The Accords Triptych (Book 1): Wolves Without Teeth
Page 12
“But beforehand I guess he did. I don’t like to pry. Lotta history there. Some good. Some bad.”
“I can imagine,” Rebecca said, taking a sip of her wine.
The entire meal wasn’t completely focused on the supernatural. After all the restaurant was reasonably crowded and topics like wolves and vampires could draw attention. Plus Rebecca had mentioned invoking the ‘S’-topic drinking rule.
Admittedly some matters came up – nothing to do with the bodies, Ben, the Cult or other current dramas – but mostly their conversation was about two people getting to know each other better.
McLachlan realized how much he missed their phone conversations. Things between them were different now. Better, but different. Almost…less intimate. Their phone calls had just been them. Two people not really looking for anything in particular, but connecting nonetheless. Listening to each other intently. Focused on words and voice, unguarded but engaged. There had been something so…private and safe that they hadn’t found again since the Cult crashed in and there’d been ‘dead guys’.
Not that he’d trade what was developing to go back. Not at all. Especially as he was now able to be himself. Rebecca knew all his secrets. There was very little left to hide. ‘Came that way when a prospective girlfriend had seen him sprout horns, wield fire, and send a demonic cult running into the night.
Excusing himself to go to the bathroom, McLachlan was very happy with the in-person incarnation of their relationship.
His smile soon disappeared when he saw the two vampires in the bathroom. Immediately, his face distorted, teeth longer.
“We have to stop meeting like this.” His stomach churned with hunger, face aching. “People will talk.”
“I thought humans urinated more frequently than this,” Seth said. “I remember urinating being more of a thing. Are you sick?”
“No, what? Why are you interested in my bladder?”
“Because we’ve been waiting here an hour,” Rufus replied. “Bathrooms’re boring.”
“Anyone see you?” McLachlan asked, panicked.
“Do you think all vampires are stupid?” Rufus asked. “It’s a little racist, you know. Of course no one saw us. Well they did, they just don’t remember is all.” Vampiric coercion was a dangerous skill. Their ability to hold any person enthralled unsettled him, especially after how it was abused in the Pack War. But given that he basically showered in holy water each day, McLachlan seemed immune to their influence.
“Carys said you dropped by the other night,” Seth said, cutting the banter off before it got started. “Another body, huh?”
“Ah, so she did pass the message on.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Seth demanded.
“Just, well after the coin I wasn’t sure she was that trustworthy.”
“She’s plenty trustworthy, vessel.”
McLachlan bit back the selection of insults that flooded onto his tongue, instead he said, “noted.” He took a breath, their hunger acute. “I just wanted to put Gracchus in the loop. Two bodies that look like vampire attacks on his territory.”
“Look like?” Rufus asked.
“Yeah,” McLachlan said. “I’m not convinced. Where the attacks were – well, just seems personal is all. First, Eddie’s coffee shop then Matteo’s building.”
“We’ve seen the bodies,” Rufus said. “Pretty sure it was a vampire.”
“That’s the plan,” McLachlan replied. “Draw attention away from the wolves.”
“On to vampires?” Seth said, unconvinced. “Even your boy Ben wouldn’t be that fucked up.”
McLachlan shrugged, not about to comment on Ben’s mental state. He was about to continue when another man entered the bathroom. Startled, the man looked from the two vampires to McLachlan’s warped face and back to the vampires.
Quickly, Rufus stepped close to the man and said, “you don’t need to go to the bathroom, you just came to wash your hands. You’re good for another twenty minutes. The bathroom is empty, you don’t see us.”
The man turned to the sink, immediately oblivious that anyone else was in the bathroom. He washed his hands and checked himself out in the mirror.
“Wow,” McLachlan whispered. “Nice to see it used for good for once. Real Jedi mind trick stuff.”
“Now go back to your table and enjoy the rest of your meal.”
“And…”
“These are not the droids you’re looking for.”
“Fuckin’ A,” McLachlan said happily.
As the man left, Seth eyed McLachlan wearily, “are you done?”
“Yeah, sorry.”
