It seemed leaving their sex scent in the car was the least of Meredith and Daric’s worries. In their rush to go back to the room last night, they left the door of the SUV open, and a gang of raccoons had gotten inside. The plush leather seats were now torn, and stuffing was scattered all over the interior. There was also droppings and trash inside, making the smell unbearable, especially to the Lycans and their enhanced senses. God, Meredith had never been so happy those trash pandas existed.
“Jesus, Nick’s going to have kittens,” Alex moaned, pinching his nose. “How the heck did this happen?”
“The short in the computer system must have turned off the alarm,” Ben, the mechanic who came with Alex, said as he shut the hood.
“But how did they get in?” Alex asked. “Do raccoons know how to open doors?”
“Yes,” Meredith and Daric said at the same time.
Alex eyed them suspiciously, then turned to Ben. “You got this, Ben?”
“Yeah Alex, no worries. I’ll drive her back to Fenrir, okay?”
“Great, thank you. I owe you one.” Alex fished the keys of his Jeep out of his pocket. “Let’s head back.”
“Shotgun!” Meredith said as she raced to the front passenger seat. She climbed in, declaring her victory with a fist pump in the air.
The drive back was pleasant, and Meredith liked Alex. The other Lycan always treated her nicely, plus he totally rocked that hot dad image, especially when his eyes lit up when he talked about his daughter. Not that she’d ever try anything (unless she wanted Alynna to kill her). Besides, it wasn’t like she didn’t already have someone to rock her world. She took a sly glance at Daric, who flashed her a smile from the back seat. Heat crept up her neck because, with that one look, she knew what he was thinking.
She turned away and took the phone from her pocket. Hopefully, no one would notice if she kept this particular device. Even though it was an older model, it still might be useful. For one thing, she had sent Jade a message this morning, asking her for a tiny little favor. Without another thought, she slipped the phone into her bra.
***
Two hours later, they arrived at Fenrir. Meredith thanked Alex and let him know that they would be joining them for their meeting in the Alpha’s office, but they had to stop by Jade’s lab first.
“Why do we need to go to Dr. Cross’ laboratory?” Daric asked when they were alone in the elevator.
“It’s a surprise,” she said to him cheekily. They entered the lab and Meredith told him to wait.
“Jaaaaade!” she called as she entered the other Lycan’s office. “Do you have it?”
“We really need to talk about your constant need for danger,” the Lycan scientist said. "I suppose sex with your enemy is one of the biggest adrenaline rushes."
“Blah blah blah, possibly evil warlock, yadda yadda, bad idea,” Meredith said nonchalantly. “There, I saved you the lecture by giving it to myself. So, did you get what I asked?”
Jade sighed and took out a white box from under her desk. “Here you go. And you owe me. And I mean money. Do you know how much La Perla lingerie costs?”
“Please, your baby-daddy’s a bazillionaire, and you’ve got that fat trust fund. Consider this my payment for saving your life a couple of times.” Meredith squealed when she opened the box. “Jade, you’re the best friend a girl can have.”
“How about you never send me NSFS texts again, with details about your sex life, and we’ll call it even?”
“You mean NSFW?”
“No, I mean Not Safe For Sebastian. I had to erase all your texts, in case he was looking over my shoulder.”
Meredith ignored her as she took the lacy bra out of the box. It was purple, with delicate lace flower detailing. There was also a pair of matching panties, garter belt, and stockings. “Jade, you have great taste! Did you pick some out for yourself, too?”
“Of course I did,” the Lycan smiled. “I’m wearing it now. I can’t wait to surprise Sebastian tonight.”
“High five!” Meredith exclaimed, lifting her palm up, which Jade heartily slapped. “God, Jade, I can just imagine Daric’s face when he sees me in this. Maybe I can inspire some more dirty words from his mouth.”
“Ew, TMI,” Jade said, wrinkling her nose. “I can’t imagine Daric talking dirty. He’s so…so formal in his speech.”
“Think obscene Shakespeare in the Park. I swear it’s like poetry that will make your panties burn.”
