Mishaps and Wolves (OLD VERSION)

Chapter 33 - A Story To Tell

Chapter 33 - A Story To Tell

Marissa was looking at the satnav map and thinking about how they would sneak shifters into a place full of people whose noses could pick up scents miles away. It was a conundrum that her brain had an answer to but just before she could reach it, somebody knocked on Roman's office door, destroying her concentration.

Switching the device to sleep mode, she handed it over to him, where he placed it in one of the desk drawers before calling out "Come in!"

The door opened and in stepped a man with dark skin and a bald head. He was much taller than her and that alone told her that he was one

Roman stood up as he entered and lead him over to the sofas. Marissa followed, choosing to take a seat next to Roman so that she could watch the man as Roman interrogated him.

"Stanley," Roman began, leaning forward in a relaxed position with his elbows resting on his knees, "I need to know everything from the night of the fire in Laura's house. We need to keep the records up to date with all incident reports in case we ever need to check on something."

Stanley nodded, nothing in his gaze to indicate that he hadn't believed his Alpha or knew that his Alpha was hiding something. "I was just finishing my patrol and heading over to the Pack House when I smelt smoke. I thought it was odd considering nobody would burn something to the point where the smell was that strong. I followed it to Laura's house and that's when I noticed all the smoke that was gathering in the house. I opened the door and ran in, looking for anyone who was in the house."

"Where did you see Cinna?," Roman asked him

"Cinna came out of nowhere from behind me on the first floor and said she thought Laura was away but I told her that Laura had gone home early from Annabelle's tea party because Vera wasn't feeling too well. Then we both went around looking for Vera and Laura. I found her in the bathroom and dragged her out. Near the door, Julian met up with me and we both forced Laura out. That's when I looked around and realized that Cinna still hadn't come out with little Vera. I would have gone back into the house but by then everything near the door was on fire and I couldn't make it in."

He looked over at Marissa, "If it weren't for you, they both might have died in that fire."

Marissa blushed slightly  at the gratitude but stayed silent, letting Roman pull the witness statement from Stanley, and paid attention to every last thing he mentioned to see if it fit with what they already knew. So far, things had aligned from what Roman had retold her about Laura, and most of it fit with what Cinna was saying to.

"Who raised the alarm about the fire?" she asked, wanting to check something.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not sure. I came out of the house with Laura and Julian and people were already beginning to try and put as much of the fire out as they could before it reached any of the other houses or the forest."

"Alright then, I think that's all Stanley. If there's something specific I need to know, I'll try and find you." Roman said as he stood up and held his hand out. Stanley and Marissa followed after him and Stanley took Roman's hand for a firm handshake. Marissa held her hand out too to seem polite and Stanley made his way out of Roman's office, shutting the door behind him.

They both sat back down on the sofa and Roman turned to her, "What did you think?"

Marissa thought over everything that Stanley had said. There were little things that didn't add up, but she just couldn't pinpoint exactly what they were. It was like the missing piece of an equation and she couldn't find the blasted piece. "Everything seems to make sense. I just have a nagging feeling like we're missing something."

Roman smiled and leaned back on the sofa, "That's your animal instinct trying to guide you."

"Oh yeah? You think so?" she smiled at him.

He shrugged, "Sounds like animal instincts to me. Maybe hanging around us long enough has turned you more animal that human." He got up and went back to his desk, opening his laptop.

Marissa styed on the sofa, frozen as she watched him. Was he asking her if she wanted to change over? He'd been quite blasé about the whole animal instinct thing, but could he have meant something else? She just let the thoughts go. She wasn't going to change, she was just fine the way she was and she didn't want to have those problems that seemed attached to the whole shape-shifting package. Painful shape shifting...turning into an animal that, if seen in normal circumstances, could be shot or hunted down...Nope. It didn't sound that great when she put it like that.

But wouldn't it be amazing? her mind taunted her as she just sighed and tried to get back to the task at hand.