Cooper gaped at her. “You’re not saying I’m being framed for murder, are you?” He looked at Park, hoping to see his own incredulity there, but Park didn’t look skeptical at all. He didn’t even look surprised. “That’s absurd.”

“Is it?” Cola asked. “Even before this fascinating little development, it was obvious you’re involved up to your elbows, one way or another. You were the one to find both bodies, despite not working the case. Both victims specifically caused harm to wolves you care about. And don’t try to tell me you haven’t noticed the cause of death is exactly the same as the injury that brought you into our world to begin with.”

Cooper’s hand went reflexively to his belly. He scratched at the thick scars there. “But that’s all just...circumstantial.”

“Agreed. You’ll notice I’m not arresting you. But we’re talking about rumors now. Gossip. Fear. Take a look around, Dayton. You’re one or two well-placed whispers and a printout away from wolves thinking you’re some vigilante killer and Neil Gerhart not only knows it, he’s used those thirty years of undercover experience to build an entire case proving it.”

Cooper didn’t know what to say. His head was spinning, trying to make sense of it.

“But for what purpose?” Park asked, saving Cooper from having to respond. “Why kill Arthur and James? Why do any of this?”

“Well, I don’t think it’s a friendly wedding gift, do you? Maybe to pull Dayton back into his life. Maybe revenge. You tell us,” Cola said to Cooper. “You know him best. What’s Neil like?”

Intense. Manipulative. Vindictive. Someone who liked games. Someone who didn’t know when to let go.

He thought of their last conversation, just yesterday. Tried to remember his exact words. I understand now. I get it.

And here was Cooper thinking Neil was trying to tell him he’d matured and seen the error in his ways. That hadn’t been it at all. He’d been trying to tell Cooper he knew about wolves. Trying to tell him he knew Cooper was...the Moon?

I can help, Neil had said. Help him do what, exactly?

“I don’t know,” Cooper said finally. “I—I thought I knew him once. But this is...he wasn’t like this before. I don’t know this person.”

Cola shrugged. “What we do know is he’s obviously aware of wolves. From what I’ve read here, it all seemed to start when he looked into your attack. Maybe he even did it to help you, once upon a time. Obviously, he couldn’t handle the truth.”

“Most humans can’t,” Park said. “Particularly ones not partnered with a wolf to help them through it. They either attempt to ignore our existence, pigeonhole us, or crack trying to make sense of a reality that no longer makes sense.”