Leaning forward, he rested his elbows against his thighs and exhaled a steady breath. At least he’d found one of them, although he was fairly sure the ‘one’ he’d retrieved was a werewolf and he was supposed to kill any and all he came across.
What sense would it make to kill a man he’d just saved? It would be like going on vacation just to sleep the entire time; pointless.
“Seems like we’ve got ourselves a situation here,” he said thoughtfully.
He still had to find Lorcan, Presley, and the Kress boy. Maybe once this Dimitri character woke up, he could get more information out of him. Damn it, he was running short on time.
“Hey,” he nudged the male’s arm with a single finger. “You need to wake up.”
He waited for five seconds and then he poked him again. “I’m serious. I need to talk to you.”
Dimitri groaned, rolling onto his side so that his back was facing Rutley. He murmured softly and Rutley had to lean in closer just to hear what he was saying.
“Liam.”
It felt like he’d been punched in the gut as he quickly pulled away, his eyes staying on the male’s back as he rubbed at the back of his neck vigorously. That’s right. The werewolves in the woods had mentioned Liam. This guy knew Liam.
His mouth went dry on him as he stood from the chair and moved towards the bathroom. He felt sick, and way too hot. He needed to get a grip.
He quickly flicked on the light switch, listening to the annoyingly loud hum of the vent overhead as he gazed at the mirror. His reflection stared back at him, dirty and bewildered. Was he losing his mind or something? Had he not done what his father asked of him?
Those werewolves were going to kill Dimitri, who could possibly also be a werewolf; so he had done the right thing, right? Once he got the male good and awake, he could find out where Lorcan and Presley were being kept. He could save them all and leave this God forsaken town. A job well done; a pat on the back; good riddance, Kadenburg. It was the perfect plan.
After splashing some water on his face, Rutley returned to the main part of the hotel room and immediately spotted the coffee pot. Perfect. That’s exactly what he needed right now, actually. Within minutes, the small machine was gurgling to life and producing a generic version of the caffeinated goodness he’d grown addicted to some time ago. He wandered back outside, opening the trunk of his car to pull out the long duffle bag he’d brought with him from Florida.
There wasn’t much inside, truth be told. There was one extra change of clothes, two pairs of underwear, his phone charger, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo (who even used those pitiful excuses for shampoo in a hotel anyway), and a razor. He hadn’t really intended on staying for longer than a day until his father dropped the werewolf bomb on him.
Maybe he should’ve known to bring more clothes with him, but there was a part of him that had really hoped it wasn’t going to be a long ordeal. In fact, as heartless as it seemed, had it not been for the fact of knowing Liam was involved in all of this, he would’ve already been long gone.
Yet I do have a code to honor, he reminded himself gently as he moved back into the hotel room and dropped his duffle bag onto the floor. He blew out a low breath, resting his hands on his hips as he stared at the male sleeping on the bed. Had he been romantically involved with Liam at some point? He had a lot of questions that needed answers, and that’s why he’d retrieved his bag in the first place.
He crouched down to unzip the old duffle bag, rummaging through it until he found the small bottle he was looking for. Should he have felt guilty for using it on Mrs. Bamey? Nah, not really. He needed her to be honest with him, and there was no better way to get information out of a person than by way of his great-grandfather’s concoction. It was a truth serum of sorts, and he didn’t know all of the ingredients used in it; although he did know Sodium Thiopental was involved.
Ten minutes later, Rutley was easing down onto the side of the bed, gripping a plastic cup full of hot coffee as he stared at the sleeping male. Dimitri had managed to roll onto his back again, so it was easier to influence the strong scent directly towards his nostrils.
“Wakey wakey,” Rutley said in a somewhat upbeat tone. “I’ve got coffee.”
Everybody enjoyed coffee, right? At least that was the observation Rutley had made from a small age. Everybody always seemed to have a cup of coffee. Every teacher he’d ever had during his school career clung to their mug, and his father seriously needed to consider having an IV hooked up to himself; so why would this guy be any different?
“Hey,” Rutley said more firmly as he pressed his knee against Dimitri’s thigh. “Wake up. I’m not playing around with you.”
