The game was already past half-time but he didn't bother restarting it. The Fist offense had set up O'Brady Tyrell with the ruckball and he was running for the end zone. Killer Ensak Ssarg came out of nowhere and tackled him. They rolled out of bounds then back in as they fought for the ball.
Wulf swung his legs over the side and turned up the volume. "Tyrell! Don't you let that asshole get the ball!"
The wrestling aspect went on for almost two minutes, with neither side gaining an advantage. Finally, Ssarg threw himself over the ball. Tyrell grabbed the edge of his helmet and yanked him up and off it, kicked the ball over the end zone and threw both hands in the air at the same time as the referee.
Wulf jumped up. "Touchdown!" The holocam focused on Ssarg and Tyrell, who had gone back to wrestling in the grass. "Hot damn. I love a good fight." He perched on the edge of the couch to watch.
A boom of thunder rattled the vase on a table. Wulf turned down the sound and listened but heard no other sounds of a storm. He turned the volume back up and followed the game as referees pulled Ssarg and Tyrell apart.
Both players were penalized for fighting after touchdown--ten seconds time taken off both their record times for the season. "Damn. That much could cost 'em contract money." He popped up and went hunting for a snack while the local announcers argued over who should have lost more time.
He found the kitchen, pulled a soda out of the cupboard, and popped the top. It chilled instantly in his hand. He grabbed a bag of chips from the counter and did a double take at the type.
"Sweet potato chips? Prolly organic on top of it." He tossed them back on the counter and headed back to watch some more.
Tyrell was back in the game, running all out for a touchdown when here came Ssarg again.
"Oh, shit. I don't believe it. Those two always play like they're the only ones on the field." Tyrell was twenty tradestandard yards from a touchdown when Ssarg tackled him around the legs. They both went down hard, totally out of bounds this time.
Ssarg slammed both fists into Tyrell's chest. Wulf felt the ground shake as if he were there. "Ouch! That had to hurt."
Referees stood by, watching to ensure the fight stayed within rules. Ssarg had been known to draw blood on more than one occasion. Some idiots in the bleachers were chanting, "Ssarg, Ssarg, Ssarg." How stupid could you get? That game's on Fist home territory. Likely be blood in the stands before it's over.
The deep rattle Wulf had felt before shook the house again. He muted the game and stood up. "What the hell is that?" He started toward the window, recalled Luc's warning, and stood stock still in the middle of the room.
What if it was one of the hit men, trying to get in?
At that moment, the chandelier above rattled and swayed.
Luc? What the hell are you doing? He wouldn't hit Senthys, would he?
Wulf pounded up the stairs and listened at the top. It sounded like a game of ruckball was going on up here, with voices raised as something heavy hit the wall on his left. He ran down that hallway, yanking open doors. Bedroom, bathroom, bedroom, study room...
A thud jarred the next door. Wulf jerked it open in time to see a boxing glove headed right for his face.
Chapter Twelve
Kelthia, Miraj City, Holding District
The Harbinger's home
"Wulf?" Luc's voice intruded in the darkness. "Wulf, wake up."
Wulf opened his eyes to find Luc and Senthys both hovering over him. "What happened?"
The teenager leaned in close, peering at him. "His nose is busted."
"Senthys!" Luc snapped. "Get back. This is all your fault!"
"Is not!" the youth shot back. "I didn't deck him, you did."
Wulf groaned and rubbed his head. "You hit me?"
"He sure did." Senthys jerked a thumb at Luc. "Right in the nose."
"I did not!" Luc shoved the youth's shoulder, knocking him sideways.
"Shut up, both of you. Somebody hit me, but why?" Wulf raised himself up on an elbow.
"Don't get up." Luc knocked it out from under him.
"Ow." Wulf grabbed his head, which had bounced on the semi-soft surface.
"I'm sorry." Luc caressed Wulf's face. "Why did you come in? The sign on the door says 'Knock and Wait.' You could've been seriously hurt."
"What sign?" He rubbed his brow. "My head feels like shit. Am I in bed? Where is this place?"
Senthys grinned at him. Up close, his cornflower blue eyes had slashed catlike pupils and his fangs showed. Otherwise, he appeared totally human. "Your head hurts because sir decided to punch you in the nose."
