Werewulf Journals 2: Trolling for Love (20 page)

104

Camille Anthony

She lowered and softened her voice. She clasped Melody’s left hand with her right one.

“I think the real problem here is trust. You don’t trust Hunter.”

Melody snatched her hand away, anger taking the place of her hurt. “I love Hunter!”

“Do you?”

“I’d die for him!”

Rosa gave her a pitying glance. “Dying’s easy. I thought you’d learned it’s living that’s hard.”

The anger drained away, siphoned off by the caring note in Rosa’s voice, the soft and loving expression in her eyes. “I’ve been a fool.”

An exasperated sigh lifted Rosa’s chest. “Now you’re being too hard on yourself, and there’s no reason. You’ve been through a lot these past few months. This situation is easier for me. I’m not a Breed. I haven’t had to deal with learning I’m part alien, like you have.”

Melody took to the floor and paced. “You don’t understand ... I’m not like this, usually.

I don’t -- how did you say? -- waffle over things like this.” She waggled her hand back and forth, impersonating a limp noodle. Dropping her hand at her side and staring Rosa in the face, she slowly admitted, “I think you’re right about this being a commitment issue. Earlier today, I wanted Hunter to mate me in his fur form, but it was for my own comfort, to secure my own safety. Thank god, he refused to do it. I’m ready to make a full commitment to Hunter, but I’m not looking forward to having this fat body exposed to so many strangers.”

“You know, you wouldn’t worry over that so much if you could hear how Fort sings your praises and tries to tempt me into gaining weight. Apparently, you’re the perfect color and body type for wulves.”

Melody brightened. “Hunter is always saying that, but it’s so hard to believe.”

“Chase didn’t have any problem busting a boner for you, did he?” Rosa held up a restricting hand. “And don’t give me that song and dance about it all being the Breed pheromones, either.”

Mel could feel the hot flush of color washing her cheeks. “Please ... let’s not talk about Chase. I haven’t gotten over my mad at him.”

“You don’t know what mad is until you’ve heard Andrea going on about him.”

A slow, evil grin spread Mel’s lips. “Rosa, you don’t know the true irony of that situation. I saw it, you know -- Chase’s expression when he finally set eyes on Andrea. She’s his true-bond mate, and he knows it. And there’s not a damned thing he can do about making amends until she’s older.” Mel rubbed her hands together. “It might be petty of me, but I can’t help loving it. In a few years, she’s gonna give him his comeuppance. I only hope I’m around to see it.”

Rosa laughed along with her before sobering. “Damn, Melody, I wish we’d had this conversation a long time ago. You could have helped me sort through my issues with Fortrayn.”

Werewulf Journals 2: Trolling for Love

105

Mel made a disparaging gesture. “Doesn’t sound like you two had any ...”

“Oh, we did, trust me. We’re working through them, though, and I know you and Hunter will do the same. You two are the perfect couple. I can’t say Hunter without adding the ‘and Melody,’ you know?”

Mel felt tears threatening again. She gave a husky chuckle. “Stop, before you have me crying. God knows I’ve done enough of that for a while.”

Rosa waved that statement away. “We women have the responsibility to cry whenever the mood strikes. It’s our God-given, male-confusing right!”

Melody laughed. “I’ve never thought about it like that, but you’re right.” Her smile faded to a barely there curve. “Thanks, Rosa. You’ve helped me clarify many things, brought some serious thoughts into focus. Hunter keeps telling me I’m a bigot, and now that I know he’s telling the truth, I intend to change.”

She firmed her chin. “I’ve known all along that he wasn’t human. He made no bones about telling me the truth that first night. Still, knowing the truth, I’ve continued to judge him by human standards, to expect him to act and react as a human would. My son has more sense than I do. He recognized right off the caliber of man Hunter is. It’s time I let my man know how I truly feel; I’m ready to commit myself totally to his care, and I trust him with all my heart.”

Rosa clapped, cheering. “Way to go! Now, let’s recap ... You love Hunter, right ...?”

“With every breath I take.”

“You’re going to submit to him so he can mate you ...?”

“At the earliest opportunity.”

“You two will make wild wulfen love and produce a huge litter of puppies?”

“Er ... yes, eventually!”

