Fraudulent Death, Draft 01, CH 28 (Patreon)

The bustle of the house almost broke Trembor’s facade.

“Trem!” Cerek called as his brother hurried by. “Where have you been?” he vanished in the kitchen before Trembor could answer him. The females were there, so he’d timed it right. He wouldn’t have to try to entertain the cubs for hours while everyone waited.

“Trembor,” Arina said, approaching arms wide, and covered in blood, “How are you doing?”

He stopped his mother with a hand. “I’m good. Messy kill?”

“Oh, sorry, yes. Alasa got over-excited today and forgot to sheath her claws. Opened the neck.” She chuckled. “It’s been a long time since I had to clean this much blood out of my clothes.”

“Are you okay?” Trembor asked before he could stop himself? “Is dad, Sarene, and Lyria?”

“Of course.” She searched his face, losing some of her joviality. “Is there a reason we wouldn’t be?”

“No, of course not.” He shook his head and reminded himself he couldn’t raise suspicion. There would be nothing worse than his family realizing the problems they were having were his fault. They’d insist on helping him fix everything, and he could be responsible for them being injured. “The whole trial thing’s got me seeing problems everywhere.”

“Well, just remember that we’re here for you. I better go change. You should go see the cubs. They’ve missed you.”

“I will.” He kissed his mother on the cheek before she left. “Ufen,” he called, seeing Baytil’s mate bringing plates to the table.

“Hey Trem, how are you holding up?”

“I should be asking you, shouldn’t I? Have things improved?”

He chuckled. “The news cycles shift fast, but not that fast. It was only yesterday you asked me that. Don’t worry. The network will have more newsies on the street before the rating drop by more than a point or two. I can still spare someone to cover your trial if you want. We can make it a heart-warmer. Brother gets in legal trouble to protect his brother. It would be easy to turn the public in your favor.”

“Thanks, but that’s still a no. With all due respect for you and your network, newsies turn everything into a circus. I just want this to go by quietly.” He took some of the plates and help his brother-in-law.

“Not my territory, got it; but if another network publishes the story, you and I will have words.”

“If they do, it’s against my wishes, so we can hunt them down together.”

Ufen grinned. “Oh, a hunt, that’d be a change. Bay is a bit of a traditionalist on those, she lets me in on every fourth or fifth one.” He lowered his voice and Trembor readied himself for something juicy about his sister. “Do you need me to write up a piece to smooth things over once your dad finds out about you and a certain wolf having been seen together?”

Trembor’s jaw dropped.

Ufen snorted. “You should see your face.”

“How? How do you know? Do my parents?”

“Well, I didn’t know, not until now. Knowing your parents, we wouldn’t be talking if they knew. As for the how, Bo called a few days ago, and we talked. He implied a thing or two and my instincts said there was something to it and now I know. Don’t worry. Not going to make it a news story, but if you need me to spin what’s happening in a way your parents will not skin you and the wolf alive when they find out, I’m going to need details.”

“What did you and Bo talk about?” Trembor didn’t like the timing. They talked only a few days before Ufen’s network’s began losing their best newsies? He hadn’t thought about asking that when he’d called his siblings, and he wasn’t sure it would have helped. Everyone in his family talked to everyone else.

“Life, work, you know the usual.”

Trembor nodded, and they finished setting the table.

“Vex,” he called another of his brother. “You seen Bo today?”

“The way he and dad almost unsheathed claws the last time? I doubt he’ll be over.”

“You spoke to him recently? Any idea how he’s doing?”

“A few days ago, maybe four or five. Like I told you, things have been busy at work, sort of lost track of time. I’m going to have to get right back there after dinner to cover one of the shit.” He began heading away and turned. “Bro, how pissed would you be if I called that wolf to see if he’s willing to help out? He’s got programming knowledge and we could really use a few extra hands until we fill the vacancies.”

“His name is Marlot, and go ahead. I’m sure that if he isn’t busy with cases, he’d love helping you.”

Vexori stared at him.

“What?”

“You used his name.”

“It is his name.”

“You used his name without cursing immediately after.” His brother’s lips stretched into a smile. “You and him are back together.”

Trembor grabbed him by the neck before his brother could open his mouth again. “Keep that to yourself.”

“Come on, you and him were perfect, are perfect. I’m happy for you.”

