“I don’t know,” Lorcan replied thoughtfully as he placed his cup back on the table and leaned back in his chair. It groaned beneath his weight as he stretched his legs out, the tips of his toes brushing against hers. Electricity bolted through his veins as he gave her a grin. “But we’re home, Pretz. We’re safe. You don’t have anything to worry about.”
‘Don’t I?’ Her voice whispered in his mind. ‘I’m scared, Lorcan. What if he comes looking for me?’
‘I won’t let him hurt you,’ Lorcan promised. His jawline tightened as he frowned. ‘I will kill him.’
He reached his hand across the table, taking hers and squeezing it gently as he sighed. She nodded in understanding, but he wasn’t sure that she took his promise seriously. He really would kill for her. One day she would understand just how deep their connection really went. One day, she would realize that he lived for her now, and he would do whatever it took to ensure her happiness and safety.
Presley suddenly perked up, and Lorcan finally turned his attention to what was happening just as Arnold Goult came bounding inside and disappeared down the hallway like a mad man. There was an awful lot of excitement going on, and there were too many emotions to try and decipher at the moment. Excitement, anger, and confusion hit him like a hurricane as he released her hand and pushed his chair back. He stood from the table and frowned as he caught onto a few words from the multiple conversations happening at once.
“He freaking shot me with an arrow because he’s an asshole,” Dimitri muttered.
“Could you possibly complain a little more?” Another male voice asked. Lorcan didn’t recognize that voice, and it immediately made him tense up. Dimitri’s wolf scent was the only one he could detect, but there were definitely some new smells he did not know.
More ursithropes? He wondered as he glanced back at Presley. She stood from the table as well, quickly rounding it to join him by his side.
‘A girl and a boy,’ Presley observed as she laced her fingers with his. ‘And there is someone else, too.’
‘Someone else?’ Lorcan’s brows furrowed as he gazed at her. ‘Who?’
“It’s my aunt Natalie,” Presley whispered in disbelief. She released his hand, hurrying towards the screen door as it swung open. She nearly collided with someone and Lorcan watched her stammer a quick apology before disappearing outside. His eyes then fell on the newcomer. She must’ve been the girl Presley was talking about.
“Oh, excuse me,” The girl said politely, stepping aside and watching Presley disappear out the door before her eyes met Lorcan’s. “Hello.”
“Hi,” He replied apprehensively.
“I am Louisa,” She offered, holding her hand out towards him.
“Lorcan,” He stated as he gripped her hand gently and shook it. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” She smiled, releasing his hand and dropping her own back to her side. “Do you live here?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I do,” He answered, feeling awkward as the seconds ticked by. Five minutes ago, everything had been somewhat normal, but the energy in the room was insane now. He knew that more ursithropes would be showing up, but there was something different about this girl.
“The lady I just passed by. She is your mate, yes?” She asked.
“She is,” Lorcan nodded, feeling a sense of pride and happiness swell in his chest from the confession.
“That is wonderful,” She smiled. “You must be very excited about the changes Urseth will bring.”
“I am,” Lorcan glanced towards the screen door, watching as Dimitri and Rutley entered. The stench of blood assaulted his nostrils and he frowned upon seeing the shape his brother’s mate was in. “Will you excuse me for a moment?”
He didn’t give her time to reply as he approached the two males, his eyes nearly bugging out of his head. “What the hell happened to you?”
“Why don’t you ask the skid outside talking to your father?” Dimitri muttered angrily as he wrapped his fingers around the arrow and tried to pull it free. He grunted in frustration when it wouldn’t give way. “What a fucking idiot. I’m going to kill him.”
“Wait. He shot you?” Lorcan asked, trying to wrap his head around the idea of an ursithrope actually wanting to hurt Dimitri. It was weird how protective he suddenly felt over the wolf.
“Stop pulling on it,” Rutley frowned. “Let’s go in the bathroom and find the first aid kit, dude. You’re just going to make it worse.”
Lorcan felt the anger bubbling over in his veins as they disappeared down the hallway. He shoved the screen door open, nearly knocking Davey Berdine over as he headed straight for the boy who looked a lot like Louisa. He could tell they were related, but he wasn’t necessarily worried about being nice to him at the moment. He’d shot Dimitri.
