Moonlight: The Big Bad Wolf (Black Swan 4)

by Danann, Victoria

  "I did."

  "Good. When will you be here?"

  "Two minutes. I'm stepping off the sixth floor elevator and coming down your hallway."

  Elora sat straight up. "I haven't brushed my teeth yet."

  Baka chuckled. "Well, in that case, I guess I'll just have to find something to occupy myself until your breath smells good enough to give me a briefing. Something like say, I don't know, holding a baby?"

  "If I keep letting you near him, he might get the idea that I think you're okay. By the way, thank you for taking Song to the reception and looking out for her."

  "You're welcome."

  "And whatever you do, please, please, don't tell Ram."

  "Elora..."

  "Thanks. Love you." She hung up before he could finish his thought and peeked out the bedroom door. "Ram. Baka will be at the door in one minute. I told him he could hold Helm while I get ready, then we'll take him to breakfast and do a briefing."

  "He'd better have his briefs on already."

  She laughed at him and shook her head, not because that was funny, but because Ram was of the opinion that, if a joke was good once, it grew better with age and would kill on the hundredth telling.

  When Ram opened the door for Baka, Blackie growled and showed how big he was by making his ruff stand straight up.

  Baka chuckled. "Still not a fan, I see."

  Blackie whined in protest when Ram confined him to the bedroom with his mistress. Before they left the apartment Elora called Sol. "Just keeping you in the loop. Baka's here. We were thinking we'd do a breakfast briefing downstairs. Do you want to join us?"

  "You know what I know. Spell it out then stop by my office before you take him to meet the vamps."

  "Okay. See you later."

  Next she texted Glen. where are you?

  visiting vamps.

  ?? ok taking baka to breakfast brief then coming there

  TEXT me when ur on the way

  ok why?

  There was no reply.

  Over an "Eggie Spinach Benedictine" skillet for two, Ram and Elora relayed every detail they could remember about the events of the previous night which were extraordinary even by The Order's standards. Baka was quiet as he took it all in. It was easy to see his mind was busy processing through the logical ramifications of what such a fortuitous development could mean for the success of his Vampire Inversion project.

  "If they're willing to help, it could shorten the time-table. By years. Possibly." He appeared calm, but Elora could tell that Baka could barely contain his excitement.

  "I thought you'd be pleased and I'll bet you're eager to get a look at them. If you're ready, Sol wanted us to stop by his office on the way down to meeting your new recruits."

  "Recruits? Let's don't get ahead of ourselves."

  "Positive thinking. Never hurts."

  "No indeed."

  Sol's welcome to Baka was as warm as it ever got with him. The Sovereign said hello and shook hands, then instructed Baka to let him know if the Lady Laiken wasn't seeing to his needs. Ram, Elora, and Baka each had their own internal reaction to the way that thought was phrased. It never seemed to cross Sol's mind that innuendo might be inferred so they ignored it.

  On the way to the former trainees' rec room, at the last minute, Elora remembered that Glen had asked her to text.

  Almost there.

  Just as they were at the door Glen came rushing out and held his arms across the entrance with the door to his back, blocking their way.

  "Hold on. There's something I have to tell you."

  "Move aside, Catch." Ram stepped forward with his authority face on.

  "You sure? 'Cause it's horror night at the frat house in there."

  Elora frowned. It was out of character for Glen to hesitate when Ram gave him an order. Odd behavior and an even odder thing to say. Horror night at the frat house?

  "Now." Ram said it quietly and firmly.

  Glen moved out of the way.

  When the door swung open, Ram, Elora, and Baka stood in place staring with mouths open.

  Finally Ram said, "Great Paddy."

  Elora turned on Glen like it was his fault. "Glendennon. What the...?"

  Glen held his hands up, palms outward, like he was fending off an attack. "Tried to tell you."

  The place looked like it had been hit by a hurricane. The pool table balls had apparently been used for high velocity dodge ball. Some of them were lodged in the plaster amid scores of holes that had been gouged in the walls. The extra large TV monitor and the wall on which it was hung were untouched and pristine. The vampire had, apparently, carefully avoided interfering with the entertainment unit which was currently playing Animal House at a near-deafening volume.

