A Fraudulent Death, Draft 02, CH 39 (Patreon)

Trembor stopped his pacing as the door opened. He was in the office before the deer in a suit could open his muzzle.

“You have some explaining to do,” Trembor told the adviser.

The male stepped back at the lion’s brusqueness, then regain control of himself. “Please have a seat. What is this about?”

“Herelex Goldenmane.” He fixed his gaze on the deer as the male stepped around the desk. Both remain standing.

“And you are?”

“Trembor Goldenmane.”

“Ah.” The male reached for the keyboard. “You’re his father?” he found it was too low to type comfortably, looked at Trembor, and sat.

Trembor didn’t smirk. “His uncle.” He waited a handful of seconds, then sat.

“And what do I have to explain?” the male asked, reading the screen.

“Why you’re allowing your students to be harassed by the faculty, for one thing.”

The surprise on the deer’s face looked real. Trembor leaned in and took a deep breath, causing the male to lean back. The scent confirmed it, although his actions were scaring the deer. He didn’t have Marlot’s training, but he’d interacted enough with people trying to hide things to learn some nuances in scents.

“So you don’t know.”

The male smoothed down his neck fur. “No one’s come to me, or any other adviser as far as I’m aware, Herelex certainly hasn’t come to me with any concern.”

“Do you expect him to? When those people tell him you told them where to find him?”

“I have never.” The deer’s eyes dilated in fear. “I would never put a student at risk. You have to believe me. I—”

“I believe you,” Trembor said in a calm tone. He didn’t want the male fleeing in terror. “I’m here to inform you of the situation now that I’ve confirmed you aren’t part of it. Nothing more.” He stood. “I expect you to deal with it.”

“Yes, of course. I’ll make sure no one bothers Herelex.”

Trembor glared at the male. “All the students. The academy is supposed to be the last safe place for them before they enter our world. That this has managed to happen is unacceptable. If you don’t think so, we will have another talk, Mister Whitetail.” Trembor let the growl slip, and the deer nodded quickly.

He left the office and fought the urge to look for Herelex. To find anyone bothering him and adding them to his freezer. He had neither the money to pay for them, nor was it the kind of message he wanted to give. There were better ways to handle situations than eating the people who bothered you.

Like the weasel and cougar who followed him as he exited the administration building. They were too old to be students, and to be allowed on the grounds as more than visitors, they had to work here. Maybe assistant to one of the teachers, on top of enforcing Maoma’s will within the academy.

He didn’t acknowledge them as he got in his car. They couldn’t do anything to him on the grounds without putting their position at risk. They’d have people outside the academy waiting for him. He’d let them take him to Maoma and settle this with the mole once and for all.

* * * * *

“I think you owe me an explanation,” the female said, sliding the pad over the kitchen table. Trembor caught it. A paused video with the title “my boss has a family tiff.” It showed Bo and him screaming at one another. He hadn’t realized their argument had been recorded, let alone posted it to the network. He should have; people were into oversharing these days.

He looked at the female, ready to argue, but she tilted an ear. It was all that was needed. He readied himself and tapped the play icon.

“… you were fucking saving. If that wolf hadn’t been there, you’d have been happy to let me die. Were probably looking forward to it so you can take my sons, raise them as your own since you’re never going to fuck a female and get one for yourself.” Bo’s grin was nasty. “Surprise. My memory of that day cleared quite a lot, so you can fucking stop lying about why you did it. You don’t give a fuck about me. You fucking live to be abused.”

He didn’t pause it in time and saw himself punch his brother. The motion had been quick, without warning, and precise. It surprised Trembor, watching the paused image of his brother nearly on the floor. His feet were his attack of choice.

“Well?” Serene asked, seated opposite him.

This wasn’t the confrontation he’d expected, had prepared for. Instead of being ambushed on leaving the academy, he’d made it home without problems. He’d been so busy looking for anyone who hadn’t belong that he’d missed his mother waiting for him on the porch, arms crossed over her chest and with the look she reserved for people she was about to eat because they had pissed her off.

“Me and Bo got in an argument and it got out of hand,” He said meekly. “I’m giving him time to cool down. I’ll apologize for hitting him when I see him again.” He could get her on his side, explain how Bo had encouraged his son to take part in illegal activity, put his academy work at risk.

Ignoring that he wasn’t a cub to go cry to one of his mothers so she’d take his side. The explanation would lead to more questions, and Serene would get involved. With her help, maybe he could bring down the organization, but he wasn’t putting her at risk.

She studied his face, reaching across the table to take back her pad. “That isn’t what I’m talking about, Trembor,” she growled, “And you know it. That wolf abuse—”

“His name is Marlot, Mother,” he firmly, if not as forcefully as he knew it, would take to stop her tirade.

