by JC Holly
Victor planted his back feet as the man neared.
“Who are you, then?” Marcus asked. “One of Ethan’s, obviously, but do I get a name before I kill you?”
He was trying to get Victor to shift, so he could strike off-guard. Victor merely snarled and shook his head while he tried again to sense any other nearby Weres. Attacking Marcus would create a lot of noise, and if Victor got surrounded, he’d be finished. The rain made it impossible to detect anything, though. Looks like I’ll have to take my chances.
With a growl he leapt at the huge man, hoping to get a quick kill. He wasn’t that lucky. Marcus swung his body to the side as Victor neared, then punched him hard in the head, knocking Victor to the floor.
Pain tore through Victor’s ear and muzzle as he landed. He’d had worse, but not lately. He shook it off and collected himself, ready for a second attempt.
Marcus didn’t even try to shift. He turned to face Victor and laughed, his thick arms crossed over his chest.
“Come now, try a little harder.”
Victor snarled again and began to circle the man, but didn’t rush in. The man was much faster than someone of his size should be, and Victor couldn’t risk a drawn-out fight bringing more people.
As if he’d read Victor’s mind, the man sneered. “What’s wrong, little wolf? Worried we might attract others? Don’t worry, I don’t let others fight my battles. Unlike Ethan.”
And Gabriel, idiot. Victor circled left, then switched fast. Marcus twisted as fast as a snake and stepped forward. He brought a boot up to Victor’s ribs, and found only air as he dodged away just in time. Using the misstep as an advantage, he snapped at Marcus’s leg before he could retract it. Marcus was fast, but Victor managed to score a minor victory, catching flesh with his teeth.
The man staggered back and shook his leg with irritation, then planted it back on the wet concrete ground. “You were the one at the cabin, right? Thought I recognized the scent. You and you friend killed three of my boys. I can’t have that.”
Just me, actually. He wished he had speech at that moment, so he could goad Marcus into lashing out without thinking it through, but all he could do was snarl. Marcus came in again, this time feigning a left kick, then putting all his power behind his right, like he was trying to score a field goal. Unfortunately Victor timed his dodge wrong and became the football. He barely held back a yelp as the kick connected with his hind leg. He leapt to the side before Marcus could follow up the attack, leaving the man standing in the same position, laughing.
“All right,” he said. “Fun’s over.”
With a cry, he dropped to all fours and arched his back as the change fell upon him. Victor backed up against the wall, keeping his weight off his injured leg as he watched. The transformation took only seconds, leaving him facing the largest wolf he’d ever seen.
He must have been five feet from his back to the floor, and higher still to his head. His fur was jet black, other than his gray paws and lower legs. It looked like he’d been wading through cement. With a shake of his head and a snarl, he turned to where Victor was. Or had been, anyway.
The second the transformation had completed, Victor had begun backing toward the hole in the wall. He knew how to handle himself, but he was no fool. His leg was paining far more than it should, and was possibly broken. There was no way in hell he was willingly taking on the damn Hound of the Baskervilles over there.
Marcus let out a howl as Victor scrabbled back through the hole and onto the other side. There was a thud as the larger wolf crashed into the wall, followed by the sound of him scrabbling at the dirt futilely. It would only be a matter of seconds before he decided to try another tactic, and a wolf that size could cover a lot of ground a lot faster than a three-legged one.
Victor pointed his snout toward his car, put his head down, and ran.
Chapter Five
Farrell stepped into the bar as soon as it opened. He hadn’t heard from Victor since their session in the office, and he had to admit he was a little worried. The guy could look after himself, that was for certain, but he wasn’t immortal.
Avani and another member of the pack were arranging the furniture as he walked up to the bar and hopped onto a stool. He didn’t even pretend his leg was anything other than back to normal. It was long enough that people would just think “wow, fast healer,” rather than “burn the witch.” He spun in the seat so that he faced Avani as she bent to push a chair under a table.
“Yowzer,” he called. “Now that’s an ass.”