  Javier and two of the other vamps had pulled white sheets off their beds and fashioned togas, which they were now wearing over what appeared to be well-proportioned, but entirely naked bodies.

  One of them, who was jumping up and down on one of the cots stopped long enough to throw his head back and wail, "Now. Waiiiiiiit a minute," at the ceiling. The fact that he delivered a pitch perfect imitation of the memorable lyric from "Shout" made the moment either more surreal or less appalling. Elora couldn't decide which.

  The one who had seemed quiet and serious was mostly draped over the pool table on his back with one leg hanging off, snoring loudly. He looked like he'd just collapsed there. Someone had found a red marker and written something on his forehead.

  When Baka gave Elora something akin to a dirty look, she realized that she had never seen him angry before.

  "Recruits? I left my work and my wife and a warm, comfy bed to fly all night for..." He threw his hand out at the mess. "...this? Refugees from drinking games?"

  Elora turned her attention back to Glen. "What was it that you were trying to tell us, Glen?"

  "That it looks like the blood substitute makes them drunk."

  "Drunk?" Her eyes ran over the scene and came to rest on Ram, who had his chin pressed against his chest laughing silently, but so hard his face was red and his entire upper body was shaking. On impulse she put her hand on his bicep and gave him a shove. Thankfully she remembered at the last second to pull back or she could have done some serious damage to her baby daddy. Having to shift to regain his balance seemed to make him laugh even harder. He turned and faced the wall, propping his forearm at eye level so he could bury his face and not get into even more trouble with his wife.

  Baka's jaw went slack when Glen's words registered and his anger dissipated quickly. "We're probably lucky it didn't kill them."

  Ram had managed to regain enough composure to turn around, but he was still red-faced and looked on the verge of renewed eruption. When Baka turned to look at him, Rammel made a valiant attempt to keep it bottled up, but couldn't. When a new round of laughter came spitting out, Baka succumbed as well, covering his face with one hand and taking a step back to lean against a wall covered in billiard ball-sized craters.

  Elora looked at the two of them, then at Glen who had been chuckling along with the two older men, but when her scowl fell on him, he straightened and almost managed to wipe the smile off his face. "Great Paddy," was all she said.

  The room was so loud and full of pandemonium that she hadn't noticed one of the toga-wearing vamps coming up behind her until he was breathing on her neck. Out of reflex as much as revulsion, she threw him off. His body flew across the room, hit a wall, and slid down to the floor in a real life reenactment of cartoon violence. The onlookers stopped what they were doing to see if he was incapacitated. After a couple of seconds, he rolled over giggling, propped himself up on his elbows, and sang, "Now. Waiiiiiiit a minute."

  Everyone simultaneously resumed what they were doing and that included the elf and the ex-vamp who were then laughing so hard they were holding each other up.

  Elora turned and walked out. When she got to the end of the hallway, she glared at the four knights who were supposed to be guarding. They scrunched their f
aces into comical masks trying not to laugh, but in the end, it was hopeless.

  Feeling like the only adult left alive, she speed dialed Monq and he answered. "Has somebody reported the problem?"

  "What problem?"

  "Shit."

  "Young lady."

  "Don't you dare young lady me! You know I hate that shit!"

  Monq sighed in response, but she didn't hear it due to the noise coming from down the hall. Composing herself, she said, "Okay. Sorry. Let me start over.

  "Monq. We have an urgent problem with the vampire. Can you come quickly? Please."

  "Much better. I'll be there shortly."

  "NOW!"

  He hung up.

  Monq stood near the door surveying the damage and marveling that five aliens could demolish a room so quickly while leaving the TV and entertainment unit without a scratch. He was doing a mental inventory of the ingredients in the substitute blood and could not, for the life of him, figure out what could have this sort of effect. Of course they were aliens, which meant alien chemistry.

