Cherreads

Chapter 30 - Chapter 29

She woke up with a smile on her lips. This had not happened to her in a long time. She opened her eyes and her gaze rested on Michael's hairless, muscular chest. Her head was resting on his chest and she could feel the steady beat of his heart and smell him. He felt good. Very good. Her hand moved over his abdominals to his right side where there had been a wound the day before and now the skin was perfectly healed. This werewolf characteristic was definitely enviable!

 Gentle fingers sank into her hair and Michael placed a light kiss on her head. "Good morning," he said in a slightly hoarse voice.

 She lifted her gaze to meet his smile. "Good morning," she reciprocated.

 "Do you have an appetite?" Her stomach answered for her by sending a small grumble. "I'll go get something from the kitchen." And after giving her a kiss on the forehead he stood up and picked up the trousers that had ended up on the floor the night before. He watched her put them on. She was beautiful. Her loose hair fell over her bare shoulder and the sheet did not hide her curves. He smiled at her. 'I'll be right back,' he said.

***

 Markus arrived in the late afternoon. Christopher was waiting for him in the studio Fredrik had provided. His wounds were not yet completely healed, but he had already been on his feet since the morning despite the complaints of his brother and friends.

 Six feet tall, slender, with short straight blond hair and sky-blue eyes, the Swede shook hands with his old friend and observed him attentively. "Something else has happened since we spoke."

 Christopher nodded and slowly sat back in his chair. "Much more than we had expected." Briefly, but without neglecting the details, she told him about the previous day's ambush. "I need you to help me find the best location for our new headquarters and take care of its security. We are at war, Markus."

 "You can count on me, Chris. But remember that I am a lone wolf. I left my pack a long time ago."

 Christopher nodded. "I know. I only ask you to respect the laws."

 "That belongs to me as a werewolf."

 "Then I don't see why there should be a problem."

***

 Alex paused to glance fleetingly at the park surrounding the villa, then resumed her perpetual motion within the room. She could not stand still and had been incessantly pacing the rust-red carpet that covered the floor of her assigned room for several minutes.

 The words spoken and the night spent with Michael kept replaying in her mind like an enchanted record. What had she embarked on? It was not so much the war that disturbed her, but the commitment she had somehow made to Michael. Every time she thought about it, a subtle, nagging feeling ran under her skin: fear. Now that the adrenaline and tension of battle were far behind her, she wondered how she had allowed herself to be with him, to even cheer him on! Not that it hadn't been good. It had been good! The best sex of her life, probably. But now? Did she really want to bond with a werewolf? Even if that wasn't the issue. Did she really want to bond with a man? Because that was what Michael had asked of her. A shiver ran down her spine. A stable relationship. A bond. Settling down in a city. To have a home. Her breath became short and the air in the room seemed to condense and become warm. She grabbed the jacket they had given her from the back of the chair and darted out of the room towards the park. She needed air.

***

 Michael found her sitting on a bench near the pond. "May I?" he asked her, pointing to the vacant seat. She nodded.

 He felt her tension but waited silently for her to speak first. He did not want to force her if he did not intend to.

 "I can't!" Alex's voice was full of emphasis. His eyes moved, seeking her gaze. He shook his head. "I can't do it, I'm sorry." He stood up and walked a couple of steps away, then turned back around. "You said it yourself: I'm a nomad! I have no ties, no relationships, no affections. I am a stray dog on the streets of the world."

 He got up and joined her. "Even stray dogs gather in packs. Because number is an extra strength. Being able to rely on someone else is not a sign of weakness." He reached out a hand and caressed her face. "Don't be afraid, Alex. I don't want to lock you in a cage. I will not take away your freedom. I just want to love you, and protect you."

 The memory of him saving her from Sabrina's murderous fury, taking her in his arms... butterflies flew in her stomach and the feeling of estrangement intensified. She shook her head. 

 He nodded. 'All right,' he said. And in his voice she caught the pain. "You can leave wherever you want. Just please wait until we regroup. I have to help Christopher and I need to know that you will be safe in the meantime."

 She nodded, but could not understand why the pain in her chest had not gone away but had become more acute.

***

 It took a week to equip the villa Markus had chosen with all the security systems he deemed necessary. It was situated in the countryside north-east of Oldgrove and was one of several Barclay properties that had been in existence for centuries. Two-storeyed, it had some twenty bedrooms on the first floor, plus living rooms of various sizes, a huge kitchen and several other rooms still looking for their intended use on the ground floor, as well as a basement that had been used as an armoury, gymnasium, storage. It would have needed renovation to adapt to the needs of a headquarters, but there was not enough time. Christopher and Michael moved in there immediately, along with Alex and Markus. The other werewolves lived in various flats in the city, although none of them had families.

***

 The sky was clear of clouds and the constellations were clearly visible in that place so far away from the town.

 "Have you been waiting long?"

 Christopher turned to hear the deep voice behind him. "No," he replied. "I've just arrived too."

 In front of him stood a man with a lean physique, about six feet tall. In the dim moonlight, one could not make out the auburn highlights of his dark brown hair or his hazel eyes, which he knew very well. Had it not been for the facial glow, he would have been only a slightly thicker shadow than the others.

 "Why did you want to meet me here, Anthony?"

 The vampire advanced towards him and sat down on what remained of one of the stone benches leaning against the small chapel of St. Edith. Christopher imitated him, clutching his coat to protect himself from the cold. "You know I'm the wary type."

 Christopher nodded. "What was it that prompted you to contact me then?"

 "The latest happenings in Oldgrove. It's your territory now, isn't it?"

 Christopher stiffened. "Sure."

 "Then you will be able to give me an explanation about the increase of men turned into werewolves." His eyes stopped in the wolf's.

 "I don't think this concerns you."

 "If the amount of blood at our disposal decreases and, above all, if the non-human population increases so quickly, it also affects me and my people. You know we have to remain in a small number so as not to be noticed." His voice sounded almost metallic. "I know about Nereus."

 Christopher watched him in silence. "Then you will also know that I am dealing with it."

 "I had no doubts about that," replied the other, sustaining his gaze. "We are certainly not friends, Christopher, but neither are we enemies. We are both children of the night. And this is your as well as my hunting ground. I wish to be aware of what happens there."

 "This is a pack problem, and the pack will solve it."

 "It is no longer."

 "What do you mean?"

 "Which is no longer just a pack problem. Not since some vampires disappeared."

 Christopher squinted his eyes. "Why do you think their disappearance is linked to the arrival of Nereus?"

 "Because I don't believe in coincidences."

 Christopher shook his head. "Werewolves cannot mutate vampires, nor do they hunt them." Then he added: "I will still try to find out something."

 Anthony nodded, "I will also investigate."

 "Nereus will be subjected to the law of the pack."

 The vampire nodded. "I hope he does not have to suffer the vengeance of the vampires as well." And his canines shone in the moonlight. 

 

More Chapters