She turned, smile on her face. “And there’s another, sat at the bar.”
“Admit it, you missed me.”
“Like a hole in the head.” She finished up and headed behind the bar. “Where’s your shadow?”
“That’s why I’m here, actually.”
She frowned. “You’ve not heard from him?”
Farrell shook his head. “Not since before he left to scout the factory.”
“Shit.” She picked up the phone. “Ethan, Victor reported in yet?” She glanced at Farrell. “He’s coming down.”
The small door beside the bar opened, and Ethan appeared, looking grave. Farrell’s stomach dropped.
“What happened?”
Ethan rubbed the back of his neck. “One of the pack has been taken. Last night at some point.”
“Victor?”
“No. Sandy. She was supposed to check in this morning and didn’t. Before I got chance to get someone to head over, Gabriel called. He says she’s been taken in retaliation for Victor’s unprovoked attack on Marcus, the new second.”
“Unprovoked? Bullshit.”
All three swiveled at the voice to see Victor in the doorway. He looked like he hadn’t slept all night, and was favoring one leg, but he was in one piece. Farrell tried not to grin.
“That giant piece of shit was asking for it. Literally,” Victor said as he limped to a chair and dropped down. “Did he say anything else about Sandy?”
Ethan shook his head. “Nothing more yet.” He nodded at Victor. “Your leg okay?”
Victor shrugged. “It’ll heal. Marcus got a lucky kick in.”
“Kick?”
“Yup. He took me on in human form. I bolted once he shifted and made for my car. Drove for ten blocks stark naked until I was sure I wasn’t being followed and I could stop to dress.”
“Big guy, then?” Farrell said.
“The biggest, and he had me at a disadvantage. I know when to run.”
“You’re smarter than most, then,” Ethan said with a smile. “Glad you’re in one piece.”
Victor smiled back. “What can I do to help with Sandy?”
Farrell interrupted as they discussed another scouting mission. “Nuh-uh. It’s my turn.”
Ethan scratched his stubble and eyed Farrell’s leg. “Are you ready?”
“Willing and able, too,” Farrell said. “Need me to dance on the bar to prove it?”
“Ooh, make him do it, boss,” Avani said with a smirk. “I’ll get some ones from the till.”
Farrell ignored her. “Not to mention that I can out-smell anyone in the pack.”
Avani laughed. “Bullshit.”
Farrell smirked, then breathed deep and focused on sorting the myriad scents coming from the woman.
“You went for a run last night in wolf form and passed two kinds of rose bushes. You then headed to a bar, drank tequila, fucked some guy with cheap dyed hair, and then went for a shower,” Farrell said. “Miss anything?”
“Yeah.” Avani crossed her arms as Victor and Ethan chuckled. “I also spent some alone time with my favorite vibe after that douchebag couldn’t finish the job.”
“Ah. Thought I’d caught a hint of latex.” Farrell grinned. “I’m better in wolf form.”
“Indeed,” Ethan said loudly, cutting off Avani’s comeback. “You’re confident your leg is up to the job?”
“It’ll be fine, boss.”
“I don’t like it, but I’m with Fa
rrell,” Victor said. “He’s got the best nose of anyone I’ve ever met. If he can’t pick up a trail, there isn’t one.”
Ethan sighed, but nodded his agreement. “Go now. Know Sandy’s address?”
Farrell noted the address down, then walked over to Victor and laid a big kiss on his lips. “Glad you’re not dead.”
Victor glanced across at Ethan and Avani, then back to Farrell. “So am I. Return the favor?”
* * * *
Victor watched Farrell leave, then turned to the smirking Avani and Ethan.
“Yeah, we’re seeing each other. Get over it.”
Avani shrugged. “I already knew.”
“I didn’t,” Ethan said. “And I wouldn’t have sent you out last night if I did.”
“Which is why I didn’t tell you,” Victor said. “Having a boyfriend doesn’t make me less useful, boss.”