The corner of Dimitri’s mouth twitched as his brows lowered on his forehead. His eyes moved rapidly back and forth beneath his closed lids as he mumbled again. “No….”
Rutley rolled his eyes in annoyance, opting to put the cup of coffee on the night stand before his open palm made contact with the other male’s cheek. “I said wake-”
Strong fingers wrapped around his wrist in a death grip, and Rutley grimaced from the pressure being applied to the bone as his eyes lifted to meet wild hazel hues.
“Don’t fucking hit me again,” Dimitri growled. And it wasn’t the growl of an angry man; it was the growl of an animal begging to be released. An animal that Rutley was trained to kill and never question; yet here he was, face to face with one of them, and he was making no move to kill it.
He could hear a small popping noise and he grunted, his eyes staying on Dimitri’s as he pursed his lips together. “Whoa, hey now,” he licked his lips quickly. “I’m on your side, pal. I just saved your ass from getting killed. Do you get that? I’d really appreciate if you’d stop breaking my wrist now.”
Dimitri’s eyes flashed, but he finally released Rutley’s wrist before he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood. He swayed back and forth for a moment, reaching out quickly to grab the bedpost as he panted. “What did you do to me?” He asked in a low voice.
“I didn’t do anything,” Rutley insisted as he stood, rubbing at his tender wrist. “Well, aside from saving your life. You’re welcome.”
Dimitri turned his head to glance at him over his muscular shoulder, his brows furrowing together as he frowned. “Thanks,” he muttered.
“That’s better,” Rutley nodded, taking a step back to give the male some room. A disoriented wolf was one thing, and a mad wolf definitely another; but when a wolf was disoriented and mad, Rutley knew it could be a destructive combination. A combination he had no interest in seeing the results of at that moment. “I made you some coffee.”
“I don’t want coffee,” Dimitri responded as he stalked to the window and pulled the curtain back. His eyes searched the night sky before he turned to stare at Rutley. “I need to go.”
Dimitri moved fast, but somehow, Rutley managed to move faster. He literally flung himself against the door, extending his arms to the sides as he stared up at him. “Now wait just a damn minute,” he said through clenched teeth. “I did not carry your ass through a mile of woods just for you to leave now and not give me any answers.”
Dimitri growled again, his upper lip curling back to reveal the elongating fangs as his eyes glowed. “Don’t make me move you,” he warned.
Rutley licked his lips, his heart hammering against his ribcage as he tried to figure out his next step. Hell, this was a bad idea. He should’ve taken the wolf straight to his father for an interrogation, yet he didn’t. Why didn’t he?
Because you’re a damn idiot, he thought as his eyes met Dimitri’s again. He’d never really seen a werewolf’s eyes in person before. Sure, he’d seen plenty of werewolves from a distance…..right before he put a bullet in their heads, but this was very different. He could feel Dimitri’s breath against his skin. He could feel the energy tingling from the other’s close proximity. He should’ve been terrified about that, but he wasn’t exactly scared.
“Move,” Dimitri re
peated as he pressed his palm against the door, right beside of Rutley’s head. His long claws scraped at the paint as he sneered.
“No,” Rutley replied as he blinked.
“Are you deaf?” The wolf asked as he dug his claws into the door, dragging them down several inches before stopping just above Rutley’s shoulder. “Move or that’ll be your stomach.”
Rutley held his gaze, blue hues battling against swirls of brown and green as he licked his lips in an effort to moisten them. “You’re not going to hurt me,” he whispered.
Another growl ripped past Dimitri’s lips as his fingers moved with lightning speed, wrapping around Rutley’s throat. “What makes you think that?” He asked in a raspy tone. “I know what you are. I know what you do,” his eyes narrowed as he glared at him. “You bear the mark of a hunter,” he hissed, his thumb stroking over the side of his neck.
Rutley grunted, squirming beneath the wolf’s iron grasp as he frowned. “What the hell are you talking about? I don’t have any marks.”
