Object of My Affection (16 page)

“He and Julie were friends, but she loved him. Marco on the other hand, saw some trace of you in her and that’s why he got involved.”

“What did he see of me in her? No offense Bade, but I hated that woman on sight. Do you see her in me?” I asked.

He looked me up and down appraisingly before answering, “Not really. But she was reasonably attractive and she had red hair.”

He reached out with one clawed hand and stroked my hair tenderly. To my surprise, I didn’t recoil from his touch, or try to stop him. I wanted his honest opinion on something that had bothered me ever since I’d first seen Julie. The fact that I was looking to Bade for honesty says exactly how desperate I was to have someone,
anyone
tell me that I was nothing like this poor dead woman that I despised.

“She could never compare to this captive fire you have here,” he said softly, still stroking my hair. “Or to the fire that I see in your eyes. If she was a substitute, and I believe she was, she was a poor one.”

I pulled back slightly. The way Bade touched my hair felt more intimate than it should and it was hardly the time or the place for intimacy. Bade glanced out the window as he spoke.

“It got to the point that everyone knew how he felt. The humiliation was too much for Julie. Her hatred for you consumed her.”

“What made Marco finally break things off? I’m assuming that was his decision?”

“Yes.” Bade looked questioningly at me before he continued. “She poisoned your cat.”

Tears I hadn’t known I could still shed welled up in my eyes. It had been a year since my cat had died. But, he’d been my companion and I would still prefer his company to most people I knew.

“That bitch killed Conan?” My voice deepened as I spoke, and the burning behind my eyes let me know they were amber. “I’m glad I killed her,” I snarled. “If I’d known, she would have suffered more.”

“I thought you’d feel that way. But believe me when I say the way you took her down could not have been more humiliating.”

I had to agree with Bade to a certain extent. I’d nearly beaten Julie to death a few months ago before breaking her neck in front of thirty or so members of the wolf pack.

“Get to the point,” I prompted.

“That’s when Marco threw her out. He said she’d lost her mind, and he was right. He didn’t put her out of the pack, just out of his private life. When I left, she followed. She couldn’t handle being demoted.”

“I thought she still served as alpha female to the pack?”

“She did, but not his mate.”

I was confused and Bade added, “He was not kind to her after what she’d done. He waited until the gathering to announce publicly what he thought of her, and it wasn’t pretty.”

“What did he do?” I couldn’t resist asking.

“He let it be known that he was no longer in any way associated with her. He told the pack what she’d done to you and how that proved her to be mentally unstable. Then he announced that she would serve as alpha female only until such time as he found a replacement.”

“Damn, I was hoping for a flogging,” I said sarcastically.

“That’s harsh,” Richard said from behind me and Bade agreed.

“I thought this was going to be brief.”

“I’m summing it up as best I can,” he insisted.

“Bade, I wanted to know. It’s just that we don’t have much time.”

“Well, I would have chosen a better opportunity, but you and I aren’t exactly on speaking terms.”

“True. Go on.”

“I didn’t mean for you to be treated so roughly when you and the cop were kidnapped. That was her cousin with the baseball bat.” Bade did not maintain eye contact while he admitted this.

“It’s a shame she didn’t live to see him get his face smashed in,” I snarled.

“I knew you could take Julie. That’s why I set it all up.”

“Set what up?”

“You know what I plan to do.” It wasn’t a question.

I growled at him and surprised even myself with that reaction. It was a warning. I did know what he planned to do, and I would not tolerate discussion of harming Marco in my presence. With a pang of guilt I remembered telling Marco that I was not his to protect, yet I was willing to take on a full grown alpha male in his defense. What I’d told him was true, but it had hurt me to say it.

“Let me finish,” he pressed. “My idea was that if you killed Julie then you could be Marco’s queen. And once I’d taken care of Marco ... you could be mine.”

“Son of a bitch. This
is
all your fault.”

“I didn’t know all the women in the pack would go crazy,”

he insisted.

“What did you think they would do, cheer?”

“Actually, I thought they all fancied me.”

“A conceited werewolf?” Richard asked.

In spite of the situation I laughed at Bade’s reaction.

