A Fraudulent Death, Draft 02, CH 28 (Patreon)

The bustle of the house almost broke Trembor’s facade. He’d considered not coming. Offering some excuse to his family, but even if they would have accepted it, Maoma would question why he didn’t attend the one event he hadn’t missed in twenty years if, as he’d told her, he was going to live life again.

“Trem!” Cerek called, as his brother hurried by. “Where have you been?” He vanished into the kitchen before Trembor had the chance to answer him. He’d arrived later because he didn’t think he could endure the cubs’ questions today. The morning’s calls were hard enough.

“Trembor,” Arina said, approaching, arms wide and covered in blood. “How are you doing?” That’s he’d arrived after the females were back from their hunt meant the cubs would be too busy with their families to bother him.

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

She looked down at herself and chuckled. “Alasa got carried away and forgot to sheath her claws. Opened the neck. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to clean this much blood out of my clothes.”

“Are you okay?” he asked before he could stop himself. “Is Dad, Serene, Lyria?”

“Of course,” his mother replied, searching his face. “Is there a reason we wouldn’t be?”

He shook his head both as an answer and to clear it. He couldn’t raise his parents’ suspicions. If they realized everyone’s problems were because of the situation he was in, they’d insist on helping him fix everything, Maoma would escalate in return. “It’s the trial and everything around it. I’m seeing problems everywhere because of it.” He wouldn’t be responsible for any of them getting hurt.

She took his head in her hands. “Are you sure?” she searched his face. “You know we’re here for you, right? It isn’t because you’ve moved out that you stopped being my little lion.”

He chuckled. “I moved out over two decades ago, mom. And I’m bigger than you. I haven’t been your little lion for a long time.”

She sniffed indignantly. “You and your brothers will always be my little lions.” She let go. “I better go shower before your father offers to clean me himself.” She winked at him. “I wouldn’t want us to delay today’s meal.” He kissed her cheek before she walked away.

“Ufen,” he greeted Baytil’s mate, who brought plates to the table.

“Hey Trem, how are you holding up?”

“I should be asking you, shouldn’t I? Have things improves at Bay’s job? How about you? How are things at the network?”

The lion chuckled. “The news cycles never stop, you know that. And it was just yesterday you talk to Bay. Even there, things don’t shift that quickly.”

Trembor took a few plates off Ufen’s hands. “But wasn’t there a call for more newsies? From what I saw, your networks seemed to be the hardest hit.”

The lion shrugged, making the rosettes in his dark brown fur stand out. “Their job is to poke their muzzles where no one wants them. That comes with risks. That so many got eaten just means we have a solid story in there. We’ll have more newsies on the street before we even lose one point in the rating. I still have enough I can assign one to your trial if you want. The public always likes a good heart-felt story. ‘Brother gets in legal trouble for protecting his family’,” he said in an announcer’s voice. “You never know, with public opinion on your side, the judge might have no choice but to acquit you.”

Trembor shook his head, setting them on the table. “I appreciate the offer, but even if I thought he was a good idea, newsies turn everything in a circus. I want this to happen quietly so I can put it behind me once it’s over.”

Ufen nodded. “I’ll make sure we stay away.” He smiled. “But if another network breaks the story, we will have words.”

“If they do,” Trembor said, smiling, “it’s going to be against my wishes. The two of us can hunt down those newsies together.”

“Oh, a hunt. That’ll be a change. Your sister is a bit on the traditional side, she only lets me come with her every fifth or sixth hunt.” Once all the plates were on the table, he leaned in and lowered his voice. “Do you want me to write up a piece to smooth things over once your dad finds out about you and a certain wolf being seen together in a non-combative situation?”

Trembor’s jaw dropped.

Ufen snorted. “You should see your face.”

“How? How do you know?” He lowered his voice, looking around to make sure no one else was close. “Do my parents?”

“I didn’t know, not until I saw your reaction. As for your parents. Knowing them, if they did know, you wouldn’t be standing here talking to me. I talked with Bo a few days ago. I thought he might want to talk about what had happened. He told me to stay away from the story and let drop a detail or two that made me suspect you and the wolf weren’t on as bad a term as we’d heard. I’m not going to make a story out of the two of you, but if you need me to spin things so your parents leave you with some fur, I will need the whole story.”

“What story did you think Bo had?” Trembor didn’t like the timing. A few days ago put it around the time the reports about newsies getting eaten started being reported.

Ufen looked at him. “Come on. I’m in the news business. Bo vanishes for half a day and you bring him home. You can’t expect me not to wonder. But I’m going to respect his wishes like I do yours.”

So it could be an actual coincidence.

“Vex!” he called to his brother as he walked by the dining room’s entrance. “Have you seen Bo?”

“The way he and Dad were about to unsheathe claws last time? Do you really think he’s going to be over?”

“Fair point. Have you spoken to him? I’m giving him space.”

“A few days ago.” Vex frowned. “Four, maybe five. Like I told you yesterday, work’s been busy. I might have to leave as soon as we’re done eating to cover one shift.” He took a step and stopped. “Bro, how pisses would you be if I called that wolf. He’s got programming experience and we could use the extra hands while we fill the vacancies.”

“His name’s Marlot, and go ahead, I’m sure he’ll be happy to help if it doesn’t interfere with the rest of his work.”

Vexori stared at him.

“What?” Trembor demanded and glared at Ufen, who was covering his muzzle in an attempt not to laugh.

