“What’s going on here?” A uniformed guard jogged up. He paused to size up the situation. “How about we step outside and see if we can sort out this misunderstanding, gentlemen?”
“There’s nothing to misunderstand!” Aki folded his arms across his chest.
“An eight-oh-eight. The guy threatened Aki.” Nate took his eyes off the wolf, turning to the guard.
No! “Nate—”
It was the opening the wolf had been waiting for. The guy swung, his fist catching Nate in the throat. He fell heavily into a bar stool.
“Hands above your head!” The security guard brandished his Taser. “Now!”
“You don’t tell me what to do, human!” The man’s voice was laced with a vicious snarl. He lashed out, catching the guard with a direct punch to the head. As the guard slid to the floor stunned, the wolf turned, looking for Aki.
Someone screamed. As if that was a cue, mass panic broke out. People ran for the door, or dived for cover behind the bar.
Ben was roughly shouldered aside by a passing club-goer and lost his balance. He fell, catching his head against the edge of a stool. The room swayed, tipping crazily. That’s me. I’ve fallen.
There were hands on his side. Aki knelt beside him. “Ben! Are you—oh fuck.”
Ben raised his head with difficulty to follow Aki’s gaze.
The wolf watched them. He seemed to be enjoying the panic. A smile played across his face as he stepped over the unconscious guard toward them. “I’m not going to make you regret those words,” he promised, not taking his eyes off Aki. “I’m going to make you regret ever learning to speak.”
“Don’t move,” Ben croaked. “Whatever you do, don’t run.”
“Who said anything about running?” Aki murmured. “I’ve forgotten how to move.”
The wolf snarled again, gathering himself for a leap—and was suddenly jerked backward. Before he could regain his balance, Nate had swung his fist in the wolf’s face. It connected with a powerful crack—one that sounded wooden. The wolf stumbled backward.
“Nate! What are you doing?” Aki sounded hysterical. “That’s a werewolf!”
Ben winced as Aki’s shout went straight through his throbbing head. About time Aki’s survival instincts kicked in—but did they have to kick in so loudly?
“The guy’s a bully and a jerk.” Nate watched the wolf, readying himself to meet his next attack. His voice sounded calm. “I’m not letting him hurt you—or anyone else.”
He’s done something. Ben let Aki haul him into a sitting position. Nate’s not using any ordinary strength. If he’s tapped into the tree part of him— Ben transferred his gaze to the werewolf, noticeably swaying as he regained his footing.
Something warm trickled down his lip. Ben absently brushed it aside with his hand. The scent of copper brought a sudden surge of hunger. Blood. He looked at the red smear on his hand and put his fingers to his lip. I’m bleeding…?
The wolf snarled, launching himself at Nate. They grappled furiously for the upper hand, sending another bar stool tumbling. The wolf tried to overpower Nate with increasing desperation, but Nate was as immoveable as an oak tree. He met a full-body tackle without flinching, throwing the wolf back to the floor.
The wolf hauled himself up onto his elbows, using a nearby stool as support. “What the hell are you?”
“Someone who is done holding back.” Nate clenched his fists. “You want to fight, fine. Just don’t be surprised if you bite off more than you can chew.”
The wolf reacted to Nate’s words with another snarl and threw the bar stool.
It was hard to think past the blood. It filled Ben’s senses, demanding attention. Think. He swayed unsteadily to his feet. “Aki, call Department Seven. And then alert your manager.”
This time, Aki didn’t argue. He scurried off, the wolf not giving him a glance. All his attention was concentrated on Nate.
Careless. Ben’s teeth bared as he smiled. The wolf has made himself open. He was oblivious to the security team hurrying across the floor to surround him.
“Tasers?” A younger man asked.
The security chief shook his head. “We risk getting Nate.”
The conversation alerted the werewolf to their presence. His eyes rolled and he growled. As the security team took an alarmed step back, the guy dropped to the floor.
Ben’s skin tingled as magic surged nearby. “Nate! Pin him—now! You need to end this quickly!”