“Lorcan, meet Beau Xi-OH!” His mother gasped as Lorcan grabbed the boy by the front of his shirt and lifted him off the porch. “Lorcan, you put him down this instant!”
“Who the hell do you think you are, just coming here and shooting people?” Lorcan asked through clenched teeth.
“Put me down,” The boy replied as he narrowed his eyes. “I will happily explain the mistake I have made, but you need to get your head on straight.”
“You shot him!” Lorcan roared as his eyes began to glow. “You could’ve killed him!”
“But I did not,” He replied as he wrapped his fingers around Lorcan’s wrists and applied pressure. “Now stop acting like a Neanderthal and release me.”
“Let him go, Son,” Mr. Bamey grunted. “He’s on our side.”
A low growl rumbled in Lorcan’s throat as he shoved the boy backwards, allowing him to fall off the porch as he turned to face his father angrily.
“You will allow him into our home after he injured Dimitri? In case you’ve forgotten, Father, the wolf is part of our family now. Dimitri is on our side, too.”
“You think I don’t know that?” Mr. Bamey frowned as he lifted a hand to scratch at the back of his head. “I’m well aware, Lorcan, but Beau and his cousin have travelled an awfully long way to be here. Their entire family was killed off by Dimitri’s alpha. He made a mistake. He didn’t know Dimitri’s connection to us. Get that through your thick skull, boy, before one of y’uns get hurt. We’ve got enough to deal with without turning on one another.”
The rage vibrated in his chest and arms as his fingers went numb. Lorcan was trying desperately to regain control of his body as he turned his eyes to see Presley’s arms around her aunt. Her eyes were wide. Was she frightened? Worried? It took everything inside of him to keep from falling apart. He had so much anger, and for what? Seeing Dimitri injured had triggered something inside of him; something he couldn’t explain. Everything was weighing heavily on his mind and in his heart as he leapt off the porch and staggered towards the garage. He just needed to be alone. He needed time to cool off and get a grip on reality.
I tried to attack one of my own, He thought with dismay as he raked his trembling fingers through his hair. Urseth, help me get it together before I kill somebody I shouldn’t.
–––––––—
He decided rather quickly that he did not like Lorcan Bamey. He was too hotheaded and had zero control over his inner bear. A man like that was dangerous and a threat to their kind; someone needed to put him in his place, and quickly.
Beau pushed himself up from the ground, dusting off the seat of his pants before lifting his gaze to see everyone staring at him. He frowned.
“I am fine,” He stated. “I am not so sure about him though. He needs anger management.”
“He’s just under a lot of stress,” Mrs. Bamey offered with a small frown of her own. “He’s been through an awful lot lately, Beau. I am so sorry he attacked you.”
“It was just a mistake,” Davey Berdine, an elder tried to reason as he shook his head. “We understand you didn’t know about the wolf, kiddo. It’s all right. Lorcan will come around.”
I don’t give a damn abo
ut what he’s been through, Beau wanted to say. He didn’t witness his entire village being ripped to bloody pieces as I did.
It was wrong to think like that. He knew better than to let such thoughts enter his mind, but Beau’s mentality had changed a great deal since that horrible night. The level-headed, potential leader he’d once been was long gone, and now he was just an ursithrope with an agenda of his own. He wasn’t here to make friends or to learn about their heritage. He was here to kill Breslin Connor.
“Please come inside,” Mrs. Bamey insisted as she pulled open the screen door and ushered everyone back inside. “You must be hungry.”
No, Beau wasn’t hungry, but he would oblige anyway. She was a nice enough lady, it seemed. He moved back up the steps, glancing at the blonde female who stared at him with intense green orbs. Pretty, he thought as he nodded to her. But she is already mated to another.
He wasn’t there to find a mate either, damn it. He needed to get his thoughts back on track, and soon. He stepped inside the house and glanced around, taking in the sights of flowery wall paper and portraits hanging all around. There was a strong sense of family here and it made his heart ache. He missed his family…..
