Darkest Hour Before Dawn

by Charlie Cochet

  "My darling," Julia said, squeezing Hudson tight. "I'm so happy you're home."

  Hudson closed his eyes, basking in her maternal love before he released her to hug Darla and then Thomas. Rafe was taking them home, his body starting to ache from all the physical exertion. Nina looked torn, and Rafe told her to stay, but Hudson could see she was worried about Rafe, so he kissed her cheek and insisted she accompany her boyfriend.

  "He needs you," Hudson whispered in her ear. "I'll always be here for you."

  Nina threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. She kissed his cheek, murmuring a sweet thank-you before waving good-bye to everyone.

  After eating his weight in flaky minipastries, Dex dragged Hudson and Seb onto the dance floor. As per Dex's request, or most likely sneakiness, they were confronted with every typical wedding party dance, from the hustle to the electric slide, but there was nothing, nothing like seeing Ash trying to dance to something Dex referred to as Gangnam Style. Seb laughed so hard he was crying, and Dex was on the floor gasping for breath. Thankfully, Ash had drunk enough champagne he just flipped them off and called Dex a giant dork.

  Hudson's feet hurt from all the dancing, and his face was sore from laughing so much, but he kept going. Everyone was having such a wonderful time. He hadn't seen his friends in such good spirits in a long time. Dom asked Hudson to dance, and Hudson accepted.

  "You have a very sappy smile on your face," Hudson commented, laughing when Dom blushed. He wasn't one to get bashful or sentimental.

  "I can't help it. My boy's happy, and that's all I wanted for him. For you guys. He's nuts about you."

  "I'll tell you a little secret." Hudson leaned in to whisper. "I'm rather fond of him too."

  Dom chuckled and shook his head. "You two are such nerds. You belong together."

  Hudson thought so too. "Thank you, again, for saving my life."

  "Don't mention it," Dom grumbled. Hudson laughed, and Dom shook his head. "No, really, don't mention it. Your husband keeps giving me these funny looks since it happened."

  Husband. Hudson certainly liked the sound of that. He glanced over at Seb, who was grinning wide at them.

  "See?" Dom turned his gaze back to Hudson. "It's creeping me out, man."

  Hudson laughed. "He's just grateful. Don't worry, I'm certain he'll be back to threatening you with imminent demise in no time."

  "Good." Dom nodded curtly, as if the matter was settled. Hudson wondered if Dom knew how sweet he and Seb were, always griping and growling at each other, but the moment one of them was hurt or in trouble, they were fussing over each other like a couple of mother hens. It was adorable.

  Soon Hudson had danced with almost everyone, and by the end of the evening, only Lou, Bradley, Dex, and Sloane were left. The sun was rising, and they all sat, each huddled with their sweetheart as the sky changed colors. Hudson stroked Seb's nape, his tie a casualty of a conga line gone terribly wrong. It started off well, but ended with everyone on their arses. Unsurprisingly, Dex and Ash were the culprits.

  Lou and Bradley excused themselves, going off with the pretense of checking on things downstairs, but Hudson had a feeling they just wanted to get a little frisky now the festivities were over.

  Seb stretched. He kissed the top of Hudson's head before getting up, his suit jacket long since removed and lying on the back of his chair. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, the top buttons of his white shirt undone. Heavens, but he looked gorgeous. "I need to hit the little tiger's room. I'll be right back."

  Hudson chuckled and smacked Seb's arse as he passed in front of him. Seb swatted his hand playfully, his grin wicked.

  "Hey now. None of that until the honeymoon."

  Hudson scoffed. "Who are you trying to kid, Sebastian? All I have to do is look at you and you'll drop your trousers."

  Sloane laughed and jutted a thumb in Dex's direction. "Sounds like someone I know."

  "Please," Dex said with a snicker. A mischievous gleam came into his eyes as he tapped the end of Sloane's nose. "You know you love it when I make you purr."

  Sloane cleared his throat, his cheeks going rosy.

  Seb laughed on his way to the stairs, and Dex turned to Hudson. "So where are you guys going on your honeymoon?"

  "Hmm, I'm not sure. We haven't really discussed it. Perhaps a lovely cabin up in the mountains, where we could run in our Therian forms and get cozy in front of the fire. What about you two? Have you decided where you're going?"

