The Lonely Wolf

by Monica La Porta

“The big bad wolf, I presume,” Claudius said.

  With a snap, Ludwig unleashed his wings. “Tell us what you want.”

  “I can see why you found each other.” Claudius regarded them with disgust, then straightened and crossed one leg over the other knee. “Very well, let’s talk business.” He snapped his fingers, and the Middle Eastern vampire appeared at his side with a remote control.

  The woman nodded at Claudius’s silent command, and pointed the remote control before her. A moment later, a few meters from Quintilius and Ludwig, a large flat screen emerged from the floor, a scene already playing on it.

  ****

  Horrified, Ludwig watched as the recording reached its end.

  “Two years ago, when my estate manager proposed to install video cameras all over the nest I thought he was being overenthusiastic with my coffers, but I can’t thank him enough now,” Claudius said. “At first, my surveillance team didn’t see anything more than the good archangel doing his civic duty in saving a vampire in distress. We, of course, conducted our own investigation, and found that the two werewolves belonged to the Reds. That tidbit wasn’t noteworthy. In our dealings with the gang, we’ve become acquainted with their curt ways. But while we surveilled and followed our two murderers, we noticed that one of them, the younger of the two, was contacted by the mighty Enforcer and the equally frightening Controller—”

  Claudius let the words sink in for a moment, then continued, “Such a display of power to detain a juvenile low-life… Of course, Vampire Nation had demanded a swift resolution of the problem and the culpable parts to be apprehended pronto, but still.” He nodded to the woman, who pointed the controller at the screen. Once the TV slid down and disappeared, Claudius repositioned his legs on the couch. “We waited to be called by the Immortal Council with the good news that one of the two werewolves had been found. When the call didn’t come, we contacted our source among the Reds and were told the boy had disappeared.”

  Ludwig had to force himself to listen to the vampire’s blathering.

  “Then we got suspicious. Why would both the Enforcer and the Controller hide a criminal, if they weren’t asked to by their direct employer? The surveillance team gave the recordings from the garden a second, more thorough look, and found that the archangel picked something from one of the bushes and pocketed it. Of course, there was no mention of any objects found in the enforcer report. And that piqued our interest, so the team watched the video a third time, zooming in on the scene where the archangel grabs the small circular object, until a pin with Quintilius’s clan insignia on it is clearly visible.”

  Ludwig wanted to open his mouth and obliterate the vampire.

  “From there, it’s just basic PI work. We connect the dots, and discover that the alpha has a son, and that for some reason the archangel is protecting him from the law. So, we follow the archangel, and found an interesting and way more useful truth. Something of great value to me,” Claudius concluded.

  “State your terms,” Ludwig said.

  “Don’t—” By his side, Quintilius stirred, but Ludwig shook his head.

  Claudius stared at Ludwig for a long moment, before his lips curved up in the parody of a smile. “I want the boy.”

  His anger mounting, Ludwig grabbed Quintilius’s arm, then lowered his voice to a whisper and addressed the vampire. “Not happening.”

  Claudius smiled, as if he had been expected that outcome all along. “Very well, then I’ll have the boy in any case, and you’ll be ruined.” He laughed. “I’ll film the boy’s torture, and I’ll show it to you.”

  Acting on pure instinct, Ludwig opened his mouth and channeled his Wrath toward the vampire.

  ****

  “My mother!” Jasmine pushed Lupo’s hands down and lowered her tunic. “Hide.”

  “Where?” Lupo turned around, looking for a door or a nook, but he couldn’t see any.

  “Come.” She grabbed his elbow and pulled him forward, toward the wall opposite the windows.

  Up close, Lupo could see the faint outline of a door cut into the wall. Jasmine pressed her hand over the surface, and the concealed door opened into a spacious bathroom.

  “Stay there. Close it behind you and don’t make a sound.” Jasmine urged him into the room and gave him an exasperated sigh when he didn’t immediately obey her.

  He pushed the door back into the wall, leaned against it, and a heartbeat later he heard a second, older feminine voice.

  “Jasmine, are you ready?” The mother had the same lilting accent as Jasmine’s.

