Wolfsbane [Dark Hollow 5] (2 page)

“Really. Despite the fact that I’m gay?”

“I said Winters has a problem with homosexuals, but that doesn’t mean he overlooks their value as soldiers in this war against the wolves. And Winters doesn’t interfere with decisions I make about the men I choose for combat.”

“What exactly would I have to do again? Explain it to me one more time, because I’m a little freaked out here.”

“Have sex with the captured wolfman. Of course, he’d be in his human form. They call themselves shapeshifters. Look, I realize this is quite unconventional, but nothing about these creatures is exactly standard operating procedure. Most all of them are very powerful, very sexually active males. Handsome too, they tell me, if you like the overgrown, muscle-bound types. You may have heard of Logan Winters? Our commander’s son?”

“Yes, a little. Didn’t he live with the Dark Hollow pack as one of their...uh...mates? Until they killed him?”

The major frowned. “Yes. I’m afraid that’s true. He was their prisoner too, at one time, and the bastards forced him to mate with one of them, then assimilated him into their pack. We got our hands on him once, but lost him again and that time for good. They came for him and took him right out of our complex. Later we learned he was murdered by them, trying to escape. One of our top commanders, Major Dawson, was also brutally murdered, trying to help him.”

“So now you want to pimp me out to one of them and expect me to sacrifice myself too? What good will that do?”

At the major’s stern look, Evan realized he may have gone a tad too far, using the word ‘pimp.’ But shit, this was his body the major was so willing to give over to a monster. What if the fiend decided to kill him instead of have sex with him?

“Grant, I know this is unconventional, to say the least,  and if there were any other way...the doctors tell us we have to get blood samples of the creatures’ sexual partners for them. Something made Logan different from the subjects we have tested. He never shifted his form the entire time we had him here as long as he drank the blood of the wolf who mated with him. The others we’ve experimented on have changed form during a full moon. We need to find out why Logan never changed and what the substance was in his blood that prevented it. How else can we do it? We’ve tried to kidnap one of their mates, but it’s not possible. They’re too closely guarded. No, we need to create our own test subjects from a combination of the bite and the sex.”

The major stood up and paced around the room. “I assure you we’ll keep this a controlled experiment. You won’t be physically harmed in any way. Everything will happen here at the compound. Once the captive male...um...mates with you we can take blood tests, examine you. See what chemicals the bite excretes into your blood, if any.  Possibly we can come up with some kind of antidote. If we’d had one when we had Logan Winters back with us, we might have been able to save him.”

“Didn’t you have him back here at the compound for a while? Why didn’t you take some of his blood then? And back up—a few minutes ago, you said you’d had ‘mixed success’ with the bites. What exactly did you mean?”

“We did tests on Logan. And we found nothing, but Logan was bitten weeks before we got our hands on him. The chemicals could have already dissipated or been absorbed into his body. If we had a controlled experiment here in our facility, and we could test the blood immediately after the victim was bitten, then we might be able to find an answer. As to the last part of your question, nothing serious or fatal happened with just the bite to change our subjects. Many of them are in training now as a special force we call Wolfsbane. You’ll join them after the experiment. For now, we just want more information about how the sex might change the experiments.”

He stopped to perch on the edge of his desk and lean forward. “Don’t you see, Grant? If we find an antidote, we could possibly free all of the unwilling human victims of these monsters.”

“Yeah, well, what if you don’t?” Evan ran a hand over his face. “Then I’m stuck being this ‘test subject’—this mate thing forever?”

The major looked annoyed. “You’re not a blood mate, Grant. They’re the only ones who get ‘stuck’ as far as we know.”

“What about Logan Winters? Was he a blood mate?”

“Logan was a special case. They wanted to make an example of him because of his father.” The major fixed him with a direct stare. “Look, Grant, we finally have a shifter captive here ready for you. Our doctors are top notch. They’re confident they’ll find an antidote.”

Evan was silent. This was all a bit much to take in at once. Something didn’t ring true about all of this.

