Dark of Night

by T. F. Walsh

  The faint tremble behind his words shattered my resolve to stay quiet. My entire life I followed orders, making everyone happy but me. Sandulf persuaded me to forget my mother with promises of a new life she would never accept, and I foolishly obeyed. I never knew my real father, but he obviously was a wulfkin from somewhere. I would give anything to turn things around and return to my real mom, to remove the grief she bore for losing a daughter. And now the alpha’s action might see Connell ripped from my heart as well.

  I blurted, “I come from a family of rogue animal hunters.” While I didn’t reveal the existence of wulfkin, I offered the next closest thing. “I’m sorry I haven’t been honest with you, but it’s been a family secret for generations.”

  Connell rubbed his mouth, and his forehead wrinkled.

  “I’ve been hunting rogue wolves in the wild since I was a small girl. Enre is my tracking partner. Now when I say hunting, I mean capturing and re-locating the animal deeper into the woods. No harm brought to anyone.” I paused and caught my breath. “That’s why he attacked the wild wolf we encountered in the city. From the time I attended the crime scenes with you, I’ve been trying to capture it.” I fidgeted with my hair as I scrutinized Connell’s face for a reaction. “I think this feral wolf might be a half-breed from escaped wild dogs or some other animal. It’s a new wolf breed, and it attacked and killed those people in the city.”

  He stood and meandered to the sink, saying nothing for a long while. “Why haven’t I heard of you or your line of work?”

  “It’s not something we want the public to find out. Our number one priority is the safety of wolves … and people, of course.”

  Connell scratched his head. “How do you hunt the wolves?”

  “You saw Enre attack the beast the other night.”

  “By hand? That’s absurd. Don’t you use a weapon?”

  “We don’t want to hurt the animals. We’ve been trained to fight and capture wolves. It’s in our blood.”

  “Who trained you?”

  “My family.” I gulped the chilled water as tension pinched the back of my neck.

  Connell massaged his temples. “What do you mean by new wolf breed? The animal that attacked us was not a wolf. It was too large. And why is it only showing up now?”

  I wondered the same thing and said, “For all you know, this creature could have been living in the Carpathian Mountains for a long time, and now decided to show its face.”

  Connell spat out a laugh of disbelief.

  “Put aside your skepticism. It’s not uncommon for different species to mate.” Images of Enre’s body dragged through the woods flooded my mind. One moment I took a swig of water, and the next moment I said things I shouldn’t have.

  “The other night I traveled through the woods with Enre, and we had a run in with the wolf.” My throat constricted, choking back a whimper. “It attacked us and dragged Enre away.” I wiped my cheek. “I chased it, but couldn’t keep up. God, I think it might have eaten him. That’s why I was knocked out for a couple of nights.”

  The last thing I wanted was to reveal Enre’s loss. Opening my tear-filled eyes, I raised my chin and saw Connell sitting next to me again.

  “Jesus Christ.” His nostrils flared. “Why were you walking through the woods if you knew this thing was on the loose? Why would you do that?” He started pacing to the fridge and back, shaking his head. He faced me and a fierce expression contorted his face. “We need to report Enre’s disappearance and start searching for him.”

  I felt broken and uncertain how to respond.

  Connell continued his pacing. “I don’t understand why you didn’t come and see me. I could’ve helped.” For a few moments he struggled to rein in his emotions.

  “You would have stopped me if I told you.”

  He made a loud sigh and stared at me for a good minute, then wrapped his arms around my shoulders. “I’m sorry you went through that alone.”

  I melted into his chest and cried.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The guilt of lying to Connell and the sorrow of losing Enre choked me into a crying mess. The dracwulf was unraveling my life, one thread at a time, all because Sandulf didn’t finish her off. He would rather brush the pack aside than kill a creature that endangered everyone. Determined to finish the fiasco, I vowed to destroy her myself, not caring what rules I broke. The slight problem of the upcoming Lunar Eutine and finding the elixir constrained my time, but who didn’t like a challenge?

