. Now get on the damn bike!"

I stop and look at him "Or what? You going to rip my throat out for not taking a ride the last block? That will go over well." I put my hands on my hips and knew I had won. The look on his face said clearly there was no 'or what' to go with his threat.

I laughed at him, and he growled. "What are you doing tonight?"

I smiled but not a happy smile "I have a date."

Did I really have a date? No, but no need to tell him that.

"With who?!" he yelled at me.

I turned my heal and started walking again, just a few more houses to go and I'll be home free.

He kept pulling up and asking “Who?”

Finally I glared at him and told him "With Rhett Butler if you MUST know. So if you don't mind I need a shower!" I opened the fence and stepped in. My car was sitting in the driveway. I got the keys from my mailbox and headed into the house.

The bike roared behind me and I heard him pull off. Yeah a big date with Rhett Butler. I couldn't help but laugh, thinking of how pissed it will make him. Maybe he will go out and find someone new? One can dream.

I look around and see the flowers on my table, still looking as fresh as ever. Like any wolf would think of giving flowers, I will just have to buy my own once these wilt.

I need a change. I glance around again. I don't see anything I really want to change though. Then it hits me, I need a hair cut.

I hop in my car and drive to the nearest place, I have them chop it off so it's just past my shoulders, the lightness feels weird. I shake my head around playing with it. So much better. I order some Mexican on the way home and stop and pick it up. I walk in and sniff something is wrong.

Something is really REALLY wrong. There's another smell here, it's not mine, is it pack? I'm looking around my house. Did someone come in while I was out, laugh at what few things I owned, and take off? Is my place too poor to even rob?

I put my food down on the table and follow the smell. It's coming from my closet. I had left my blanket where it was this morning because I was late to work and was rushing to get there. I'm not a slob, honest.

The smell hits me, this isn't a person it's more of a wild thing. I open the closet and look in, nothing jumps out at me, no monsters in here. I look down there's something white sticking out from my blanket. I bet I ripped a hole in it last night and the stuffing is coming out.

I reach down to pick it up, Puffington rolls out of the blanket. His lifeles body hits the ground in my room with a loud thud. I can't breathe, my heart is pounding in my chest. Someone was here, someone is sending a message but who? There's no sent to track, I can't smell anyone.

I get my phone out and call Diesel. This is pack business-it's not personal. This is an open threat. Someone is threating me. "I need you to come back" was all I said into the phone. I hung up quickly.

The bike pulled up outside, I clicked the light on and opened the door. He looked cocky, up until he saw my face. I guess I look like I’m in shock.

"What is it?"

I point to my room.

He walks in without a second thought, sees the pigeon's lifeless body and picks him up.

My stomach feels sick, I don't like seeing Puffers that way.

"Get it out of here please. Bury it in the back yard."

He growled at me "You called me back here because you killed a bird and didn't want to get rid of it yourself?!"

I shake my head "I didn't kill the bird, someone left it there. Get it out of here please."

He takes out his phone and dials a friend, another bike pulls up, this one is blue.

Josh walks in without even knocking. I sit curled up on my sofa looking at the little shoe box Puff is in. He glanced over at me but doesn't bother asking. I guess my face does look that bad.

Diesel fills him in on what's happened. They only know about the bird, it hasn't even registered with them that Robert was killed. Stupid wolves.

Diesel asks the normal questions, was the door locked? Yes, doggie door too? This I had to stop and think about. Did I check the doggie door this morning? Had I checked the windows? I couldn't remember.

There was no sent in the air, who can do something like that. I was just feeding Puff not even an 2 hours ago! I broke down and started crying. I can't do this I want to move, I'll go to another pack whatever ever is doing this can stay here.

Diesel is talking to Josh, telling him we have to clear out before this Rhett Butler guy shows up for my date, everything has to appear normal.

A funny look comes over Josh's face, "Rhett Butler?" he says his voice full of amusement.

"Yeah, you know him?"

He starts laughing "Yeah, me and about a million others. He's already here. He's looking down at the coffee table. Gone with the Wind is still sitting on it, one VHS tape out of a set of two sitting in the box. Clicking on the TV he pushes the other tape in.

The look on Diesel's face is unreadable.

"Josh, get out. I need to talk to my Luna." his voice is flat. I can see the wolf behind his eyes. Pissed doesn't even cover it. Livid? Maybe.

Josh drops the controller on the table and skirts around him not wanting to be within reach.

"Good luck." he says quietly looking in my direction.

A growl escapes Diesel's lips.

Josh runs for the door, I hear his bike start up, and off he goes.

"What?" I stare back at him, ready for the fight.

"You lied to me. You lied to me to piss me off."

I shrug my shoulders. "It's not my fault your as thick as a brick built school house."

The shoe box catches my eye again. "Was it you?" Now I can feel the first stirrings of my own wolf. "Did you kill Puffers like you killed Robert?! Did you even care he had people that depend on him?"

The look on his face was stunned. "I didn't kill your stupid bird and I don't even know who the f**k Robert is."

I jump up off the sofa as if it's on fire. I advanced on him, my own power coming off me in waves. I stopped just in front of him glaring up at him. "THE HUMAN! The human I went out with! The human who bought me flowers! You saw us at the wash! You knew we had a date! You fallowed me to the restorant! Then you killed him when he went home! I know it was you, I heard the branches break under your feet because you where standing there waiting like a damn snake! That wasn't enough for you though was it?! He made me laugh. No, wasn't enough. You had to go and kill Puffers and leave him in my room! A way to get back at me for having plans tonight!" My voice was coming out with growls.

His head was shaking "I didn't kill your damn human, I thought he was this Rhett guy. I didn't kill the damn bird either. Pack some cloths."