Deacon

by Nicholas Bella

  The child, whom I had given one shilling to inform me of Angus’s arrival, came dashing into the tavern out of breath as he’d run the way to tell me. He came to my table, panting. I was happy the tavern was full of drunk and rowdy human patrons who’d paid the boy no mind. I leaned over so he could whisper into my ear the report.

  “He is there, Sir,” the boy said.

  “Are you sure it is him?”

  He nodded. “He is as you described him, Sir,” the boy confirmed.

  “Good.” I gave him another shilling and sent him on his way before taking my leave of the tavern. I had to keep to the shadows and I kept my face covered, which was easy enough to do in the filthy streets of London. Many of the wealthy covered their faces or kept perfumed kerchiefs with them to mask the smell. The streets were practically flowing with sewage, human and animal. It was no wonder the plague had set upon us. Of course, wolves paid it no mind as the disease couldn’t affect us. Though I was used to life in London, I still avoided the puddles. As a wolf, my sense of smell was highly acute and I’d rather avoid smelling like shit if I could.

  By the time I made it to the bakery on Pudding Lane, I saw Angus slumped against the alley wall, paralyzed by the wolfsbane that had been cooked into his pudding. Job well done, Thomas. For so long, I’d waited for this very moment. It seemed almost like a dream, but I knew it was reality. My body was humming with anticipation of what I was about to do. My pulse quickened with each step I took closer to my enemy. I smiled as I stood over to Angus, looking down at his helpless form. I knew that he must be suffering a great deal as the wolfsbane was not only poisonous, but painful to ingest. His body shivered in his agony and as he looked up at me, eyes watering and pleading for help… He never looked so vulnerable and weak. He deserved to feel every bit of pain, I had no sympathy for him. I was sure it couldn’t compare to the pain and torture he’d put my mother through.

  “My, Angus, what has happened?” I asked, feigning concern.

  His mouth parted just a little, but nothing came out.

  I laughed as I removed a silver blade from my sheath. I showed it to him, letting the silver blade shine in the light of the moon. The look in his eyes turned from fear to anger, his jaw tightening as his lips snarled.

  “Ahhh, yes, retribution is upon you and is long overdue.”

  He managed to growl, but nothing else. A pathetic attempt to warn me off. It would not work.

  “For my mother’s honor, which you stole from her the night you and your friends ravaged her body. And for the friendship you stole from me by turning Elias against me. But don’t worry, Angus, Winston will be waiting for you in hell and one day, Graham and Bernard will join you both.”

  With the mention of Winston’s name, I saw recognition in Angus’ eyes as they widened.

  “Oh yes, I killed Winston, stabbed him in his back with a silver dagger, much like this one. Only with you, I will look you in the eyes as I take your life.” I spit in his face, my saliva landing right between his eyes before I slammed the silver blade deeply into his chest. I watched his eyes buck, his mouth opening as if he wanted to scream, but his vocal cords were too paralyzed to form anything more than a dry howl. I exhaled with a shudder of sheer satisfaction as I took my revenge on another monster who had deserved it.

  I watched as the life ran out of his eyes and only when his heart ceased beating did I remove the blade. Now, well, it was time to destroy the evidence. No way could I leave his body there with my scent all over him. I’d learned from the time I’d killed Winston just how reliable fire was for such this purpose. I entered the bakery, and Thomas was nowhere in sight, but I knew he was upstairs for I could hear his heart beating. The bakery was full of flour and other combustible material I could use to destroy Angus’ body.

  I went back outside and dragged Angus inside and poured the flour and some oil on his body before scattering it all over the bakery. Fires were quite common in London and one starting in a bakery was a good cover up. Hopefully, Thomas would burn in the fire and it would seem like something had gone awry between the two and I could wash my hands of both. Setting the spark was easy and Angus’ body and the flour combusted so perfectly, I was nearly singed in the process. I quickly left and ran a few blocks away, then turned to look at the building burning. It was a small fire, and soon would die out, taking two of my problems with it. The fire would also destroy my scent in the area; a neat wrap up.

