Hide and Seek

by JC Holly

  Blondie watched him in silence for a full minute, then glanced back at his partner and nodded once. Terry tensed, ready for a very short and very painful fight, but none came. Instead Blondie thanked him for his time, shook his hand, and the pair left.

  Terry watched them leave, listened to them walk to the elevator, then watched from the window as the men drove away in a black sedan. Only then did he blow out a long breath and sag into his chair.

  That had been close. Too close. Even so, he didn’t think they’d entirely believed him. His first instinct was to warn Eric, but he wasn’t taking the risk that the men had bugged the apartment while he’d been in the shower. After waiting another twenty minutes he quickly dressed and jogged down the stairs and across the street to a coffee shop that had a payphone. Eric answered on the first ring.

  “It’s Terry. I just had a couple of visitors at my apartment.”

  “What kind of visitors?”

  “The kind with sharp suits and sharper teeth.”

  Eric cursed. “Are you okay?”

  “Nothing I couldn’t handle. They were from our mutual friend. Seems he needed a follow-up conversation.”

  “You’re not on your home phone are you?”

  “No, it’s a safe line.” Terry glanced around, just to make sure. “We should meet. Somewhere safe.”

  “Sure. I need to make a few calls first. Can I call you back at this number?”

  “Sure.”

  Terry hung up and took up a seat next to the phone, then ordered a coffee. He wasn’t thirsty, but he’d look even more conspicuous without one.

  By the time the phone rang again, he was contemplating a second coffee. He answered on the first ring, before anyone realized it wasn’t someone’s cellphone.

  “Eric?”

  “Yeah. Got a pen?”

  Terry scribbled an address onto the back of his coffee cup. “See you soon.”

  “Make sure you aren’t followed.”

  Terry smirked. “Don’t worry, this isn’t my first time.”

  ***

  Eric hung up the call, walked silently out of his cabin and calmly punched three large holes into the nearest tree. With each hit, his anger lowered until he was left somewhat relaxed and lightly bleeding.

  He flexed his throbbing hand. “Right. Think.”

  The address he’d given to Terry was not too far by car, but cars were noisy and smelly, and made it harder to sense if people were following. On the other hand, heading over as a wolf would mean a lack of clothes. While Terry wouldn’t complain, given their earlier performances, the whole ‘shifter’ thing might scare him. There was a big difference between hearing about something and seeing it first-hand. This wasn’t a time for worrying about such things, though. If Christophe was serious about finding Eric, he couldn’t take any chances.

  After stopping back inside the cabin to deposit his clothes, he stepped back into the fresh air and took a deep breath. The change came on hard and fast, and Eric dropped to his knees and let out a cry of pain that quickly turned into a howl. He shifted his position to all fours and let his body’s innate magic do its work.

  The process was painful, though nowhere near as bad as it was in the early years. Bones broke, muscles tore, and organs shifted to suit his new sleek form. His hands became claws, his hair became fur, and his teeth sharpened. Seconds later a wolf stood where a man had been.

  A calm fell over him as he took his first steps on his huge paws. While he kept his intelligence when he shifted, stresses tended to fade into the background as instincts took over. The problems weren’t forgotten, they just seemed a lot less important compared to eating, sleeping, and running. It was one of the main reasons Eric enjoyed spending time in wolf form.

  He started slow at first, stretching his newly reformed muscles before building in speed. He needed to be aware of his surroundings, so he didn’t go all out. The address he’d given Terry was a few miles through the forest that surrounded the cabin, and the chances of being spotted were slim, but there was still a chance. On top of that, he needed to watch for tails.

  The thought that Christophe had sent men to lean on Terry had Eric feeling both angry and guilty. Angry that Christophe thought he could do whatever he damn well pleased to get what he wanted, and guilty because it was Eric who had put Terry in the situation. If he had just stayed out of sight for a few more days Terry probably would’ve given up on his own. But no, Eric had to be smart and call the guy himself to try and scare him off. And that turned out so well…

  True, the move also meant he got the best fuck in years, and that was great—really great—but he’d put Terry’s life at risk doing it. In fact he’d made it even worse by sleeping with the guy. If Christophe found out that the pair had a connection, even one as loose as a one night stand, he’d use it to his advantage.