Surely he wasn’t that clueless. But then a more sinister thought crossed my mind.

“What about my blood? Why did you want my blood?”

“Dr. Williams was one of a handful of scientists David Kane introduced me to. I imagine that’s why he called me here tonight.”

“That monster was working for you?” Richard exclaimed.

“Not any more.”

“What were they working on?” I asked.

“A drug that would suppress the transformation. It would allow someone to keep the heightened senses, prowess, and strength of the wolf, without taking on the beast.”

“So, that’s why you wanted my blood, because I don’t transform.”

“Exactly.”

Bade reached for me, and once again I allowed him to touch me. “I’m sorry that I struck you. But you did draw first blood,” he said softly. Bade was referring to the last time we’d met. He had backhanded me after I bit off his silver nipple piercing along with his nipple.

“I’ve got news for you Bade. I don’t take on the beast, I am the beast. Besides, that would just create a whole shitload of problems if you ask me. You’d have people wanting to be turned for the superhuman abilities and trying to suppress the change at the same time.”

“Actually, we’ve already had that problem.”

“You haven’t actually tried the suppressant on anyone?”

Richard asked.

“No,” Bade turned to me. “You remember those blokes who attacked a woman at The Firestarter several months ago?”

How could I forget having to take down a group of men who’d tried to gang rape a female werewolf? That wasn’t exactly common practice, even for an experienced werewolf hunter.

“Yes. I remember. They called her a monster and she was a werewolf. If they were wannabes then why would they...?”

“Because they thought they would be superior,” he interrupted.

“You lost me.”

“First of all, those were not my people. They hung out with Simon who used to be one of mine, but that’s not important.

The deal is they were hoping Simon would turn them and they could suppress the change with the new drug that was being developed.”

“Oh, so they wouldn’t be monsters if they didn’t turn?”

“In their minds, yes.”

“They sound as crazy as Bill,” Richard commented.

“Well, he doesn’t work for me anymore. We found out he was using the blood samples from myself and some other wolves for....”

“For what?”

“I don’t know how to describe it he was....”

“Combining it with the DNA of other animals,” Richard finished.

“Yes. He’s a very sick man.” Coming from Bade, that was saying a lot.

“But why suppress the transformation?”

“So we could fit in without people knowing what we are.

Without the council ever being involved.”

“So, you were against that idea, I take it?”

“Yes.”

“So, you guys
don’t
hang out?” Richard asked.

“The last time we saw each other he tried to kill me.” I gestured toward Bade.

“You bit my nipple off!”

“You bit his nipple off?!” Richard exclaimed.

“Yeah, why don’t you tell him about that?” Bade grumbled.

Before I could respond a werewolf face was pressed against the window. I didn’t recognize him in wolf form, but I knew his voice. “Let me in.” It was David. Bade opened the door and David stepped inside.

He wasn’t as big as Bade, but he was impressive. His fur was a darker golden brown and his eyes were amber.

“There’s too many of them,” he said. “We’ll have to turn back.”

“Am I the only one here who’s not hung like an elephant?”

Richard asked.

Both werewolves just shook their heads and I asked, “How many are there?”

“Six. Well, five. I killed one,” David answered.

“What do they want?”

“
You,
“ he pointed at me. “I had no idea all this shit was going on tonight.”

“Neither did I. Apparently, every alpha female in the pack who fancies themselves worthy of Marco’s affection has come out tonight to fight for it,” Bade said.

“Well, I had no idea that you were on his side,” I pointed to Bade.

“I’m not on anybody’s side. I was interested in the werewolf suppressant since I have such obvious symptoms of lycanthropy,” David gestured wildly at his physique.

“Fine. It doesn’t matter now anyway. Let’s head for the other side.”

I went back up the stairs and David followed me past Richard who was still sort of in shock. After bolting the door shut, Bade stepped over to the foot of the stairs. He was on eye level with Richard who was several steps up.

“No worries mate,” he put his arm around Richard and pointed at me. “She’s not hung like an elephant.”

David and I both snickered, but Richard looked horrified.

Bade walked past Richard and patted him good naturedly on the back.

“You called me about Dr. Williams?” Bade asked David.