“It’s a little concerning making a kill look like a vampire,” Seth said. “A rogue vampire is one thing. Definitely something we need to look into. But to strike at the Pack Lord under the guise of a vampire attack? Well, that’s a whole other thing.”
“I know,” McLachlan said. “Hence the heads up.”
“So where to from here?” Rufus asked.
“You guys see if there’s a new blood in town,” McLachlan said. “And I’ll chase up the Ben angle.”
“You think he’d be that crazy?”
“Crazy? Dumb?” McLachlan shrugged again. “He’s had a few surprises of late.”
“I think we should go after Ben,” Seth said. “You might be too close to this.”
“And that’s exactly why I’m going after him. Give me a couple of days. If nothing comes of it, then I’ll meet with Gracchus and we can do it your way.”
“Lot can happen in a couple of days,” Seth said gravely.
“That I know.” McLachlan shook Seth’s hand. Perhaps he’d misjudged the vampire. Seemed there was a depth and concern he kept hidden. “Thanks for stopping by. ‘Preciate it. Pass my best on to Gracchus.”
“Good luck on the date,” Rufus said, shaking his hand. “Want me to put in a good word for you?”
“Uh, no, because that’s a little rapey,” McLachlan replied. “I’d like to do this on my own merits.”
“Are you sure?” Seth asked, a moment of candor softening his stoicism.
“Just go,” McLachlan said. “And maybe eat something beforehand next time? This shit hurts.” He gestured to his face as the vampires walked out of the bathroom and headed for the back exit.
“And you’re one ugly vampire,” Rufus laughed, pushing Seth out the door.
McLachlan waited for his face to calm down, then washed his hands, and returned to table.
“Vampires in the bathroom again?” Rebecca asked.
“What? How? No,” he said unconvincingly, touching his brow.
“I was kidding,” she replied, realizing that there had indeed been vampires in the bathroom. Again. “Here?” she hissed across the table. “Are they gone?” She looked around anxiously. “Doesn’t the garlic put them off?”
McLachlan laughed, relaxing. “I didn’t think of that.”
“So what did they want and is this a regular thing with you and them? The bathroom thing?”
“No,” he replied, focusing back on his meal. “Twice now. Oddly both on dates. Not a major, so when’s your next TA thing?”
“Don’t do that,” she replied, putting her fork down. “Don’t shut me out of this. I’m in now. And I asked a question. What did they want?”
He sat back. Taking a breath, he was unsure how to proceed. His silence told her as much.
“Knowledge is power,” she said simply. “I can’t take care of myself like you or Rowan or Eddie can. I’m not supernatural. I don’t have any gifts or abilities. So I need to know things. I need to know how to protect myself. Knowledge does that.”
McLachlan hadn’t thought of it that way. Returning to his meal, he told her about the bathroom meeting. Soon he was telling her about his speculation of the attacks being Ben related. Rebecca listened intently, asking questions at different points, challenging his view on certain matters, and offering her perspective.
The ease he always had talking with her ov
er the phone still existed and if anything had increased now that she knew everything. More relaxed, he engaged better. Welcoming her ideas, correcting her misconceptions, and listening as attentively as she did him. He soon learned she was not afraid. Not that she was embracing his world, but she wasn’t shrinking from it.
“You want to come in?” Rebecca asked, their conversation had continued beyond the restaurant and throughout the walk back to her apartment. “And don’t play the ‘it’s late’ card.”
“Uh,” he paused, “sure?”
Rebecca led him into the bedroom. He turned around as she shut the door. They closed the distance between them and started kissing. The same weightlessness was there, but now a heat enveloped them. Taking his cues from her, he slipped off her top as she had his shirt half unbuttoned.
A noise startled him as she was undoing his belt.
“What?” she asked as he pulled back. “You forget to groom down there today?”
“No,” he said. “Paper thin walls remember?”
“Ear plugs,” Rebecca said, taking off her bra. “Amazing things. Now how about you shut up, get your pants off and, uh, we have some fun.”
Heeling off his boots, and yanking his jeans down, he stood before her, exposed and attentive.
