Chapter Twenty-Five

Well, honor is the subject of my story.

—William Shakespeare

 

WOLF SETTLED UNDER Ryan’s reassuring touch, and Thomas’s headache began to wane. They sat on the porch as the guards and Luke turned and walked back towards the woods. When their guests had left, Tristan, Ryan, and Thomas loaded up in the truck, and Tristan drove them through the land to the cave.

“Why did he make that sound?” Tristan asked randomly as they bounced around on a rugged backroad.

“It was a whine,” Ryan answered.

“It was relief,” Thomas said at the same time.

“So, I come up here to sort your war drama and leave with a…what? A bodyguard?” Tristan guffawed humorlessly.

“Or chore boy. A doorstop, even.” Thomas coughed as Ryan’s elbow jabbed his side.

Tristan waved a hand at them. “But seriously, I need to know.”

“He’ll be by your side to protect you from any threats,” Thomas said. “Open your door. Know the layout and security of your homes, and travel with you. Take out any threats against you. So, yes, a personal bodyguard. And it was nice of you to let him see his family before you leave. He hasn’t been allowed to see them while confined.”

“You’re kind of high profile,” Ryan added. “Why don’t you already have one, Tristan?”

“We did. But after my parents died, I let all of them go,” Tristan said. “Except Brenton, and he is going to have a shit fit over this.”

Ryan covered his mouth to contain his amused response, and Tristan frowned. Ryan spread his fingers apart to say, “I wish I could meet the one person who gets under your skin.”

Thomas reached over and pushed Ryan’s hand down. “Give him a break.” Though, he wasn’t yet 100 percent sold on Tristan. Thomas’s jealous streak liked to rear its ugly head on occasion. He was still very aware of who had dared sleep in the same bed with Ryan.

The roadway, more of a wide path, became more overgrown as they drew closer to the cave. Low limbs scraped the roof of the Tahoe as Tristan steered to avoid large boulders in the way.

“I remember my dad telling me this cave was pretty big,” Tristan said. “He explored some of it. He was always worried it was on a fault line.” He slowed down, and they could all see the mountain and mouth of the cave now.

“Garmin retrieval time,” Ryan said to Thomas.

“Ha,” Thomas replied dryly.

Tristan rolled his eyes at them as they pulled up to the cave. “Here we are. This should be fun. How long have they been dead?” He looked at the few buzzards circling the sky above the cave. Tristan put the truck in park, and they sat inside waiting for the pack to arrive with the equipment they would need.

“Not long, but it won’t be pretty, and it will only get worse,” Thomas said. “We should have burned them. We were supposed to burn them. That’s the law. I don’t know what my father is thinking. We just need to burn them.”

“Says the arsonist,” Tristan joked, and Ryan barked out a laugh.

Thomas glared at both of them.

“What? It’s true,” Tristan said. “This Luke, is he really as skilled as Malcolm described?”

“Yes,” Ryan and Thomas said at the same time.

“Gross,” Tristan muttered.

Ryan’s eyes twinkled with humor as Thomas looked at him, so confused.

“We’re too cute for him,” Ryan explained.

“Exactly,” Tristan said. “So Luke will basically live with me and be at my side. What do I feed him?”

Now, Thomas was amused by Tristan.

“People food, Tristan,” Ryan said. “He’ll go out and hunt when he needs to. He will work for you, not be your prisoner.”

“He’ll be very professional,” Thomas assured Tristan. “Luke’s fear of his family living in shame because of him… It’s imperative for a Wolf to have his honor in our way of life. For himself, for his future mate, for his family, for their name. Before today, the Pace name was mud because of Luke’s actions. His father was a high-ranking councilman. That was a big fall from grace.”

“But that ends today for them, right?” Tristan asked.

“Yes,” Thomas answered. “Everyone will respect and honor their status once Malcolm makes the announcement.”

Tristan chewed on his lip, then shot a look at Ryan.

“See, it’s not so bad,” Ryan said, visibly trying not to laugh at just how uncomfortable Tristan appeared with the situation.