“We have him outnumbered.” Nate looked to Ben. “It’s over—he just doesn’t know it.”
“He’s changing into wolf form. You’ve got to stop him before he transforms.”
The man screamed. The horrible sound of twisting bone echoed through the club, and the sound of tearing fabric followed. He rocked forward on the floor, twisting as they watched.
“Shit!” Nate dropped on top of him, an arm around the guy’s neck. He was joined by the security team, all piling on him in an attempt to subdue the guy before he could reach the final stages of his transformation.
They’re too late. Ben licked his lips, standing still as he waited for the result. He felt eerily calm. His senses worked overtime, weighing the various threats that surrounded him, but he felt a confidence that was completely disproportionate to his human state.
Maybe I’m not a vampire—but I still have my ARX training. Now that they had the very real prospect of a wolf in the club, the first priority was getting the remaining people inside far away. Ben pulled himself up to address the people crouched behind the bar. “Into the kitchen. Now.”
They didn’t argue either. Ben looked across the club but saw that once the people crouched under the table booths had seen the stream of movement, they’d also made their way to the nearest exit.
Good. Ben felt a moment’s exultation—he wasn’t sure why—but another horrible crack brought his attention back to the wolf. This was followed by an ominous silence.
The security guards shouted as they felt the body beneath them move. They slid off as the wolf raised himself onto two legs—and he really was a wolf now. His torso had expanded, and his muscular body was covered in thick fur. Worst of all were the teeth bared as he snarled—a single snap from those could end a man’s life. And Nate was still hanging on to the guy’s neck. As Ben watched, the wolf dropped to all fours and shook itself furiously. Nate lost his grip and was thrown.
No one hurts what is mine. Ben drew himself up. His hands flexed and he regretted his lack of weapon.
The wolf turned, locking eyes with him. Awareness glittered in its eyes and it snarled a warning.
Ben drew back his teeth in disgust. You do not intimidate me, wolf. He stepped back as the wolf began to prowl around him, the two mutually circling each other. Some part of Ben’s brain shouted that this was unusual—that a werewolf wouldn’t waste time intimidating a human like this, especially when it had shown itself so contemptuous of the security guards.
Another part of Ben, a much louder part, gloried in it. The wolf recognizes a fellow predator. The effects of being a vampire for so long?
Not the time. Ben noticed the slight pause in the wolf’s rhythm. He readjusted his weight. Building up to a pounce. He watched the wolf’s hindquarters for the telltale giveaway of the leap and flung himself out of the way. He was back on his feet before the wolf managed to turn.
Not bad for a guy without vampire speed. Ben permitted himself a slight smirk, keeping his eyes on the wolf. It would leap again. And with every leap, there was the chance of it catching him. I need a weapon. Something to end this.
Something long and thick intruded into his vision. One of the guards had dropped his Taser. Perfect.
Ben darted forward as if making a break for escape. As the wolf pounced, Ben dropped, launching himself at the Taser. He grabbed it, but before he could lift it, the wolf’s paw slammed down on the other end.
The wolf growled low, an obvious warning. The sound seemed to go all the way through Ben, just as the wolf’
s yellow eyes stared him down. His teeth bared, the growl built to a more ominous rumble.
Ben’s nostrils flared. The scent of the wolf mingled with the coppery traces of the cut on his lip. It urged him to fight.
So I fight with the only weapon I have. Ben stared the wolf full in the eyes and snarled back. Werewolves, with their ingrained hierarchy, were particularly sensitive to influence. If Ben could make the wolf believe he was a stronger predator, they might just have a chance—
No if. You’re going to do this. Ben leaned closer to the wolf. He summoned all the arrogance of master vampire, projecting the cold confidence that characterized Saltaire. “Heel, dog.”
The wolf wavered. Its snarl dropped and it hunched back. A whine escaped it. It took its foot off the Taser as it stepped back—
And was suddenly raised in the air by someone behind it and slammed into the side of the bar. It slid to the floor and was still.
