“Nope.”
His cold eyes burrow into Chandler’s. “And why is that, Paul?” His eyes move to Rushmore’s. “Kevin?”
“I’m happy for you,” Nancy says.
“Thank you, Nancy,” Will says, not taking his eyes off the agents. “But why only you? Because when two people find love, their friends should be happy for them, not ripping out each other’s throats.”
“Couldn’t agree with you more,” Chandler says. “Sir.”
The way Chandler utters that last word makes me want to punch him, and judging from Will’s scowl he desires the same. “We never really cleared the air as a team about what happened last year.” He scans the group to make sure he has their attention. He does. “I take full responsibility. I let my emotions and prejudice cloud my judgment, and then stood idly by as my poison spread to all of you. For that, you have my most sincere apology. All I can hope for is with time, I can prove myself once again as your leader and regain your trust.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Chandler says.
“Yes, I did. We all did. We’re a team. No, we’re more than that. We’re a family. Whether we like it or not. I made us lose sight of that, but now it’s up to all of us to repair that bond. Not just for us, but for the people we’re sworn to protect. And I personally vow never to forget that again. No matter what happens.” He squeezes me in tighter. “But we’re in love. We’re together, and nothing anyone says or does will change that fact. As our family, we expect the acceptance and support we would give each of you were the tables turned. And we promise not to let our relationship affect our jobs or the team as best we can.”
“Oliver may have something to say about that,” Wolfe says.
“If there are any issues, we will deal with them in a way that’s best for the whole family,” Will stresses. “And I do think he’ll surprise us all.” Will releases me, grabs the coffee I was preparing him before the Spanish Inquisition began, and takes my hand with the other. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we need to rest for tonight. Enjoy your day.” With those final words, he leads me past our properly chastised family. “You okay?”
I shake my head in disbelief. God help us because if that was their reaction, when Oliver rises I have the feeling we’ll be lucky if it only rains blood. I snake my arm around Will and rest my head on his chest. But he’s worth a storm or two.
“Never better.”
*
We spend the rest of the day in his bed watching James Bond movies. Not one of my favorite series but I’d watch grass grow if it meant I could be nestled under the covers with Will. 007’s adventures do work quite well at keeping my mind off tonight, at least most of the time. When I can’t keep the demons at bay all sorts of horrible scenarios have raced through my brain. What if I throw up? Run screaming from the room? What if he gets out? I need to mentally prepare myself for anything. Like if I can’t handle the reality of dating a werewolf and this is the last time we’re in each other’s arms.
As it begins growing darker outside, I sense him getting tenser next to me. The rule is he has to be down there no later than five thirty. At five, I move to get up. “Do you want me to get you something to eat?”
His arms tighten around me. “No. Don’t go yet.” I settle back onto his chest. He strokes my hair. “Let’s just stay like this a bit longer, okay?”
“No complaints here.”
As yummy Daniel Craig seduces another chick on another beach, Will twirls my hair with his finger. “Do you remember that day in the car at Christmas? When you asked me to run away with you? I bet we’d be on a beach right now if I’d had the guts to say yes. I wanted to. I almost did.”
“Maybe someday we can go. Sail around the world. I’ve always wanted to go to Australia. And—”
“I’m scared.” I look up at him, eyes narrowing in confusion. “Tonight’s a bad idea. A really bad idea. I’m not going to—”
I touch his face. “Hey. This is it. This is the final hurdle. We survive this, we’ve done it all. Nothing can touch us.”
“Australia, here we come,” he says with a smile.
“Exactly.”
The smile fades to nothing. “Just know, if tonight changes things, I’ll understand. I won’t think less of you or hold it against you. I promise.”
“Will, all that’ll happen tonight if I’ll get some reading done and you’ll howl a little. And if you get annoying, I’ll just shoot you.”
“Is that rule just for tonight, or…”
I playfully smack his chest and chuckle. “Don’t tempt me, Will Price.”
