Chapter 17

 

Two months later

The Lycan picked his way carefully through the trees. His fur rippled in the wind and he lifted his snout to the sky and inhaled deeply before continuing forward. There was a low growl that turned into a whine of happiness and the wolf grinned at the gray Lycan that emerged from the trees to his left. The gray wolf brushed up against him, nudging his shoulder in a friendly way before turning and loping away. The second wolf followed and it was only a few minutes before they had reached a clearing in the trees. A large camouflage-coloured tent was erected at the edge of it, and two camping chairs and a crackling fire contained by a ring of large stones were in the middle of the clearing. The Lycan watched as the gray wolf shifted to his human form.

“Hello, Douglas.” Will ducked naked into the tent and Douglas waited patiently until he returned. He had pulled on a pair of pants and he dropped a second pair in front of the wolf. With a soft pop, Douglas shifted and nodded his thanks before pulling the pants on. They were too big and he held them up with one hand as the two men embraced.

“It’s good to see you, Will.”

“You too.” Will grinned at him before crouching next to the fire. “Can I make you some tea?”

Douglas laughed. “I’d like that.”

He sat down in one of the chairs as Will set a large metal rack over the fire before pouring water from a jug into a pot. He set the pot on the rack to boil as he rummaged through a bag and produced a mug and a plastic baggie of tea bags. He dropped a tea bag into the mug before sitting down next to Douglas.

“You look good, old man.”

“Thanks. So do you.” Douglas glanced curiously around the campsite. “Where is Hannah?”

“She’s out hunting.”

“How is it going?” Douglas asked.

“Good. Really good, actually.” Will gave him a pleased look. “She has much better control over the shift now and her emotions don’t affect her Lycan side like they were before.”

“That’s great news.” Douglas shifted in his chair. “Will you be coming home soon?”

Will hesitated. “I’ve been talking to Hannah about it but she – ”

There was a soft bark and the dark brown wolf loped into the campsite. She rubbed her head affectionately against Douglas’ knee and he stroked the fur on her back lightly.

“Hello, Hannah.”

She barked again and sat down, her large tail sweeping back and forth, as she stared brightly at the old Lycan.

Douglas waited patiently and when she didn’t shift, glanced at Will. Will cleared his throat.

“Hannah, you should shift so we can talk with Douglas.”

She made a chuffing sound of displeasure and Will frowned at her. “You’re being rude, honey.”

She chuffed again before standing and disappearing into the tent. After a few moments, she emerged from the tent in her human form and wearing one of Will’s shirts. Douglas stood and hugged her firmly and she patted his back before kissing his weathered cheek.

“Hi, Douglas. What are you doing here?”

The old Lycan shrugged. “Just thought I’d come by and see how it was going.”

“Really good.” Hannah sat on Will’s lap. “Isn’t it, Will?”

“It is. I was just telling Douglas how well you’re doing at controlling the shift.”

She smiled happily. “You were right, Douglas. I just needed to get away from all the shit that was going on.”

She jumped up and poured the boiling water from the pot into the mug before handing it to Douglas. He gave her a nod of thanks as she returned to Will’s lap. She kissed his temple affectionately and wrapped her arm around his shoulders.

Douglas waited a few moments and when Hannah didn’t say anything, he cleared his throat. “Your mom and dad said to say hi and they miss you.”

Hannah smiled. “Tell them I said hello and that I love them.”

“Selena and the twins were asking about you as well.”

“Were they? That’s nice.” Hannah said absently as she raised her head and inhaled deeply.

“They’re wondering when you’re coming home.”

Hannah didn’t reply, she was staring over Will’s shoulder into the trees, and she cocked her head as a faint smile crossed her face. “Do you want rabbit for dinner tonight, my love?”

“Douglas asked you a question, honey.” He said gently.

She forced her gaze back to the old Lycan. “I’m sorry. What did you say, Douglas?”

“People are wondering when you’re coming back home.”

