Part 3: Chapter 27

Thick clouds blocked even the slimmest beams of moonlight as Kai approached the warehouse.  The resulting black wasn’t as inhibiting as it once was.  Eyes red with his wolf showed him details of the street and the adjacent buildings that he wouldn’t have been able to see before his first turn.  His enhanced ears noticed the sounds of the night birds and insects that quieted at their approach. 

Luhan came to a stop outside the warehouse and Kai stopped beside him.

"You're going to let me lead on this, right?"  Luhan asked one more time.

"Do what you need to do, Luhan.  Settle what you need to settle with him.  Just find out who killed the Old Man.  That's all I care about."

Luhan nodded and turned toward the warehouse again.  Kai glanced behind him.  His friends were all there despite his insistence that they stay out of this one.  Kyungsoo would be coming in with them, but there was too much of a risk to the others who hadn’t had their first turn.  They didn’t have the heightened senses and speed to take on Kris’ wolves.  It had been an argument Kai hadn’t wanted to have, but in the end, Kyungsoo had been the one to suggest an alternative.  They had agreed to wait outside, out of the conflict, but still nearby just in case.  They had his back even in a situation they weren’t prepared for.

His friends spread out around the perimeter of the building as Luhan pulled open the front door.  Kai and Kyungsoo followed him inside.

Luhan didn’t pause down the dark, dirty hallway with the stained glass windows.  It was a lifetime ago that he had met with Kris here, but he could still feel the comforting weight of his friend’s hand on his shoulder.  Everything is going to be okay.  That’s what Kris had told him.  Luhan had believed him, but that had been back when Luhan believed everything Kris said.  It was before Luhan had learned the truth.

Kai’s goal here was to find out who killed the Old Man.  Luhan wanted to know just as badly, but he had another mission as well.  He wanted to know what had happened to Kris.  What had happened to his best friend that had started all the secrets and the lying? 

Luhan stopped in front of a set of double doors.  The answer to his question laid on the other side of the doors.  That’s what gave him the courage to push them open and confront his oldest friend. 

On the far side of the room, Kris stood from his seat on a beat up couch and slowly straightened.  He pulled the open edges of his jacket back and his fists into the pockets of his jeans. 

Luhan walked across the large room to him slowly.  Not wanting to take his eyes off Kris, Luhan glanced around quickly, making note of Ryehyun standing with some other masks around a fire lit metal bin.  Other wolves that Sohee had healed stood grouped together to their left.  The wolved that surrounded Kris, were the only ones that hadn't been sick. 

Luhan stopped, still quite a distance from Kris.  Kai stood behind him to the right.  Kyungsoo stood to his left. 

“Did you finally decide to come to my side, Luhan?”  Kris said.  “I never said anything about you bring