Blood of the Wolf

by T. L. Shreffler

“Good.”

  Still frowning, she turned and continued for the bathroom, feeling the hair rise on the back of her neck. He was up to something. She wasn't sure what... but she didn't like it. He knew too much... there were moments, though she hated to admit it, that she felt like he knew her better than she knew herself.

  She shook her head; now who was being delusional?

  Jaime hurried her step to the bathroom, just wanting to get out of his line of sight. A few of the customers glanced up at her, then went back to chewing their food. She reached the restroom at close to a jog, glancing back briefly to see if he was watching her—she could see his lean form outlined by the window, casually slumped against the seats. He appeared to be looking outside.

  Why did she have a terrible dread creeping over her?

  She tried to shrug it off and headed for the bathroom, closing the door and locking it behind her. Her eyes scanned the restroom quickly — three stalls, red wallpaper and white tile, a mirror opposite to her, and on the wall next to that....

  A window. Perfect! It was a rectangle of fogged glass positioned near the ceiling, the kind that opened upward and inward to let in fresh air. She glanced around... if only there was a chair somewhere, or a stool.... The window was too far from any of the toilets to be of much use. The sink...? It was her only option. She dashed to the white basin and stepped onto it, hefting herself up until she could reach her hands along the rim of the window. She could feel a cool breeze across her fingertips. So close to freedom!

  She hoped that Sirus wouldn't come looking for her; she only had a few precious seconds to act. With precarious balance, she launched herself upward and tried to grab the window, managing to hook it with her arms and wiggle her way up the wall, pushing on the glass until it popped out of the frame and crashed to the ground outside. It shattered all over the cement — crash! She winced, knowing the noise had been loud; broken glass littered the pavement. Had he heard? It was not the time to wait around and find out. She struggled harder and finally had the majority of her chest through the thin space, balancing against her ribs as she fought for a foothold on the smooth wall. Who the hell would install a window this high off the floor?

  After scrambling clumsily for a moment, she managed to heave herself upward on arm strength alone and toppled over the other side of the windowsill, tumbling to the ground. She managed to cover her head with her arms and hit on her shoulder, wincing as the glass cut through her sweater — luckily, she didn't get scratched. Sprawling awkwardly across the asphalt, she could only lay there and breathe, gasping as shocks of pain pulsed through her leg. It throbbed like fire. She hoped the stitches hadn't torn.

  Click.

  “What-?” her eyes flew open, heart leaping to her throat, and she stared upward. Her mouth dropped. A tall figure blocked out the sunlight, one that was depressingly familiar. A wind blew, tussling his dark hair.

  Sirus pulled on the chain, yanking her wrist into the air so she could get a good look at the cuffs. The other half was attached to his wrist, locked securely, making them inseparable. She focused past the handcuffs and caught the tail-end of his fading smile.

  “And this, Jaime, is why we can't trust each other.” He leaned down, his eyes glinting. “We think too much alike.”

  “I'm nothing like you,” she snarled.

  “Hm, maybe not,” he said thoughtfully, tilting his head. “You lie.”

  Jaime barred her teeth, hatred blinding her. He was at every turn — she couldn't get away from him! And she couldn't stand the smirk on his lips! Her eyes flashed gold, and for a moment she thought she could feel the satisfaction of sinking her teeth into his neck....

  Sccreeeech!

  Jaime had been about to launch herself at his throat, but paused when a sudden, high-pitched squeal tore the air. It ground against her ears, making her wince in pain. She turned, wide-eyed, as a car turned crazily into the wide, empty parking lot behind the diner. Sirus turned with her, and they both watched the wheels spin, the tan Buick peeling out towards them. She squinted, trying to see the driver through the windshield.

  “That car looks familiar,” Sirus murmured. She looked up at him, catching only the underside of his jaw. Abruptly he pulled her to her feet and shoved her behind him, so quick that she barely knew what had happened. He grabbed her wrist where their cuffs connected, holding her there.

  “What-?”

  “Quiet,” he grunted. The car sped toward them as though it planned to run them over, but the driver slammed on the breaks at the last second, skidding fifty feet to come to a steaming, heaving stop, hardly a dozen yards away. The driver's side door burst open.