  Tonight, was a good night. I returned to my horse, mounted him, and rode home. I slept well every night, but sleep was a bit more peaceful knowing Angus was good and dead and his charred corpse would be discovered in the morn. The banging on my door woke me up out of my blissful slumber. I ran to my front door, opening it with extreme prejudice.

  “What?” I snarled at the wolf who was under my command.

  “Sir… I’m sorry to disturb you.”

  “Then why do you?” I asked.

  “Sir… umm…”

  “Speak up!” I snapped.

  He only pointed now, off into the distance.

  I turned to see the early morning sky cloudy with huge black puffs of smoke as an orange glow of the fire raged in the city. Now that I was seeing it, I realized I could smell it too. God, I’d been sleeping through all of that. “What happened?” I asked the wolf.

  He shrugged. “I… I do not know, Sir. The Alpha sent messengers to all Capos and Beta Capos to meet him at his home immediately.”

  I nodded. “Thank you. Go now to your post.”

  “Yes, Sir.” With that, he mounted his horse and rode away.

  I stared at the fire for a minute. Was this my fault? Did the little fire I’d set in the early hours this morning grow into this beast that was currently devouring my city? What had I done? I had to close the door and barely made it to my chair before my legs gave out from under me. How many had died as result of that fire? I had only meant to kill Angus and Thomas and destroy my scent. Oh, my god, what about my businesses? Shit! What did the Alpha know? I had to calm myself down. One thing I could not do was face my Alpha and the other Capos and Beta Capos with any guilt or fear. They would be far too suspicious if I did.

  Elias would be present at the meeting. His friend, Angus, would be missing. Would he suspect me? No… I didn’t think any would. Far too much time had passed between Winston’s death and Angus’ for any connection to be made. It was all a coincidence, and that was how I had to play it. I cleared my mind and prepared to meet with my Alpha. I arrived at his house within the hour, riding my horse damn near to death to get there as fast as I could. Truth be told, I could have run faster on foot, but it was something we wolves avoided in case a human were to see. Keeping our existence hidden from their eyes was monumental to our survival.

  So, I dismounted and entered the Alpha’s spacious home. He lived in one that matched Elias’ huge castle with its luscious gardens and beautifully carved fountains and statues. Plenty of space for all of us to run around freely, especially on full moon nights. A lot of wolves already lived with the Alpha, some only temporary, some permanently, like two of his Beta Capos, Graham and Bernard, which was going to make it hard for me to kill them.

  I was led into the meeting room where a large, round, wooden table was set in the middle surrounded by sixteen chairs. I took one of the chairs designated for Capos, as we sat further from the Alpha. The Beta Capos sat at his immediate right and left by ranking on how old and powerful they were. Royce was to his immediate right, taking Winston’s old place while Bernard was to his left along with Graham. Angus’ chair to Royce’s right was empty. The thought of their deaths almost made me smile when I looked at Angus’ now vacant seat. I had to keep it in check. Another wolf sat in what used to be Royce’s seat, having been promoted decades ago after Winston’s death and the shift in ranks.

  The Alpha didn’t say anything for another hour, which was a bit unnerving. He just watched us, listening to the conversation of those who were talking and the reaction to those who weren’t
. I held some conversations with the other Capos sitting next to me just to seem normal. When he cleared his throat, he commanded the room and everyone fell silent, all eyes on him.

  “I have gathered you all here because we have a crisis on our hands,” Connor said. He gestured to Angus’ empty seat. “I have given enough time for all of my Capos and Beta Capos to come, yet Angus is missing. I want him to be located immediately upon dismissal of this meeting. I also want this fire investigated as it is destroying businesses that financially impact our pack. But more importantly, I want you all to join the humans in extinguishing this fire before it consumes all of London.”

  “Alpha, I went to Angus’ home before coming here, but he was not there,” said one of the Capos.

  Connor frowned, because that was highly irregular for Angus. “Track his scent and find out where he was last. This meeting is adjourned.”

