Butch walked closer. "Yeah, uh, I was
thinkin'…"
Charlie wondered how everyone would react to
what Butch was about to say.
"I…I'd really be more comfy on the sofa in
Charlie and Roman's cabin."
"What?" JP laughed as he said the word, then
his expression changed to surprise.
Goat asked, "You'd rather sleep on a couch
than a queen sized bed?"
Butch added, "JP snores somethin' awful. And
I'm fine on the couch." He put his cowboy hat on his head.
Charlie glanced back at Sherlane and Suzie,
who although they were helping Connie clear the dessert plates,
stopped to listen.
JP tilted his head suspiciously. "Uh huh." He
crossed his arms.
"You didn't even ask Charlie and Roman if
they mind." Goat misread Butch's obvious intentions. Charlie could
see it went over his head. It didn't go over anyone else's.
"We don't." Roman waved to the group. "Thanks
for the meal, Connie. It was wonderful."
"Breakfast at eight a.m. if ya want it." She
stacked empty plates.
"We do." Charlie put on his jacket, seeing
Butch do the same. "Where's yer coat?" he asked Roman.
"Left it." Roman opened the door and stepped
outside. It was snowing and large clumpy snowflakes fell
soundlessly.
Charlie said to JP as he was leaving, "Don't
make a big deal out of it."
JP held up his hands as if he wouldn't touch
the topic.
Butch left next, walking quickly down the
path, Charlie assumed, anxious to get his belongings and change
cabins.
Before Charlie left, Sherlane called to him
softly.
Charlie inhaled deeply and paused as Butch
and Roman vanished from his sight. Sherlane stepped close to
Charlie. "Is he gay?"
Charlie didn't want to come out for Butch.
But Butch nearly did already. "I think you need ask him that." He
touched the brim of his hat to gesture goodnight, and left, feeling
the snowflakes brush his cheeks.
Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a
shadow, darker than the blackness of night. Charlie felt it, more
than he could see it, and he smelled wolf.
He didn't look, didn't slow down. The door to
his cabin was ajar and Roman was already sitting on the couch,
reading paperwork.
Charlie took off his hat and coat and said,
"Butch didn't make that move very subtle."
"He wants us." Roman tossed the paper on the
coffee table and looked at Charlie. "And we need him."
"Sherlane asked me if he was gay." Charlie
left the door unlocked but closed it.
"And you said?"
"I told her to ask him…" Charlie looked back
at the door. "It's out there, Roman."
"I know. I feel the fucker. I have no idea
what to do to stop it from coming in."
"I wish we had sage, garlic, somethin'."
Charlie looked up when the door opened and Butch carried his
backpack inside. "You do know ya let 'em all know yer gay," Charlie
said.
"I know." Butch closed the door, locking it.
"Somethin's out there."
Roman appeared shocked. "You feel it now
too?"
"Yeah. Ya want me to go out there with a gun?
I know where Vernon keeps his shotguns." Butch dropped his pack by
the sofa, then Charlie noticed his gaze dart to Roman's pistol,
which was in its holster near Roman.
"No. How many times do we have to tell you,
Butch? You can't shoot that thing." Roman went back to reading the
paperwork.
Charlie looked at the couch. "Let me see if I
can get ya some bedding."
"Huh?" Butch took off his hat. "I'm not
really sleepin' on the sofa, Charlie."
Roman chuckled and slouched on the
cushions.
Charlie was about to argue, then gave up. "I
need my rest. This Alpha is stalkin' us and I am useless
exhausted."
"That's why ya need me." Butch looked out of
the front window, moving the drapes.
"Fine." Charlie headed to the bedroom and
began undressing. He didn't know how they were going to battle this
force, but maybe Butch was right, and the more manpower, the
better.
~
Roman looked at Butch. He was staring back at
him.
"It's only a queen bed." Roman stacked the
paperwork on the table. "I think you should sleep here."
Butch inched closer and touched Roman's hair
with just his index finger. "You have no idea how attracted I am to
you."
Roman did. He could sense it; feel it, smell
it, and see Butch's stiff cock under his jeans. "Sherlane and Suzie
will know. If they don't already."
Butch shrugged, brushing Roman's hair back
softly, combing it with his fingers.
"You understand I belong to Charlie."
