Chapter 19

A/N: This author turned a quarter of a century last Sunday. My birthday (and being to a wedding the day before) was the reason why I didn't update YATA last weekend but hey, you get TWO updates this week. Enjoy!

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I refused to open my eyes as I snuggled closer to him, letting out a content sigh. Lying on my right side, I was covering his chest with my left hand, enjoying the warmth that radiated from him through his t-shirt. He shifted his left arm - the one that my head was on - and brought me even closer to him.

"You are awake," Rhys noted softly, probably because he saw the huge grin on my face. I hummed in conformation. "Are you hungry yet?"

I opened my eyes, my mouth forming into a larger smile.

"For your kisses? Always." I lifted a bit up off the bed to kiss him. Rhys didn't part his lips, keeping it sweet and innocent. I strongly suspected the reason behind that was not to give me ideas about going further... Things had gotten somewhat heated between us last night.

I twitched as I remembered him on top of me, t-shirtless and sucking on my neck. We'd both panted and I'd moaned although we didn't get further that rubbing our bodies - pants still on - against each other. Rhys had stopped abruptly, rolling off of me and almost running towards the window. He'd stood there with his head out until he'd caught his breath and gotten his composure back.

I'd felt slightly guilty as I had initiated the make out session; Rhys had stated that he wanted to take things slowly and that we were not going to make love - yes, he'd put it like that - on that night. We'd cuddled, we'd kissed goodnight, I'd deepened the kiss, he'd responded and next thing I knew, I was taking off his top.

It had been impossible for me to restrain myself. I'd spent the evening worrying about him, praying he'd returning safely. Once he did, he was the nicest person ever: even though he was exhausted, he'd made sure I was comforted and pampered; his touch as he'd caressed my cheeks had been gentle, his kisses soothing... As I said: I couldn't help myself.

I needed to be close to him.

"So how about breakfast?" The Rhys from the present inquired.

"I guess I could grab a bite but..." I hesitated: should I ask now?

He'd promised to tell me today, but he hadn't said when exactly. Wouldn't it be better if I kept my questions for later and let us have a quiet morning together?

It was the first time we woke up in each other's arms after all. But could I really go through a meal, laughing and chatting, and maybe steal a few more kisses from him when there were so many things I wished to know?

"You want to know what happened at the Council meeting last night." The pause I'd made had given Rhys time to guess. I responded with a nod and he sighed, letting go of me. His hands darted up and he rubbed his temples. We were silent as he contemplated on how much to disclose.

"Alright," he began, turning to his left to look at me. "There's been another murder, this time of an elderly gentlemen. Same M.O., still almost no clues left behind."

"Not even fingerprints? What about blood? Had none of the victims put up a fight? Not even the couple? They were two people after all..."

Rhys raised a hand to put a stop on my verbal attack of his ears. I bit into my lips to keep my mouth shut and allowed him to reply.

"There are fingerprints all over each crime scene. The culprit hasn't bothered wiping them clean, probably because they are useless..."

"How come?" I shot out before I could help myself.

"They aren't present in any database and since we have no more suspects, we have no one to compare them to."

"So you've had suspects," I concluded. "I mean, the police had suspects... Or was it you? What is your role in all of this?"

"I've told you, Riley: we consult." His voice trembled with what I thought was exasperation. "And yes, there were suspects..."

It did not allude me that he omitted a pronoun and instead used 'there were' - words that failed to answer whether it had been the police or the Bullets who had suspected someone; given the way Rhys avoided to give me a straight reply, I was more inclined to go with the latter.

"... But they were cleared off. The fingerprints weren't a match and they had alibis," he went on. "As for blood," he let go of another heavy sigh. He appeared to age the same way Everett did when talking to or about Alec: heavy eyelids drooped over eyes that lost their glow. "There is never other blood than that of the victims. Those poor people didn't stand a chance against... Whoever that person is, they are strong, Riley."

"But they are only human," I pointed out. "Surely they would make a mistake or one of their targets would stand up to them..."

Rhys leaned forward, hushing me with a deep kiss. I did not respond right away - I wanted to get my answers - but I eventually gave in, allowing him a brief escape from a topic that brought so much tension.

He finished the kiss by moving away from my lips and pecking the top of my nose before he lay back in the bed.

"To sum it up, no new suspect, no new clues," he resumed in a grave tone. "A few new faces are joining the investigation team though so hopefully..."

He didn't need to finish his sentence.

Hopefully the police will catch them soon.

He sounded anything but optimistic though and I buried my face into his chest, wrapping my arms around his torso. He kissed the top of my head, one hand running up and down my back.

I wished to say something to comfort him, but I didn't know what. I myself was crestfallen at the lack of new leads and terrified at whom the killer might strike next. I could only imagine it was harder for Rhys who not only had to take care of the Bullets, but consulted the police and failed to aid them in achieving an arrest.

"Breakfast," he offered again, less enthusiastically than before. I nodded and rose from the bed, hoping that his family would succeed in if not consoling him, then at least in distracting him from last night's events. We put on our jeans - we'd both slept in t-shirts and pajama bottoms; I had to pull my pair up so I wouldn't trip on them - and headed downstairs, holding hands in silence.

Four heads turned towards us as we walked into the sunlit kitchen.

