Triple Crossed

Chapter Three

      Corren felt a knot form in his stomach as he carried Roan's unconscious body through the woods, his tail wrapped protectively around the boy's fragile form. He couldn't believe that Roan was alive after all these years, but at the same time, he didn't know what to make of the situation. He had so many questions, and he wasn't sure if Roan would be able to answer them.

As he walked, Corren couldn't help but think about the newspaper article he had read so many years ago. He had always assumed that Roan and his family were dead, and now he was faced with the realization that he could have been wrong all this time. It was a strange feeling and one that he wasn't sure how to process.

Eventually, Corren made it to his mansion, the imposing structure looming before him in the moonlight. He made his way through the front doors, Roan still cradled in his tail, and headed straight for the spare bedroom on the second floor. It was a room that Corren rarely used, but it was clean and comfortable, and he knew that Roan would be safe there.

Gently, he laid Roan down on the bed and pulled the blankets up over him. The boy looked so vulnerable, and Corren couldn't help but feel a surge of protectiveness toward him. Perhaps remnants of the past, his relationship with Roan, carried inside of him throughout the years. He wondered what had happened to Roan, and why he had disappeared without a trace. But for now, all he could do was wait for his childhood best friend to wake up.

As he sat by the bed, Corren couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He had no idea if Roan's family was still alive, or if they had died all those years ago. He didn't even know if Roan would be able to remember what had happened to him. All he knew was that he had to keep himself safe, no matter what.

Hours passed, and Corren sat there in silence, watching as Roan slept peacefully. With a silver pistol in hand, he waited. Finally, as the sun began to rise, Roan stirred. Corren held his breath, waiting to see if Roan was okay. As Corren sat at the edge of his bed, watching Roan sleep soundly in the spare bedroom, he couldn't shake off the uneasiness that lingered within him. His mind was still racing, trying to connect the dots between Roan's sudden appearance, the murder of the woman he caught Roan cleaning up, and the possibility that Roan's family may not have actually died in a drowning accident.

Corren's suspicions were only fueled further when Roan woke up, disoriented and erratic. His eyes darted around the room, taking in his surroundings before finally settling on Corren. "Where am I?" Roan asked, his voice shaky.

"You're at my mansion," Corren replied, trying to keep his tone calm and steady. 

Roan's eyes widened in surprise. "Your mansion? You're rich now?" he asked, a hint of bitterness creeping into his voice. Reality hadn't fully dawned on the battered male. 

Corren shrugged. "I did well for myself, yes. But that's not important." He hid the pistol behind himself.

Roan didn't seem convinced. He sat up slowly, rubbing his temples. "I don't understand any of this," he muttered. "The last thing I remember is..."

He trailed off, his eyes widening in horror as the memories came flooding back. Corren could see the panic in Roan's eyes, and he knew that he needed to tread carefully.

"Roan, there's something I need to ask you," Corren said, his voice gentle but firm. "When I found you in the alleyway, I saw you cleaning up the body of a woman. Do you know what happened to her?"

Roan's eyes darted around the room as if searching for an escape. His demeanor shifted between panicked and calculated.  "I...I don't know what you're talking about," he stammered with an icy tone.

Corren wasn't convinced. "Roan, I need you to tell me the truth. Did you have something to do with her death?"

Roan shook his head frantically. "No, I swear! I don't remember anything!"

Corren sighed, his suspicions only growing stronger. He knew that he needed to get to the bottom of this, but he also knew that Roan was in no state to talk. He decided to let Roan rest for now, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was very wrong.

As he left the room and closed the door behind him, Corren's mind was racing. He knew that he needed to do some digging, to find out what had really happened to Roan's family and to the woman whose body he had found in the alley. But he also knew that he needed to tread carefully. Roan was unstable, and he had no idea what he was capable of.

For now, Corren would keep a close eye on Roan and try to figure out what had happened to him. But he couldn't shake off the feeling that things were about to get much, much worse.