by Megan Morgan
Lorena snapped her fingers as she got it. “It would make communication easier! Right?”
Hazel didn’t appear impressed. “Yes, it makes communication easier.”
“So a witch was talking to the Wolvite right before I shot it?” Deacon rubbed his beard.
“Perhaps.” Hazel smoothed a hand over her book. “Or, the Wolvite might have been holding the stone for clarity of mind. A powerful witch can give a Wolvite intelligence and humanity, so they might communicate with each other.”
Lorena blinked. “So a witch—a powerful witch—must have gone into the woods and tried to reason with the Wolvites, tried to get them to stand down.”
“Sure didn’t work.” Deacon grunted. “Maybe she should have doubled up on the stones.”
“Who would do such a thing?” Lorena stared at Hazel. “You said you know all the witches around here, who do you think it was?”
Hazel’s eyes were hard and glittering. “I don’t know.”
“Sounds like dangerous business.” Deacon’s obliviousness was almost alarming. “Admirable, but damn dangerous, especially the way they’re acting now.”
“I don’t know who it was.” Hazel’s voice cut as sharply as her gaze. “But I’ll find out.”
“I’m sure the agency would love to know about it.” Lorena continued staring her down. “Being able to communicate with Wolvites would be hugely beneficial to us.”
Hazel’s entire presence seemed to prickle. That was the telling reaction Lorena was fishing for.
“Good luck getting a witch to give that up.” Deacon chuckled. “Sorry, Grammy.”
Melanie walked in the room. She paused when she saw them, then ducked her head and hurried over to the coffee pot next to the sink.
“Despite someone being foolish enough to confront them,” Lorena said, “it won’t matter after tonight. They’ll clear them out.”
Melanie glanced over.
“Until they come back.” Hazel snorted. “It’s our life, dealing with them.”
“We gotta watch out.” Deacon ruffled his hair. “They’ll flush some out in the chaos and we’ll have to pick them off.”
“We put the ward up.” Hazel looked at Melanie, her lips pursed. “Or at least, I hope we did. She botched so many spells she ought to be ashamed.”
Melanie turned from the sink, hair obscuring one side of her face, her expression set and angry on the other side. She didn’t say anything.
“Come on, Grammy,” Deacon chided. “Cut her some slack. You’re a good enough witch you don’t need too much backup, now do you?”
Lorena fought the urge to grab him by the shirt collar and smack him.
“Be that as it may.” Hazel sniffed. “She needs some lessons.”
“I’m sorry,” Melanie said softly. “I tried…”
“Wards are difficult,” Lorena said. “I couldn’t do one right either.” She turned to Deacon. “Can we talk?”
They left the room and Melanie scurried after them. She disappeared into the house.
“Let’s go sit on the porch,” Deacon said. “Might as well be outside while we still can.”
The afternoon was chilly and Lorena snuggled deeper into her jacket. They sat down on the porch swing and Deacon stretched his arm out behind her.
“Witches talking to Wolvites is a big deal,” she said.
“Sure is. Trying to have peace talks with them, that sounds like a fool’s gambit. And it sure didn’t work.”
She clenched her jaw. He wasn’t stupid, but he was blind. Blind to the machinations of his grandmother.
“So what’s going on?” He rubbed her back. “I didn’t expect to see you back so soon. Are you takin’ off?”
The other thing she had to talk to him about, the harder thing, had to be brought up now.
“I’m not leaving tonight. I don’t know about tomorrow yet, but not tonight.”
“I’m happy to hear that.” He squeezed her shoulder.
“I’m afraid I’m going to miss dessert again, though. I’m going out with the extermination squad.”
He stared at her, face blank. “What?”
“I’m a good shot and I know what I’m doing. I asked to go with them, they looked at my field training and my record, and they said I could.”
Deacon brought his fingers to his forehead. He rubbed his temple and squinted at her. “Why…would you volunteer for that?”
