Were-Geeks Save Lake Wacka Wacka

by Kathy Lyons

  He and Nero engaged in a heavy stare down, but eventually Nero dipped his chin. Thank God, because Laddin had been sweating.

  “Fine,” Nero growled. “You get him under control. And then get him back to base. He’s a liability here.”

  “Yeah, because you’re overrun with medical knowledge,” Bruce taunted. “What are you going to do if he goes into arrhythmia, has a brain bleed, or spinal stuff happens?”

  Nero flushed as his own words were flung back at him, and Josh came around the far edge of the bed to face off with his brother.

  “You don’t know jack shit here, Bruce, so shut up and listen.”

  This was ridiculous. They were having a “who’s in charge” argument in a sickroom. So Laddin—who was arguably the shortest and smallest one there—jumped in front of Bruce and pointed his finger straight at his nose.

  “Not a word. Outside.”

  Bruce stiffened, and it looked like he was going to argue. But he was a firefighter, which meant he understood the chain of command. Laddin watched as he swallowed down whatever he wanted to say, gave a mocking bow, then sauntered out the door.

  Laddin didn’t wait for it to close before spinning around to glare at Nero. “Get your puppy in line or mine is going to kill him.”

  Nero and Josh answered at the exact same moment, “He could try.”

  Maybe it took an only child to see the obvious, but Nero was being head-up-his-ass stupid. “You don’t think sibling shit is powerful? That it can cut deep and dig up the most awful stuff at the worst fucking moment? What happens if Bruce goes off the rails?” He stared at Nero. “What happens to Josh if we have to kill his own brother in front of him? Or worse, if Josh is the one who has to take him down?”

  Laddin watched as his words hit both men. They blanched and swallowed, looking appropriately chagrined. Meanwhile, a low chuckle came from the bed. Apparently Wulfric wasn’t unconscious after all.

  “Never underestimate the little ones,” he said. “We have to be smarter.”

  Laddin felt his lips twitch. Yes, by werewolf standards, he was below average in size, but that didn’t make him little. Still, he couldn’t deny that being included in a “we” with Wulfric made his inner child do a happy dance. “I’m the fastest too,” he said. Josh started to object because—honestly—the guy’s long-legged body was built for speed, but Laddin interrupted. “I’m fast because I know where everything is stored. Like the backboard and my laptop.”

  He had them both there. Josh had indeed misplaced his laptop dozens of times in the lab.

  And with that parting shot, Laddin stepped outside to confront Bruce. The man was leaning against the wall, a smirk on his face.

  “Obviously you heard every word.”

  “You guys weren’t quiet.”

  “Actually we were, but your werewolf hearing has kicked in.”

  That startled Bruce enough that he paused. Good—because Laddin wasn’t finished.

  “And just as obviously, you didn’t hear the message.” He paused long enough to make Bruce think, but not let him speak. “And that message was… they can and will kill you.”

  Bruce smiled and echoed the other weres’ words. “They can try.”

  “Mamma mia, you big guys are idiots. First off, there would be two against one. That alone ought to make sense to you. But Josh has been training for weeks now. Nero’s been the alpha of an elite combat pack for three years. Any of that give you pause? Josh has been around the block, Nero’s been around the world, and you’ve taken one step. Catch a clue or die. Those are the werewolf ways.”

  Bruce didn’t respond as his expression tightened into a hard mask. But it was a respectful mask, so that gave Laddin hope. As did the knowledge that Bruce was a firefighter. He was no stranger to harsh training. Laddin was counting on him responding to a drill-sergeant tone.

  “Second off, thank you for helping Wulfric. He’s important to us, and we appreciate the help.”

  It took a moment for those words to sink in, and Bruce’s eyes widened in surprise. He obviously hadn’t expected gratitude.

  “It’s my job.” He delivered the words in a flat tone, but they told Laddin that Bruce was always a first responder, no matter whether he was getting paid for it. His role as a firefighter/paramedic was his identity, and that scored points in Laddin’s mind.

  “You’re not on the paramedic clock here,” he said. “You don’t have to help if you don’t want to.”

