Chapter 5
1762 Words
OLIVER
“f**k it,” I said to myself. “Why is this happening now?”
I really didn't like this.
Life was complicated enough on its own without adding the stress of hiding from hunters, or worse, fighting them, to my to-do list.
Still looking at the guy, I hadn’t the slightest clue what to do. He was about twenty years old, give or take. His hair was dyed purple, and, strangely enough, it suited him. He looked put together, tying the ends of his flowery t-shirt neatly and rocking a pair of brown flat shoes. The only thing in his hands was a pair of sunglasses.
I swear, this was the last person I would have thought could be a werewolf hunter. He looked fairly normal, maybe the kind to catcall but sadly these days that was normal too.
Walking up to him, I said, “I’m sure you think you’re safe now that you’ve sprayed yourself with wolfbane. But I’m an Alpha, and while being around wolfbane weakens me, I can still rip you apart without even soiling my nails.”
He looked at me for the first time since I first spotted him and said, “I’m… I'm here to seek your help. Actually, I’m here so you can protect me. Please.”
Do I need to clean my ears out?
Taking a step closer, I gestured toward a street bench. “I’m not sure how stupid you think I am, but I definitely don’t go around offering help to hunters who want to kill me.”
His brows shot up. “Kill you? Good heavens! No, I don’t want that at all. I sensed you around, and I want you to help me.”
Sitting next to him, I let out, “Okay, let’s start here. Are you interested in knowing how it feels to have your bones broken?”
Shaking his head, he replied, “Quite frankly, I don’t have that many interests.”
I fixed my gaze on his face. “You will tell me right now how you found me, or I will do many thing I don’t want to.”
“Easy,” he said, crossing his legs. “Just under two days ago, I sensed an Alpha nearby. I decided to track who it was, and here we are.”
This was awkward.
Squinting, I questioned, “You are a werewolf?”
He stretched out his hands. “Find out for yourself.”
As I touched his arm, I felt it immediately. His energy was off, slightly strange, but he was definitely a werewolf. The wolfbane he wore must have clouded his scent.
Letting out a sigh, I asked, “Why the hell is a werewolf wearing wolfbane? You do know regularly spraying that stuff on yourself will kill you in like three weeks, hmm?”
He shrugged. “It’s a risk I have to take. If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s not to trust anyone. I wore it so that if you attacked me, I’d have a chance to run.”
I glanced around. “Let’s go somewhere less noisy.” As he stood, I grabbed his arm, looking him in the eye. “Don’t even think about doing anything funny. I will not hesitate to slap your head off your body.”
Nodding, he sighed, “Yes, Alpha daddy. You’ve threatened me enough times already… I think I get it.”
We got into a little cafe nearby and Raul got something to eat.
As he ate, he told me—well, what could easily be his entire life story. Yes, he liked talking, I will tell you that.
His name was Raul Clairemont. Raul was twenty-one and had lived alone, though only until recently. His werewolf parents died in a plane crash when he was a kid, leaving him to grow up on the streets. Up until recently, he had lived with two other werewolves. Hunters had found and killed them about a month ago. Since then, Raul had been in utter fear. He didn’t know what to do or where to turn for help, hence seeking me after sensing my presence.
Oh, my goodness! I really wasn’t interested in being this leader everyone seemed determined to force on me.
“Well, Raul, I’m sorry for your loss,” I said, clasping my hands on the table. “I hope you can stay safe. Good luck.”
As I was about to stand, Raul said, “What the hell are you going on about?”
My gaze returned to him as I settled back in my seat. “What do you mean?”
“So, you’re not going to protect me?”
“We just met, Raul. I don’t even know you, man.”
“But you’re an Alpha. You can’t just leave me to die at the hands of hunters. What kind of a leader are you?”
Leaning in, I said, “There's one assumption we're making here, buddy.”
As I stood, he began to sob. “When I die, I will remember I came to you for help. Yeah, go, why should you care? Like you said, you don't know me so I can die for all you care.”
Good gracious! What has my life turned into?