“I feel like it’s something I need to do, for the people of this town and for me.”
He lowered his hand. “It’s dangerous as hell.”
“So am I. And there’s enough of us we’ll have the advantage.”
“This ain’t gonna bring your Mama back.”
She looked down.
“I’m sorry.” He spoke gently. “But you getting yourself killed ain’t gonna avenge nobody. And it ain’t gonna protect anybody here.”
“I won’t get killed. I’m going in at the rear, with the people who will be sweeping after the main attack, to get the stragglers. It’s much safer.”
“It ain’t safe in those woods after dark for no one.”
“But you and your cousins do it all the time.”
“We’re also Lycan. No less dangerous, but slightly less foolish.”
“I’ll be fine. You saw that shot I took.” She lifted her head. “I could do that with my eyes closed.”
He slid his arm around her again and rubbed his chin with his other hand. “You said the work you do at your agency is how you help people, doing research, finding ways to eliminate threats. You said that’s the way you protect people. You’re already protecting us inside your lab.”
“It gets boring in the lab. I didn’t learn to shoot like that to pick off paper targets forever.” She placed a hand on his thigh and squeezed. “I promise you, I’ll be careful. I might not even get to shoot at anything.”
His blue eyes blazed, worried. “It ain’t my place to tell you what to do, but I wish you’d reconsider. I know what it’s like out in them woods. It’s a damn sight scarier than you think. It’s their land, and they know every inch of it.”
She rubbed his thigh. “I’ll be okay. I’ll call you as soon as I get out of the woods.”
He sighed. “I ain’t gonna rest easy all night.”
She scooted closer and propped her chin on his shoulder. “I’m going to stay for a few days, no matter what they decide. Take a few days off, and we can spend some time together.”
He turned his head toward her. The angle was too awkward for a kiss, but their faces hovered close together.
“You better come out of those woods in one piece. You might still have trouble walking when you leave here, though.”
She slipped an arm around his back and rested her hand on his opposite hip, above his belt. “You might not be walking so well, either.” She pushed her other hand into her jacket pocket and pulled out the stone. “I would give this to your grandmother, but they want to keep it for study. I have to take it back.”
“It’s all right. Expect she’s got some of her own.”
Lorena rolled her eyes. He would catch up. He had to catch up, eventually. She slipped the stone back in her pocket.
They walked out to her truck and sat inside. He didn’t try to talk her out of going again, instead, they made out. His mouth was bliss. He explored her body, under her jacket, then under her shirt. She had no intention of dying, but she wanted to fuck him right there in the truck, just in case, so she had something of him to carry into battle. Like a warrior carrying the colors of his Lady, only she was a warrior carrying the scent and touch of her Lycan man.
Her Lycan man? Had she already gotten so attached? To a near stranger?
“I wish I could come with you tonight.” His lips were near her throat. “They won’t let us, though.”
“It’s for your safety.” She rubbed his side. “We can’t put anyone at risk, even if they’re good at picking off Wolvites.” She cupped his jaw. “And I’d be worried about you.”
; He laughed. “You think I ain’t gonna be worried about you?” He looked out the front window, toward the sinking sun. “Gonna take Grammy home soon, then come back here and hunker down for the night. Zeke’s coming over, too. If anything comes through that ward, we’ll cut it down.”
She nodded.
He returned his attention to her. “Wish I’d thought to bring a condom.” He moved his hand from her hip inward, and wedged his fingers against her crotch. The fabric there was damp.
“We can’t do anything in front of your cousin’s house. Someone might come outside.”
Deacon popped the button on her jeans. “You think they ain’t aware we’re out here gettin’ frisky?”
Her cheeks grew hot. She didn’t stop him from sliding her zipper down, though. Nor did she stop him from pushing his hand into her panties.
“I feel like a teenager.” She gripped his shoulder. “Making out in the driveway and hoping we don’t get caught.”
