I woke up in a pile of pale hair, the warm body next to me drawing the covers off my shivering body. The bell kept ringing, eight o'clock. I was late for school, but I wasn't going. There was no reason to as long as Nick wasn't in danger.
I would have to check in with him later. For now, I had work to do.
Careful not to disturb the sleeping girl next to me, I climbed out of bed and changed into warmer clothes.
My work phone had measures in place to keep people from tracking it or recording any data on it, so I figured it was safe enough to log into Officer Reese's work page. I only needed a few minutes to poke around.
It loaded unbelievably slow, but the files eventually popped up. They were in chronological order and had thankfully been updated last night. There wasn't much info, just the basic facts about the location and time of the attack and the one eyewitness: Mrs. May Potter.
Kiri groaned, her eyelids fluttering. I watched for a moment as she rolled over, her hair covering her own face now.
Against my better judgment, I scrolled to the crime scene photos. It was early and my empty stomach rolled at the gore.
The victim's belly had been sliced open, chinks of flesh hanging off the body. Jane Doe was an older woman in her late fifties, greying hair dyed in blood where her head had bashed into the pavement.
The autopsy revealed two more cuts on her arms that were hard to identify in photos. She died almost instantly from the head wound, but someone had gone through the trouble of mutilating her corpse.
"What are you looking at this early?" Kiri's thick voice startled me, and I spun around to look at her. "Jeez, you're as pale as a ghost."
"It's nothing." I moved to put my phone away. She didn't need this weighing on her.
"Lexi, you promised we were in this together." Kiri held out her hand. "What has you spooked."
I surrendered the phone after a moment, the screen unlocked to the horrors of last night.
"You don't have to look deep. It's pretty gruesome."
Kiri, to my surprise, scrolled through quickly. She made no sound except for the click of her nails on the glass and an occasional grunt.
"Looks like someone was trying to send a message. Maybe a warning? Pods do that to fish and leave them for rivals to find if they're getting too close to their territory."
I laughed. "You still surprise me, Kiri."
"You underestimate me. What's it from?"
"Crime scene last night. I hacked into one of the cop's files and found the report." Kiri arched an eyebrow but said nothing. "The Alpha of the area—Daniel—warned me about these attacks, but this is the first death. I'm in over my head with this."
"Human or Coth?"
"No one knows. I don't know any Coth who kills this way if they would. There is a human organization that cruises the streets, The Children of Man. No proof though."
"There is a witness. You're going to interrogate her later, right?"
"Tomorrow. Today I need to stick by Nick. He's going to feel like hell. It's likely he'll shift this evening, and I want to make sure he's in the woods in time."
"Do you want me to poke around town and see if anyone knows anything about the attacks? They'll open up to me."
Sirens were renowned for their cruelty and malicious nature. How untrue it was for Kiri.
"That works perfectly, just make sure you stay safe. If it helps, tell them you're working on Morill business. I'll meet you tomorrow then?"
Kiri enveloped me in a hug, her head resting on mine. "I'll let you know where and when. Make sure you're safe with the kid. Keep your distance when he shifts."
I smiled up at her. "I will. This isn't my first experience."
"Maybe, but I still have the right to worry about you. Is the girl wolf coming to help you out?"
"Anya is meeting us after school. If he starts to shift, I'll leave. You really don't need to worry."
"Sure." Kiri climbed out the window, her hair whipped by the breeze. She looked like someone who could lure a man to his death. "Keep me updated."
"I'll see you tomorrow." I bent down, meeting her lips halfway. They were salty and firm, but I loved them.
"Tell the kid I said good luck."
"I will. Drive safe."
Kiri smiled, descending the ladder and disappearing across the grounds. I watched her go, my heart beating furiously. I was the lucky girl who had her heart, and she was good enough to give me a second chance at our relationship. I really didn't deserve her.
The clock began its regular chiming, nine this time. I was an hour late to class, but I doubted anyone in History had missed me other than Nick. He would worry though, text or not.
As I hurried down the hall a few minutes later, shirt wrinkled and hair barely brushed, I checked my phone. Sure enough, it was full of worried notifications from Nick and Anya. I really did owe them an explanation. Kiri was right.
The halls were empty, and I spent the next ten minutes pacing in front of the class Nick and I shared, waiting for the bell.
My brain buzzed as the halls filled with students, blue uniforms and ties like a checkerboard pattern, before Nick and his lopsided glasses pulled me into an empty classroom.
"What the hell, Lexi? You disappeared and we couldn't get ahold of you and Anya was too anxious to go back," he spewed. "Are you okay?"
My brain short-circuited, his clammy face and eye bags spun in my vision for a moment before I focused again. How was I?
"I'm fine. How are you? If you're shifting today, you're going to feel like shit."
"I do, but that's probably because I was up all night worrying about my dumb friend who threw herself into danger and doesn't talk to me."
"I know what I'm doing, and I told you, I'm fine. Seriously, how are you? I need to know so nothing unexpected happens."
"You're not going to let this go?" Nick asked, pouting.
I shook my head, a smile at his childish look. He was one of the good guys, one of the guys I needed to help. He deserved that much.
"Jeez, you're a stubborn one. If you want to know so much, I'm tired and a little irritable, which is your fault. I feel warmer than usual and hungry, but I missed breakfast."
"You really don't know if it's because you're going to shift or because you forgot to eat?"
"You're making it sound worse than it is." He ran his hand through his hair.
"I'm just being diligent," I sighed. "Text Anya and tell her to wait in the woods. It looks like you could shift, and I would rather be safe than sorry."
"I'll text her when we get to the assembly. My phone is buried in my bag." Nick made his way to the door, and I followed, my legs heavy.
"Assembly? We don't have one on the schedule. When is it?"
"They announced it first hour. One o'clock to the end of the school day. I don't know what it's about."
"You're telling me that you're going to be trapped in a gym full of people and you're likely transforming today?" I sunk my nails into my palm, the pain calming me. "You need to stick next to me the whole time."
"I'll stick to you like glue." I sent him a glare which he skillfully avoided.