“How can you be back with him?” she demanded. “How can you invite him to hurt you like that?”

“He made a mistake,” He stated, unable to look her in the eyes. He wasn’t at fault. And yet, he was back to being a cub, being chastised for a mistake. When was he going to outgrow that reaction to her?

“And doesn’t that sound familiar, Trembor?” she asked, derision slipping in her voice. “He didn’t mean to, he won’t do it again. How can you believe anything that—”

“Stop,” He growled. He looked her in the eyes. He cuddled his inner cub and told himself that under that fur was a mother who cared for him. That was why she was angry, hurt. All he had to do was explain things.

She opened her muzzle, and he growled again. If she let him explain.

“He isn’t Gorrek, Mother. If nothing else, Marlot is seeing a counselor about what he did. He didn’t make excuses for his actions. He understands he has problems, and he is trying to do better.” He sighed. “And some of the blame does fall on me. If I’d told him about Gorrek, what he did to me, Marlot would have been more careful with how he treated me.” He smiled. “Well, after eating that lion.”

She was still angry, her heavy breathing, her folded back ears, her scent screamed it. He could hear her tail tapping the floor. But when she spoke, her voice was controlled. “Why are you even taking the chance, Trembor? That—” Her muzzle snapped shut over the insult. And she breathed for a few seconds. “Marlot has already shown he’s willing to hurt you. How do you know he isn’t going to do it again?”

“Tell me why you’re still with Dad, Mom, and I’ll tell you why I’m willing to be with him despite the danger.”

“I don’t see what your father has to do with any of this,” she said, some of her anger fading as she tried to understand what he was aiming for.

He nodded. “How many times did Dad go back to the gambling houses after you thought you’d made him understand the danger it put his family in? Why didn’t you leave him after the first time, or the second, or any of the others?”

“Your father had a problem,” she replied, the offense at his suggestion talking out the rest of her anger. “I wasn’t going to abandon him because he had a setback. When you love someone, you help them.”

He smiled at her. “I love him, Mother. And unlike Gorrek, Marlot loves me back. Yes, he’s a little possessive. And when he gets stressed out, he digs in his claws and demands things and people bend to his will. But that’s why I know this isn’t about me, about him targeting me. He does the same stupid thing with the rest of the world when he’s stressed.”

“And you think that makes it okay?”

“Of course not. But you need to remember that Gorrek never, ever, lost his temper with someone he hadn’t hooked in. He was the perfect male at all times unless it was just me and him. With Marlot, it’s just a bad habit he’s picked up as a coping method. He runs through others to get what he wants, and then he feels bad about it. And now that he’s been directly affected by his own actions when I walked away. He wants to fix that about himself. Would you, after what you went through with Dad, really tell me to abandon him now that he’s working to improve?”

He watched her watch him. He could see the mix of pride and resignation in her eyes. He’d convinced her, but only enough she’d respect his decision. He and Marlot would have to be on their best behavior for a while around her.

She sighed. “All right, I won’t eat the wolf.” She narrowed her eyes. “But I’m warning you. If he so much as scratches you again I’ll—”

“Do nothing, Mother. He is going to hurt me. Marlot isn’t perfect. He isn’t going to fix his problems with one visit to a counselor, or two, or twenty. This is going to take time, and there are going to be setbacks, just like with Dad. And I’m going to be here for him.” For as long as I can. He was acting like he and Marlot had years together. Of course, to do otherwise would give his mother the scent something was off. There had been more to the recording. If she’d watched that, he’d have a hard enough time keeping her off that as it was.

She sighed and her hackles smoothed. “I miss the days when you thought the world was perfect.”

“I don’t,” he replied. “It led to Gorrek.”

“True.” She looked at the pad in her hand. “What about the rest?”

Of course, she’d watched it all. He didn’t want to relive it, so sent her the prey. “What did you hear?”

She canted her head in annoyance. “Bo said something about them having their claws into you too. I’m guessing that’s the people behind the gambling house he’s in trouble with. You said something about Herelex and sex vids, turning him into a male in a sex house. Bo replied with something about Dayra. And you replied you’d never work for them.”

Trembor nodded. That covered most of it, enough of it. And with it on the network, there was no doubt Maoma knew about it. Derimak hadn’t seen the recording yet. Otherwise, she’d be here fighting with his mother for who had the higher claim to be pissed at him.

“I made the mistake of putting myself between Bo and them. In return, they decided I was going to work for them and they’ve been insistent.”

“That thing about Bo being framed for underage predation,” she said, “and the lawsuit because you interfered in an investigation.”

He nodded and let out a breath. “I’m handling it, Mother. You can’t get involved.”

