Copyright © 2020 Kaizer Wolf

Innocent Devil's Harem | Chapter 14-1: Hiding the Body…Again

I’d kept two huge secrets from Serenity all my life, and yet she now finally knew one of them. After Serenity was kidnapped by a serial killer, who had caught my devilish form on camera when I was younger and had been trying to identify me ever since, I was forced to reveal myself in an attempt to rescue her.

It was a trap, of course, and my twenty-three-year-old friend was the bait.

The problem was, I didn’t have much choice, since I had no doubt the bastard would make good on his promise to butcher her and leave me a trail of pieces to collect for her funeral. And sure enough, I found her in an abandoned warehouse both aware and conscious, but also drugged, a tray of knives resting on the table she was lying on.

It had been a close call, since the man succeeded in rendering me immobile even despite my cautiousness. However, he apparently wasn’t aware of my full capacity and found himself dead at my feet barely a minute after arrogantly introducing himself.

Nevertheless, even despite his death, without the help of my busty girlfriend, Gabriella, and my older friend’s coworker, Nick, I would never have managed to free myself.

But now everyone was back home and safe, my drugged housemate and exhausted girlfriend, technically fiancé, both asleep in my housemate’s bed, behind a locked door, after an extremely stressful evening.

And thankfully, Serenity still didn’t know my other secret -- that I was desperately in love with her, even despite the five-year age gap and the fact that she’d been forced to raise me like a mother during the teenage years of my life.

Granted, I was still concerned how Serenity would react when she woke up, since the fear of my religious older friend rejecting me over my appearance was the main reason why I wasn’t willing to risk her finding out, even despite our close relationship.

Unfortunately, my concerns would have to wait for later though.

Now, it was time to hide the evidence of my latest victim, to hopefully prevent the authorities from making any connection between me and the jackass who tried to kill the most important person in my life.

I also needed to take care of my thirst too, having only recently discovered that drinking human blood would accelerate my physical healing.

Of course, I was hoping that animal blood would do the trick too.

Thus, after hunting down a coyote, I was relieved to discover that drinking its blood satiated my lingering craving, and also reassured of my durability when its claws and teeth weren’t strong enough to harm me. Then, I made my way back to the warehouse to formulate a cleanup plan.

Part of the fundamental problem was that my DNA was everywhere from my previous injuries, making ‘hiding the body’ the least of my concerns, even if that needed to happen too.

Thus, the first thing I did was figure out what I had available to me, going back outside to rummage through the serial killer’s car, which only made me realize I had an even bigger problem -- it appeared to be a rental car!

And when it didn’t get returned, it would likely alert the authorities that this man was missing!

Dammit.

In the backseat, I found Serenity’s gun on the floor, so I grabbed that, making sure the safety was on, and then stuck it in my pocket. Then, rummaging through the center console, I found a lighter and package of two cigars, giving me the disgusting impression that they were victory smokes.

Stupid bastard.

I half wanted to light them up and do my own victory smoke over his dead body, though I wasn’t sure I could handle it. With how sensitive my nose was, inhaling cigarette smoke from another person had always been unpleasant, even when it was scented. Or, I guess, flavored.

Whatever.

Sticking the lighter in my pocket too, I decided to go looking for the keys in anticipation of driving it to another location. However, first I needed to figure out what to do with the body. Venturing further into the warehouse, following my nose, I ended up finding some gloves, which I assumed the guy planned on using when he chopped up my best friend, along with a small bottle of alcohol. And then I also found a container of paint thinner, but I didn’t want to start a fire in the warehouse and have the whole thing come down.

Or more specifically, I didn’t want to burn the body here, and have them discover the charred remains of a corpse.

Thus, instead, I decided to go back into the main section, sprouting my bat-like wings before picking up the stiff cadaver and doing my best to shoulder the body, disgusted when some kind of nasty fluid began leaking out of his mouth. Then, with some effort once I was outside, I took to the air and flew with him high in the sky, aiming for far beyond the city outskirts.