“Beau!” Louisa squeaked as she approached him. She stared at him with worried eyes, reaching her hand out to touch his arm.
He quickly pulled away from her, frowning. “I am fine,” He stated in a low voice. “Go eat, Liu. You need your strength.”
He instantly felt remorse as the hurt became evident in her gaze. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately; hurting her feelings. He didn’t mean to…..
“Sorry,” She whispered, turning away from him and moving back into the kitchen quickly. He’d wounded her again. Damn it.
“Are we going to have this meeting or not?” A tall, massive male asked as he leaned against the doorframe. His arms were probably as big as Beau’s head, but what did size matter anyway? He crossed them over his chest, his eyes landing on Beau’s face for a moment before he looked away. “Time’s a wasting here, people.”
“Patience, please,” Mrs. Bamey frowned as she pulled a bowl from the cupboard and placed it on the counter. “We can’t discuss anything until Lorcan comes back inside.”
Beau watched the male as he rolled his eyes in annoyance. He could relate to feeling that annoyance, but even he knew that was true. A lot had obviously taken place that Beau wasn’t aware of yet. Despite his desire to take out Breslin Connor alone, he knew that it was his obligation as an ursithrope to partake in this discussion, and there might’ve been resourceful information he could use to his advantage. He would listen, at least.
The screen door swung open again, smacking against the doorframe as the Bamey boy appeared again. He seemed relatively calmer as he lifted his eyes to gaze at Beau, and then he shifted his gaze to everyone else in the room.
“Finally,” Mrs. Bamey sighed in relief. “Now we can get this meeting underway.”
Eighteen
“Would you hold still?” Rutley asked as his brows furrowed in concentration. He glanced at Dimitri briefly before he focused his attention back to the task at hand. He carefully dabbed the peroxide soaked cotton ball against the wound again, listening to Dimitri hiss in pain. “I’m sorry. I know it burns.”
“It’s fine,” Dimitri muttered. “But you know you don’t have to do that, right? The arrow’s out. The wound will heal on its own.”
“Yeah, I know,” Rutley shook his head as he tossed the cotton ball, now covered in blood, into the trash can. “I just wanted to keep it from getting infected.”
“We don’t really get infected,” Dimitri commented as he glanced down at the small hole, wrinkling his nose. “Just give it a few minutes and I’ll be as good as new. It’s like magic.”
“Yeah. Magic,” Rutley blinked, leaning back against the sink as he wiped at his brow. Damn, it was tough to play Doctor. His hat was definitely off to the people who did such things all day, every day. He wasn’t sure he had the patience himself.
He watched in silence as Dimitri examined the wound and then as his tongue darted out to trace over his lips. It made him do the same, and he wasn’t even sure why that happened. He tore his gaze away from the wolf and busied himself with cleaning up the mess they’d made. There may have been a small part of him pretending he was in an episode of E.R. while he was getting everything out…..
“Thanks for your help,” Dimitri said after a moment. “You seem like you’d be a really good friend to have.”
Rutley shrugged as he closed the lid on the kit, placing it back beneath the sink before glancing up at him. “It’s no problem,” He replied with a sheepish grin. “Liam used to doctor me up all the time…..” His voice drifted off and he lowered his head. Damn it. He did it again. When was he going to learn to stop bringing up Liam?
“It’s okay.”
Rutley frowned and lifted a hand to scratch at the scruff on his jaw. He needed to shave. He needed to call his dad. He needed to get some decent shoes that actually fit. He would go back to his hotel room to retrieve his bag and then-
“Did you hear me?” Dimitri asked as he rested his hand on Rutley’s shoulder, pulling him out of his thoughts. “I said it’s okay.”
A frown was tugging at his lips, and Rutley slowly lifted his eyes to meet Dimitri’s hazel hues. His throat was dry, and there was a weird tugging sensation in his chest as he stared at the wolf. Maybe he was just tired. Maybe he’d accidentally gotten his hands on some more serum. Who the hell knew at this point? All Rutley was certain of in that moment, was that what he felt when looking at Dimitri was very wrong.
“Yeah, I heard you,” He said, nearly inaudibly as he quickly dropped his gaze to the tiles beneath his feet.
