CULPRIT

RACHEL'S POV 

I was just about to leave when I heard my mom’s voice again, sharp but not angry. “Rachel! Here!” She tossed me a set of keys, which I caught with one hand, confused.

“Mom?” I asked, turning to her. She stood with her arms crossed, a slight smirk on her face.

“You’re a cop, remember? Shouldn’t steal other people’s vehicles,” she said lightly, though her eyes held a knowing look. I couldn’t help but let out a sigh, pocketing the keys.

“Thanks, Mom,” I muttered, stepping outside. The air was cold against my skin, but I barely felt it. My thoughts were too tangled.

Driving home was a blur. I was behind the wheel, but my mind was elsewhere obsessed with the name Gabriel, with the man who had slipped through my fingers like a shadow. Could I even sleep tonight after such a failure? Probably not.

I was approaching a stretch of road that was quieter, emptier, flanked by rundown buildings and too many shadows. My headlights cut through the gloom since the streetlights around here were practically useless and everything felt still for a while until I spotted a strange movement, a fleeting figure crossing from one side to the other in my side mirror. I blinked and twisted to look over my shoulder, only to accidentally turn the wheel. The car spun wildly, tires screeching as I fought to regain control.

“Get it together, Rachel,” I shouted under my breath, my pulse racing and sweat beading on my skin out of nowhere. I was lucky this road was empty because on a busier street, that stop could’ve been fatal.

I stepped outside, breathing hard because I hadn’t expected this. The figure I’d glimpsed felt wrong like a disfigured human, or a hybrid of human and werewolf, running on both foot and hand. My gaze shot back to where I’d first seen it, and that’s when I noticed more of them. Shapes moving on the roofs of the story buildings down the street. What the heck? Could those be… Lycans? No! It couldn’t be. They were supposed to have gone extinct centuries ago.

I fumbled for my phone, raising it to snap a picture. I wasn’t sure if I was seeing reality anymore but the shapes vanished before I could capture anything. Like they’d never been there at all. I couldn’t possibly be hallucinating just because I’d failed to catch Gabriel, right?

Either way, I wasn’t about to ignore this. I couldn’t. I jumped back into the car, spinning the wheels, and steering it towards the next lane, heading for the alley where I’d seen the figures climbing. My vehicle couldn’t fit in, so I had to park safely at the side and go on foot, my senses straining to track them. There was something thick in the air, something oppressive about their presence. Even though they were far away, I could feel it—superior, stronger than anything I’d encountered before. But that didn’t stop me. I kept going, running as fast as I could until I sensed them growing closer.

It seemed like they were meeting with someone. All I needed to do was sneak a peek without getting spotted, maybe even get a picture. Lycans had always been a known threat to my kind, and if they were back, if they still existed, my dad needed to know. And I needed proof to back up my claim.

*******

Slowly, I stretched out my cellphone, trying to peer out so I could see what I was capturing—only for someone to suddenly cover my mouth. His grip was so tight I couldn’t even scream. Damn it. Did I already get busted?

I struggled, trying to free myself, my muffled voice barely audible as he pulled me back, enduring my teeth sinking into his hand. There was no way I’d let this end here, not before I caught Gabriel so I twisted his left hand as hard as I could while freeing myself. His gasps were low, like he was trying not to attract the other guys I’d chased down here.

“Ow ow ow,” he yelped as I pried his hands away, my fist ready to swing.

“Who are you?” I snapped as he slowly lifted his head.

I’ll be damned. “Keep your hands above your head—now!” I barked, as he motioned for me to lower my voice.

Yes, it was Gabriel—the suspect himself. I’d hoped to find him eventually, but it seemed like the moon goddess herself had decided she’d had enough of his spree.

“I know, I know, I’m surrendering,” he said, stretching his hands forward, close together, as if daring me to cuff him.

I was practically speechless. What the hell was he up to?

“How did you find me?” I asked, stepping closer. He shifted back, pressing against the wall.

“I—it was by chance,” he stammered.