A touch of sadness darkened Rosa’s expression. “Fort and I will never have children.

Not being a Breed, I can’t give him any.”

It was Melody’s turn to comfort Rosa. She put her arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “It would be my greatest pleasure and our honor if you would consent to be our children’s godparents.”

Rosa pulled back and stared up at Melody, her eyes drowning in a crystalline sea of tears. “Do you mean that?”

“Sure. I think you’d make a wonderful godmother.”

A huge smile brightened Rosa’s face, and Mel was glad to have helped put it there. “In that case, get your ass in gear so we can go solve the men’s troll problem. The sooner we get done with that, the sooner you and Hunter can get busy making me some god-puppies!”

Melody tossed Rosa Blair’s coat. “Did you misunderstand what the word eventually means?”

106

Camille Anthony

“Nope!” The shorter woman sang, heading for the shorter route next door via the kitchen exit. Due to the layout of the connected houses, the kitchens were actually closer together than the front doors. “I figure once he takes you in fur, Hunter’s superior sperm will conquer all barriers. We’ll be knee-deep in puppies in no time!”

Melody chose to ignore Rosa’s ominous comment. “Mall first, then on to the bridge, right?”

“Mall first, for me,” Rosa corrected, sticking her head around the open door and shaking her finger at Melody. “I don’t need any more drama. As long as you’re unmated, your ass isn’t getting out of the car!”

Werewulf Journals 2: Trolling for Love

107

Hunter pounded his fist on the door of the ambulance, angry and disappointed all at the same time He should have known Kevin would try to come up with some way to wriggle out of his agreement with the NHP team members.

Hunter rubbed at the stubble on his chin, the heavy shadow an accurate measurement of how much time he’d spent on the bridge. “I’m sorry about this, Gregori. I’ll talk to the commissioner again. I’ll get him to keep his bargain this time ... somehow.”

“You fret too much, Hunter. I am quite capable of arranging my own supply of blood.

Morrison will not be happy with how I procure it, but then, he’s passed up the opportunity to regulate my list of donors, has he not?”

The vampire smiled, showing fang, the telltale expression telling Hunter that Gregori wasn’t as calm as his veneer suggested. In the wild, baring teeth did not denote friendship.

Among predators, it was a warning the wise did not ignore.

“It’s times like these I’m tempted to walk away from this altogether -- to leave Kevin twisting bare-assed in the wind. Just once, I’d like to see him have to deal with this preternatural shit all by himself.”

“Except we don’t do what we do for Morrison’s sake; we do it to safeguard the innocents.” Gregori extended his clenched fist, knuckles down, and Hunter tapped it with his own in recognition of their team’s greeting. “We are protectors and sentinels.”

Hunter grunted. “There are many humans -- Morrison being one of them -- who don’t see us like that. After all, we are predators, and some of them are smart enough to realize they are our natural prey.”

“We are predators, true, but we are not monsters. Some of the worst monsters wear human faces.”

108

Camille Anthony

A sigh gusted from Hunter’s mouth. Did Gregori really believe the press release he spouted? “I’m sure the man I ate last month would have disagreed with you.”

“Heh!” A true smile widened Gregori’s lips. He nodded agreement. “I never said we weren’t killers, McCallum. I dare say this team consists of the most elite of killers, but we are not monsters, my friend. Far from being indiscriminate killers, we have all elected to limit ourselves to preying on the sick-minded and depraved, the poisonous ones that infect society.”

“So, what ... we cull the herd? Because our killing is high-minded, that places us above the drug king, not to mention the abusive pimp and the Jeffrey Dahmers ...?”

Gregori raised one finger. “Question ... Would a monster suffer pangs of conscience because he inadvertently struck a female ... even though that female was a troll and could wipe the floor with him?”

Shame washed through Hunter. “I should have investigated closer and made sure of my facts before wading in with both feet. Hitting her was unacceptable. I reviewed the tapes, and in retrospect, I totally screwed up. I let Kevin’s pissy attitude blind me to the clues.”

The vampire sighed. “You are missing the point. A monster wouldn’t care about the troll being male or female. Once, the jungles and savannahs of this world were vast enough to contain the uncivilized of all species, the indiscriminate killers. Now, those lands have shrunk. Civilization has crowded out the untamed places. The monsters have left the dwindling jungles to inhabit the new wilds of the city’s dark alleys and sewers. They look out over the city and see sheep, pinned in and ripe for the taking.”

