Chapter One
The night was hot and sticky. No hint of autumn just yet. Many older people would say that it was an Indian Summer. Where the summer wouldn't let go of her hold just yet. Many younger people were celebrating in the club to Renard's left. A few were outside side, either giving testimony, or just watching the events unfold.
The call came in about twenty minutes ago. Vehicular man slaughter, whether intentional or remained to be seen. Although to Captain Sean Renard, he could only guess that it was quite intentional. He showed up on the scene as soon as he heard the description of the victim. As he sped to the scene, he prayed to as many dark gods that his mother taught him the names of that she was alive.
His stomach dropped when he saw who had the EMTs attention. All the Royal Families put together would be in a fit once they heard. That was one fit that Renard didn't want to be a part of this time.
The captain felt eye boring into the back of his head. He cringed inwardly. He knew it was Nick glaring at him. Ever since he figured out that Renard was the one that was the royal that woke his girlfriend up, Nick was biting at the bridle to fight Renard. He almost got it the night Renard turned the key back over to Nick. Although Nick had a mean right hook, Renard knew that he could take Nick out if he had too. And really, that was why he fought back. To test Nick.
The only thing that surprised Renard as much as Nick was when he handed the key back over to Nick. Ever since kissing Juilette, Renard was acting less like the monster he really was, and more like a weakling. Only once in his long life did he feel like that, and until tonight, he hoped that it would never return again.
Renard took a breath, and turned around to Nick, shooting him a quick smile. Nick's lips twitched. Renard didn't blame Nick for trusting him. Trust was earned, not just given. And putting into account every thing that Renard did, however pure his intentions, it was hard to find something trust worthy in him. Just the Royal blood flowing through his veins should have been enough reason for Nick to cut his head off.
"So glad you could make it, Captain." Nick sneered on the title. Renard sighed, and ran his hand through his close cropped hair.
"I had to come see for myself as soon as I heard." Renard answered. "Poor girl." He looked hard at Nick, trying to glean for himself if his detective saw the true form of the victim. Nick smirked and turned around to talk to Hank. That was answer enough. He did.
"Oh Cap, glad you made it." Renard heard Wu's voice. He turned towards his uniformed cop's voice. A slight smile from Wu, and Renard knew that he was taking it just as bad. Just because the half Japanese laughed the loudest, didn't always mean he was honestly laughing. OR however that saying went. The captain thought to himself.
"Poor girl, I hope she makes it. She probably could tell us the perp." Wu stated. "None of these drunken merry makers saw who it was." And very likely not even your victim. Although in my world, the accusations are going to be starting any minute. Renard thought. He couldn't actually say that, so he just kept his counsel.
"Why did you come?" Wu asked. He really was the only cop it seemed like that didn't shoot Renard a dirty look. Now even Hank did it. Although Renard had a feeling that Hank was brought up to speed at not only the Wessen world, but him too. But it wasn't like Renard could jump up and down and proclaim himself good, and they would believe it.
"I was in the area, and stopped to see what's going on." He answered. Wu only nodded and went on about what the on lookers saw. A black Tahoe, year unkown, hit her and kept going. No one saw who was driving, and the call came back that the particular vehicle in question was found about three blocks down, abandoned.
"Good job Wu, see if you can pull prints off of the car." Renard said, as he patted him on the back. Of course, the victim's identity couldn't be found. Renard knew that whoever ordered this hit on this particular Wessen knew what they were doing.
"Captain!" Nick called as Renard go into his undercover. Renard kept his driver door open and waited for Nick to come to him. Partly because it would look bad for him to get out just because one of his officers called him, and another reason so Renard could put a pin prick in Nick's side.
"Do you know what's going on here?" Nick demanded. A headache was starting to come on between Renard's eyes. This was going to be an interesting night if he didn't cut Nick short and got out of dodge.
"What do you think I am?" Renard asked. "Let me phrase that. Do you think that I know everything that goes on just because I am who I am?" Nick lowered his head a bit, feeling a tiny bit guilty.
"She vulged Captain. I know she's not just an ordinary human." Nick lifted his eyes to witness Renard almost loosing control. Just thinking about who it was, on top of the promise of that head ache, the urge to shift into his true form over came him. For Renard, control was a full time war.
"Sorry Nick, I know she's a Wessen. I can't stay here any longer, I'll jeapordize a few people's safety if I do. I'll talk to you later about what I know. It's not much though. If I were you, go look in your books and see what you find. I'll know if you find anything because you'll call." The urge came again, and Renard snarled, almost a welcoming snarl. No one ever said that it felt good to loose control. Nick didn't even back up, he just tensed.
Always ready for a fight. Renard thought. He sighed as soon as he had gotten a little control, and closed the door. Renard didn't immediately drive off though. He watched as Nick slowly made his way back to Hank, sneaking glances his way.
Get in control of yourself. Renard snapped. He wasn't talking about the Hexienbeast part of him, but the Royal part of him. The one that wanted to fight, and taste the warm taste of blood and meat.
Renard's phone went off. Without looking at it, he knew it was a family call. His brother to be precise. Word travels fast doesn't it? Renard asked himself. He let the phone call go to his voicemail, he had things to do. Mainly he had to get his Wessen side under control before talking to his brother.
A few miles from the scene, Renard pulled to the curb and picked up a street corner hooker. Red hair, almost the same color as Juilette's. Porcelian skin, too fragile looking, and big green eyes. The perfect thing to let his Wessen side go on. He took down past the river a little ways, and pulled up by an empty parking lot, facing the river. After the rough, abusive sex, Renard was alone with his thoughts, his Wessen side calmed for the moment. He'll have to take care of the corpse, or what little there was left of it, but that was a small matter.
He knew if this particular Wessen got hurt enough to need emergency medical attention, that it spelled bad things for the rest of the Wessen world. Renard wondered silently if she would come back out of the shadows that she was banished too. His heart sang a bit with that thought. It had been another life time ago, and his feelings then hadn't exactly gone away.
Renard's phone went off. This time Renard picked it up. "Hello brother." He heard his half-brother's mocking voice on the phone. "So glad you indulged your darker side. Tell me, how did she taste?"
"What do you want?" Renard asked, ignoring the jest. Of course his brother could smell the blood through the phone. It didn't take a genius to figure out what just happened.
"Too bad you're only half Royal, and there for can't have a soul mate to equal out that hunger." His brother continued. Then he switched to German. "Did your Grimm kill her?" A shiver went down Renard's back. For two reasons. First, at least this particular Royal Family believed that the woman was dead, and two, they were already blaming it on Nick. Although Renard hoped for Nick that their suspicions weren't correct. There was a lot of things that he saved his little Grimm from, but this one Renard truly believed that he couldn't. Even though he would try.