  “Freeze, Seneca!”

  Jaime almost screamed at the sigh of a giant black man leveling a gun at her head. Then two familiar werewolves spilled out of the back seat, and she could only gawk in surprise. “Those guys!” she exclaimed.

  “Ah, yes, those guys,” Sirus murmured above her. He took several steps backward and forced her up against the wall, pinned between the brick and his back. She grunted in annoyance, trying to see around his broad shoulders, wanting to know what was going on. Were they going to get shot? “I thought I'd seen the last of you two!” he called to them. “How's the ear doing, Stevie?”

  “... Fine!” the man called back; Jaime didn't miss the quiver in his voice. She wondered what had happened to his ear. She shoved herself to one side and was finally able to peek around his arm; she caught a glimpse of the black man standing in front of the car, the gun still poised, his expression cold as steel.

  “You mind telling me what this is all about?” she growled, glancing at him.

  Sirus shoved her back further, obscuring her view once again. “It's about you, sweetheart.”

  “I couldn't resist this job when I heard I would be running into the notorious Seneca Alpha,” the black werewolf called. She felt Sirus's muscles grow tense.

  “Tabari... I will admit, this is a surprise,” her Alpha responded.

  Jaime's head was buzzing with questions, but she kept her mouth shut. She wondered if Sirus still had his gun... and why he hadn't drawn it yet.

  “Just hand over the girl and nobody gets hurt,” a second voice called, the tall one from the night before, Stevie.

  “Never in your life!” Jaime shouted; she was not planning on going anywhere with these three.

  “What is this, Tabari?” Sirus called, tightening his grip on her cuffs. “You were a proud wolf once... what are you doing with this scum?”

  “You know very well how I got here!” the black wolf growled. “And I'm not planning on leaving until you're dead.”

  Jaime's ears perked — had she heard correctly? “Sounds like a guy I can relate to,” she grinned, if only to see the look of annoyance on Sirus's face.

  “Quiet, pup,” he murmured back to her. “Or I'll throw you to the wolves.”

  They seemed to have reached a draw. The men across from her were tense and silent for a long moment, then Tabari yelled again, “I said hand her over, Seneca. We can do this one of two ways, and remember, I don't mind shooting anyone.”

  Crack! The sound erupted next to her before Jaime even felt the wind from the bullet. Apparently the wolf had a silencer on his pistol, and when he fired she had only the vaguest warning. She jumped, yelping, clinging to Sirus's back instinctively. He gripped her and moved to the side.... She could feel the tension running through him, the energy of the Change as the wolf begged to be released. Her own heart was pounding.

  “Sirus....” she said worriedly.

  “Quiet,” he hissed back at her; she could tell his fangs were elongated.

  He reached behind him and lifted up the back of shirt. Her eyes widened when she saw the black handle of a gun. “Grab it,” he murmured, shielding her the best she could from the other's view. “When I say the word, I want you to hand it to me, got it?”

  “The gun?”

  “Yes.”

  “Alright....” She tried to loosen the knots in h
er stomach. She had never handled a gun before... in all honesty, they scared the shit out of her. She'd been shot at far more than once in her short life. Jaime shivered, trying to stay on her feet, wondering what he had in mind. It was an awfully big risk to take for someone she wasn't sure she could trust... and who were these other people, anyway? Maybe she was on the wrong side. Maybe she could negotiate with them.

  Or maybe negotiating was a waste of time. Maybe she should just get her revenge and call it a day.

  That sounded better.

  Jaime knew she had to move fast — she only had a few seconds. She couldn't waste this opportunity. She thrust her hands under his jacket and grabbed the gun, yanking it out aggressively. She didn't hesitate, but pressed the revolver against his back, digging the muzzle against his skin. She forced herself not to think. Her hands trembled.

  “I'm sorry,” she grunted. “I have to.”

  Click. She pulled the trigger, silently bracing herself, and winced just in case — but nothing happened. She had expected a loud explosion, but was met only by the sound of an empty cartridge. Unloaded.

