by Megan Derr
The wolves paled, and then seemed to wilt, all of the fight going out of them.
"Did Hudson kill his mother?" Johnnie asked.
"Yes," the first wolf said dully.
"That is grounds for a death order," Johnnie said. "So why are you not trying to kill him?"
Guilt and shame filled their faces, but the only reply they offered was, "Pack business."
Johnnie struck their legs with his cane, and then drew the blade and placed it beneath the first wolf's jaw. "You made it Desrosiers business the very moment you slunk into our territory and hurt my friend. Tell me, or suffer for it."
"We are not allowed to speak of it without permission," the second wolf said. "The only one now who can give that permission is Alpha Hudson. Your friend killed our remaining Candidate."
"Take them away, lock them up," Johnnie said, sheathing his sword and turning away.
Grim nodded and snatched up both wolves by their shirts, then vanished.
The glimmer of gold caught Johnnie's eye, and he strode over to the bed and snatched up the object. A signet ring with the eye crest of Pack Blue. Sitting down on the bed, Johnnie pulled out the necklace he still carried and studied both objects. Thinking of them and the watch, he murmured, "In the night, when everyone slept, she rose and took from her jewel case a gold broach, a gold necklace, and a golden ring. The three dresses of the sun, moon, and stars she folded into so small a parcel that they were placed in a walnut-shell."
He looked up as Grim reappeared. "You had best take me home. You will find Hudson faster without me."
"What in the hell is going on here? Wolves don't forgive murder—look at what they did to Peyton."
Johnnie tucked the jewelry away and stood. "I do not have enough information to say … "
"But?" Grim asked with a smile, reaching to brush Johnnie's cheek with the back of his hand.
Leaning into the touch for a moment, Johnnie then said, "But Peyton said the woman was psychotically obsessed with her son. That probably got worse when her mate died. The pack wants him back, but those two were ashamed to admit what drove him off in the first place."
"So she probably abused him," Grim said.
Johnnie quoted, "I will marry my daughter; she is the image of my dead wife, and no other bride can be found to enable me to keep my promise to her."
"That…" Grim looked ill. "Do you really think she would do something that terrible?"
"I believe it is a plausible theory," Johnnie replied. "Take me home; then find him."
Grim tugged him close, kissed him deeply, and they vanished. They reappeared just outside the Bremen, and Johnnie kissed Grim one last time before Grim vanished again.
Johnnie walked into the Bremen and hung his things up on the hooks by the door. Ontoniel, Rostiya, and Peyton sat at a table, nursing scotch, vodka, and beer respectively. "John," Ontoniel greeted. "How did your search go? Where is Grim?"
Reaching the table, Johnnie set out the two pieces of jewelry, and then pulled up a chair and sat down. "They found him, and he lost his necklace in the tussle. Free of the spell, he is traceable. Grim brought me here and went to find him. They should be here within the hour, I should think. How are you?" he asked Peyton.
"I'll live," Peyton said. "So—you've really found Hudson?"
Johnnie nodded. "Grim will find him. He's been here in the city for months. I do not doubt he's spent every day of it watching you."
Peyton frowned and opened his mouth, but then closed it again and said nothing.
"I think that after he attacked his mother, he fled here to you, but then was too scared to actually approach you," Johnnie continued.
"I killed his father and two candidates," Peyton said. "There is a death order on my head. He shouldn't come anywhere near me."
Johnnie shook his head. "I would hazard to say he was scared that he would draw attention to you and put you in greater danger—a fear which has proven warranted."
Peyton growled low. "Harper was no real threat to me. He's become a dirtier fighter, but not a better one. I may just pour beers and sling suds now, but that doesn't mean my edge is gone. Once a roughskin, always a roughskin. He should have remembered that."
"Roughskin?" Johnnie repeated, not familiar with that term and intrigued. "Is that something to do with the way werewolves were once called wolfskins?"
