Gen worked the bar and talked to people, but there were too many for her to remember names. She couldn’t drink, as she had her gun, so she stuck to ginger ale at first and then moved to coffee.
When it came time to put kids down, the women started leaving, until eventually it seemed to be just the kidless people left.
One of the prospects was guarding the door to the back hallway, and when she tried to go to Duke’s room, he had to call the control room to be sure she had access.
He was on a walkie-talkie, so Gen heard Brain tell the prospect to send Gen in to see him.
“I was there when ya’ll voted, Brain,” she said as she stepped into the room, “and Duke said he wanted me in there waiting for him when he got back.”
Brain nodded and said, “We’re about to up the lockdown level, which means about the time you got settled you’d just have to get up and go downstairs. However, we’re short staffed so I need to ask a favor.”
He glanced away from the screens and to her, then back to the wall of monitors. “This is me asking, not Duke. I’m in charge of the compound while he’s running an op. I currently have one member and three prospects I trust to protect us, and four more prospects who need light duty. I trust you more than the light duty prospects. Way more, but Duke’ll be pissed if I put you on guard duty somewhere. My first thought was to ask you to be the guard in the room with the women and children downstairs, but then I thought it might be a bad idea to broadcast the fact you carry on Thunder property to the wives and girlfriends.”
He nodded to his left, to a bunch of monitors currently turned off. “I’m rotating through different places, but if I have an extra set of eyes in here with me, it’ll be better. Can I give you six or eight screens to watch?”
“Can you tell me what I’m watching for, and what the guys are doing tonight that’s put us all in danger?”
“Yes to the first. No to the second.”
“I want to go home.”
He shook his head. “Not an option.”
“Then I want to go to my brother’s house.”
“Again, not an option. You could’ve gone home with Isaac earlier and been safe, but I don’t have anyone to escort you right now. You’re safest inside these walls right now, and Duke would never forgive me if something happened to you.”
“So you’re saying I’m a prisoner? I’m stuck here until Duke returns?”
He looked at her a few seconds, then back to the monitor. “No. If you insist on leaving I won’t stop you. I know Duke told you about someone he used to date who kept doing dangerous shit and needing to be rescued. One of the reasons he’s so into you is because you’re smart. Think it through, Gen. We need you to stay here through the night to keep you safe. There’s no reason to leave. If you want to go down with the other women, I’ll make things work without your help. But you have a good head on your shoulders and if you’ll be awake anyway, I could use the help and the company.”
“What if I see or hear something I shouldn’t? Something I might feel I need to lie about, if asked?”
He shook his head. “I’m using headphones so you can’t hear what they say to me, and what I say back won’t tell you anything. I don’t have cameras on the action tonight.” He hit a few keys on his keyboard, reached forward and touched the monitor closest to him, and six screens lit up on the other wall. It took Gen a few minutes to recognize he was asking her to watch the areas around the compound.
“Need you to watch for suspicious activity, for the same car showing up more than once, for people paying too much attention to the walls. Also, someone walking who just seems off. We had them try to throw Molotov cocktails over the wall back in the beginning. Unless they hit the woods, there’s nothing close to the wall that’ll burn, but we still need to know about it so we can be sure they don’t do damage.”
She nodded and sat in the chair, facing the monitors. She could watch the area, help keep them safe.
“Thank you, Gen. Oh, and one more thing. I’ll know before anyone walks in the door. No one comes into the control room without using the walkie to let me know. If I don’t tell you someone’s coming in, then hit the floor if the door opens. I’ll handle whatever or whoever it is.”
“Why do you do this? Why not find a nice, safe, job somewhere? You have computer skills, you could probably make more money doing something else. Something safer.”
“I’ll answer your question in a little bit, but I want to talk you through what you’re doing, first.”
Twenty minutes later, Gen felt like she’d taken a three month long class in surveillance. She knew what to watch for, and her eyes glanced over normal activity and zeroed in on suspicious people and vehicles. Three cars were keeping an eye on the compound, moving in and out of the area in a well-choreographed dance she’d have never noticed without Brain’s excellent instruction.