“You used his name,” Vex said.

“It is his name,” Trembor replied, trying to understand what was so amazing about him using it.

“Where’s the cursing?” Vex asked. “The despair that you still have feelings for such a horrible—” his brother’s jaw lowered, then his lips stretched into a smile. “You and him are—”

Trembor had his hand around the muzzle. “Don’t you say a word.”

Ufen snortled in his hands. “You are so bad at this,” he managed to say.

Trembor sighed. “Not a word.” He couldn’t even put a threat in his tone.

Vex mimed turning a key before his lips and throwing it away. “I’m really happy for you, Trem. I mean it. If you’re sure it’s serious and—”

“It’s not him trying to play me,” Trembor said, silencing the doubt. Marlot wanted them back together, and he was working on being better. Gorrek would never even have tried to convince Trembor he’d do such a thing. “And thanks, but can you imagine how Serene’s going to react? She was ready to eat him. He broke her heart. I’m going to have to ease them into the idea we’re together again.” And fast. Or not at all. That was also an option. It isn’t like he’d be around for the fallout. But he wanted his family to support Marlot. He couldn’t end up entirely alone.

“You might want to reconsider being here,” Ufen said, his laughter under control, “because you can’t seem to stop yourself from letting things slip, and your father’s not an idiot.”

“I know,” Trembor growled. “I’m trying to be careful.”

“Careful’s not the problem, Bro,” Vex said, tapping Trembor’s chest. “The problem is that you think with that. You need to go back to acting like the world’s ending without him next to you, then being angry for wanting him. Anything else and even the cubs are going to pick up on it.”

“Can I offer my opinion as something of an outsider to the inner workings of the Goldenmane family?” Ufen asked.

“This should be interesting,” Vex replied, and Trembor nodded for him to go on.

“Tell your parents.” The other lion said. “They’re going to blow up, but from what I’ve seen of your family, it’s going to happen no matter how much you try to ease them into the idea. Let them blow up and once they’ve calmed down, they’ll be willing to listen.” He paused, considered something. “You might want to tie Serene down first. Her, I’m not sure she’ll calm down before she went and made your wolf pay.”

“Or get her drunk,” Vex offered.

“I’ll tell them. I just want…” would anything he said now come across as believable? “I don’t know. I will, but not right now.”

“I’m just offering my advice,” Ufen said. “What you do with it is up to you.”

“I should go help prep the bodies,” Trembor said, but Vex caught his arm.

“You were late, every spot’s taken.”

He nodded and headed for the living room instead and sat in Torim’s chair. He watched his family move around and tried to work out who’d taken his place in the kitchen. Herelex? Would he have come without his father? He was old enough to use the transit system. He didn’t see Isenson, but that didn’t confirm things either way. Juress had a good knife hand, and he didn’t see him anywhere, while Issa was running around her mother’s legs.

A mass landed on his lap and Dayra glared at him. “Why didn’t you come to see us?”

It had been too much to expect her, of all the cubs, to leave him alone.

“That’s Grandpa’s chair,” someone else said, and Nerik climbed up next to Dayra. “You are in so much trouble.” His green eyes were fixed on him severely.

Then the rest of the cubs were around and on the chair with him.

Trembor put on the bravest face he could and faced their questions for as long as it took dinner to be 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 at the cubs’ table. Isenson had turned out to be with Atilen until dinner started, his sister offering the cub comfort, but not willing to discuss what troubles him. It felt odd for Trembor not to be the one sought for comfort. He needed to speak with his brother about how his situation was affecting his sons.

“Sorry,” he told Fanea, “what did you say?”

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

“I’m not usually buried under a lawsuit either,” he replied, trying to make light of the situation.

It only caused her to fold her ears back with the next eye roll. “Please, with Dad involved, a lawsuit’s no more threatening than a rabbit.”

Trembor considered telling her about Nikal to show that rabbits could be a threat, but it would just open him up to more questions, and since Marlot had been involved, he might let something slip and Serene was within earshot.

“Did you have a question? Or was it just a ploy to tell me to relax?”

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

Trembor glared at his sister. “Just for that, I don’t know if I’ll answer you.”

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

There was no doubting her hearing now.

“I’m fine,” Trembor said with a sigh. “Bore of all the waiting, but at least my house is clean.”

That earned him chuckles, but not from Serene. She studied him, ever the huntress, looking for weakness, in others or, this time, his story, even if it was barely twelve words long. She nodded, not in satisfaction, but acquiescence that she wouldn’t press.

His pad buzzed, signaling conversations could restart. He checked in, overly conscious of the people looking at him while he read his lawyer’s message.

“Everything okay, Son?” Torim asked.

“Barany,” he replied, “he wants to meet tomorrow. Seems the prosecution got off their asses and they’re ready to proceed.” His father tilted an ear in concern. “I’m paraphrasing, Dad. Barany used all the proper language.” Even retired, his father always had an interest in ensuring people behaved properly, and now that Trembor knew the male was still involved with the law firm, his interest made more sense.

He put the pad away. The timing was good, he needed to run his plan by the armadillo for it to have any chances of success. Once he’d brought him up to date, he’d have to figure out who among the enforcers he could tell. Bahamel was the perfect person since as head of vice, organized crime was her department, but if she didn’t know him and Marlot were together, asking for her help a second time might be too much temptation.

“Bro,” Fanea whispered, leaning close, “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 was going to have to be even more careful if he wanted to die without dragging his family into this.

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