“I realize this is potentially life-changing, Grant, and a huge sacrifice on your part, but think of what you’ll be doing for humanity—for those poor victims. As an extra incentive, the blood gives you more strength and agility, even makes you better looking, they tell me. Much longer life too, so it’s not all negative. It will greatly advance your career here with us, I can promise you. We’ll give you a little time—think it over and make your decision. Meet the captive before you decide, if you want. Have a conversation with him. I can have you assigned to be one of his personal guards. Look, the mating is only for one night. What do you say? Will you do it?”

Taking a deep breath, Evan nodded.  This was what he’d signed up for after all, the chance to be a hero, to make a difference.  If this experiment could actually save some of the victims, how could he say no? 

The major clasped his hand and slapped him on the shoulder.  ”Good man!  I’ll get the paperwork processed right away. In the meantime, wait to hear from me, and we’ll contact you just as soon as we find a test subject.”

Ushering Evan to the door, the major was all business now that he’d secured his agreement.  In no time at all, Evan found himself outside in the corridor, wondering what in the hell he’d gotten himself into. An image of the shifter’s beautiful, glittering, dangerous eyes popped into his head, and he got weak in the knees. Damn, this thing might just be the death of him after all.

* * * *

Evan walked slowly down the hall toward the cell where the wolf was being held. Damn it, not just held—he was being chained, half-starved, beaten and tortured. The major had informed Evan his wolf had been “a bit combative.” Their answer to his resistance was apparently to beat him half to death from what the other guards told him. Evan hadn’t signed on for this kind of cruelty, and one of his first demands, he decided, would be to improve the captive wolf’s living conditions. Strange how he already felt a crazy kind of possessiveness toward the wolfman. 

It had been almost two weeks since his initial conversation with the major, followed by intensive physical and psychological exams.  As promised, now that he’d been cleared for the experiment, Evan had been assigned as one of his night guards so he could get to know and befriend him. He had been given the private number of the doctor in charge of the experiment and told to call when he was ready to begin the mating process. In the meantime, Evan had been encouraged to visit him, get to know him. He was told by the doctor in charge of the experiment that this would make it easier for him to have sex with the wolf when the time came.  Evan shuddered just thinking of it. Whether the idea filled him with fear or longing, he didn’t want to examine too closely. After seeing the captive just the one time, he hadn’t been able to get him out of his mind.  Still, he was a little frightened.  Logan Winters was dead at the hands of these creatures, not to mention countless numbers of Hunters. Evan quietly put his hand on the doorknob as he unlocked the door, and eased it open. The wolfman was chained to the far wall, and the light was so dim, Evan couldn’t really see him. He could hear him though, his breathing slow and even in the small room, a few little stirring movements letting Evan know that the man was awake and aware of his presence in the room. He could smell him too—not a bad smell at all, but something musky and sweet.

Evan lit a small candle he’d brought with him, not wanting to put on a light for fear of hurting the wolf’s eyes after he’d been so long in the dark. The other guards had been warned never to be alone with the wolf, and if he needed something they were to call for backup. Otherwise, they were to leave him strictly alone, and never go into the cell with him unless backup was waiting outside. Of course, that was for the other guards—not for Evan. Evan had resisted as long as he could. He knew the wolf had been interrogated and tortured every day since he’d been there. He had to wonder if this torture weren’t some way to coerce Evan into mating with the wolf more quickly.  He knew the brass was upset with him for taking time to get used to the wolf.

 Evan had made no secret of the fact he hated the violent treatment of the wolf captives. When they had their last conversation, the major even implied that Evan’s greater haste in doing the doctor’s experiment would end the daily suffering of the creature, and it was true he couldn’t continue to stand by and do nothing while this wolfman was tortured and beaten. Not in all good conscience. He abhorred this cruelty and didn’t see any need to treat him like this.

 If he were being honest, it wasn’t just his strong sense of right and wrong.  He’d never felt as drawn to anyone so quickly before in his life, since the first moment he’d seen the huge man being escorted down the corridor to his cell.

When they’d first brought the wolf shifter past his guard station in the basement of the huge Hunter’s complex, he’d been surprised at how handsome he was. Even though they’d said he would be well-built and good-looking, he was still surprised at his size and muscles, and so damned turned on he hadn’t really slept well since. This wolf was nothing like he’d imagined.