  Connell leaned closer, his hot breath on my neck, and his nearness confusing my thoughts. He took my hand and led me toward the couch in the darkened living room. I wiped my cheeks and sat down next to him.

  He said nothing for a few minutes, then stated, “We should head to the station and report Enre’s attack.”

  That was all the ammunition the chief needed to override the council and commence a full-scale wolf hunt. I shook my head, remembering Sandulf had given me one day to keep the woods clear of police. “Not now. I need some time to think.”

  He scratched his head. “There’s a chance we might find him.”

  I swallowed the tension in my throat. “No. I don’t want to report him missing yet.” My gaze fell to my feet, and I refused to let guilt make me feel bad. There were too many other things to worry about and consider.

  Connell slumped in the sofa like a stubborn child, and stretched out his long legs. “I don’t understand why you want to wait. The quicker we start searching for him, the greater the chance of finding him alive. Daci, this is not the time to be stubborn.”

  I nearly spilled the truth, the burden caged in my chest. Would Connell believe me? No. I shouldn’t. “Let it go, please. What my family does is illegal. I know this, but I can’t have the police find out. I would lose my job and get my family into unbelievable trouble. I can only trust you.”

  “But I can’t trust you.” His face fell as he spoke, as did my stomach.

  He started to stand, and I took his hand, drawing him back. “I didn’t want to lie to you, but how could I tell you what I did? You’d never believe me and probably think I was mad or something.”

  “So the only reason you’re telling me now is because you’re stuck, and need my help. Otherwise, were you ever going to tell me?”

  Most people might have looked away from his sharp tone, but I held his gaze and told the truth. “I don’t know.”

  His strong expression softened. “I think that’s the first time you’ve been honest with me.”

  “That hurts. I never lied about how much I love you or want to be with you, or anything about us.”

  “Then you should’ve trusted me.” He sounded tired, not bitter, and ran a hand through his hair. He looked like someone exhausted after a long battle, too tired to care if he won or lost.

  He stood up, pushing my hand away, and walked over to the cabinet, looking down at his hands.

  “I can’t lose you.” My words quivered, and Connell returned alongside me.

  “I don’t want to lose you, either, but I also don’t know how to move forward from here. Maybe I need time, or distance.”

  I leaned into him and placed a soft kiss on his lips. Rather than feeling hurt, I craved his touch and warmth. He trailed his fingers up my neck, cupping the side of my face and planted pecks on my nose and chin before finding my mouth again. I hungered for him and inhaled his breath as he pulled me into him. His roaming hands threaded underneath my shirt and guided me closer. I wasted no time climbing onto his lap. I stared into those chocolate eyes, which concealed no secrets, no uncertainty, just confidence of what he wanted: me. And that reassurance ignited my insatiable desire, leaving me breathless.

  I lifted my arms and raised my shirt over my head to reveal a black sports bra.

  His face froze. “What happened?”

 
I looked down at my bandaged wound, and thanked the moon the bleeding had stopped, along with the pain. “A small injury.”

  “From the other night?”

  I worked his shirt out of his pants. “It’s just a scratch.” I pressed up against him and seized his lower lip into my mouth.

  His hands massaged my butt, and he greedily found my tongue.

  I ripped the shirt off him in one motion, throwing it behind the sofa. My hands wandered over his firm pecs, snaking down his ribbed stomach, following the golden hair that vanished beneath his pants where his firm bulge waited to break out.

  He whispered, “I promise to be gentle around your injury.”

  I relaxed into him, unable to get close enough. “Maybe I don’t want you to be gentle.”

  A smile curled on the side of his mouth with the promise of sex, and he gripped my hips harder, thrusting me against the hardness of his erection. I kissed him, and the heat drove me crazy. He unlatched my bra and tugged it off my shoulders. His head tipped and his tongue traced the edges of my breasts, flicking the stiff nipples in quick succession. His gaze met mine, and I knew he was teasing. He gave them a light pinch with his fingers. “Harder,” I pleaded. My heart raced when he did. He blew a cool breath over my moist flesh, and an ache collected in the hot spot between my legs. I burned to feel him inside me.