  As he ran he let his senses extend, taking in as much as he could. Scents and sounds crowded his brain, all fighting for attention. He sifted through them, discarding the normal and looking for the unusual. Nothing stood out, other than the carcass of a deer that something had taken down. He wasn’t hungry, and certainly not for dead animal, so he kept moving.

  Ten minutes later he came to the address he’d given Terry. It was another cabin, though this one was in considerably worse repair than Eric’s own. It had been abandoned years ago, and was almost invisible unless you knew it was there. He’d given Terry good directions, though, so he knew he’d have no trouble.

  Since he was there first, he scouted the area for anything suspicious because padding back to the crumbling log structure. Ordinarily he’d shift back immediately, but he had to make sure Terry didn’t arrive with uninvited guests, and a wolf’s senses beat a human’s any day.

  A light rain began to fall as he waited, stirring up the scents of the forest in a way that made Eric long for a good run. It would have to wait, though. After the Christophe crap was dealt with he promised himself he’d spent a day enjoying nature properly.

  Footsteps from what remained of the path leading to the cabin put Eric on alert. One sniff told him it was Terry, but he stayed in the shadow of the cabin’s wall while he made sure nobody else had followed. There were no scents or sounds other than Terry’s, though. As the man neared the cabin, he slowed.

  “Eric?” The man’s voice was low. “You there?”

  Eric stepped out of the shadow and Terry’s eyes widened. Eric stayed back and sat on his haunches. He nodded his head in answer to Terry’s question, then waited to see how he would react. To Eric’s relief, the man grinned.

  “You’re even cuter as a wolf.” His smile dropped. “Assuming you’re not some other shifter lying to me. Or just a particularly calm real wolf.”

  Eric barked once, which made the man jump, then stood and walked around the corner of the cabin. A few seconds later he was in his own skin again and breathing hard. Terry rounded the corner moments later, concern on his face.

  “I guessed you were changing, so I held back. You okay?”

  Eric shook his head to clear the fog, then pushed himself to his feet and shook his limbs to loosen them. “I’m good.”

  “I agree.” Terry’s gaze dropped to Eric’s cock. “Very good indeed.”

  Eric snorted. “Now’s not the time. We have something else to discuss.”

  Terry poked out his tongue. “Spoilsport.”

  They moved inside the cabin and found an old bedframe to sit on. Terry told Eric everything that had happened back at his apartment. Eric stayed silent, only asking questions when he needed clarification. By the end of the conversation Eric was fuming.

  “I’ll kill him,” he snarled as he stood and began to pace. “He thinks because he made me, he owns me.”

  “Made you? You mean he’s the one who bit you?”

  Eric nodded. “Long time ago. He asked me if I wanted to ‘become more powerful than I can imagine’. I was young and stupid, so I said yes. Once I realized the guy was an asshole of the highest order I got o
ut of there. He’s been looking for me on and off ever since.”

  “Did you and him ever…you know.”

  Eric turned to Terry and smirked. “You mean were we a couple?”

  Terry cleared his throat and glanced away. “Just curious. It might explain his obsession.”

  “True, but no. He’s straight. I think it’s just because he hates to be defied. That, and some other stuff that’s not important.”

  “Fair enough. So what’s the plan? How do we get him off our back?”

  “Only two things have ever worked. Running or fighting.”

  Terry chewed his lip. “I’ve run before, I can do it again.”

  “I can’t.” Eric sighed. “I’m sick of running from the man.”

  Terry was silent for a moment. “Okay, so we fight.”

  “No. We don’t, I do. This is about me, not you.” Eric shook his head. “I didn’t mean it like that. I meant Christophe is after me, not you.”