“Why not? You’ve been tempting me for months. Nothing wrong with a little pay—”
The knock on the door stops our play. “Will?” Carl asks.
Will shuts his eyes and sneers, eyes and nose scrunching in a way that looks almost painful. “I’m coming. Coming.”
“I’m being lax in my duties,” I whisper.
“Five more minutes?” he whines.
I toss the covers off and sit up. “Nope. Get out of bed, handsome. Jail time.” I lead by example. My body’s stiff from lying in the same position for so long, I have to stretch and bend. “I’ll meet you down there, okay? I got to get some stuff from my room.”
After blowing him a kiss, I walk across the hall, and change into my black and green track suit, grab my iPod, book, Kindle, magazines, computer, and DVDs. Should be enough to keep me occupied for the night. I’ve heard snippets of what happens in that cell and from what I can gather it’s about 5% action, 95% boredom. It’s not like the wolf can carry on a conversation or juggle to keep me entertained. Julian Wilde and Jane Austen will have to take up that task. On my way down, I stop by the kitchen, retrieving snack foods and water bottles. Kind of feels like I’m on my way to a sleepover, though I doubt the werewolf will let me braid his hair.
As the elevator door opens onto the hall, the gravity of what I’m about to go through hits me like a truck. I’m about to watch my boyfriend change species. The man I just spent all day in bed with will grow claws, sharp teeth, and possibly want to kill me just for being in the room. It’s going to be disgusting, smelly, and beyond disturbing. And I have to keep a smile on my face the entire time or I’ll fail the test and lose everything.
I take a deep breath and force myself down that hall. I will do this. Heck, it was my idea. And by tomorrow, it’ll be over. We’ll wake up and officially start our life together. And have sex. Lots of sex. Mind-blowing sex. Multiple times in multiple positions with multiple orgasms. Okay, that brings a smile to my face that I carry with me into the cell.
It’s still as bleak and uncomfortable as I remember, but the chemical smell that doesn’t quite mask the stench of urine almost brings tears to my eyes. Carl is sticking something in the small fridge and Will, who changed into gray sweat pants, loads the tranquilizer gun with darts.
“Evening, gentlemen.” I drop my backpack on the couch in the corner. “What are you putting in the fridge?”
“Meat. You have to feed him at least four times. Just toss it through the bars.”
“Okay. What else?”
Will walks over, handing me the gun. “If I get too rowdy, you shoot me once with this.”
“The drugs last about two hours,” Carl says. “Everything else is pretty straightforward. Just watch him. Make sure he doesn’t hurt himself or get out. Coffee’s here,” he says, hitting the machine. “You’ll need it. It’s okay if you fall asleep though. He’ll wake you up. Hose is over there in the corner. Use it right away or this place will stink to high heaven.” Will and I exchange a sheepish look. Normally couples have to be together years before they’re comfortable enough to watch that. Warp speed ahead I guess.
“Speaking of,” Carl continues, “you know where the bathroom is. If you leave, know the door locks automatically behind itself. The code is 2010. And…” he picks up a remote control with a key on it, handing it to me. There’s a red button in the middle. “That’s the key to the cell and
panic button. Keep them on you at all times. He gets free, press the button. The alarm will go off, and we’ll come running. With very big guns. The rest, just use your best judgment.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
“I’ll come down and check on you before I go to bed.”
“Appreciate it.”
Carl gives me a rueful smile before walking out. “Have fun you two.” The door shuts behind him and the clunk of the lock fills the quiet room.
Will can’t look at me. He steps toward the cell. And away we go. “It’s cold in here. Sure you’ll be warm enough?”
“I have a blanket in my bag.”
He turns his bare back to me. “Thought of everything, huh?”
“Sure hope so.”
We engage in another of our awkward silences. He doesn’t turn around or even move. I slowly walk over and touch his arm. He tenses but doesn’t pull away. “This is going to be horrible,” he whispers.
“I know.” I kiss his shoulder. “But you’re worth it.”