  Connell’s hands fumbled with the zipper of my jeans. I pushed off him and he peeled both my jeans and underwear off at the same time. I stepped out of them as his fingers stroked upward the length of my legs, finding the fire between my thighs. And all my thoughts faded, replaced with a single one: for Connell to take me. A tingling pleasure rushed through me. His lips caressed my stomach, and my legs wavered.

  Quick to unbuckle and drop his pants, he soon towered over me. I pressed against him, and his fiery erection nestled against my stomach.

  “You still owe two hundred and forty kisses,” I purred.

  “You’re going to get yourself into trouble with such talk.” He sat back down. His hands were on my butt cheeks, kneading the hot flesh. “Especially since you owe me three hundred kisses, and I could call that debt any time.”

  Right there. In that moment, I wanted time to stand still forever. Connell was naked and lounged back, wearing only a sexy smile while his eyes and fingers devoured me. I let out a long whimper.

  Leaning to his side, Connell pawed at his pants on the floor, snatched the wallet and with one hand yanked a rubber out. I knelt in front of him and placed a long, wet smooch on his tip. His head leaned back, and I loved watching him dissolve in ecstasy. I rolled the rubber on him in slow motion, enjoying the groans escaping from his throat.

  Connell was sexy in every possible way, from his pouty lips, to the hard lines of his chest, right down to the way he slouched with a hard-on.

  “Come closer,” he said.

  I straddled his thighs, locking my legs around his waist, rubbing against his heat. He crushed his lips onto mine, and I melted.

  He licked my neck, and his hands cupped my breasts, fondling them. My earlier, troubling thoughts buckled under the pleasure of tingles enveloping my body. Grasping my hips, he positioned me over him and he slid deep inside me. I released a mewling sound. The perfect symphony of our moving hips escalated, and I seized his shoulders, riding him hard. I moaned with desire as the tightness between my thighs stiffened, and his firm plunges quickened.

  My head flung back, my body trembled, and I didn’t care who heard my screams. Those few elated seconds emptied my mind of everything.

  We stared at each other, inches apart for a long time as I enjoyed the orgasmic feeling gushing through me. The kitchen light cast shadows across his face. He was gorgeous.

  “I’ll never get tired of that,” I murmured.

  Connell pushed off the couch, lifting me in his arms, my legs hugging his waist. He kissed my nose. “This isn’t over.”

  He carried me into his bedroom. Laying me on the bed, he parted my legs, exposing my aching center. A sinful grin captured his lips. He crouched on the mattress in front of me. His mouth already trailed up my legs, grabbing small pieces of flesh between his teeth. He made sure to lick every part of me until he reached my mouth. He pressed his erection against my opening, teasing.

  “Connell, please,” my words were faint.

  He rammed himself inside me, pumping fast and energetic, and with such voracity that his length kissed my back wall. His gaze lowered to meet my eyes, and I held onto his arms. I writhed beneath him, and without expectation I started to pulse with pleasure. Connell shuddered against me, and then he collapsed on the bed, gasping for breath.

  I clenched my soaked thighs, elongating the titillating bliss. Connell’s face always looked sincere after sex. My eyes slid shut, and I curled into his arms, forgetting everything.

  Chapter Fourteen

  My eyes fluttered open to find morning had not quite stirred and night still draped the room. It took several seconds to register that I lay in bed with Connell asleep beside me. I stopped myself from crawling over to steal a kiss. He shifted a little and rolled onto his stomach. The tattoo of a long sword graced his right shoulder blade, a symbol representing his father: valor and justice, or so he had told me. His dad, who was also in the force, was killed by a robber he’d encountered in a neighbor’s house. Connell hated speaking of the incident, so I left it alone.

  I climbed out of bed and headed into the living room where I got dressed in a rush. Grabbing a paper and pen from near the phone, I left him a quick note.