  Sirus grabbed her harshly by the wrists and yanked her around him, moving so violently that she cried out in pain. He dragged her forward and wrenched the gun from her grasp, smashing her against his chest and holding the weapon up to her head, digging the cold muzzle against her temple. He growled low in his throat. “Nice try,” he murmured, and clicked off the safety. Jaime trembled, dizzy and confused. It was hard to breathe, and she bit back a whimper of fear.

  “I play for keeps, Tabari,” Sirus growled, his low voice carrying across the parking lot. “If I can't have her, nobody can. How about that?” There was a tense silence. “You know I'll do it, too.”

  Jaime trembled, terrified. At any second she could fall dead to the concrete. She half-believed him... yet her body still ached for the man that held her, who talked about her as though he could casually throw her away. She couldn't control herself. Her legs threatened to collapse, and she leaned into his grasp weakly. The scent of her coming wolf-moon was beginning to permeate the air, sweet and spicy on the midday breeze. Now that she could see the men clearly, she noticed the intensity in their gazes as they combed over her. Yes, they all knew.

  “Dammit, what do we do now?” the short, fat one whispered. She wished she could ask the same thing.

  Suddenly there was another fierce rev of an engine. Vvvrrrruuuummm! All five of them turned toward the road, eyes wide. Jaime was shocked when a red Chevy truck came careening up the curb, bouncing across the sidewalk and into the parking lot, seemingly out of nowhere. It skidded wildly on the pavement. Jaime watched in disbelief, recognizing Aiden and Darren in the passenger's seat. An unknown wolf was driving — their timing couldn't have been better.

  The big, black werewolf — Tabari — shot a few times at the truck, but the unknown driver maneuvered wildly across the parking lot until he skidded to a halt some ways to their left. Sirus grabbed her and ran towards them, still holding the gun to her head; she kicked and writhed, but he locked her to him with the handcuffs. She didn't know what she was fighting; she didn't want to be taken by Tabari and the other wolves, but she didn't want to be forced into that car, either. She was trapped.

  “Stop struggling!” Sirus growled, cussing as he shoved her head down and pushed her into the back seat of the truck, climbing in after her. The unknown wolf slammed on the gas before they had even closed the door, and they were off, skidding at full speed across the asphalt.

  Jaime wasn't thinking straight, and she didn't care. She scrambled back against the seats, kicking and shoving to get as far away from him as possible, though it wasn't very far considering the handcuffs. She growled and spit, slashing her nails at his face, attempting to rip his skin off.

  “What the fuck!” she growled, outraged. “How dare you hold a gun to my head, you bastard!”

  “You started it!” he grunted.

  “You deserved it!”

  Sirus groaned above her, trying to wrestle a seatbelt onto her. The back seat of the truck was tiny and cramped, hardly large enough for a child. “When are you going to wake up and realize that—”

  “Alpha, they're following us!” Darren called. “They'll shoot if they get any closer.”

  “Get us out of here!” Sirus roared, ducking over her as a bullet shattered the back window.

  “We've got this covered,” the unknown werewolf said. Jaime got a glimpse of long, pale-blond hair, practically white. He raised a cell phone to his ear as he turned the wheel and sent them spinning around another corner. Jaime tumbled away from Sirus, fighting the seatbelt off of her.

  “Right... we're going to use the garage,” the man said into the phone, then clicked it shut. Jaime curled up and screamed as another round hit the car; she could hear bullets passing through the bed of the truck and denting the bumper. All of the wolves were hunched low in their seats. It wasn't long until she heard the distant whine of sirens.

  The car swerved drastically as the white-haired wolf made a sharp left turn, and Sirus toppled over, his weight landing on top of her. His sudden breath on her neck sent a ribbon of heat through her, awakening her body, making her gasp and rub her thighs. He paused, holding the position, looking down at her with burning, pale eyes; his breath came sharply. She looked up in sudden fear... had his fangs elongated? His eyes carried a hint of gold.

  “You're afraid....” he growled, fisting her hair. Then suddenly his mouth was on hers, kissing her viciously, making her whimper and moan beneath him. Her body spasmed, pleasure rippling through her—it was as though his kiss alone could make her orgasm....

  She wanted to push back, to shove him off of her and growl... but god, his warmth...