  He waited for Bruce to say something, but no words came out. If Laddin was a good judge of expressions—and he usually was—then Bruce himself was feeling conflicted about everything. And that didn’t jibe with the fact that he’d willingly become a werewolf.

  “Third, I need to know why you did it.”

  Bruce’s eyes narrowed. “I’m a paramedic. I can’t not help.”

  “I’m not talking about Wulfric. Why’d you eat the fruit? Why are you here in the first place?”

  He was just posing the questions. He didn’t really expect any answers, but then Bruce’s gaze hopped to the closed bedroom door. “I’m here for my brother.”

  “Josh is doing fine.”

  Bruce’s mouth flattened into a thin line. He didn’t respond, but his silence spoke volumes.

  “You’re a ‘see it to believe it’ kind of guy. I get that. So why are you taunting Josh instead of talking to him?”

  Bull’s-eye! Bruce flushed the same ruddy color that his brother did.

  “I haven’t had the chance.” His gaze shot back to Laddin, and it was dark with challenge. “You want to thank me for taking care of Wulfric? Let me talk to my brother alone.”

  “Josh doesn’t answer to me.”

  Bruce shrugged. “Find a way.”

  Laddin nodded as if he were considering the difficult challenge. He even rubbed his chin for good measure. Then he grabbed the door and opened it enough to whisper inside. “Josh. Your brother wants to talk to you alone. You up for that?”

  A chair scraped back, and Josh appeared in the doorway. “Sure. Am I allowed to beat the shit out of him?”

  “No.”

  “Bummer. I guess I’ll just have to think of something more devious.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, Laddin saw Bruce wince. Probably because Josh was a scientific genius and had likely put his brother through a lot when they were kids. But to his credit, Bruce didn’t back down. He stood there, tall and stern, as if he were facing a firing squad.

  Ugh. Laddin made a mental note to thank his mother for not having any more kids. This sibling shit was annoying.

  “Keep it quiet,” he ordered, “and keep it right here.” That way Nero would be on hand if the shit hit the fan. “I’m going to see about our rooms.” He’d only been a trainer for a few hours, and already he was exhausted. God only knew how bad it would get after a couple of days. Maybe, if he was lucky, the big black lake of doom would kill them all first.

  Chapter 6

  BRUCE TRIES TO MAKE AMENDS

  BRUCE HAD been heading for this moment for a few years now. The realization that he’d been a monster to his brother had led him, step by step, to right now, when he could finally apologize. If he did it right, he and Josh could start again without their history coming between them. Except now that he was here, he had no idea what to say.

  So he started at the beginning.

  “I was an ass to you, and I’m sorry.”

  Josh jerked backward a half step. Clearly he hadn’t expected an apology, and his eyes narrowed in suspicion. “O-kaaaay,” he said, drawing out the word. “Care to be more specific?”

  Not really, but Bruce supposed beggars couldn’t be choosers. “I was a horrible big brother. I was supposed to look out for you. Instead, I hurt you every chance I could.” He wanted to give excuses. He wanted to explain about what their father had said about Josh, that he was a monster and it was up to Bruce to keep his brother weak and off-balance. But that didn’t change the facts. “I’m sorry,” he stressed, wonder
ing if Josh knew how hard it was for him to say those words.

  “I heard that. I just don’t believe it.”

  In all the times that this moment had played out in his head, it had never occurred to him that he might hear those words from Josh—that his brother wouldn’t see, wouldn’t feel how genuinely sorry he was. Josh had always felt things. He teared up at those “save the animals” commercials, and he used to do a happy dance whenever he made their mother smile.

  “I…,” Bruce protested. “How can I convince you?”

  “Start by admitting the real reason you ate that cherry.”

  Shit. “If you don’t believe I’m sorry, then you’re not going to believe I did it to protect you.”

  “Bull. That was all about getting power. You saw that I had something, and you wanted to get in on it.”

  “I saw that you’d joined a cult and the only way to get you out was to go in myself.”

  “Do you even hear how ridiculous that sounds? I’m doing important things here. I’m trying to save the fucking planet.”