  Connell,

  I have a few things to do, and I’ll be back soon. Don’t worry. I love you so much. Daci.

  I spun on my heels and left the house. While the dracwulf remained lose, everyone I knew was in danger, especially Connell. I kicked into a jog, traveling in and out of pools of lights from the street lamps as the repetitive thud of my boots hit concrete. The sky still held stars and a plump moon, though the sun threatened to peek out at any second.

  One day left before the Lunar Eutine. I hurried toward the forest.

  A bitter chill encased my body, my toes froze and my stomach rumbled, though I continued trekking for most of the miserable early morning, ducking below branches and leaping over dead logs. I searched the areas I remembered from the aerial maps with no success, and emerged into an open space where the long grass reached my thighs. Bellows emanated from the woodlands, and I recognized the Caspian red deer mating call. A flock of cranes flying overhead complimented the orchestra.

  When I picked up the faint scent of wet dog fur and urine, I iced over. My ears pricked, and I waited for a sound.

  Silence.

  I moved deeper into the woods, and between two trees I found a rough line scratched into the ground. The putrid urine stench had seeped into the earth, blending with the soil. Scattered paw prints in the earth confirmed a wolf, and placed the animal’s size larger than a moonwulf.

  The line dug in the ground was territorial and defensive. Wolf packs would cross such thresholds if they intended to claim another pack’s land. The dracwulf’s intelligence worried me; it mimicked our cousins, but on a grander scale. But one step closer to finding the thing that had turned my life upside down, my mood warmed.

  I treaded over the line, scanning the bushes and darkness for any movement before tracking west. Occasionally, I sensed the dracwulf’s trail. Pushing branches aside, I entered a dense portion of the woods where the trees grew close together. The breeze rustled the foliage, and I inhaled fresh blood.

  As I strode deeper into the woods, the scent dwindled, replaced by the forest’s crispness. No matter which direction I headed, the scent distorted. I uncovered zilch — no other footprints, no tangled fur on shrubbery and worst yet, no dracwulf.

  • • •

  Retracing my steps, I headed to where the giant pines gr
ew sparse — to Radu’s cell. He spent most nights there alone at Sandulf’s command, who insisted the underground cell be manned each night in case of emergencies. Radu’s passion for researching history over hunting awarded him that position. For years, he’d pleaded with Sandulf to let him attend the local university. I’d hinted to him that he should enroll as a virtual student without the leader’s permission. He rejected the idea.

  Pine needles at the base of a lush tree cloaked the trap door. I used my key, which I kept on me at all times, and descended inside, shutting the panel behind me. An orange glow from within the room threw shadows on the steps.

  Before I reached the landing, Radu’s melodic voice found me. “I hoped you’d visit.”

  Books were scattered all over the cobblestone floor. Some even managed to find their way into the locked prison booths. Radu sat on the ground, cross-legged, outside the cells, with two books folded open in his lap. His white, long-sleeve T-shirt had the words I Heart Braşov printed across his chest.

  “Nice top.”

  His silvery eyes glistened in the candlelight. “How are you holding up after yesterday?”

  “Been better.”

  He paused, and I saw the struggle on his face. “Have you sensed the new landlord upstairs? I feel like she’s been following me.”

  My gaze flicked to the staircase and back. “Yeah. Her scent is all over the woods, and Sandulf acts like it’s normal.”

  He clapped the books shut and piled them at the foot of the table. “I haven’t seen or heard her, but she’s here. I sense her watching me when I arrive and leave my post.”

  My hands fisted into the pockets of my jeans as I imagined myself ripping the dracwulf apart and putting an end to her reign of terror. The idea of the animal sneaking up and attacking Radu boiled my blood. “So why the hell hasn’t Sandulf stopped her? What did he say after I stormed out?”

  Radu climbed to his feet and brushed down his gray pants. “He insists the dracwulf’s no threat, and that you are using it as an excuse to not return to the pack.” He gave me a questioning look, and I pretended not to notice. “He and Lutia are apparently trying to find the dracwulf’s new lair tonight.”