Ethan sighed. “True enough. Now that Farrell’s left, how is the leg really?”
Victor stood and stamped his left leg, ignoring the sharp stab of pain. “It’s fine. I’ll just have a limp for a day or so.”
Ethan nodded. “In that case you’re on light duties unless I need you for something else.”
“Speaking of healing,” Avani said. “Anyone think Farrell healed a little too fast?”
“How do you mean?” Victor said.
“Well, he’s supposed to be pretty young, right? That was a vicious tear, and it was fine in a couple of days. Even Ethan can’t heal that fast.”
“You have a point,” Ethan said. “And his sense of smell is damn advanced, too.”
They both looked at Victor, who shrugged. “He never talks about his past, or his age. Not even to me, other than the odd story, and he keeps those details out.”
Ethan sat on one of the barstools and propped his elbows on the bar behind. “It’s no matter for the moment. We have more important things to worry about than an upstanding member of the pack possibly being more powerful than they let on.” He raised an eyebrow. “If anything, it’s a boon.”
“True enough,” Victor said. “Anyway, what have you got for me?”
Avani plucked a sticky note from beside the phone. “Carl’s late for work, as usual. Go and pick him up? He’s probably asleep with his hand on the snooze button.”
Victor smirked and dug his car keys out of his pocket. “On it. Back in ten.”
Carl was one of the few humans that worked shifts at the bar. He was a nice guy, if a little clueless. He never once noticed how most of the staff hung out together, or how some of them got really strung out around the time of a full moon. Still, that meant he got to keep his job.
Victor jumped into his car and headed to Carl’s place. He’d been before, doing the very thing he was doing now, so he took his time on the drive. He kept his eyes on the rearview mirror, too, just in case. Nobody seemed to be following, though.
He made a note to ask Farrell about his past the next time they got some alone time. He smirked. Maybe he’d trade sexual favors for information. That sounded like a lot of fun. The adrenaline from last night had left him horny as hell. I’ll make this quick, then wait for Farrell at the bar.
The second he pulled into the parking lot beside Carl’s apartment building, he knew his plans were unlikely. The musky scent of Were hit his nose as he pulled into a space. No Weres lived in the building, and it wasn’t a scent he recognized. That meant one of Gabriel’s pack had been by, or possibly one of the few packless Weres. And I’m just not that lucky.
He locked his car and headed across to the front door at a fast pace. The scent was fresh, but old. The Were was long gone. He pushed the door open and headed up the stairs, not waiting for the elevator. His leg twinged at the steps, but he pushed it out of his mind. The scent lingered on the staircase, too, all the way up to Carl’s floor.
By the time he reached Carl’s front door, he was sprinting. He knocked a little too hard on the door and called out, then jumped back as the door swung open. The handle was intact, so maybe Carl had simply forgot to close it properly. It was then that Victor caught a hint of a very familiar scent.
Blood.
It was faint, but it was there. Victor stepped inside, cautious despite not smelling anyone. Two narrow lines marked the carpet, heading from the front room to the bathroom. It took a moment before Victor realized what they were. Someone had been dragged from the room, their heels scuffing the carpet as they went. Victor hurried to the bathroom and kicked the door open. In the bathtub, wrapped in refuse sacks and surrounded by a haze of cleaning products to mask the scent, was the corpse of Carl.
Gabriel was stepping up his game.
* * * *
It turned out that Sandy kept a spare key under a rock in the back garden. Not the cleverest move, nor the most original hiding place, but it meant Farrell didn’t have to break a window to get in.
Whoever had taken her had done it expertly. A variety of garden scents, only in larger quantities, covered most of the scents. Anyone other than a Were would just think, “Wow, this woman uses a lot of manure on her flowers.” Even most Weres would have trouble. But I’m not most Weres.
He knew Ethan and Avani, and likely Victor, would be questioning his abilities now. The leg was one thing, but he shouldn’t have shown his scenting off in front of them, too. That was just stupid of him. Even without that he could’ve persuaded them to let him help. What’s done is done. I’ll worry about it later.
