The Mating(102)

“Isn’t he perfect? And strong too! Takes after me.” John boasted as he crossed the room and peeked in the oven. “Mmm, ham and scalloped potatoes for lunch! Helen you’re the best. The guys will appreciate that after being out in the cold and wet.”

“Wet?” Elise glanced out the window. It wasn’t raining.

“Yeah, down by the mouth of the river. Someone—aka Ryne—left three barrels of oil there. Thankfully, the patrols scared the guy off before he tipped over all three. The clean-up won’t be nearly as extensive since we caught it so early. Kane’s been out there coordinating the operation almost constantly for the past two days.

Helen looked meaningfully at Elise. “That explains it, Elise. He’s been so busy; he hasn’t had time for anything else.”

Elise gave Helen a faint smile, not nearly as hopeful as the other woman was, but at least she now knew where Kane was spending his time. Hmm... Barrels of oil. Oil containers were missing from the back of Marty’s garage. It was too much of a coincidence for it to be a coincidence. Ryne had probably seen the oil there when he left his car, or Marla—posing as Marlene—had noticed it and told Ryne.

Recalling how dishevelled and muddy Marla had been coming in the other morning, it now made sense. She’d been out helping put the barrels in the river, though why she was helping Ryne after he’d threatened her, still made no sense.

The next question was how to convince Kane of what was going on. There was no hard evidence. Marla wouldn’t be dumb enough to leave muddy shoes and pants lying around, and obviously she’d masked her scent since no one mentioned scenting her. Furrowing her brow, Elise wondered how she could prove her suspicions. She considered telling Helen and John, but decided to go to Kane with her evidence first. Even if he was mad at her, he was the Alpha and anything concerning the pack on a large scale needed to be brought before him.

Deciding some fresh air might help her think about how to present her case, she took her leave of Helen and John. Helen seemed reluctant to let her go, but Elise assured her she’d only be gone a short time.

Standing in the back entryway, she looked out the window checking the weather, hesitating about going back to get her cell phone. She didn’t plan on being out for long, though. Did she even need a coat? It was rather chilly, but for the most part, werewolves were immune to slight fluctuations in the temperature though, like all creatures, prolonged exposure to the cold could have its effects. Finally deciding to grab a light jacket, she stepped outside.

After an extremely warm October, November was proving to be colder than normal. The trees were now just bare skeletons, their once colourful foliage long gone. A cool, damp breeze danced across the open spaces, reminding everyone that winter was just around the corner and, on most nights, frost blanketed the land.

As Elise stared up at the sky, she noted the heavy grey clouds gathering on the horizon and sniffed the air. Snow was likely. For the most part, she enjoyed the wet, white stuff especially in her wolf form. It was great to tumble in, and the white blanket made the whole forest seem like a giant treasure hunt. Interesting smells would rise through the snow, begging her to dig through the fluffy layers in order to discover what was hidden beneath. She wondered if Kane enjoyed a winter romp as well, but the idle thought made the smile leave her face. He probably wouldn’t want to go with her anyway.

Shoving her hands in her pockets, she stared at the ground as she walked instinctively heading for the woods and the trail that ran through it. The sound of footsteps caught her attention and she looked up curious as to who else was there. With narrowed eyes, she watched the figure approach. Average size, light brown hair, shoulders hunched. It was Rose. Pausing, Elise waited for the other girl to catch up to her. To the best of her knowledge, Rose hadn’t spread her rumour beyond Zoe and Phoebe, but Elise felt the need to set her straight just in case.

“Morning, Rose.” She called out once the girl was close enough to hear her.

“Elise.” Rose looked at her a bit warily, as if unsure what to do, then took a deep breath and gave a rather forced looking smile. “I was just heading out for a walk. Care to come with me?”

Somewhat surprised by the offer, Elise hesitated before nodding. This was a change. Where was the angry attitude of a few days ago? Could Zoe have talked to her and explained the situation? Possibly.

“Uh... Sure. A walk would be great.” They headed into the woods together, each cautiously observing the other. Finally, tension seemed to get to both of them at the same time.

“Elise—”

“Rose—”