Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (Big Bad Wolf)

by Charlie Adhara

  Cooper and Park emerged into a room that was much warmer than downstairs. The air felt wetter, too, and he could hear water faintly nearby. Looking around, it appeared to be a sort of high-end locker room sans lockers. Or at least not the sort of lockers one expected. There were two fashionably enormous benches of dark brown distressed leather, wooden cubbies with doors stained mint green, and a curiously antique mirror. Along one side of the room was a counter with three sinks in the form of stone basins, and around the corner Cooper could glimpse shower doors and what appeared to be a steam room.

  “Cooper?” Park asked hesitantly, and it hurt Cooper’s heart how confused he sounded.

  He plastered a reassuring smile on his face. “Too bad we didn’t catch them. My fault. Did you pick up anything, though? Any sound or smell? But we should probably head up before anyone else comes looking. We really should get back. Don’t want to draw too much attention. Going to get a reputation—”

  “Cooper,” Park interrupted firmly. “Please, you’re—just—slow down for a minute.” He stepped hesitantly closer. “What happened down there... Are you okay? You’re not really acting like yourself.”

  Cooper looked down at his shoes. Honestly, he didn’t quite feel like himself. But how were you supposed to tell your lover that you were rattled by an unprecedented fantasy of fucking them in front of the entire retreat? He knew fantasies didn’t equal real-life desires. But still. Where the hell had that come from?

  It was the suddenness of it that bothered him more than anything else. An almost alarming flip from professional and alert to...that. His mood was all over the place. He’d blamed it on having to take the AQ again, but even this morning in bed he’d felt a bit more intense than usual and if he was being honest, his mood had been all over the place since falling into the river yesterday.

  “I’m...” Cooper started. But he owed Park more than vague reassurance that he was fine. That was for other people. Park was his romantic partner and his work partner; it was important he knew he could trust Cooper.

  “I’ve just been feeling a little weird today.” He flapped his hand, frustrated by his own inability to explain. “Exhausted one minute and completely...hyper the next.”

  Park was listening to him patiently, looking intent and supportive. As if whatever Cooper said would be treated as seriously as any other case that they could then problem-solve together.

  “And horny,” Cooper blurted. “I’m intensely horny out of nowhere and was this close to sucking you off just now, potentially murderous voyeurs be damned. In fact, voyeurs welcomed.”

  That wiped Park’s sweet and caring expression clean away. “Oh,” he said, shocked, and a slight flush colored his cheeks. “I...oh.”

  “I’d like to buy a consonant now, please,” Cooper said.

  “...’kay. I mean, right. Is that something you’d be interested in doing? Someday. When we’re not on a potential crime scene, I mean.”

  Cooper felt a burst of affection for Park. “No. I mean, I don’t know? I haven’t thought about it. My point was that I feel...off. Weird.”

  Park frowned thoughtfully and cupped Cooper’s face in his hand and stared into his eyes. “Pupils seem normal. Fever’s not back.” He ran his hand carefully across Cooper’s scalp. “Any tender spots? Did you sleep poorly? Eat something that didn’t agree with you?” Cooper said no to all of the above. “What exactly do you mean by weird?”

  “I don’t know, I just don’t feel like myself? I haven’t since—”

  Cooper jerked out of Park’s gentle hold, heart beating fast.

  “What? What is it?”

  Cooper backed up a few steps. “Oliver...don’t laugh at me.”

  Park’s expression turned perplexed. “I just checked you for skull fractures. I’m not in what you might consider a jolly mood.”

  “No, not... I was wondering, you can’t—” Cooper stopped. Ridiculous question. He should not have brought it up. But he still just needed to be sure. “I mean, if you were to...bite me... Really bite me ’til I bled, while in fur, that wouldn’t—Would that affect me in some way? Please don’t laugh. Or be angry,” he added in a whisper.

  Park looked about as far from laughing as it was possible to get. Angry, on the other hand...

  When he spoke, his words were so tightly controlled Cooper shivered. “No. It wouldn’t affect you. Who bit you until you bled?”

