Chapter 14

Rue POV

I am so exhausted from working, so many cars are fucked up in this town. I really need to hire someone to take the work load off. Furthermore, I worked for fourteen hours straight, damn, I need a vacation. Fourteen hours and ten cars in three days straight. Even though I made a lot of money, most of it goes to gas, bills, and insurance. I am so glad I have a mate that supports my career. When I arrived at Joshua's house, I barely knocked on the door when the door swung open. Joshua scooped me up in a bear hug, his lips crushing mine. It feels good to be greeted like this by your mate. We cooked dinner, and ate together. We made some lobster macaroni and cheese with some beer. Likewise, we talked about each other's day, and he is amazed about the amount of work I did three days straight. "Baby, you require another person to help you. You are not Superwoman, you can't fix all these cars by yourself. I can help you find someone who can fix cars and is good with people. I can look into my pack members," said Joshua. "As long as the person is willing to get certified, is a decent person, and is reliable. Good help is hard to find," I said, which made him agree. We cleaned up together and started watching movies together. We watched horror and action-flicked, and groaned every time a black person dies first. It irked me that people of color are always typecast and die first. I want a TV show, film, and book to put people of color in a good light.

We heard a knock on the door, and Joshua went over to see who it was since I didn't have any pants on. I wear a tank top and underwear to get comfortable. I also like to be barefoot in the house. "RUE, RUN, AND HIDE!" Joshua yelled. He didn't have to ask me twice. I have seen enough horror movies to listen to when somebody tells you to run and hide. I grabbed my phone and purse, ran into the bedroom, and hid under the bed. Not only that, but I know that Joshua is hard to kill and can take care of himself.

Joshua POV

I found a suitcase on my doorstep, reeking of blood and death. Likewise, I immediately called Jon, and he arrived in eight minutes with Nathan in tow. A gloved Jon opens up the suitcase to see a beheaded female dog. "I guess it means we kill the bitch, because of the female dog," said Nathan, which had earned him a backhand from Jon. His comment threw me off, and he seemed a little calm about this. His voice was monotone, like he was reading off a grocery list. His childhood friend may be in danger, and he is calm about this. I could have sworn that the suitcase smelled a little like Nathan.

Five Hours Later

I found Rue under the bed and explained everything to her, including the thing about Nathan. Her face paled, she ran into the bathroom and threw up. I immediately texted Jon about my concerns, and he is cursing and texting me to protect his daughter at all costs. He even texted me that he thought that the bag smelled a little like Nathan, but didn't want to believe it. Jon texted us saying that Nathan has DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder), and he was sexually abused by a guy in college. His mother confided in him after he went to talk with her. Jon has secretly been on to Nathan, but we have no proof that he is the killer. We have to think of something.

Morning

Rue was in my arms, we fell asleep after a long night. We woke up and freshened up. We talked about safety rules for her and how we could catch Nathan. Furthermore, we can't use scrying because we would need a place of death to scry in order to see who the killer is. We would have to catch the fucker in the act. Meanwhile, Rue has to take a mandatory vacation. She is to put up spells and charms around the house, and stay in the damn house.

Rue POV

I had to go to the bathroom to call my mom for the best protection spells and charms. I am 22, and still calling her for help. As usual, she scolds me for not remembering the basic spells. "Why can't you remember the stuff I taught you? You can remember how to change a car engine, but you can't remember the protection spells that I have taught you. Your brother remembers the spells and has been practicing his magic. Why haven't you been practicing? I swear to God, if you put this much energy into practicing your magic as you did with fixing cars, you wouldn't have me yelling at you," Mom barked at me. She eventually emailed me the handwritten and fortunately legible spells after she stopped yelling at me for an hour. I am smart enough to screenshot the spells and save it on the cloud. We both said our goodbyes like nothing happened, like she didn't yell at me for an hour. She was right, while I was hiding in my mate's home, I might as well brush up on my magic. I usually don't need to use my magic like my twin and mother. Since there is a serial killer after me who may or may not be my childhood friend, I might as well brush up and learn new spells. I really don't want it to be Nathan, but my brain tells me to be careful around him. He was such a good kid as I remembered him, was his assault a trigger? I remember some basic spells, but I rely on my werewolf side. I will study all night if I have to, even if I have to miss meals or lose sleep. Furthermore, I prayed for my family's safety, including Joshua's. I can still worry about his safety even if he is immortal.