"Everett was here earlier. He..." Kennedy began, but Jackie cut him off:

"And since when do we start a conversation like this? Good morning, Rhys, Riley. How did you sleep?"

"Good morning," I returned. "And well, thank you."

"Good morning, mom," Rhys kissed her on the cheek and she smiled at him, just as two toasts jumped up the slots of an old toaster. "Dad."

The other man gave a nod.

"The bacon will be ready in a couple of minutes." He flipped the meat in the frying pan.

"Butter, Riley?" Jackie was already folding a small knife in one hand and a toast in the other.

"Yes, thank you."

"You don't have to say 'thank you' after everything, dear." She sliced a thin layer of the butter and began applying it to the bread. "Everett was here earlier and he told us about the meeting."

"You mean, he told you and dad about the meeting. Carter and I don't know anything," Kennedy butted in, crossing his arm over his chest.

"You know there are no developments, right?" His mom asked and the youngest son gave a nod. "So you know something."

The boy groaned, then pointed with his head at the seat next to him, inviting me to take it. My butt had barely touched the wooden chair when he leaned towards me and whispered:

"Did Rhys tell you anything?"

"Kennedy!" His mother's warning tone only made him roll his eyes.

"I want to know, mom! I'm a part of this pa... community; I have the right to know."

All he Flemings ignored how he was about to use a term other than 'community'. Jackie put the buttered toasts in a large plate where others already lay, Tom flipped the bacon again, Carter didn't look up from his phone - his eyes had fallen on the devise almost immediately after he realized it was Rhys and me who'd walked into the kitchen - and Rhys opened the fridge, taking out a bottle of tart cherry juice.

"You know almost as much as the adults do," Jackie said. "Which isn't much at all. What you don't have to know is the details, Kennedy. Believe me, they are not pretty." She placed the plate in front of me. "How is the bacon coming along, Tom?"

"Done." He reached for another large plate - this time filled with strips of bacon - and added the just-fried meat.

"Riley, do you want to eat with Rhys here or in the dining room?" Jackie asked. I replied with my own question:

"Aren't the rest of you eating with us?"

"We already had breakfast; this is just for the two of you."

Just for the two of us?

All that golden-brown bacon, buttered toasts and hard-boiled eggs were only for Rhys and me?

"You didn't have to make us breakfast, Mrs. and Mr. ... Jackie and Tom. We could've done it ourselves." I commented. She smiled at me, a white strand falling in front of her face as she tilted her head to the side.

"Let us spoil you a bit will you, Riley? You make our Rhys so happy."

Kennedy grinned as he saw me and his second eldest brother blush at his mother's words.

"I think we'll eat on the porch, mom," Rhys uttered, then he turned to me: "If you'd like that."

"Sure." I got off my seat and took the bacon and toasts. "You bring the juice and glasses."

"I'll take out a couple of plates and forks for you," Kennedy offered, jumping off his chair.

"I'm not telling you anything about last night," Rhys stated the moment his youngest sibling closed his mouth.

"Sheesh! Can't I do something nice for you without you thinking I want info?" The bright-eyed boy asked, opening a drawler to take out a few utensils.

"You are being suspiciously nice," the older brother noted.

"Maybe I just want to pamper Riley. He makes you so happy after all," the boy said with a dramatic sigh and a woman's voice. "Ouch! Mom!"

Jackie had slapped him behind the head as he walked past her.

"You said the same earlier," Kennedy noted on his way out.

"I didn't slap you because you repeated what I said; I slapped you because you tried to imitate me. And very poorly at that," she added.

"Only a little." He had to shout as he was already in the hallway.

"Come on," Rhys invited and we followed Kennedy out.

The Silver Bullet's neighborhood was a lot livelier in day light. Adults were sitting in chairs on their porches, the toys I'd noticed the previous night were now in the hands of kids, a car drove by us, honking in greeting just as I sat the plates on the round table. There was a certain heaviness in the air though. The unease was especially noticeable on the faces of the adults; the youngest children had probably been spared the news of the fresh murder - did they even know about the previous ones? - but their eyes darted towards their parents one too many times for me not to conclude that they sensed something was off.

"So, what do you think?" I turned back to Rhys and Kennedy, but the latter was nowhere to be seen. The former pointed with his hand to the people around. "The community's spirit isn't at its peak because of... You know... But this is us."

Was that why he'd wanted to have breakfast on the porch?

To show me more of the Bullets?

Or was it also to show me off to them; they tried to be discreet in their examinations, but I could feel their gazes on me.

"You are very..." Normal.

I couldn't say that; it sounded as if I'd expected them to be freaks. I still contemplated on what term to use without coming off as rude or immensely relieved that they weren't a bunch of lunatics, when Rhys' eyes fell on someone behind me and a smile spread across his face.

"Good," he murmured to himself. "I wanted you three to meet."

I turned around to see who he meant.

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A/N: I just realized that the last six chapters cover two days... I hope you enjoyed this chapter; if so, please support it with a vote.

We are getting closer to THE moment where Riley finds out about the werewolves. It's been 45 days since he and Rhys met; IS IT TOO SOON FOR HIM TO FIND OUT?

Do you think Rhys should've told Riley about the message the killer left?

Have a great time on wattpad and don't be shy to leave a comment and tell me what you think of the chapter :)