“So, ‘shall I kiss thy breasts and tickle thy womanly mound’?” Jade asked, giggling uncontrollably.
Meredith laughed. “Yeah. Or ‘dost thou want to be taken in the cunt or up the b—”
“Meredith!” Jade admonished.
A knock on the door broke off their banter. “Come in,” Jade called.
Daric peered in. “Is everything all right?” he asked, his face drawn into a frown.
“It’s all good,” Jade said, trying to hide her smile. A sound from the outside lab chimed. “Ah, that’s one of my experiments. I have to check on my data.” The scientist scurried off, leaving Daric and Meredith alone.
“Hey,” Meredith said, pushing the box behind her, hoping he didn’t see. Maybe she should have slipped it on like Jade did.
“Hello,” he greeted back as he strode to her, crossing the distance between them in a few steps. He trapped her between the desk, placing his hands on either side of her. “Did you get what you needed from Dr. Cross?”
“Uh-huh,” she nodded.
“And what is it?”
“I told you, it’s a surprise.”
He looked behind her and saw the box. “Is it your birthday?” he asked, a deep frown marring his face. “You should have told me.”
She chuckled and put a hand on his chest. “It’s not. But it might be yours.” He narrowed his eyes at her, and she only laughed harder. “Oh, come here, you.” She grabbed his shirt and pulled him down for a kiss. Daric was surprised at first, but quickly recovered and returned her kiss with the same enthusiasm. He picked her up and placed her on the desk, careful not to crush the box. She moaned into his mouth, wrapping her legs around him.
Suddenly, a loud crash and shouting from the outer lab made them quickly pull apart.
“Meredith! Daric!” Jade’s shout rang in Meredith’s enhanced ears.
“Jade, you taco blocker!” Meredith hissed as she hopped off the desk.
“A what?” Daric asked, adjusting the front of his jeans.
“You know,” Meredith said in an exasperated voice. “Muffin muzzle? Twat swatter? Clam jammer?” Daric continued to look at her strangely. “Never mind. Let’s go see what kind of trouble Jade is in again.”
Meredith quickly walked out of the office, peering down into the lab. “What the hell is—Quinn!” Oh, fuck a duck.
Jade was standing between Sebastian and Quinn, and the former's stance looked like he was ready to bash her brother’s face in, while the latter was standing defensively, his hands in the air.
“Quinn!” she called again, taking the steps two at a time. “Do you have a death wish or something?”
“Who is this asshole?” Sebastian growled, his rage barely contained.
“Hey, sorry man, I didn’t know she was yours,” Quinn said.
“I told you she wasn’t available,” Meredith scolded.
“You said not to ‘go there,' not that she was already with someone,” Quinn retorted.
“What the hell did you do anyway?”
“I was just talking to her—”
“You were sniffing her hair when I walked in,” Sebastian shouted.
“It’s how we Lycans greet each other!” Quinn lied.
“Sebastian,” Jade pleaded, putting her hands on his chest. “Calm down, nothing happened. He didn’t even touch me!”
“He better have not!” Sebastian’s eyes glowed gold and the air around them grew heavy.
Jade sighed and wrapped her arm around his waist. “Let’s go home, okay?” she soothed and th
en whispered something in his ear. Whatever it was seemed to calm Sebastian. With a nod to Meredith and Daric (and one last warning look to Quinn), he put an arm protectively around Jade, and the two left the lab.
“Jesus Christ!” Quinn staggered back once they were gone. “What the fuck is he?”
“A dragon,” Meredith deadpanned.
“No, really, what is he?”
She shrugged. “I told you not to go there, and you went there anyway!”
“Hey, you know I can’t resist pretty faces! But you should have told me she was knocked up. I don’t do attached women.”
“How the heck did you get in here, anyway?” Meredith asked in an annoyed tone.
“I hacked the elevator system, duh,” Quinn replied matter-of-factly.
“Well, what did you want?”
Quinn’s voice turned serious. “We need to go back to the hospital. Sven is awake.”