She thought he’d forgotten her question, but just as she was starting to get comfortable enough with her six camera views to get a little bored, he said, “You know what I am. Do you really think I could be happy with a normal desk job?”
“There are other options available to someone with your skillset.”
“Abbott gave an explanation I don’t think Duke was going to give just yet, but basically, most wolves have the choice of being in a pack or going lone-wolf. Neither of those options work for me. I can’t handle the totalitarian aspects of being under an Alpha, but I don’t want the bother of being Alpha. I know I’m strong enough, and smart enough, but I’m not interested. Lone wolf doesn’t work for me, either. I need my brothers, need a pack around me, just not an Alpha whose word is law.”
Gen zeroed in on a fourth vehicle, told Brain about it, and then said, “I wish Duke and I had been able to talk before all the drama hit. I get that he needs to be the one to explain things to me, but I have so many questions.”
“I can actually give you some of the basics. Like telling you he can’t change you into a werewolf when he’s in human form. A bite when he’s in wolf form will change you. A scratch might, but probably won’t. However, when he’s in his hybrid form, those claws will change you. If he goes into hybrid form to fight humans, he has to kill them. One, they’ve seen him and our code says we can’t leave a human alive with knowledge of us unless they’ve been bound, and two, he’d never risk turning a bad guy into one of us.”
“He said he’s hard to hurt. Exactly how does that work?”
“We heal really fast. The strongest of us, even faster. It hurts like fuck to get shot, but as long as we can heal before we lose too much blood, we’re good.”
“Silver bullets?”
“Bones take the longest to heal, but if everything’s lined up we can be good to go in ten or fifteen minutes. If it isn’t lined up, sometimes the Doc has to re-break them, so they can heal right the second time.”
“You can’t talk about silver bullets? That probably means there’s something to it.”
“Some questions you’re safer not knowing the answer to, Gen. Do me a favor and stop thinking out loud, okay?”
“Because you can’t know if I’ve figured it out?”
He didn’t answer and she said, “Yeah, okay. What about the full moon?”
“We’re drawn to turn on the full moon. If we don’t have a chance to turn and run on one of the three nights of the full moon, we’re miserable. The strongest of us can keep from it, but it’s a horrible experience so we rarely do.”
“How often do ya’ll turn?”
“Some only change once a month, to run under the full moon. I know one of the wolves in the local pack is currently staying wolf more than human. His wife recently died and he isn’t dealing well. The pack is letting him go wolf for a little while, but will begin pulling him back to human before much longer.”
“So, ya’ll are friends with the pack? No animosity between the two groups?”
“In Atlanta, the MC and the pack don’t get along so well. We usually managed a truce, but there were problems. Duke used to belong to the pack here, and he went to the Alpha right off and told him he wanted the two groups to not only get along, but to be friends. He promised not to poach from the pack, but was clear he wouldn’t turn anyone away who wanted to make the change. The two groups aren’t exactly friends, but we aren’t enemies, either, and so far there haven’t been problems.”
“How often do you and Duke change into wolves?”
“Duke does when something’s bothering him. He went somewhere and ran when the two of you were broke up. Most of us prefer to change after we’ve been injured. Even if our physical body heals, it just doesn’t feel right until we’ve gone to wolf and back to human. If we’re injured bad, turning to wolf can save our life.”
“That’s why you liked the fact there was already a wooded area on the lot? And that’s why the woods are off limits to girlfriends and wives unless there’s a paintball match going on?”
“Yes. Wolves don’t like fences, so it isn’t ideal, but we like rooms and doors even less. Our wolves have learned that the woods in the compound are safe, but are only for napping and not for running.”
“Duke once told my brother I called to his soul, and then looked at Isaac and told him, both of them. I never got an answer before of what he meant, but I’m thinking now that he was saying both his human and wolf soul? Do you have two souls?”