"I did not! Damn it, Senthys! This is all your fault!"
"Hey, I wasn't the one who decked him." Senthys moved to Wulf's other side. "You okay, Wulf?"
"Senthys!" Luc stiffened. "That is Mr. Gabriel to you."
Wulf closed his eyes. "Could you two fight later? What happened? Why did you hit me?"
"I'm sorry he beat you up, Wulf." Senthys sat back.
"His name is Mr. Gabriel"-- Luc repeated --"And I didn't beat him up. It was an accident. Wulf, I'm sorry. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"Luc." Wulf laid a hand on his arm. "Let him call me Wulf. No one calls me mister. It sounds like you're talking to my father."
"'Luc'?" Senthys started chuckling. "You let someone call you 'Luc'?"
Luc glared. "You will not use my first name."
Senthys shrugged. "It wasn't me calling you 'Luc'. I was saying Wulf calls you 'Luc'. I know better than to call you 'Luc', sir. I know how much you hate it when people call you by the name 'Luc'. Yes, sir. I sure wouldn't call you 'Luc'."
"Senthys!" Luc's teeth showed in a grimace. "Knock it off!"
The youth blinked, his face a picture of innocence. "Knock off what?"
"Both of you, shut the hell up!" Wulf reached a hand toward each of them. "Help me up, please."
The two guys hauled him to his feet. He'd been stretched out on the floor in some kind of mirrored workout room. He prodded the matting beneath him with his foot. Soft. Catching sight of himself in the mirrors, he touched a hand to his nose. His fingers came back bloody.
"What did you do to me?" He went to the mirrored wall. "Oh shit! You hit me right in the nose." He met Luc's eyes in the mirror. "If you broke my nose..." He whirled to face him. "Are you trying to ruin my career?"
Luc shot a menacing glance at Senthys. "Wulf, I'm sorry, I... You walked in during the middle of a boxing session."
"You were punching Senthys?" He turned to the youth. "Did he hurt you?"
Luc gasped. "Of course not!"
"Yeah, he hurt me." Senthys turned to show him his cheek. "See this cut? He did that to me."
Luc's eyes went round. "I did not!"
Senthys pulled a face. "Now who's the liar?"
"Oh you are asking for it." Luc held up both hands. "All right, technically I did hit you, but it was in self defense."
Wulf folded his arms. "You're six feet five. How tall is Senthys? Maybe five seven, five eight? You're going to tell me you needed to defend yourself from a kid by punching him in the face?"
"You don't understand, Wulf. Senthys is a HalfKin. He has twice my strength." He bent to scoop up a pair of worn red boxing gloves and held them out "We both wear these. It's how we work things out."
Wulf touched his nose again, which was swelling enough for him to see it out of the lower part of his vision. He was starting to have to breathe through his mouth. "Could you two tell me about this after I get some ice?"
* * * *
Luc fetched a pain-stik from the first aid kit over the food-synther, and brought it back. The three of them sat in the small kitchen while Wulf held an ice pack to his swelling nose.
"I feel terrible that you got hurt, Wulf." Luc clamped down on his emotions and unwrapped the stik. "It tore out my heart to see a scratch on your finger--to see you bleeding because I've been careless. Here. Let me help."
Wulf held out his wrist and turned his head whil
e Luc stuck him. After a moment, he switched the ice pack to his other hand.
Luc scooted his chair closer. "Better?"
Wulf nodded toward Senthys. "Why'd you hid hib?" He sounded as if he had a cold.
"When Senthys and I disagree, which is often, we discuss it during a boxing match." Luc leaned back in his chair. "We bash each other around to clear the air. He'll grow until he's twenty-five and his strength is multiplying every year. It's a way to blow off steam."
"He's right." Senthys propped his chin on one hand. "I would. They exempt me from sports because I would clobber the human guys at school. But I can hit the Man as hard as I want. He can take it."
Wulf questioned Luc with his eyes; does he know? Luc shifted his gaze to one side--no. Wulf gave a slight nod.
Senthys caught the look between them and squinted.
With his keen intellect, Senthys would soon figure things out. "Son, order us some Kelthian Barbeque, will you? I've been missing that lately. Get some of everything and load up on drinks." Luc patted his pockets. "Where'd I put that debit bracelet?"