“So,” Tristan said, changing the subject, “How long do Wolves live?”

Thomas froze. “A long time,” he finally choked out, then recovered quickly. “Here they come,” Thomas added, sensing the others arriving. “Let’s get this over with.”

Tristan got out of the truck, retrieved the handheld metal detector, and checked it. It beeped continuously as Tristan held it near the truck. He dug in his pocket and held a coin in his palm, then passed the device over the metal. It made a fainter steady beeping. “I think it will sound more like that,” he said. “They should be able to swipe it over the necks and find the two. I’ll work the winch.”

Thomas drove Tristan’s truck into the cave about halfway, and they attached additional lengths of cable and lines to the end of the winch’s cable. The pack had joined them inside the cave and went to work without hesitation. Malcolm introduced a Wolf named Nicolas, who had experience climbing and repelling in his human form. After the brief introduction, they all watched at the edge as Nicolas descended, strapped in a harness, and wearing a headlamp. A team uncoiled looped ropes alongside him that they’d use to hoist the tagged Wolves up to the surface.

The crevice seemed to go on for miles, but eventually, Nicolas yelled up that he’d landed at the bottom and went to work. It took about an hour for him to locate the two Wolves, tie them off, and for the team to heft them back up. Thomas motioned for Tristan to reverse the winch, and together, he and Ryan monitored Nicolas’s line. The relief on Nicolas’s face as they helped him over the edge and back on solid ground said it all.

It had been gruesome by the appearance of the two dead Wolves that now lay on the cave floor, something Thomas wouldn’t soon forget.

“We have to burn them. Wolf law…” Nicolas choked out, visibly upset by what he’d seen below.

“Cut out the devices,” Malcolm said, interrupting him.

Grace had come to assist and was probably the only one in their pack who could have stomached such a task. She worked quickly, deposited the devices into a bin, and nodded that she was done. Without ceremony, the Wolves were tossed back over the edge of the crevice.

As Nicolas shuddered and buried his face in his hands, Thomas rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder and again appealed to his father.

“Dad—” Thomas started.

“No. They came to kill us,” Malcolm said. “Let them rot.”

Grace cleaned the devices she’d removed, put them each in a clear bag, and sealed them. She handed them to Malcolm, who examined them briefly, then gave them to Tristan. Malcolm and every other Wolf present looked disgusted over the implants. Thomas’s disgust was different from his father’s. The others present from the council seemed to hate the Bellums, even dead.

Thomas checked on Ryan who had quietly watched it all. He couldn’t take his eyes off Nicolas, who seemed traumatized from his experience retrieving the dead Wolves amidst a pack of fifty other decomposing dead. Ryan’s silent disagreement to Thomas made it clear Ryan agreed with him that they needed to burn the Bellums. It was a horrible way to treat the dead, and for a pack that was all about honor, there was no honor in this.

Thomas frowned at Ryan, but Ryan’s eyes and thoughts were still on Nicolas’s upset state.

“They had to have darted them and then performed a surgical procedure to implant those,” Grace said. “They probably had no idea they’d been tagged. Alpha, we may want to consider a device like Mr. Steele’s to regularly check members of our own pack. Just to be on the safe side.”

Tristan handed the small orange metal detector to Grace. She thanked him before swiping it across her neck, and her relief was evident when it didn’t beep.

“Do me,” Thomas said and stepped forward.

Every Wolf there anxiously lined up for Grace to wand them next, and everyone relaxed after Grace was through the line and no one had activated the device.

“Were you able to mark our entire property with the club signs?” Tristan asked.

“No, only parts of the south, north, and western borders, but there are more signs,” Ryan said. “I just ran out of time.”

“I think we’d be wise to mark our entire boundary,” Tristan said. “I just have this feeling they’ll try to recover or figure out where fifty Wolves vanished to. They know the coordinates.” He also kept an eye on a still shaken Nicolas.

“That will be our next assignment then,” Malcolm said. “We have plenty of scouts and hunters who run their routes along your territory. They can post the signs. They’ll also start keeping a more routine patrol of the perimeter.”