Holding his arm, I said, “Enough with the tears, you hear? Okay, um, I… will be in touch. Everything will be fine.”
Man, I hadn’t even seen my kid and I was already playing the Daddy role.
Raul and I exchanged numbers, and I asked him to call me if he ever got into trouble. He said he would put my number on speed dial.
Just amazing, wasn’t it? A guy, essentially a stranger, now had my number on speed dial.
Back at the apartment, I began gathering my things. I had already packed but I went over everything again.
Visiting Rachel had reminded me how serious things were. People were hunting and killing werewolves. On top of that, I had a baby with a woman I had met once, and I was probably a father figure to all the betas outside of Moonclave.
Honestly, I hadn’t had time to process it all. I just told myself to take deep breaths, get to the city, see the baby, confirm she was a werewolf, and we would figure out what to do next.
***** *****
“Hey,” I said, seeing Tony hanging at the doorway. “How’s it going?”
He didn’t say anything at first. Settling into a seat, he asked, “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure thing, buddy. What’s up?”
Still tense, with a hint of worry in his demeanor, he asked, “Do you believe in demons?”
Um, I didn’t see that one coming.
Smiling, I answered, “Of course not. Why do you ask?”
Flailing his hands, he said, “A couple of weeks ago, I swear I wasn’t sleeping. I think I saw one climb up the window and into Mum’s room.”
Oh, goodness.
Tony explained that he had immediately dashed into his parents’ room, only to find them sleeping.
“Sometimes we all see things,” I said. “Once, I really thought I heard two chickens talking to each other. Like really arguing.”
Tony cracked up, but the smile quickly faded.
I realised the moment he mentioned a demon, he must have seen his mother returning home after changing during a full moon.
Dropping my luggage, I drew closer to him, a gentle hand on his shoulder. “What’s wrong, Tony?”
“I just… when I tell anyone, they think I’m crazy. But I know what I saw, and I will never forget it.”
I pulled him closer, my hand firm on his shoulder. “Don’t keep dwell on it. It's nothing, I promise. The mind plays tricks. The best we can do is… you know, is try not to think about it.”
Tony left, still troubled. Honestly, I doubted anything anyone could say would make him ‘unsee’ that thing. But soon he wouldn't care.
Hours passed, and it was time for me to go to the airport. I promised myself not to think—neither about April, nor about whether the baby was truly mine. I would simply enjoy the flight and take deep breaths.
Just as I was about to order a ride, I got a call. It was Raul.
Too early, man. Way too early.
“Oliver… Oliver,” he gasped, his breathing ragged.
“Raul?” I said, waiting for him to continue. “Come on, man. Say something.”
In a hushed tone, he said, “I will text you.”
Then he ended the call.
A minute later, I got a text from Raul: he claimed he was cornered by hunters and sent a location, pleading for me to hurry.
“What the bloody f*ck?” I exclaimed. Not now. I didn’t have time for this.
Leaving my bag in the compound, I tried to locate the address he sent. I will be real here—it wasn’t easy, being unfamiliar with the city.
Fifteen minutes later, I arrived. The building, on the city outskirts, seemed abandoned for years.
After searching about ten minutes, I found Raul in a basement corner, tearing up, his body bruised.
“How did this happen?” I asked. “How did they find you?”
Raul explained that he had been going to work when they cornered him. He ran, chased out of the city, and had been hiding there since.
It felt too quick, believable but almost like this was all rehearsed, planned.
Reaching for him, I said, “They’re gone now. Nothing to fear. If you have somewhere else to stay for a while, now’s the time.”
Shaking his hands, he said, “I can’t stay alone. Please don’t leave.”
I explained I had to leave but would return. “You hear me?” I said, holding his hands. “I promise I’ll be back.”
As I touched him, I felt his energy again. Oh, no!
Now that the wolfbane had worn off, I knew he wasn’t normal. I had never felt such energy from a werewolf before. Not like mine, but different. He was a werewolf—definitely—but his energy was strange, unfamiliar.
“Show me your eyes,” I demanded, staring straight right at him.
Well, well, well. I definitely didn’t see this one coming.
- Writer