  “Here we go,” the man's voice pierced her hazy thoughts. There was another violent turn and the car bumped up onto the curb, then they were suddenly encased in shadow, the sunlight blocked off by the ceiling of a garage. Jaime tried to break the kiss, catching a glimpse of stuffed shelves and a dusty-looking water heater. There was a grating, groaning sound as the garage door began to close behind them. The back seat became increasingly darker and darker....

  And then Sirus's eyes, shining at her through the shadows. He looked wild, feral. “Mine,” he whispered against her lips. It sent chills down her spine.

  The door next to her opened, and light flooded in. Jaime tumbled back, spilling out of the car and onto the oil-slicked cement. She looked up, rubbing her sore rear, blinking dazedly in the sudden light from a sodium bulb. Her eyes widened in surprise.

  “Is this her?” she heard.

  Chapter 10

  He grunted, momentarily coming out of his cloud of hatred. He brought the car to a screeching halt next to a clump of bushes and jumped out of it, hurling his gun into the trees, enraged.

  “Goddammit!” he howled, grabbing one of the bushes and uprooting it with his hands, throwing it after the gun. “Goddamn him, that bastard! I'll kill him!”

  His two companions stayed in the car, which was wise, considering his penchant for violence. Tabari continued to storm around the small patch of trees in the middle of the city, throwing his sunglasses on the ground, kicking the tires of the car. Three years ago, that bastard Sirus had appeared on his family's doorstep with a bullshit grin and a knife, and had easily cut down his family one by one. His entire pack, destroyed and dispersed... and now he was a lowly Tracker as well, with no home and no loyalties.

  “I'll kill him,” he murmured again, sinking to his knees to feel the earth beneath his hands. He tried to calm himself. “That bastard will pay.”

  “Eh... Tabari?” one of the morons called from the car; the short fat one. “Should we go looking for them? Track 'em down?”

  He let out a harsh laugh. Of course he could Track them down, only.... “Waste of time,” he called back to them, remembering his control. “They're surrounded by the entire Davenport pack right now; even if we found them, there's nothing we could do.”

&
nbsp; A pause. “So... what do we do?”

  “We wait.” Tabari took a deep breath of air. He could pick out smells that were days old; the passing of an alley cat, a whiff of perfume. He could practically taste the cement through his nose. The girl's scent was still strong in his head, rich and creamy, on the very edge of her wolf-moon. It awakened a deep, primal hunger inside of him. A hunger for her small, warm body. Who knew, if he managed to kill Sirus, maybe he would keep the female for himself. Then he'd have a claim to the Paxton territory as well.

  “Just wait?”

  “Sooner or later they'll slip up,” he murmured, nodding his head. “She'll leave by herself, or they won't be watching her. That's when we make our move... until then, we must be patient.” Those were the ways of the hunter. Why chase down his prey when it would come to him? He had smelled just as much hate on that girl for Sirus as he had smelled lust... there was anger and fear in her eyes, in her body language, the way she twisted away from him, how she flinched at his every move and word. Doubtlessly the Seneca Alpha noticed it too... he could only wonder if the sick bastard enjoyed it.

  Not that she would have a better future with Magnus the Gray.

  A brisk wind picked up, carrying him all of the smells of the city, and among those smells, his enemy awaited. He stood up, walking a brief way through the bushes to where his gun had landed. He gazed at it for a long moment; it was a similar model to the Seneca Alpha's, cold and black. He craved the day that he would hold the pistol to the Alpha's head. He brushed the weapon off as he returned to the car, then climbed inside, shutting the door. The two smaller wolves watched him warily; he wished he weren't stuck with these two fools. He'd finish things much more quickly if he were alone.

  “So? Where to?” the lanky brother asked.

  “We go to where they're obviously headed,” he said, his voice like low thunder. “To the house of the Davenport Alpha, Gareth of Black River.”

  The two wolves exchanged a glance. Apparently they had heard his name, too. Tabari knew Gareth of Black River only as the incredible fighter he was. He had won control of the Davenport pack only a year earlier, against an Alpha on wolfsbane, at that. Incredible. Wolfsbane was a drug well known to send wolves into a berserker rage. He wondered what business his prey had there.