Red Hood: The Hunt (16 page)

I looked around.  Humans were standing, some looking confused and the wolves attacked.  I cursed, “Rahat!”  As Daria stirred.  Prue had scrambled over to her.  I glanced back at the lodge, the FMBs were lowered.  I yelled to the humans present as some were getting mauled and killed or reinfected by the curse, “Everyone, get into the lodge!  Now!”

Daria was on her feet and looking strong now.  She exchanged a look with me and she was suddenly in motion, wolf fast.  My heart sank, she was still cursed.  She carried Prue with her in a blur to the main entry and punched in the emergency override code and the door's FMBs slid up.  She almost threw her sister inside. Then stood by the door.  I got two or three people in but the rest were a lost cause.  We stepped inside and I slammed the panic button and the bars slid back into place as a couple wolves slammed into them.  Yelping when the silver burned them.

We exchanged a smile then turned when we heard a thunk then the thud of a body hitting the ground.  A man was at our feet with a pistol in his hand and Prue standing over him with a bloody vase in her hands.  She had a snarl on her face worthy of a wolf as she growled, “Nobody hurts my little sister asshole!”

She looked at us then the vase in her hands and she threw it to the side with a sheepish look on her face.  “He was one of Marcus' men.  Not compelled like the rest of us.  He volunteered to be infected so he would have power and long life.”

Then she stopped and looked at her hands like she had never seen them before.  She whispered, “It is the full moon.  I'm human!”  She pulled Daria into a hug and started sobbing.  I fought tears too as my girl cried with her.  It dawned on me that twenty percent of the infected out in the world were now free of the curse.  As long as they didn't get reinfected or worse if they were running in a pack, I added.

Then Prue said as she pulled back from her, “Little sis... you're naked.” Daria nodded and looked at me, the Alpha was glowing in her eyes as she reached out with one hand and grasped my cloak and pulled me to her lips.  I melted into the kiss, letting her own me.  Then she let go and said, “You got this down here?  I'll get dressed and we can get help.”

I nodded in a happy daze and she looked at Prue and said in a commanding voice, “I'll be right back, I need some clothes.  Help my girl here watch the others.”  I smiled at the 'my girl' comment.  I watched her ass sway up the stairs and bit my lower lip. 
God lord she was gorgeous.

Prue tapped my shoulder and I looked at her, I could see the family resemblance especially in the smile as she said, “Hey that's my sister you're ogling.”  The she squinted and smiled after her sis.  “Oh, so it's like that?”  She cocked an eyebrow and took me in head to toe then said, “Eh, I guess she could do worse.”

I blinked at the woman in shock.  She looked down at her hands again in disbelief as I walked over to my weapons and started gearing up, being weary of the other two conscious humans in the room.  Prue almost whispered, “I feel like me again.  Not the way he forced me to be.  I had to act the way he told me for so many years.  Submissive... I was helpless inside, just watching in horror at the things he made me do.”  She shuddered.

Then she looked at the stairs as I silently watched her.  She asked in a small voice, “My sister is a monster too?”

I shook my head.  “No.  She is in control of her wolf.”  She turned disbelieving eyes toward me and asked with a touch of confusion, “So she's like that fucking Slater?”

I nodded. “In a way, only... better.”

We looked to the top of the stairs where Daria came down the hall.  She simply leapt smoothly to land gracefully beside me in her clothes.  There was a quickly healing bullet graze on her face and she wasn't limping like she had been when she went up the stairs.  Her hand automatically sought mine out and we held hands as she smiled at her sister.  Then she frowned at me and said, “I'm still wolf.”

I nodded and said, “Ya think?”  Nudging my eyes toward the stairs indicating her entrance.

She bumped hips with me and said in a wry tone, “Don't be mean.  I'm supposed to be the bitch here.”  I snorted and was amazed she could even joke about it.

I nodded. “It must not have been one of his line that infected you.”

I looked at the other two people.  “Tie him up.”

Then Daria reached out to grasp her sister's hand.  “Where's a phone?  We need to call for help.”

She shook her head. “Slater sent out men hours ago to cut the phone lines and disable the cell tower down the road.  We're on our own.”

