Shadows embrace, p.11
Shadow's Embrace, page 11
He watched her eyes zip up and down his body, her mind processing what she was seeing—two half-naked men jacking off.
“Uh, I’m sorry.” She blinked and took a step back. “Didn’t mean to disturb you.”
The door swung shut and the world snapped into focus.
Holy shit! The scene that Kalen witnessed exploded in his brain. Rebel, his hand in Brennan’s jeans, his mouth on his neck.
And he’d let it happened. Wanted it to happen.
“What the fuck?” He yanked Rebel’s hand out of his pants and twisted away. He yanked the fly closed over his quickly softening dick and ran after her.
“Kalen, baby, wait.” He punched the swinging door with his fist. “Let me explain.” Only he couldn’t explain. He couldn’t explain any of what had happened in the past twelve hours.
Kalen stopped in the living room, her fingers trembling as she held up her hand, stopping him from getting any closer. “It’s okay. I understand.”
“What? How can you understand? I don’t fucking understand,” Brennan said, his confusion turning to anger.
The door popped open again and Rebel walked in.
“I do,” Rebel announced with a calm arrogance that made Brennan want to punch him.
Brennan turned and glared at Rebel, his lips pulling back in a snarl.
Rebel clenched his teeth and reined in his wolf’s natural response—to attack the threat.
The wolf was growing in Brennan fast and strong. Dangerous when the human didn’t know how to control the animal.
It had been a long night that had lasted until almost noon. After Rebel had showered, he’d waited, listening as Brennan claimed Kalen.
His own transition had occurred during his teens and it had been hard to distinguish between the wolf’s growing sexuality and the raging hormones of a teenager.
But Brennan? The guy had to be confused as hell. He’d gone from a normal human male in his mid-thirties with an average sex drive to a sex fiend.
“How the fuck can you understand this? What happened out there?”
Rebel took a breath and looked at Kalen. She’d wanted to be the one to tell Brennan what had happened but Rebel was pretty sure the two of them hadn’t done much talking upstairs.
She nodded her permission and stepped back, crossing her arms, her shoulders hunching forward as if her body prepared to take a heavy weight.
“You were shot.”
Brennan’s hand went to his chest, to the healing mark on his skin.
“But how…?”
“Those guys were chasing us and you got shot. I managed to drag you into that cave and wait them out.” That was all true. He looked at Kalen again to see if she wanted to jump in and explain. She stared down, her toes twitching on the rug. Guess he couldn’t really blame her. It was his fault, after all. “Fine. When it looked like you were going to die, I bit you and turned you into a werewolf.”
He said the words in a rush because honestly there was no easy way to tell someone. Not that he’d tried before. He’d never bitten anyone before. And wasn’t likely to again. So far, the experience sucked. Well, except for the actual biting part and the shared orgasms afterward. That had been fun, but this…this sucked.
Brennan stared at him. “What?”
Rebel sighed and answered, speaking slowly and enunciating each word. “You were dying. I bit you and turned you into a werewolf.”
The edges around Brennan’s eyes crinkled up. He shook his head and turned to Kalen.
“Is he completely insane or is this some weird joke that I don’t get?”
She lifted her gaze from the floor and Rebel felt the pain in her eyes. “He’s telling you the truth.” She nodded toward Brennan’s neck. “Those are the bite marks. He’s a werewolf and when he bit you, he started the process to turn you into one too.”
Brennan took a step back, his stare bouncing between the two of them. “What’s going on?”
Kalen looked at Rebel. “You’re going to have to show him.” She pushed her shoulders back and faced Brennan. “My family are all werewolves. I’m not, not really. I mean technically I am but I can’t turn into a wolf.”
Brennan reached for her, the sympathy in his eyes barely covering the concern that she was insane. “Kalen, we need to talk—” A loud snap ripped through the air. Kalen flinched. She was familiar with the noises—bones breaking, muscles snapping and stretching—but she’d never gotten used to it.