  "Somewhere in Europe," Sloane said before poking Dex playfully in his side, making him squirm. "Dex can't seem to make up his mind."

  "Europe is a big place, man. Preferably somewhere we won't freeze our balls off."

  Sloane nodded. "I agree."

  They chatted about various places in Europe, and Hudson offered his opinion of the many cities he'd visited before moving to the States. Dex and Sloane seemed in agreement over the weather. They wanted to swim together, and Sloane wanted somewhere Therian-friendly.

  Hudson glanced over at the door to the stairs. "I wonder what could be taking him so long?"

  "He's a big guy," Dex said with a shrug. "And he did eat a whole lot of food. Just saying."

  Sloane groaned, and Hudson blinked at him. "I'm... not sure how to respond to that."

  "Welcome to my world," Sloane muttered before shaking his head at Dex, his amber eyes lighting up with amusement. "Babe, I don't think you and Hudson have reached that stage in your relationship." That earned him a playful punch in the shoulder. "I keep telling you. No one wants to discuss bowel movements with you."

  "Dude, the guy spends most of his days examining corpses. You're telling me he's going to get grossed out by a little poo talk?"

  "He's right," Hudson agreed. "Though I have no notion as to why you'd wish to discuss my husband's bowel movements."

  "Husband. Aw." Dex put his hand to his heart.

  "You're such a softie," Hudson told Dex as he stood. "I'm going to go check on him." He left Dex and Sloane to their debate on how far along in a relationship people had to be before certain bodily functions should be discussed, and headed downstairs. Maybe Seb stopped to chat with Lou and Bradley. When he reached the second floor, his heart plummeted. Seb lay sprawled on his back in the center of the floor, gasping for breath.

  "Seb!" Hudson ran over and dropped to his knees, then cupped Seb's reddened face. Seb's lips were turning purple, his eyes wide and filled with fear. "Oh God, Sebastian, please."

  Hudson checked Seb's airway, but there was no obstruction. Seb's pupils were blown, and he made horrible wheezing sounds as he tried to breathe. Checking him over, Hudson couldn't find any signs of an abrasion, cut, injection, nothing. Despite the redness in his face, there was no swelling, and Seb didn't have any allergies they knew of. The symptoms were all over the place, and Hudson was having a difficult time figuring out what was causing Seb's rapidly deteriorating condition.

  Seb's fingers curled around Hudson's arms, digging into his flesh, his eyes going wider. He was trying to speak, but that was only making things worse. Was it poison? Whatever it was, it was working its way through his system. "Hold on, darling. I'm going to--"

  Hudson was jerked to his feet and spun around to face a large lion Therian dressed in a black military uniform, one Hudson was unfamiliar with. He'd opened his mouth to ask the man what the hell he'd done to Seb, when he noticed several other Therians dressed the same enter the room. How did they get into Dekatria? Oh God, Lou, Bradley.... Please let them be okay.

  "You're coming with us, Dr. Colbourn."

  "The hell I am," Hudson spat. He pulled back a fist, only to be spun around, an arm thrown around his neck in a chokehold. He glanced over at Seb, who had been trying to roll over when one of the men kicked him in the stomach. "No! Please. I'll do whatever you want. Just help him!"

  "I'm afraid we can't let your husband live. So sorry about the honeymoon."

  "You son of a bitch, what did you do to him?" Hudson's fangs elongated as he clawe
d at the lion Therian's arm. "If he dies, you're going to have to kill me too, because I'm going to tear your throat out!"

  "Easy, little wolf. This will be over before you know it. Well, over for him. You're too valuable to our boss. For now," the man sneered. He clamped a hand over Hudson's mouth as one of the other men approached with a syringe. "Nice and quiet now, Doc. Let's not alert your friends, or we're going to have to kill them too."

  Hudson bit down on the flesh of the man's gloved hand, earning him a snarl and enough room to thrust his elbow back. With the man's tactical vest, it did little, but Hudson freed his mouth long enough to scream Dex's name. Few knew that Dex's hearing was better than all the Therians in this room. Combined.

  "Whatever happens next is on your hands, Doctor. We wanted to do this the easy way."

  The door behind the bar slammed open, and a man wearing a black mask and blue suit came out shooting. A bullet hit Hudson's captor in the forehead. The man crumpled, and the uniformed Therians scrambled. Hudson dropped to the floor as bullets tore the room apart. He crawled over to Seb, who lay on his side, his eyes glazing over.