“Good,” Thomas agreed. “Someone should probably let the rangers know also.”

“They have been given the information,” Malcolm said.

“Should we burn them down there?” Tristan asked.

“No, let them stay there. It’s what they deserve,” Councilman Adler said with disgust and agreeing with their Alpha.

Grace moved to hand the wand back to Tristan.

Tristan smiled at sweet Grace, who still appeared to be so relieved she nor anyone else had activated the signal. “You keep it, dear. Use it on the rest of your friends and loved ones.”

“Thank you, Mr. Steele,” Grace said with genuine appreciation.

Everyone headed out, and Tristan drove Ryan and Thomas back. After a brief meeting at the cabin where the new treaty was signed, the pack went back to the packhouse.

Finally, they were all gone.

“Thank fuck,” Tristan said and pulled his case out of his pocket.

Ryan grumbled, poured Tristan a drink, and carried the oversized rocking chair outside. He sat down in it, and Thomas pouted.

“You want this one?” Ryan asked, then got up and sat next to Tristan instead.

Thomas took the offered seat, pleased as he rocked. Tristan seemed amused by them both as he smoked his joint.

“Tell me what it will be like with Luke,” Tristan asked.

“Luke will be awkward for a while,” Thomas said. “He’s mostly been with the pack. He’s been out in the human world, but not enough, so he’ll be uncomfortable for a long while.”

“Don’t be surprised if he freaks out?” Tristan asked.

“He won’t freak out. Luke will just need to learn a few things. Change is hard. A new way of thinking; he’ll need time to adjust. He won’t know how to do certain things well, even though he may understand their purpose or the concept.”

“Like?” Tristan inhaled and smirked at Ryan.

“Hmm…” Thomas thought. “Like a television remote. He’ll know what it is, but I doubt he’s ever used one. We have no televisions here. A coffee maker, yes. An espresso machine, no. Think 1940s old-school. But he’s not stupid; to be a hunter, you have to be highly intelligent, a tactical thinker, and be very skilled at fighting.”

“So a badass who can’t watch TV,” Ryan said.

Tristan burst out laughing.

“Can he drive?” Ryan asked. “I can’t.”

Thomas frowned and closed his eyes for a moment. “Yes, he can.”

Ryan left them to go inside to use the bathroom.

Tristan eyed Thomas for a moment. “Immortal, then?”

Thomas let out a long breath. “Something like that. Not immortal, but we have extremely long life spans, and we age very slowly.”

“And you’re telling Ryan this when?”

“Obviously sooner than I’d planned, but I have hinted at it, rephrased it. He’s been hit with a lot of change recently. Ryan is a thinker. He has to have time to process shit, and…” Thomas finally just shrugged. “I’m selfish.”

Tristan considered for a moment. “I would be too. I mean, if I had someone I loved like that.”

“Do you love him?” Thomas wanted to know this from Tristan, allowing Wolf to press forward and sense his truth.

“I do, but not how you’re worried about.”

Thomas relaxed as Wolf subsided. They would let this friend of Ryan’s live.

“No, I know,” Thomas said. “He feels the same, very strongly about you.”

They both nodded at each other in silent agreement and understanding.

Ryan returned and handed Thomas a glass of tea, then sat down with his own in hand. “What did I miss?”

“We are almost immortal,” Thomas said. “Don’t be pissed I didn’t tell you. A lot has been going on.”

“I figured that was what you meant when you kept saying forever and near eternity all the time.” Ryan took a drink of his tea. “You can’t keep a secret for shit.” He eyed Tristan suspiciously and then turned his attention back to Thomas. “What if Tristan wants to be a Wolf?”

“You mean if you want Tristan to be a Wolf.” Thomas sighed.

“I love weed.” Tristan inhaled before grinning at Ryan.

“What? I want you around,” Ryan said with a shrug.

“Aw,” Tristan said and squeezed Ryan’s arm. “Thanks.”