  “And I’m just trying to save you,” Bruce said, leaning in so he could speak quietly. “That fairy bastard still has his eyes on you. He said so.”

  “I can handle Bitter. And even if I can’t, how could you possibly help me? You don’t know jack about anything.”

  “I’m a fast learner.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  That stung. Maybe he wasn’t a mega-brain like Josh, but he was smart and resourceful. And becoming a paramedic wasn’t exactly chump work. But he’d never win in a verbal war with his brother. He took a breath and blew it out slowly. “I’m here to help—to be the brother I wasn’t when we were kids.”

  Josh threw up his hands. “Oh wow! How nice. Except you’re ten years too late. I don’t need a brother, and if I did, it sure as hell wouldn’t be someone like you.”

  Bruce set his jaw and shoved his fists deep into his sweatpants pockets. He would not revert to acting like the kid he’d been, who would have punched Josh by now. “Lots of people value someone like me.”

  “Not me,” Josh said in a hard tone. “I was recruited, Bruce. They need brains, not brawn. You’re just another meathead.”

  “Really? Because it looks to me like I’m the only medical skill you’ve got.”

  That was a true hit, and Josh knew it. His eyes narrowed and his jaw worked, but he didn’t lash out like he’d done when they were kids. Instead, he rocked back on his heels and spoke with the cold authority of someone who knew what the hell he was talking about.

  “Yes, you are,” he said. “And that’s the only reason you’re still here.” He lifted his chin, and his words came out like tiny stones that hurt. “I’m the one who figured out how to defeat the demon. I’m the one who negotiated with a fairy prince and came out ahead. All you’ve done is piss in your own cage.”

  Bruce felt his face heat. How many times had he had to slap down a new firefighter who thought he knew more than everyone else, just because he’d finished fire training? The newbies were always high on arrogance and low on real knowledge. He’d taken great pleasure in knocking some reality into their thick heads before they got themselves or someone else hurt.

  Josh was right. All he’d managed to do so far was to come back to human. He hadn’t a clue about being a werewolf, much less fighting a demon. But he’d come in hot to save his brother. When he’d heard the menace in Bitterroot’s voice, he’d felt like he had no choice. Josh was in over his head. So even though it might take some time before Bruce figured out his head from his tail, he was here to watch his brother’s back. And that was always a good thing, even if all he did was give Josh the chance to fight back.

  “I’m here to help,” he said, because all those other words weren’t going to come out right.

  “You’re here because you’re jealous of me.” And then Josh’s eyes widened in surprise, his expression softened, and his lips curved. “Holy shit. You’re jealous of me.” He let his head drop back as he looked at the ceiling. “Why didn’t I see that before? All those times you beat me up. All those things you did to make me feel small. It was because you’re jealous.” He grinned as he looked back at Bruce. “I’m smarter than you. I’m going to earn a hell of a lot more money than you. And now I’m happy. Do you hear that?” He leaned forward as if shoving something shiny into Bruce’s face. “I’m happy, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

  And then he looked over Bruce’s shoulder to where Laddin was leaning against the wall, listening to every word.

  “We’ve had our private chat. Now keep your puppy the hell away from me,” Josh said, then spun around and went back into Wulfric’s room.

  Meanwhile, Bruce stood there, feeling raw. In his imagination, they’d had the conversation in a bar over beers. They’d talk about sports and Josh’s chemistry stuff. Then Bruce’s apology would have landed on softer ground. Never in his wildest dreams had it gone this badly. And now he was smarting from the pain of being so wrong.

  “Is it true?” Laddin asked. “Are you jealous?” His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. Enough to let Bruce know he had to answer.

  “No.”

  “He’s got a lot to be jealous of. He’s brilliant, a ton of fun, and has a bright future with a guy who loves him.”

  Bruce turned to stare hard at Laddin. “Sounds like you’re jealous.”

  Laddin’s lips curved. “I gave up jealousy the day I quit peewee football.” He held up his hand with the shortened fingers. “Even with this, I could catch and throw. And since I was fast, I was an asset to the team.”

