Grim Echoes

Chapter 21 - Ander

Will had driven to a different motel and checked them in. More dilapidated than the other, but it had the needed facilities. At the bare minimum Ander would need to dispose of some limbs. Maeve followed them silently and sat in the one chair with that same lost expression as they carried their bags into the room. Was that how Will perceived him when he had a break with reality?

"Fuck, that was a mess." Will rubbed the back of his head.

Ander agreed, still uncertain why the werewolf had taken Maeve into the woods. She had not spoken a word since they found her. Disgusted by him, she had pulled away from his touch. He felt foolish about his musings and feelings from last night.

"Maybe we should leave her here and finish cleaning things up," Will suggested.

Maeve blinked and turned her head to look at Will. "No," she whispered.

"What?"

"You can't." she cried again.

A knife sliced into Ander's heart. The mission had gone off plan and not allowed him a chance to speak to Will. "Will, I think perhaps we need to consider all the options, regarding its offspring," Ander spoke up.

Will turned and glared at him. "What the fuck are you talking about? Its not up for discussion. It murdered seven people. Seven fucking people, those people had families too!" his deep voice reverberated in the room. "Did it give a rat's ass? No. Now those families are fucked."

"I understand that, but there is a possibility they may be dormant," Ander started.

"We already talked about that. It doesn't fucking matter. We don't need another Collins situation," he said with gritted teeth.

Ander considered his words. He understood how much those missions had bothered Will.

"He didn't want to kill those people!" Maeve raised her voice at Will and disintegrated his thoughts.

"What?" Will snapped.

"I asked him, right before I thought he was going to rip out my throat. The last thing he said before you." she drew in a shaky breath. "His last words were that he didn't want to."

"If it didn't want to, then why the fuck did it keep doing it?" his words filled with acid.

"I don't know, you cut his head off before I could ask!"

Ander studied them, not entirely certain the argument was only about the werewolf.

"That's our job! We destroy the monsters to preserve your precious safe world!"

"Do you know why he picked me up? Why he ran off with me?" she bolted up.

Will stood aloof, but his eyes remained trained on her.

"Because he was afraid for me. He was trying to protect me from you!" she raised her voice until it broke.

Ander's brows furrowed. He had not known werewolves to be so forthcoming about their motivations.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Will crossed his arms over his chest.

"I got him out of the building, just like you wanted. I told him I needed him. He thought... he decided I had an abusive boyfriend. When you attacked him, he knew exactly what you were," she said, fire in her words. "He took me to the wooded area to get me away from you and then apologized to me for damning me to his existence, running forever," the fire gone now. Resigned, she sat.

"None of that changes it was a murderer,"

"So are you,"

Will's head snapped back. Ander raised an eyebrow. Her words stung Will.