  I didn’t say anything, because I knew why the Alpha had sent for all of us. He wanted to scent us, to see us, and though he could have delivered such a message when he sent his messengers, he wouldn’t have been able to do all that other stuff that Alphas needed to do in order to keep their packs in line. He had to keep us under his command with fear and respect. So, though I had traveled an hour to get here, he had proved the power was his. I left to carry out his command, riding to the raging fires and seeing just how much devastation had taken place in just a few hours.

  How could it have gotten so out of control so quickly? Was it because the weather was so dry, the wood was also dry? That the thatch roofs caught flame so easily, making for easy kindling? For days, we helped the humans fight the blaze that seemed to take on a life of its own and would not be killed. Five days it took to finally extinguish the flames, which was good, because we managed to stop it before it crossed the Thames. But still, the docks had been destroyed as well as many businesses owned by members of my pack including myself. Many peopled died as a result, but more were homeless.

  A wolf during the investigation had discovered Angus’ body in the bakery, but Thomas had survived, to my disappointment. He was now being investigated by the human authorities as the fire originated from his location. To his credit, he did not bring up our acquaintance, only said that he had been sabotaged. That the body found in his bakery had been one of the culprits.

  Of course, our Alpha wanted to speak with the man himself to find out his relationship with Angus and why one of his Beta Capos had been killed in his bakery. I couldn’t let that happen, but I also needed to keep my distance. So, I paid a man named Robert Hubert to do the work I couldn’t. He was a French watchmaker, an imbecilic immigrant really, and easy enough to take the blame. He had a family who couldn’t afford to travel with him and he’d come to the shores of London to find work and possibly send for them.

  Because he was crippled in a way that he had a lame leg, I knew he wouldn’t be taken as a threat. Thomas would be leery of me, but this old man, he would not see coming. The day before Connor was to speak with Thomas, Robert slit his throat and tossed his body into the Thames. Then as discussed, proclaimed to be the one who had started the fire in the first place. He was taken into custody. Trials were held and his story didn’t quite hold up as him being the starter of the fire because the idiot had forgotten what we’d discussed and he ended up changing his story too much. But still, I kept my end of the bargain by sending his family the money I had promised for his silence and sacrifice.

  Unlike with Thomas, Robert had something to live and die for and I knew he would keep his mouth shut about our meeting. Besides, he had no idea what my name was or what I looked like as we’d only met under the cover of darkness. Thomas’ body had been discovered, but after being tossed in the Thames, Robert’s scent was long gone. With Thomas dead, Connor didn’t know what other trail he could follow. Like when he sent me to question Robert while he was in jail, the human only confessed to burning the bakery in the name of the Pope and not to killing Thomas. So, his murder was still unsolved. Another death that had been beneficial to me was that of the boy who I’d paid to give me word of Angus’ presence. The fire had killed him as it raged. Though unfortunate for a child to die, he was a loose end I hadn’t the heart to eliminate on my own. Perhaps, Lady Luck was on my side after all. I had continued to earn the Alpha’s trust and eliminated my enemies at the same time.

  The silver lining in all of the chaos was King Charles II declared that everyone in the countryside and those who had homes unaffected by the fire were to take in those who were now homeless. My Alpha was open to this idea as he wanted to continue to grow our pack. The humans whom we took in, if they were worthy, became pack. I had taken in a whole family, and as each member grew older, they became pack and once the family was wolf, I arranged for them to have their own home. It was time for them to do their part to make the pack strong in any way they could.

  London, as I knew it would, did recover and was better for it. Though, it wasn’t often a ballad was written of one’s exploits. The ballad, London Morns in Ashes, was written to memorialize all those who had perished in the flames of the Great Fire. I didn’t intend to cause such damage, but the city rebuilt even better buildings and a new fire brigade was put in place. A year after confessing to the fires, Robert Hubert was put to death, tying up the final loose end for me. So, there was a bright side and above all that, Angus was dead.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  A Chance Encounter

  I stared at the two women who were sitting on the opposite side of my desk. Their clothes were raggedy and dirty and you could see the desperation in their entire demeanor. They had told me how they had been traveling, looking for someplace safe to stay. How they’d barely survived the trip across the ocean to get here.

