Chapter 17: Questions

I slid the glass door open and walked inside to finish my juice. Placing the cup in the dishwasher, I turned it on as it was pretty full. I went up to find Oliver. He was laying in bed reading a magazine. "Did I stall long enough?" He nodded and shushed me. "Go get the door and call me down." I nodded and halfway down the stairs the doorbell rang. I opened it to see the two officers standing at the door again. "Hey Ms. Valor we are here to see Oliver. His friends said we had just missed him. I heard the water turn on and let them inside. "It sounds like he is in the shower, but I'll go let him know you are here. Come and have a seat." I climbed up the stairs leaving them in the living room to hear them sitting down on the sofa. "Ollie!" I knocked and he yelled yeah. "There's two Officers here to talk with you." I heard the water turn off and Oliver step out of the tub stubbing his toe. "Ow shit. Okay I'm coming." I giggled on my way down.

"Something funny?" Officer Glenn snipped and the smile dropped from my face. "Uh yeah, my brother stubbed his toe and it made me laugh. Sorry." Haze eyed his partner eyed me as I took a seat on the other side of them in a reading chair. "Do you want me to stay here while you talk with Oliver or do you prefer to do the one on one questions?" I asked as Officer Haze smiled. "Your fine Valor, do whatever you'd like." I nodded and looked down.

Oliver came down and jumped over the back of the couch making me smile. Police are here and he is still being himself. "Hello Oliver I'm Officer Haze and this is my partner Officer Glenn." Oliver nodded and stayed leaned back into the L-shaped couch. "Can we ask you some questions about Joseph Jones?" Oliver nodded and I tucked my feet in causing Officer Haze to glance at me. "Has Joe ever hit on your sister or asked about her?" Oliver shook his head. "Nah he has a girlfriend. What's her name again Val?" He said turning to me and the Officers doing the same. I sat up straighter and glared at Oliver as he smirked knowing I really didnt know the girl. "Her name is Laura, but I don't know her last name or anything other then what she looks like."

"Okay Oliver when was the last time you saw Joe?" He rubbed his head. "Ugh his last night open, which was December twenty second. He always closes for the winter Holiday's." Oliver turned to me and pointed to the door. I glanced to see the twins at the back door. "Excuse me, we seem to have guests." I unlocked the door and slid it open. "Hey Mike, Mark." I said as they walked in. "Oh there still here." Mike said as he walked to the living room. "Good." Whispered Mark as he closed the door behind us.

"Hey." They said in unison as they sat next to Ollie. I sat back in the chair. "Do any of you think something bad happened to him?" They all shrugged and I piped in. "I'm not sure, he really stuck to himself." The officers nodded and the boys smiled at me. "Oliver have you ever seen anything strange?" Oliver shook his head. "Strange like what?" Officer Jaze sat foward and leaned up. "Like dog tracks on a beach with no human tracks by them. Where no home owners own dogs. Or a deal going down. You and Valor are from the city right. You know what a deal looks like." He slid pictures of Oliver handing Diego an envelope. "Who's that?"

Oliver looked at the pictures and then at me. I nodded and he turned back to the Officers. "That is quite a story. His name's Diego. I went to New York to get my sister from an orphanage, but saw she was happy so I paid him to keep an eye on her. He ended up falling in love with her. I mean who wouldn't she's pretty and smart." Officer Haze nodded and glanced at me. "Anyways I told him to end it and he did by cheating on her. Then he contacted me when she ran away and a week later she showed up here. Then he showed up to try and win her back. A mess really."

Officer Haze looked over at me again. "So you ran away." I nodded and looked to Ollie. "I wasn't aware of this scheme at the time, and Diego provided a get away from the reality from the harsh reality of the orphanage. After he cheated I left him and waited for the right time to run." Haze and Glenn looked at each other. "Why did you run? Why not wait till you where eighteen?" Glenn pushed and I closed my eyes. The twins about to stand up, but I started talking first.

"The man who ran the orphanage was abusive. I had waited for Oliver to return for me and when he didn't I lost hope. Then I met Diego and stayed because I had met someone I thought I could be with for a long time."

I took a deep breath and glanced at Oliver. "But after I didn't have a reason to stay." Both Officer's gave me a look of pity. "Do you have proof he beat you?" Officer Glenn said as my brother jumped up. "This has nothing to do with Joe. Valor you don't have to show them a damn thing." I stood up and touched my brother's shoulder. "Ollie it's okay, I am okay now." He looked at me with filled emotions and the twins glared at the Officers. I took off my shirt and showed my back. "They where caused by a buckle."

I pit my shirt back down and turned to see my brother shaking his head and the twins holding their hands. "It's kind of a sore subject, and my brother blames himself for staying away."

"Is there anything else?" They shook their heads, but Haze asked another question. "What orphanage and what's the man's name?" Glenn stood and walked to the door. "Haze we have no jurisdiction in New York, and she didn't press charges." Haze gotmupnoff the couch and stepped up to me ignoring his partner. "You could though, press charges that is. I'd be happy to take a trip to cuff him." I took a step back and around the chair. "I'll think about it, but I'd rather just move on with my life Officer Haze." He nodded and joined his partner who now stood at at the door. "You all think of anything call us." He tipped his hat and the two of them walked out.

"You are a freaking champ Valor." The twins said together and I nodded. "He was eating out of your hand." The back door opened and in walked Zane and Jacob. "They gone?" Zane asked as he plopped on the couch. "Yeah and you should have seen how he acted around Valor, man it was unreal." Jacob snarled and everyone stopped.

"We need to keep up the rouse. Open the restaurant on time and keep to the story." We all nodded and he came up to me. "I need to speak with you." He took my hand and let out a breath before walking me upstairs and leading me to my room. "Can I just hold you?" He whispered and I nodded. He nuzzle into my neck. "I really want to mark you, but you'll have to turn first. Did anyone talk with you yet?" I shook my head and he stiffened.

"All I heard was what you all talked about the other night and you saying you needed to test me." He circled me and his eyes flashed. "Does that upset you?" I looked away and back at Jacob. "Yeah actually it does. I have always been honest about my feelings, and I am true to my word." He nodded and whispered. "But do you have a cold enough heart? Could you do what is necessary to protect your family?" I looked at him and punched him in the arm. "Yes you dick. I ran away for me yes, but I took Leah with me. I may need to run away to get my mind straight, but I'm always the same person. And I just lied to the damn police for all of you. Well mostly the twins and Oliver, but for you all." His eyes gleamed. "What's the truth and if you told them the truth do you think they'd believe you?"

"The truth is you are all wolves. I saw Oliver come out and then he was a wolf, the twins come out and then there where two gray wolves. Then you came over and tore out his throat and drowned him." He smiled and shrugged. "How do you know it was me and not Zane?" I froze and looked at him as goosebumps broke out on my arm. "I guess I don't since I've never seen you all before today, but I'd imagine his wolf is different. There where two beige wolves and you where at the beach when you told me to run and the other wolf was obviously Joe, and cause your brothers you must have some similarities. Like the twins being gray."

Jacob smiled and hugged me he ran his fingers along the back of my neck. "Are you scared?" I shook my head no as I looked at him. "I don't know if you'll survive is my real problem. No woman has been able to handle the first transformation. It's different if you where born that way, but to change is difficult. Joe killed his wife doing it and I can't loose you..." He glanced at me and I hopped on the bed. "Then don't change me." He groweld loudly and pushed me into the bed. "Then you won't have pups. Are you going to be okay with that?"