Hood

I walked into the shop and made eye contact with the man who tried to break me. I stood in line. I took my hood off my head and looked at the deli bar.

“I would like to have a killer sandwich today.” I gave him a smirk.

He swallowed. I wasn’t going to blab that he was the killer. He knew nobody would believe me. He killed those wolves and let me take the blame. I was getting my revenge somehow.

He began making my usual sandwich. I watched him and sighed. “This is terrible. You have an awful memory. That is not my usual.” I rolled my pointed finger in a circle. “I like plain bread. Not honey oat.”

He started making it over again on plain bread.

“So how was the sex last night? I’m sure Whitney had to show you some moves because you know nothing. She was the man.” I laughed. “Did she hump you or something?”

His cheeks burned a bright red as he ignored me. It wasn’t working well.

“Oh, right she’s not your mate. My bad.” I covered my mouth innocently. “You’re fucking someone else’s mate.”

Knowing everyone here was a werewolf, I wasn’t surprised at the response from the customer behind me. “Dude, you’re sleeping with someone else’s mate? That is not cool. That is just wrong.”

I watched Phillip messed with the collar of his shirt. “I didn’t sleep with anyone.”

“That’s not what I heard. She’s got a nice body and you were a virgin. You wanted some. Your mate is a human so you were just using another man’s mate to get your mind off your human mate.” I wiggled my finger at him.

“I never did any of this,” he argued.

The woman at the counter turned to him. “That’s cold. You would do that your own pack member?”

“I didn’t sleep with her!” He threw my sandwich.

I leaned over, whispering, “How does it feel when nobody believes you?” I turned on my heel and left the shop.

Walking into the diner, I removed my cloak and switched it for my apron. I put my nametag on my shirt and looked at Maggie. “I can’t believe him.”

“What happened?” she asked as she put an order up for David.

I knew Maggie was not a werewolf like everyone else. She didn’t know about them. I had to keep my answer discrete. “Phillip is an asshole. He chose to believe some girl over me on a big issue and I don’t want to see him. I wish the asshole would go away.”

“You keep calling him that.” She chuckled. “Have you heard his side?”

“Yes, I have. I listened and I don’t feel any better.” I grabbed my pen and notebook. I walked to a table, taking their order and clipping it to the string for David.

Maggie grabbed some plates and took them to their table. She came back and sighed. “Sounds like a big problem. Are men always this bad?”

“I want to say yes. They have so many issues. I wonder how my brother found his girlfriend. She stays but he has issues.” I shrugged.

Steve poked his head between the top of the counter and bottom of the divider. “Because she’s smart. Everyone has issues. But love gives you the strength to handle them.”

Maggie shook her head and looked at me. “I hate to say it but Steve is right. People put up with each other because they want to have a future. They love them.”

“I’m aware. Jessie loves Jason and even if he is a buttface, she puts up with it because he’s her buttface.” I looked at them.

“So what’s wrong with Phillip?”

“Phillip? He won’t believe me. He says the town is right about me. I thought he was nice but when I do one thing wrong, he turns on me.” I took plates to their customers and smiled at them. I walked back to the kitchen. “His childhood friend has turned on him and when I tried to tell him this, he called me the liar.”

Maggie made a pained noise. “That’s not good.”

“Exactly.”

Maggie drank some water. “No, I mean, it’s his childhood friend. It’s not going to be easy to believe someone you’ve trusted has hurt you. Unless he sees it himself, he’s not going to believe it. It’s the sad truth.” She screwed the cap back on her water bottle.

I threw my arms up. “So I’m screwed. I’m supposed to wait around until his friends slip up or hurt him. Great.”

Maggie shrugged. “You could or you could find a way to make them come out with the truth. It’s however you want but you have to still prove they’re hurting him. He has to see it himself.”

“How do I do that? I’m not a genius. I mean, this thing they’re doing it really bad and I can’t prove it to him without them doing it but I don’t want them to do it.”

“I’m not sure. I wish I could be of more help.” She went and took some more orders from new customers.

I sighed, shaking my head. I had no idea.

I went to take care of an elderly couple. “What can I get started for you two today?” I smiled at them.

The woman looked at me and nudged her husband. “Honey, that’s the girl.”

Her husband looked at me. “You... You’re that town killer.”

My smile dropped from my face. “Killer?”

Maggie overheard and ran over. “I apologize, I’ll be right over to take your order in a moment.” She grabbed my arm and took me to the back. “Stay here.” She left the room.

I grabbed the newspaper and shook my head. “How... How the fuck?” I swallowed. I couldn’t get out of it this time. The wolf I killed with nails was all over the front page. I was the killer.

I covered my mouth, sitting in the chair. “Oh my gosh. He fucking turned me in. He did this. He turned me in and he’s turned my customers against me.”