Peyton shrugged, "Could be, I guess. Never thought about it. A roughskin is just what they call wolves that get pitted a lot. We're all 'rough around the edges and our human skins barely fit'. We're also at the bottom of the pack order. The Alpha I killed used to pit us all the time; it made him most of his fucking fortune."
"Roughskins," Johnnie repeated. "How does that relate to Ruff?"
Peyton smiled. "You would figure out they're connected, Johnnie. He liked to come see us, thought we were different and strange. I was fifteen when we first met; he was barely nine. I caught him sneaking around our part of the land. The heart of Blue lives on a plantation; we lived on the edge of that land. He was awed by us, I think, because we seemed tough enough to beat his father, though that wasn't true. He wanted to be a roughskin. I told him he was too soft and stupid to be a roughskin. He hit me and declared that he could, in fact, be rough and I should shut up.
"I laughed and mocked him by making barking sounds—woof, woof, ruff, ruff. Every time I saw him after that, I would just say 'ruff, ruff'. It stuck." His smile faded. "One day, I found him bleeding and beaten and realized he'd been putting up with shit far worse than the Pits. He was stronger than any of us. After that, we got closer. Too close. Then I killed his father and fled."
"Yet he risked everything to bring you a watch in order to say goodbye before he fled somewhere else," Johnnie said, thinking about Grim and all the little things that should have told Johnnie that Grim was Eros. "I think he wanted to protect you and yet get caught at the same time."
Peyton frowned, but remained silent, clearly not certain what to say.
Johnnie turned to his father. "So what are you going to do to Blue?"
"Your brother has gone to speak with them and make it clear they are one step away from being annihilated. We will see what comes of that before I go any further."
"Where is Jesse?"
"He went along to further impress upon them the thin ice on which they stand," Rostiya replied, speaking for the first time. "Jesse can be quite ominous when he so chooses."
Johnnie nodded, half-wishing he could see the way Blue cowered before two such powerful vampires.
They all looked up when the door opened. Peyton made a rough noise and stood, growling when they all tried to remind him of his injuries and that he should take care. Walking slowly across the room, Peyton stopped just short of being able to touch Hudson, who was still firmly held by Grim in case he should try to bolt.
Hudson had been struggling and growling, but he stopped completely upon seeing Peyton. He tugged on his cap, pulling it down low over his eyes.
"Ruff?" Peyton asked, voice unsteady. "Is—is it really you?"
Slowly the man looked up, and Johnnie was startled by his prettiness. Wolves were not normally that delicate looking, though he could see the frail-looking beauty was deceptive. And even for a Blue, his eyes were stunning.
The eyes filled with tears, and with a pained growl, the man threw himself at Peyton, clinging as though for dear life. Peyton held him just as tightly, making soft, rough noises, clearly soothing Hudson in wolf fashion.
Johnnie turned away, leaving them in peace, and looked at Grim. "Well done, babysitter."
Grim rolled his eyes and moved to the bar to pour himself a beer. "You were right," he said as Johnnie joined him, voice low as he continued, "About his mother, what she did. The energies show it."
Accepting the vodka rocks that Grim slid across the bar to him, Johnnie asked, "Where did you find him?" He sipped his drink.
"Ship," Grim said. "He was going to sail out to who knows where to do who knows what. I don't think I've seen any
one that depressed since…"
"Since a certain betrothal ball?" Johnnie finished wryly. Grim made a face and said nothing.
The conversation halted when Peyton and Hudson finally approached the group, still holding tightly to each other. Free of his cap, Hudson had dark brown hair cut extremely short; it was little more than fuzz, really. It made him look hard and soft all at once. Instead of the uniform he had been wearing earlier, he wore faded jeans and a maroon t-shirt, a brown leather jacket, and brown boots. There was a birthmark on his nose, a small little smudge that added to that illusory image of delicateness.
There was also a bruise on his jaw, another right below his left eye, and his knuckles showed hard use. Johnnie pushed away from the bar and asked, "Are you aware they came to get you back? I am sorry if I am the one to tell you, but your mother is dead these past three days."