  Cooper exhaled shakily. For a moment he’d thought...well, that was clearly wrong so it didn’t matter. “It was an accident. When Vanessa pulled me from the river. I—I freaked out a bit. Struggled. Hurt myself.”

  Park stalked toward him faster than one would expect and then stopped, as if jerked back, right before touching Cooper. He stared down at him. “Show me. Please?”

  Cooper carefully propped his leg up on the bench and rolled his pants up to the knee. “It’s really not that big a deal.” On his shin was the vicious-looking scar from his run-in with a murderer while visiting his dad and brother in Jagger Valley last year. The scabs from the bite appeared laughably unserious next to that.

  Park looked at them dispassionately. Mask carefully on. “May I?” he asked. Cooper nodded and Park ran a gentle finger over the marks.

  “See?” Cooper said finally, when it was clear Park wasn’t going to say anything. “It’s nothing. I was being silly.”

  Park laid his hand flat over the bite, covering it, then slipped his palm carefully up Cooper’s leg until he could grab his thigh and squeeze. Cooper inhaled sharply, stumbling in surprise and Park’s other hand shot up to grip his waist, steadying him. One leg up and spread, balancing on the other, Park’s hands holding him in place, Cooper felt immensely vulnerable.

  “I had you this morning,” Park growled, so graveled it made the hairs on Cooper’s neck stand. “I had you, spread naked beneath me. How didn’t I see this?”

  “I didn’t want you to,” Cooper said. He felt Park’s hands flex against him convulsively, and his eyes flash gold.

  “Why not?”

  Cooper reached up to pull Park’s mouth to his. He kissed him deeply, greedily, until the hand that had been tight on his thigh reached up to the base of Cooper’s throat and gently but firmly pushed him away. Cooper whined. His body felt too hot, contained.

  “No. You just told me you’re not yourself,” Park murmured. He swiped his thumb quickly over Cooper’s lip.

  “Maybe I misspoke,” Cooper said, trying to push forward again.

  Park gave him a look, then released Cooper’s waist, holding his hand in more chaste support.

  “All right, fine,” Cooper accepted. “But clearly if there’s something going on—and that’s a big if—then it’s not from the bite.”

  “No,” Park agreed. “Of course, you’ll want to treat it for infection as you would any bite, but you can’t catch werewolf. It can only be inherited from one or both biological parents.” He paused. “However, you have been carrying around another interesting clue in your pants.”

  Cooper raised his eyebrows. “I thought you didn’t want to solve that right now.”

  “Not that.” He took hold of Cooper’s calf again, in a much more professional manner than before, and positioned it to better see the neat ring of blood bursts. “Pretty distinct bite pattern.”

  Cooper twisted to examine it for himself, but the elongated semicircle of irregular dark spots looked pretty much how he’d expect any semi-gentle bite to look. “In what way?

  “These are all from incisors.” Park gently pointed out six of the marks. “That’s why you bled. Only a couple of premolars here, but I wouldn’t expect to see many of those anyway if she was just trying to grab you. The canines are primarily used to grab and hold.”

  “Where are the canines?” Cooper asked.

  “Exactly,” Park said. “See this distinct space between the incisors and premolars? There are non
e.”

  Cooper frowned. “Don’t you think we would have noticed if Vanessa was missing front-facing teeth?”

  “Not if she uses fakes while in skin. They would have popped right out when she shifted, though.” Park rubbed one soothing thumb over the marks again, then gestured that Cooper could put his leg down. “More to the point, I’ve seen bite patterns like this before.”

  Cooper straightened abruptly from rolling his pant leg back down. “You mean you’ve seen someone else Vanessa’s bit?”

  Park looked grim. “No. But she’s not the only wolf in the world missing her canines. It’s not an uncommon punishment amongst some rebel packs. If they try to leave, or betray the pack in some way, they get their fangs pulled.”

  Cooper’s hand shot to his own mouth and a wave of disgust rolled through him. “That’s...”

  “Vicious? Horrific? A good reason to think twice before disobeying?”