“Atta boy,” she smiled, slipping her arms around his waist and pulling him closer, their lips meeting feverishly. As his hands traced the small of her back, she drew back. “Just – be present. This is new for us. Remember that.” He couldn’t have been any more present – or aroused – if he tried. Kissing her again, he drew her close. As his cock brushed her thigh, pleasure blossomed throughout his body. Caught in the freefall of her kiss, he run his fingers lightly up and down her back, enjoying that she pressed into him.
When he drew back a little, sharing a breath, he met her eye. Quietly in awe of her, he studied the curve of her lips before kissing her again. McLachlan couldn’t hide anymore. She knew his world. Knew his dark and his light. Wanted to know more even. As physically naked as he was with her in that moment, he was stripped bare of everything else for the first time in his life.
“What?” she asked, sensing him pause.
“I’m here,” he said. “With you.”
“I know.” She smiled, then kissed him again. Weightless and falling. No wait, actual falling, he thought as the bed rushed up to meet him. Rebecca climbed on top. With her hand she guided him inside her, breath catching as she took his length. Vividly he remembered a similar moment in a Brooklyn shower. Pushing it from his mind, he rose and kissed her breasts. His tongue tracing light circles around her nipples. Hands on his shoulders, she started rocking up and down.
Looking up he saw her eyes were closed, a smile gracing her features. How incredible was this woman, he mused, strong, sensual, and with him. Her lips found his, hands cupping his face as the rhythm quickened. Clutching her he became lost in the surge, hips matching hers. Skin hot with sweat, breath coming in short bursts, he heard her moan. Then her head was pressed to his, skin to skin, their breathing ragged and hungry.
His body shuddered as he came, lightness spreading through every fiber of his body. Sensing she was close, he slipped a hand between her legs, removing himself in the same move. A raised eyebrow told him she hadn’t expected it, the smile told him something else. Kissing her breasts again, she gasped suddenly, her body tense against him. He met her eyes as she continued to spasm, his pressure softer now. Forehead to forehead, lips barely apart, McLachlan no longer felt weightless, instead he lacked form. No physical sense of himself. Where he ended blurred into her. And she into him.
“That…” he breathed.
“Yup.”
“Wow.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Again?”
XIX
Being a sophomore sucked.
With a draft script due Monday, a comparative video essay he needed to start, and his own short film production looming, Mouth was feeling the pressure. Hence he probably didn’t need to sign up for a junior’s film shoot. Especially a junior’s test shoot. But he had, and here he was walking to The Daily Grind for the first production meeting. He just hoped he hadn’t got stuck with audio.
“Mouth,” Jason called out. “Wait up!”
Turning around, Mouth was surprised to see his roommate chasing him down.
“They get enough of your time,” Mouth said. “You’re pulling an extra shift?”
“Swapped with Jeremy. Didn’t realize he needed to actually read Aristotle for Monday’s class.”
“Good luck to him,” Mouth groaned. “And what? You don’t have enough work to catch up on?”
“Not at the moment,” Jason replied with a smile.
“A sleep in,” Mouth said suddenly. “You’ve heard of those, right?”
“We still seeing a film later?” Jason asked, dodging the question.
“Maybe. I want to. Just not sure how this group thing is gonna go.”
“This the superhero script?” A note of disgust colored Jason’s voice.
“Sadly, yeah,” Mouth replied. “Pretty bad huh?”
Jason was quiet for a second as they walked. “It’s just ambitious,” he said finally. “Like there was potential there for something kinda cool. Ya know a real different take on the superhero genre, but…”
“Yes?”
“The dialogue’s pretty shit and the characters’re kinda flat.”
“And it’s an affront to all things superhero,” Mouth exclaimed vehemently.
“Okay, dude.” Jason stopped outside the coffeeshop. “You’re a purist. Likely dropped in a vat of comic ink as baby. You were gonna hate that script before you got it.”
“You’re not a fan either apparently.”
“Oh no, it’s really shit but you need to think of this as a…film project only. Not a superhero thing. Nah, listen,” Jason said, his voice rising as Mouth tried to butt in. “Film project only. That’s it. End of story.”