Gregori stepped up to Hunter and faced him head on. Tilting his head up, he met the eyes of the taller man. “We don’t cull the herd; we police the wolves. Hell man, you’re the one who talked us all into forming this team. Your heart and spirit are the soul of this endeavor. If you begin to question what we do, to doubt our mission, this team will not survive.”

Hunter pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. In the short time before he reopened them, his resolve had hardened. Staring out across the bridge toward the clustered buildings and high-rises of San Francisco, he squared his shoulders.

“You’re right, Gregori. The cities teem with conscienceless people, and others having no scrap of compassion or mercy for the innocents they target. In this city -- our city --

we’ve put the monsters on notice: Play nice or die ...” He slashed a look at the silent vampire and his lips curled in a lopsided smile. “That includes this team. There’ll be no unsanctioned kills or the same penalty applies.”

Gregori threw back his head and laughed until red-tinged moisture ran from his eyes.

“Oh Hunter, you amuse me, you do.” Shaking his head, he asked, “Yet, you wonder why everyone on this team insisted you be the leader? I find it hilarious that the only one of us who requires death to gain nourishment is the one demanding we hold ourselves accountable.”

Werewulf Journals 2: Trolling for Love

109

“Hey, I’ve never put innocents in danger just for a meal. If we ever run out of monsters, I can always munch on a deer or something. I’m no rogue.”

“No, you’re not.” Gregori glanced over Hunter’s shoulder, and his eyes blazed red.

“However, you are about three minutes away from a domestic crisis ...” A languid hand gesture drew Hunter’s attention to the approaching vehicle. Gregori’s head lifted, nostrils flared, chest rose on a long inhalation. “I smell your woman -- an interesting blend of full-bodied human blood, spiced with notes of alien woodsy tones ... hmm.”

Eyeing the vamp askance, Hunter gave the bloodsucker a sharp nudge with his elbow.

“Sheesh, Greg, you sound like a damned perfume chemist or something. Get your damned nose off my bitch!”

“You don’t know how I envy you, Hunter. Your woman is full-blooded, full-bodied ...”

He watched Rosa and Melody step out of the car and slam the doors, their arms full of packages and bags. “... and obviously full-spirited. What a feast! If another like your Melody could be found, I’d consider settling down for eternity.”

Hunter kept his eyes trained on the two women, battling the anger seething within at their irresponsible actions. How dare they deliberately place themselves in danger?

“Yeah, well, she’s taken.” His voice hardened. “And she’s full of bullshit, too, if she thinks I’m going to let her hang around here!” Slipping his shades in his pocket, Hunter started toward the two women, wondering what in hell had brought them to the bridge. On second thought, it didn’t matter. He was determined to get them headed back home as soon as possible.

Hunter’s steps slowed as he drew closer to where Rosa and Melody stood waiting for him by the car. He should have taken the keys, but it had never occurred to him she would follow him. Mel had mentioned before that she wanted to help him with his cases, didn’t want him leaving her out of the action, turning her into a grass widow. He walked a fine line, trying to discourage her involvement in dangerous situations while avoiding making her believe he didn’t value her input.

Hunter groaned, knowing the real problem was he valued her above everything. More than she would probably ever know, more than he could make her understand. Damn it, he didn’t have the words to explain how she completed him, made him whole.

If I ever lose her ... He shook off the fear that flooded his mind and stopped his heart for a second, only to send it pounding back into a frantic rhythm.

Two feet away from her, Melody’s fragrance hit him like a blow to his solar plexus.

How in hell am I supposed to reprimand her, send her away when all I want to do is grab her up, spirit her away somewhere, and fuck her?

It was always that way -- he’d get near her and his libido jump-started. Old Buford thickened and rose until it prodded the front of his jeans, eager to get out and get close to its favorite snug hole. There was no reasoning with his dick. It knew what it wanted, and since it was pretty much what Hunter wanted, too, he was damned and sure done for.

110

Camille Anthony

“Melody, what the fuck are you two doing here?” Hunter fought the urge to cringe at the harsh way that question came out. She needed to know how displeased he was.