#Chapter 43 – Banished

Edgar, apparently finished securing the assailant, hurries over. Evelyn startles at first – not knowing who approaches, but seeing who it is reaches out a hand.

“Edgar – I – I’m so sorry,”

“No, Evelyn,” he says, holding her face between his hands – an intimate gesture that Victor suddenly feels awkward to see. “You didn’t do anything wrong. What happened? Do you know who she is?”

“Yes,” Evelyn murmurs. “My – the stalker. My former patient. She’s…totally unhinged, thinks I stole her boyfriend –“

“The one who wrote things on your car at your old house? Who threw the note through the window last night?” Victor asks, standing and crossing his arms across his chest. He placed extra guards against precisely this threat – what happened?

As Evelyn explains further to Edgar – her voice weak with exhaustion, fear, and tears – Victor moves to the front porch. There, quietly in the dark, he sees another body – slumped in a chair in the darkest corner of the porch.

Victor hurries out, crossing carefully to the body just as the ambulance pulls into Evelyn’s drive, followed immediately by a black van full of back-up Betas. Good – Edgar thought quickly, calling in all the appropriate reinforcements. Victor makes a mental note to commend him as he moves slowly towards the inert form.

As he gets closer, Victor suddenly realizes that he recognizes the body. Beta Pete. Victor moves to his side, fearing the worst – but no, Pete has a pulse. Victor heaves a sigh of relief and notes, in passing, that Pete holds a dark square in his inert hand.

The Betas swarm the porch, their training clearly demonstrated as they move as a concentrated pack. Once they have marked the location as secure, they wave the paramedic team forward and two Betas come over to Victor to assess the situation with Pete.

“He’s unconscious,” Victor says, “thank god. I don’t know what happened.”

“Any sign of injury?” one of the Betas asks.

“Not that I can see.” Victor confirms, studying Pete’s body again.

“We’ll get the paramedics on him too,” the Beta says, snapping at personnel waiting by the ambulance. They spring into action.

“Sir?” The second Beta leans close to Pete, sniffing. “What’s that in his hand? I smell…chocolate…”

by this strange change of events. Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket, he takes the brown square out of Pete’s hand and studies it closely. Yes – a brownie. How bizarre. “Take this to the

away to complete their duties. As Victor watches them go, he

Evelyn up, but they’ve given her the clear – they say there’s no reason for her to go to the hospital for further checks. If you’ll allow it, I’d like to stand

eyes Edgar for a moment, wondering…but no. It was none of his business. He nods sharply. “Approved,

but he manages. It is no small thing for an Alpha to admit a debt of honor to his

to tell Amelia what happened. Have them bring

steady stream of Betas come through the doors all day, each reporting on the results of the varied tasks they’ve been

Victor?” Evelyn says, coming downstairs in her robe during a lull, a broad white bandage

up as he types on

and he looks up at her to see her standing across from

an army of Betas stomping around down here like it’s command central. I need to get them back to normal – this

your protection, Evelyn,” Victor says, returning his attention to the computer as he sits down. “I

you did

eyes back to her. “If I had done everything I could have, that insane woman would never

and looks him up and down and then slowly nods. “Can we at least have some food? We’ve got an Avengers movie marathon going on upstairs, which seems to be calming

the kitchen table. “I ordered you Chinese. Please,

package and starts to unwarp it, investigating the containers. A few minutes later, she calls goodbye to him and Victor catches a glance of her carrying what seems like

safe. He’d order them all the takeout they wanted, if it would help. Besides, Edgar was up there with them

it has to happen now, and in person. And, as

for his interlocutor to arrive, Victor looks over the materials that his Betas have gathered. The first is a report on the brownie from the previous evening, confirming that it was poisoned, but that Pete is expected to make a

is regarding the stalker’s identity. Emily Perkins, no-rank lycanthrope, officially a member of the small, progressive pack run by Alpha James Willard – Evelyn’s official pack as well, which is probably how Emily’s boyfriend came to find Evelyn as

that the same agency which assigned him to his own therapist is noted as the one which serves this

– no talents. The sort of wolf which he wouldn’t be pleased to call a member of his own pack, though his pack only accepts new members through familial lineage and marriage. These new, progressive packs…don’t they

door. “Ah, Willard,” Victor says, “you are quite welcome here. Please, come in, make yourself

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