The Wolf Pack, page 15
The wolf used one very sharp claw to begin a very meticulous slice, from the crotch of his pants all the way down to his ankle, exposing Haven’s bare leg to his hungry gaze. He did the same thing to the other one. This was an exercise in control, when what he wanted most of all was to tear him apart limb from limb. I could almost sense the animal waiting impatiently, with Crosby holding him back by a very thin thread.
“The theatrics are not necessary. We both know you’re not going to let this happen. You might claim to be just like me but there is a sliver of goodness still in you.” Haven was banking on this being a ploy but I wasn’t sure how far Callan was willing to take it.
The wolf tore away Haven’s pants and his underwear in one fluid motion. His manhood was limp and shrunken, by the sheer fear of losing a part of him that he held dear. The wolf batted it back and forth, with its sharp claws digging into the sensitive flesh.
This was a sheep in wolf’s clothing and I stood transfixed, frozen in place, unable to move from where I was standing a few feet away. I wanted to scream for them to stop and think about what they were doing. It was hard to say anything, when the truth of who was behind this plot was hidden within the complex mind of a killer. He found immense joy out of burning things alive and his tone in the bar was one of no remorse. He was actually proud of his accomplishments and he wanted everybody to know it.
They’d probably heard worse and he was in perfect company, except of course for Zenith. She was easily bought and paid for, with information becoming a sought after commodity. Having her on our side by mixing a little pleasure with the business would hopefully come in handy in the future.
I broke from my thoughts to see blood dripping from Haven’s member. Wesley’s growl was worse than his bite but the show of teeth had made an indelible mark on Haven’s psyche.
His mouth was twitching and his expression of horror was that of a scared rabbit about to be devoured.
“Do whatever you want to me. Killing me isn’t going to get you the answer you’re looking for. You need me alive and we both know it.” He said, defiantly standing his ground, working on the premise that his death was the last thing they wanted.
“Bravo for figuring that out but there are far worse things than dying. You’re going to wish for the sweet release of death after we’re done with you.” The underlying meaning of Callan’s words wasn’t lost on me and then he began to take off his clothes in a similar fashion.
He cracked his neck back and forth preparing his body for the transformation. Stretching his limbs over his head when he was completely naked was soon followed by those very same bones shifting and projecting grotesquely through his skin. His face morphed and became elongated, with a pronounced nose. He dropped to all fours with hair coming out of everywhere and his eyes changed from innocent to deadly in a matter of seconds.
There was no way he was disguising what he was, like Crosby had done in the corner away from prying eyes. This was done strictly for shock value and it was working. Haven had nothing left to say when two wolves converged licking their lips and practically daring each other to take the first bite.
There was no better time to interject my thoughts than when they no longer had a voice. I had a feeling Callan was depending on me to be the voice of reason.
Haven had seen the impossible and was blinking incessantly, still unable to say one single word in retaliation for what he had just seen.
“I was the same way when I learned the truth. It’s not like we can close our eyes and stick our heads in the sand like everybody else. I don’t believe anybody could possibly feel the way we do. I’m sure you’ve heard it all before but you can’t doubt what your own eyes are showing you. They mean business.” He lifted his gaze away from the wolves circling at his feet.
“I have to be hallucinating and I wouldn’t put it past you to put me on some kind of drug. That’s it; this is some kind of experimental drug to make me see things that aren’t real.” He could say that, but the sensation of their tongues running the length of both legs at the same time had his undivided attention.
“I wish that was true but it’s not. Do yourself a favor and tell me what they want to hear and maybe I can pull them back before it’s too late. I make no promises, since I’ve never been in this situation before.” I could smell his fear coming off of him in a sickly odor which was hard to ignore.
The wolves exposed their teeth and began snapping their jaws repeatedly, getting closer to the target in question. It didn’t seem likely for them to use this kind of extreme force. I had to remind myself how little I knew of them outside of their voices guiding me with a helping hand growing up. Having sexual relations with all three of them was a ritual and a tradition passed down from generation to generation.
“I don’t buy it, if they existed somebody would know about it. This is simply impossible to believe and I’m not going to play into it. It was a good try and I give you credit for going further than most. Just remember who you are dealing with. It won’t be long before I become immune to whatever drug you have pumped into my veins. I have a very strong threshold when it comes to drugs, it comes with the territory of my profession. I actually get close to the fire to feel the heat burning the palms of my hands when I send somebody straight to hell.” He was a braggart and word of mouth of his violent acts had made him a legend in his own mind.
They were circling him and growling and the fur on their backs had risen signaling how they were losing their patience. Patience might’ve been a virtue but there was no way you could tell them any of that. It was up to me to hold them to a higher standard and not let them pander to the common denominator.
The chains jangled, they were obviously digging into his wrists, by the red marks under the steel links restraining him. They hadn’t broken through the skin, although it was just a matter of time before they did. He wasn’t lying when he told us he had a high threshold for pain tolerance but I couldn’t attest to what he said about drugs because we hadn’t used any.