"You mean this?" Senthys pulled one out of an inner pocket.
"You picked my pocket?" Luc started to come out of his chair.
"Sorry!" Senthys held up both hands. "Geez. You send me to the Thieves' Guild Academy. What'd you expect me to do? Ask?"
Luc rubbed his brow, aware Wulf was watching. "Son, just go order the food."
"Yes, sir." Senthys stood, kicked in his chair. "You ever had barbeque Kelthian style, Wulf?"
"Never."
"Oh, you're in for a treat, then. This isn't the sweet type. It's a vinegar based one. My favorite. Dad's too." He tossed the bracelet in the air and caught it. "Be right back." He bounded out of the room.
Luc jammed the fingers of both hands against his brow. He took three deep breaths and blew them out, and then rolled his shoulders to force himself not to react.
Wulf laid a hand on Luc's arm. "Don't let him get to you."
"Easy for you to say. I have to deal with him every damn day."
"Every day?"
"I'm on Tarth most of the time, and he's here, but he's my son. He at least checks in with me once a day. I keep a full staff here that deals with him most of the time." Luc jerked his thumb toward the door. "How am supposed to cope with a kid like that?"
"You're asking be? Crap. I sou'd like I hab a cold." Wulf removed the ice pack and set it on the table. "Is id bad? By doze hurts."
"Fortunately, the gloves were well padded. I think it's mostly superficial."
He grunted. "Stob sugar coating id, dab id. How bad do I look?"
"Um..." Luc rubbed a hand across his mouth to hide his smile. Wulf sounded like a cartoon character. At Wulf's pleading expression, he relented. "Like shit. It's all swollen and puffy and yellowish."
Wulf groaned. "I cad believe you did this to be."
"I didn't do it on purpose. You should have knocked."
"Id sou'ded like a war! You two were shaki'g da whole house. Da chaddelier started swigging."
Swigging? Oh, swinging... Luc sucked in air over his teeth. "I had no idea we were that physical."
Wulf scoffed. "I thawd a hit ban was trying to break id or blow the house up or subthig."
"I'm sorry, Wulf."
"Yeah, well you seeb to be apologizing a lot lately." He put the ice pack back on his nose.
Luc grimaced. He'd had to apologize on the ship because with his Sempervian stamina, he'd remained erect long past the point of pain for Wulf. They'd compromised on positions to help Luc find release, but Wulf had confessed even that hurt him. He hadn't realized what he'd done until after it was all over and he'd seen tears in Wulf's eyes.
I will never hurt him again. Never, never, never.
"It'll take time for the food to get here." Luc stood. "Come upstairs and let me tuck you into bed. I think you should try to rest and let the pain-stik work."
After ensuring Wulf slept, Luc returned downstairs to find Senthys watching female-on-female porn.
"Damn it, Senthys!"
The boy leapt off the couch and shut off Imperinet.
"How did you get that station?" Luc took the remote from him. "I specifically blocked anything like that from coming into this home."
The youth tossed back his dark hair as he backed away from him. "You're a fine one to talk about sex, bringing home your boyfriend. You had a woman last time. Can't you make up your mind?"
"That's enough!" Luc clenched a fist. "You are not in a position to point fingers. Don't try shifting the blame to me. You are forbidden to engage in any form of sex, and that includes watching porn."
Senthys growled like Kin, a deep rumble down in his chest. "You make damn sure I don't." He pushed up his sleeve and displayed the tracks on his arm. "You fill me full of drugs every five days! No matter how much of this trash I watch I can't feel shit!"
"Seems to me you need more of it, since you're even trying." Luc opened a drawer in a side table.
Senthys sprinted around to the other side of the couch. "I already had that stuff yesterday. The school gave it to me."
"Not enough, it seems." Luc filled a syringe with the clear liquid. "Come here."
"No." He backed toward the kitchen. "I don't like that stuff!"
"Your behavior is evidence you need a higher dose than I've been giving you." He did not chase Senthys, but allowed him to run into the kitchen. Luc had anticipated his fleeing.