  “I need a second to change.” Jasmine sounded out of breath, and that pleased Lupo.

  He wondered what she could change into, another black blanket?

  “What’s this horrible smell?” the mother asked.

  Although offended by the comment, Lupo groaned at his stupidity. He should have thought that his scent would permeate everything in that room, and especially Jasmine. But pawing her had taken center stage in his brain, and his wolf had made sure she was thoroughly marked with his scent.

  “You didn’t let another dog in again, did you, Jasmine Rakeleh Karola Cannalis Corte?” The mother’s voice rose an octave.

  What is she talking about? Lupo thought. And what a mouthful of names you got, little panther.

  Be quiet, Jasmine said in his mind.

  Crap! Can your mother hear me as well?

  No, she can’t. The mind-reading only works between you and me.

  “You promised me you wouldn’t do it again,” the mother continued.

  How many times have you let dogs in, Jasmine Rakeleh Karola Cannalis Corte?

  Stop talking, Lupo, Jasmine warned him with a low growl, then said out loud, “I’m sorry, maman, but he was a cute stray with big puppy eyes and he was all alone in the street. I was afraid he would be run over or something. I couldn’t leave him like that.”

  His wolf complained about being compared to a dog, and Lupo rolled his eyes.

  A cute dog, mind you, she sent her thought to him.

  “And where is it now?” the mother asked, the repugnance in her tone hit Lupo even with a wall between them.

  “He’s in the bathroom,” Jasmine answered, and she sounded closer. “He’s such an adorable ball of fur.”

  What are you doing? Lupo’s heart dropped to his stomach when the door was pushed in from the other side.

  “Don’t you dare open that door, missy.”

  “But he’s so cute.”

  The pressure behind his back lessened, and Lupo breathed a big gulp of air. It wasn’t the first time he found himself hiding in a bathroom, waiting for an angry relative to discover him, but for the first time he was worried about the consequences.

  “Get rid of that creature, now.”

  “As you wish, maman.” Jasmine sounded demure, and Lupo thought she was adorable.

  “Then scrub yourself until you don’t stink like mutt any longer—”

  “He doesn’t stink that much for a dog.”

  Well, thank you.

  You’re welcome, Jasmine said in his mind.

  Stop reading my thoughts.

  Stop being so loud.

  “I suggest you use some jasmine oil.”

  “I will.”

  Yes, please. Massage some in the hollow of your throat. I’d like to nuzzle you there later. Maybe a drop or two between your breasts too… please?

  Stop thinking those kind of things. Even in his mind, Jasmine sounded breathless.

  Why? Are you blushing? Not for the first time, Lupo wondered how she could be so brazen and forward at times, and prudish at others. I’m sorry I’m such a dog.

  “Are you okay, Jasmine?”

  “Oui, maman.” Then she added, “It’s just too hot in here.”

  “No, it isn’t. It’s the stink from that dog. Open a window and let some fresh air in.”

  The suggestion was followed by the sound of steps moving across the room.

  “See, much better already.”
/>   “You’re right, maman.”

  “Of course, I’m always right. Now, hurry, you don’t have much time to get ready. Your fiancé comes to pick you up in less than an hour.”

  What the f…? Lupo slid down to the floor as if he had been punched.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Unable to stop Ludwig, Quintilius watched as the angel’s Wrath hit Claudius with a concentrated wave of ultrasounds.

  At the impact, instead of exploding in thousands of organic particles, Claudius wavered, revealing he was an astral projection. A moment later, his image recomposed, doubled in size, and a loud laugh echoed in the chamber. The mortal woman wasn’t in the room anymore, whereas the vampire servant was standing by the couch, her eyes betraying her fear even though she didn’t move, as if waiting for orders from her master.

  “I didn’t peg you for the naive kind, archangel.” Claudius’s image vanished, but he kept talking. “The wolf, yes. But you—” He clicked his tongue. “You I thought were much more sophisticated.” Then he reappeared behind Ludwig, forcing the angel to turn around, only to have Claudius vanish and reappear once again in front of him.