  “I would be grateful if you gave me the opportunity to work for you,” said the beautiful young woman with the long, flowing brown hair that looked like it had seen better days. She was quite lovely in spite of her disheveled appearance. I couldn’t help but take a gander at her ample bosom, which I wanted to stuff my face into. Her lips were full and the rouge coloring made them look even more plump. I could only imagine how sweet her pussy was and my dick stirred inside my pants in anticipation of getting a taste. Unfortunately, she was a lone wolf, and her kind didn’t survive long without a pack. She hadn’t said the words outright, but I understood the double meaning in her plea.

  “What are your names?” I asked.

  “Charlene Houser,” she replied.

  “My name is Julie MacLeod,” said the other who was quite human.

  I found women to be peculiar creatures, especially those who were wolves. As fierce as the males in many cases and some even more vicious. But delicate and sensitive at the same time, and that wasn’t even taking into account their timely, monthly mood swings. In any case, women and young men were making me a lot of money in my business. I owned a brothel, high-end, that catered to the rich who valued their privacy. It was a gentleman’s establishment on the surface where men could gather to smoke, drink, play games, and converse. But in the back rooms, they could also take pleasure in the flesh. That was why the two women were here, to become two of my courtesans.

  “Have you no other desires to work elsewhere? You’re women, surely you have skills in other venues. Certainly, you could work in a bakery, as a servant, or as a seamstress?”

  She lowered her head. “Work is hard to find, Sir.”

  Ahh, I saw now. I chuckled. “Does your friend here know… about you?” I asked. They had mentioned being friends for a year. I was sure in all that time, Julie must have realized something was different about Charlene. And what happened on the nights when the moon was full?

  The two women looked at each other, then back to me. Charlene spoke. “She does. It’s because I can hunt for animals that we have survived this long at all. No pack will take us and Julie will not leave my side. If you also refuse, all we ask is for safe passage through your territory.”

  “Tell me, how did you become a lon
e wolf?” I asked. I was curious because she was quite beautiful and I couldn’t imagine a pack not wanting to keep her.

  Charlene looked down, a sadness coming over her.

  “Tell me,” I pressed.

  She looked up at me and I could tell she was trying not to cry. “Another wolf pack destroyed mine. I barely escaped with my life. We were small and lived in a tiny village in Ireland. They were three times our size; we were no match. I would have died if I hadn’t had luck on my side. I managed to stab the wolf who wanted to rape me in his neck with a broken piece of pottery. I ran and didn’t stop running until I was safe.”

  I nodded, understanding exactly how unfortunate that situation was. “And you?” I asked Julie.

  “I left my husband who’d rather beat me than love me,” she said proudly. “I met Charlene while we were both at an inn begging for food.”

  I could only imagine the things both of these women had to do to survive. One thing I was certain, though, Charlene didn’t let any man take advantage of them. I wondered how much blood was on their hands?

  “Can you help us?” Charlene asked.

  I’d been alive for over a century, and my standing as Capo was one of great value to the pack as my businesses ensured of financial power. However, I could not make the decision to induct a lone wolf into our pack as that was the decision of the Alpha alone. I sighed.

  “Please!” Charlene gasped and grabbed my hand with both of hers, kissing my fingers. “Please take me in. I will surely die if you don’t. We barely escaped alive from the last pack who refused me.”

  The terror in her voice was alarming, but I knew that wolf packs could be very brutal when it came to wolves not made by that pack’s Alpha or born into the pack. For an Alpha to even consider taking in a lone wolf, that wolf must be exceptional in some way. Rich, perhaps, a socialite in some way. Strong and powerful in their own right or with a skill the pack needed. Charlene, though beautiful, had nothing my Alpha would want. Especially, since he wasn’t that fond of having a lot of women in the pack.