by Kathy Lyons
“Wulfric is my ancestor?” Josh asked.
Nero nodded, and Bruce had yet one more thing to process. Because if Wulfric was Josh’s ancestor, then he was Bruce’s as well. Now that was something to think about.
He flashed a grin at his brother, hoping for a moment of family camaraderie. No-go. Josh wouldn’t even look at him.
Bruce set aside his stethoscope and studied Wulfric, who was in some sort of meditative trance, his body relaxed and his eyes shut. If he crossed his hands on his chest, he’d look like a vampire in his coffin, but his arms lay lax with the palms upward by his sides.
Laddin came close. “Wulfric’s good? Nothing urgent right now?”
Bruce shrugged. “Nothing I can see, but there’s plenty I can’t see—”
“Good,” Laddin interrupted. “I guess that means we go with option two.”
Bruce frowned, not remembering any options.
“I’m going to poke you with useless questions, and you’re going to answer them all.”
Oh goody. “Somehow I thought becoming a werewolf would be way cooler,” he drawled.
Laddin snorted. “Didn’t we all.”
Chapter 7
LADDIN LEARNS THE FIRST RULE OF A FIREFIGHTER
BRUCE LEARNS THE FIRST RULE OF A WEREWOLF
LADDIN SMILED as Mr. Grumpy followed him away from Wulfric’s room. Bruce might not want to talk, but he needed a break from Josh, as well as the family drama brewing between them. Because whether he knew it or not, Bruce was wiped. His shoulders drooped every time he forgot to stand at parade rest, and though his jaw remained tight, his head would occasionally tilt one way or another as fatigue nailed him.
Laddin’s goal was to get the man to rest, even though Mr. Macho would probably take a nail gun to his hands rather than admit it.
They swung by the kitchen on the way out the door and grabbed a couple of thermoses he’d set on the counter earlier. After popping his, he took a long swing of coffee, letting the caffeine penetrate his cells. It didn’t happen that fast, but he pretended it did even when he was drinking decaf.
Bruce must have smelled the brew, because he immediately perked up. “That other one for me?” he asked.
“Yup.” He passed it over, trying to hide his smile as Bruce popped the top and started chugging. He was definitely a caffeine addict. Then Laddin grinned as Bruce started gagging. “Spit it out and I’ll force you to drink another one.”
Bruce gave him a dark look, but he did swallow. “What is this?”
“Bone broth. I grabbed it the minute I found out you were Josh’s brother. It was the only thing he could keep down for the first few days.”
Bruce grimaced as he sniffed the thermos. “There’s other stuff in there.”
“They’re called vegetables. You’re a paramedic. Surely they covered those in one of your classes.”
“Must have missed that day,” he said, but he took another sip.
“You can have coffee later. Right now you need to replenish.” He opened the front door and gestured Bruce outside. They both squinted at the bright sunlight.
“First rule of a firefighter. Coffee never comes later.”
“First rule of a werewolf. Food comes first. The rest is ketchup.”
Bruce snorted as they walked. Laddin didn’t have any particular destination in mind—he only wanted to find a pleasant place to sit and chat. His job as a trainer was to get Bruce in control of his werewolf nature, but no one could do that while half a breath away from exhaustion.
“Let’s start easy,” Laddin said. “When was the last time you slept?”
“In that fucking cage.”
Oh yeah. “By the way, you’re going to have to clean that up. Pissing in there was just peevish.”
“I was feeling peevish.” Then he frowned. “Whatever that means.”
“It was one of my grandmother’s words. She used it when I was being especially annoying.”
Bruce grunted as he finished off the last of the bone broth. As a reward, Laddin passed him the rest of his coffee. Bruce gratefully took a big swig, then grimaced again. “You like a little coffee in there with your sugar?”
“My charm comes naturally. I have to work for my sweetness.”
Bruce slanted him an amused looked, then finished off the coffee with big gulps. That completed the nutrition portion of the afternoon. Fortunately they’d come upon a bench that looked out over fields of recently tilled ground. The land looked rich and fertile, and off in the distance, they could see the farmer on his tractor churning under the debris from the winter.