On the way, I had quite a bit of time to try to figure out what to do with my cargo, but honestly I still wasn’t really sure. In the end, I figured I’d just try to borrow a shovel from some stranger’s house and bury him.

Which ended up being exactly what I did.

Although, even with my strength and speed, I spent a good half hour digging, going far deeper than I suspected most people would, until I got low enough that the bottom started developing a puddle of water from the ground.

I then checked the guys pockets thoroughly again, just to make sure I hadn’t missed something, and tossed him in, thankful once I couldn’t see him anymore as I heaped the fresh dirt back into the hole.

This spot was pretty far off the beaten path, but just to be sure no one tried digging him up, I found sticks and other forest debris to try to conceal the area, wanting it to look like its surroundings as much as possible.

Finally finished, with the body gone and shovel returned, I felt more relaxed on the return flight, though I knew I still had a lot of work to do. When I got back to the warehouse, I stripped my shirt and pants, setting my phone, keys, and gun to the side, leaving me only in my boxers, before I poured a little bit of the paint thinner over the spot where we’d both bled.

I then lit it with the lighter.

The fire blazed larger than I was expecting, but the warehouse was huge and there was minimal smoke caused by my burning cloth. Thus, I ended up pouring more paint thinner over the area, ensuring the harpoon-like projectiles were in the flames too, glad that things were going even better than I expected.

Before long, there was nothing but a charred area half a dozen feet away from the table my housemate had been lying on, all the evidence burned away.

After that, I stashed the harpoons in a closet in a random office in the hallway, then donned the gloves and went back out to the car with the bottle of alcohol, trying to smear it around wherever I’d touched.

My final step was then grabbing my phone, keys, and wallet and then driving the car off to a remote location to another town entirely, trying to stick to the backroads.

I knew there was going to end up being a problem if this was really a rental car, but I was still wearing the gloves and, so long as I cleaned the interior well after I dropped it off someplace random, there should be no reason for them to link it to me.

Plus, no one should be finding the body anytime soon, if ever. And no body usually meant no case. He’d certainly become a missing person, but doubtful anyone would suspect murder.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Not to mention, if they did think it might be murder, then it likely meant he had other enemies in his life the authorities were aware of, making them suspects instead.

But not me.

In fact, this man trying to kill Serenity almost guaranteed that there would be no clues leading the cops to the warehouse anytime soon. After all, this guy had likely been wanting to hide his sinister activities just as much as I did now.

When I finally got back home hours later, I discovered that Nick was barely hanging in there.

He was still sitting next to the kitchen table, or what was left of it, half asleep. His dark skin was extra dark underneath his dark eyes, his face almost having an ashen hue to it, and his short curly brown hair was a little lopsided, as if he’d fluffed one side by excessively running his fingers through it.

He didn’t even really seem to noticed that I was only in my boxers, gratefully heading to the couch when he saw that he was off guard duty for the rest of the night, not even saying much as he plopped down and passed out.

Made sense I supposed, since he’d already been tired to begin with, earlier that evening.

Alternatively, even despite everything I’d just done, I was still wide awake, my heart racing in my chest. I wasn’t sure if it was anxiety, or from my body reacting to my previous injuries, or what. But I was still on high alert, all my senses homing in on every little sound, every little twig snapping outside. Or every time a cricket stopped chirping unexpectedly.

However, at the same time, I did feel emotionally drained.

Between the fear of my best friend getting kidnapped, to the realization that she finally knew one of my secrets, and now the anticipation that came along with her waking up in the morning -- it all made me feel drained.

So I supposed I was anxious, among other things.

Hearing that both Serenity and Gabriella had normal heart rates, the first thing I did was set my stuff on the counter and then go upstairs to take a shower. And I probably would have stayed in there a long time, even after the hot water ran out, but my stomach wouldn’t let me. I hadn’t even really noticed the empty sensation, combined with the escalating twinge of pain, until my thoughts started focusing on that coyote again, fantasizing about skinning it and eating the meat raw.

