A Shade of Doubt
Page 22
I stayed behind in the Great Dome as the assembly piled out. Sofia and Derek remained seated at the table even as the last person exited. I approached them slowly, wary of interrupting their conversation. Sofia looked up at me and gave me a weak smile.
I bent down and kissed her forehead. “I don’t think there’s much I can do to relieve the pressure on you. But I just want you to know how proud I am of both of you.”
She breathed out, rubbing her forehead. “Thanks, Dad,” she said, her smile a little broader and warmer this time. She squeezed my hand.
“You both should get an early night.”
They exchanged glances and nodded.
“We will,” Sofia said.
We left the Dome together and made our way back to the Residences, where we parted ways.
I couldn’t be bothered to wait for my elevator, and besides, I needed to stretch my limbs after such a long meeting, so with one giant leap, I plunged myself upward and, shooting up toward the canopy of leaves, landed on my veranda.
I headed straight for my front door, and didn’t notice a shadow stirring to my left until it had fully emerged.
“Aiden.”
I almost jumped with surprise to see Kailyn standing next to me.
“Oh, hi,” I said, attempting a smile.
I hadn’t seen her since I’d taught her and her sister how to use their washing machine.
Opening the door for her, I nodded inside. “Would you like to come in?”
She stepped inside and I followed after her. I gestured toward the couch and she sat down. She shifted in her seat, looking uncomfortable. Finally, she stared at me and asked, “Do you really suspect one of us?”
I heaved a sigh, leaning back in my chair, as I looked at her. The truth was, I didn’t know. None of us had known these werewolves long enough to judge their character. From what I’d seen of them so far, they appeared to be civilized creatures. But I of all people knew that appearances could be deceiving.
I wasn’t sure how to answer Kailyn without offending her. I shook my head. “I don’t know,” I said honestly.
Disappointment shrouded her eyes. “I know our pack, Aiden. Nobody would have done this. We may have a leaning toward human flesh, but we werewolves are loyal creatures. We would not have betrayed you in this way. Besides, many of us are grateful to be on this island and have basic amenities like running water. You don’t know the life we lived before we came here…”
When I didn’t respond, she shot to her feet and began to pace impatiently around the room.
“The Micah who took Rose wasn’t Micah. I swear. My sister is practically best friends with the guy. He never would have done this.”
I ran a hand through my hair. “I’m not sure what you want me to say.”
Kailyn let out a soft growl as she walked up to my seat and towered over me. “Say that you trust us.”
“I do trust you. But then I also trust our vampires. Of the two groups who could have carried out this attack, I’m inclined to believe that the werewolves are behind this. I’ve known the vampires on this island far too long to suspect them.”
Her blue eyes bored into mine for several moments before she slumped back into her chair.
I felt guilty that I couldn’t give her the straightforward answer she wanted. But I was being honest. “You shouldn’t be too worried though,” I said. “As long as we need Mona, you will always have a place on this island. We may just have to put some extra precautions in place… some strong boundaries to keep you wolves separate from the rest of us…”
Now it was Kailyn’s turn to heave a sigh.
There was no point discussing this now. We’d been back and forth all day in the Dome trying to come up with a solution, a compromise that would keep all parties satisfied. I was sick of this topic now. I stood up and walked over to the kitchen. Since she was still in her human form, I figured I should offer her a refreshment.
“Do you want something to drink?”
“What do you have?”
I opened my cupboard and scanned the shelves. I smiled bitterly at the homemade chamomile tea bags that Adelle used to love when she visited me. I hadn’t touched the chamomile since I’d last seen her, and I guessed that it would be a while before I could bear to make it again.
“How does herbal tea sound? Elderberry, nettle, mint…”
“I’ll try elderberry.”
I set about preparing the tea. Kailyn walked over to me as I did. Leaning against the kitchen counter as the kettle boiled, she cast her eyes around my apartment.
“So you live in this big place all by yourself, huh?” She threw me a sideways glance.
“Yes.”
A silence fell between us as I busied myself preparing the tea. I set a cup down for her and we sat opposite each other. I watched her sip it cautiously. She reached for the honey in the center of the table and added a dollop. Her freckled face lit up as she tasted the drink.
She looked up, and our eyes met. Her expression was serious.
“You know, I lost my partner too.”
“Oh,” I said, taken aback. “I… I’m sorry to hear that.”
She breathed in deeply, and a flicker of pain crossed her face. This was hardly turning out to be the light-hearted conversation I’d hoped to lead us toward, but somehow I was touched that she would choose to share something like this with me.
“My mate,” she continued, tracing the rim of her cup with her index finger as she stared down at her tea, “he was killed back in the supernatural realm. During an attack by ogres—relatives of Brett’s, actually. My mate was the one leading everyone to charge. He went first. Got speared through the heart.”