Chapter Eighteen
Killian and Connor were already in the SUV by the time Daric, Meredith, and Quinn arrived at the garage. As they drove through Manhattan, Daric pondered on his conversation with his mother about the visions. Although he had been occupied by the events of the last 24 hours, the bigger picture never strayed from his thoughts: find out how Archie was connected to Stefan and of course, kill the master mage. His need for vengeance hadn’t tempered, but, looking over at Meredith, the stakes were much higher now. Aside from the distraction, there was one thing he realized just now: Stefan could use Meredith against him like he did with Signe. Cold fear gripped his heart, knowing how cruel the master mage was and there was no line he wouldn’t cross to get what he wanted. For now, he had to compartmentalize what he was feeling and block out Stefan from his thoughts and visions. The link between them was growing weaker every day, but Daric would never take the walls down, not while Stefan was still alive.
Meredith looked up at him with her amber eyes, looking soulful and worried. He gave her a reassuring smile, wishing he could put his arms around her or even just touch her soft skin. It was nice to forget the world outside while they were alone in the motel room in the middle of nowhere. But that was only temporary, and now they had to go back to the real world.
They reached the parking garage of The New York Downtown Hospital and made their way to the 11th floor. When they got to Sven’s room, they saw that Merlin was already there, sitting by the bed.
“Here they are, Sven,” Merlin said to the younger man. “Don’t be afraid. They just want to help you.”
Sven’s face was still swollen, his lip split and he sported a black eye, but at least now he sat upright and didn’t need the breathing tube. He warily eyed the newcomers, examining each one until his gaze clashed with Daric.
“I…I know you…I think?” Sven frowned. “I’m sorry…I can’t remember much.”
“Where are you from, Sven?” Daric asked. He was sure he had never met him, but there was something eerily familiar about the other man.
“I came to New York to be an actor, but I’m from Canada,” he replied. “But I moved to Toronto with my mother when I was six or seven. We used to live in Norway.”
The young man’s words jolted something in Daric, and he moved forward and touched Sven’s hands. He closed his eyes, seeing the same vision he had seen before, but now there was more. It was slow, at first, like someone slowing down a roll of film, then speeding it up. The wildflowers, the cliffs, and the clear water beneath it. Then the inside of a house—small, but cozy. A tall blonde man and woman were embracing in the corner. The door opened, and the vision rushed forward to show more of the outside. Small huts, built with stone and wood. The structures were simple and rustic, set against the majestic backdrop of a fjord.
Daric’s eyes flew open. “Our village,” he said at the young man.
“Y-y-you know my old village back in Norway?” Sven asked, his clear blue eyes widening. “I can’t even remember the name.”
“Its name is lost, I’m afraid,” Daric replied somberly. “But I remember what it looked like, just as you do. And I remember you. One time your mother asked me to watch you while she put the laundry up on the line to dry.”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember.”
“You are Ulric’s son.” The day Stefan came to his village, he killed three blessed witches and warlocks to take their powers. One of them was his father, Jonas, and the other was Ulric, the healer.
“How did you know—so you really lived in the village?”
“Yes. That day your father died, mine perished along with him.”
Sven gasped. “I don’t remember much. Mama made sure I didn’t see. But after that, we fled and ended up in Canada with my uncles. Mama is human, like me.”
“So, wait a minute,” Killian interrupted. “You two grew up in the same village? But how does he know Archie?”
“He doesn’t, but I can explain what happened,” Daric said. He told the others what his mother said about sending her vision out. “I think because of our connection to Sven, and his father’s abilities as a blessed warlock, he may have inadvertently received the vision.”
“Like an antenna, tuned only to get visions of the future,” Quinn deduced.
Daric nodded. “Exactly. She cast her net wide enough, and Sven here was able to get it.”
“Wait…you saw the dreams I’ve been having?” Sven asked. “About the man in the hat?”
“Yes,” Daric said. “Now, why don’t you tell us what happened?”
