Animal Instinct

by Noelle N

  "Hey, guys," I greeted, offering them a polite smile when they noticed that I was nearby. Sidestepping Harvie, who was leaning against the counter, I poured myself a new mug of coffee and held up the pot. "Anyone need a refill?"

  "Yes, please." One of the girls whose name I vaguely recalled as Angela held up her cup, and her friend Celine did the same.

  After pouring them a generous helping, I set the pot back down and pushed the box of cookies towards the group. "Help yourselves before Spike finishes them all."

  "Sweet." Harvie was the first to reach for a cookie, and I watched in amusement as he all but crammed it into his mouth. "Hey, do you know why we're on temporary lockdown?"

  "Lockdown?"

  "Yes," Dion chimed in now. "Alpha set the orders this morning. No one's to leave the premises alone. We can't even set foot into Callisto, which is kind of shit because we usually have fights with them."

  My eyebrows shot up. "You guys fight with Callisto?"

  "Not fights. Just – you know, friendly tussling. Helps us train. Alpha oversees the training and Spike and Lance sometimes spar with us, but it gets fierce." Dion smiled ruefully. "And we like to win sometimes."

  "Of course." I laughed and shook my head. "Well, I'm guessing Jed's set those rules because we were in an accident yesterday. It's not just founded on plain paranoia, there are legitimate…enemies we have to look out for."

  Harvie looked surprised, as did the rest of them. "No one tells us these things," he admitted, after a moment's pause. "We all figured it was because Prometheus had infiltrated into Deimos the other day."

  "Well, Prometheus has been hunting down your Alpha for awhile now. The attack on Deimos was just a warning. Prometheus probably wants to weaken our allies to show us what they're capable of. And Jed just wants us to keep constant vigilance at all times." Taking a quick sip of my coffee, I noticed the way they were staring at me with rapt attention; like this was something they were hearing for the first time. I smiled and continued, "anytime you're confused about whatever's going on, just ask. I know that Adrian and the others tend to keep things from you guys because they think you're too young. But the threat's real and there's no reason to pretend otherwise. If you ask me, I'll tell you as much as I can afford to tell."

  Except for some things, I thought, my fingers instinctively tightening around the mug. Some things should just be kept between you and Jed. Don't trust anyone.

  "Thanks, Luna," said Harvie, offering me a bright grin when I nodded. He was about to say something more when several people near the front of the diner stood up. He turned back to me, a look of apprehension on his face. "They're back."

  The tension in the atmosphere immediately heightened as most of the people in the diner began to head towards the main door. There was a commotion outside but seeing that it was pointless to add to the chaos, I lingered, gathering the used cups on the counter onto an empty tray to set aside to wash later. The group of teenagers I'd spoken to hung back as well, stacking their empty cups on the tray for me.

  "Luna?" Spike was the only one hovering by the doorway. He held the door open with one hand and the expression on his face was taut with worry. "You might want to see this."

  I stared at him in surprise and quickly set the tray down, tossing the cloth back on the counter. "Alright."

  It was chaos from the moment I stepped out of the diner. It was dark out, but the headlights of the parked cars helped plenty and I almost had to squint as I tried to rationalise the situation unfolding before my eyes. Lance was attempting but failing to calm the crowd down, while Adrian and several other werewolves were surrounding the boot of the first car.

  "They found him," said Spike, stepping up alongside me as he guided me through the crowd. "He was the one behind the wheel."

  I nodded distractedly, but I was so focused on the way everyone seemed to swarm to the boot of Brutus's car that I didn't even notice Jed stepping up to me, until I felt his hand brush gently against the back of mine. I stilled in surprise before realising it was him, and immediately relaxed, before smiling up at him. "Jed, hey."

  A quick glance at his face made me let out a quiet sigh of relief when I saw that he wasn't hurt. The expression on his face, however, was guarded and he instinctively shifted closer, standing in an almost protective manner beside me when he heard the others slam the boot of the car shut.

