Finding Blood (City Underdark #1)

The Resistance

Barmond going through the trapdoor startled Patricia, that had been serving herself from the barrels of alcohol. She almost dropped her pint but did not, choosing to freeze instead as she stared directly at Barmond. He froze too, trapdoor lifted over his head, wondering if this was a bad time.

"I thought you promised you wouldn't be touching alcohol again?" he said.

"That's not for me," she answered.

"Hmm."

Barmond was willing to trust what she said. Maybe. He had other things to do. He heaved himself out of the trapdoor and closed it firmly.

"What are you doing here?" Patricia asked.

"I have to see Hugo. There is something we must discuss."

He was not going to look at her again but she did not answer. So, he did. It was her turn to look unimpressed.

"What?" he asked.

"Talking? Sure. Whatever you say."

"What do you mean?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

"We both know... You know."

"No, I don't."

He had lied because he did, but he was not about to hear it from her so he walked out of the storage room and into the main one.

The werewolves seemed to be having some sort of party... a rather chill one, considering how many they were. Hugo was in his own seat, seemingly having had a brief moment where he had not been talking to anyone, but he perked up the moment he saw Barmond appear. He stood up.

"You came," he said.

"Just to talk, he says," interjected Patricia before Barmond could answer.

There was a round of shy chuckles from around the room, the pack not really daring to laugh. Hugo was just grinning.

"Of course," he said. "We're going to talk."

"Absolutely," Barmond lied.

Hugo walked towards Barmond until they were standing face to face. In the corner of his eye, Barmond saw Patricia sit down in Hugo's chair almost immediately.

"Shall we get somewhere private so that we might continue our conversation?" Hugo asked.

"Yes," Barmond said.

"Well then."

Barmond could have reacted in time to get away, that would have been a possibility, but for him, that action came as such a surprise that he could not move in time. And, before he knew it, he was hauled up on Hugo's wide shoulder.

Of course, that did not go over well with him at all.

"Put me down!" he cried.

Hugo laughed. And the pack laughed as well, echoing him, knowing that they could. And Barmond big a mental goodbye to the times where he had been a presence so scary in their life that his mere presence had made them quiet. It would be missed.

"Oaf!" he cried. "You mongrel, you monkey, you... you beast! Let me down this instant!"

Hugo, as he was going up the stairs, spanked him, drawing a very undignified yelp from the vampire. There was a whistle from the werewolves and they cheered. And Barmond, feeling himself turn beat red, went quiet as he was literally carried away like a prize.

But at least there was no one save them in Hugo's room.

Hugo dropped Barmond on his bed like a prize he had brought back from a hunt - like Barmond was another trophy to hang on his walls. And Barmond was not pleased with the mental image, he wanted to get away already, which he did. Or tried, at least. He was held in place by a large hand on his thigh - dangerously close to his crotch.