It was a picturesque scene, and Laddin would have loved it if the temperature had been above freeze-your-balls. He wasn’t going to last long out here. Then he remembered he was supposed to be looking out for his trainee too, so he turned as Bruce dropped onto the bench. “You cold?” Bruce was wearing sweats and a T-shirt. And he’d found his shoes in the van, so at least his feet were covered.
“No,” Bruce said, surprise in his voice. “Why aren’t I cold? It’s like fifty degrees out here.”
“Werewolf metabolism.”
Bruce nodded as if that made sense. But then he looked at Laddin. “So why are you shivering?”
“Because you drank the rest of my coffee.”
“My bad.” He didn’t sound like he was apologizing, but he did look back at the house. “Want to go back inside?”
No, he really didn’t. Bruce needed the respite. “I can take it if you can.”
“Now who’s being macho?”
He was. He plopped down on the bench next to Bruce. That helped some because the big guy blocked the wind. What helped even more was the heat rolling off Bruce’s body. Wow. Bruce was a furnace.
“Except for the last two months, I’ve lived my entire life in Southern California,” he said. “Why would anyone ever live out here?”
“Because it’s so great in a place that has earthquakes, devastating fires, and smog? Not to mention the price of real estate there?”
“But we’ve got Hollywood.”
Bruce arched a brow at Laddin. “You say that like it’s a good thing.”
“It is. I’ve worked explosives for movies since I was fourteen. Some kids play with Play-Doh. I got to shape C-4.”
Bruce seemed to mull that over for a bit. “You don’t seem like an explosives expert.”
“I’m a neat freak. I need things put in their place.”
“So do firefighters.”
Laddin grinned. It sounded like he was getting a little respect from the new recruit. He counted that as excellent progress. “I’ve been hyperorganized since I was little, and let’s face it, what boy doesn’t like things that go boom? Mama had a friend in the business, and she got me on as an assistant. I’ve been in Hollywood ever since… until seven weeks ago.”
Bruce turned to him, his expression curious, which on the usually grumpy guy was akin to a grin. “What happened seven weeks ago?”
“I became a werewolf.”
Bruce looked at him a moment, his expression shifting to surprise. “So you’re new. I didn’t know.” And then he leaned back on the bench. “Cool.”
What did that mean? “I’m still fully capable of training you,” he said, mentally praying it was true.
Bruce turned to him with a frown. “I’m not doubting you,” he said. “I actually like that you’re new. It makes you less indoctrinated.”
Laddin stiffened. “We’re not a cult. There is no indoctrination. We’re—”
“Werewolves. Yeah. I got that.”
His words sounded agreeable enough, but Laddin could tell Bruce was still skeptical. And truthfully, he had a point. Wulf, Inc. had all the benchmarks of cult—isolation from others, a charismatic leader, and an enforced period of captivity at the beginning while new wolves learned to control themselves. But there was a major difference. “We’re allowed to leave,” he said. “I’m quitting the moment I get the moon madness under control.”
Bruc
e straightened in surprise. “Really? Do they know that?”
“I’ve told Captain M. If it wasn’t for the disaster at the lake, we’d all be moving on one way or another. Once you prove you’ve got your wolf nature under control, everybody chooses what they want. I want to go back to LA and my family.”
Bruce arched a brow. “Family? You got a wife and kids?”
Laddin snorted. “No wife—I’m gay. No kids either.” Then he held his breath as he slanted a look at Bruce. Being gay in Hollywood was no big deal, but Bruce was from Indiana. Who knew what he’d think? The last thing Laddin wanted was to add homophobia to their dynamic.
But far from being weirded out, Bruce actually seemed to relax. “What about a boyfriend?”
“I wish. I’ve been working 24/7 on Bing’s movie.” He exhaled in relief. It was nice here, talking casually to Bruce. “Bing’s a werewolf too. He got turned the same day I did. You’ll meet him eventually. He’s a TV star in China, an incredible martial artist, and has freaky mind control powers.”
