chapter 7

Bella ate in silence at the kitchen table while the world just sort of happened around her. Her mother and Damon had gone off to talk outside, no doubt discussing with her father over what to do. Her father had come in for a minute and explained that that he still needed to stop by his law office. He hugged her once and gave her a kiss on top of her head before he left. Her mother, worried about her only child and daughter, finally allowed Damon to convince her it was okay to leave and go to take care of Connor's mother.

Damon, meanwhile, was like a sturdy rock in a turbulent ocean of emotion. He calmly made a fresh pot of coffee and waited for Andrea to leave. Once her mother was gone, Damon set a cup of coffee down in front of Bella (extra milk, sugar) and took one for himself (black,sugar free). He turned one of the chairs around at the kitchen table and straddled it, leaning forward with his arms resting on the back.

"So."

Bella didn't know how to begin. She stared into her empty cereal bowl.

Damon didn't press. He drank his coffee while he waited.

Bella looked at her coffee for a while, then took a sip. She wanted to talk. She wanted to scream and yell and curse the whole world for what had been done to Connor, but the words stuck in her throat.

"I know it's going to be hard to describe what happened, but I have to know. Connor wasn't just my nephew. He was my student, my cub to train. He was my pack. I was responsible for him. It's my duty to see that whoever did this pays for it." There was no judgment, no anger in his tone, just sadness and empathy.

Bella finally found her voice. "It happened so fast. One minute we were walking to the car and the next, they were right there."

"How many?"

"Two."

"This was in a parking garage?"

"Yes. The movie had just ended."

"What time?"

"About 12:30."

"And you never saw them earlier in the evening? Or maybe on another day?"

"No. I never noticed anyone watching us, or following us, or anything."

Damon frowned and rubbed his rough chin. "Surprised Connor didn't. He should have smelled them long before they attacked." He looked back at Bella. "Did you get a look at them? Height? Any distinctive patterns on the fur?"

She hesitated before she answered. "I think one was gray with a white patch on the chest. The other was brown and gray. That one had a patchy pattern on the face."

"Male or female?"

Bella shrugged helplessly. "I couldn't tell."

Damon nodded. It wasn't obvious to most people. He would have known immediately by scent and by size, sometimes by build. Fur mostly covered the genitals. And often, the shape of a human breast vanished as the ribcage filled out and thick fur grew over them. "Was one taller than the other?"

"I— I don't know. They moved so fast," Bella stammered. She took a gasping breath. "I hid," she answered, getting her words out between choked sobs, "I hid behind the car. I didn't even watch. I should have done something. I could have tried to distract them or got them to chase me or... I don't know. Why didn't I do anything? I always thought if something happened I would fight, but I just froze. I sat there on the ground and covered my head while they killed him." Tears flowed openly from her blue-green eyes now. She was shaking. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Damon's expression shifted into deep sympathy. He reached across to her and caressed the back of her head. With his other hand, he took one of hers and just held on. Very softly, he said, "There's nothing you could have done. Werewolves are extraordinarily hard to kill. I know." He said this, not with pride, but grim certainty. Now they had both been witness to bloody combat. "Even a handgun wouldn't have helped. Just think about Connor and be proud of him. All we can do now is honor his memory."

"He died saving my life," she whispered, just now realizing that fact for the first time.

Bella looked up and was surprised to find that his eyes were wet too, intensifying their bright gold color. She couldn't remember if she'd ever seen him cry before. In spite of his intimidating appearance, anyone who knew Damon knew how unserious he was. Usually, he was the one with the infectious laugh and an easy grin on his face. It was a powerful thing to see such a huge man so deeply wounded, and yet not thinking of himself. She felt it made him look even stronger.

He gave her some time. When they were both ready, he asked, "Why did they leave you behind? Do you think they could have been hurt?"

Bella thought carefully. She squinted, remembering. "Yeah. After the fighting was over, I remember a kind of... wheezing? Not like normal breathing at all. Like, wet. I heard grunting noises... kind of like how dogs talk to people? Sorry, I don't mean—"

Damon smirked. "It's fine. Did you hear them leave? Running, maybe? Could you tell if it was two feet or four?"

"No, it was more like... shuffling or staggering." She blinked. "Wait! There were footprints... tracks in the blood, I mean."

"Human? Wolf?"

"Both."

"Describe them. How far apart?"

"There were a lot, close together. The tracks didn't go far."

Damon didn't speak. He frowned, putting the scene together in his head. After a minute of focused silence, he rose from the table. "Okay. I think I have enough to start. Bella, I may need to contact you if I think of anything else to ask."

"Sure" she nodded.

"Thanks, angel." Damon patted her head.

"It's okay." On impulse, Bella wrapped her arms around him and held on tight. She buried her face into his chest. He felt so warm, so comforting. "Thank you."

Damon just held her. He bent over slightly so that he could lay his cheek against the top of her head. He said, "I would stay and watch over you, but I've got to move fast. If these assholes are injured, they'll be easier to identify, and werewolves heal quickly."

"I understand."

He stepped back and gave her hand a squeeze before heading out. "Chin up, Bells. You're tougher than you know."

He said it with such confidence that she could almost believe it.

..........

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***