The light from the candle now allowed Evan to just make out the prisoner across the room, his hands chained to hooks in the floor, along with his ankles. He had only a few inches that he could move in any direction, and he couldn’t even lie down if he wanted to. All he could do was lean back against the cell wall, as he was doing now, though the pain of that contact on his whipped back must be excruciating.

 He was blindfolded, a strip of leather wound tightly around his eyes, so that even if he tipped back his head, he couldn’t catch a glimpse of his surroundings. Evan knew from his recent training that this was more a form of psychological torture, denying the prisoner knowledge of his surroundings or of what was about to happen to him next.

The wolf sat quietly in his chains, waiting. As Evan walked a little closer, the man tipped up his chin, sniffing the air ever so slightly. Again, Evan wondered if, like an animal, the wolfman could smell him, his fear, his hesitation, his raging damn hormones, because goddamn, the man was gorgeous. Even in the dim light of the candle, his hair gleamed and the sun darkened skin of his chest looked silky smooth. Evan wanted to touch that skin so badly. He wanted to run his tongue over those dark brown nipples and tease them between his teeth. Fuck, admit it. He wanted to bang him like a drum.

Evan took a deep breath. Up close, the musky-sweet smell was even stronger.  He stepped closer, keeping his voice low and steady. “I’ve brought you some food. Not that awful swill they’ve been giving you, but some stuff I brought from home. Just some sandwiches and juice, but…”  His voice trailed off as the wolf made no sign that he’d even heard him, just a brief tightening of his perfect lips.

Evan set the sandwiches down within reach of his hand and then quickly stepped back. “I brought some aspirin too. It’s there on top of the sandwiches. It’s not going to help much, I know, but it’s all I had at home.”

Evan stood there for another second or two, feeling stupid. He began to back slowly toward the door. He’d been a fool to come, but he’d felt he had to do something. He knew the Hunters were the most hated enemies of the wolves—the guy probably felt nothing but the deepest contempt for him. He might even be afraid to eat the sandwiches, thinking they were poisoned or something. As he backed slowly toward the door, Evan thought he should say something, anything to break this strange tension in the room.

“They’re not poisoned or drugged or anything. I wouldn’t do that. I just don’t like how they’re treating you. It’s not right.”

The man still sat stolidly in the same place. Evan didn’t think he’d moved the whole time he’d been in the room with him. Sighing, he turned and started out the door when he heard a deep, well-modulated voice from behind him, so quiet he couldn’t even be sure he’d heard it.

“Just how am I supposed to eat this? Should I lap it from the floor like the dog you people think I am?”

Evan whirled around to face him, but he still hadn’t moved, and he half wondered if he had hallucinated hearing the words. “I’m sorry.” He moved back to kneel beside the man. “I don’t think that, no. I mean that you’re a dog, or anything. Can I feed it to you? Would that be all right?”

The man sat so quietly that for a moment Evan thought he wasn’t going to answer. Then just as Evan began feeling really foolish kneeling there by his feet, he inclined his head.

Evan felt unreasonably pleased. He quickly unscrewed the cap from the bottle of juice and took the aspirin first, holding the tablets to the man’s lips.

When the tip of his tongue, his beautiful, pink tongue, came out between his lips and ever so slightly touched Evan’s fingers as he accepted the aspirin, Evan felt weak in the knees. He had to sit down beside him.

Over the course of the next few minutes, Evan carefully held the sandwich halves to his lips for him to take a bite, and watched him while he chewed. Occasionally, his lips would touch Evan’s fingers and once, his tongue. Each time it happened, the slight contact went straight to Evan’s cock. God, he was so perfect, from his even white teeth to his perfectly sculpted jaw line, and his straight, aquiline nose that twitched from time to time ever so slightly, as if he smelled something he couldn’t quite identify, though once he made a soft little moaning sound deep in his throat afterward, like he was moved by the scent in some way.

When he finished feeding him, Evan didn’t quite know what to say or do. He got unsteadily to his feet. “Well, uh..that’s it. I can bring more tomorrow, if you like.”