“Detective Roseland?” I say, startled.
“Yes!” he hisses.
“He thinks I’m the killer, too.”
“Exactly, if Roseland thinks it’s you, it must be.”
I stare at him. “I don’t have any words to say. I am aghast that you all think I’m capable of such evil.”
God, this is entertaining.
My eyes flick to the side, and he turns, spotting the snake. He screams and shoves me towards the boulders. I go willingly, but then he shoves me into the forest, and I know exactly where I am. This is one of my deep hunting areas. Where I come out when I need to be alone with just me and the world.
This part of the forest is thicker; the canopy is dense, and very little light filters through. It’s cold in the shade, and the pine needles are soft underfoot. It’s eerie. The trees seem like they are a hundred foot high or taller, and you can’t put your arms around the trunks. It’s an old place. An eldritch environment.
The kind of ground that requires a bloodletting to let you pass unscathed.
People always ask me how I conquer this world, but the truth is I don’t conquer anything. I come out here, and I face this world respectfully, playing by its rules, but I’m just a visitor, and this place is older than humanity. It has seen all the world has to offer, and it demands a piece of your soul if you want to play here.
Over the next hour, Kendall gets more and more uneasy, and I just keep leading him deeper and deeper into this world.
He shoves me out of nowhere, and I slam into a tree, cutting the bridge of my nose. I touch my fingers to the blood and press it to the tree.
“It’s time to die, bitch.”
I snort and try to muffle my laughter, turning it into a sob.
“Don’t hurt me,” I cry out.
He glowers at me and reaches for his knife.
Sadly, while we were swimming, I decided to separate him from his weapon. He pats his pants and chest, spitting and hissing in frustration.
“Why is nothing going as planned?” he howls.
“Why are you killing me out here?” I ask because I honestly don’t understand.
“No one will look for you if you are out here dead. By the time they find you, you will be gone. I checked. You only have your family and that idiot I stabbed. You have no community.”
I cock my head to the side. “I do, though.”
He laughs and pulls out a scalpel.
“You don’t. You are alone. No pack. No friends. No acquaintance, even. The detective thinks that you are the killer. I know you are. All you do is live out here and kill people.”
I stare at him and let the mask I’m wearing disappear. “And you thought it was a good idea to bring the serial killer you are hunting to her home territory?” I chuckle deeply. “Aren’t you arrogant?”
“You are the killer!” he shouts in triumph.
“No, I’m not Vengeance.” I laugh softly.
He pauses, staring at me with a frown. “What do you mean?”
“I’m not the serial killer who is named Vengeance. I don’t have a name. No one has ever looked at me. No one knows when the bodies go missing.” I bark a harsh laugh. “No one knows where I hide them.” I break free of the zip ties and move towards him.
“But…what?” His eyes are wild, the whites showing.
“You have been a very, very bad beta,” I murmur as I get close. He doesn’t see me reach into my pocket.
