A Vampire's Marine (boyxboy)

Chapter 55: Primary Objective

Chapter 55

~Tony~

They were werewolves; living breathing supernatural beasts that could shift their forms with a single thought. Like vampires, they were the things of nightmares; savage and unnatural. Yet, I felt oddly at ease around them. It was been merely a week since Kandane's depature and I had already grown accustomed to living in the wolf camp. There was just a familiarity here; like home, and I dreaded the day Rien and I would leave to return to his coven.

I made my way along the corridor and down the staircase, which would take me to the courtyard. I took a deep breath the moment I stepped onto the concrete, and felt the warmth build in my chest and travel all the way down to my toes. Everything smelled so fresh and clean; nature at it's finest. Out in the courtyard, wolves in human form stood in small groups talking, some sparring, and some simply sitting on the ground relaxing.

Everything in the wolf camp screamed comfort and serenity. Everything felt easy. I stepped between two wolves who were discussing weapons, and took the quickest path to the mess hall. It was around 7:00a.m and I was starving. I wondered briefly where Rien had disappeared to, but all thoughts of him vanished when I caught the first whiff of sizzling bacon and pancakes drizzled in maple syrup.

The mess hall had to be my favorite place in the camp. No matter what time of day I visited, there was always food and there was always a small crowd. Everyone knew each other and this was the place they came together to commune and it was crazy just how much the camaraderie in the camp reminded me of army life. I felt a wave of nostalgia at the thought.

I grabbed a large tray, along with a couple of plates and made my way up to the buffet, where I promptly began to fill my plates. I loaded on a stack of pancakes, far too many strips of crispy bacon, ham, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, gravy and just a little bit of everything that caught my eye. By the time we returned to the coven, I would probably need to invest in bigger pants.

When my plates could hold no more, I filled a tall glass of orange juice and a small mug of coffee and glanced around the room for an empty table. I spotted one just as Grady and Laken stepped into the hall, and said a silent prayer that they wouldn't spot me. No such luck.

Grady, who looked as though he had been searching for me in the crowd, grinned from ear to ear when he spotted me walking toward the table and, true to his nature, began to shout my name across the hall; arms waving about him like the madman that he was.

I sighed, setting my plate down before me and taking a seat. As I took a sip of the hot coffee, I watched him and Laken as they quickly made their way over to where I sat. Laken smiled shyly, and I nodded to him in welcome. I liked Laken; no drama.

It was Grady who was the menace. In fact, just about every time he struck up conversation with me, I felt the almost overwhelming urge to reach over and strangle him. This time was no exception, but with Laken standing there watching me expectantly, I had no other option but to invite the two to join me.

"Thanks." Laken said as he sat, while Grady dropped himself down noisily and of course dramatically onto the bench across from me.

He glanced around the room. "Where's your bloodsucker?"

"Around. Where's Thomas?"

Grady seemed to think on this for a moment, his brows furrowing in genuine confusion. "Hmmm. Come to think of it, I haven't seen the guy since yesterday. Where is he Laken?"

Laken shrugged. "How should I know? He's your mate."

Grady shrugged. "I'm sure he'll pop up at some point. He's probably hunting or something." He told me, then leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, "He's got a thing for deer meat. I personally don't get the appeal, but to each his own, you know?"