Daria exchanged a look with me and said, “Then we'll just have to wait it out tonight and get back to Seattle in the morning.  Get the National Guard in to clean up the mess and round up anyone still loyal to the Marcus brothers.  The SPD officers will be here in the morning to pick us up, since they aren't aware what has been transpiring here.  We can use their radio.”

I nodded and then she said, “Good God, I'm fucking starving.”  We chuckled and checked the ropes on the man and put him in a panic room and Daria entered an override code to keep it locked.  We put the other two humans in another room and locked it, not wanting to fully trust them before we retired to the kitchen to feed my pretty beast.  Passing the now true dead body of Mrs. Remington.

When I got to my room in the lodge, my eyes settled on Victor's things.  Was it really just a day ago that my partner was killed? It felt like forever.  I fought back the tears that welled up inside.  I closed my eyes and took a deep calming breath.  That was a mistake.  With my wolf senses even in human form, I was hit by the smell and taste of Marcus' blood on my face and tongue.

I rushed to the bathroom and threw up.  Mostly in disgust but partially because I had enjoyed the kill, savored my enemy's hot blood in my mouth.  I could smell and taste the burning of flesh, like my bite were anathema to him like silver was.  What kind of monster had I become?  I looked up into the mirror, my eyesight was much better and the colors and palette seemed richer as I examined myself.

I had hoped that it would be over and that whatever had happened to me would die with Marcus.  When my transformation started reversing, I had hoped for a moment.  Until I realized, I still felt my wolf inside.  Her power is so seductive.

I looked like I always had, though my eyes seemed to have a glow to them, probably an illusion due to my enhanced eyesight, and I had little mini fangs like Mari now. I had blood and a quickly healing wound on my cheek where a bullet had torn through my cheek.  I looked down at my body at the five or six scars from other bullets that had hit me in the fight, reminding me of my curse.

I looked back up and stared into my own eyes.  “Come on Daria, get your shit together!”

I stepped into the shower quickly.  I didn't want to keep Red and my sister waiting long, but I had to get the blood of all these dead men and women off of my body.  I watched and smelled the blood as it sloughed off and down the drain.  My mouth watered a bit at the smell.  I was so hungry.

I stepped back out of the shower and toweled off.  I could feel all of my muscles, just brimming with the energy of coiled steel though I looked exactly the same as when I was bit.  I liked the seductive feel of the power inside me.  But then almost vomited again knowing the cost.  My humanity.  I silently prayed that I would never change again. 
Maybe I was like Maireni now?

I heard a low, hungry growl that vibrated through me at the smiling thought of Red, I glanced around quickly, on guard before I realized the noise was coming from me. 
Oh god, I have it bad for her and so does my wolf.
  My attraction seemed tenfold now.

I dressed quickly and found my backup weapon in my travel bag.  The little snub-nosed revolver loaded with silver rounds.  I tucked it into my waistband at the small of my back.  My ears twitched, following the conversation on the ground floor of the lodge.  Prue was asking Mari what kind of monster I was now.

I took a deep breath, stopping a mini panic attack and fighting off the fucking tears again.  I found it easier to compose myself.  It was like all my emotions were right at the surface and I had to reign them in more.  But when I did, I seemed to have more control over them.

I put on a fake smile and headed out the room and down the hall.  The power of my strides sung through my body, I felt so good.  I had even lost the limp from the bullet I took to my hindquarters.  My legs felt strong.  I reached the top of the stairs and almost licked my lips when I saw Mari, she was so beautiful.  Then my heart sped up in excitement at seeing my sister down there with her.

Before I realized I was doing it, I simply leapt from the top of the stairs to land lightly beside them.  I had to control myself around Mari, I wanted to take her right there on the floor.  A little voice inside me told me it would never happen now, she knew I was a monster.  I tentatively reached out and relief flooded through me when she took my hand.

I had to restrain my excitement so I turned to Prue.  She looked so young, much younger than me now.  She had been locked in her teenage form when she had been infected as time passed for me.  I looked like the older sister now.   I smiled knowing that at least for her, the curse was lifted.  We had at least saved her.

I had to let Red know that I was still a monster.  I frowned at myself and just said, “I'm still wolf,” quickly, like tearing a bandage off.