  Cooper shook his head, not in disagreement, but more to keep the brutal images from settling too deeply. This wasn’t the first time he’d been on a case involving pulled teeth, though that had been for an entirely different, near clinical reason. “Are you saying Dr. Vanessa Claymont, co-director of the bang-your-troubles-away couples retreat, is part of a rebel pack?”

  “Unlikely. They’re not exactly known for supporting the business ventures and independence of their followers. But my guess is that she certainly used to be.”

  “And left under less than ideal circumstances,” Cooper said.

  “There are no ideal circumstances to leave a rebel pack,” Park said. “Rebels aren’t just those who don’t follow the ruling packs. They’re territories to themselves. They follow their own rules and deal their own unpredictable and cruel justice.”

  Cooper considered that. “Wasn’t Eli in a rebel pack when you met him?” he said, naming Park’s charming and painfully good-looking ex he’d met briefly early that year. “I thought he said they were just a band of outcasts or something.”

  “You think I’m unfairly biased against them because of who my family is. Because of who I am,” Park said bluntly.

  Cooper placed a hand on Park’s arm. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just trying to understand.”

  The silence drew out. Park was stiff and unmoving and his eyes had grown distant, angry, though Cooper was fairly sure it wasn’t directed at him.

  “Eli’s story isn’t mine to tell,” Park said finally. “But as much as you think the wolves you’ve met place emphasis on dominance, submission, obedience and sacrifice for the benefit of those in charge, rebels are ten times worse. Eli felt that. I’m guessing Vanessa did, too.”

  “You think this is what Kreuger found out? The information he was looking to trade? Maybe he discovered something about Vanessa’s past she didn’t want getting out?”

  Park shook his head. “I don’t know. I doubt the Kreuger I knew took issue on a moral level. Blackmail, on the other hand...”

  “What about Paul? He must know of Vanessa’s past. If Kreuger was threatening her somehow, he also has motive to remove the threat.”

  “We need to take a closer look at Vanessa’s and Paul’s offices,” Park agreed. “And get you to a doctor,” he added so casually Cooper nearly missed it.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Look at me, I’m completely fine.”

  “You said you feel weird.”

  “Sure. But it’s a big leap to seek medical attention. What would you have me tell the doctor my symptoms are? Mood swings and intermittent horniness? If I were a nineteenth-century woman I’d get sent home with a vibrator. In fact, I might prescribe myself the same treatment after this case.”

  “But—”

  “No. Look, first I need to eat. I’m hungrier than I’ve ever been in my life, for some reason.”

  “Tell me you’re not trying to blame horniness on hunger.”

  “I’m just saying, if I don’t feel better after that, we can revisit the idea of a doctor. But otherwise, forget it.”

  “What does feeling better mean in this scenario? If you don’t want to fuck me after lunch, we’re in the clear?” Park said sarcastically.

  Cooper raised his eyebrows. “Well, I certainly hope not, do you?”

  Somewhere around the corner, a door opened with a heavy whoosh and closed slowly. Cooper and Park stayed silent and watchful as soft footsteps approached and relaxation expert Reggie appeared.

  “Oh!” she said, jumping a bit. “I’m sorry. I didn’t hear anyone come in.” Her eyes darted back and forth between Cooper and Park and then, so quickly he almost missed it, toward the door to Kreuger’s office. It was much prettier on this side. Subtly painted to blend with the décor and remain as unnoticed as possible.

  At least it would if they hadn’t left it slightly open.

  “Are you here for a lesson?” she asked, and there was just a hint of suspicion under her tone.

  “Yes, we are,” Cooper said quickly, sliding his arm around Park’s waist and bumping their hips together affectionately. “Sorry, when we didn’t see anyone we thought that might be your office,” he explained, gesturing at the door.

  Reggie smiled and her posture relaxed a little. “Oh, no. That’s just the heaters and such.”