They were constantly licking his legs of the salty discharge. Tenderizing him was going to make him more palatable. I didn’t know how I knew this, it was as if I could read their thoughts subliminally through their eyes. I didn’t want to know what they were thinking. Hiding from it wasn’t working and their animal urges were like a neon sign blazing their intentions.
“I doubt there is any drug that could possibly make you feel two raspy tongues touching you like that. Take my word for it when I tell you they don’t make any excuses for their actions. It’s always been a means to an end, no matter the consequences. I don’t really want to witness this. I think I’m going to take a step outside and get a breath of fresh air. It might appear cowardly but I’ve grown fond of them. To see them act like this would forever change my image of them. I really don’t want that to happen so the best thing for everybody is for me to leave. You have this one last chance to say a name and you better make it believable,” I implored, with an accusatory finger to his chest.
“I can say any name and you won’t have any way to confirm it,” he spouted. His hands were wrapped around the chains and he was trying to get some leverage.
“They will know if you are lying. There won’t be a second chance. Don’t do it because you are atoning for your sins, when we both know you don’t feel you have anything to apologize for. Do it because of self-preservation. Live to fight another day. Knowing the truth and living with it are two different things.” I turned on my heels and took a few steps, then I heard him sigh deeply in resignation.
“He calls himself the puppeteer. We have never met face to face, only corresponding by e-mail and telephone calls. The anonymity was his idea and I told him I didn’t want anybody looking over my shoulder but he wouldn’t listen. You might have better luck getting the name that you’re seeking out of my companion.” When I thought about it, it did make sense and how long his friend was convalescing in a hospital bed was anybody’s guess.
The boys looked disappointed and changed back before putting their clothes back on. This time I had to turn away but hearing it was almost as traumatizing as seeing it. My body actually jerked every time I heard a bone crack, forming into the human part of their Alpha persona.
There was no reason to disbelieve what Haven had said. He had no reason to lie under duress. A visit to the hospital was next on our agenda and we met up with Wesley to do exactly that.
Chapter Twenty-four
I thought it was going to be easy and the hospital had very little security. That was my assumption which turned out to be misleading. Security had been beefed up. They patrolled the perimeter and had stationed two black-clad mercenaries at the front door and every other exit. They were vigilant and had the earmark of a military presence. Trigger happy and strict in their thinking was how I would describe them.
We were lying in the wet grass and Crosby had gone ahead to scout the area. The rest of us stayed behind, patiently waiting for his return. He was using guerrilla warfare tactics.
Callan and Wesley remained silent, with their eyes peering through night vision goggles courtesy of a bag full of goodies Crosby had brought along with him.
“I have something to tell you both. It’s probably better you hear it from me. Wesley, how much do you know about Natalie? You must have sensed something off about her. Tell me I’m wrong and I will say nothing more about it.” I was testing the waters to see if they were open to learning the truth.
“Now that you mention it, there has always been this feeling deep inside of me whenever I’m around her. I know it’s unusual and I thought, mistakenly, it was sexual but it wasn’t that. Do you know something about her?” Wesley asked, matter of fact and was waiting for me to fill in the blanks.
“There’s no concrete evidence to prove my theory. My belief from my dreams and from what I saw in the locket is that she is related to you by blood. I think your mother was pregnant with a baby girl when she disappeared from the community. From everything I have learned; a baby girl is not going to inherit the kingdom, which is a little sexist in my opinion.” I sputtered and I hadn’t even gotten to the other part I was reluctant to tell them about.
“A baby girl would’ve been shunned. Our mother did the right thing by leaving with our sister. She had a better chance of growing up to be strong and independent away from the community.” Callan gladly said his piece, unaware of how she might have been poisoned by their mother to hate them with every fiber of her being.
“Your mother was a prisoner of your fathers and their verbal abuse. She was threatened with death if she didn’t cooperate, after her ill-advised affair with their best friend. She probably instilled this hatred in your sister. Natalie has taken it upon herself to kill the last line of your family by targeting every last one of you. This is hard for me to say but your true enemy has been underneath your nose this entire time.” It felt wrong that they didn’t have the chance to get to know her before she started this campaign of terror.
“I would probably question your visions, yet it seems the proof of your claim has just arrived. Take a look for yourself before I vomit. I’m physically ill by the knowledge my own family is conspiring against us.” Wesley said as he handed me the night vision goggles and I was able to verify how Natalie had arrived with her orders of compliance.
There was a blur of motion and one guard at the side entrance was no longer an issue. I caught sight of Crosby with his face painted in camouflage, dragging the sorry soul into the woods. I could only hope my presence had rubbed off on him. Dying for a cause was something to be proud of. Dying for money was wrong on so many levels.
