More Than Human

Chapter 40: Keep Him Safe

As soon as their door was closed Alejandro turned to face his partner, "Rudy, mi amor, please be honest with me. You know of this man, Makarov, as well, sí?"

Rudy sat down on the edge of the mattress with a huff, "I have seen him before, yes. I didn't want to take the focus off the main issue."

"When have you seen him?" Alejandro couldn't imagine when he possibly could have encountered him. If he had, surely Alejandro would have been there for it.

Rudy stared at the floor and was silent. Alejandro was about to ask him again when the siren let out a little shaky sniff. Alejandro quickly rushed forward and slid down to his knees between Rudy's legs. He cupped his cheeks just in time to wipe a tear from his cheek with his thumb.

"Oh dulce querido." He cooed, "I didn't mean to upset you."

Rudy shook his head and let out a watery laugh, "It wasn't you, Alejandro. I just... I haven't spoken of this with you before. I try not to think about that day."

Alejandro knit his brows together in realization, "When you were taken?" Rudy so rarely spoke of his life before, and he never spoke of that day, "But, Makarov wasn't with those men."

Rudy shook his head, "Not when I was being sold. I think they were his men. He was on that boat, Alejo. He stood over that box and looked at me. He spoke of me like an animal. I remember the crew were discussing my tears. But soon they were sending me off with the smaller group and finding someone to sell me to."

Rudy shook his head as he finished, "I thought it was done when you killed those men, Alejandro. But now?"

Alejandro swiftly rose up and took the other man in his arms. Hoisting him up so that they could both lie back on the bed. He cradled the back of Rudy's head with his hand and the siren let himself go. His tears soaked into the shoulder of Alejandro's shirt as he gently shushed him.

While Alejandro comforted his partner he couldn't help but let his troubled mind wander. He supposed it made sense that those men had come from a bigger group. He had killed all of them quite easily, and the one man claimed to have killed an entire pod of sirens. But if what Rudy said was accurate, and they had been interested in his tears, why sell him? Price had said Makarov was known to test on different creatures. After all the effort to slay an entire pod just to catch the one, it made no sense that they would just send Rudy off with someone else. There were so few sirens left, surely this man would see Rodolfo as a hot commodity.

The fact that this man was alive drew a growl from his chest. He had slaughtered everyone he had thought responsible for hurting his siren. But now he finds out that the main perpetrator was not only still alive, but was thriving as well. Practically some terrorist and trafficking king.

And he had hurt Gaz.

And likely Soap as well.

He squeezed Rudy tighter, the man let out a few thankful clicks.

Alejandro was glad they had come. He desperately wanted to hunt Makarov down and slowly rend him limb from limb. With the 141 that was likely an option. They all probably wanted that as well.

It wasn't just the need for revenge that fueled him. Creatures of their kind weren't safe with men like that around. Rudy wasn't safe in a world in which Makarov lived. And he would do anything to keep his Rudy safe.

And now, to keep their pack safe.