"I know. Thank you," Hudson said quietly. "I don't want to go back, and they know it, but won't take no for an answer." Hudson stared at his hand, tangled with Peyton's. "I'm the only Alpha-potential left, you see. If I go, there's no one suitable left to manage the pack." He looked up at Ontoniel. "I am sorry, my lord, to bring all this upon you. It was not my intent. Pack business should have stayed pack business."
Ontoniel nodded. "Do not worry upon it. You entered my domain legally. They did not, and they will be punished for it. I hope that if you choose to remain here your life will improve." He tilted his head and asked, "Why do you not want to return to your pack if they are willing to take you back?"
Hudson seemed to crumple, closing his eyes and covering them with his free hand. "Because they knew. They knew what she was doing to me, and I begged for help, but they would not give it. They knew what I endured and left me to suffer. I will not go back to those cowards and be their Alpha."
Frowning, Ontoniel left him in peace and looked to Johnnie in silent inquiry. In reply, and in the interests of discretion, Johnnie quoted, "The King's daughter saw there was no hope of changing her father's heart, so she determined to run away from the castle."
Ontoniel's brow shot up, and his eyes narrowed in a way that made Johnnie extremely grateful he was not the source of his father's ire. Rising smoothly, Ontoniel said, "Tend him, Johnnie. I am going to disband a pack." He vanished.
Johnnie hoped Blue suffered very slowly.
Looking at Hudson, Johnnie said, "There is one thing I am dying to know. Those wolves who attacked Peyton apparently found him by chance while looking for you. But how did you know Peyton was here?"
Hudson looked at him, startled—then laughed briefly. The sound was brittle and fragile, but genuine. "I hired a detective about three years after Peyton vanished when my own efforts just weren't good enough. He told me Peyton was here. I always meant to come see him … but …" He looked at Peyton and finished quietly, "I never worked up the nerve."
Peyton pulled him close, kissed his cheek, and then simply held him tightly.
"Go home," Johnnie said. "Take off as long as you need. I'll find another bartender to tide over the Bremen."
Nodding, Peyton said, "Thank you," and then slowly led Hudson from the bar, pausing only to accept his watch when Grim returned it to him.
"Sounds like they've both had it really rough," Rostiya said quietly.
Johnnie nodded. "Thank you for helping, Rostiya."
Rostiya smiled. "My pleasure. Shall I send you a replacement bartender? I have the perfect one in mind."
"Please do," Grim said before Johnnie could reply. "Johnnie couldn't do a job interview if his life—or his bar—depended on it."
Rostiya laughed and vanished. Johnnie shot Grim a withering loo, and pointedly turned away—only to yelp as he was yanked back against Grim's hard, warm body.
"I believe," Grim rumbled in his ear, "that we have a birthday present to discuss."
"It won't be a surprise if I tell you," Johnnie said snottily.
"But trying to make you tell me will be the best part," Grim replied, one hand sliding up Johnnie's chest to his tie, making Johnnie shiver.
He never lasted long when Grim put his ties to alternative uses.
But he wasn't going to go quietly because he really did not want to spoil the surprise. Twisting his head around, he quoted, "No admittance till the week after next." He jerked his head away when Grim tried to kiss him. "You don't get to seduce me and get your present."
Grim only smirked and matched his quote with, "They gave it me—for an unbirthday present."
Johnnie rolled his eyes, but let Grim kiss him that time and decided he would simply have to get a second gift if Grim managed to make him reveal the first.
Fin
About the Author
Megan grew up a military brat and traveled extensively with her family. She is now firmly settled in Ohio, with two roommates and their six cats. She has always been book obsessed, and writing obsessed since she first gave it a whirl in college. Romance and fantasy are her primary obsessions, but she's game to write just about anything and enjoys a challenge. She is a sucker for stories of enemies becoming lovers. When not writing, Megan is drinking too much coffee, reading still more books, and harassing family and friends, or otherwise doing whatever possible to avoid editing.