Sven took a deep breath. “It was…a couple of weeks ago that I started having these dreams. I thought, well, they’re just dreams right? But I kept having them over and over again, and they were so real.” He shook his head. “Well, one night at Merlin’s, while I was on stage, I saw him. The man in the hat.”
“Did you see who he was meeting?” Killian interrupted.
“No, not while I was up there,” Sven answered. “I was up first that night,” he explained. “And I saw the man enter, but he was exactly as I saw in my dream. Same suit and hat. I…I…” he looked down.
“It’s okay, Sven,” Merlin encouraged. “Tell them what you said to me.”
“I had this bad feeling, you know? So, I watched them from the wings. I followed them when they got up to leave. I wanted to stop the man from dying, but I was too late. I was walking outside the building where it happened. It was so fast, and I saw him fall. I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice strained. “I tried…I tried…”
Daric shook his head and placed a hand on Sven’s shoulder. “It was not your fault. If you didn’t save him, then it wasn’t meant to be.”
Sven looked at Quinn. “When you asked me about Archie…well, I panicked. I thought you were going to kill me, too, because I witnessed his death.”
“So, when you ran out of the club that night we were there, what happened?” Quinn asked.
“That’s the thing. I don’t remember,” the younger man said. “I remember rushing out and running for a couple of blocks. But then I realized there was a group of guys following me. They beat me up, but my memory’s clouded.”
“Could it have been a potion?” Killian asked.
“Very possibly,” Merlin replied. “It’s too late to find traces of it, but if he can’t remember, the attackers may have used a potion. I spoke with the police this morning,” the warlock continued. “It seems that Sven got lucky. A couple of cops were having a late supper at this diner next to the alleyway where the attackers cornered Sven. They heard the commotion and scared them away just in time.”
“You got very lucky,” Daric told Sven.
“I have a few more questions if you don’t mind,” Killian said.
“Make it quick,” Merlin replied. “He just woke up a few hours ago, and he’s still recovering.”
As Killian asked Sven for a few more details, Daric quietly slipped out of the room, hoping the Lone Wolves would not notice. He walked out into the hallway and leaned back against the door, closing his eyes as
he tried to make sense of it all. His mind was reeling from the revelation. Sven. Ulric’s son. His father’s death. He thought he had buried the pain of what happened that day so deep that he would never feel it again. But seeing Sven and their village had conjured up feelings he thought were long gone.
“Daric.”
He opened his eyes and saw Meredith, staring up at him, concern marring her face. She slipped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest. “Are you all right?”
“Your brothers might see us,” he said, his voice tight.
“I don’t care,” she said. “I know what happened in there is messing with your head. What he said...It’s a lot to process, so talk to me.”
“There is nothing to talk about,” he said, unwinding her arms from his middle. “I’m fine.” Thoughts of Stefan killing Ulric flooded his mind. Him standing over his father, driving his sword into Jonas. Then it changed. It wasn’t Jonas on the other end of Stefan’s sword. It was Meredith.
“No, you’re not,” she pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. “Don’t keep it all inside, Daric.”
“And you would rather have me spew out my thoughts and feelings without a filter, the way you do?” he said bitterly. Shock and hurt registered on Meredith’s face, and Daric instantly regretted his words.
“Fine,” Meredith replied, lifting her chin. “Go ahead and bottle up all your feelings.” She walked away, heading toward the elevator.
Daric watched her leave, the uncomfortable pit in his stomach growing. As she disappeared into the elevator, he told himself that it was better this way. What they had last night could never happen again. He couldn’t let his emotions run wild. No, he didn’t have that luxury. And it was for her own good. Pursuing anything more with Meredith was like painting a target on her back.
“Hey, where’s Meredith?” Quinn asked as he and his brothers came out into the hallway.
“I think she said she’d be downstairs,” Daric shrugged. “Did you glean any more information from Sven?”
“A couple of details here and there,” Killian replied. “But nothing more that could lead us to Archie’s killer. He says that he didn’t see the face of whoever did it.”
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