Chapter 23 - Byron

"This better be pretty damn important," Percy says, bags under his eyes as he sits at the table. For the first time in ever, he's actually one of the first ones sitting down at the table.

"You're on time ," Aris says, nodding his head and pressing his lips together as he glances at Percy, who's running a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, well," Percy says, glaring at me and Olivia. "I hadn't gotten back to sleep from the last disaster."

"The last disaster?" Aris asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Byron almost had a heart attack," Rafael says, breezing into the room. Despite it being the middle of the night, and him also surely not having any sleep, he looks wide awake. Refreshed.

"I did not almost have a heart attack ," I say, shaking my head and meeting Aris's eyes, and I'm surprised to see the worry there on his face. Why is it always surprising to me that someone cares about me?

"Wait," Rafael says, his eyes flicking between Olivia and me. "Did you guys do it?"

"What?" Olivia sputters, her eyes going wide, and I have to stifle a laugh.

"The projection," I say, watching as Olivia turns red. "Yeah, we did."

"That's great!" Rafael says, clapping his hands and clearly missing Olivia's misunderstanding.

"Well," Aris says, as Ado, Bigby, and Rosa walk into the room. "Looks like we can get started. What's the emergency?"

Apparently, Bigby and Rosa talked it through and decided not to go back to California just now. They're staying at a hotel while their house is fixed up. Rosa said she didn't want Kaila to miss Christmas in Rosecreek.

Olivia clicks on the projector, showing the mayor's image—or not the mayor—and Rafael runs the rest of the group through what this means, and how dangerous it can be to interact with a shapeshifter like this.

"This is interesting and all," Bigby says, his eyes flicking through the room. "But I'm not sure it warrants an emergency, middle-of-the-night meeting."

"Right," I say, moving to the front of the room. "Earlier, Olivia was able to project an image to me through our mental link. Of the man who cursed her."

I clear my throat, clicking to the next image in the slide show, bringing up the face of an elderly man many in the room know too well.

"What the fuck ?" Bigby says, leaning forward, his hands on the table.

"Gods," Aris says, cursing, while Ado says, "No."

"I'm sorry," Rafael says, clearing his throat. "I seem to be missing something here."

"Yeah," I say, meeting his eyes, then looking at Rosa and Olivia, who look slightly confused. "This would be our old commander. From the agency."

"The one who betrayed you?" Rosa asks, her eyes wide.

"Yeah," Percy says, voice tight, and I look to him, seeing the years of pain and anger flash over his face. In many ways, the commander is directly responsible for what happened to him. By working with Varun—the evil Alpha who killed Aris's father and took over the Rosecreek pack—to create the serum, the commander put Percy in the line of fire.

"So, what?" Aris asks, crossing his arms over his chest. "The commander is working with the vampires?"

"It's not surprising," Bigby says, "given the fact that he colluded with Varun, who was also working with the vamps. I think the biggest question is why ."

"There are a lot of things that don't quite make sense," I say, tapping my fingers on the podium. "Like, why are the vamps so interested in Olivia? And what is their big plan? And why would the commander give up his post, his status, his career— everything just to help the fucking vampires ?"

I see Percy flinch a bit at the venom in my tone, but I can't help it. The commander betraying us was bad enough. Him doing it to work with vampires? I close my eyes, briefly imagining what I would do if I could get my hands on him. My fingers itch for my throwing knives.

"So," Bigby says, eyes going to Aris. "What's the plan?"

"I think we need to try and catch him out," Aris says. "Percy, what's the next event?"

"Chicago," he says, voice low. "Big one. Friday night."

Two days from now.

"So, we'll devise a plan to get into that event. Try to find the commander and bring him back here. Question him. See what they want with Olivia."

"But they'll recognize us," Bigby says, crossing his arms. "The commander and whoever else he's working with."

"Looks like we're sending in a new guy, then," Aris says, his eyes falling on Rafael. "Someone they won't recognize. Let's gather some additional information, and meet up again tomorrow afternoon to iron out the plan."

