Chapter 9

                                    

                                          
When Eve finally spotted Chris, he looked trapped in a circle of girls all trying to get him to dance with them. His face was a mixture of a lot of guilt, non- comfortability and only a little enjoyment as they all threw themselves at him. Eve growled slightly and Chris immediately looked at her, turning red at being caught in that situation. Eve pushed forward and cut through the group, glaring at each of the girls as they glared at her. Chris stood stiffly behind her, unsure of what would happen next.
                          
            “Excuse you,” one girl said to Eve angrily. “But we were dancing.”
                          
            “Yeah, why don't you wait your turn,” another said. 
                          
            “Try because you were dancing with my boyfriend,” Eve said fiercely and all the girls faces turned surprised. Chris bit his lip, not wanting to laugh.
                          
            “Wait, you're his girlfriend?” the first girl asked, looking between Eve and Chris. “We thought he was making that up.”
                          
            “Clearly you thought wrong,” Eve snapped. “Now if you'll excuse us.” Eve grabbed Chris' arm and pulled him passed the girls and the other dancers until they were outside and around the corner from the club. “Because you ask, yes I will keep this from Mia but only because I could tell you felt guilty and didn't really want to be stuck in the situation. But if anything like that happens again, I'm telling her, got it?”
                          
            “Yeah, thanks,” Chris said.
                          
            “Good,” Eve said. “Now to the reason I went to find you in the first place. While I was at the bar I caught the scent from Claire's yard.”
                          
            “Did you see who it belonged to?” Chris asked quickly.
                          
            “Yeah,” Eve replied. “But they left before I could see where they went. My view was only blocked for a minute but it was enough for him to get away. Sorry.”
                          
            “Don't be,” Chris said flippantly. “You did good. Let's see if we can pick up the scent from out here and see where he went. If we don't find anything, we'll head back home and see what everyone else has.”
                          
            “Good plan,” Eve said. The two walked back around to the front of the club, catching the scent again and following it two blocks up before it disappeared. “They must have gotten in a car here.”
                          
            “Looks like it,” Chris agreed. “We did the best we could for now. We'll come back-” Chris stopped mid sentence as another scent caught his attention. “Do you smell that?”
                          
            “What?” Eve asked, sniffing at the air around them. “Wait, is that... blood?”
                          
            “Yeah and...”
                          
            “Claire!” Eve exclaimed, suddenly running.
                          
            “What? Eve!” Chris yelled, running after her. They turned the corner to where the edge of the park began and stopped not too far into the trees. Eve was just ahead of Chris when she came to a sudden stop, spun around and threw up at the base of a tree. “What is it?” Eve just shook her head and pointed between two trees behind her. Cautiously stepping forward, Chris looked between the trees and had to suppress his gagging. Because Claire's body laid mutilated in the grass, organs on full display and some half eaten by scavengers, almost completely unrecognizable if not for her blond hair and still intact pack tattoo on her wrist.
                          
*          *          *          *          *
                          
            Tom arrived as soon as he could after Chris' call, bringing Carlos, Jose, Ian, Jay, Adrian and Cole with him. Eve tried to stop her puking, but every time she so much as turned in the direction of her mutilated friend it all came back up. Surprising to everyone Adrian collapsed at the sight of Claire's body, crying so much that Tom eventually told Jay to take him home because he would be no help. Jay did so grudgingly, hoping to slip passed Ian and Chris to comfort Eve. After briefing Tom on how they found Claire, Chris and Eve were cleared to leave while Tom and the others buried the body but were told there would be a pack meeting that they needed to attend.