Brennan turned and stared. His mouth dropped open as Rebel’s face punched forward and the human visage stretched into the wolf’s mouth. Fur sprouted, turning his tan skin dark gray and black.
He fell forward, his hands reaching out and turning into paws before he hit the ground.
The sounds ended. Rebel was a wolf.
Brennan leapt back, his eyes huge as he stared at the animal. Rebel’s tail wagged and he came over to Kalen. She hadn’t seen him in his wolf form in fifteen years and couldn’t resist bending down and petting him. She dug her fingers into his ruff and scratched him through thick fur. His tongue lolled out and he rubbed against her.
The strangled gasp from Brennan drew her back to the situation. She straightened and looked at Brennan. He blinked like he was trying to make the picture before him disappear.
“Brennan—”
“What the fuck is that?”
Rebel either didn’t like the question or the tone and he growled, pulling back his lips to bare his teeth.
“That’s Rebel,” Kalen said, keeping her voice calm, soothing. Really they didn’t want a pissed-off wolf in the house. “He’s a werewolf.”
“A werewolf.” He said the word like he was learning a foreign language and wanted to get the accent right.
“Yes.”
“And he bit me and turned me into one of those…that.”
Another growl from Rebel.
“Yes.”
“When?”
“What?”
“When am I going to become that thing?”
“It’s a wolf,” she said, offended on behalf of her family. “And your first change will happen at the next full moon after that…”
“No.” He shook his head but she could see the horror growing in his eyes.
“Yes, maybe we should…” She reached out for Brennan.
“No.” He shrugged off her touch. “I’ve got to get out of here.”
He spun around and headed for the door.
“Brennan, wait.” She hurried after him but he acted like he didn’t hear her. Without stopping he grabbed his coat off the hook and disappeared out the front door. “Brennan!” she called again. He didn’t even look up. He opened his car door and within seconds peeled out of her driveway. “Damn.”
She looked around. Where was her phone? She needed to call him, explain. Something.
“He’ll be okay,” Rebel said, pulling on his jeans.
Kalen shook her head and met his grim stare.
“We just told the guy who wanted to be governor some day that he was going to turn furry and howl at the moon. I don’t know how you recover from that.”
Chapter Eight
Rebel rolled his shoulders back and stared at the elevator door. The wolf rippled beneath his skin, sending every nerve on high alert. Logically he knew he wasn’t in danger. The two lawyers in the car with him were unlikely to attack, but his wolf sensed his unease. He didn’t like the city, didn’t like government buildings and sure as hell didn’t like lawyers.
The way they flashed furtive glances toward him warned, they liked him just as much.
The thought actually relaxed him. He let his teeth grow long, just to give the wolf something to do. He briefly considered flashing his canines at the lawyers but fuck, he didn’t need that kind of trouble. He’d managed enough on his own.
The door opened at his floor and he started to get off. The female lawyer flipped her head over her shoulder glared at him, relegating him to wait as they exited.
Should have known they were prosecutors, he thought, stepping out of the elevator. Defense lawyers have to be polite to the criminal element.
He looked at the wall plaque and followed the room numbers down the hall and to the right.
An understated sign marked the door. District Attorney Brennan Hall.
He figured he had a thirty-seventy chance that Brennan either wasn’t there or was going to have his ass kicked to the curb, but he’d always liked rotten odds.
He opened the door and walked in. He didn’t bother to offer the secretary a smile. He’d been told he looked predatory when he tried to smile.
And she wasn’t the type to respond to flirtation—blonde hair pulled back in a tight bun, probably straining her brain.
“May I help you?” Disdain dripped from her words.
“Doubt it. I need to see Brennan.”
“I’m sorry. Mr. Hall is not taking meetings this morning.” She nodded to a note pad on the far side of the desk. “If you’d leave your name and number…”
I’ll make sure it gets thrown in the trash, Rebel silently added, finishing her sentence.