  He motioned to Elora and Ram. They followed him from the room and the three of them drifted over to where Sol and Baka were talking.

  "I can't begin to guess what it could be and, obviously, they're no good to anybody in this state."

  Everyone nodded.

  Sol said, "Suggestions?"

  "Yes. You may not like it, but it's all I've got. We could try to get some of the female personnel to donate. We vaccinate them first. Wait for four hours..."

  "...then feed them to the lions?" Elora gaped at him. "You cannot be serious. There are not more than, what, a thousand things that could go wrong with that?" She looked at Sol. "I must have been gone longer than I thought. Monq's been possessed by a maniac while I've been away."

  Baka jumped in. "As much as I'd like to find a quick solution, I've got to agree with Elora."

  "Oh, what a surprise!" Monq said sarcastically.

  Baka pulled back a little and scowled like he was both puzzled and offended.

  "Don't worry about it," Elora told him. "Monq thinks everyone is ganging up on him if he doesn't get his way."

  Monq arched an eyebrow at her. "Got a better suggestion?"

  She hesitated. "Yes. As a matter of fact I do. We'll test your plan on me. I'm the perfect test case. Immune and strong enough to keep things from taking an unfortunate turn. I'll give one lucky biter what I can spare. If all goes well and he behaves himself, then we can consider trusting them with humans. Of course, you still have to get volunteers and that might not be as easy as you think."

  "No." Ram wasn't laughing anymore. Neither was Baka. Neither was Sol.

  "No, it might not be as easy as you think?"

  "No. You're no' goin' to do any such thin' and, frankly, 'tis inconceivable that you would suggest it."

  "Ram, I..."

  "No! 'Tis the end of it. You will no' be chew toy for one of those thin's."

  Elora looked around the little group and said, "Excuse us." It was almost a whisper.

  She asked her mate to walk with her to the other side of the room and spoke quietly. "Ram. What's scaring you about this?"

  He looked back over his shoulder at the group they had left. "I do no' like it."

  "I know. Me either. And what else?"

  "You're talkin' about lettin' one of those thin's drink your blood."

  "And that's bothering you because you think I'll be hurt or because you think it's an act that's intimate?"

  Ram shoved his hand through his hair and looked exasperated. When he pinned her with those Hawking blue eyes, she could read everything in his heart.

  "You're afraid I would enjoy it? A vamp taking my blood?" He searched her face and looked away. They were both remembering the last time she was bitten.

  "Only if there's no other way and only if I'm there. Just so you know I can no' stand the idea."

  Baka didn't feel any better about using Elora for an experiment than Ram did. They sat in an empty classroom a few doors down and argued, hashing out the logistics.

  Which one?

  How could they be sure it would just be one?

  What if the other four got excited about the prospect of real blood?

  Was she strong enough to protect herself from five of them?

  The whole thing seemed crazy risky.

  "I need a break." Elora left them arguing and stepped out into the hallway. She took out her intelliphone and called Litha's number.

  Soon after starting the story, Litha said, "Just a minute. I'm with Storm. I'm putting you on speaker."

  When Elora summarized what had happened and what they were thinking, Storm simply said, "No."

  "Yeah. It's not like I haven't heard that one before. I'm just trying to make sure we haven't overlooked some other option. I thought Litha might have an alternative. Or maybe Deliverance?"

  There was silence for a few seconds before Litha said, "Stay right where you are and don't do anything. Let me see if I can reach him. Maybe he knows something. I don't know."

  Elora started to pace the hallway. She had a ten step path. Ten steps up. Ten steps back. After going back and forth a few times, she turned to start the other direction and nearly jumped out of her skin. Storm, Litha, and Deliverance stood in front of her. For once they didn't find startling somebody funny.

  "Elora, my dad is going to take them to his place and keep them there until they sober up. At that point we can explain the situation to them and get their cooperation in finding a solution."

  Elora nodded at Deliverance. "Thank you."

  He stepped toward her, picked up a lock of red, pink, and blonde hair, looked into her eyes, and said, "You'll owe me."