“You can’t see it, but I can,” Dimitri whispered, his nose nudging against Rutley’s jawline as he inhaled deeply.
“Okay, that’s just weird. Stop sniffing me,” Rutley grunted, pushing his palms against Dimitri’s chest. The large wall of a man wouldn’t budge, but why would he? He was a freaking werewolf. He felt the muscles tensing beneath the male’s shirt and he froze, staring at him quizzically. “Now what is it?” He asked.
There was a pained expression on Dimitri’s face as he pulled away, letting Rutley fall to the floor with a small oomph. His eyes widened as he stared down at him, panting heavily. “Why do you smell like him?”
“What?” Rutley asked, rubbing at the side of his neck. Damn, that was going to bruise. “What do you mean?”
“Liam,” Dimitri stated as he raked his fingers through his auburn hair. “Why do you smell like him?”
“Dude, you are freaking crazy,” Rutley scowled as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. “You’ve got some serious issues. I saved your life and you repay me by choking me and then sn-”
His voice drifted off as he pulled his hand away, gazing at the light scar on his palm. For a fleeting moment, he was pulled back into his early adolescence. He could remember how hot the sun was that day, as he and Liam roamed the woods in search of nothing in particular.
“Let’s become blood brothers,” Liam stated excitedly as he pulled his pocket knife out.
“What?” Rutley squeaked, turning around to stare at his best friend.
“Yeah!” Liam grinned. “Blood brothers, you know? We cut ourselves and let our blood mix together. You get my blood and I get yours. We can be brothers.”
“That sounds sort of gross,” Rutley frowned as he eyed the knife. “I don’t know…..”
“Oh come on,” Liam rolled his eyes, stepping closer to the shorter male as he held out his own hand and pressed the tip of the blade against his palm. His brows knitted together in concentration as he released a grunt of pain. The bright red blood bubbled to the surface as he glanced in Rutley’s direction again. “You’re my best friend, Rut. I want to be your blood brother.”
Rutley’s nose crinkled as he stared at the cut on his friend’s palm, but he wasn’t going to be a chicken about it. He’d always wanted a brother, hadn’t he?
“Okay, fine. But don’t make the cut too deep,” he finally said, offering his hand to the other male as he squeezed his eyes shut. “Do it quick.”
Rutley’s head fell back against the door as he stared at that tiny scar again. Sometimes he forgot it was even there, but at the moment he was realizing exactly why he’d agreed to stay in Kadenburg. He remembered why all of this was suddenly so important to him; and why he had to save Lorcan.
He blinked back the moisture collecting in his eyes as he glanced up at Dimitri again. Any traces of the wolf were gone, and only a man stood before him now; a very sad man that had seemingly lost everything. Maybe it was in that moment that Rutley finally realized the connection Dimitri had once shared with Liam, and it definitely made his heart ache in a way he couldn’t explain.
“Liam was my best friend,” Rutley finally said, in a broken voice, after a few seconds of silence. “He was like a brother to me.”
He watched as Dimitri’s face contorted in agony, and the large male quickly turned away from him and lowered his head. Rutley had no idea what was going through his mind, but he had to wonder if the wolf was experiencing some sort of nostalgia.
That was the thing about death. Even if the person was long gone, their memories remained; haunting the people they’d grown to know during their short time on this earth. In Rutley’s case, however, he was grateful for every laugh and conversation he could remember. He regretted leaving Kadenburg sometimes.
Maybe Liam would still be alive if I’d been here, he frowned.
It could’ve been minutes or hours that passed by as Rutley kept his back pressed against the door, watching the wolf as he paced back and forth on the other side of the bed. What he wouldn’t give to be able to read minds.
Dimitri had gone from angry and ready to kill him, to broken and devastated within seconds; how was he supposed to deal with that? Furthermore, how was he supposed to bring up the subject of Liam again if it was going to cause meltdowns like this?
Hell, it would probably cause him plenty of meltdowns in the future, truth be told. The wound was still fresh in his soul over the news of his best friend’s death. If Dimitri was still suffering so badly after nearly a month, what hope did Rutley have?