She tilted an ear and her tone cooled. “Can’t? Child, do you have any idea when the last time was someone told me I couldn’t do something?”

He smiled. “A few months ago, when I said you couldn’t eat Marlot.”

She narrowed her eyes. “He wasn’t threatening two of my children.”

Trembor had to hope she’d never learn the entire story, or she would never let him deal with this without her. He hoped he’d learned enough from Marlot when it came to bending the truth to manage this.

“This isn’t something you can simply jump in and claw everyone apart until you get your way, Serene. It’s a matter for the enforcers, and I’m working with them on it.” Only until Maoma found out about that recording.

She tapped a claw on the table. “I don’t like the implication you’re going to have to work for those criminals. You’ve always been adamant about following the law.”

“This is about doing what’s right. I can survive losing some sheen to my fur to take them down. And by having Marlot to go home to,” he added. He couldn’t even hint his days were numbered.

“How does he feel about putting yourself at risk like this?” She asked, and Trembor’s lips tightened. “You haven’t told him, have you?”

“He’s been busy with his cases. I’ve been busy with the lawsuit and this mess. We talk over pad, but we haven’t sat down in a while.”

“Tell him,” she stated. “Don’t wait until it’s too late, because as much as I might not like him. If you’re serious about him loving you, and he loses you without knowing why; he will hate your memory.”

“I will,” he told her, putting all the conviction he could in the words. He would tell him. He wouldn’t leave Marlot in the dark any longer than he had to.

She hugged him. “Be careful.” She kissed the side of his head and he accompanied her to the door, doing over all the ways he could tell his wolf what he was going.

He opened the door, and a fist moved through the space. The hyena who’d been about to obliterate the door, by the way her fist had come down, forced her expression into something resembling neutrality as she moved to the side.

“Derimak,” Trembor greeted her, letting his annoyance overpower his worry over Marlot. At least that was safe to feel around his mother. “This is one of my mothers, Serene.”

“Ma’am,” the hyena replied, sounding uncertain how to proceed with a witness there.

“You must be who Trembor is working with on this,” Serene said, studying the enforcer. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. But if you get my son hurt, I will come for you.” She exited and walked to her car as if it was a comfortable summer day.

“That one isn’t your mother, mother, right?” Derimak asked as the car drove away. “She was who I met at your graduation, and she was nowhere near this intense.”

“Serene is my mother through mating, not birth, but she’s still my mother.” He motioned Derimak inside and closed the door.

“You told her?” She asked, hints of disbelief in her voice.

“She saw the same recording I’m assuming is why you’re here, and you don’t lie to her.” He headed to the kitchen and filled two glasses with blood, offering the hyena alcohol in hers before adding it only to his. “I didn’t tell her everything.” He sipped his glass, leaning against the counter. “Just enough to keep her from going after the organization herself to protect me and Bo.”

Derimak narrowed her eyes at him, taking her pad out. “So you outright lied to her, because there is no way you can think that after that show, there’s any way we’re going to be able to have you go undercover.” She waved the pad at him. “Why did you have to go and say you’d destroy them before working for them? We could have spun the fight with your brother, but there’s no way to turn this into something that helps you.”

“They’re trying to get my nephew involved in their crimes!” Trembor snapped. “And his father’s going along with it! I lost it. I didn’t plan on saying that, Der. I thought I could talk sense in my brother.”

Her ears folded back. “Trem. You have to know they aren’t going to lie on their back and bare their throats for you after this. You declared war on them.”

“They declared war on my family!”

“Trem, calm down. I’m on your side.”

He drank half the glass in one swallow and let the burn chase his anger away. He might have put more alcohol in than he’d intended.

“I know. I’m sorry. And I know what this means.”

“Okay, and now you’re sounded way too calm for what that statement means. How many of those have you had?”

“I’m dead, Der. I accepted that a while back.” He chuckled bitterly. “Until your idea, I spent most of my time looking for a way to make it happen that would also protect my family.”

“Taking your life isn’t going to solve anything, Trem.”

He nodded and drained his glass. “But if I take enough of them along with me, it’s going to send quite the message, isn’t it?”

“How are you going to accomplish that?” she asked cautiously. “Even if you hunt them one after the other, there’s always going to be someone to take their place. This isn’t some street pack you can clear out in one afternoon. They’re everywhere.”

“Including the enforcers,” Trembor said, an idea forming.

“You shouldn’t look this happy they have their claws into some of us, Trem,” she said.

“Why not?” he replied, his smile broadening. “It means I know exactly where to go hunting someone who knows more about them than we do.” He canted his head. “You do know at least one enforcer who works for them, right?”

“More than one,” she said, her caution starting to smell like suspicion. “Why?”

His grin was becoming painful. “I’m going to get them to turn on the organization.”

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