envenoMATE

32. Out the Door

“What?” the small word escaped Daniel’s lungs in a breath. “That doesn’t make sense.” He paused to think about Ted’s claim. As Daniel’s mind rolled over thought like a sea in a storm, his grey eyes darkened and his lips grew tight. “That’s ridiculous.” There was no way he was anything but human. To imply otherwise was outrageous.

Terrik slapped his hand over his eyes and forehead. One idiotic move of his twin brother was all it took to bring on a migraine. 

Becky shot to her feet, her back turned to her brother as her eyes shot angry laser beams at Ted. When Ted met her stare and shrugged, Becky’s fists clenched with increased fury. She was going to punch him. Ted had no right to tell Daniel what he was. How did Ted even know? She hadn’t told him. Becky shot a glance at Terrik. Were the twins telepathic? What else had Terrik shared?

Tiger crossed his arms over his chest as he stared Daniel down, looking for any sign of not being 100% human. Lifting his head, he inhaled deeply, searching for  a clue. 

“There’s no way he’s Were, Ted,” Tiger said after a moment. “He doesn’t carry the scent.”

“He carries part of the scent, and remember how he acted about his mate in the bird sanctuary? He may not be full Were, but he’s not full human either,” Ted answered smoothly. “The clues are there if you know to look for them, and I do. You’ve been too busy protecting Caroline from the beast-hating hunter to ever consider the possibility of what he could be.”

Daniel stood shakily, laying Adina’s shivering body on the cot as he turned his attention to Ted and Tiger. “I am not part Were, not even a hint of Were blood is in me. Adina is my love, not my mate. She’ll be my wife, because I chose her. She’s not some thing that a beast decided to latch onto. I chose her.”

The room fell quiet as all the occupants stared blankly at Daniel. Ted’s arms were crossed over his chest as his lips twitched in frustration. 

Tiger’s eyes narrowed in concentration. Daniel spoke a fine speech, but Ted was right, some clues were like flashing neon signs. Unavoidable and clue. Daniel was, at least in part, Were.

Something like a grunt broke the air, followed by a louder choke. Soon, laughter was spilling into the room one loud guffaw after another. “Can you believe this guy?” Terrik laughed, jerking his thumb in Daniel’s direction. Terrik laughed, shaking his head as Daniel’s cheeks grew warm and his face flushed.

Terrik walked to his brother’s side, lifting his hands into the air and raising his voice in a mocking tone. “My beast didn’t choose her; I did. It wasn’t animal instinct. It was MINE! muahaha.”

Ted’s lips quirked up, not sure if he wanted to laugh or shout that inane grin off his brother’s face. 

Daniel’s fists were clenching like he wanted to take a swipe at Terrik’s face.

Tiger licked his lips and raised a hand to Daniel’s shoulder, trying to calm him down. Daniel jerked away and glared at Tiger, but his hands relaxed. 

“There is no difference, Daniel,” Tiger said patiently. “Every Were picks our mate too. And from what I hear, ‘love at first sight’ is considered a whole lot more romantic than, I don’t know, ‘it took us five years to figure out we wouldn’t mind spending forever together.’”

“And most of them end up divorcing anyway. The only Were couples I know about that don’t last are . . . well, none. Till death do us part, literally,” Ted commented.

“Sometimes death comes sooner than needed. At the hand’s of hunters,” Terrik added, his voice low and rumbling.

“Don’t you dare start on that. Don’t act like Weres are the only ones who have ever lost anything.  Our parents were killed by Weres,” Becky growled, stepping to the group.

“Uh, correction, you told me your parents were killed by Weresnakes. There’s a difference.”

“Like hell there is!” Daniel shouted. He wanted to put them all on the ground, buried in a puddle of their own, inhuman blood. They didn’t deserve the human skin they wore, nor their human faces, their speech. None of it.

Ted spoke up. “No, there really is a difference. I thought you would have known that. Not all Weres are equal. Even within Weresnakes, there are differences.”

“And you think that is what I am? Weresnake?” Daniel asked seething.

“We know it,” Terrik answered smoothly. He walked to Becky’s side and grabbed her hand. He pulled her to her brother and lightly patted her shoulder. “You too should talk, because we,” he paused and gestured between Ted and himself, “can’t fix this until you fix this.” He lowered his hand and waved a finger back and forth between Becky and Daniel. “Got it? Good.” Not wasting a moment, he turned to Tiger and Ted. “I’m hungry and thinking hamburgers. Shall we give them a minute?”

Tiger shrugged, not caring since the ordeal was no longer his responsibility. He crossed the room to Terrik, who was slowly walking backward to the door. 

Ted sighed, about to decline when Tiger spoke up. “C’mon, Teddy. It’s our last chance to eat together for awhile. I’m leaving to go home to Caroline. One last hoorah.”

Ted groaned, rubbing his large hands over his face as if he were washing away his stress. “Fine, but you two,” he paused and pointed a commanding finger at Becky and Daniel, “Don’t go anywhere. Don’t get in any trouble. If for some reason you do,” he paused and pulled his radio from his side and tossed it at them. Becky barely flinched and caught it. “Call us, don’t try to be a hero on your own.” He turned but raised a hand, “Oh, and one more thing, watch Adina. And don’t bite her. Her system can’t handle two claiming marks, not while one is still active.”

Daniel growled. “I would never bite her.”

“I’m not dumb enough to believe you, and don’t you be either, honey,” Ted replied, giving a pointed look to Becky. 

Becky swallowed thickly and nodded. She did not know what to believe, honestly. 

“Have fun, kids!” Terrik shouted as the group of tall three men walked out the door. 

----------------------

hey ya'll. Just to let you know, this is a long story. We're maybe 1/2 way through. we're not close to being done yet. :) ndn