“Yeah, I never learned how to write and can’t count above six.” He leaned on the desk. “You know, the number of bullets in a six shooter.”
She barely moved—the muscles in her throat contracting in a dry gulp. Her fingers inched toward the phone.
Rebel huffed out his breath and stood up. It was no fun when they frightened that easily. She slid toward the left. Probably has a panic button under the desk. All he needed was security bursting in with guns. His wolf really didn’t like to be threatened.
“Listen, I’m a…friend of Brennan’s. Just tell him Rebel’s here.” The command seemed to renew the starch in her spine and she sat up, her lips pressing together. No doubt her knees were squeezed together as well. “Don’t fuck with me, lady.” He let the wolf roar to the surface and felt his eyes burn. “I’ve had a bad day.”
A strangled whimper escaped her throat but she pushed her chair away and walked, legs stiff, toward Brennan’s door.
“Mr. Hall, there’s a man here. Says his name is Rebel. He insists on seeing you.”
Rebel smiled. He hadn’t insisted but that was going to be his next step, right before he kicked down the door. It didn’t appear that it would come to that.
If Brennan let him in.
There was silence in the office. Then a sigh. “Fine, have him come in.”
The secretary backed out. She lifted her nose, her nostrils contracting.
“You may go in.”
Rebel thought of several appropriate answers, including “fuck you very much”, but he kept them to himself, relying instead on the predatory grin as he walked by. The fun of terrifying Brennan’s staff lasted until the door shut behind him and he was closed inside the office.
Hardwoods covered the floors and fine grain patterns lined the walls. Expensive stuff. Since getting out, he’d been doing some work for a remodeling contractor and he was starting to recognize quality when he saw it.
Ignoring the anger and fear emanating off the other male, he glanced around the room. Without being told, he knew Kalen had done the decorating. It had the arrogance of Brennan but the warm heart of Kalen. It would somehow make a person feel comfortable and intimidated at the same time.
“What do you want? I’m busy.”
The abrupt question grabbed his attention but he didn’t look toward Brennan, didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. Instead he finished his inspection of the office, checked out the bookshelves, lined with law books, and the elegant lamp that filled the corner. Another Kalen touch, he was sure. Finally he allowed his gaze to land on Brennan.
The man looked fucking gorgeous. Humans might not be able to quantify the difference yet but Rebel could see it. The wolf shimmered just beneath the surface. Young but strong, hungry.
The wolf inside him leapt forward, trying to reach its creation. Rebel mentally grabbed the animal by its ruff and pulled it back. Since he’d been released, he didn’t often fight his wolf when it wanted something. But this was one situation where his human side needed full control.
“What do you want, Rebel?” Brennan asked again.
“Came by to see if you’re still pouting like a schoolgirl who didn’t get prom queen.”
“What?” His shout rattled the windows and Rebel was damn glad the door was shut. The noise seemed to startle Brennan and he pulled back, clamping down on his emotions. Rebel wanted to tell him to relax a little, that the wolf wouldn’t fight him if he didn’t fight it, but he didn’t really feel like giving Brennan advice. Brennan leaned over his desk, planting his fists on the leather blotter that cushioned the top. “You turned me into this thing and I’m supposed to just behave like nothing happened? Like my life hasn’t been completely fucked up?”
“You’re alive. Think about that.”
“I’m alive but my life is over.”
“It doesn’t have to be.” Rebel leaned in, matching Brennan’s pose.
“Funny.” Brennan tipped his head to the side, the edges of his mouth tight. “I don’t think they let you be mayor if you howl at the moon and turn furry once a month.”
“Then you’d better learn the control so that doesn’t happen. That wolf is growing in you, fast. You need to learn to deal with it or you put us all at risk.”
“Fuck you. I didn’t choose this.”
“No, but it’s your reality now. Put on your big-boy pants and deal with it.”
