The Beast Within the Beauty
Copyright © 2013 Nina Deviine
Chapter 10: Truce?
Recap:
-Dane-
“Alpha Salem, please be so kind to direct us to a more private place. I’m sure no one is interested in hearing his screams.”
Currently, I wanted to die of mortification. The only girl that I wanted to impress was ignoring all my efforts. Looks like I just had to lay on my charm thickly.
“Down the hall on the left,” Salem answered, slightly amused. He sure was getting a kick out of seeing me ignored by a girl. I glared at him as Catherine dragged me down the hall. Her talons were digging into my arm, but I didn’t mind. I was going to seduce her and it would be like taking candy from a baby.
______________________________
-Dane-
*
She located the room easily enough and threw open the door, making it bang loudly against the wall. Catherine pointed to the medical bed and growled at me.
“Sit.”
I obeyed, slightly smirking. It was nice to know I got to her, which meant she was definitely feeling something for me. She grabbed the shirt and tore the entire bottom half.
“I didn’t know you wanted to get right to it,” I jokingly said. Cat just raised an eyebrow and kneeled down, level with my navel.
“Listen mutt, I’m sure you think you’re charming and all, but I can assure you if you don’t back off with those kinda remarks, what you went through today will seem like Heaven. Understand?” she threatened, curling her nails around my wound. I held in the wince and nodded, not bothering to heed her warning.
Her tongue peeked out and she licked the wound twice. I just raised my eyebrows at her and she scowled.
“That’s the procedure idiot. My saliva has the antidote in it wise guy.”
“Hey! Whatever makes you sleep at night,” I mumbled, watching in quiet fascination as the wound healed. It started to close up, the two sides joining and melding together perfectly. There was no scar, no messy aftermath. I touched it, noting that even the skin wasn’t pink, like it usually was when I recuperated from a fight.
And when I looked back up, to thank her, she was gone.
*
-Catherine-
“This is such a drag!” Ross complained, tugging the duffel bag over his shoulder and scowling at the ground.
“Get over it. We moved; so what?” Kyle chimed in, good-naturedly. I shook my head and studied the vast grounds, typically in the middle of nowhere. What a stereotype, then again most houses here were in the middle of nowhere. It’s not like we’d stick out. Jones sure knew how to pick secluded places. I smiled ruefully; he was a master in his art of carnage.
“Why did I have to move? Most of the pack stayed home,” he grumbled. I yawned and shrugged, “Life sucks. Get used to it. You’re one of the lucky ones that got picked.”
“The worst part is that we have to help the enemy,” Ross snarled, shooting Dane’s pack dirty looks. He was like a petulant child at times. I shook my head at his behaviour. Running a pack meant more like having a dysfunctional family, than strong fearsome Vulks.
“We’re not helping the enemy. We’re using them,” I told him, “Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer.”
“If you want to believe you’re using us, then be my guest, but you’re not,” Dane spoke up, materializing beside me. I jumped back a little, not comfortable with his close proximity. He flashed me a smile in return.
“Face facts. We are. You told us where Jones and his pack are. Now we just have to wait for them to make an appearance and take them down.”
“Simple as that?” he questioned, looking at me strangely, “Believe it or not, it’s harder to face old demons than we think.”
I tensed at his remark. He was insinuating that there was something between Jones and I, but there wasn’t. My feelings weren’t going to get in the way of this. Simple as.
“Maybe that’s the case for weak boys like yourself, but us Vulks are made of sterner stuff.”
“You don’t have to believe me, but it’s true.”
“You wouldn’t know,” I sneered. He smirked in return, “Oh but I do.”
“Anyway, that’s not what I came here to talk to you about, as much as I love our foreplay.”
“Then why did you come over mutt?” Ross asked, thrusting his chest out in an imposing, macho manner. I hit him over the head and he scowled at me.
“Down boy. I don’t want you challenging him up and causing me trouble.”
“Ross and I fought before. It wouldn’t me who would be beaten up.”
“I never said Ross would beat you up. He’d start and then come home injured with his tail between his legs and I’d be left with cleaning up the mess and sending you to the hospital, or wherever it is you mutts go,” I smiled tightly at him, while Ross kept unusually quiet. At least he had some smarts.
“That was a fluke, but whatever makes you sleep at night,” he answered and before I could throw something back in retaliation, he continued.
“Like I was saying, we’re picking roommates, so would your pack be kind enough to join us. I know you lack manners, but try...”
“What?” Ross yelled in outrage.
“Fine,” I spat out, between gritted teeth. Both Ross and Kyle looked at me in surprise.
“Call Barbra and the rest of the pack to come over and pick out their roommates from the bowl. I’m sure Councilman Salem thought that this would be helpful in creating a truce between our packs.”
“Your powers of perception are incredible,” Dane said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
Ross started to growl at him and we made out way over to their side. The two packs seemed to face off for a minute, just staring each other down. This was going to be troublesome and bothersome.
“Okay. So my pack wrote their names and put it into the bowl. The members of your pack are each going to take out a piece of paper and that person is going to be your roommate,” Dane instructed, but no one budged. Rolling my eyes, I stepped towards the bowl and put my hand in, giving it a good shuffle.
“You guys really know how to embarrass yourselves. The bowl won’t bite you and you faced tougher opponents ten times over,” I grumbled, grabbing a white piece of paper and rolling it open.
“Dane,” I read out and froze. Oh no. Dammit! He raised his eyebrow at me and smirked.
“Looks like we were meant to be in more ways than one.”