Beneath the manure and weed killer, there were traces of Weres. Two that he didn’t know, as well as Sandy and a couple of other members of the pack that had visited within the last few days. The rain had washed any footprints away, though it wasn’t like they would have run the whole way back to their hideout anyway.
He unlocked the back door and slid into the kitchen, then closed and relocked the door before removing his clothes. He shifted to his wolf form and took in a deep breath. A hundred scents hit him all at once, most noticeable the perfumes and air fresheners the kidnappers had used to cover their trail. Beneath them, though, were a few telltale scents.
There had indeed been two kidnappers. One male, one female. The male had been bleeding, and so had Sandy. Likely Sandy either smelled them coming and lashed out, or had fought back once they’d grabbed her. Either way it helped Farrell’s job, even if it didn’t tell him where they had gone.
He focused harder, sifting through more scents. Someone smoked, though it wasn’t Sandy as it was too faint. One of them had worn a perfume different to the one masking odors, and someone had product in their hair. Again, it wasn’t enough. Was there some wood smoke, too?
He let out a low growl of frustration before trying again. Ah, something. Flowers, and not the ones from the garden. It was incredibly faint in the kitchen, so Farrell stalked into the front room. One of the kidnappers had stood still for a few minutes by the sofa, maybe as the other was tying up Sandy. Yes!
The flowers were distinctive, and not one that Farrell came across often. They grew wild in only a handful of places, and one of those places happened to be at the end of an old dirt road in the middle of the forest, near an old shack with a chimney. That explained the wood smoke, too. The kidnappers probably headed there first to check it out before heading to Sandy’s.
With a snarl Farrell shifted back to human form and dialed the bar as he tugged his pants back on. Ethan picked up.
“Boss, I think I have a lead. I’m on my way there now.”
“Be careful,” Ethan said. “If there’s even a hint of risk, get the hell out and wait for backup.”
“Don’t worry. I’m no hero.”
* * * *
Farrell left the car at Sandy’s place and headed out on foot, then switched to his wolf form once he was away from the suburbs. It was a risk not having a means of fast escape, but it also meant he’d be harder to spot on approach. Nothing stood out more than a car in a quiet part of a forest, heading to a rarely visited area.
As he left Sandy’s street he turn
ed left, then right, then crossed the road and hopped over a fence into a field. He smiled as the scent of nature strengthened. As grim as his job was at the moment, even that couldn’t detract from the sense of joy he got whenever he set foot on grass and dirt. Once they got some free time, he’d have to get Victor out for a run and try and instill some of his love of the wild into the man.
“Try and get something else into him, too,” he muttered with a grin.
The shack in question was a few miles away, but the road leading there twisted around the city, meaning he’d be going no slower running direct on all fours. He glanced around for witnesses, then tramped into the shade of a large tree and stripped out of his clothes. The shift to wolf form was a few moments of discomfort, and then he was off, bounding through the tree line toward his target.
He squinted against the wind that whipped around him as he ran. He could slow, but there was a life on the line. Not to mention that it felt great to stretch his legs. His wounded limb gave him no pain at all, though it complained at the exertion for the first minute or two. He pushed himself faster still, bounding across the forest floor and leaping roots with a barely restrained glee. God, he had no idea how Victor could stand to go so long between shifts. If he hadn’t anything to do, he would have headed off into the forest until he was exhausted, then headed home and slept till the next afternoon.
He soon approached a narrow dirt track that split the forest in two. Left led back to the city, and right wound around the forest, coming to a tourist spot after a few miles. Branching off to the road, though, was a small, faded track that led into a darker part of the wood. Farrell came to a halt behind a bush and sniffed the air.
Three wolves were in the area. He listened hard and picked up some shuffling in an area near the turnoff. A wolf was keeping watch, though it hadn’t spotted Farrell. The wind was in his favor and kept his scent away. The other two wolves were beyond earshot, but judging from where their scents came from, they were upwind.