She laughed bitterly. “Home? The facility is hardly a home.”

“You know what I mean, Hannah.” He replied quietly.

She sighed and looked into the forest again. “I don’t know. When I’m confident I have full control over it, I guess.”

“You seem to have control over it now.” He pointed out.

She shrugged and stroked Will’s thick hair. “I can use some more practice. Tell him, Will.”

“Douglas is right, Hannah. You’ve done very well, and I’m confident that you’ll be fine at the facility.”

She sighed loudly. “Well, I’m glad you’re confident in my abilities.”

“Hannah – ”

She stood up abruptly and gave them a strained smile. “I’m going to go for a run. Douglas, it was good to see you.”

She ran to the edge of the clearing and they watched as she turned her back to them and pulled Will’s shirt over her head. She shifted with a soft pop and, without looking at them, disappeared into the trees.

“How much time does she spend in her Lycan form, Will?”

“Nearly all of it.” Will admitted. “We sleep and we mate in our human forms and that’s about it.”

“That’s dangerous for her.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Will stood and paced back and forth. “What would you have me do? Over the last month or so she has grown increasingly fond of staying in her Lycan form.”

“She’s losing her human side, Will. She didn’t even ask about her parents nor did she show interest in her friends.”

“I know!” Will nearly shouted. “I’ve tried to talk to her about it but for the first time since I met her, she’s happy, Douglas. Truly happy. I find it difficult to take that away from her.”

“I know it’s hard.” Douglas replied. “But you must remind her that she is not only Lycan. She is still human, and she has responsibilities and people who love and miss her.”

Will sighed and dropped into the chair as Douglas gave him a sympathetic look. “I understand wanting to make your mate happy, I really do, but do you believe that this is what will make her happiest in the long run?”

“No.” Will said quietly.

“Hannah’s been through a terrible time. It’s understandable why being in her Lycan form and living out here in the woods with her mate is so appealing to her, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. You need to convince her to come back to the human world.”

“Yeah, I know.” Will sighed again.

The two Lycans sat in silence for a few minutes before Douglas set down his untouched mug of tea. “I should get back. I’ll tell the others that you’re doing well and will return soon, alright?”

Will nodded and Douglas clasped his shoulder, squeezing gently. “Take care, Will. I’ll see you and Hannah soon.”

* * *

 

“They’re not ready, Jordan.”

“It’s been two months. They’re ready.”

Mannie raked his hand through his hair before glancing at Reid. “Tell him they’re not ready.”

“They’re not.” Reid confirmed. “They need a few more weeks.”

Constance rolled her eyes. “Try a few more months.”

“The Board of Directors feels that, based on the results from their latest round of tests, they’re ready to go hunting.”

“Ready? Fuck, Jordan! A month with me and Constance and a month with Reid and you think they’re ready? In the old days they would have trained with us for months before even graduating to the weapons level. Half of them still can’t hit the target seven times out of ten and you think they’re ready.” Mannie shouted.

“Not me – the Board of Directors.” Jordan replied calmly.

Mannie snorted angrily. “Tell me, Jordan –do you have any control over what happens in this facility or are you just the Board of Directors monkey?”

“Mannie!” Constance said sharply as Jordan flushed a bright red.

“Richard would never have allowed the Board of Directors to run over him like this.” Mannie snapped.

Jordan cleared his throat as his face continued to burn a bright red. “Yes, well, Richard started the program using his considerable wealth and he had a certain sway over the Board that I, unfortunately, do not.”

Mannie snorted again and Jordan sighed loudly. “For what it’s worth – I agree with you. I don’t think they’re ready either but the Board is pushing for this. Ultimately they have the final say.”

“Maybe you could find your balls and tell the Board they’ll be sending their batch of fresh-faced recruits to their deaths.” Reid retorted.

When Jordan glared at him, Reid shrugged. “Just a suggestion.”