  "Please, darling. You can't leave me. Stay with me." Hudson pulled out his phone, but he had no signal. "Bloody wankers!" The bastards surely had something to do with it.

  Seb grabbed Hudson's collar and jerked him down just before a uniformed Therian flew over them, smashing through the door leading to the corridor. Bollocks. Looking back, Hudson smiled at Dex beating the pulp out of another one of their attackers, Sloane at his back, claws out, and fangs elongated.

  Someone grabbed Hudson's wrist, and he found himself staring into piercing blue eyes.

  "Here," the man growled, thrusting something into Hudson's hand and tapping Seb's neck. It was a Therian injector. Dozens of questions vied for Hudson's attention, but he didn't waste time on those. Trusting a masked man who could very well be handing him Seb's death sentence was madness, but Seb was already dying. Going with his gut, Hudson pressed the injector to Seb's neck, said a little prayer, and pulled the trigger. Seb arched his back violently, his body going into spasms before his mouth opened and a fierce cry tore from his lips. Hudson tossed the injector aside and cupped Seb's face. The red was subsiding, and he gasped, breathing in deep, air finally making it into his lungs.

  The man in the suit hadn't moved from Hudson's side, skillfully and elegantly beating into submission anyone who drew close. His movements were calculated, precise, as if he were simply swatting a pesky fly. More men must have been waiting downstairs, because they flocked up the stairs in droves. Seb groaned, and Hudson put his arm around Seb's back, getting ready to help him up, when half a dozen Therians headed in their direction, ready to take aim. Seb coughed and wheezed as he pushed at Hudson.

  "Go, get... out... of here."

  "Are you mad? I'm not leaving you."

  The man in the suit unbuttoned his jacket and pulled out the two firearms tucked into the double shoulder holster attached to the harness strapped around him. He fired, one bullet per Therian, never hesitating, never missing.

  "Go," the man ordered Hudson.

  "I'm not leaving him," Hudson spat back. It would be a cold day in hell before he left Seb behind. Dex and Sloane were busy with four Therians they'd unarmed, and Hudson was surprised by the ferocity and skill with which they fended off the intruders. They'd certainly not learned those moves at the THIRDS. The two worked together, Dex using Sloane's bigger, heavier frame to jump off, leaping in the air and coming down with a fist against a larger Therian's head. The man crumbled to the floor with one blow.

  "Always so bloody stubborn," the man grumbled under his breath, but Hudson heard him. He was English.

  Oh God, is it possible...? "Wolf?"

  The man grunted, and Hudson turned to Seb, who was sitting up. "We need to get you away from here." Seb was still weak, but thankfully he was alive. Wolf had saved Seb's life. How? Why? A boom shook the floor, causing dust to come down from the roof and smoke to spread through the room. Hudson fell onto Seb as the men rained down around them. Coughing, and waving the gray smoke from in front of his face, Hudson glared up at Wolf.

  "Did you just use an explosive device in here?"

  Wolf shrugged, his blue eyes alight with amusement. "Just a little one."

  "You're out of your mind." Hudson was hardly about to admit it had been effective. The room was littered with unconscious and dead Therians.

  Wolf winked at Hudson before taking off. Only he never made it to the door. Dex slammed a fist into Wolf's face. He staggered back, and before he could get his bearings, Dex tackled him to the floor.

  "Dex, wait!" Hudson scrambled to his feet. "He saved Seb's life!"

  Dex and Wolf tussled, and Dex snagged a hold of Wolf's mask and tugged it off. He straddled Wolf and raised a fist to punch him, but Hudson caught his arm.

  "Hudson, what the hell--"

  Hudson imagined it was the look on his face that froze Dex. And that's what Hudson felt was happening to the world around him. In a room strewn with bodies, men who'd come to kidnap him and kill Seb, nothing shook Hudson like the sight before him.

  "Alfie?"

  The air was sucked out of the room as Alfie smiled warmly at him.

  "Hello, little brother."

  Chapter 12

  DEX LOOKED from Hudson to the man they knew as Wolf, then back to Hudson.

  "Please tell me I didn't hear what I thought I did." Dex quickly got up and grabbed Hudson's arm. "Hudson, buddy? You gotta say something."

  "Lou and Bradley." Hudson was almost afraid to ask.