"I know." Butch nodded.
Roman stood, and when he did Butch moved
closer. Roman was few inches taller than Butch, but they were
nearly nose to nose.
Butch cupped the back of Roman's neck. "I
always wonder what it would feel like to have you inside me."
Roman felt a flash of fire and his teeth
began to ache. He ran his tongue over his canines inside his
mouth.
Butch lowered his voice to a whisper. "I've
touched myself there. I know it's nice."
The urges in Roman began to intensify. Sex
and food. Sex and food. The animal in him had two agendas- that was
it.
"Look at you," Butch inhaled a hiss of a
breath between his teeth. "A more masculine fella I have never
seen."
Roman's skin began to prickle with warning at
the coming change. He stepped back and lowered his gaze. "You are
welcome to be in the room when Charlie and I—"
Butch pulled Roman closer, connecting to his
body. "What if I want you one on one?"
"You can't." Roman felt an icy chill and his
hearing sharpened. He stopped paying attention to Butch and began
listening. Something had entered the room but he couldn't see
it.
"But—" Butch whipped around and looked at the
front door, rubbing his arms as if he were cold.
"You feel it?" Roman was stunned.
Butch instinctively picked up Roman's handgun
from the table.
Before he pulled it from its holster, Roman
snatched it from him. "You can't shoot it. I will not say that
again."
"Why'd ya bring the damn thing!"
Both he and Butch spun around when Charlie
appeared in the hall, naked, bleeding from his chest from three
long scratches. Looking pale and dizzy, Charlie fell to his
knees.
"Oh God!" Butch raced towards him and Roman
instantly went wild at the sight. He yelled in rage and pain and
held his stomach.
"Roman!" Butch called to him, holding Charlie
on his lap. "No! Don't! I need you!"
But Roman couldn't do a thing to prevent it.
He hit the wood floor with a thud and when he opened his eyes, a
white wolf was standing inside the room, showing its long
fangs.
~
"Charlie!" Butch held onto him and shook
him.
Low growling came from behind him. Butch
froze and had to force himself to look when he was nearly paralyzed
from terror.
As if he were in a bizarre dream, two wolves,
one black as night and the other white as snow, were facing off in
the living room of the cabin.
Charlie moved slowly, as if recovering from
whatever had happened to him, touching his chest and seeing the
beaded blood.
"Charlie…" Butch whispered and gulped down a
dry throat, "Lie still."
The black wolf had all its back hairs
standing on edge and started to foam at the mouth. The white wolf
began to stalk him.
Butch put his finger to his lips to indicate
for Charlie to be silent. Charlie didn't respond, but met Butch's
eyes. Slowly Butch crawled to the table where Roman's gun was
lying.
Charlie reached out and gripped Butch's arm.
When Butch felt it, he looked back. Charlie shook his head, no.
Butch wanted to shoot at it, to try and kill
it. But he heeded Charlie's warning. Instead, Butch grabbed one of
the fireplace irons and stood tall, hitting the wolf as if he meant
to turn it into road kill.
The big animal wheeled around and opened its
large jaws at him. Butch was knocked back into the wall and choked
as he lost his wind. The moment Butch was incapacitated, the battle
was on between the two wolves.
"No!" Butch could see the bigger white wolf
was going to destroy Roman. He lunged for the handgun, removed it
from the holster and began shooting.
The black wolf recoiled and bolted while the
white one showed its teeth, not affected by the act. The bullets
hadn't done a thing but make holes in the wall.
"She-it!" Butch inched backwards as he was
now the target of the beast.
As he was stalked, Butch stared into its
amber eyes, and it was as if they were flames, not irises.
A commotion was at the door and it flew open.
Both JP and Goat were there, wearing coats over their pajamas and
holding shotguns.
The white wolf vanished.
JP held the gun at eye level. "What is it,
Butch? What are you shooting at? Is it Roman turned wolf?"
Butch held up his hand. "No! It was me
shootin' at nothin'! Don't shoot anythin'!"
"JP!" Charlie shouted.
When JP and Goat noticed him crouched on the
floor, they raced towards him, kneeling down to see if he was all
right.
Butch, still holding the hot firearm, tiptoed
to the kitchen. He found Roman curled in the fetal position, naked
and shivering.