Maggie came back and sat next to me. “Shani, breathe. Take deep breaths. I’m here for you.”

I did as my boss said, nodding and closing my eyes. “This wolf attacked me. I had no way to defend myself except for a nail gun. Maggie, I swear this is the only time I’ve killed anything.”

She grabbed my hand and leaned forward. “Honey, I believe you. Who knew about this?”

“Phillip. My brother and his girlfriend know but they’re on my side. Phillip is the only person who’s going against me right now. He’s the only soul I told. He blabbed about this and... Shit. What do I tell the cops?” I wiped my tears before they could roll down my cheeks.

“Tell them the truth. That’s all you can do.”

I knew she was right. It was self-defense. It was just self-defense.

I coughed and stood up from my seat. Maggie pushed me back down. “Don’t. You need to take a rest. I’ll take it from here. You need to go to the cops before they throw this out of proportion. Please.”

“Okay.” I got up from my seat and walked out of the back. I walked down the room, holding back the tears that kept struggling to break free. I needed to go explain this. I needed to clear my good name.

I walked into the station and the sheriff was surprised when he saw my face. He motioned me to the interrogation room. I sat down and looked at the silver metal that built this table.

He waited for me to begin speaking. Only I knew why I was here.

“I did kill that wolf. It was self-defense. You’re all werewolves. You can’t deny it. I know why you all hate me. I’m mated to one of your werewolf members. But that werewolf attacked me first. I was at my cabin, having a cigarette. It came and attacked me and I only saw a nail gun.” I stood up from my chair, holding my hands up. “I’m going to show you the bite. It’s as old as that wolf is dead.” I bent down and lifted my pant leg, showing him the healing wound that took up a small portion of my calf.

He gestured for me to go on. “Anything else?”

“That’s the only werewolf I’ve killed, ever.”

“The only one?” he questioned.

“Yes. I didn’t kill any others. This one is it. Phillip killed the others.” I realized I’d never learned his last name.

“Phillip?” The sheriff cackled. “Phillip is a killer? That sweet boy may be a cheater but he is no killer.”

“He’s my mate! He admitted he killed them because they attacked me.”

“Lower your voice, Hood.” The sheriff got serious.

I sighed and sat. “He admitted he killed them to protect me.”

“Phillip may be mated to you but he clearly doesn’t want you.” He shrugged.

I slumped. “So you think I killed all of the wolves?”

He stroked his beard. “We all think this. You’re the human. It’s that simple.”

I sat forward and coughed. “You’re wrong. I didn’t.”

“You admitted to killing one. That’s murder already.”

“It was self-defense.”

He stood up. “It’s murder, Hood. We can try you for this murder alone. We can confirm you’re most likely the culprit of the previous murders as well.” He grabbed his handcuffs and handcuffed my hands. I was shocked.

He pulled me up and led me to a jail cell. He took off the cuffs and closed the bars. “Have fun.” He smiled and walked to his desk.

I sat down and swallowed the lump that sat in my throat. The sobs came and I leaned back against the cold stone wall. “Fuck you, Phillip. I hope you rot in hell.”

I jolted awake at the sound of metal sliding. The barred door was sliding open to my cell, revealing that damn sheriff. “What do you want?” I grumbled, knowing he heard me.

He gestured to someone walking into my view. Jason. “I didn’t know your brother was apart of the pack. He was your alibi. He told us that you truly didn’t kill any of those wolves and you killed the one out of self-defense. He told me how they keep coming to attack you.”

“Yes, because I’m a human. They don’t want me with their kind. It’s against pack code but they don’t care.” I rolled my eyes.

Jason grabbed my hand and walked with me out of the building. “What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking I should be an honest person. I didn’t realize this would happen. Phillip fucking sold me out.” I narrowed my eyes.

“Shani, you know they will take any chance they get to make you out as a bad guy. They can’t kill you due to pack code but they can if you’ve been proven to be the killer of their kind.” He groaned.

“You keep grouping them separately from you. Jason, you’re a werewolf, too. It’s your kind.”

He sighed and rubbed his face, kicking the ground. “You’re missing my point. They want to kill you but they have to go about it legally.”

I snickered, walking away. “What else is new?”

Jason followed me and shook his head. “Did you say Phillip did this?”

“I did. He’s the only person who knew. He sold me out to get revenge.” I scratched my head.

“Phillip? I just can’t believe he would do such a thing.”

“He did. He did do such a thing. My customers know. He turned them against me.” I clenched my fists. If I saw his face, I’d punch him without any regret. He’d get his karma.

Jason stayed by my side, silent during the walk home. It was time for me to get revenge. Karma and I were going to be best friends now.