“No, it can’t be…” I murmur, but with the mugshot and the charges, it's clear.
Marlow’s picture stares back at me on the screen, unmistakable even in grainy grayscale, wearing that same cocky smirk I’d seen behind the cell bars. The charges run down the side, but I keep skipping over them, unable to bear reading the list as my eyes keep going back to his face.
When I finally make myself focus on the charges, I wish I hadn’t. One word keep jumping out at me.Murder.
“Maddox isn’t just a petty criminal. He’s a killer, Wynn.”
Dammit. I've been played. So much for my instincts. What kind of sorry wolf always follows the wrong trails? I let myself get conned by a demon with a sob story and a rap sheet as long as my arm.
The laughter in his eyes and the devil-may-care attitude drew me in. He was evasive and coy, sure, but I didn't really think he was capable of… of exactly the crimes listed under his mugshot. If I’d given in to his pleas and let him slip away like I’d been tempted to… I almost let a murderer escape. He’d be hard to track down in the mountains beyond our territory. I almost gave him the chance to escape justice.
"This isn't a game, Wynn." Adelaide's somber voice pulls me from my thoughts. “Trust can be a dangerous weapon when wielded carelessly."
“Adelaide, I’m sorry—”
She holds up a hand. “So am I. I was about to make you my second in command. But now? I'm doubting your judgment. You can't afford to be naive, Wynn."
Her words twist in my gut like a knife. Oh my god. I’m a colossal idiot. Tricked by a pretty face. This isn’t even the first time. It’s my life story.
"What's going to happen now?" I ask quietly, ignoring the way my voice cracks at the end.
Adelaide doesn’t answer right away. She studies me for a long moment, her expression unreadable save for the faint furrow of her brow. When she finally speaks, her tone has softened, not much, but enough to count as friendlier coming from her.
"Maybe you should take a break from pack life. Clear your head. Focus on figuring out what you really want."
Not a bad idea. After losing the fight to a shifter from another pack and then catching and almost freeing a wanted fugitive, the pack probably won't be the warmest place for me over the next few days.
"We have everything under control here," she says. "I've summoned the proper authorities. They're already on their way to apprehend Maddox."
Good. Marlow will get exactly what he deserves. The authorities won’t fall for his sob story or his pretty face like I did.
"Don't forget what I said, Wynn," Adelaide tells me. "Trust wisely."
Not the first time I've heard that advice. I swear that this time I'll take it to heart. I won't let Marlow Maddox or anyone like him fool me again.
4.A Gargoyle of a Different Color
Wynn
When I arrive in the dungeons, I storm up to the lone occupied cell. Marlow watches me lazily, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.
"What did you bring for me this time?" he asks.
I flip him off with both middle fingers.
He frowns. “I was hoping for more cookies.”
I'm happy to be the bearer of bad news. "All you’re getting is a first-class ticket back to Brighton."
“What?” He freezes on the bench, his carefree facade cracking. “What are you talking about?”
"Cut the crap. You aren’t the innocent, unfairly persecuted demon just passing through. You’re a criminal and an asshole."
He shrugs, leaning back. “If the cell fits.”
My mouth actually drops open in shock. That’s it? The jig is up so he's dropped the act? No shame or guilt for being caught, nothing?
“Are you even going to deny it? Defend yourself?”