He was jarred from his thoughts when he realized Dimitri was grabbing him up from the floor, hoisting him into the air and pushing him aside. He stumbled backwards.
“Hey, wait…what do you think you’re doing?”
Dimitri grabbed the door knob, but stopped long enough to gaze at him. “I have to go back for Lorcan and Presley,” he stated softly. “I can’t leave them there.”
“Leave them where?” Rutley asked, following after him as the wolf stalked outside. “Where are they?”
“He’s going to kill them,” Dimitri called over his shoulder as he walked briskly across the parking lot. “I have to stop him.”
“Who?!” Rutley called after him, muttering beneath his breath. “Hold on just a damn second, dude. I’m coming with you!”
Eight
She had made many mistakes in her life, but now was not the time to have regrets. Tonight was the night she would finally make everything right, and she would start by ensuring her niece’s safety.
Natalie Carroll had a long list of sins she’d committed against her family. She was a traitor to her kind, and she was more than aware that she would never be welcomed back into Kadenburg with open arms. Arnold Goult would rather have her executed before Urseth than be involved in Presley’s life. She would just have to make sure Presley had a life to live, even if she couldn’t be in it.
As she carefully pulled the door to a close and made her way down the hallway, she tried to prepare herself for how the rest of the evening would play out. Lorcan would take Presley back to Arnold, and then Breslin would eventually realize his prized possession was gone. He would question her first, of course; she was the one in charge of keeping them drugged, after all.
As messed up as it sounded, she’d agreed to keep her niece, Lorcan, and Dimitri doped up for as long as it took for Breslin’s plan to come into play; but that was before she’d heard the additional heartbeat.
“I’ve got a surprise for you,” Breslin grinned as he entered the long since abandoned hospital that had once thrived with doctors and nurses. He sauntered up behind her, his hands falling to her waist as he kissed her jaw. “I think you’re going to like it.”
“So you’ve finally got what you wanted,” Natalie speculated, turning in his arms to gaze up at him. “I got the drugs you asked for.”
His large, warm palms cupped her cheeks as he smirked. “And that’s why you’re my only favorable ursi-shit, Honeycomb,�
� he mumbled, his lips gently touching hers.
Natalie’s eyes closed as she returned his kiss, losing herself in the moment. Breslin was the only family she’d had since that fateful night many years ago. It was kill or be killed, and she wasn’t a fan of dying. Her brother made the wrong choice; she wouldn’t make the same mistake.
Living among the werewolves wasn’t entirely bad. Sometimes it was a lot of fun. It was very easy to be seduced by the lifestyle of a lycanthrope; to be drawn into the allure of sex and animalistic urges. There weren’t any laws to honor, or rules to abide by. Werewolves had it made.
Breslin’s lips traced over her neck, nipping at her sensitive flesh as his hands roamed beneath her shirt.
“I did find what I was looking for,” he whispered huskily, lifting her onto the old receptionist’s desk before he pulled her shirt upwards. “She is very pretty.”
“Mmm,” Natalie laughed softly. She gasped as his mouth descended, kissing between her breasts. “She looks like her aunt. Of course she’s pretty.”
“She’s almost as pretty as you,” Breslin grunted, pushing her thighs apart.
She bit her lower lip in anticipation, purring like a kitten as his hand slid between her legs.
“If this works,” he whispered against her stomach. “I’m going to make you my queen.”
Natalie’s heavily lidded eyes finally closed as his tongue dipped into her belly button. She wiggled her hips, panting like a dog in heat. “I want to be your queen,” she whimpered.
“Then you better hope this works,” Breslin responded as he straightened back up and stared at her. “The last time a woman disappointed me, I killed her.”
Natalie cowered beneath the weight of his gaze. It was terrifying how quickly Breslin could turn pleasure into fear. He had complete control over her emotions and they both knew it.
“Let go of me!”
Natalie jerked her shirt back down into place, turning her head to see the unfortunate ursithrope the werewolves were dragging inside. He was beaten and bloody. A huge gash on the left side of his face was attempting to heal, but she knew the werewolves wouldn’t allow that to happen.
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