***

The lake is still and quiet when I pull into the gravel parking lot, heat blasting in my car. The black firebird is highly impractical for the winters in Rosecreek, and Percy and Bigby are always on me to get a more capable vehicle. But I loved Knight Rider—and Kitt. I wanted a car like that so badly when I grew up. My dad was obsessed with the show and had all the DVDs, so I'd watch them over and over again, especially when he was away, working for the Alpha.

Zane is leaning against a Mustang when I pull into the lot. To my surprise, he's not smoking—just looking out over the horizon.

"Weird place to meet," he says, when I climb out of the car. The air is frigid, but not as cold as it has been, hovering in the mid-forties. If the sun was out, it would almost be pleasant for Rosecreek in the winter.

"I didn't want to do it in town," I say, "and, except for Bigby, nobody comes out here during the winter."

"Why the hell would he come out here?" Zane asks, rubbing his hands together and looking back at the near-frozen lake. "The guy hates himself?"

"I don't know," I mutter, "something to do with the water sprites and fishing, I think."

"Water sprites," Zane says, shaking his head. After a moment, he reaches into his car, pulls out a thermos, and offers it to me after he takes a long swig. I hesitate a moment, then take a drink myself.

It's black coffee, but good. Hot and smooth.

"That shit at the bakery was barely drinkable," he says, when I pass the thermos back to him. I laugh, shaking my head and pulling my hat down so it's more snug over my ears.

"Don't let Olivia hear you saying that—"

"Yeah, yeah, or her and Bigby will make me regret it. I know."

We stand there for a moment in silence, our breath coming out as little puffs of smoke. When I can't take the quiet any longer, I cross my arms, leaning back against my Firebird.

"So?" I say, trying to keep the annoyance from my voice.

"So what?"

"So," I say, shaking my head, the taste of coffee still lingering in my mouth. "What the hell are you doing here, man?"

Zane nods, rolling his lips into his mouth and looking down at his thermos. I watch as he traces a line around the top.

"Listen," he says, finally, "I want to stay."

"What?"

"I'm thinking…maybe I stay in Rosecreek. Maybe we've been apart for too long."

"I…" I stare at him, swallowing hard, trying to formulate a thought. Trying to figure out how to string together a complete sentence. My entire body hates this idea—hates the thought of him staying in Rosecreek, bringing the past back in front of my face, full force.

"What?" he laughs, taking another pull from his coffee. "You don't want me here?"

"That's not it."

"Then, what?"

"I just—it just feels silly to have this conversation," I laugh, shaking my head. "I don't want to get my hopes up."

"What the hell does that mean?"

Zane pushes off his car, his brow furrowing, his arms swinging loosely at his sides, the thermos gripped tightly in one, the other balling into a fist. I know him, know that this stance is transitionary, ready to morph into attack at any moment.

"Just—look, staying is not exactly one of your strong suits, is it? So, forgive me if I don't want to get my hopes up."

"Maybe I want to stay."

"Right," I say, the word coming out like I'm swallowing gravel. "Because now you want to stay."

"Do you have something to say to me, man? Something you have to get off your chest?"

I stare at the gravel, not answering. The part of me that's still a little brother wants nothing more than his approval; just wants him to like me. Another part of me, the part that's still aching over his leaving, wants him to go away.

"Spit it out, By."

I take a deep breath, then meet his eyes.

"Why now? Why now, when I've finally found something good, do you think it's a great time to come cruising back into my life? Like—shit, I could have used this attitude years ago, Zane! Besides, I know missing me isn't the only reason. What are you running from now? Who are you running from? You came here for a reason."

Again, a silence settles between us, the sound of my voice still echoing in the distance, bouncing off the trees.

"Did it ever occur to you that I was hurting, too?" Zane asks, voice quiet. I blink at him—of course, he was hurting. He was the one who got to do whatever he wanted because of that hurt.

"You know, while I was rising to the occasions and handling shit, I didn't have a lot of time to think about feelings. Yours, mine, or otherwise."

"Rising to the occasion," Zane says, nodding, then spinning and walking around the front of his car. He slaps his hand on the roof of the car, grinning at me, but there's something pained and deeply resentful in his gaze. "You know what, By? You want me gone? Fine. I'll go. I'll fucking leave you to the one good thing in your life."

"Zane," I say, but he's already slammed the door shut, his tires kicking up gravel as he speeds out of the lot.