She smelled amused as she nodded and said in a teasing manner, “Ya think?”  Nudging her eyes toward the stairs I had just bypassed.  Her hand tightened on mine as she held me by her side firmly.  She wasn't appalled at what I was?  Whatever it was.  Was I werewolf or something different?

In relief I bumped hips with her and joked in a smug tone, “Don't be mean.  I'm supposed to be the bitch here.”  She snorted and I blinked, realizing how easily I could joke about it. I could again feel that part of me that liked the feeling, liked the power, liked how much more I could sense about her.

She nodded and looked deep in thought as she said absently, “It must not have been one of his line that infected you.”  I heard the unspoken 'or it is something my cloak did to you'.

We went about securing the man loyal to the dead Marcus.  Part of me reveled in the Alpha's death and was proud I had delivered the death strike, part of me cursed at my wolf for making me feel that way.

I was scared of what Prue thought of me.  I purposefully kept my distance.  She told us that all communications were disabled.  I nodded and said, “Then we'll just have to wait it out tonight and get back to Seattle in the morning.  Get the National Guard in to clean up the mess and round up anyone still loyal to the Marcus brothers.  The SPD officers will be here in the morning to pick us up, since they aren't aware what has been transpiring here.  We can use their radio.”

I nodded and could smell the blood outside and all of the wolves converging on the lodge trying to get in.  I salivated at the smell of blood and then said, “Good God, I'm fucking starving.”  We double checked our captive's ropes and confined the other two survivors to a panic room then headed back to the kitchen.

I kept exchanging glances with Prue the whole way.  She looked scared of me, and that hurt.  I looked down and saw Red's hand in mine and I felt heat spreading through my body from the point of contact.

Prue suddenly said, “Oh hell!” Then I found myself in a hug and she was crying.  She sobbed, “I missed you so much baby sister.  I swelled with pride every time Slater would come to my chambers in a rage and beat me, or sent in males to... debase me.  Yelling epitaphs about you.  Knowing that you wouldn't sell our land.  It gave me satisfaction knowing that you defied him when I could not.  I couldn't stop myself from doing as he asked.  He had power over us all, I was just a puppet for his amusement. But my baby sis defied him over and over.  He called me his insurance policy for securing our land.”

I wiped a tear from my own cheek and pulled away, rage and horror over what she had just shared.  Oh God, I had caused that to happen to her.  I whispered, “I'm so sorry Prue.”

She was shaking her head.  “No... no... don't be sorry.  I love you so much Dar-bat.”  I sniffed and fought another tear as I smiled at her old teasing nickname for me.  Maireni released my hand and started getting food out of the cupboards and refrigerator.

My head swiveled at the smell of blood.  Mari was staring at some pork chops with hunger in her eyes, I could smell her hunger on her.  She glanced at me then Prue and got a pan down from the hanging pot rack and my sister said in a low voice with a consoling tone,  “Don't worry about it, I know the hunger, I lived with it for seventeen years.  You two go ahead, I'll cook my own up.  For once, the smell of raw meat doesn't make my mouth water.”

We sat and ate our fill, I felt like an animal as Mari and I had three raw pork chops each.  Then we had a coffee and some rice Prue cooked for us.  She told us of all the horrors she had been subjected to from the day Marcus attacked and killed the social worker that was taking her away to Issaquah all those years ago.  About how two of his brothers would frequently visit and he would share her with them.

We learned that he made her act like his secretary, so she was privy to a lot of secrets of the Marcus brothers including the location of three of them.  I exchanged predatory glances with Red at that revelation.

Then she added that the mayor's death here was planned from the beginning.   That Marcus had a man, a Clean Blood in place in Seattle to take the mayor's place, he was the inside man that eliminated Harrison, from the motor pool, to keep him quiet.  He had promised the man eternal life.

I blinked, but that would mean it was the deputy mayor she was speaking of.

When Prue couldn't keep her eyes open as she spoke, I finally said, “Let's get some sleep.  There isn't anything we can do till morning.”  She agreed and we saw her to her room.  Then I followed  Maireni to her room and said, “Well Miss Damaschin, this is your room.”