  “I know what you meant. Thing is, he knows me now. Regardless of what you do, I need to do something too.”

  “You don’t know how dangerous this man is.”

  “I do. I know exactly how dangerous he is.” Terry gestured to himself. “Yet here I am. What does that tell you?”

  Eric smirked. “That you’re a fool.”

  Terry grinned. “Besides that. Anyway, you haven’t taken me out on a date yet. Not missing out on that unless I have to.”

  “It would be a shame to miss out on that, I must admit.” Eric shook off the smile. “I’m talking about walking in through Christophe’s front door and making him regret looking for me. That means shifters. You can’t fight a shifter.”

  “I’m stronger than I look.”

  The last time Terry had said that, they had been in a very different situation. The memory was only a few hours old, too, so it had quite the effect on his body. Terry noticed and raised an eyebrow.

  “Well, hello there.” He stood and moved close, wrapping his fingers around Eric’s stiffening cock. “It looks like at least part of you wants me around.”

  Eric batted the man away, though grudgingly. “All of me does.”

  Terry took a step back, a smile on his lips. “Really?”

  “We go together well. Shifters have a sense for these things.”

  “So do us regular humans,” the man said. “And I agree. So you’re stuck with me.”

  Eric sighed and nodded. “Then we need a plan. A good one.”

  Chapter Six

  The evening was drawing near when Terry pulled off the forest road and back onto the city streets. He drove in silence, Eric’s plan bouncing around in his head. It was risky, to say the least, but if it worked it would mean Christophe would leave them alone.

  And then what? Eric had said they were good together, and Terry couldn’t argue, but their time together up to that point consisted of light stalking, crossed wires, and sex. It was an odd start to a relationship, that was for damn sure.

  Still, there was definitely something about Eric that made Terry grin like a loon whenever he thought of him. Love at first sight wasn’t something he’d believed in before, but he was beginning to think perhaps there was something to it.

  As he turned onto a back street near his apartment, the blacked out sedan that had been a couple of cars back followed. No doubt it was the same guys that had paid him a visit. Terry glanced in the rear view mirror, but didn’t alter his speed. He didn’t want them to know he’d clocked them yet.

  One street away from home, he took a right that led to a new housing development. It would be overpriced and full of the rich when it was completed, but the company had lost funding so the area was currently a ghost town while they scrambled for money. At the far end of the development was an empty plot, and behind that was a forest. Terry made sure he was still being followed, then parked by the plot and switched off his engine. After a deep breath he jumped out of the car and stormed over to the black sedan.

  “Come on then, you fucks!” he screamed. “I’ll take you both on.”

  It was the same men as before. While Blondie merely smirked as he climbed out of his car, Brunette was more than ready for a scrap.

  Neither saw Eric coming.

  ***

  Eric arrived just in time to see Terry’s display. It was ballsy, but it worked. Both shifters were looking at him, and were so surprised that a human was standing up to them that Eric managed to get within ten feet before the blonde started to sniff the air.

  He was the larger threat, so that was who Eric went for first. He dashed in behind and delivered a blow to the man’s kidneys then threw him bodily into the brunette. Both went flying to the newly laid asphalt, but were up in an instant. They didn’t immediately attack, though.

  “Dansen, I presume,” Blondie said, as he dusted off his pants. If the punch had bothered him he was hiding it well.

  Eric snorted and cracked his neck sharply. “You two are who Christophe sent? I’m insulted. You can’t be more than fifteen between you.”

  In actual fact the blonde looked a lot older, but that was why Eric had said it. Age was power, and an easy way to piss off older shifters was to say they looked young. In this case it worked, too. Blonde snarled a curse and came in faster than Eric anticipated, forcing him jump back.

  Blows rained down, but Eric blocked or avoided most. Some punches got through his defense, but not enough to worry him. He’d been in a lot of fights over the years. After the first furious onslaught, Blondie slowed as he got his anger back in check. Eric used it to his advantage and slugged the man in the jaw. Blondie staggered back and shook his head, then came back in for round two. Eric was more than ready.