They sat on the porch, and Tristan and Thomas got to know each other better. Ryan told Tristan the story about the Magic 8 Ball and a few other funny ones. As the sun began to set, Thomas gestured to the woods.

“Luke is coming,” he said.

Luke, a woman, and three young girls stopped at the tree line. The woman hugged Luke, and he knelt, and the three girls hugged him hard. They spoke quietly, and then Luke picked up a bag and strode out of the forest. The others turned and disappeared into the trees. Luke made his way to where the truck was parked in the driveway and waited there.

Tristan turned to Thomas, and Thomas shook his head, giving Tristan a that’s-all-you-man look.

Tristan sighed and stood. He shook Thomas’s hand, and then Ryan hugged him, and Tristan hugged him back.

“You’re getting better at that,” Ryan said, holding on a little longer.

With another resigned sigh, Tristan let the hug continue. “I agree with Thomas; change is hard.” Then, Tristan gathered his things and headed to the truck.

“Mr. Steele,” Luke said and bowed.

“If you’d like to place your bag inside the Tahoe, you can do so. You can speak with Thomas and Ryan, and then we’ll go,” Tristan said, loading his things.

“Yes, sir.” Luke did so and then approached the porch where Thomas and Ryan waited. He bowed and spoke to them, apologizing again and thanking them for the chance to honor himself and his family.

“Apology accepted,” Ryan said. “Keep him safe.”

“Agreed,” Thomas said once Wolf had reluctantly accepted the apology.

Luke nodded and returned to the truck. Tristan was in the passenger’s seat, and Luke paused, opened the driver’s door, and got in.

“He’ll really keep him safe and be nice to him, right?” Ryan asked as the truck pulled away.

“Yeah. He’s not a bad guy or a bad Wolf,” Thomas said. “And I even see how he got it all wrong. We’re taught to follow orders. Think of him as you would someone in the military. They wouldn’t typically question their commanding officer, would they?”

“That makes more sense now.”

They were quiet as the gate squealed open and then closed.

“Forever, huh?” Ryan asked.

Thomas couldn’t contain his pride. “Damn close. How lucky am I?”

“Same,” Ryan said.

“So, can we get some pets?”

“No, we have a forest full of them already.” Ryan held his arms out indicating the vastness around them. “Pets. That’s ridiculous.”

*

OVER THE NEXT few weeks, the pack worked with Thomas and Ryan, posting signs around the property border. They ran lines underground to provide the cabin with an old-school landline and a line for their weak internet connection. The pack provided them with a cordless phone and an older laptop. Malcom and the council were in regular contact with Tristan, and Luke phoned in his weekly work reports.

“We can’t watch porn on that,” Thomas teased. “They’d probably freeze up mid-act.”

Ryan’s lip quirked as he sat down to send his first email to Tristan, over the moon to finally have this access. They had email, and that was about it. The pack limited the content pack members had access to from the outside world. But they did have weather, the time, and basic applications on a standard laptop. The news, however, had been removed.

“It bothers me about all those Wolves in the cave. And whatever those scientists were doing with them,” Ryan said as he stepped away from the table. Thomas joined Ryan at the window. They both looked out and up at the sky, searching for the same thing, and Ryan shuddered next to him. Thomas didn’t see any vultures but knew they were only a short distance away, circling the sky above.

“The pack is arguing over that. They need to burn them,” Thomas said with regret in his tone. “But their politics aren’t our business.”

“So you do want to remain apart?”

Thomas nodded.

“Why?”

“They’d suck you in so fast. Then you’d just be a grumpier prude.”

Ryan rolled his eyes at Thomas. “I’m not a prude.”

“Well, I’m just selfish. How about that?”

“I’ll take that. I like you selfish and naked,” Ryan said and hoisted Thomas up in his arms. Thomas wrapped his legs around him, then lifted a brow and moved his face in closer.

“Want me to show you how selfish I can be?” Thomas whispered against Ryan’s lips.

“I’ll never tell you no.” Ryan hummed and carried Thomas to the bedroom. He grunted with humor as he tossed Thomas down on the bed. “You know, you are so much heavier than you used to be.”