“I’ve done more than my fair share of speculating about that, and I’m pretty sure we only have one soul, but I agree it’s easier to speak about it as if we have two, sometimes. Many werewolves consider themselves two entities, a human and a wolf. When they’re learning control, they see themselves as fighting the wolf in order to make decisions as a human, and in order to stay human when the wolf wants to take over.” He stopped talking to do something on the keyboard, and then resumed as if he hadn’t stopped. “In my case, I realize I’m one being, one soul, with two physical bodies. Fighting the wolf doesn’t work for me, but making a decision about which body serves me best at this moment helps me stay human when the wolf wants to take over. With that being said, the wolf inside of me needs to like whoever the man likes. I once thought I was madly in love with someone, and ignored the fact my wolf couldn’t stand her. Turns out, the wolf was right. She was a cold-hearted bitch and had managed to hide it from the man.”
“So he was basically speaking in code to tell Isaac his wolf likes me, too?”
“Sounds like it.”
“I’ve seen something in his eyes, something wild, more than once. It kind of freaked me out. Was that his wolf looking at me, somehow?”
“Possibly. Duke’s wolf stays a little closer to the surface than most of us allow. He has excellent control, and he trusts his wolf’s instincts. He’s faster than the rest of us when we’re human, and his hearing and smell is better than ours when we’re human.”
“I smelled everyone in the room for a few seconds during the binding. Isaac was something that lives in the water, but not a fish. Abbott smelled cold. I could tell you and Duke were the same thing.”
“Yeah, I picked up on the fact you had it a few seconds, but I’ve never known that to happen before. I don’t know what it means, but apparently you and Duke aren’t talking to each other telepathically, right?”
“I haven’t heard his thoughts, if that’s what you mean.”
His voice grew sharp and he told her, “Hold.”
She went quiet, as he’d told her that was the word he’d use when the men on the op got back in touch with him.
She turned and saw a screen with red dots, all grouped together, showing up.
“Look back to your own screens, please. I need you to be sure no one does anything to the compound. Their cellphones are coming back online, I expect to hear from them shortly.”
Gen had wondered why Brain wasn’t following them, and now she knew. They’d turned their cellphones off, and likely the GPS units on their bikes so there was no way to trace where they were. Made sense — if they’d gone to do something illegal, they wouldn’t want technological proof they’d been there.
“Roger that,” Brain said, obviously talking to one or more of the men and not her. “We have eyes on us, but no activity. Lockdown level two implemented.”
“Sending images of the vehicles now, as well as info I’ve pulled on visible people.”
Ten minutes later, Gen watched the bikes fall into line behind the two vehicles she had on camera at the moment. Four bikes behind each car. A quick glance told her Brain had the other two on cameras farther away from the compound, and those two cars had bikers behind them as well. They went off her screens and she turned to watch but Brain said, “Keep an eye on the compound, please. They’ll follow these cars out of our territory, but we need to make sure they don’t have another car close. They’ve used decoy cars in the past.”
Gen saw nothing else suspicious for a while, and then suddenly someone was standing on a corner looking at the entrance.
“Brain, not sure, but this guy doesn’t look right.”
Brain took one look and started barking orders into his headpiece. Half the bikers peeled off from the cars they were following out of the territory, and Brain ordered all in-house brothers to battle stations.
“I’m pulling your views to my monitors, but leaving them for you as well. If you see something just tell me the number of the screen, don’t go into detail, okay?”
“Got it.”
When the bikers roared up to the man standing across from their entrance, he didn’t look at all afraid of the eight bikers practically surrounding him. The engines shut off and Duke got off his bike and walked to the man.
She had a feeling Brain could hear the conversation, but she heard nothing except the hum of all the computers.
The conversation lasted a while, but no one else got off their bikes. Duke and the other man both looked relaxed, as if they were having a normal conversation, but Gen had a feeling there was nothing casual about this discussion.
Gen zoomed in on them better and decided both men were equally hot, but for different reasons. The other man looked as if he had both African American and Latino features. He was about the same height as Duke, his chest not quite as large, but his arms much more defined.
A sleek looking black Jaguar pulled up beside them, and the man tilted his head and Gen read his lips this time as he said, “We shall see.” He stepped to the car, slid into the passenger side, and was gone.
Brain uttered a breathy, “Fuck me,” and said, “Everyone home. Lockdown level three. I need Duke straight to the control room.”
He clicked some keys and said, “It’s just us. I needed to pull in extra help, so don’t go ballistic when you walk in. I followed protocols.”
