„Dude. I still can't believe you kissed Kate."

Hugo took another bite from his margharita pizza. He and Nick were sitting on a parkbench near where Hugo lived.

It was a warm, summer evening and the sky was just beginning to darken. The only background noise was the chirping of crickets and the little snippets of conversation from other people when they walked past.

„Me neither. And she kissed me, actually."

Hugo stared at him like he was crazy. When he'd finished chewing, he deadpanned: „I refuse to believe that."

Nick laughed, putting his empty pizza carton down. He was a fast eater.

„And yet, it's true."

Hugo smiled. „That's great, mate. Meanwhile, I'm turning thirty in.. three days and I'm still without a boyfriend."

[Hugo's birthday is important later on..]

„Oh, Hu, you'll find someone. What about this one guy you told me about? The one you met in the subway yesterday?"

„Silas, you mean. Well, I don't know. He has my number, but he hasn't called yet."

Nick's posture suddenly stiffened. „His name is Silas? Are you certain?"

Hugo's eyebrows shot up. „Yeah. Why?"

„Do you know his last name?"

„Nick-"

„Please, Hu, this is important."

Hugo sighed, annoyed. „Nick, I put up with your secrets and your half-truths and your lies because I'm your friend, but.. real friends also confide in each other, you know?"

Nick started to protest, but Hugo stopped him.

"I'm beginning to feel like you're not telling me anything anymore. All of our conversations are just me avoiding all the subjects I know you won't talk to me about, and I'm tired of it."

He stood up from the parkbench, balling his hands into fists. „It's Cohen. Silas Cohen."

„Hu, wait-"

Hugo did not wait, he kept walking, taking his half-eaten pizza slice with him.

Now it was Nick's turn to sigh.

Hugo was right, he was keeping a lot from his best friend.

He didn't really have a choice, though, because he was pretty sure if Hugo knew about everything about him, their friendship would be over.

Silas Cohen. He wanted to be happy for Hugo and that he'd finally met someone, but.. the name made him uneasy.

Nick knew that this 'Silas Cohen' was affiliated with the chief of police somehow, because when he'd been in Stevens' office, he'd seen an unopened letter lying on his desk and a Silas Cohen had sent it.

And if he was close friends with someone who resented werewolves as much as Stevens, there was a good chance Silas Cohen felt the same.

Nick had to talk to somebody about this.

Kate.

He knew she lived around here. Hugo had mentioned it a few times before because he found it funny she lived so close by his apartment.

Plus, she had kissed him, so it was kind of his duty to check up on her, right?

As the sun was setting, leaving red streaks in the sky, he threw his pizza carton in the nearest trash can and began making his way in the general direction of where he assumed Kate's apartment was.

...

Kate's doorbell rang.

Grunting, she got up from her couch and paused the show she'd been in the middle of watching, sweeping crumbs of her t-shirt.

When she opened the door, a stranger in his early thirties was staring back at her.
He had black hair that he'd slicked back with way too much hair gel and his mouth was framed by a three-day stubble.

The suit he was wearing probably cost more than an entire year's worth of rent.

„I'm very sorry to bother you at this hour, ma'am, but my dog has been missing for three days now and I'm just asking everybody in the neighboorhood to give me a call if they see him."

He handed Kate a piece of paper with a picture of a dog on it and a telephone number.

The dog looked weirdly similiar to Nick when he was in wolf form, light-brown fur and the same, sleek build. If you didn't look twice, Kate was sure Nick could pass for this man's dog.

„My name is Silas Cohen and that's my number on there. If you call it, my assistant will most likely answer the phone, so don't worry if it isn't my voice."

He was brushing some non-existent dust off his suit as he continued:

"I have an estate in the countryside. If you find my dog, my assistant will send a car and my driver will take you there. You'd also receive a monetary compensation for your efforts, of course."

She nodded. „I'll contact you when I see him. Goodbye."

„Thank you."

Silas Cohen, the man in the expensive suit, turned around and left.

Just as Kate was about to close the door, she spotted someone else running up her driveway.