  Storm slapped the demon's hand away from his teammate. "Touch her again and there'll be trouble."

  Deliverance smiled at his son-in-law, then vanished. When Elora reentered the classroom, she had Storm and Litha with her.

  Storm looked around the room.

  Baka raised his chin and smiled, genuinely glad to see him. "Sir Storm."

  "Problem solved. You should have called me in the first place."

  Ram's brows drew together. "Problem solved?"

  He looked to Elora for clarification, but Storm continued. "The demon took them home to his place to sober them up. When they come around, he'll talk to them about how we should handle the sustenance issue then bring them back. I hope he teaches them some Anglish while he's at it."

  Ram was looking at Storm like he might leap at him with a big wet kiss.

  That night Ram and Elora were crossing the hub on their way to dinner, pushing Helm in a stroller when they passed Stalkson carrying a small bag on his way to the elevator.

  Elora stopped. "Going home?"

  "Yes. Thank you for the tour." He sneaked an amused glance at Helm.

  "Why don't you come to dinner with us?"

  "I don't know if there's time."

  "Let's find out." Elora called Farnsworth.

  While she was talking, Ram said, "Did you make progress?"

  Grey shook his head. "I don't know. This Monq fellow is tight-lipped. It's hard to tell, but doing something feels better than doing nothing."

  Elora put her phone away. "She says you've got forty-five minutes and she'll call when she needs you on the roof. Come on. Go with us."

  He smiled and nodded.

  While they waited to be served, Elora put Helm on her shoulder and bobbed him up and down gently. They had finally gotten the werewolf to open up and talk about the subject of his home terrain. He stopped mid sentence. "Looks like someone you know is coming this way."

  Glen was approaching with a grin on his face. He went straight to Ram.

  "Sir Hawking. Do you mind if I interrupt?" He looked at Elora. "I completely forgot to show you last night. I've got pictures of the puppies!"

  Ram introduced him to their guest.

  "Glendennon Catch. This is Stalkson Grey."

  Glen's face registered surprise and
his gaze jerked to Elora. "Stalkson Grey? Isn't that what you...?"

  Elora shook her head at him, but it was too late.

  She turned her attention to the photos on Glen's intelliphone and gave a delighted little gasp while he pulled up a chair.

  "How did you get these?"

  "High powered telescopic lens attachment."

  "Wasn't that a little pricey for your practically non-existent pay grade?"

  "I told Simon you were requisitioning it."

  "You did what?" Ram was aghast.

  Elora arched an eyebrow.

  "Well, I knew you would have if you were there."

  "Practical. And correct. What can I say? Except that it's really a personal expense. I'll find a way to funnel the money back into The Order's coffers without making a deal out of it.

  "Thank you for taking care of my puppies and getting these pictures. They are so adorable! Oh, I wish I was there so I could feel their little paws and put kisses on their little noses and smell their brand new coats of fur."

  "I just sent them to your phone, but I wanted to see your face when you saw them the first time. Look. These two are really black."

  "I know!" She couldn't take her eyes away from the images.

  He stood to leave. "Gotta go. Gotta date. Later." Turning to Grey. "Nice to meet you." When he didn't leave, Ram finally said, "Elora, give the boy his phone. Did you no' hear him say he has a date?'

  "What? Oh! Sorry." She handed the phone over. "You're the best, Glen. Have fun tonight and don't forget that Black Swan knights in training are gentlemen."

  "Yes, ma'am."

  Food arrived and was being set in front of them as Glen walked away. Elora hoped that would be enough of a distraction, but no such luck.

  "What was that about, Mrs. Hawking?"

  Ram laughed. "You call her Mrs. Hawking?"

  "He does it just to irritate me."

  "I'm not a very progressive type werewolf."

  "In other words, you're a crusty old has-been."

  "No. I'm the elegant Old Guard."

  "Hmmm. How's the trout?"

  "Very nice. A little overcooked maybe. So what was the youngster's reference to my name?"