“If I balk at sending the recruits out, if I tell the Board that I’m flat out refusing to do it, all that will happen is they’ll demote me and bring someone new in. And the new person might not be nearly as easy-going as I am.” Jordan replied with a brittle smile.

He pushed a few buttons on his computer and pointed to the large screen on the wall of his office. A map had appeared and he tapped a spot that had been marked with a small red ‘x’. “There’s been a pod of vampires spotted moving around in this area. It’s fairly remote which is a little odd. There’s a gas station about ten miles away and a few scattered farmhouses but that’s it. It’s odd to have a group of vampires in an area with few humans to feed on. The Board is concerned that another uprising is already beginning, or that this pod is a part of the initial uprising. We have no idea how many followers Samuel had, and we all know how odd it is for vampires to be in close proximity with each other.”

“I’m starting to wonder about that.” Constance said softly.

Jordan glanced at her. “What do you mean?”

She shrugged. “I’m just saying that it seems like more and more vampires are banding together. When Will and I hunted together as teenagers, it was always lone vampires. Occasionally there would be two of them together, but that was extremely rare. Now, it’s starting to be rare to see a leech alone.”

Reid rubbed at his smooth jaw. “If you think about it, the bloodsuckers hunting together makes sense. They’re less vulnerable to attack and they can take down more humans at one time. I’m surprised it’s taken them this long to realize it.”

“They’re fucking idiots and they can’t stand the sight of each other.” Mannie shook his head. “Even if they’ve had the brilliant idea of hunting as a pack, it’ll never last. They can’t go more than a few days without turning on each other.”

“Samuel managed to build himself an army.” Jordan pointed out.

“The average vampire isn’t capable of doing what Samuel did.” Mannie countered.

“Regardless, we’re sending a hunting team for this pod. After what happened, the Board is extremely nervous about vampires who have banded together.”

“Jordan –“

“The decision has been made, Mannie.” Jordan interrupted. He regarded the three of them solemnly. “I’ve selected a few older recruits to go as well – Selena, Leanne, and Alex. Mannie and Constance will be the team leads and I’ve emailed you the list of recruits the Board wants on the hunt.”

“I’m going as well.” Reid replied.

“Not this time.” Jordan answered. “You just had your cast removed and – “

“Two weeks ago. My arm is fine.” Reid protested.

Jordan shook his head. “We’ll give it another week or two before we send you hunting.”

“I’m going on this hunt, Jordan.” Reid snapped.

“No, you’re not. We don’t need you on this one.”

“Fuck!” Reid swore loudly and stomped from the room, slamming the door behind him as Jordan raised his eyebrows at Mannie.

“Any idea what that was about?”

“Nope, not a clue.” Mannie lied. “When’s the hunt?”

“Tomorrow night. You and Constance can brief the recruits today and get them set up with their weapons. If you have any questions, come see me.”

Mannie and Constance left Jordan’s office and Constance gave Mannie a curious look as they walked down the hallway. “What’s up with Reid?”

“Selena.” He replied briefly.

“Oh. I thought that was just a casual thing.”

“It is. Just like you and Ryan are a casual thing.” Mannie grinned. “Hey, how old is Ryan again?”

“You know how old he is.” Constance scowled at him.

“You’d better be careful, Connie, they’re going to start calling you cougar instead of Lycan.” Mannie laughed.

“Call me Connie again and I’ll wear your guts for garters.” Constance replied tartly as she raised her hand and lengthened her fingernails into sharp claws.

“God, you know it turns me on when you threaten me like that.” Mannie grinned again and Constance rolled her eyes before slapping him lightly on the back.

“Seriously though, Mannie, I’m worried about the hunt. I don’t think – “

“I’m going with you.” Reid stepped out from an adjoining hallway.

“Sorry, buddy. You heard Jordan.”

“Fuck Jordan! I’m going on the hunt.” Reid snarled.

“Listen, he’s right. Your arm could use another week or so.” Mannie replied before slapping Reid on the back. “Don’t worry, man. Selena will be just fine. She can take care of herself.”

