CHAPTER 383: ALLIES IN UNEXPECTED PLACES

Ramsey

"Good day, sir," the policewoman said quietly. "How are you doing? How is your wife?"

"She’s fine," I said curtly. "You’re here again?"

"Yes," the woman said with a sigh. "I know there’s a lot on your plate, but Paul keeps insisting on justice and..."

"How much is the car?" I asked quietly.

"Sir, if we could just..."

"Listen, I have a lot on my plate and I don’t want to be bothered by trivial things. Fine, will two hundred thousand cover the car and get him to shut up?"

Paul stepped forward, his voice still hoarse from yesterday. "I want this animal arrested immediately. Look what he did to me!" He gestured at his bruised neck. "He nearly killed me, and he destroyed my car!"

One of the policeman’s eyes widened. "Two hundred... that’s too much..."

Paul pushed past him and came to stand in front of me. "I don’t want your money, I want an apology, a heartfelt one. If you don’t give me that, then I’ll really sue."

I laughed.

"You want me to apologise to you? I didn’t even do that with Xander... why should I do so with you, a mere human?"

"You see, officers!" he bristled to the police, "This man is entitled. See the way he talks. Not a shred of remorse." Then he turned to me. "I’m giving you one chance, one, to get on your knees and apologise. In front of these officers. Or I swear, I’ll press charges—assault, destruction of property, attempted murder, whatever sticks."

I crossed my arms, fighting to keep my expression neutral despite the rage building in my chest. The urge to finish what I’d started yesterday was almost overwhelming, but I forced myself to remain calm.

"Officers, I was protecting my pregnant wife from a man who had trapped her in his vehicle against her will," I said evenly. "I’d like directions to your station. I’ll be happy to come in later to discuss this properly."

Paul’s face turned an interesting shade of purple. "This is ridiculous! I’m a citizen! I pay my taxes! I demand justice!" He turned to the officers with wild eyes. "If he won’t settle this right here, right now, he should be taken into custody immediately!"

"What exactly do you want him to settle?" The female policewoman asked, looking between us with practised patience.

Paul straightened up, his voice taking on a tone of injured dignity. "I want him to apologise to me. On his knees. For what he did to me and my property."

I scoffed, unable to hide my contempt. "That’s not going to happen."

"Then you’re going to jail!" Paul snarled, spittle flying from his lips. "I have rights! You can’t just assault innocent people because you’re jealous of their relationship with your wife!"

Before I could respond to that outrageous accusation, I noticed a familiar figure walking toward us from the other side of the road. It was Elias, my neighbour, the tall, winnowy man who had fixed Paul’s car yesterday.

I didn’t pay much attention to him initially, assuming he was just being friendly. But as he drew closer, I couldn’t help but feel like I’d seen him before.

"Excuse me, officers," Elias said quietly, his voice carrying an authority that made the police turn toward him. "I couldn’t help but overhear. I think there might be some misunderstanding about what happened yesterday."

The policeman looked him up and down. "And you are?"

"Elias. I live in this neighbourhood, and that’s my house over there," he pointed to his house. "I saw what happened yesterday. The man you’re threatening," Elias glanced at me, then back to the officers, "was defending his pregnant wife from someone who locked her in a vehicle and refused to let her out."

Paul’s face went white. "That’s a lie! I never—She came into my care willingly."

Elias ignored him, turning instead to point across the street.

"There are security cameras on that house," he said, pointing at our house. "You can see them—top right corner of the porch. And another one at the intersection just down the road. Both were facing the car. You’ll see that she was distressed. You’ll also see him—" he gestured toward Paul without looking— "refusing to unlock the door after multiple requests."

The male officer, clearly more experienced, narrowed his eyes at Paul.

"Is that true? Did you lock her in?"

Paul’s jaw moved, but no sound came out.

"She got in willingly!" he finally choked. "I just wanted to talk. She... she overreacted!"

"And that justifies holding a pregnant woman against her will?" Elias asked calmly, folding his arms across his chest.

"It wasn’t like that!"

The officer raised a brow. "Enough. We’ll pull the footage ourselves."

As the conversation continued, I found myself studying Elias more intently. There was something familiar about him—not his appearance, exactly, but his presence. He was too smooth. Too calculated. The way he handled the situation wasn’t just calm—it was practised. The police respected him immediately, which didn’t make sense for a supposed ’I am new to the neighbourhood too’

My mind flashed back to the fight I’d witnessed in the early hours of the morning. The tall figure who had battled unknown creatures outside our home, then disappeared into the darkness after dragging away the bodies. The timing, the build, the speed...

Could Elias have been our mysterious defender?

"The cameras will confirm everything I’m saying," Elias was telling the officers. "My neighbour’s actions were completely justified."

The policeman closed his notepad with a sigh. "Given the conflicting accounts and the mention of security footage, we’ll need all parties to come to the station tomorrow. Mr. Ramsey, please bring any available camera footage from yesterday’s incident."

"And Mr. Elias," the policeman added, "we’ll need you to come along as well to give an official statement."

Paul’s face had gone from a deep purple to a pale grey. "But what about my injuries? What about my car?"

"If the footage supports Mr. Elia’s account," the policeman said diplomatically, "then Mr. Ramsey’s actions may be considered justified defence of his spouse. We’ll sort it all out at the station."

The officers escorted a protesting Paul toward their patrol car, his voice carrying back to us as he continued to rant about his rights and demand immediate justice.

As soon as they drove away, Elias turned to leave. "Well, I should be getting back to—"

"Who are you?" I asked quietly, my voice carrying the unmistakable tone of Alpha authority.

Elias paused, turning back to me with that same easy smile. "I’m sorry? I have no idea what you’re talking about."

I stepped closer. "Yesterday, you appeared out of nowhere to fix a car with damage that should have been impossible to repair within a day, let alone a few hours. Today, you show up again at exactly the right moment to defend us to the police. And early this morning..." I paused, studying his reaction. "Earlier this morning, someone fought off creatures that were threatening my wife and me."

Elias’s smile never wavered, but I caught a flicker of something in his eyes—acknowledgement, perhaps, or respect.

"I think you have me confused with someone else," he said mildly.

I moved another step closer, close enough that any human would feel intimidated by my size and presence. "You’re a Lycan," I said bluntly.

This time, his smile did fade slightly. For a moment, we stood there in silence, assessing each other.

"That’s an interesting accusation," Elias said finally, his voice losing some of its casual warmth. "What makes you think that?"

"You know what a Lycan is?" I chuckled. "Humans do not easily know what that is. I am right, you’re a Lycan."

I shot out and grabbed his left hand, looking for a pack mark, but saw nothing before he withdrew.

"I don’t know what that is. I’m just a guy who hates injustice."

"Your scent, for one thing. Underneath the motor oil and human cologne, you smell like pack lands. Like old forests and moon magic." I crossed my arms. "Your movements, your reaction time, the way you can fix damage to mundane objects. And the fact that you’ve been protecting us without being asked."

Elias was quiet for a long moment, studying my face with the same intensity I was bringing to bear on him.

"You’re observant," he said finally.

"I’m an Alpha. It’s my job to be observant." I kept my voice level but maintained an authoritative tone. "So I’ll ask you again—who are you, and what do you want with me and my mate?"

"What I want," Elias said slowly, "is to make sure you and your Luna survive long enough to return to your pack lands safely."

"Why? What are you talking about?"

"I am from the Hollow Kin. I was sent to protect you and your Luna."

I laughed dryly. "The same Hollow Kin that sent me a threatening message that if I don’t show up a fortnight from today, I would be stripped of my rank as a Lycan Leader. That same Hollow Kin?"