  "Alpha." The look on Brutus's face was grim as he and several others lugged a nondescript brown cloth bag behind them. A bag that held something, or someone, that was struggling inside. Jed shot me an apologetic glance before turning back to Brutus, who simply nodded and said, "we've got him bound. What do you want to do with him?"

  Adrian exchanged a quick glance with Jed before folding his arms across his chest. "Take him out."

  Brutus nodded at Giles and Jade, who swiftly yanked the bag aside, only to reveal a bleeding grey wolf with matted fur. It was almost frightening – how bloodied and wounded the wolf was, with its mouth and legs bound tightly by ropes that seemed to dig into its fur. Before I knew it, I was instinctively taking a step forward, amidst gasps of surprise and shock from the others surrounding us.

  "Luna – " Adrian was the first to throw out a protective hand, while Spike and several others had stepped forward as well. Jed, on the other hand, was completely still behind me. His eyes were still guarded, but he made no attempt to stop me.

  "We've got a stubborn one," Katya said grimly, scuffing the end of the wolf's tail with her shoe. "This shit's just been fighting us from the moment we brought him in."

  "Maybe a little – pushing might work," suggested Giles, an underlying note of threat in his voice.

  "Wait." I stepped forward before he could, and felt my cheeks heat as everyone suddenly turned to me. Pushing their probing looks aside, I focused instead on Jed, who had not made a move since. But he'd brushed his knuckles against the back of my hand again, and I had a feeling that there was more to this than met the eye. I bit my lip and studied the wolf. The way it had fixed its gaze on me was disconcerting, to say the least, but I couldn't help but worry when I saw how terribly it was bleeding. "Why won't he shift?"

  "Who knows?" Brutus shrugged. "We've tried everything."

  "He's badly hurt." Taking the cloth that Lorraine held out to me, I handed it to Brutus, who reluctantly draped it over the wolf. I shot another quick glance at Jed over my shoulder and, in an almost imperceptible movement, he managed a subtle nod. Turning back to the wolf, I tilted my head as I regarded it curiously. "Why won't you shift?"

  For a moment, the wolf was completely still. But then it blinked, and I heard the faint sound of joints cracking, fur shifting, bones lengthening as the wolf swiftly shifted. Its shift was so assured, so smooth, so well-rehearsed that I knew he'd probably done it hundreds of times before.

  It was a fluidity that rivalled Jed's and in the blink of an eye, the wolf had morphed into a man with eyes the colour of onyx. His black hair was matted against his forehead, his broad shoulders marked with frightening scars and scratches. But it was his face that caught my eye, specifically the left side of his face – where it was scarred in a way that only the most unimaginable forms of torture could ever achieve. His gaze was still sharp as ever, but the deep marks that curved down the sharp planes of his cheek were unmistakable.

  I froze.

  The man leaned forward, unceremoniously spitting out a mouthful of blood on the floor, unfazed by the shocked gasps from the other onlookers. "So – " His lips twisted up in a smirk as he stared up at me. " – you went north."

  21

  MATCH

  "Diego."

  It was impossible for me not to stare when I realised, with a chilling sense of dread, what had happened to him. Instinctively, I stepped closer, only to be stopped by Spike, who held out a hand to prevent me from moving forward.

  "Diego," I repeated, and paused, dragging in another deep breath as I calmed myself and thought about how to proceed from here. The crowd was silent, but the
re was a sharp glint in Diego's eyes that suggested he was bracing himself for what I had to say. Probably even knew what I was going to say before I even said it. "What happened to you?"

  "What do you think happened to me?" he deadpanned, and shifted his head to brush a trickle of blood away with his shoulder. "I let the princess and the bitch escape from the castle, you really thought I was going to get away with it?"

  "You were the one who kidnapped our Luna, you shit," Adrian snarled, shifting closer to us in an almost protective manner. Every bit of his easy-going nature was gone, and in its place was the protective Beta who didn't take threats, any threat, lightly. "Twice."

  But I was reeling from the unexpected information. All along, I'd been worried about how Bianca and I were coping with the aftermath of our capture. I'd asked Jed to keep a lookout for Diego, of course, if only so I could thank him. But I hadn't imagined that Diego would be the one having to clean up the mess we'd left behind.