  “Or maybe you are that simple,” Claudius said, from the couch. “If you thought I would be in the same room with you. Unlike yours, my talents are not a secret. Everybody knows of them. On the other hand, your Wrath’s accuracy is truly a surprise.” He shook his head. “I’m sure you wouldn’t like to reveal what a perfect weapon you are.” He waved his hand in the air, as if to dismiss the topic. “Anyway, my offer stands.”

  Quintilius’s wolf roared. “You leave my son out of this.”

  “Your son is a delinquent who attacked one of mine. He will pay for his crime. I’m being magnanimous in offering the archangel a way out of the mess he has dug himself into.”

  “You just want him in your pocket,” Quintilius said, bile corroding his throat.

  “Of course I do. I had an agreement with the last archangel, and I look forward to doing business with the new one as well.” Claudius focused back on Ludwig, who had remained quiet.

  Quintilius couldn’t fathom what was passing through the angel’s mind, but Ludwig’s taut expression and the stillness of his hard body gave away his fury more than if he had been shouting.

  “Not everyone is like Arariel.” Quintilius couldn’t see a way out of the situation.

  “Not everyone is as corrupted and as depraved as he was, and that’s a pity.” Claudius sighed. “But the new archangel has so much to lose if he doesn’t cooperate, that even if he plays the honor card now, he will eventually capitulate to my will.”

  Before Quintilius could say something back, the vampire raised one hand.

  “And if he doesn’t—” Claudius licked his lower lip. “Well, a part of me hopes he will try to be the better man.” His eyes lit with madness. “It would be such a pleasure to break the great Ludwig Barnes.” He blinked and shivered. “Yes, after torturing the cub, I’d—”

  Already shifting, Quintilius didn’t hear the rest of Claudius’s psychotic rambling. At the same time his wolf came out, Ludwig opened his mouth. Sensing the angel’s distress, Quintilius immediately changed back into his human form. It had only taken a moment to shift, but it had been enough time for Ludwig to unleash his deadly power.

  Quintilius took in the sight of the obliterated couch. Ludwig’s Wrath had razed everything behind the furniture. A long trench bisected the mosaic floor alongside its length, and it ended with a perfectly circular hole on the wall at the end of the room.

  Still standing mere centimeters from the couch, the servant screamed as she patted herself. Unscathed, the woman ran away, while Claudius’s disembodied laughter echoed all around.

  “That’s the spirit.” His voice came from everywhere at once. “You have a week to accept my offer.”

  “Let’s get out of here.” His limbs shaking and his stomach heaving, Quintilius squeezed Ludwig’s arm, and they walked toward the vestibule.

  As they approached, a whoosh sound announced the opening of the door, and the majordomo stepped inside the room a moment later. In silence, the man assessed the damages, then opened an arm to the side to let them through.

  They retraced their steps, and only when outside Claudius’s property, Quintilius let out the growl he had kept in. Before he could let all his rage out, Ludwig circled his arms around him and took off.

  “Hang tight,” was the only warning Ludwig gave him, as he powered through the flight, pumping his wings above the clouds where he rode a thermal, reaching a dizzying speed.

  Flying in his angel’s arms had always been an experience bordering the mystical realm, but now Quintilius could only feel how hard the wind was lashing at his exposed skin, and how cold it was, even for his wolf.

  Ascending in a tight loop, Ludwig brought them higher, until the oxygen was too rarefied for Quintilius and he started seeing black dots swimming before his eyes. His head felt light, and a peaceful void welcomed him.

  A moment later, Ludwig’s worried voice echoed in his ear.

  “Quin?”

  Quintilius was shaken by rough hands, and he forced his heavy eyelids up, but had to blink a few times before the angel’s face came into focus.

  “No need to slap me,” he hoarsely whispered.

  “You scared me.” Ludwig pressed his arms over Quintilius’s back, bringing him closer. “You went limp—” With a shudder, he tightened his hold, but forgot his own strength.

  “You’re chocking me,” Quintilius managed to say.

  “Sorry.” Ludwig loosened his embrace, but kept his arms wound around him.

  “Where are we?” High grass tickled Quintilius’s legs through his pants.