“I can’t believe she was right there and I confided in her. I’m such a fool and I can be a little too trusting, believing in the good of everybody. I might have to take a cold hard look at myself in the mirror.” Wesley was chastising himself but he couldn’t possibly predict somebody else’s actions.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Callan said. “There was really no way you could have known the true extent of her plan. I doubt she had the resources to do this on her own. She had to rely on somebody with a long reach. Those kinds of resources come from money and she has plenty of that from owning her own business. I did my research on the company when you went to work for them and I saw no reason to be concerned, which makes me just as complicit as you are. It’s my job to see these things before they become a problem. I have to wonder who has been whispering into her ear.” He was correct and I was thinking along the same lines.
“Callan, you don’t have to make me feel better and it’s not your job to protect me. You might think it is, but I can make my own decisions without any words of wisdom from you. It just galls me to think I told her some of my deepest darkest fears. She must’ve used that information to come up with this plan of attack. Now it's up to me to make this right and don’t try to stop me.” He was gone in a flash, disappearing with just the whisper of the wind in response.
“I can’t have him ruining this. Stay here and let Crosby know what is going on when he gets back. I need to track him down and stop him before he does something stupid to get himself killed. I don’t need this headache.” I was about to say something, but when I turned Callan was no longer there, making me shake my fist in anger.
It didn’t matter how many times they did it, it still amazed me how fast they could move, like lightning in a bottle. Way down inside, I wanted to give them all my love and to show them the kind of affection they could only dream of from other women.
Natalie was most likely on the scene to clean up loose ends, namely the man in the hospital bed. She couldn’t afford for him to cut a deal with the authorities. The first name out of his mouth would’ve been hers. Working with an unknown benefactor behind the scenes, had her under the thumb of somebody else. Getting to the injured man would, hopefully, uncover the truth and bring into light the person treating everybody like pieces on a chessboard. There was a method to how he was pulling the puppet strings but I just couldn’t see the bigger picture.
“What did I miss?” Crosby whispered. I jumped out of my skin and my heart literally stopped for one second.
“I swear I’m going to have to put bells on all of you! I know you don’t do it on purpose but you’re taking years off of my life by startling me like that.” I was still trying to catch my breath and he was looking at me, making me feel like a bug underneath a microscope.
“Where did they go and why do I get this queasy feeling in my gizzard?” He grabbed the night vision goggles and tried desperately to spot them in the darkness near the perimeter of the hospital.
I told him of our conversation and how Wesley had acted like it was his fault. I could understand how he might feel that way but he was wrong to run off half-cocked, in a desperate need to fix things for his brothers.
“I thought we agreed that I would tell them at the right time. You should have at least waited until I was here to talk him down. Well, it doesn’t matter now, there’s nothing we can do about it. Wesley is very sensitive and he takes things very personally. Let’s hope Callan has luck in tracking him down before he does something he can’t take back.” Crosby was ready for war and this was the first time I took a careful look at what he was wearing in the cold light of reality.
Dressed all in black from head to toe with camouflage on his face was only scratching the surface. An automatic weapon, with a suppressed silencer on the end, was strapped over his shoulder. Two small caliber guns were in holsters underneath his arms, not including the knives which gleamed in the moonlight every time he moved. There was no doubt he was a consummate soldier on the prowl for action wherever he could find it. He wanted the battle and craved the excitement of putting his life on the line for the thrill of it.
“I didn’t think he was going to react that way. There was no malice and I thought they deserved to know all the facts. I feel deeply for all of you and I’m ready to commit to something long-term. It’s hard when I’ve been alone for so long and I like my space. Making room for a man was never high on my list of priorities. Making room for three is going to be an adjustment and I certainly don’t want to do anything to alienate you.” Explaining my actions was a knee-jerk reaction and I had apologized in my own way.
I wasn’t going to grovel no matter how much I wanted his approval.
Crosby turned me toward him before this hot and passionate kiss came from out of nowhere. I thought he was mad at me but his actions didn’t convey this. His tongue in my mouth, temporarily paralyzed me, with my whole body whispering those naughty little things I wanted him to do to me. My thighs rubbed together and I was having explicit images of all three of them in various states of undress. This wasn’t the time to get physical but how could I refuse a warm and inviting embrace.
I slapped vainly at his chest, feeling his muscles respond to my touch. It wasn’t like I was fighting him, more playfully encouraging him to do more. They had become a part of me, three parts of a whole and there was no denying how much I coveted each and every one of them.
His hands were moving over my body and I could feel his fingers delicately touching me. We were in a situation where it was a matter of life and death. Sex wasn’t something I was thinking about consciously. His tongue ignited a firestorm, an emotional wave of pleasure spreading throughout my body until it all converged below my waist.
I was pretty much limp with my eyes closed, taking in the sensations he was inflicting on me. It was a little unusual and my body reacted to being in close proximity to him. Vulnerable and exposed, was the only way to describe what I was feeling. I was a hotbed of emotions festering inside. They were building with pressure, begging for him to turn it up a notch. My fingers barely moved and they were shaking with nervous energy from getting closer to the object of my desire.