“I don’t have a whole lot of shame. Didn’t have much as a teenager, either.” His voice curled around the nape of her neck. “Nothing to be ashamed of.”
She spread her legs as much as she could with her jeans and panties still in place, and gasped when he pushed one of his thick fingers inside her. She kissed him hard. She would have reciprocated, but if she got his cock out her will would dissolve and she’d ride him even if they had an audience, even if they didn’t have any protection.
He added a second finger. She whimpered and clung to him, and worked her hips against his hand.
He fingered her slow and deep, his breath ragged against her neck. She groaned into his hair, jerking her hips faster, desperate.
Coming on his fingers felt excruciatingly good, as good as when he’d eaten her out, as good as when he’d fucked her. He’d claimed her body. She craved more even as she shuddered through her orgasm, her need insatiable.
He drew his hand out and sucked his fingers clean. Her head swam.
“I guess I owe you one again.” She gripped him and pulled him to her mouth.
“Damn, woman,” he rumbled against her lips. “I can’t get enough of how you smell and taste. I just wanna rub you all over me.”
His body beckoned to her. She would spend the night in his bed. Everything she had to get through before that seemed irrelevant.
“You can do that tonight. We’ll get naked and rub all over each other.”
He drew back and looked into her eyes. She held his gaze, mesmerized. She could drown in those ocean-blue depths.
“I’ll take your IOU.” He smiled. “You sure as hell better come back tonight to make good on it.”
“I will, I promise.”
They could barely let go of each other; finally, Lorena slid away and buttoned up her jeans. She would need a change of pants before she went out. The sun had nearly sunk below the horizon, the sky darkened. They had to get moving.
“You be careful tonight too,” she warned, as Deacon got out of the truck. “Everybody will be in danger.”
He leaned across the seat and kissed her. “I will.” He touched her chin with his thumb. “You better call me the second you come out of those woods.”
“I will.”
She waited until he walked back to the house before she started the truck, more to get an eyeful of him than out of caution. She loved the way he moved, his stance, his swagger, the shape of his body. Had she ever found a guy so attractive? Perhaps not, but then, she’d also never been on a whirlwind sexual adventure like this.
He waved as she pulled out. She waved back and steeled herself. Shit was about to get real.
Chapter 11
Lorena sat on the porch of the farmhouse, her shoulders tense and stomach in knots. The truck that rumbled up the driveway could mean only one thing. It was time.
She had her gun strapped to her hip, a long bowie knife tucked in her boot. She wore a wide metal band around her throat, under her scarf. Wolvites had a proclivity for lunging at the throat. The agency issued the band as standard armor during planned Wolvite confrontations.
“It must be time for the backup crew to roll in.” Holden stood behind her. “That’s your ride.”
According to the reports that came across Holden’s radio, the extermination squad had gone into the woods an hour ago. Twenty minutes after, they engaged the Wolvites. The chatter since then sounded urgent, but not frantic. They had control of the situation. Lorena strained to hear gunfire in the distance, but she didn’t pick up anything but the chirp of crickets. They were too far away from the valley.
The truck pulled up to the house. Lorena stood. The door of the house opened behind her and Dr. Winston walked out on the porch.
“The lab is ready to receive. Any recovered specimens are to be brought back here, not taken anywhere else.”
Part of her hesitated, but she’d asked for this, so she needed to do it.
The driver’s side door opened and a woman got out. She was tall and solidly built, her blond hair in a tight bun atop her head. She wore fatigues and a black jacket.
“You the one who’s coming with me?” she addressed Lorena.
Lorena nodded and walked to the truck. “Is it time to send in backup?”
“Things are going well. We’ll probably just be picking off runners. I’m Marla.”
“Lorena.”
Marla looked at Lorena’s hip. “You know how to use that?”
“Yes. Exceptionally.”
“I expect so, or they wouldn’t have cleared you for this.”
“Be careful,” Holden said. “I’ll make sure the agency is kept informed. I wish I was coming with you.”