“He the one who put me to sleep?”
“Yeah, probably. He got turned into a werewolf on the same day I did. That means his movie is kaput now, so I’m out of a job.” He was sad about that. Working as Bing’s DP had been a step up for him. But there would be other jobs. “All I’ve got is a meddlesome mother and grandmother, but they’re important to me. I’m not cutting them out of my life.”
“Good for you.” Bruce flashed him a smile. It was a relaxed look, and suddenly Laddin’s insides went liquid. The firefighter wasn’t just ripped, he was ruggedly handsome when he smiled. He’d never make it as a movie star, but when the skin around his eyes crinkled and his teeth flashed white, Laddin couldn’t help but see all that potential beauty. Assuming he stayed away from the grumpy side of life.
“But I’ve got to get control of the moon madness first. Then everything can go back to normal.” After he finished training Bruce, that is, and after they caught the demon and saved Wisconsin.
It was quite the to-do list, but Laddin had faith that someone would figure it out. His job was to take care of Bruce, and that meant getting the man to relax. So he stretched out his legs before him while they both sat quietly staring at the tilled field—pastoral beauty at its finest. Laddin knew he would get really bored soon, but at the moment he was content to let his gaze meander over the field.
Then something caught his eye, and he squinted. There it was again! Off in the distance, a yellowy-orange puff of something exploded. Laddin frowned. He couldn’t have seen that right. But then another one went off.
“Did you see that?” Laddin asked.
“Hmm?” Bruce murmured.
“Over there.” He pointed and looked back at his trainee. Bruce wasn’t looking. He didn’t even have his eyes open. Then Bruce let out a big yawn and slouched even deeper against the backrest.
Yup. Bruce was exhausted, and Laddin wasn’t going to wake him because he was seeing things out in this freezing wasteland. So he settled back against the bench, unable to resist sinking into Bruce’s hot side. And he was hot, not just temperature-wise, but in every sexy inch of the grumpy bear.
Laddin had no idea why that was so attractive to him, but something about getting a crabby man to smile was a major turn-on for him. Especially when the sourpuss was a good guy underneath. He believed that Bruce wanted to look out for his younger brother and was trying to make amends for whatever had happened when they were kids. He also saw that being a first responder was something burned into the core of his being, so that made Bruce extra appealing. But what really made Laddin’s dick sit up and take notice was the easy way they spoke to each other. Bruce wasn’t awkward with him and didn’t stare at his hand. Those were small things, but they added up to a huge win for Laddin.
And yes, there were obviously deep things going on in that grumpy head of his, but Bruce didn’t take it out on anyone else. He growled when he was annoyed, was silent when he wasn’t, and then bantered back when he felt safe. He was easy to understand, easy to navigate. And fun, fun, fun to make smile.
Bruce’s jaw had gone slack, and his head dropped sideways onto Laddin’s shoulder. It was a comfortable weight, and Laddin enjoyed the feeling of supporting him. He never got to cuddle with anyone anymore. His last relationship had ended over a year ago for the same reason he didn’t have a pet. He was never around because he worked 24/7 on the set of whatever project he was on. And if he didn’t have a job, he was too restless, too needy.
At least that’s what his ex had said.
Laddin had ditched the ex, but he missed the skin-to-skin contact he’d had with a lover. He ached for someone to touch while they were watching TV. And he needed someone to banter with when the long days became even longer nights. They didn’t have to be deep discussions. Even a conversation about the Lakers was special when it happened with someone he cared about.
He sat there on the bench, enjoying the moment while his mind wandered. Naturally, it went to sex, something that was bound to happen when he was snuggled against a hot firefighter. Laddin didn’t get the impression that Bruce was into men, so in a backward kind of way, that gave him the freedom to fantasize about all sorts of dirty things with him. They’d never happen, and Bruce would never know, so why not indulge in some very adult make-believe?