“Grrr.”
“Then when you’re a junior you can show them how it’s really done.”
“Just a film project,” Mouth muttered. “Just a film project. Just a film project.”
_ _ _
The Daily Grind was buzzing.
Jason shouldered his way through the door with Mouth close behind, still repeating his new mantra. He wasn’t surprised to see the coffee shop so busy, but was pleasantly relieved that the rush had ended and now it was just people sitting around talking. Amid the throng Mitch was bussing tables, the tray tucked under his arm. A fellow sophomore and the real reason Jason had agreed to cover Jeremy’s shift. Time to see if he was the Inverted King or Ten of Cups.
“Jase,” Mitch said, looking up with a smile. Self-conscious that he’d been staring at him, Jason tried to act like he hadn’t heard, his knees a little weak. Ten of Cups. Definitely Ten of Cups. “Jase?” Mitch called again. “You working today?”
“Yeah, Jerr’s got some reading to do.”
“Alright,” Mitch replied happily. He left the group he was talking to and headed behind the counter, sliding his tray through the service pass. Jason followed, suspicious of Mitch’s upbeat mood.
“I’m not here to be dish monkey,” Jason said, walking past Mitch for the back of the store. “Hey Blake.”
“Hey.”
“You know,” Mitch said, walking behind Jason and resting his hands on Jason’s shoulders. Ten of… “I’m actually a pretty nice guy. People love me. Stop listening to Blake’s propaganda.”
“Can you spell that?” Blake called out.
“Probably not,” he muttered to Jason, walking past him. Mitch grabbed an apron from a hook and tossed it to Jason. “Now if you’ll excuse me,” he popped the top of the detergent bottle, “I have to get all foamy.”
Jason laughed. Maybe he should work Saturdays more often he decided, heading to the front counter. Relieved to have him at the cash register, Blake hid behind the coffee machine, her mood no longer conducive to customer service.r />
_ _ _
Elsewhere Mouth had pulled up a chair next to one of the large tables where the film group was meeting. He knew some of the people, though nothing more than their names. Drew, a black junior, welcomed him with a pat on the back.
“I miss anything?” Mouth asked.
“Hardly. Miss Thang’s just given us her timeline.” Drew handed Mouth a sheet of paper. “Brutal.”
Mouth looked at the dates on the sheet, his eyes widening.
“We’re shooting tonight?”
“Apparently so.”
“Thanks so much for coming,” a dark-haired young woman with large eyes and full lips announced, calling for quiet. Something in her tone told Mouth that perhaps they were supposed to thank her instead. She did seem to be holding court after all. “For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Naomi.” Mouth was glad she cleared that up as he’d been thinking her name was Nadia or Nancy or April. His memory wasn’t the best at times. Especially when he didn’t care.
Drew was the only reason he was even doing the film project. They’d worked together on a documentary Drew made in his sophomore year. Impressed by Mouth’s documentary from high school, Drew had sought him out to assist with his first project for Sight and Sound. While Drew had taken the lead – given it was his coursework after all – the collaboration had been very successful. Mouth had not been surprised when the, now, junior had asked him to help on a narrative project.
“If anyone has a problem with the shoot tonight, then speak now or forever hold your peace,” Naomi said with a fake laugh. Mouth took her words as threat, pure and simple. This was her junior project and god help anyone who messed it up.
“Where’s the rooftop?” someone asked.
“Okay so that’s the one snag,” she replied. “I had wanted to use this rooftop in Brooklyn but we broke up and so I don’t have access.”
“Pretty big fucking snag,” Mouth said, unsure how someone broke up with a rooftop but figured the rooftop got of lightly.
“What’s that?” she asked, turning her eye on him. Mouth withered slightly. And he wasn’t someone who withered. Ever. Not with werewolves, nor demonic cult members, nor Hayley. Okay, maybe with Hayley once or twice. And admittedly he and Jason had hid in the foot wells of Eddie’s truck as The Ordeal reached its conclusion, but that was some pretty apocalyptic shit.