The Shadows in the Hills: Triple Threat

Chapter Thirty Eight

When I told Brodie, he seemed pleased that I had managed to put at least some of my feelings to bed. He was less happy about the police turning up on the doorstep. He agreed with Gerald that I had done the right thing. I had ended up crying when I told him that I couldn't deny he was the triplet's father. It might have made me sad thinking about it, but all it had done was make him happy. He looked proud as punch when I said it to him and it lightened my mood seeing that cheeky smile of his.

"I guess I had better cancel the meeting I had planned tomorrow. Gerald said you asked him to take Theo while they were here. It was a smart move. We had best make sure the three of them are in the nursery early tomorrow. Turner is obviously trying to expose us all, but it's best not to help him on his way." I was sitting on the bench at the bottom of the bed and continued to brush and plait my hair as we talked.

"Brodie, I need to know what happened that night."

"What night?"

"The night she went missing, don't play dumb. I asked you at the time and you refused to discuss it, but I really need to know what I am facing now." I couldn't even say her name. To do so, seemed to give her some sort of power over us.

"It's best you don't know."

"Did you kill her?"

"No. How could you even consider I am capable of killing one of my own?"

"Honestly, I think you would be capable of killing just about anyone if they threatened me." Or the triplets for that matter. I didn't even just think he was capable, I knew he was.

"Rachelle was no threat to you. Not really. I didn't need to kill her." I had been so sure he had done it. That night I had heard the cries of a werewolf and thought it was him out of guilt for what he had done.

"So, where is she?"

"I honestly have no idea." I wasn't sure if I believed him. They had been together when I left. It made no sense that someone else had been responsible for her disappearance. "She tried to attack you. I fended her off until you were far enough away that she couldn't get to you. Then, I told her the truth. I told her I loved you and nothing she could do would change that. It broke her. Rachelle loved me. Not like with Cassie, she only ever loved power. Rachelle had loved me since we were kids. I loved her too, just not the way I love you. She ran off completely broken hearted and I haven't seen her since."

"She can't have just disappeared though surely." I tried to ignore the rest of what he had said. There wasn't enough patience within me to acknowledge him loving someone else. Let alone someone else loving him so much that she fled from her home. It was possible that the howls I had heard that night had been from Rochelle and not Brodie.

"She did, and I'm feeling rather ashamed of myself for letting her stay gone. To begin with, it was safer for you with her out of the way. It's no excuse for leaving it so long and doing nothing about it. Part of me thinks that Turner has her and that's why he's sending the police after me." That at least made perfect sense to me.

"Any sort of plan in mind?"

"Not yet. I will get the interview out of the way first, then we can all brainstorm. At the end of the day, I didn't kill her, so all I have to do is make sure there is no exposure." I hoped he could manage it. It wasn't about him, or me or even Rochelle. It was about the whole pack. If humans discovered who or rather what we really were, they would hunt us down. Not a single member of the pack would be safe, including my babies.

I finally climbed into bed beside him. I had brushed my hair for way longer than was necessary. It helped me keep a bit of distance between us while we talked. With that all behind us, it was time to find the comfort I needed in his arms. The security that filled me as he wrapped his muscles around me, his chin lightly resting on my shoulder. "You don't need to worry my little blood sucker. We will get through this and everything else. You and I are too good of a team not to succeed.

I turned my face upwards, looking into his eyes and believing every word. His charm always had me believing him. It also always made me give in to his will. I felt him shift away slightly and roll me backwards, covering me quickly with his body. Each time we got into that bed together it felt like a fresh start. Like we would start the morning with a blank slate. That night of all nights I needed that feeling more than ever before.