Page 12 of Filthy Fae

Maybe I was coming on a little too strong. I leaned back into my cold metal chair, hoping my relaxed posture would disarm his wolf.

“Your alpha is not accusing you of anything,” Jane explained, saving me. “But if you have a history with anyone at that party, we need to know before anyone else.”

“I didn’t.” Zane rubbed a spot on his finger, and I noticed that his index finger curled at a strange angle. “When I arrived at the party and found out what kind of party it was, maybe I was a little concerned.”

“But you stayed?”

He shrugged. “I thought, why not live a little?” He dropped his head and squeezed his eyes closed. “I should have known better.”

Should have known better?

My wolf surged forward, pushing into my mind. Instinctively, I attempted to push her back, thinking she was about to rip Zane’s head off.

But an image flooded through my mind. I sat in the cold office, holding him in my arms as he cried.

Yeah, I wasn’t going to do that, ever, but I was his alpha now, and he was a submissive wolf. I should have known her first instinct would be to protect him.

While we were dating, Zane had always wanted me to refer to him as mid-dominant, though he was truly an upper-submissive. In a healthy werewolf society, a submissive nature was honored in both men and women. All levels of dominance were necessary for a pack to thrive. The shame Zane displayed was engrained in him from being part of Jacob Knight’s pack. As alpha, Jacob had applauded dominance while at the same time pruning off any wolf dominant enough to pose a threat to his position.

Pity curled into me, and I reached forward, placing my hand over Zane’s. We’d all suffered under Jacob. I didn’t want to make any promises, though, so I just said, “It may not seem like anyone is on your side right now, but we are.”

His breath shuddered, but his shaking subsided. “I know.”

“What happened here?” I asked, gesturing to his mangled finger.

“Zeezee got me a ring, and I changed with it on.”

Well, that would break a finger. Werewolves avoided jewelry for this exact reason.

“So,” Jane prompted after a few moments of silence as she leaned over the table, “What happened during the party?”

Zane pulled his hands away from mine and glared at the table. “I arrived just past six. Everyone else was arriving around the same time, drinking wine and socializing. They were friendly. A few couples went out of their way to make me feel comfortable. There was another section of the house where people were slipping off. After a little while socializing, another couple suggested I head back there with them.”

I so didn’t want to hear this, but it couldn’t be avoided, so I squeezed my hands together and nodded.

“I participated for a while, but as things got heated, I… just wasn’t into it anymore.”

“Heated how?” Jane asked.

“They were getting rough. Everyone else seemed to be egging each other on. At first, it was just enough to draw blood, but then some fae began to tear at each other’s flesh. I don’t like pain, so I decided to leave. I went to grab my things from the other room...” He swallowed hard.

After his silence dragged on for nearly a minute, Jane said, “Continue.”

Zane nodded. Fur rippled over his arms and then disappeared back into smooth flesh. “I just needed to leave. I got dressed and grabbed my stuff. But when we came out of the laundry room, I saw…” He broke off, shaking his head.

“Take your time,” I said. “We’re here when you’re ready.”

“I saw blood. I was caught off guard. They were caught in a frenzy of blood lust—like sharks.”

“What were they doing?” Jane asked, sounding completely calm.

My stomach was doing back-flips, and I was afraid to hear his answer, but I had to know.

“They weren’t having sex anymore, if that’s what you’re asking.” He slashed his hands through the air as if he could bat away the scene from his mind. “They were maiming each other.” He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “To death.”

“What did you do then?” I asked.

I wanted to believe him—damn, did I want to believe him—but there were holes in his story big enough for a Mack truck to mosey on through.