“And I’m happy too.” Although Trembor was cursing himself for letting it slip. “But can you imagine Serene’s reaction to me and him being together after she was ready to eat him? He broke her heart. I can’t just walk in and tell them we’re trying again after that.” And even less because it wouldn’t amount to anything but everyone in his family raising their hopes for him, and then he’d be the one disappointing them.

“Okay. I get your point. But bro, you are going to have to watch what you say if you don’t want the others to figure it out. Ufen can piece things together better than anyone of us.”

“He already knows.”

“See. If you don’t go back to being morose and cursing that wolf every time you open your mouth, even my mother will figure things out, and as much as I love her, she is the slowest of those four.”

“I know. I’m trying to be careful.”

“Trem, you were never careful with your heart. It’s why we love so much and come to you with our problems. You won’t try to act like it doesn’t affect you we can see how badly we screwed up on your face even when you pick your words carefully. Honestly, you should just tell them.”

“Once the trial is over,” Trembor said, figuring everything would be done before that considering how long his lawyer would stretch it out as a way to discourage Prosecutor Flattooth from pursuing this to the maximum she’d promised she would.

“Okay, that’s fair. One problem at a time, right?”

“Yeah.” Trembor sat in his father’s chair to get out of the way of the others. Torim wouldn’t mind since he was preparing the body for dinner with… he looked around or who was missing. Cerek, obviously, Herelix too and, Juress and Tiven.

A mass landed on his lap and Dayra stared at him. “Why didn’t you come up?”

“That’s grandpa’s chair,” Nerik said, climbing next to Dayra. “You are in so much trouble.”

The rest of the cubs entered the living room and Trembor had to entertain them until dinner was ready.

* * * * *

“And to those who are absent,” Torim said, finishing the toast. His father had purposely avoided Bo’s empty seat, while Herelix had been stoic, and Isenson hunched in on himself. Trembor wasn’t sure how the two had made it here without their fathers. He’d make sure to ask before the evening was over. Isenson seemed to be taking all of it pretty badly, and Trembor was sure Herelix acted like he did just because he thought that as the oldest he needed to be the adult. He had to talk some sense into his brother, for the sake of these two if nothing else.

“Sorry,” he told Fanea, who’d just asked him a question. “What?”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re usually better at paying attention, brother.”

“I’m usually not buried under a lawsuit,” he replied, going for making light of his situation.

It only caused her to fold her ears back with the next eyeroll. “Please, with Torim as our father, a lawsuit is not more threatening than a rabbit.”

Trembor considered telling her about Nikal to demonstrate that rabbits could be serious threats, but figured that would just open himself up to more questions, and Marlot had been involved. He couldn’t afford to slip at the table, not with Serene with earshot.

“What was your question?”

“How are you doing?” she said, slowly, enunciating each word as he if was a simpleton.

Trembor glared at his sister. “Just for that, I really shouldn’t be answering you.”

“Please answer your sister,” Serene said, her tone somewhat flat. “We’re all interested in knowing how you’re doing.” Her words quieted the table.

There was no doubting her hearing now.

“I’m fine,” Trembor said with a sigh. “A bit bored with all the waiting, but at least my house is clean now.”

That earned chuckles.

But not from Serene. She studied him, ever the huntress, looking for a weakness in his story, even when it was no more than a dozen words long. Finally, she nodded. Not satisfied, but her quiet acquiescence that she wouldn’t press.

His pad buzzed and the conversation that had restarted stopped again as he pulled it out. Overly conscious of all the stares, he read his lawyer’s message.

“Everything okay, Son?” Torim asked.

“Yeah, just Barany telling me we’re meeting tomorrow. Seems the prosecution finally got off their asses and are ready to proceed.” His father tilted an ear in concern. “I’m paraphrasing, dad. Barany’s language is proper.” His father nodded. Even retired he expected those still practicing law to behave according to his standards.

Putting the pad away, Trembor considered the message. The timing was good since he needed to run his plan by him if it had any chance of success. Once Barany was appraised, he’d have to figure out who in the enforcers he could tell. Bahamel, if she knew about him and Marlot. If she didn’t, it would be best not to tempt her into eating him before his plan was in motion.

Fanea leaned close to him. “If you don’t start eating right now, Mother’s going to start questioning you again.”

Trembor looked up to see Serene’s gaze on him as she ate slowly. Great, with the huntress on his scent, he’d have to be even more careful if he wanted to die without dragging his family into this.