“Remember that when I try to pee on you.” Still unable to gaze my way, he pads into the cell. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Okay.” I shut and lock the door as he turns around. I can sense his fear and sadness from here, though his face remains stone. “Now what?”
“It’s better if I bring it on myself.”
“Okay.”
“I have to, um…take off my pants,” he says, suddenly bashful.
“Oh. Do you want privacy?”
Will considers this for a moment. “Um, no. It’s okay.” Not the time or place I thought I’d finally get to see him naked, but I’ll take it. After a nervous, lopsided grin, he yanks his pants down and hands them to me. Damn. Damn. I mean that in a good way. I am a lucky girl.
He notices me staring and clears his throat. I glance up, my face so hot an egg could fry on it. “Oh. Sorry,” I say.
“I take it you…approve?”
“I think even Ron Jeremy would approve,” I chuckle. Will does too. “Turn around.”
“What?” he laughs.
“I want the full show. I’ve shown you mine.”
“Fair enough.” He spins around. I knew it was cute in jeans but bare is even better. Well rounded and muscular without being fat with dimples in the sides. Sculpted and full, like his thighs. A well put together man. And he’s all mine. “Are you done objectifying me? Can I turn back around now?”
“Do you have to?”
He does anyway, stepping toward me with a grin. “This is a lot more fun than with Carl.”
“I should hope so.”
He takes my hand through the bars and kisses it. “God, I love you. No matter what that thing does tonight remember, I love you.”
I pull his face to mine for a kiss, the bars cold on my cheek. “Remember I love you too.”
After another awkward grin, he backs away into the center of the cell and I toward the couch across. Guess its show time. “It takes about three minutes, sometimes less,” he says as I sit down. “Try not to make noise or move for a few minutes afterwards. Don’t draw his attention until he’s gotten used to his surroundings.”
“Okay.”
Will sits on the concrete floor. “I’m going to begin now,” he whispers a few seconds later. He draws his knees to his head, resting his forehead on them.
I try not to breathe or even blink for fear of disturbing his concentration. Nothing happens for thirty seconds, then his shoulders twitch. Then again. He grunts with the third spasm, this time his whole body convulsing, reaching seizure proportions after only a few seconds. The grunts turn to groans as he curls into the fetal position. Oh God. Oh God. With his back to me, I can see the shining clear liquid coating his tan skin. Ectoplasm to help the magical transformation. Under that the skin looks as if there are worms crawling around underneath. His back unnaturally contorts as if he were hit by a bat. It elongates like a straw, the vertebra popping out like stones. Will roars in agony. I feel his pain down to my bones. I gasp as the cracking of bone and tendon makes me sick to my stomach. I cover my mouth to stop any more sounds and the bile that already stings my tongue.
Brown hair, or rather brown fur, covers the length of his body now, growing from his pores at an alarming rate. Within thirty seconds there’s easily an inch or two. He flips over. I drop my hand from my mouth and instantly plaster on my best poker face, though my eyes probably give my horror away. Where there was once a nose is now a snout with jagged teeth inside. His ears are pointed like triangles. He gets on all fours, hands and feet no longer human. The claws are a stark white amid the darkish fur. Sharp. Lethal. As his joints snap at the knees and elbows, he howls, all humanity gone from his voice. It’s over. He’s gone. I can breathe now. Huh. That was…huh.
If I didn’t know better I’d swear I was staring at a real wolf. The only differences being the eyes and lack of tail. Not that if one was bearing down on you, you’d notice these things. Just the teeth and talons. Transformation complete, Will shakes like a dog, getting off the ectoplasm and sweat off before sitting on his hind legs and howling at the ceiling so loud I cover my ears. The moment the noise ceases he springs up, lunging at the bars. His body smacks against them hard enough to rattle the whole apparatus. He does the same thing on all three sides, growling the entire time. I clutch onto the tranq gun, not sure if now is the time to use it. He tosses his body at the first side again and again. If he keeps this up he’ll break a rib. I stare at the gun. I really don’t want to shoot my boyfriend.