  “What does that have to do with anything?” Bruce tried—and failed—to keep the annoyance out of his tone.

  “I hated football. It’s just a bunch of guys beating up on each other. But it made me realize that I needed to go for what I wanted, not what everyone else had.”

  “Football is about a lot more than simply beating each other up.”

  Laddin shrugged. “Maybe, but I had much more fun blowing shit up. A little C-4 made my life Nirvana. Pretty soon I was working on movie sets for real money, and I wasn’t risking brain damage to do it.”

  “You sure? Post-concussion syndrome happens with explosives too.”

  “Clever,” Laddin said as he pushed off the wall. “Turn the questions around to me and put it straight into your area of expertise. The thing is, I’m not playing. We’re talking about you now. About why you chose to rescue a brother who doesn’t need or want your help.”

  Damn, he’d underestimated Laddin. Not only did he have the guts to face down Nero in Wulfric’s bedroom, but he was smart too. That earned Bruce’s respect… and an honest answer. “That fairy meant business. He was talking about enslaving Josh.”

  “And you could have told Josh that. But instead, you pop a cherry into your mouth and become just like him. Sounds like jealousy to me.”

  “It’s not! I was trying to protect him!”

  “Because you know all about fairies and werewolves and stuff like that.”

  Bruce shut his mouth. This was a rehash of the exact argument he’d had with Josh, and he didn’t feel like doing it again. He buttoned his lip and moved into an at-attention stance. If he was going to get chewed out, then fine. It wouldn’t be his first time. But he’d be damned if he discussed his fucked-up brotherly relationship with anyone.

  Except Laddin didn’t chew him out. He stood there and watched him, his gaze heavy and his body weirdly still. In the short time that Bruce had known Laddin, the guy had never stopped moving. This sudden stillness was unnerving. Which—he supposed—was exactly the point. But he’d lay odds that he could outlast Mr. Hyperactive any day. He stood still too… and waited.

  Laddin lasted about two minutes.

  “What are you doing?” Laddin asked.

  “I’m waiting for my orders.” He had to stop himself from adding “sir!”

  “Right. Because this is the military… not.”

  No
w it was Bruce’s turn to be confused. “Aren’t you, though? Fighting demons and fairies and whatnot?”

  Laddin nodded. “Yeah, but we’re different. We’re werewolves. We create packs.”

  “Isn’t there a hierarchy within the pack?”

  “Well, yes. Nero’s the pack leader, unless Yordan’s there putting us through calisthenics. Then there’s Captain M, who is my trainer. She’s higher up than the rest of us, but she’s not technically in our pack. Actually, we haven’t really been named a pack yet. Everyone calls us the geeks, though that’s not a real pack name, just a description of who we are.” Laddin frowned. “Wow. We are a mess.”

  He said it. And the guy’s frown of consternation made Bruce smile. “Let me help you out. You’re my trainer, right? You’re in charge of me.”

  “Yes.”

  “Should I go back in there where I’m needed?” He gestured to Wulfric’s bedroom door. “Or are you going to poke me with more useless questions?” The answer was obvious. He needed to go back and stay with Wulfric. He relaxed back on his heels and waited for Laddin to say just that.

  He didn’t. Instead, Laddin cracked Wulfric’s bedroom door open and poked his head in.

  “Any change?” Laddin asked Nero.

  “His supernatural healing is kicking in. He’ll be fine. And even prettier for it.”

  Bruce didn’t believe it, so he quickly stepped around Laddin and pushed into the room. Sure enough, the hamburger that had been Wulfric’s face was already sealing shut. Bruce snatched up the stethoscope and listened to Wulfric’s heart. He even gently prodded the man’s body to see if anything had manifested that needed immediate attention.

  Nothing. Wulfric was indeed healing fast and healing well. Bruce looked up at Laddin. “Is this normal for a werewolf? Do all of us knit together so quickly?”

  Everyone in the room shook their head, including Josh, but Nero was the one who spoke. “This is special to Wulfric and maybe a couple of his other descendants.” He eyed Josh, who abruptly gasped.