“Yes. I found out he’d been experimenting with Dr.

Monroe’s snakes.”

“Sick. Who was he experimenting on?” I asked.

“Himself,” Richard answered. “That reminds me....”

He took off toward his own lab and reemerged with a can of gasoline as the rest of us rounded the corner. Careful to avoid the bloody smears across the tile, Richard made his way into Mallory’s lab. The rest of us followed. As we walked in Richard was leaning over the various tanks and dousing the snakes in gasoline.

“I hate snakes,” he snarled disgustedly as he took a match from her desk and set fire to the lot.

Bade was there instantly with a fire extinguisher. He had some difficulty maneuvering the handle with his enormous hands, but shortly began to put out the flames as he asked, “Are you crazy? If the fire alarm goes off the police will come.

That’s all we need. There are werewolf carcasses on the grounds, remember?”

But the snakes were still burnt to a crisp, so Richard seemed satisfied. As we made our way back down the hall Richard looked around wide eyed at the carnage. I tired to steer him around the severed head and its surrounding gore, but I wasn’t fast enough.

“Is that a...? Oh my, God.”

Richard fell to his knees and heaved violently into a large plant sitting in the hall. Bade propped on the wall beside him.

“Sorry mate. I tried to spare you, but those crazy bitches outside gave us no choice.”

“I appreciate it,” Richard wheezed.

Bade extended one clawed hand. “Name’s, Bade Garren. I take it you’ve met Dr. Kane?”

Richard nodded and accepted the hand as he got to his feet.

“Richard Stacey,” he replied.

“Thought I might as well introduce myself, since you’ve seen me naked and all.” Bade shrugged and it looked awkward on a werewolf. Richard grinned and in spite of everything I think he felt better.

However, once he turned around he was careful not to look down again, but moved around the mess on the floor by touching his way along the wall.

“What’s up with the dick on the floor?” David asked.

Richard rolled his eyes at him, “Thanks a lot David. I was trying to avoid that subject.”

“What? You see a dick on the floor and you’re not allowed to ask questions?”

“The security guard was mutilated,” Bade informed him.

“Ouch.”

“Yeah. It was Jenna and Mallory’s doing.”

“Figures. Is that why you cut her head off?” David asked.

“Not me mate.” Bade pointed in my direction as David said, “My hero.”

“You’re welcome.” I grinned, “But I didn’t do it in his defense.”

“Is there anyone else in the building?” I asked Richard once he’d made his way around the gore.

He looked thoughtful for a moment. “I saw John’s car earlier, and I thought I heard Taylor.”

“Keith Taylor?” David asked. “What’s he doing here this time of night?”

“Probably helping another student get a scholarship,”

Richard sneered nastily.

Just as we reached the door at the end of the hall we heard a thunderous noise downstairs followed by both male and female screams.

“Shit, they’re inside,” I said.

As we began to descend the stairs I asked, “David, will you help watch over Richard while Bade and I handle this?”

“Of course.”

“So, now you need my help, eh?” Bade asked.

“This is different. None of them are directly challenging me. Therefore, I am not allowing you to be my protector.”

“Smart little cookie.” He winked.

“I’m not an easy catch,” I replied.

But my mind was no longer on Bade. I was looking through the slit in the door at two large female werewolves.

The door to the security office had been swung open and they were in the process of disemboweling Shawn.

A third werewolf stepped in front of the door to the stairs and I kicked it into the back of her head with a roar. I pulled the long machete from its sheath along my spine and stabbed the werewolf through the back of the head as I jumped her.

While I did this, Bade took on the two who were further desecrating the body of the security guard just a few feet away. He reached through the door and snatched one out by the fur on the back of her head. The shewolf snarled at Bade as he flung her into the concrete wall like she weighed nothing. The impact reverberated down the halls. John Simmons was the head of security and he picked that moment to come by and check on Shawn. He came in through the door Bade and I had used earlier. How he managed to stroll across campus with werewolves on the loose was beyond me. He took in Bade with a glance. He was quite the spectacle all his own, but Bade was now holding a struggling shewolf in each hand. Both were restrained by the hair at the nape of their necks.