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“What if there was a spell that could have been used to figure it out?” I shift to face him. “Why rush to burn the body? Isn’t keeping it on ice until the crime is solved standard procedure?”
Amusement fills his eyes when he glances over at me. “If you haven’t noticed, we’re not exactly set up to keep bodies on ice. Not unless Rodney wanted to make room in the freezer at the butcher shop…”
When he trails off, his body tensing, I turn to look through the windshield, and my stomach sinks. A small crowd stands outside Nesse’s Diner, and I spot a few of the town council among them.
Since Nesse’s never has a wait to be seated, this can’t be good.
I slouch lower in my seat. “Can we circle the statue and go back home?”
“If we do that, they’ll just follow us.” He passes them to park in the small lot attached to the historical society where he keeps an office. “We’re lucky they didn’t ambush us on our porch.”
“Maybe my threat of turning them into toads last time kept them away.” Reluctantly, I unbuckle my seatbelt and climb out.
As we walk the short distance to the Sheriff’s office to meet the others, the cool autumn air seeps through my sweater. Shivering, I burrow my chin into the wide collar of my turtleneck. At some point soon, I’ll need to go shopping for a winter jacket.
When we join the others, Aspen stands with them, having parked at the station. The crowd in front must have stopped him from going directly inside.
Tris cuddles up to my side, wrapping an arm around me to share his body heat. “Looks like some people want to talk to you guys.”
Haut’s lips press together into a thin line. “So it would seem.”
With long-legged strides, he crosses the street, with the rest of us following.
As we near, the crowd shifts, and a familiar-looking man steps to the front. I remember him from the single city council meeting I attended, as well as the infamous porch invasion. Herold, or Henry, or something like that.
Haut stops in front of me. “Horace, what’s this about?”
Well, I got the first letter right.
Horace pulls back his shoulders, though he can’t quite meet Haut’s eyes. “We’ve heard rumors that Tom Arnold’s body was found near the big house. People are scared to go into the woods, and the silence from the sheriff’s department is making our citizens uneasy.”
Restless murmurs go through the crowd.
Haut’s gaze sweeps over them. “Folks, I understand your concerns. We did find Tom’s body, but we’re still investigating the circumstances of his death to determine what killed him.”
“We heard it was a werewolf, just like that rogue who attacked Owen and killed the Wendall heir!” A woman in the crowd points an accusatory finger at Owen. “Everyone knows you can now change outside of the full moon. How can we be sure you’re not involved in this? Maybe you lost control!”
The accusation hangs in the air, and my heart hurts for Owen. My mother’s death had been a stone of shame around Owen’s neck, the town turning their back on a nine-year-old child for something he had no control over.
Hurt flashes across Owen’s face, and he stiffens. “I am not the enemy here. I’ve spent my entire life protecting Hartford Cove, and I would never harm any of you.”
Emboldened by the mood of the crowd, another man steps forward. “Haut, you were the Alpha before Owen, and you led us through times of peace. It’s time for you to take back your position and deal with this new threat, just like your father did.”
Haut’s eyes narrow, and his jaw clenches. “My father wasn’t the only one who joined the hunt for the rogue back then. Owen’s father was the first to step forward to protect this town. And Owen won the position of Alpha from me through challenge. I honor and respect him as my leader.”
Owen steps up next to Haut’s side. “Haut and I are working together, just as we always have. We will find Tom’s killer and deal with them. We understand your fear, but jumping to conclusions won’t help anyone. Let us do our jobs, and we will find out what really happened to Tom. Now, everyone, go home.”
The crowd’s murmurs grow louder, and they exchange uncertain glances, torn between their fear and the order from their Alpha.
My gaze flits over the faces in the crowd, recognizing many of them. These are the same people who I’ve exchanged pleasantries with on the street and who have come to Owen to ask for help since the battle.
Now, they regard us with suspicion and fear.
The woman who accused Owen takes a step back, uncertainty in her expression. “I just want to know what happened to Tom. He may have been a recluse, but he was one of us.”
Owen nods in agreement. “We all want answers, and we promise to find them. But ambushing us in front of Nesse’s Diner is not the way to go about this. Now, go home.”
The power in the command this time ripples through the crowd, and eyes drop, heads dipping in deference to their Alpha. However much they may question Owen’s role, his authority can’t be denied. No one among this crowd is strong enough to challenge him.