  And pay for it, too.

  "I'm sorry," I murmured, feeling rather stricken all of a sudden, "I didn't realise – "

  "Luna, what're are you doing?" Brutus demanded. "That bastard tried to kill you and Alpha!"

  His words made me pause, even as there were sounds of agreement at this. Everyone else was watching with hostility and suspicion in their eyes, but when I glanced over my shoulder at Jed, the look on his face was simply resigned. He didn't seem surprised at all. Which meant that he'd already guessed who Diego was before the latter even shifted.

  If he really had a problem with Diego, if he really thought that Diego was here to threaten us, wouldn't he have killed him by now? For a moment, I recalled the way Jed had killed the three rogues that had broken into our house. He was cold, cruel, callous. They didn't stand a sliver of a chance against him. But here was Diego, sprawled barely a few feet away from me and Jed didn't seem like he was going to tear his throat out.

  I met Jed's gaze evenly, waiting for him to give me something, anything, that would help me to make a decision. But he didn't nod or shake his head; instead, all the signal I got from him was a tilt of one corner of his lips in a faint hint of an encouraging smile.

  It was still a good enough indication, and I returned his gesture with a smile of my own, before turning to Adrian. "Let me talk to him."

  There were immediate sounds of protests at this, as several people spoke up all at once. "Luna." Giles stared at me in disbelief. "You can't be serious – "

  "I'm not saying we let him go. I just want to talk to him, and I want to do this with as few people around as possible."

  Adrian stared at me for a moment, ignoring the disgruntled sounds and annoyed murmurs surrounding us. After a quick glance at Jed, a look of begrudging resignation flitted across his face and he sighed. "Fine. We're staying," he said, gesturing to Spike and Lance. "The rest of you – clear out."

  Amidst dissatisfied grumblings and disappointed looks, the crowd obediently cleared out. Giles, Brutus, Katya and several of the others stood a good distance away, immediately launching into a heated but hushed discussion that I had no doubt Jed could hear from here; while Lorraine headed back into the diner with several of her friends. In the midst of the lull that followed, I took the opportunity to backtrack a couple of steps until I was standing next to Jed again. He brushed the back of his hand gently against mine and when I met his gaze, it was impossible to miss the glimmer of pride in his eyes as he stared at me.

  It wasn't long before Jed, Adrian, Spike and Lance were the only ones remaining apart from me, an unsettling silence lingering in the tense atmosphere. I glanced up at Jed, who nodded just briefly, and dragged in a deep breath as I turned back to the bloodied, wounded man on the pavement.

  "Diego." At the sound of his name, his head immediately snapped up, eyes boring into mine as he met my gaze squarely. I tried to smile, or put up a brave front at least, but the fact that he was the one who had caused the accident was overwhelming. "Why?" I opted for the blunt approach, trying my best to sound calm. "I just – I can't understand this. Why would you risk your life to save me; only to try to kill me, and Jed, later on?"

  He stared at me for a long moment before responding. "If it wasn't me, someone else would've done it."

  "So – what? You're saying that you were the most ideal option for the task?"

  "You made it out alive, didn't you? So did lovesick Romeo over there."

  Adrian swore under his breath. "You piece of – " He took a threatening step forward, only to be stopped when Jed held out a restraining hand. The implications of Diego's question clearly weren't lost on Jed, and he shot me a quick glance, which I caught immediately.

  I turned back to Diego, watching him intently. "You meant for that to happen?"

  His lips twisted up in a sardonic smirk. "You really think I couldn't kill either of you if I wanted to?"

  I couldn't help it this time – I flinched. Because the threat was real, he was right there, and I'd come so close to death so many times that it wasn't something worth joking about anymore. Jed seemed to notice, because a moment later, I felt him step closer to me, the warmth of his palm press against the small of my back and his thumb curving along the indent of my spine. It was a smooth, comforting touch; one that I instinctively leaned into.

  "So do you?" I asked Diego, after taking a deep breath to calm myself. "Do you still want to kill me? And Jed?"

  His smirk widened. "I guess you're just going to have to find out."