“Don’t bullshit me, Gabriel. How did you find me?”

“Who told you my name?” he shot back, startled, like karma was finally catching up to him.

“Your evil deeds,” I said, steadying myself in case he tried something funny. I know I embarrassed myself during our last encounter, getting swept aside like paper. But I was tougher than that. I swear. Ever since that night, I’d received special training from Tyson, our pack’s head of defense. I’d lost weight, taken down werewolves twice his size in sparring.

“What evil deeds?” he asked, trying to feign innocence. Did he really think I’d fall for that? This was the moment I’d been waiting for, and if it meant a few bruises, that was a price I was willing to pay.

“Oh, you want me to start listing them?” I snapped. “The kid today—you smashed his head on a counter. He almost died.”

“He survived?” he said, feigning gratitude, but I wasn’t fooled by those fake emotions.

“Yes, he did,” I said coldly. “No thanks to you.”

“I didn’t smash anyone’s head on a counter, lady.”

“Don’t call me that,” I said sharply. “You did. Everyone saw you, like that crippled guy you pushed down the hotel stairs, or the cars you and your goons stole from teenagers. All for money—paper, nothing more. Or should I go back five years? The kid you shot? You’re coming with me, Gabriel and If you hesitate again, I’ll kill you myself.”

He stood speechless, like he couldn’t believe I’d seen through him. They always underestimated me, thinking my gender dictated my strength.

“Listen, I just happened to get mixed up in all this. I never hurt anyone. It was all… Jacob. He did this.”

“Who’s Jacob?”

“Your guy. He bashed the kid’s head on the counter, not me. I tried to stop them, ask your witnesses again. It was the bearded guy. I shaved my beard. I was the one protecting that kid, like I’ve done for others. Whoever told you this is blackmailing me. If I were guilty, why would I be here, risking my life to warn you? I saw you from afar, it wasn’t hard to scent you and I came over to tell you to leave, before someone notices. Things get ugly when cops get involved.”

“Matty. You killed Marty too, didn’t you?” I shot back. Marty, one of our colleagues, had two daughters and a pregnant wife before he died in a car accident, an investigation chasing the demon standing before me. I wasn’t buying his lies.

Footsteps echoed toward us, and before I could react, his hands were on me again.

“Don’t you dare touch—” I yelled, only for him to cover my mouth.

A low growl reverberated nearby as shadows stretched under the yard’s bulb lights. The figure approached, its presence undeniable.

“Is that… a Lycan?” I whispered, swatting his hand away.

“Yes,” he said quietly.

So I was right all along? Impossible. It was like seeing a dinosaur—something believed extinct and dismissed as legend.

“He’s coming,” Gabriel whispered urgently, pulling me with him. For a moment, the sight of the Lycan made me forget my mission. We slipped away, sprinting as the beast advanced.

Damn! I forgot to take the photo.

“I didn’t say you could leave!” I yelled, watching him slowly shift his weight like he was about to flee. We’d just put some distance between ourselves and the area, and I was disappointed I hadn’t gotten the photo. But at least I’d caught a bigger fish.

“I apologize about earlier,” he said, raising his hands. “No one should hurt a woman, cop or not.”

“Why are you turning yourself in now?” I asked, pulling out my cellphone, ready to call for backup if he tried to escape.

“I’m not your guy—”

“Every murderer I’ve caught said the same,” I interrupted.

“You’ve already made up your mind,” he continued. “Maybe I offended you in a past life, but all I’m asking for is a fair trial. You didn’t catch me committing any act. I turned myself in. All I want is proper investigation. I’m not the one who did this, but I’ll help you find who did—so long as you’re willing to listen.”

What was this? Throughout my career, I’d never seen something like this. 

Could it be that the name I’d obsessed over, the face I’d burned into my mind as the villain, was the wrong one all along? Had I let my emotions blind me to the truth?

No matter how eager I was to take him in, I still had to follow protocol, not my emotions. And some things he said rang true.