  She was a short woman, hardly five feet, fat, had a shaved head and dramatically winged blue eyeliner. Most of the tattoos on her arms were abstract swirls in a faded green-black color and looked like they had been done at home, but there were a couple tattoos on her chest that were objects of some kind. Two teacups maybe, or a couple of flowerless vases. It was hard to tell exactly what because they were both twisted and stretched oddly. Almost like they covered burns or had been distorted through surgery, but the skin was smooth and unscarred. Cooper thought she didn’t look older than twenty, but that might have had more to do with the way she hovered there, vacillating between discomfort and confidence. Like she was still deciding between giving the instructions or waiting to receive them.

  “I can give you a quick tour of the spa area and then we can begin the lesson, if you’d like.”

  Cooper nodded and tried not to look too worried about what the lesson referred to. “Is there anything we, uh, need or...?”

  “Oh no. We provide all the supplies. This is our dressing room.” She gestured around them. “The facilities are open all hours and the cupboards under the table there are kept stocked with all sorts of stuff you are free to use. Towels, shampoos, soaps, oils, and, um, lots of things.”

  She blushed a bit and started to lead them out. Cooper opened the cupboard for a peek and saw all the items Reggie had listed along with boxes of various high-end condoms, sealed single-use lubes and a bag of individually wrapped mints. Please don’t let these be the lesson supplies she was referring to.

  Reggie led them down a wide, tiled hall. “These are the showers and the steam room is here.” She knocked on the glass, waited a couple moments, then opened the heavy door. Cooper was expecting steam to come billowing out, but it was barely hotter inside than out. Everything was made of very dark, near-black stone. Stone floor, stone semicircular benches, stone walls. In the center of the room was a stone pillar with an orb thing covered in black wire and cut metal shapes.

  Cooper ran his fingers over the top and waggled his eyebrows at Park.

  “What’s my future look like, Nostradamus?” Park asked.

  “Pretty steamy.” Cooper winked.

  Reggie stood watching them in the open doorway. “The timer to set how long you’d like the steam to run is out here. Along with the lighting options.” She flicked something out of sight and the room switched to a warm, intimate light. Another flick and it was low blue. Once more and the lights fell quite dim indeed, but deep inside the orb glowed a soft white.

  Cooper followed Reggie’s direction to look up and saw it was projecting shadows that looked like forest tree lim
bs and little birds onto the ceiling. Cooper suddenly remembered where he’d seen a similar device before. Sitting on Muñoz’s shelf. Apparently Park remembered, too.

  “That’s very clever,” Park said, staring up at the pictures. “Where’d you get it?”

  “Oh, the groundskeeper made it. He used to work here, anyway. I told him how I was jealous he gets to work outside all day while I’m cooped up in here. He said now I’ll always be able to see the sky. Actually he made me, like, thirty if you want one.”

  “That must have taken a lot of time,” Cooper said neutrally, and glanced at Park, who looked distinctly unimpressed. Kreuger was, what, forty-seven? Reggie seemed barely out of her teens. “Was he your friend? Boyfriend?” he added carefully.

  Reggie scrunched up her nose immediately. “God, no.” Her face turned guilty. “I mean, he’s nice or whatever. But—” She shrugged and flipped the light back on, obliterating the forest scene. “Ready to continue?”

  Reggie gave them the rest of the tour, showing them a sleek indoor pool with a connecting hot tub and glass doors leading out to the enormous outdoor deck. Inside the pool, Jimmy swam aggressive laps and Lisa lay out on one of the comfortable cushioned reclining chairs with her eyes closed. If either of them noticed Cooper and Park, they didn’t acknowledge them. Finally, closer to the main part of the lodge Reggie led them into a room with a massage table, raised stone bathtub and enormous shower in the corner. To the side was a long table with oils and stacks of towels. Park gave Cooper a slightly alarmed look.

  Reggie closed the door behind them. “Now the main event. Have you decided who wants to do what?”

  Cooper cleared his throat. “Excuse me?”

  “Who is learning how to give the massage and who is receiving?” She paused and looked slightly uncomfortable, hands twisting in front of her. “I, uh, usually base the lesson around wolf anatomy, but...”