  The night was pitch black, and he couldn’t see any recognizable landmark. The air was frigid, and they were on a high ridge overlooking a dark valley.

  “The Dolomites. I needed to vent, and I thought you wanted to shift.” Ludwig bumped his forehead against Quintilius.

  “The Dolomites. You flew more than six hundred kilometers in less than—” Quintilius looked down at his wrist watch and shook his head in disbelief. “Thirty minutes. Did you try to kill me?”

  “I admit I kind of forgot myself up there.” Ludwig was shaking and he lowered his lips to Quintilius’s.

  The soft pressure felt good, and Quintilius opened his mouth to Ludwig, needing the comfort of his familiar touch.

  “I can’t go on without you,” Ludwig whispered as he plunged his tongue in, transforming the kiss from sweet to demanding. “I miss you.” His hands stroked Quintilius’s back with hurried, frantic movements, grabbing, pulling at his clothes. “I miss your body beneath mine.” One hand dropped to Quintilius’s belt, and the leather was jerked away with one forceful pull. “I miss the scent of your love on my mouth.”

  Gasping, Quintilius tried to slow the angel, but Ludwig, usually attentive to Quintilius’s needs, was pushing down his jeans already. “Ludwig—”

  In response, Ludwig grunted and turned Quintilius around, pressing his hard body against his back as he lowered his pants, seeking an intimacy that felt all wrong at the moment.

  “Stop!” Quintilius spun to face Ludwig. “Not like this, when you’re angry.” He placed a hand over Ludwig’s chest. “Never like this.” Shaking and panting, he raised one hand to caress the angel’s jaw, and Ludwig leaned into it.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened. I’d never—” His voice a whisper so low, only Quintilius’s wolf senses could have heard it.

  “I know.” He brought both of them down to the ground and cradled the angel in his arms. They remained entwined as Ludwig softly cried on Quintilius’s shoulder.

  Later, as Ludwig circled above, Quintilius shifted and let his wolf run for the remainder of the night.

  ****

  Pain as real as a cutting wound to his midsection forced Lupo to double over the floor. What the f… is your mother talking about?

  Jasmine remained silent. Meanwhile, the s
ound of the elevator door being closed echoed throughout the walls, propelling Lupo into action.

  Answer me, he demanded, lowering the door handle with such strength he ripped the elegant brass leaf-shaped lever from the wooden surface, leaving a jagged hole behind.

  “How will I explain that?” Jasmine cried as he erupted in her room.

  Without thinking, he walked up to her. “Same way you fabricate stray dogs—”

  Her eyes blazing with fury, she raised her chin and stared at him. “I’ve been bringing dogs into my room to justify your presence, you obtuse wolf.”

  “What are you talking about?” Her nearness occluded his senses, her scent mixing with the overwhelming rage he couldn’t control.

  “You idiot, I’ve been planning to bring you here since the day I first saw you.”

  “Here?”

  “Yes, here.” She raised her hands in exasperation, and he grabbed her wrists.

  “In the Purists’ headquarters, where if I’m caught I could be executed for ruining your virtue.”

  “Well, you didn’t look so terrified when you were about to ruin my virtue before my mother arrived,” she mocked him.

  “I wasn’t thinking.” He brought her united hands to his chest, and pressed her to him.

  “Me neither.” Her eyes softened and so did her body that relaxed against his. “But I was thinking when I decided this was the safest place to meet.”

  “And how would that be?”

  “Because I live alone, and besides my father and my brothers, no men are allowed into my apartments, and no one would ever think I’d let a man here or that anyone would be so foolish to sneak in. Plus, as I just told you, I brought dogs in so that their scent would cover yours.”

  “My scent—” he started to protest, but Jasmine cocked her head and gave him a sweet smile.

  “Your scent is nothing like a dog.” Her eyes widened as she thought, In fact, it drives me crazy. Then she said, “But to my mother, you smell the same as a mutt.”

  “And the fact that you mother is racist is good because?”

  Her expression darkened for a moment, then she sighed. “Because now you’re here and—”

  The ever-consuming anger came back, and Lupo let her go as if she was burning him. “And you have to get ready for your fiancé.”