She actually growled at me and grabbed the back of my neck and dragged me into her room and slammed me against the wall and buried her nose in the crook of my neck and inhaled deeply.  “Shut up Detective McQueen.”  She kissed me so passionately, I lost my self-control and grabbed her at the waist and lifted her like she were a rag doll and slammed her down onto the bed and kissed her again.

My growl joined hers and they resonated, pushing my passion and need.  I whispered, “I'm sorry, I don't know what I'm doing.  Your scent is driving me insane.  I've never felt so aroused.”

She smiled into my lips and in a move I could barely follow, had me flipped and my wrists pinned above my head.  The bed creaked and groaned in protest, my head was filled with the smell of her arousal.  She kissed me and smiled, saying, “It's your wolf.  She thinks I'm your mate.”  She bit my neck, but it felt good.  Then she whispered hotly in my ear, “And she's right.”

I growled in want and she tilted her head cutely. “My what big ears you have.”

I giggled and stuck my tongue out at her, she snapped at it with her teeth and I said, “The better to hear you with.”

She nipped and sucked at my neck then looked up as she unbuttoned my blouse.  “What big eyes you have.”  We started tearing the clothes off of each other.

She straddled me, her hot flesh against mine as I said with a husky sound, “The better to see you with.”

She started kissing down my hot flesh toward my breasts. “What big teeth you have.”

I couldn't handle it anymore, all the teasing had my body on fire. I let my wolf take over as I growled, “The better to eat you with,” As I twisted, slamming her to the mattress.  I heard the wood frame cracking in protest and I licked and nipped down her tight abdomen muscles down to my prize, with her giggling the whole time.

It was bestial, and wonderful, and beautiful.  I claimed my mate and she claimed me.  I took her scent into me, knowing she was mine.  We took turns being the Alpha.  Submitting to her was so sublime. There is something to be said for the stamina the curse gave us.  I worshiped her body and brought her to climax time after time.  She was so beautiful.  And mine.  She was mine.

She returned the favor tenfold, I even caught her growling once, “Mine.”  I didn't know how she could even speak, my wolf was in control and I couldn't talk if I wanted to.  I just wanted to please her, to posses her and be possessed.

When we finally collapsed in bed, covered in glistening sweat and the smell of each others sex, I giggled.  She pulled me into her.  I found my voice finally. “Holy shit.”

She kissed my collarbone and whispered in a deep husky voice, “Just wait until you go into heat the first time.”

I stopped breathing. 
It can be even more intense that that?
  I flushed with heat and swallowed.  But then stopped breathing at a thought.  I turned around to face her.  “What if this...”  I motioned my head down to my body. “...is only temporary?”  Voicing my fear of becoming the wolf again.

She put her forehead against mine, a hand firmly holding the back of my neck.  “Then we will deal with it until we can break the curse.  Just know that I love you Detective McQueen.  Body, soul... AND wolf.”  Then she pulled back and grinned.  “Have you seen how spectacular your wolf is?”  She did a cute full body stretch with an adorable mewling sound.  Then she added, “Besides, this may be your final form.”

She stopped any reply I may have had with a kiss.  I smiled and she playfully rolled me back over to assume the big spoon position to my little spoon.  She whispered, “I love you Daria McQueen.”

I smiled and said, “I love you too Maireni Damaschin.”  Then we faded off to sleep.

***

I woke up screaming.  Trough the pain, I realized that the curse was not done with me.  I knew the sun was rising and my mind almost shut down as I put it all together.  The full moon.  It was as if the curse were reversed.  I was human only under the full moon.  I shrieked in pain and anger.  I was... a freak, even among monsters.  My screams became yelps and whines but then I could feel a warmth behind me, I could still smell my love.  She was still holding me.

I was wolf now.  The pain was gone.  Odd that I felt it was less pain than the prior transformations, it seemed to be lessening each time.  I twisted my body to face Mari, who was just looking at me in wonder.  “Morning love,” she comically said nonchalantly as she still held me, like it was normal that your lover turned into a wolf every morning.  She was seeking something in my eyes, I could see her concern for me.  I chuffed and nipped her neck gently with my fangs and cuddled in.  If she could love the monster, that was all that mattered to me.