Shaking my head at the disturbing thought, I got out and hurried downstairs to raid the fridge, wearing only my towel. Not that I was concerned about being seen half naked, since everyone in the house was passed out.

Thankfully, there were still leftovers from dinner, but even after devouring all the Roman Chicken, I still felt like I was starving. I ended up finishing off the leftover pancakes I’d made for Gabriella, slathered with peanut butter, syrup, and then downed with two large glasses of milk, before I started feeling satisfied.

It was only then that I got dressed in a t-shirt and gym shorts upstairs, and then grabbed the hidden key we had for the inside doors, in order to do a more thorough investigation in Serenity’s bedroom, recalling that we’d never cleaned the bite on Gabriella’s arm.

I found my two loves almost exactly how I’d left them, Serenity still on her side facing the middle of the bed, while Gabriella had likewise rolled toward her so that they were only half a foot apart. I’d managed to shift back to my human form while I’d taken a shower, and of course I could still smell Gabriella’s scent through the door, but opening it and entering the room had been like getting hit by a truck.

I wasn’t sure if time spent away from my fiancé was the cause, or what, but I shifted in an instant, as if it was the first time I was experiencing her arousing aroma all over again.

Focusing on my best friend’s heart rate, I realized it was a little faster than before -- still normal, but between that, and her smelling less like the drug, I suspected her paralysis was truly wearing off. She was still hastily dressed in her clothes from earlier, wearing jeans and a t-shirt, her plump chest looking almost small next to my girlfriend’s huge chest, both of them ridiculously thin thanks to their active lifestyles.

I tried to not focus on that now though.

Moving over to Gabriella’s side, her red hair strewn about on the pillow, I carefully adjusted her arm and lifted the makeshift bandage, made from her sleeve, in order to take a look at the bite.

Which shockingly didn’t look bad at all.

My eyebrows pulled together then, as I debated how it might be best to clean it without waking her up. Obviously, running clean water was out of the question, since I’d have to move her, and no way in hell would I use Rubbing Alcohol on it, considering the pain alone would probably be worse than pouring lemon juice and salt on it.

However, I was pretty sure Serenity had a bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide underneath the sink somewhere, which shouldn’t hurt at all.

Returning to the bathroom, I found the brown bottle, and got a couple of fresh washcloths so I could try to clean the area up.

The solution sizzled and bubbled less than I was expecting, prompting me to gently pull her skin in various direction to make sure it got in the wound. However, ultimately, I knew that after so long, it should be showing signs of being red and inflamed if it was infected. Instead, her skin was smooth around the bite, with no swelling, as if there wasn’t a bite there at all.

Or at least no infection.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have any bandages on hand that were large enough, so I instead opted for using a paper towel from the kitchen to cover it back up, continuing to use the torn sleeve to hold it in place for now.

Satisfied that both women were fine for the time being, I went back downstairs, ready to find something else for me to do to help distract me for the rest of the night. Of course, the first thing I focused on was the broken table I’d snapped in my outrage. I knew there were some random two-by-four boards in the shed out back, left from the previous owners of this house, so I figured I could snap one of those and use it to temporarily fix the table until we got a new one.

I also found a box of nails, though we had more in the laundry room closet, so we were good in that department either way.

Carefully flipping the two halves of the table over, I lined them up and then placed the boards a couple of inches from each side, using my thumb to force twelve nails through the wood, six in each board. I was pleasantly surprised when I cautiously flipped it back over, putting some weight on it to make sure that it would hold.

Yet, despite the crack down the middle, it was pretty sturdy.

Definitely not an ideal solution long-term, especially since a few of the nails were just barely poking through the top, but at least we had a table to eat on again. However, once I was done with that, I didn’t really have much else to do, except sit in the kitchen and listen to all the sounds outside.

No way was I going to be able to sleep right now, not after everything that happened.