Nate placed an arm against the bar to steady himself, looking down at the wolf at his feet. It didn’t even try to rise. “Guess that settles that.” He looked up, caught Ben’s gaze, and smiled.
Ben smiled back—and something sharp dug into the side of his cheeks. As the security team set about securing the stunned wolf within a net, Ben ducked into a darkened corner. Carefully, he ran his tongue down the row of his teeth. This isn’t possible.
Where there should have been only teeth there were now fangs.
Ben ran his tongue over their edge, tasting again the faint tinge of copper in his mouth. This shouldn’t be possible. He felt for his pulse, steady and regular. I didn’t die. There’s no way I should be a vampire—no way. Ben leaned heavily against the bar. He spotted a spoon on the bar beside him and picked it up. Where there should have been a reflection, there was nothing.
Shit. Ben let the spoon slide from his fingers. Police sirens sounded outside, indicating that Department Seven had arrived. I’ve got far bigger problems than a werewolf.
“SO MUCH FOR ‘staying out of trouble,’ blossom.” Kenzies shook her head as she surveyed the scene. She’d wasted no time sizing up the situation, directing her staff to load the werewolf into the secure van Department Seven had brought with them and dispatching her staff to reassure and take statements from the club-goers. She’d opted to interview those directly involved with the incident herself—starting with Nate.
Ben, watching from the sidelines, had to suppress the urge to snarl. He didn’t like Kenzies’s proprietary attitude toward Nate, and he liked even less the way that Nate appeared genuinely glad to see her. Nate didn’t understand that Department Seven were not his friends. Instead, Ben stayed where he was. His tongue flicked up, but the fangs were still there. He shut his eyes, trying to will them aside. Until they vanished, he couldn’t risk attracting any attention.
“This isn’t my fault,” Nate protested. “The guy just lashed out. He could have done serious damage—”
“Is this true?” A woman in a pale-green business suit walked in, Aki hovering at her elbow. She picked her way through the scattered debris as if she walked down a catwalk. Several of the surrounding Department Seven officers paused in their duties to size her up.
Ben breathed in sulfur and power. Dangerous! Denise was powerful, that was obvious—but it was hard to pinpoint the source of her power. The sulfur indicated some sort of demonic origin, but her face, as she scanned the mess left in the club, gave no hint of her thoughts. Doubly dangerous. This woman is a master at whatever she is…
Force her into revealing herself with a surprise attack! You can be off and away before she knows what hit her—
Ben pinched the bridge of his nose. Great. Now I’m thinking like a vampire. He took firm control of himself. There would be no sneak attacks tonight. I’m a totally normal citizen caught up in an extraordinary event. That’s all.
As Denise looked around, her eyes fell on Ben. She immediately stiffened. “What is he doing here? I thought I made my instructions clear. No vampires on Century premises without express permission from management.”
“It’s cool.” Nate walked over to put his arm around Ben. “There’s a long and complicated story behind it, but Ben’s human now.”
Ben pressed his lips together in what he hoped was a convincing smile as Nate drew him back toward the group. The last thing he wanted to do was join the discussion—but if he remained close to Nate, then Nate’s own power would hopefully prevent anyone sensing the vampire’s presence.
Nate leaned down to whisper to Ben. “Everything okay? It’s not like you to be quiet when there’s a situation like this going down.”
Ben hesitated, glancing round to see if they were observed. Denise was talking, expressing her desire that Department Seven would get to the bottom of the matter quickly. Kenzies appeared to be listening to her, but Ben knew from past experience how good a werewolf’s hearing was. There was one option available to him. Here’s hoping the werewolf scared off anyone without supernatural links. Otherwise the restrictions on who could see Ben were going to make Nate look really weird. He tugged Nate around to face him, pulling him down for a kiss.
Nate took the hint eagerly—so eagerly that Ben felt a moment’s guilt that this wasn’t the spur of the moment expression of affection Nate imagined. He relaxed his grip on Nate’s shirt, letting his fingers stroke the back of Nate’s neck in apology. He felt the moment that Nate encountered his fangs. His body tensed, and he drew back to stare down at Ben with wide eyes. Ben pressed his lips together and nodded.