  "Are fine. Taking a little nap in the broom closet. They would have been killed when those Makhai goons showed up." Wolf--Alfie stood and brushed off his suit. He was bigger than Hudson remembered. Stronger. More... muscular. His jaw was still clean-shaven and chiseled, his hair and thick eyebrows as pitch-black as Hudson's. He looked as ruggedly handsome and elegant as always. His suit undoubtedly expensive. Alfie's blue eyes filled with remorse, and Hudson took a tentative step toward him. He hesitantly reached out, unable to believe his brother was there, in front of him, in the flesh. Alive.

  "Oh fuck," Dex groaned. "You know what? I see it now. The resemblance. The thought had crossed my mind when you were talking about your brother that night in Dekatria, but you said Alfie was dead."

  "He is--was," Hudson murmured softly. "How?" He blinked back his tears, his head and heart in turmoil. "You... you're alive."

  "I am," Alfie replied quietly.

  Disbelief gave way to anger, and it erupted. "You're alive?" Hudson punched his brother across his stupidly square jaw. Dex threw his arms around Hudson before he could hit Alfie again. "You fucking wanker! You've been alive all this time? How could you do this to me? I thought I was losing my bloody mind, catching your scent in Dex's house, then everywhere else, and it's because you were there. You've been there the whole pissing time!"

  Alfie rubbed his jaw. "Just, let me explain, little brother."

  "Please do, Alfie," Hudson spat out. "Tell me how I saw your corpse on that slab of steel. How you let me mourn your loss for years, let me live with the guilt, let me think I was going crazy."

  "First of all," Alfie stated calmly, "don't call me Alfie. It doesn't really strike fear into the hearts of my enemies."

  "Piss off!"

  Alfie pursed his lips. "Fair enough. Actually, I don't use my name because of you."

  "So you could carry on the deception?" Hudson shrugged off Dex's hold and crossed his arms over his chest, his narrowed eyes on his brother. "And if you've been around me as long as TIN says, why could I only smell you some of the time?"

  "I needed to protect you. I have many enemies." Alfie cringed. "Perhaps slightly more than many."

  Dex let out a snort. "You don't say."

  Alfie ignored him. "If they discovered I had a brother, or family, they would have come after you. As for my scent, well, I have this nifty little device that masks my scent with any scent I choose. It's quite
extraordinary. The only one of its kind available on the black market. However, it is rather temperamental, and the scent cartridge is not perpetual, at least not yet. Anyway, the blasted thing isn't as stable as it should be. The cartridge has a habit of running dry at the most inopportune moments, which is why you caught my scent. I can hardly stop in the middle of a physical altercation to fiddle with it."

  Seb slipped his hand around Hudson's waist, his frown on Alfie, who didn't seem put off by it. He held his hand out to Seb.

  "I don't think we've been properly introduced, what with my being dead and all."

  Seb looked confused. He hesitantly shook Alfie's hand. "Uh, nice to meet you. I think. I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to feel here."

  Alfie patted Seb's hand before releasing him. "Quite all right, mate. Thank you for taking care of my little brother. You're a good man." He turned back to Hudson, his expression softening. "I know this won't help, but you were never supposed to find out I was alive. It was safer for you. You would have gone on grieving the loss of a brother you loved and looked up to."

  Hudson didn't know what to say or what to feel, for that matter. How long had he wished for things to be different, for Alfie to be alive, but how much of his brother remained in the man before him? Wolf had done so many terrible things.

  "Of course, all my hard work protecting you has been undone," Alfie said, winking at Dex, "thanks to your friend here." He wagged his gloved finger at Dex. "I have half a mind to be cross with you, love, and I would be, if you weren't so blasted pretty."

  "I'm going to kill you, you son of a bitch!" Dex launched himself at Alfie, but Hudson caught him. He was sorely tempted to let Dex have at Alfie, but he had too many questions that needed answers. Dex could dismember Alfie some other time.

  "Dex, please."

  Alfie took a step back and rolled his eyes. "You're not still sore at me, are you?"

  "You tortured me!" Dex was practically vibrating with anger, his face crimson. Hudson worried Dex was about to give himself a heart attack.

  "In my defense," Alfie stated smoothly, "I was getting paid ridiculous amounts of money for it. Also, I wanted to see if you were as impressive in person. I was not disappointed."