Sin of the Assassin - Book 1 of the Assassin Codes

Chapter 7

I've come upon a downward slope. It's like a large hole surrounded by the slopes. Scratch that, a massive hole.

At the bottom are more red wolves. Most of them around the perimeter, but there are also a ton in cages. There's are tents scattered around the place and I can see people, no werewolves, walking in and out of them.

What is this place?

I shift to human form to quickly mark this location on my map before shifting back to my wolf.

I run as fast as I can to my house. I slow down when I feel Chase mind-linking me.

Serenity?! Where are you?!

I try to ignore him, but he persists.

I know you can hear me, love. Please answer me.

Love?! Since when has he called me love? It makes me tingle a bit, but I keep trying to ignore.

Serenity, please! What's going on? Why aren't you talking to me? Why aren't you answering my calls? Where are you? What did I do wrong?

Ugh.

Chase.

Serenity!! You're ok!

Of course I'm ok.

Why haven't you answ-

Chase listen, you haven't done anything wrong.

Then why have you been shutting me out? Is there someone else that you loved, or something?

No.

Then what is it? What's wrong?

Chase, I really care about you. I do love you. It's because I love you that I have to keep my distance. I can't do this.

Why? Just tell me?

I can't. I'm sorry.

Seren-

I love you.

Wait Sere-

It hurts me too.

I close off the link with him before he can say anything else. I ache on the inside knowing how much he's hurting.

I finally arrive at my house and I can sense him nearby. He's probably watching for me to come back.

I go in again through the back. I don't have to turn in any lights since I left a lot of them on. I put my bag on the floor and pour a glass of water.

I hear a knock at my door.

Ugh. Chase please stop.

I get close to the door. It's not Chase. I haven't felt this presence in a while.

I open the door.

"Rick?"

"Hey Serenity!" He says giving me a hug. He walks in and as I close the door I hear a howl in the distance.

Chase.

"So what've you been up to?"

"What I was sent to do."

"Well what've you got?" He says getting a bit more serious.

"I've found the red wolves. It's like they're already dead, but then once you kill them they don't shift to their human forms. I mean they're werewolves, when a werewolf dies they're supposed to go back to human form."