You make it to the car and then around the block before you have to stop to breathe.
Shit. That was... shit. Honestly, that's the only word you have to describe it. Bates was a fucking creep. A killer. You can't seem to get his scent out of your nose.
"This was a bad idea," you say. "We didn't learn anything."
"And I've burnt John White."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I won't be getting online as John White again."
"So you won't talk to hunters online anymore?"
Ed sends you a look that lets you know exactly how silly he thinks that question is.
You sigh. "Right. You've got heaps of hunter personas, right?"
"Yeah," Ed says. "And each and every one of them is gathering evidence that helps keep the pack safe."
You silently acknowledge the validity of that point.
Next
You arrive back at the Den just as the sun is setting, not that it's easy to tell. Sunset is different in the city. As the sky grows darker the streets become brighter. Car lights, street lights. The wolf in you doesn't like it. The night is your ally. She helps you hunt. Keeps you safe.
The night should break only for dawn or for the full moon.
But here she is controlled and caged.
You park Vicky's car in its usual spot, climb out and head towards the door.
You stop as something catches your eye. An envelope. Large, white, with no stamp and ridiculously fancy writing flowing across the front. It's sitting on the doorstep.
You stoop to pick it up.
Next