I bent down and kissed her forehead. “I don’t think there’s much I can do to relieve the pressure on you. But I just want you to know how proud I am of both of you.”
She breathed out, rubbing her forehead. “Thanks, Dad,” she said, her smile a little broader and warmer this time. She squeezed my hand.
“You both should get an early night.”
They exchanged glances and nodded.
“We will,” Sofia said.
We left the Dome together and made our way back to the Residences, where we parted ways.
I couldn’t be bothered to wait for my elevator, and besides, I needed to stretch my limbs after such a long meeting, so with one giant leap, I plunged myself upward and, shooting up toward the canopy of leaves, landed on my veranda.
I headed straight for my front door, and didn’t notice a shadow stirring to my left until it had fully emerged.
“Aiden.”
I almost jumped with surprise to see Kailyn standing next to me.
“Oh, hi,” I said, attempting a smile.
I hadn’t seen her since I’d taught her and her sister how to use their washing machine.
Opening the door for her, I nodded inside. “Would you like to come in?”
She stepped inside and I followed after her. I gestured toward the couch and she sat down. She shifted in her seat, looking uncomfortable. Finally, she stared at me and asked, “Do you really suspect one of us?”
I heaved a sigh, leaning back in my chair, as I looked at her. The truth was, I didn’t know. None of us had known these werewolves long enough to judge their character. From what I’d seen of them so far, they appeared to be civilized creatures. But I of all people knew that appearances could be deceiving.
I wasn’t sure how to answer Kailyn without offending her. I shook my head. “I don’t know,” I said honestly.
Disappointment shrouded her eyes. “I know our pack, Aiden. Nobody would have done this. We may have a leaning toward human flesh, but we werewolves are loyal creatures. We would not have betrayed you in this way. Besides, many of us are grateful to be on this island and have basic amenities like running water. You don’t know the life we lived before we came here…”
When I didn’t respond, she shot to her feet and began to pace impatiently around the room.
“The Micah who took Rose wasn’t Micah. I swear. My sister is practically best friends with the guy. He never would have done this.”
I ran a hand through my hair. “I’m not sure what you want me to say.”
Kailyn let out a soft growl as she walked up to my seat and towered over me. “Say that you trust us.”
“I do trust you. But then I also trust our vampires. Of the two groups who could have carried out this attack, I’m inclined to believe that the werewolves are behind this. I’ve known the vampires on this island far too long to suspect them.”
Her blue eyes bored into mine for several moments before she slumped back into her chair.
I felt guilty that I couldn’t give her the straightforward answer she wanted. But I was being honest. “You shouldn’t be too worried though,” I said. “As long as we need Mona, you will always have a place on this island. We may just have to put some extra precautions in place… some strong boundaries to keep you wolves separate from the rest of us…”
Now it was Kailyn’s turn to heave a sigh.
There was no point discussing this now. We’d been back and forth all day in the Dome trying to come up with a solution, a compromise that would keep all parties satisfied. I was sick of this topic now. I stood up and walked over to the kitchen. Since she was still in her human form, I figured I should offer her a refreshment.
“Do you want something to drink?”
“What do you have?”
I opened my cupboard and scanned the shelves. I smiled bitterly at the homemade chamomile tea bags that Adelle used to love when she visited me. I hadn’t touched the chamomile since I’d last seen her, and I guessed that it would be a while before I could bear to make it again.
“How does herbal tea sound? Elderberry, nettle, mint…”
“I’ll try elderberry.”
I set about preparing the tea. Kailyn walked over to me as I did. Leaning against the kitchen counter as the kettle boiled, she cast her eyes around my apartment.
“So you live in this big place all by yourself, huh?” She threw me a sideways glance.
“Yes.”
A silence fell between us as I busied myself preparing the tea. I set a cup down for her and we sat opposite each other. I watched her sip it cautiously. She reached for the honey in the center of the table and added a dollop. Her freckled face lit up as she tasted the drink.
She looked up, and our eyes met. Her expression was serious.
“You know, I lost my partner too.”
“Oh,” I said, taken aback. “I… I’m sorry to hear that.”
She breathed in deeply, and a flicker of pain crossed her face. This was hardly turning out to be the light-hearted conversation I’d hoped to lead us toward, but somehow I was touched that she would choose to share something like this with me.
“My mate,” she continued, tracing the rim of her cup with her index finger as she stared down at her tea, “he was killed back in the supernatural realm. During an attack by ogres—relatives of Brett’s, actually. My mate was the one leading everyone to charge. He went first. Got speared through the heart.”