The sounds of a struggle ensued; Senthys snarled and growled. Luc entered to find the boy held fast between two of the idBot guards he'd called in to assist him with Senthys. A third stood behind the youth, an arm looped around his neck to hold his head back.
Senthys bared fangs at Luc. "I'll get you for this!"
"No, you won't, Senthys." He pushed back the youth's shirtsleeve, baring his arm. "You won't even remember it happened."
Senthys jerked and tussled, sliding himself and all three guards on the tile floor as he fought to free himself. He roared at Luc like a lion.
Luc backed up a step. "Hold him better!"
All three guards were strained to the breaking point to restrain him already. Senthys hissed and spit like a Kin.
"Your doctor was right. You do need a higher dosage to control you. After the stunts you pulled at school this week, it's obvious your old dose isn't affecting you any more."
"No!" Senthys snarled and growled with menace. "Let me go this instant!"
"Hold him steady," Luc ordered. "Mind his feet."
The guards on either side each braced a leg between the youth's and held him in a death grip.
Luc rubbed alcohol across the inside of his elbow.
"No!" Senthys pleaded. "No. Don't do this. I hate the way this shit makes me feel. Please don't do this!"
Luc injected him, ignoring Senthys' cry of pain. This class of drug always stung. Slavemasters used them to control Kin aggression and remove sex drive.
He rubbed alcohol across the pinprick and put away the syringe. By the time he'd finished, Senthys stood between his captors like a sleepy child.
Luc motioned the guards to leave. As soon as they'd returned outside, he pulled out a chair for Senthys. "Sit down."
He dropped into it.
Luc sat in the one nearest and gripped the boy's chin. "Look at me, Senthys." While he'd fought, the youth's pupils had opened wide. Now they had contracted. Luc held up a hand. "How many fingers?"
"Two."
"Now?"
"Four."
"Excellent. Well done, Senthys." He released him. "Look into my eyes. That's right. Very good." Luc summoned his Sempervian gifts and used his ability to beguile. Combined with the drug, his son would remember none of this. "You want to obey me, son."
"Yes, sir."
Luc brushed back the hair from the youth's brow. "You fear me, Senthys. You will not let me down. You want to obey me." He leaned closer and took the youth's face between his hands. "This is for your own good, son. You know the rules I'v
e set for you and you'll obey them. You want to obey your Sen'dai. You feel good when you obey your masters. Agree."
"Yes, sir. I will comply."
"Good. You want to please me, don't you, Senthys?"
"Yes, sir."
"You want to obey me. You fear my wrath if you disobey."
"Yes, sir! I would never disobey you, sir. I swear it."
"Excellent." He stroked the youth's cheek. "You obey all your other Sen'dai. You do as they say. Agree."
"Yes, sir. I obey my teachers."
"You will not argue with me. I'm your Sen'dai. You'll do as I tell you."
"Yes, Sen'dai."
"Excellent. You may wake."
Senthys blinked and rubbed his eyes. Off near the front of the house, a doorbell rang. "That must be the barbecue. I'll get it, sir."
"Let idBot get the door," he called after him, although he knew no one would've gotten past idBot's defenses without being cleared.
"Yes, sir!"
Much better. Let's hope this dose works longer than the last one. Luc started up the stairs to wake Wulf and halted halfway there. Wulf already stood at the top, his expression unreadable. Luc hesitated. Exactly how much had he heard?
Luc held out a hand. "Come downstairs, love. We're ready for you."
Chapter Thirteen
Kelthia, Miraj City, Holding District
The Harbinger's home
Luc and Senthys cleaned the kitchen after dinner while Wulf napped on the couch. For once, Senthys didn't argue over homework and he completed his academic lessons without difficulty. Luc practiced with him for the Level 14 Advanced Pickpocket exam he'd take next week. The doctor had been right; this new dose worked much better. After Luc had put Senthys through his paces, he clapped him on the shoulder.
"Excellent work, son. No doubt you'll pass with a perfect score."
"Thank you, Sen'dai."
"According to the Headmaster, you have the highest aptitude in the Academy."
"Wow!" Senthys shut off the learning pad and picked it up. "He always talks to me like I'm a screw-up."
"That's because you insist on pranks and foolishness."
Wulf, Tales of the Chosen Page 11