„How did you know where I live?" she asked, trying to conceal her excitement at seeing Nick again. Thoughts of their kiss bubbled up inside of her and she had to bite her lip to keep from smiling.

He stopped right in front of her door step. „Hugo lives around here," he explained, slightly out of breath.

„That doesn't explain anything."

„Sorry. Can I come in?"

He was looking at her with the most adorable puppy-eyes she'd ever seen.

„I- I guess," Kate stammered, blushing slightly. When he entered, his shoulder accidentally brushed hers and she noticed that he was a bit sweaty.

She didn't think it was gross, on the contrary, it actually turned her on. Her breath quickened as she interlaced her fingers with his, making him look her in the eyes.

Well, she tried to do that anyways, but she was still holding the piece of paper Silas Cohen had given her, so she couldn't grab his hand properly.

Sighing under her breath, she quickly searched the hallway for a place to put it, but it was a hallway, so her options were either the floor or the coat hanger.

The sides of Nick's mouth perked up. He took the paper from her, studying it with an amused expression. „What's that?"

„The man who was leaving while you were running up here lost his dog and wants everyone to be on the look out."

"The man with the suit? That's his dog?"

She nodded, then inched closer to him and Nick slung his arm around her waist. His touch shot through her like a lightning bolt, causing all kind of feel-good emotions to well up inside her.

„It kind of looks a bit like you," she whispered, pointing at the picture.

Nick scoffed playfully. „No. That's a dog, I'm a wolf."

„Do you even know what you look like?"

Nick raised an eyebrow in confusion.

„Oh, come on!" Kate chuckled, burying her face in his slightly damp t-shirt. He smelled so good. With her face pressed against his body, she could feel his chest slowly rising and falling.

„I meant, have you ever seen yourself as a wolf?"

„I actually haven't," he confessed. His deep baritone voice made his chest reverberate, tickling her ear. „And yet, I refuse to believe I look like the dog from someone who dresses like he's the prince of England."

Smiling, Kate pulled back, taking the paper from Nick's hands.

Disappointment lay in his gaze because she wasn't hugging him anymore. Oh, he was adorable.

„Maybe he's an earl or something," she said, turning around.

„I doubt it. Did he say what his name was?" He followed her through the hallway to the living room.

„Silas Cohen," Kate answered, plopping down on her couch.

When Nick didn't say anything in response, she turned her head to where he was standing. Apparently, he wasn't intending to sit down.

„Can I see that note again he gave you?" Nick's voice had a nervous edge to it and he was fidgeting with one of the buttons on his shirt.

Kate sat up a little straighter. „Why?"

„You know how I told you Stevens was part of a group that doesn't like werewolves very much?"

„Yeah." She didn't like where this conversation was going.

„Silas Cohen might also be a member."

Concern darkened Kate's features when she got up from the couch.

Nick closed the distance between them and took her hand, gently rubbing his thumb against her knuckles. It was a sweet gesture and it was succesful in soothing not only Kate, but Nick, as well.

„That's actually something I wanted to talk to you about," he said. "Hugo recently met someone. It's the same person who gave you that note just now."

„Oh. That's weird."

„It's not just weird, it's suspicious. He knows you, he knows Hugo.. it's like he's everywhere."

He stopped stroking the back of her hand for a moment. "The murderer we're looking for is human. Wouldn't someone from an anti-werewolf group fit the bill?"

„I- yes-"

„We have to run a background check on Cohen right now, and we have to interrogate him. This is our best lead so far."

"But how do we do that without him getting suspicious and telling Stevens?"

Nick scratched the back of his head. "We'll figure something out. Do you think he's working alone or do you think Stevens and the other members are in on this as well? Because I don't think Stevens knows, he was pretty adamant about finding the killer himself."

Kate shrugged, deep in thought. Her gaze went to the piece of paper Cohen had given her. The dog who really looked a lot like Nick.

„I might have an idea. How we interrogate Cohen without him knowing," she said, the corners of her mouth turning up.

****

Do you think Silas Cohen is suspicious, too?

Kate and Nick are so cute together!

What could Kate have in mind?

Please vote and comment, thank you!