“Also, no humans were harmed,”which you already know, you dick,“and from what I hear, no humans were even around. This happened after hours.”
My eyes flicked to Alic. He gave me a subtle nod, confirming my educated guess.
“So, you see, this could’ve happened anywhere. To anyone. Not just supes.”
The chief looked away, muttering under his breath, “...goddamn supes… fucking vermin…”
Power flared under my skin, sharp and itchy. Did he really hate us, or did he secretly want us? Was there lust buried under all that righteous hate? Either would give me leverage. Maso’s hand touched my shoulder, steady and grounding. He gave a small shake of his head, so I calmed my power back down.
He was right. Poking the chief of police would only cause a shitstorm we’d be stuck cleaning up. I had better things to do than spar with bitter, useless humans.
Alic stepped in, voice calm but firm. “We’ve got it from here, Chief. Looks like this was done by another supe, anyway, so we’ll clean up and make it like nothing ever happened.”
Polite words for:Get the fuck out.
The chief scanned the scene, sighed, then turned to leave, but not without one last jab.
“Clean it up. And make sure it doesn’t happen again. Keep your kind in check, Mrs. Glovefox.”
Gritting my teeth, I forced a smile and waved.
“You bet, Chief. Have a nice night.” Under my breath, I added, “You worthless bag of maggot food.”
With that done, I could focus on what mattered. My eyes dropped to the shredded remains.
“What’ve you got?”
Alic straightened, hands locked behind his back. “Human called it in this morning. Once they realized it was a supe, they contacted me. Maso and I assumed it was a fight gone bad. Turns out, not so simple.”
Maso pointed to the mangled mess that barely resembled a person. “With everything torn to ribbons, it was hard to make an ID, but there were two pieces left intact.” He nudged an arm with his boot. The Syndicate tattoo was unmistakable, a skull with lightning-struck eyes superimposed over a five-pointed star, the whole thing surrounded by a bold circle. “And that,” he added, nodding toward the severed head.
Taking a few steps toward it, I crouched down for a better look.
Lifeless brown eyes stared up at me, fear frozen in them. His blood-matted curls stuck to the ground. His mouth was open like he’d died mid-scream.
Standing up, I wiped my palms on my pants, trying to get the stench off.
“If I didn’t need him alive to talk, I’d almost admire the handiwork.” Shaking my head, I cursed. “Fuck. Fucking shit.”
Kicking at the dirt, a tight knot formed in my chest. This was my only lead. Now? Nothing.
I looked off, closing my eyes as my nails bit into my leather jacket. I let the fury, failure, and disappointment wash over me, then forced it out. Couldn’t let it fester. Not now. Not with the club reopened.
I’d tell Ezra I needed help. I hated it, but we needed to find out whether this was personal or a message to the Syndicate. Was it for money? Power? Either way, someone had signed their death warrant.
Turning, I made a mental note to text Ezra. “Gather the remains,” I told Alic and Maso. “Send them to his mother.”
Alic raised a brow.
“What? It’s not like she did anything tome.”
His voice dropped, becoming quiet and cautious. “So, we’re treating a traitor like kin?”
Meeting his gaze, my voice grew softer. “That hasn’t been proven.”
Alic made a show of glancing at the ribbons of flesh, his silence thick with judgment.
I shook my head. “Him turning up deadnow, right when we were closing in? It’s too neat. Tell me, what werewolf do you know who can shred someone this precisely? Has the patience for this kind of work? Nova wouldn’t, and she’s the most powerful, most controlled one I know.”