  Unfortunately Brunette wasn’t interested in attacking Eric. His stomach dropped as the huge man approached Terry instead, who was just standing there, watching in dismay. Eric tried to call out to him, but his distraction netted him a fist to the face from Blondie. The next few seconds were a blur of dodges and blows, but he winced when he heard a high scream and risked another glance over to Terry, ready to run in if need be.

  The scream hadn’t been Terry’s. On the floor in front of him lay the brunette. One hand clawed at his face, and the other covered his balls as Terry kicked the prone man again and again. Eric noticed a bottle in Terry’s hand. It was perfume. He must have sprayed it in Brunette’s face. Like mace to a human, it would incapacitate the shifter, but not forever. Still, Terry was safe for the moment, which meant Eric could concentrate on his own opponent.

  “Looks like you should’ve picked a better partner,” Eric said as he dodged another flurry of blows.

  Blondie risked a glance and Eric punched him in the gut. The man jumped back out of the way from a second blow, then came back in, more guarded this time.

  “Why’d you do it?” Blondie asked as he began to circle. “Why’d you leave Christophe?”

  Eric lunged forward, then ducked to the side to avoid a punch. “Because he’s an evil piece of shit.”

  “He likes power. Doesn’t everyone?”

  “No.”

  Eric feigned left, then swung hard with his right into Blondie’s gut again. This time the man sagged, breathing heavy. Eric followed up with an elbow to the back of the neck and the shifter collapsed.

  A yelp brought Eric’s attention back to Terry, who was backing away from Brunette, who looked furious. No surprise. The perfume thing was a cheap trick, and it meant the shifter would have impaired senses for days. Terry wouldn’t get away with the same trick twice, and he knew it.

  As much as he hated hitting a downed opponent, Eric delivered a quick kick to Blondie’s head, knocking him out cold, then shouted to the remaining enemy.

  “Did you just get beat by perfume?” Eric laughed loud. “You must be new to this.”

  The man spun on his heel and stalked toward Eric instead. His eyes were red from Terry’s improvised mace. His huge hands were clenched tight enough to turn his knuckles white.

  “Fuck
you, fag.”

  Eric smirked and held his hands out to the sides. “You get first punch. Unless you’re afraid it’s contagious.”

  Brunette came in fast, but Eric had lied. He had no intention of letting the man get a hit in. Eric swiveled on his hips and brought his foot up high and hard, connecting with the shifter’s jaw. He collapsed like a house of cards.

  It took a good few minutes and a few more punches to get the two men bound and gagged and in the trunk of Terry’s car. As they pulled back onto a road, Eric turned to Terry.

  “How are you doing?”

  Terry shrugged. “I’ll survive. Just spooked. That big guy nearly had me.”

  “You got some good hits in, though. That perfume thing was clever.”

  “I figured it would either take him out or piss him off.” He chuckled. “Turns out it did both.”

  “It works best on new shifters that haven’t gained full control of their senses. Brunette was at least ten years old, shifter-wise.”

  “What about the other guy?”

  “Twenty? Maybe more. It’s hard to tell.”

  “Maybe we should cut him arm off and count the rings.”

  Eric rolled his eyes. “That’s trees. Speaking of which, take the next right.”

  Following Eric’s directions, they drove out of the city to another forest. Once away from the road, they parked and dumped the two struggling men in a bush. It wasn’t in any way ideal, but it was safer than just leaving them where they’d been beaten.

  “Remember this,” Eric said as he and Terry began to walk away. “I could have killed both of you, but I didn’t. I could’ve tortured information out of you, but I didn’t. Would Christophe have done the same?”

  Back in the car, Terry glanced back at the bush from the rear-view. “Think that’ll make them change their minds about tracking us down?”

  “Doubt it. At least they’ll take a while to get back to us. That gives us time for the next part of the plan.”

  “And which part is that?”