Reid snorted angrily. “I know that! I’m just anxious to be out hunting again. It has nothing to do with Selena.”

Mannie laughed as Constance made a noise of disbelief.

“What? It’s true.” Reid scowled at them. “This has absolutely nothing to do with Selena.”

“What has nothing to do with me?” Selena had come up behind them and Reid flushed a dull red before shaking his head.

“Nothing.’

“It’s obviously not nothing.” Selena answered. “What’s going on?”

“There’s been a hunt scheduled for tomorrow night. You’re going on it and Reid isn’t. He thinks you can’t take care of yourself and is trying to worm his way in on the hunt.” Mannie said cheerfully.

“Shut up, Mannie!” Reid said through gritted teeth.

“I can take care of myself.” Selena frowned at him.

“I know.” Reid said hastily. “It’s just been a while since I’ve hunted, that’s all. I’m anxious to get back in the game.”

Selena gave him an appraising look. “Good. Because I don’t need a babysitter, Reid.”

“I never said you did.” He said defensively.

There was a moment of silence that Mannie broke. “Well, this is fucking awkward as shit.”

Selena shrugged. “I’m leaving. Douglas is back and I want to hear how Hannah is doing.”

She marched down the hallway and when she had disappeared, Reid blew his breath out in exasperation. “Thanks a lot, Mannie.”

“What did I do?” Mannie protested.

“Just do me a favour and keep your mouth shut around Selena, okay?” Reid sighed.

He walked away before Mannie could reply and Constance smiled briefly. “He really likes her.”

“You think?” Mannie laughed. “Selena has him wrapped around her little finger and she doesn’t even know it.”

* * *

 

Selena collapsed against the bed, panting harshly and her body shuddering, as Reid rolled off of her. He lay on his side next to her and propped his head up with one arm.

“Hey.” He grinned smugly at her as he traced small circles on her flat abdomen with his fingertips.

“Stop looking so smug.” She pinched his cheek affectionately as his grin widened.

“What? Can I help it that I’m so damn good in bed?”

“Yes, you keep mentioning that.” She said dryly.

“And proving it – over and over. Let’s not forget about that.” He nuzzled his face into her neck and cupped her small breast.

She shivered delicately and he placed a soft kiss below her ear. “Maybe I should prove it again.”

She smiled in the dark before stilling his roving hand. “I should probably go back to my room.”

“It’s still early.” He nipped at her collarbone.

“I know but I need to get some sleep. I need to be well-rested for the hunt tomorrow night.”

He stiffened against her and she turned to face him when he eased away from her.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

She rubbed her thumb across his cheekbone. “Tell me.”

“I’m worried about you.”

“I told you I don’t need a babysitter.”

“I know.” He said irritably. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t worry about you. Wouldn’t you be worried if I was going on the hunt and you weren’t?”

She stared silently at him and disappointment churned in his belly. “Forget it.”

He started to turn away and she pushed her naked body against his. “Reid, wait.”

He stopped but stared over her shoulder at the wall as she rubbed his chest. She could see the hurt on his face and she pressed her mouth against his. He resisted at first but she licked at his lips with her soft tongue until he groaned and opened his mouth. They kissed deeply and he squeezed her firm ass as she rubbed her pelvis against him.

When they broke apart, she smiled at him and brushed her hand through his hair. “Yes, I’d be worried. But, I also know that you can take care of yourself, just like I can.”

He didn’t reply and she smiled reassuringly at him. “I’ll be fine, Reid. I will.”

“I know.” He murmured.

She squeezed him lightly but when she started to slide from the bed he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace.

“Don’t go.” He whispered. “Stay the night with me, Selena. Please.”

She nodded. “Alright.”

He sighed with relief and kissed her forehead as she stared up at him.

“I sleep better in your bed with you than alone in my own.” She admitted quietly.

She waited for his smart ass remark but he only smiled at her and kissed her forehead again. “Good night, sweetheart.”

“Good night, Reid.”