"Oh God, why!" Butch set the gun on the
counter and cradled Roman into his arms, rocking him.
Goat poked his head around the corner of the
room. "My God, Butch. Should I call 911?"
Tears filling his eyes, Butch didn't
know.
Goat approached them, setting the shotgun
down on the floor and checking Roman's condition.
"I'm okay." Roman slowly sat up, seeming to
get his strength back.
"What happened?" Goat asked. "Did you and
Charlie have a fight?"
"No." Roman made an attempt to get to his
feet. Both Butch and Goat helped him up. "Charlie?" Roman called as
he tried to make his way to him.
Charlie was seated on the sofa, wearing his
jeans, and JP was sitting beside him.
Butch noticed Roman's clothing on the floor
and felt modest for him, though Roman was more interested in
Charlie's wellbeing at the moment than anything else. Butch tried
to hand Roman his pants, and not be obvious he was staring at
him.
"Babe?" Roman inspected the scratches on
Charlie's chest.
"He won't tell me how he got them," JP said,
looking concerned. "Did you do it, Roman?"
"No. I didn't." Roman finally noticed Butch
standing there, poking him with his black slacks. Roman took them,
laying them over his lap. "Thanks, boys, but we're fine."
Goat choked in sarcasm, holding the shotgun
down at his feet.
JP said, "We have to tell Vernon about
this."
"I'm amazed the gunshots didn't bring him
over," Goat replied.
"We're right next door," JP tilted his head
as he spoke, "an' he's up at the house. I doubt he'd hear it,
especially if they're all asleep."
Butch rubbed his face. "What time is it?"
"After midnight," Goat said, reading his
watch.
"What?" Charlie asked in surprise. "Did you
say after midnight?"
Goat nodded.
Butch tried to think. "What time did we leave
Vernon's place?"
JP thought for a moment. "I dunno. Nine? We
left at around ten."
Roman moaned and rubbed his face.
"Christ."
Butch said, "Three hours? I don't get
it."
"I need to get something to treat those
scratches on Charlie." Roman stood and slipped his slacks on,
walking down the hall to the bathroom.
JP said to Butch, "You sure you wanna stay
here?"
"I do. I have to." Butch sat beside Charlie
and touched the skin near the claw marks. "You okay, Charlie?"
"Yeah. I'll live." Charlie looked down at his
chest.
"So," JP said, "If Roman didn't do it, who
did?"
Roman returned with cotton and peroxide.
Butch slid over for him, letting him tend Charlie.
"They're not tellin' us, JP. Seems we're not
trustworthy." Goat shifted his stance and it was then Butch could
see he was wearing slippers and pajamas under his jacket.
Charlie flinched and tensed up as Roman
dabbed at the cuts. "If I tell ya, don't tell no one!" Charlie
clenched his fists at the peroxide sting.
Butch watched JP and Goat for their
reaction.
"Charlie," JP replied, shaking his head.
"It's Vernon's ranch."
Roman stopped dabbing the cut to say,
"Something is here. An Alpha."
JP and Goat exchanged confused glances.
Butch bit his bottom lip, knowing Vernon was
going to be furious.
Charlie added, "We think it's part of the
killin' that's been goin' on up here. It's been with us since
Friday."
"What's an Alpha?" Goat asked, sitting on the
coffee table, the gun between his knees.
"Alpha male." Roman went back to cleaning the
cut. "Alpha wolf."
"Are you kidding me?" JP shook his head.
"There's a third one of you?"
"He's not one of us." Roman poured more
peroxide on the cotton ball.
Butch tried to figure out how three hours had
gone by when it felt like fifteen minutes.
"What is he then?" JP crouched by the arm of
the sofa.
"We don't know. But he's powerful and angry."
Roman capped the bottle and set it near Goat on the table. "How are
you, Charlie?"
"Tired. All I wanted to do was sleep when he
came after me." Charlie rubbed his face.
"Did you change into a wolf?" Butch
asked.
"No. I fought it and him. He was on me like
white on rice." Charlie peered down at his chest. "I had no idea
how to fight him."
Roman growled.
Charlie stuck his index finger into Roman's
face. "Don't you dare."
"Oh boy." Goat stood. He looked at the
cabin's log wall and inspected the holes. "How you gonna explain
that to Vernon?"