Nathan
It had only been 24 hours but it felt like weeks since I had last seen Cole.
I hadn't slept at all since he'd been gone. Casper and I had headed up two search parties with some of our best trackers, but no one could even catch a hint of a trail.
Damn modern vehicles.
It was getting dark and I knew I needed to rest, but somehow I couldn't stop my feet from continuing through the city, looking down every back alley and in every doorway, just hoping to get a glimpse of my boy.
God I missed him.
If they had even hurt a hair on his head I was going to tear them into tiny pieces. Oh, who am I kidding, I was going to tear them limb from limb anyway.
I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into their flesh.
I stumbled over a loose flag on the pavement, and knew it was time to rest. I didn't want to sleep though. When I stopped and really let my mind wander, all it could think about was Cole, and whether he was hurt....or even worse.....
I heard some music coming from a door across the street, and it got suddenly louder when I saw a group of young males open the door to go inside.
I crossed over in curiosity and saw a sign above the door saying 'Benny's'.
I opened the door to reveal a set of steps leading down into what must be a basement.
The music, which was loud, but not the kind of loud that made your ears bleed, led me to think this was some sort of drinking establishment.
I followed my feet down, and passed two burly looking men in suits, before the room opened out into an underground bar.
The lights were quite dim but I could make out several seating areas, as well as some tables and chairs. There was a real chilled out atmosphere as small groups just stood around chatting and laughing together.
I headed over to the bar.
I never drank, but I felt that today called for it.
I ordered a pint of lager and a whiskey chaser. I downed the whiskey immediately, then sat on a bar stool and stared miserably at my pint.
"Bad day?" the barman asked, with a grin on his face.
"You have no idea," I replied before taking a gulp of beer. It didn't taste bad, but I still didn't see why people loved it so much.
The bartender didn't seem to pick up on my mood and continued to talk to me, telling me funny stories from things that had happened at the bar.
I guess I didn't mind. He seemed quite happy to talk to me without me having to say much. I just offered him a tense smile every now and then at some funny anecdote.
Another group of people came in and took the bartender's attention away, much to my relief. I began to wonder whether he was just passing the time, or whether he was actually hitting on me.
I didn't understand humans at all.
I swung round on my stool to look out into the room, when suddenly I caught a scent that was familiar.
It was the scent of a werewolf.
I quickly started scanning the room, looking for where it was coming from. It was hard to pick up the direction of the scent while sitting still, and while other people were moving around.
Then I saw him.
It took me a few seconds to place him, but it was the servant from Blackwood manor. The one who had mistakenly headbutted me. The one who Casper liked. I searched my brain for his name but came up blank. What was he doing here? At least he was alive.
His hair was cut a lot shorter than when I last saw him, and his body also looked different. He was wearing a tight fitting black t-shirt which showed his physique off to perfection.
Damn, where did those muscles come from?
He had several young women sat with him, hanging off his every word. He just seemed to radiate confidence as he entertained them all with some story or something.
As he was talking, he glanced round the room, and his eyes caught mine. I watched as he paused mid flow, only for a moment, before he snatched his eyes away again and continued.
I quickly turned back to the bar.
Out in the open, another lone wolf could be a threat. In the city, among all the humans, I couldn't see him trying anything, even if this was his territory now.
I wondered what Casper would say if I told him. Honestly, despite what I said to Casper, I would have put money on him being dead.
The scraping sound of the bar stool next to mine made me snap my head around, only to see the guy now sitting down next to me.
"Another please Micky," he said, waving at the barman, "and another for him as well," he said gesturing to me.
"Sure thing Joe," Micky said, before busying himself getting our drinks.
Joe.....Joe...it sounded vaguely familiar.
I turned my attention back to the empty beer glass in my hand. "You didn't need to buy me another," I mumbled, for some reason feeling somewhat awkward.
"It's what you do when you see an old friend," Joe said, and I turned to see him smiling at me, that damn dimple making him suddenly look like a pussy cat instead of a lion.
"I don't remember being friends," I grumbled back, "I seem to remember you jumping on me and headbutting me."
Joe burst out laughing, sending a spurt of drink flying out across the bar.
I couldn't help but feel a smirk tug at the corners of my mouth.
"Trust you to frigging remember that!" he said, grabbing a small towel that was next to one of the pumps, and wiping down the mess he'd made on the bar.
"It's hard to forget," I said, touching a spot on the front of my head.
I watched as his eyes widened.
"Seriously?! I left a mark?" he said, getting off his stool to try to get a look.
I shoved him back lightly, "No you idiot, I was joking!"
"Oh," he said, looking rather surprised. "Sorry," he said on seeing my raised eyebrow, "I just didn't think you were the type to make jokes."
"Charming," I said, before taking a gulp of the fresh pint in front of me.
I watched in silence for a few seconds as he fiddled with a bar mat.
"So what brings you here?" he eventually asked.
"I could ask the same of you?" I replied, and he smirked and shook his head.
"Touche, touche."
I watched as he focused on the drink in his hands, and I suddenly felt a small wave of sympathy for him. He obviously wanted to ask me about the pack, but felt like he couldn't. I suppose if I had been separated for my family for 2 years, I would like to hear some news too.
I sighed momentarily at what I was about to do, before I said, "I've been looking for a couple of members of our pack who were kidnapped by hunter's yesterday."
Joe's eyebrows shot up at that. "Hunters? They attacked Worthington Manor? Shit, how bad was it?"
"It's not as bad.....well, it's not like it sounds. Worthington Manor is pretty much deserted now as most of the pack moved elsewhere earlier in the year. There were just a few of us there when the attack happened."
"Damn," he said, looking deep in thought. "I'd offer my help, but I'm kind of tied up in something else at the moment."
"I'm not being funny, but I don't think you'd be much help," I shot back. The guy had been living with humans for two years so his wolf instincts were bound to be a little rusty.
Rather than be offended by my comment, he just laughed. I found it incredibly frustrating how easy he seemed to find everything.
"You'd be surprised," he just said, then reached into his back pocket and handed me a card.
It just had a number on it, and nothing else.
"Why would I want your number?" I asked, rather confused as to why he would have cards with his number on.
He sighed and rolled his eyes. "It's not my number, it's.....well.....it's sort of a helpline number, for werewolves."
I frowned staring at the number as if it would somehow help me understand.
"There's quite an underground network going on, and there are even some humans who are willing to help."
I shook my head. "Humans can't help."
He sighed but didn't argue.
Someone shouted over to him from across the bar.
"I'll be over in a minute," he shouted back.
He stood up and drank the last of his beer then turned to me.
"Just think about it," he said, pointing to the card that was still in his hands. "You've got nothing to lose."
My heart suddenly clenched as I realised just how much I did have to lose.
"Like I said," he continued, "I would help but my boss has some family issues that he wants me to focus on at the moment, but that doesn't mean others won't help."
He started to walk away, but I quickly grabbed hold of his arm to stop him.
It wasn't lost on me that he'd tried to help, even if it wouldn't be any good.
"Last I heard your family was doing fine," I said, and I watched as I saw a flicker of pain flash over his face. It was gone as quickly as it had appeared.
"Thank you," he said, then I let go of his arm and he walked back over to his friends.
I downed the rest of my pint and headed out.
I suddenly didn't feel tired anymore.
I needed to find Cole.