Holden’s shooting wasn’t good enough to receive clearance. Hunting down Wolvites would end badly for him.
“You ever done this before?” Marla asked Lorena. “You ever went out in the dark, scary woods to hunt Wolvites?” Clearly trying to intimidate her.
“No. But you have to start somewhere, right?”
Lorena climbed in the passenger side of the truck. The interior was warm and smelled like mint. Marla was Army. The agency tended to borrow from the military when they had to expand their forces to flush something nasty out. Their core extermination forces were mostly military volunteers and retired.
Lorena kept her attitude casual, so as not to give away to Marla she was actually a good bit nervous about this. When it was all over, she would get hot, amazing sex. That would be her motivation. If only Deacon could see her in action, the sex would be even better.
“This is nasty business.” Marla backed the truck out. “I’ve had to do this before.”
“Oh?” They pulled out, and the narrow road slid through the beam of their headlights, flanked heavily by trees.
“In Wisconsin, earlier this year. We had to take care of an encroachment. Wasn’t quite as bad as this, but it involved the same sort of action. I don’t like it, mind you.”
Lorena glanced at her.
“I mean, I don’t get no jollies from cutting down supernatural creatures, no matter what they’re up to. I suppose it should feel different than taking out innocent animals, but it doesn’t. They’re just doing what their instincts tell them to do, they can’t help it. You’re a scientist, I’m sure you know that. And we come in and blaze them out.”
A few Wolvite protection leagues existed, though they didn’t get much traction. Melanie and Marla could get together and start a new one.
“They do nasty things to humans.” Lorena gazed out her window. “Sometimes, it just comes down to them or us. They’re predators.”
“Yeah, but I don’t have to enjoy it. I don’t want to enjoy it.”
“Neither do I.”
“They’re the last real supernatural thing left in the world, if you think about it.”
“No, they’re not. There’s plenty of other supernatural forces. They’re just one of the last cryptids.”
Marla shrugged. “Yeah, there’s witches and whatnot, though I’ve never met one. But the
re’s no more werewolves, no vampires—if there ever were any to begin with. Maybe neither of those things existed.”
“They both existed. There’s a few vampires left, but they keep to themselves. Lycans are what remain of werewolves. Ghosts are real, too. There’s some strange, isolated creatures in various parts of the world that are the last of their kind, like Chupacabra and the Loch Ness monster. Humans are responsible for most supernatural extinctions. And you’ve never met a witch? Really?”
“Not that I’m aware of. To be honest, I’m a big skeptic.”
Lorena boggled. “Even though you’ve killed Wolvites? Even though you do work for our agency?”
“I do the job I’ve been assigned to do.”
Lorena looked out her window again. “I’ve seen enough to know it’s not fake. I can’t be a skeptic, because I know. But humans are just in the infancy of understanding supernatural creatures. Still so much needs to be uncovered and studied. Our agency has only been around since the sixties. Our knowledge is small, compared to everything that’s out there.”
“You said humans are the reason a lot of supernatural things don’t exist anymore. Seems like some of those things might be scary, but we’ll always be the scariest.”
Lorena gazed into the darkness, at the trees rushing by. “Maybe it wasn’t always that way. Maybe we were once the hunted ones, and how we are today is the result of us fighting back and trying to survive. Maybe the wheel will turn again. Maybe we’ll end up on the bottom once more.”
“Might serve us right.”
“You ever known someone who was bitten by a Wolvite?”
“No. But I’ve heard stories.” Marla slowed the truck. “Heard their venom melts your insides.”
They approached the area where Deacon and Jack had taken them into the valley. Trucks cluttered the pull off up ahead, a few of which had spotlights in the beds that illuminated the forest. The trees stood in the light looming and eerie, their orange and red leaves blazing against the darkness.
“Two to ten hours after the bite,” Lorena said, “the venom starts to compromise the cellular structure of your internal organs. We’ve found ways to delay it a little, but not stop or reverse it.”