Nate looked as if he only just stopped himself from glancing around to see if they were observed. “How?” he whispered.
Ben squeezed his hand. “I don’t know. But let’s keep this between us.”
Nate nodded, the muscles in his throat tensing as he swallowed. As they turned back to watch the discussion unfolding, his hand settled around Ben again.
Ben knew more about the supernatural than Nate—but the gesture made him keenly aware of how close Nate stood, how right it felt whenever he brushed against Ben. Focus! You can’t get distracted now. But with the wolf contained, the energy in his body wanted a new outlet. It wanted Nate.
Ben fought the urge to tug his shirt down. At least if anyone glances this way, they’ll put our odd behavior down to mutual attraction. That gave him an idea.
He squeezed Nate’s hand, turning toward him. “We need to get out of here,” he said, letting his need color his words. If Kenzies was listening, she’d interpret them as a couple wanting privacy, not Ben needing to escape. “Take me home?” It was bad enough being surrounded by Department Seven staff, but at any moment, they risked—
“Not so fast.” Gunn had arrived.
Ben tensed. Of course, we wouldn’t get a break. He turned to see Gunn lighting a cigarette in full view of the club’s no-smoking signs, surveying the gathered crowd with a smirk. “Trying to skip out on the party you started, Bennet? I find that very curious. A guy might think you didn’t want your statement taken.”
How long had he been there observing? Ben took a moment to calm his racing heart. “We’ve given statements.”
Gunn marched over to him, brandishing his cigarette like a weapon. “Not to me you haven’t. And I want a full explanation of all of this.” He paused, leaning in to Ben. “What on earth have you been up to?”
There was a firm denial on Ben’s lips, but with Gunn in his face, he was frozen. He took a deep breath, immediately regretting it. This close, Gunn’s signature scent of smoke and stale air was almost overpowering. I have to say something—but the longer I hesitate, the more suspicious I become. His mouth twitched as Ben fought the instinct to bare his fangs and snarl back at Gunn. The vampire recognized another master predator in the lemur, a fact that only amped up Ben’s reactions.
Gunn’s mouth curved in triumph. “No answer, huh? I find that most suspicious.” His eyes glittered as he paused to take a drag of his cigarette.
Denise had other ideas. Her heels clicked as she marched across
the floor. “Officer Gunn. You’re well aware of Century’s no-smoking policy.”
Gunn turned to face her, raising an eyebrow as he sized her up. His gaze lingered on the low-cut bosom of her suit jacket, before settling on her face with studied insolence. “Nonsmoking, Ms. Levin? Could have sworn I caught a whiff of brimstone earlier.”
Denise’s eyes narrowed. Before Gunn had sensed her intention, she had snatched his cigarette and ground it out on the floor beneath the toe of her high heel shoe. “I’m surprised you can smell anything. Your considerable personal odor gave me the impression you’d lost the use of your nose a long time ago, officer.”
Gunn smirked, crossing his arms as he applied himself to this new victim. “I don’t miss much. May I commiserate with you on your return to work? First day back, only for your club to be gate-crashed by a werewolf.” His eyes glittered. “That doesn’t say much for your management.”
Denise wasn’t having any of it. “That doesn’t say much for the werewolf. My staff responded to the situation promptly, and we avoided any serious injuries to our clients. Your medical staff assure me that Jackson will recover soon. I’d like to know what you intend to do about the werewolf.”
“What is going on here?” A belligerent figure shouldered past the watching security team and walked up to Gunn and Denise. “I had a phone call from your office informing me that one of my pack had accosted a civilian—an allegation I find incredibly hard to believe—and now I see that he is confined to a police van like a common criminal. This is highly irregular and I protest vehemently the handling he has received.” He looked from Gunn, to Denise and the watching crowd. “Well? I demand a full explanation.”
“We were just getting to that.” Gunn made a gesture as if to reach for another cigarette, but a glance at Denise stopped him.
Life After Humanity Page 9