Gen heard the keys clacking again and Brain said, “You did excellent, Duchess. Duke’s gonna change clothes before he comes to you. When he gets here, go to him if you want, but let me talk at first, okay?”
“Is he mad I’m in here?”
“He isn’t pleased, but he trusts my judgment. My guess is he’ll do a walkthrough of the compound after he changes, and by the time he gets here he’ll be okay.”
Gen was still watching her monitors and said, “I think one of the drivers from earlier is back, but in a different car.”
Brain hit a few keys and said, “Bash, need you outside. Green piece-a-shit Honda. We just ran him off, he’s back.”
Gen watched her monitor as Bash strode out of the gates and down the sidewalk until he saw the Honda. Without pausing, he stepped into the street, rammed his fist through the opened side window, grabbed the driver by the back of the head, and slammed his head down on the steering wheel. He pulled his hand back enough to unlock the door, retracted his hand, and opened the door.
The skinny black man in the car pulled a gun, but Bash grabbed it and tossed it away before pulling the man from the car and slamming his fist into the man’s face and ribcage two dozen times.
Brains voice came softer as he said, “We give one warning, Gen. We don’t mess around with protecting our people.”
“I can see that.”
“You gonna freak out on me?”
“I’m still processing everything, Brain. I promised Duke I’d wait until we talked before I started freaking out.”
“Not sure if that’s good or bad, but it shows me once again you don’t just react emotionally, you take the time to think it through. You’re good for him, good for us. I hope you decide he’s good for you.”
Bash threw the man into his own passenger seat and drove the car off. A club Expedition followed him, and Brain said, “He’ll drive him outside our territory, and Gonzo will bring Bash back in the Expedition. He was an idiot for thinking he’d be okay just changing vehicles. We’ve already demonstrated that doesn’t work. Good call on your part recognizing him, though. Not everyone would’ve.”
“Do I talk to you about the women, or are those Duke questions?”
“Someone give you trouble?”
“Some were ultra-nice, but it felt more like brown nosing. Some were passive aggressive bitches, and two were just outright snarky attitude.”
“Duke needs to hear it. You can tell me, too, but he’ll have to be the one to give advice.”
“What are the odds he’s… been with… them?”
“Oh no. Not touching that one with a ten foot pole.”
When Duke finally walked in, Gen went to him saying, “Don’t be mad at him. He needed help, and I didn’t mind.”
“Beautiful,” he said, his expression patient but unhappy, “there aren’t a lot of things I’m going to ask you not to do, but you can’t tell me how to be with my brothers, and you can’t boss them around. Brain and I’ll talk later, and our conversation isn’t your concern. It’s nice to know you didn’t mind your time in here, but I can’t talk about it right now. I came to get you in case you’re hungry. I’m starving.”
“I could snack on something, actually.”
He nodded and pulled her into his arms. “Worried about you here with the women without me around to act as a buffer your first time. Probably not a bad thing you spent some of that time in here. I know you have stuff to tell me, and I know we need to talk about shit from earlier in the day, but I’m exhausted and I’m gonna ask you to just let me hold you without having to answer questions.”
“Okay, but at some point in the future, I’ll expect the same courtesy.”
“Not a problem, Beautiful, just as long as waiting doesn’t endanger someone I care about.”
“Consider me support staff for the evening, then. I can tell you’re tired, you aren’t just putting me off because you can.”
Gen sat quietly with him as he ate with the other men. The women were under guard downstairs, so she was the only one with the men. Brain came out to eat, too, and though he said someone was spelling him, he had a tablet in front of him as he ate, cycling through various cameras.
Gen happened to be looking at it as she saw something off, and Duke felt her tighten up. “What is it, Beautiful?”
“Maybe nothing. Brain, can you go back to what was camera five on my wall?”
Brain swiped back and she said, “The guy walking the dog. He’s dressed like an old man but doesn’t walk like one.”
Duke reached for a walkie-talkie in the middle of the table and sent someone to check it out. “You have a good eye, but Brain needs to head back to the control room and handle it from there.”
Brain stood with his food and tablet. “Good point. I’ve got it for another four or five hours, and things should settle by then enough for me to let JB take over. Get some sleep with your Duchess and I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.”