Things that Go Bump in the Night

Chapter 45: Part 3: Questions, Answers, and Fears

I was an alpha wolf and at the moment the beast inside of me was looking at the mate of a traitor not a cousin.

We will kill him slower for that.

Yes. I agreed, a slow smile lighting my lips as the anticipation for a fresh kill grew.

We will let him fight until he can no longer stand, rip out his throat, and then go skin the minx that hides the mate from us.

Yes, I agreed. I couldn’t agree more.

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Sean:

“I always knew you were fast cousin, but I didn’t actually expect you to arrive before the deed was done,” Argos deadpanned as he leaned against the entryway to the pack house. He leaned against the stone leisurely, as if he wasn’t making death threats, but his eyes were cold, deadly.  “The mate bond is such as powerful thing, don’t you think?”

The creature barred his teeth and let a low snarl leave our lips. He was in complete control of our body right now and for the first time in months the lack of control did not scare me. I needed the creature. We were stronger when he was in complete control and if we were going to protect Juniper we would need all of the strength we had. Our legs were trembling beneath us, our breathing was still ragged from the speed and intensity of the long run home.

“Are you sure that you want to do this cousin?” Argos asked, unfazed by the creature’s snarls. “Even with the assistance of your beast, you do not have strength to prevail against me. I would prefer to only kill one of you tonight. “

The roar of the creature inside me was deafening.

He would not touch our mate.  We couldn’t let him….but how we would stop him?

He was right.

Even in beast form I could barely stand. Time, I needed to buy some time. Even if it was a minute it could be enough to at least stabilize our breathing and make us more aware of our senses. What would gain us time?

“So you are resolute to die with her cousin?” Argos asked with an almost sad look on his face. “I wish I knew how much trouble that sorry wench of a mate would cause. I could have gotten rid of her years ago and saved us all the pain.”

The beast snarled and I thought.

Years ago? He knew of Juniper years ago? The file, the murder, his signature….he had met her or at least saw her then. He knew who she was before all of this, before I had ever smelled her scent.  This was the time getting conversation I needed to get my wind back before I made a final stand against my cousin turned rampaging Alpha. For a moment I struggled with the beast inside of me, taking control partially without triggering a full downgrade transformation.

“Years ago?”

The words were mangled by the odd shape of the beast’s mouth but they rang out clear enough to get the point across without having to shift. Argos leaned back against the stone arch way once more, an unpleasant look crossing his face.

“Speaking in beast form?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “You really must be desperate.”

The beast let out a low growl and raised its hackles in an obvious show of anger.  Argos rolled his eyes as if he were beyond being amused by threats.

“I had no idea that she was yours. I had no idea that she was anyone’s. But yes, I knew of the plight of Juniper Lee Olden many years ago. It was a cool autumn night much like this one, well without the rain and the red moon and the whole fight to the death motif. Well…I guess there was a dead body, but this particular night had more of a slaughter in the street vibe going.”