“What’s the matter?” Dimitri gave his shoulder a squeeze. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Rutley insisted as he straightened back up, reluctantly pulling away from the other’s touch as he moved towards the door. He grabbed for the knob and then stopped, sighing. “I think I just need some sleep.”
“Then you should go rest,” Dimitri stated.
Rutley whirled around, pressing his back against the door when he realized Dimitri was right behind him. He tilted his head back slightly to stare up at him. Jesus H. Christ, was he trying to make him piss his pants?
“Y-yeah,” Rutley swallowed hard, licking his lips again as he nodded. “I think I’ll just go back to my hotel. Seems like there’s a lot going on here right now anyway, you know? It’s probably a good idea to just…..go for a bit.”
“Yeah,” Dimitri repeated in a softer voice as his eyes studied Rutley’s face. “Do whatever you need to do, Rutley.”
“I will,” He replied as his palms pressed flat against the door and he mustered every last ounce of self-will he had, keeping his eyes focused on Dimitri’s. He couldn’t let them stray away, even though they were trying their damnedest at the moment. “Will you be okay?”
“I’ll be fine,” Dimitri tilted his head to the side, squinting a little as he pursed his lips together. “Are you sure you will be though?”
“Oh, I’ll be fine,” Rutley laughed nervously, shrugging his shoulders. “Nothing a few more hours of sleep won’t fix, I’m sure.”
His heart felt like it was about to burst as Dimitri stepped closer. Why was he getting closer? That was a very bad idea. In fact, it was such a terrible idea that Rutley squirmed against the closed door, as if by some miracle he’d be able to slip through it.
“Are you afraid of me?” Dimitri questioned thoughtfully.
“Of course not,” Rutley scoffed, rolling his eyes. “That’s ridiculous. If I was afraid of you, do you think I would’ve pulled a freaking arrow out of your body?”
“I suppose not,” Dimitri shrugged, inching closer and closer as his nostrils flared. “Why does your heart sound like it’s about to go into cardiac arrest?”
That was a damn good question. Why was his heart beating so hard? Rutley’s eyes darted back and
forth between Dimitri’s as static electricity clung to his skin from the wolf’s close proximity.
Well, this is pretty damn ironic, He thought as his stomach tightened into knots. A werewolf hunter getting the warm fuzzies for a goddamn werewolf.
And it wasn’t just any wolf either. It was his dead best friend’s boyfriend to beat it all; his recently deceased best friend. Liam hadn’t been gone for that long, and Rutley was definitely in the wrong. Dimitri was probably really vulnerable…..what right did he have to feel the things he currently felt?
“I should go,” Rutley whispered, his eyes snapping back up to Dimitri’s again as their noses bumped together.
“I know,” Dimitri murmured in a softer voice as his eyes lowered to Rutley’s mouth for a moment.
Oh god, don’t do it, Rutley pleaded mentally as his entire body hummed in anticipation. Bad body! He couldn’t want that. Not from Dimitri. They barely knew each other. They were supposed to be enemies. He was his best friend’s boyfriend.
Liam is gone, His mind argued. He’s going to move on eventually.
Rutley groaned inwardly as he fought with his voice of reason and his voice of desire. This couldn’t happen. They couldn’t happen, ever. Not now; not tomorrow; not in ten years. It was wrong!
He felt the warmth of Dimitri’s palm against his cheek and it took everything in him to refrain from leaning into his touch. Bad, bad, bad. WRONG.
“Dimitri…..” His heavily lidded eyes snapped open as he stared at the wolf’s softly glowing swirls of liquid gold and deep emerald. God, he was so beautiful…..
“I should go,” Rutley finally said, with much force. His voice sounded foreign to his ears as he felt the breath escaping Dimitri’s parted lips, caressing his own trembling ones as he swallowed down whatever messed up emotions he felt. “I need to go.”
“I know you do,” Dimitri agreed, his fingertips slowly tracing down his neck before he reluctantly pulled away. It appeared that Dimitri was fighting his own inner battle as he turned away from him and grabbed for his shirt. “I’ll see you later.”
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