Logically, I knew there shouldn’t be any more danger -- that everything was over now -- but my body wouldn’t fully allow me to relax at all. I felt on edge, all my senses alert. It was a miracle I could even stay in my human form, though I constantly felt like I was on the verge of transforming.

Which meant I just sat in silence for several hours, waiting for it to be time to start making breakfast for everyone. I was almost relieved when that time came close enough, beginning to work on making a feast the moment the clock hit six in the morning. I initially started with pancakes again, but then decided I personally wanted eggs and sausage, only to end up opening up a can of pineapple and mandarin oranges so that Serenity could have the fruit with cottage cheese.

Of course, all my preparations were premature, since no one was even showing signs of stirring yet. So once I was finished, I put everything on low heat, sticking the fruit in the fridge, and sat back down, deciding to eat some eggs and sausage while I waited. Normally, I’d wait for my housemate to join me before eating, but I was hungrier than I expected. In the end, I ate all the eggs and meat, and had to fry up more of both when it sounded like someone upstairs was beginning to stir.

I wasn’t entirely confident who was waking up, but my anxiety began to spike when I realized I’d have to face my lifelong friend soon either way. And I wasn’t sure what I’d say to her, or what she’d say to me.

I’d gone basically my entire life trying to hide this secret from her, and now I’d been forced to reveal it. Would the fact that I helped save her life help at all? Would I smell fear when we finally came face-to-face again? Would she wonder if I was really the same person she grew up with?

So many questions, all of which did nothing but make me more anxious.

When someone finally got out of bed, I knew who it was from the little sounds they made, surprised when Serenity ran straight to my room upstairs. And even more shocked when her heart rate spiked, and she bolted for the stairs instead.

“Kai?” she whispered urgently when she reached the bottom, taking a few steps into the living room, likely spotting Nick, and then turning around to dart into the kitchen.

She came to an abrupt halt when she finally laid eyes on me, almost as if she was surprised that I looked normal, instead of the monster she saw last night.

“Good morning, Ren,” I said quietly, having a difficult time meeting her gaze.

She shocked me by rushing forward to my seat and wrapping my head up in her embrace, my face pressed against her chest.

“Oh Kai,” she whispered, sounding like she was about to cry. “I’m sorry. Thank you for saving me. I was so scared. When I woke up after being kidnapped, that man told me what he was going to do to me, and I…” Her voice caught in her throat.

I slowly reached up and wrapped my arms around her thin waist, returning the embrace. “Why are you sorry?” I asked hesitantly.

She took a deep breath, hugging my head tighter against her chest, resting her chin on the top of my head. “I woke up for a few minutes last night, I think just after you left. Gabriella was still awake, and told me more about…” Her voice trailed off. “Well, about everything. She explained that strong emotions can make you…” She paused. “Well, make you look different, like last night…”

She sniffled then, her voice coming out strained. “And I just feel so horrible, because I never knew. I feel like you’ve needed me all this time, and I wasn’t there for you. And the worst part is, I probably did things to make it more difficult for you to hide this aspect of your life.” She sniffled again. “I ended up dreaming last night about all the times I teased you when you were embarrassed. I figured it was harmless, but now I realize that whenever you’ve walked away from me in public…” Her voice trailed off again, coupled with another sniffle. “I’m just so sorry.”

I cleared my throat, trying to reassure her. “Yeah, well you haven’t really teased me much in public in a long time. Not for a couple of years at least.” Though she certainly did in private sometimes, like yesterday when she was teasing me about my feelings for Gabriella.

“I know,” she agreed. “But still. I wish I’d known. Why didn’t you tell me? Why were you so afraid of me finding out?”

“Because I can’t lose you,” I said almost inaudibly. “I couldn’t risk you rejecting me. Especially not after all our parents passed away. You’re the only one I have left.”

“Oh Kai,” she whispered, squeezing my head. “I would never reject you. No matter what. I love you more than anything.”

Copyright © 2020 Kaizer Wolf