A growl rumbled in Brennan’s throat. “Get the fuck out of my office.”
Rebel pushed himself upright and nodded. “Fine.” He walked to the door. “And you might want to call your fiancée. When I left her house, she was trying really hard to keep it together. You might think about her for a minute.”
“Get out.”
The door slammed behind Rebel, leaving Brennan alone.
Well, not really alone. He had this thing inside him. Maybe it was his imagination, too many late-night horror movies as a child, but he could feel the creature inside him. Moving around. Taking over.
Not sleeping last night didn’t help, but every time he’d closed his eyes, the image of Rebel changing into a wolf filled his dreams. The sounds stayed with him, bones snapping, flesh creaking as it stretched. His stomach rolled. He closed his lips and took a long deep breath, hoping to keep what little food he’d eaten in his body.
Ignoring the cravings, he’d forced himself to eat a healthy breakfast—fruit, yogurt and cereal. He’d gagged with every bite but he wasn’t giving in to this thing.
He rubbed the center of his chest, his palm landing right over the exit wound. He couldn’t actually feel it. The scar was pink and healing, as if months had passed.
He paced behind his desk. He couldn’t sit and work. His mind wouldn’t focus, thoughts zipped around, though if he cut himself a break, he had to admit getting bitten by a werewolf was a good enough reason to be distracted.
He had to get out. He grabbed his suit jacket off the post by the door and left.
“Mr. Hall?” Bernadette, his secretary, looked up, the expectation that he would explain Rebel’s presence and where Brennan was going on her face.
There was no way to explain Rebel.
“I’m going out.” He reached for the doorknob.
“Is there anything I should warn security about?”
“What?” He turned around.
“Well, with that…gentleman coming in. The loud voices. And you seem a bit tense this morning. If there is a situation, we should get security involved.”
Brennan couldn’t help but smile. “No, Bernadette. Everything’s fine. Rebel is a friend of Kalen’s. He just stopped by to…” He couldn’t come up with a decent lie. “There’s nothing to worry about.”
Bernadette sniffed and didn’t look like she believed him.
Oh, good. She’s going to have security checking my mail and monitoring my activities. He went into the hall and turned away from the elevator, heading toward the stairs.
His only consolation was the full moon was three weeks away. Fuck, was he really going to turn into a wolf? He’d tried for a while last night to convince himself it was just a joke but there was no way he could have imagined Rebel turning into that…that thing. His mind wasn’t inventive enough to have created something like that.
He ran down the steps. The need to be outside, even if it was just to breathe the air, pushed him faster. The stairs opened into the lobby. He nodded the guards working the front door and metal detector. The courtrooms were on the floors below him so no one got in without going through security.
He stepped outside and walked, his head down, his legs burning up the distance. With no real destination in mind, he was surprised when he looked up and discovered he’d gone a couple of miles and ended up at the medical examiner’s office.
That will work, he thought. He went in and jogged down the stairs. It always seemed like the medical examiner was in the basement. He slowed his steps to look more official. The front desk let him through, back to Jim’s office. The chief medical examiner sat behind stacks of books, an inbox full of paper and a computer that looked shiny and new.
“Jim,” Brennan said when he didn’t look up. The man flinched and pushed away.
“Jesus, Brennan, scare a guy, why don’t you?”
“You’re just not used to anything moving around.”
“I like my bodies dead.”
“Don’t go creepy on me.”
Jim laughed. “What’s up? How’s Kalen?”
“Uh, good.” Found out she’s a werewolf. So am I. Wasn’t something he was going to share with the doctor. They were friends and all but Jim would either have him committed or want to dissect him. Neither fit into Brennan’s plans for the day.
“Have you set a date?”
“What? Uh, no. No. We’re just…” He waved off the question. He didn’t know what they were doing. “Listen, have a hypothetical question for you.”
“Shoot.”
“If a man got shot in the back, through and through, would he die?”