“Will?” I ask hesitantly.
The wolf’s head whips my way, growing so all those teeth are visible while his nostrils flare. Okay, talking was a bad idea. Like the predator he is, the wolf stalks toward me, literally drooling as if I were chicken breast. I’ve seen enough nature shows not to back down or show fear, so I don’t move. I hold my ground. I think it works because instead of lunging again he stops moving and stares at me, nose twitching as those green eyes apprize me. Looking for weakness? Wondering what the tastiest part of me to eat will be? Then he raises his head again, letting out a bellowing howl before sitting directly across from me. Watching. Waiting for me to do something. Okay. Still sitting, I move my upper body to the right and his gaze follows, the same thing happens when I move left. Okay…
“Are you hungry?” I ask. His head cocks to the left. I’ll take that as a yes. “Okay, I’m standing now. Don’t…do anything.” Moving slowly, I set the gun down with the wolf scrutinizing my every move. He sits like a well behaved dog as I walk to the fridge and remove a steak. I’d swear he smiles as I toss the meat into the cage. He trots over to it, lies down, and tears into it. Three bites and it’s gone. Guess he was hungry. I sit back down on the couch and he resumes his tranquil vigil over me. Okay, I have no idea what to do now. I was expecting to tranq him and spend the night reading, not being stared at with anticipation. I’ve never had a dog before. I can’t exactly take him out to play fetch. “Um…would you like me to read to you?” I ask.
That definite smile grows, and he even starts panting with my words. I smile back. Beatrice Alexander, tamer of even the savagest of beasts. All that worry for nothing. I passed the test with flying colors. And my reward can’t take his eyes off me. The gentleman and the wolf, both mine all mine.
*
Will remains a good boy, listening to me read the latest Julian Wilde novel aloud and never removing his eyes from me until Carl brings me dinner. The moment he gets close to me, Will springs up and lunges at Carl, snarling and attempting to claw him through the bars. I grab the tray and rush Carl out. The moment he’s gone, Will settles, whining as if I’ve betrayed him somehow. In my best schoolteacher voice, I chide him about manners. I think he listens.
After another feeding, and after he does his business—I leave the room for that one—he lies down and shuts his eyes. Jeez, it’s like I’m sixteen again and babysitting the Riveras children again. I take this opportunity to pull out my laptop and watch Hello, Dolly! He
wakes half-way through and just paces the cell. Poor thing’s bored. He settles in his original spot to stare at me some more. I’ve gotten used to it so I ignore him. It works because he falls asleep again soon after. I make it halfway through the new version of Northanger Abbey before I drift asleep too.
His growling wakes me a few hours later. It’s low at first, but by the time I’m fully awake it’s downright menacing. His ears perk up and his eyes remain on the door even before the keypad beeps as someone punches in the code. Will’s fur stands on end along his curving spine. What the heck? He didn’t react like this with Carl until the man was a foot from me. Oh, God. I know who the intruder is before he even steps into the room.
Here we go.
The moment Oliver opens the door, Will goes ballistic. The wolf leaps at the vamp claws first. Saliva pours out of his mouth as his teeth mash in time to those talons. Oliver barely has time to glance at the crazed wolf before I’m up and shoving him back through the door with me behind him. Even in the hallway I can still hear Will rattling the cage and growling.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing? You know you’re not allowed in there!”
“I had to see it for myself,” he says with a small sneer. “You are fucking him.”
His words are like a slap in the face. “Don’t be vulgar.”
“But it is true.”
I hesitate for a moment before saying, “Yes. We’re together.”
The left side of his mouth twitches. “Since when?”
“About three days.”
The look he gives me, disapproval mixed with fury, makes me feel like I’ve been caught smoking behind school. “Your birthday. I wondered why you were in such high spirits. And here I believed it was my company, not his.” His mouth twitches again. “So, you finally tamed your wolf. And I had to find out from Nancy.”
High Moon (A F.R.E.A.K.S. Squad Investigation Book 4) Page 7