  Adrian made another move to step forward, only to be stopped once again by Jed. But even Spike and Lance seemed to be tethering on the edge of their patience, and as I met Diego's gaze evenly, I knew that the cards had to be played right here. His gaze was always unsettling – not frightening, like the one I'd seen from Malthus Trevino. Just unsettling, like you couldn't decide whether he was an enemy or an ally, and maybe he was both, maybe he was in that grey area where his loyalties were always, always shifting. All at once, I was reminded of the time I asked him about loyalty.

  I don't know the meaning of that word, he'd said.

  And it was true – he didn't seem to. So what could you do with someone like that?

  Feeling rather conflicted, I glanced back at Jed, realising that he was already watching me with an unusually calm gaze. "Do you trust him?" I asked, keeping my voice low enough that I barely heard it.

  Jed hesitated. After casting a swift glance around, he took a step even closer so that the planes of my shoulders were brushing just delicately against his chest, and he lowered his head so that his lips were brushing the shell of my ear, sending the most pleasurable jolt down my spine.

  "I will if you do," He replied quietly, his voice so low I didn't think it was meant for anyone else to hear but my ears alone.

  I smiled faintly at him and turned back, only to realise that Adrian, Lance and Spike were all staring at us with matching expressions of shock on their faces. Clearly, they hadn't heard a word he said, but they were definitely surprised that he didn't mind speaking to me in their presence. The thought of that was amusing, to say the least, but I forced myself to return back to the matter at hand.

  "Alright," I said calmly, making my final decision once and for all as I glanced back at Diego. "You saved me once and I am in your debt, so now it's my time to repay you in full." Taking a deep breath, I turned to Adrian. "Release him – "

  The other three immediately launched into a volley of protests, but the affirming pressure of Jed's hand on my back was sufficient for me to stand my ground.

  " – I'm still not saying we let him go," I continued quietly, holding up a hand to stop them. "But I want the ropes gone. Give him clothes, food, and a place to recuperate for a few days."

  A tense, startled silence ensued at my words. Biting my lip almost nervously, I was just beginning to wonder if I'd done the right thing. But then Jed pressed his palm more firmly against the small of my back and I let out a silent sigh of relief, especially when I glanced back and saw the faint glimmer of
warmth in his gaze, his eyes crinkling slightly at the corners as he stared at me.

  Diego was the first one to break the silence, only an echo of a smirk playing on his lips now, but his eyes were guarded. "Not afraid I'll snap and kill you in your sleep?"

  This time, it was Jed who stepped forward, a warning growl low in his throat. But I was undeterred and met Diego's gaze squarely. "If that happens, then it's just my misfortune that I had bet on the person who once saved my life."

  I could've sworn I caught a glimpse of something else flicker across his face before it was gone entirely. And then it seemed like there was an off-switch because his expression had morphed into something entirely emotionless, coldness in his eyes and his lips pressed down in a tight line.

  After a quick, warning glance from Jed, Lance and Spike set out to loosen Diego's ropes. Giles, Brutus and several others soon came over to help, surprised with the turn of events but hardly wanting to argue. Jed was watching the proceedings stoically with Adrian at his side, but when I turned to head back into the diner to help Lorraine clean up, he stopped me for a moment. Catching me by the wrist, he let his usual mask of professionalism slip for a moment as he held out his phone to me, the light of the screen glowing bright in the dark.

  And you thought you wouldn't be a good Luna.

  I let out a quiet laugh when I read his words and reached up, sliding my fingers around the crook of his elbow to wrap my hand around his arm. His muscles tensed beneath my touch and he seemed surprised to see that I was standing so close to him, but when he noticed the bright smile on my face, he relaxed and shifted closer to me.

  "Well," I said, my smile widening as I looked up at him, "there's always a first time for everything."

  * * *

  I was glad to find Jed standing by the kitchen counter the next morning, wearing his usual jacket unzipped and faded blue jeans, a mug of coffee in his hands. He glanced up when he heard me enter the hallway, and automatically reached for my cup to pour me a fresh cup of coffee.