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Mitchum fell silent. He'd been speaking nonstop for nearly ten minutes.
Geoff was dumbstruck. The pain of Laurell's loss, which had been like a shooting, raw nerve, had faded to a dull ache as he took in the other man's story. It was utterly and completely unbelievable.
And yet not a single lie was spoken.
"Vampires? You gotta be fucking kidding me. Vampires aren't real!" Perhaps he should have been more open minded considering he was a werewolf, but it was impossible for Geoff to grasp the notion that vampires were anything but myth. Not to mention whatever kind of vampire/wolf hybrid this Michel was supposed to be.
Elisa sat beside him, wrapped in a blanket. She'd shifted back to human form to hear the story. The agent had insisted that they get in his car so as not to be overheard. It had taken everything in Elisa and Mitchum's power to convince Geoff to leave Laurell's side. In the end, Mitchum had to give strict orders that the wolf's body was not to be disturbed while he "debriefed" the two werewolves. Elisa would have been content to listen while fully nude, but Mitchum fetched her the blanket without a word before launching into his explanation.
The area was teeming with agents now. The damage to the statue had been thoroughly catalogued, and cleanup was already starting. Traxler had been carted off; he didn't know if the man was dead or alive.
"I don't know, Geoff," Elisa said, breaking through his thoughts. "I've heard some stories; I know some folks who'll tell you different. Besides... after what we just saw? I don't find all it that hard to believe." It wasn't particularly cold in the car, but she pulled the blanket more tightly around herself anyway.
She had a point. He didn't like that she had a point. "So all this, all of you..." he gestured to Mitchum and the other agents. "...was all to keep that thing trapped? What the hell did kicking us out of the city have to do with any of it?"
"Michel isn't just a vampire. Washington and L'Enfant believed that he could draw sustenance from the..." He faltered, his cool demeanor breaking for the first time since Geoff had met the man. He gestured vaguely between the two wolves. "...from whatever type of energy werewolves have. Even with the power of the Ley lines, if he gained access to a lycanthrope's metaphysical energy, there were concerns he might grow strong enough to break free. This became especially important when Jefferson started the chain of events that eventually led to Virginia reclaiming its portion of the city. That deprived the spell of just enough power for that to be a significant risk. Hence, The Agency. Washington empowered Hamilton to create an enforcement arm with whatever tools it required to keep any werewolf packs from taking root within the capital. For over two hundred years, we'd been successful. Then you lot showed up."
Geoff wasn't sure what to say to that. "Sorry, I guess." Without asking permission, he opened the door and stepped out, walking back toward the remains of the statue and of his fallen wolf. He hated leaving Laurell's form unceremoniously dumped on the ground like that. Fuck. He still had to tell Lou. His gut twisted like he'd been stabbed. He stopped, looking down at her bloodied form. Elisa and Mitchum followed him at a respectful distance, neither of them speaking.
"So just what the fuck happens next?" Geoff finally asked, not facing the other two.
"An excellent question, Mr. Cooper," a new voice called out. Geoff turned to see an unfamiliar man emerging from a dark sedan. The Manager surveyed the scene impassively before returning his attention to the wolf. "The short answer is, we have no idea.
"But we're going to need your help."
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TO BE CONTINUED