If he’d been alone, he’d probably rub one out. Hell, his cock was already throbbing at the pictures in his head, but he could show restraint. He could close his eyes and imagine this big warrior arching in need as Laddin sucked him off. He could feel the sharp bite of penetration as he impaled himself on Bruce’s cock. And best of all, he could imagine slowly, gently bending Bruce over as he spread the man’s iron cheeks and thrust inside. It would feel like being surrounded in muscle. And then he’d reach around to grip Bruce’s thick cock and hold on for the ride.
God, he wanted that. And those images were so graphic that he nearly came in his pants. He didn’t, but his very next shower would be extra special.
So he sat, and when he opened his eyes, he let his gaze wander over the dark field. Odd how there was no sign of the slow death of the state here. It wasn’t surprising, he guessed, since Lake Wacka Wacka was fifty miles away. It was the closest they could get and still stay under the radar. They didn’t have any official standing as scientists, military, or reporters, so they did what they could from here. And when they couldn’t, they found a way to sneak in, either in their wolf forms or with an invisibility spell.
Puff. Puff-puff.
There it was again. Laddin narrowed his eyes as he tried to see clearly. Orange puffs of smoke exploded right next to an oak tree. There was a little bit of greenery dividing the fields. Low bushes, that one large oak tree, and—there they were again. Puffs of orange smoke. What the hell was that?
He had to know. And sitting here with Bruce was getting him so horny—he had to do something or burst. With careful hands, he eased Bruce’s head onto the back of the bench. Then he touched the man’s face, trying to judge if his skin was cool. Nope. Still Mr. Furnace, so he’d be okay for a bit longer. Better yet, Laddin spied a plastic trunk next to the house. Opening it, he found thick afghans, probably meant for this purpose. He grabbed two and draped the first around Bruce, then wrapped the second around himself.
Then he took off to find out what was exploding like cheese powder between two wheat fields.
It took him a while to get there—it was a lot farther away than he expected—but something kept drawing him closer. It was the oddness of the puffs. Sometimes they were small and splintered into three. Sometimes they were slow in the air but had a big explosion. He was an expert in demolitions, but he couldn’t figure out what kind of charge would make those booms. And they were booms. Not very loud ones, but they were definitely there according to his werewolf ears.
If anything, it reminded him of the Angry Birds game that so many of the crew played between takes. And as he got closer, he could see the different-colored bombs flying up in
the air, sometimes high, sometimes low, sometimes splintering, and sometimes bouncing in ways only possible in a video game.
About a hundred yards out, the smell hit. If he hadn’t been so intrigued by the explosions, he would have stopped in his tracks. But he didn’t, though the stench grew increasingly vile. It was like the worst kind of foot odor gone nuclear, or something forgotten in a refrigerator for years. At first it just made his stomach rebel, but as he got closer, his eyes began to water and he had to cover his nose with the heavy blanket. He was starting to think the explosions were stink bombs the wind carried straight at him.
He was sure it was paranormal. Nothing natural could smell this horrible—not without someone noticing much earlier. He would have to text Nero to let the team know something dicey was happening out here, but he wanted to have more information first. Smelly exploding lights weren’t enough to go on. Plus, he was just a few feet away from seeing….
Laddin stopped walking and blinked a half dozen times. There were little pieces of cheese all over the field! He noticed several slices of American cheese, but he also glimpsed blue cheese, gorgonzola, brie, and cheddar. The only reason he recognized them was because his mother had once dated a cheese snob, and she and Laddin had learned all the different kinds as a way to impress the guy.
Except normal cheeses didn’t have little legs and arms, and didn’t jump around like….
Pixies! He was watching little pixies shaped like cheese launching themselves into the air with a slingshot like in the Angry Birds game. Oh my God, the sight blew his mind. And it also explained the smell, because honestly, some of those cheeses were like a fart from a warthog.
He grinned as he decided to spy on the cute little fairies. He knew he should be careful. The fae in any form were dangerous, so he had to stay out of sight. But they were pixies, all shaped like cheeses. And wasn’t that the most adorable sight ever?