Jane Jane couldn’t believe this was happening.If it were anything else, she would simply grit her teeth and bear the inconvenience, but rats are magnets for disease and there were so many visible that she couldn’t even imagine how many were hiding out of sight. So much for the fancy new apartment. She thought, already planning some very choice words for her leasing agent.Ethan’s voice hardened on the other end of the line, “Is everything okay? Are you in trouble?”“Down boy.” Jane answered simply, “there’s no danger, unless you count the danger of me puking in disgust. We appear to have a rat infestation – and a big one at that.” Peeking into the apartment, she shuddered when she saw a handful of long, hairless tails slipping away beneath her expensive furnishings.Jane could almost feel Ethan relax through the phone, and she was certain she heard the start of a smile in his voice. “The babysitter is still here, I’ll be over in a sec to help you.”“Ethan,” She stopped him, feeling
JaneWhen I left the house, I hadn’t been too confident that it would still be standing when I got home, but to my relief the apartment building looks intact when the kids and I return from lunch. Unfortunately that was where the good news ended. When the pups and I reached the top floor and the elevator doors dinged open, I instantly heard the sounds of snarls and smashing glass.“Kids, stay here.” I caution, herding them out into the hallway. “Promise me, okay?”“We pwomise.” Four little voices chime in unison.Rushing to the front door, I barely step out of the way in time before two huge, furry bodies crash through the wooden panel. I yelp and jump back, struggling to make sense of what I’m seeing. The two wolves are a blur of movement almost too fast to make out, but I can see that Eric is injured. Blood seeps through his gray fur as Ethan’s jaws lock around his neck.“Ethan don’t!” I shout, surprising both men. They look up as one, but while Ethan seemed to sober when he realize
Ethan I could kill Eric.Sitting next to Jane’s hospital bed while she sleeps, the only thing I can do is imagine all the different ways I could hide his body once I’m done tearing him to shreds. The bastard knew Jane and the pups had come home and still he kept coming at me, forcing me to defend myself. Then he actually bit my mate and landed her here.The doctor’s assured us she just lost a little too much blood and would be right as rain in a couple of days, but I can’t stand seeing her like this. If I wasn’t already ashamed of terrifying the pups and setting a horrible example for them, I might go through with my macabre plans for the other man. I’ll never forget the sound of Jane’s head hitting the floor, or the cries of the petrified children. I’ll never forget the sight of my beautiful mate collapsing in front of us, the helplessness I felt as I rushed her here. More than anything else, I won’t ever be able to rid my mind of the scent of Jane’s blood or the guilt of knowing m
3rd Person“What’s wrong?” Ethan asked nervously, afraid of hearing one more word of bad news in this horrendous week.“We don’t have enough on Eve to get a warrant for her arrest. The only evidence we can find is circumstantial.” The investigator sighed.“I thought you said she was growing the flowers used for the poison?” Ethan growled, his head reeling. “And after the car accident, and that recording? She’s the only one who has motive!”“The flowers are a common garden plant, half the residents in the city have them.” The investigator answered. “And yes, the brakes were cut on her car, but we can’t prove she did it. At best we can make a case for criminal negligence and child endangerment between having Paisley in the front seat and encouraging her to run away.”“Then arrest her for that!” Ethan insisted.“She would be out on bail within the hour.” The detective replied, “if we want to convince a judge that she’s too dangerous to be out among the public, we need to get her on attem
3rd Person“I really am sorry Jane.” Eric professed, reaching for her hand across the dinner table.“I know.” Jane smiled softly, giving his palm a squeeze. After a week of chaos, Eric had convinced her to come out with him for an apology dinner, and she’d been only too happy to oblige, since every night she had plans was one more night she could tell Ethan she wasn’t available for a date. At the same time, she also hadn’t told the Alpha about their evening out, though she wasn’t sure why. A woman had every right to go out with her fiance after all.She supposed she was worried about creating more tension between the men when things were already so stressful, but she also felt a bit guilty lying about having a business dinner with Ethan’s replacement on the perfume launch. He didn’t seem to mind – so thrilled to spend time with the kids he’d agreed to take them to see a new movie that was bound to be a drag for any adult.Studying Eric in the low candlelight, she realized that it was
EthanHow pathetic is it that I’ve only been away from Jane a few hours, but I already miss her? It didn’t help that the entire way through the kids’ movie, I had nothing but time to think about my lovely mate. Strange as it seems, I just didn’t find a bunch of animated woodland animals frolicking through a silly adventure as compelling as Jane. Still the kids enjoyed it, and my heart swelled in my chest the moment that Ryder crawled into my lap for no other reason than that he wanted to be close to me while we watched.Now, as we return to the penthouse, I can’t wait to watch them act out the story for their mother. They’re currently debating the best part of the film, but the fine hairs on the back of my neck stand on end the closer we draw to the apartment building. As we round the corner, I see a blinding array of flashing lights, and police cars flooding the street in front of the entrance.My first thought is of Jane, and before I can think twice, I scoop two pups up in each arm
JaneExplaining death to four years olds is almost as difficult as watching Ethan muddle through the next few days in a complete fog, appearing more like a zombie than the man I know so well. Every time I tell the pups that Petra is gone and won’t be coming back, the message only seems to sink in for a few hours. Soon enough they’re asking me when they’re going to see Petra again, and I have to try to explain the concept of permanence to four precious beings who simply cannot understand it.Still, watching Ethan is harder. We got through all the planning and preparations for a massive state funeral with great exhaustion and stress, but little emotion on his part. I keep waiting for him to break, to come out of shock and grieve the way he needs to so desperately. It hasn’t happened yet, and I merely pray that he will find the spark he needs before the funeral is over this afternoon.Most of the day is a series of overly formal ceremonies and traditions, and I’m simply proud that the pu
JaneA week later I still haven’t been able to bring myself to tell Ethan about the police suspecting me for his Mother’s murder. I keep telling myself that it’s simply too much stress for him at an already difficult time, but I think there’s also a small part of me that’s afraid he won’t believe me. The detective’s words have been playing on loop in my mind, and I have to admit his story sounds compelling.We’re finally returning to the apartment today, assured by the crime scene cleanup team that it’s now spotless and we would never know such a horrible thing happened there. Still, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to erase the image from my mind, nor do I think Ethan will. The kids are the least bothered by all of this, but then again they don’t know Petra was murdered, they simply know she’s gone.So when we return to the Penthouse, the kids run in almost instantly, rushing off to their rooms while Ethan and I stand frozen in the doorway, haunted by the last occasion we stood in thi