20. Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

Locke

" I 'm so sorry, I didn't know he was coming out. I thought he was with her—"

"How could you not know, man? Everyone stopped talking!" Hawke snapped.

Sizzle cleared his throat. "The music was playing, I couldn't decipher voices and the music, I just—shit."

I groaned, rolling my head from side to side. My body was soaked, and there was a chill entering the room from the open window. I blinked several times, rubbing the heel of my hand on my right eye. "Ugh, why am I wet?"

"Bones threw some water over you," Grim mumbled. "Said you were overheating."

"We're wolves, of course we are going to overheat." I sat up on the cold exam table and shook my head. Water droplets flew through the air, propelled by the force, and landed on my closest comrades. The room echoed with their groans as they hastily wiped the wetness off their faces and clothes.

"He was fevering. He was far warmer than he should have been, even for a wolf. He had to be cooled down. I swore there was smoke coming off his body. You smelled the cinder, right?" Bones ran his hand through his salt and peppered hair. Worry lines were etched in his face, and long gone were the playful smiles he threw at me when he talked to my mate earlier the week before.

Sizzle laughed, "Hey, it would be awesome if he was a fire wolf, huh?"

Hawke groaned, "Those are old fairy tales. No such things as elemental wolves."

I waved my hand at Bones and steadied myself, resting my elbows over my thighs. "It's fine, don't worry about the water. I've never flashed back like that before. It was so vivid, damn near felt like I was there."

The lingering sensation of heat radiated on my face, mingling with the metallic taste of blood in my mouth. I could almost see my old pack's eyes, once brimming with life, abruptly vanish by my claws. The weight of their deaths, though justified, would relentlessly haunt me. I derived no pleasure from taking lives, especially those of the innocent. But, for those deserving, a surge of adrenaline coursed through me as I witnessed their blood staining my hands, fur and chest. Their anguish was a twisted satisfaction that got me hard when it shouldn't.

At night, I still hear their screams, an after-effect I didn't care for at all.

"Maybe it's the bond? Now that you are getting better?" Hawke offered his piece of advice.

Grim gave a shake of his head and crossed his arms. "A bond heals, a healthy bond anyway. He shouldn't have flashbacks, or so my mate says." He rubbed his chin pensively.

Journey's direct line with the Moon Goddess has given us more information than we ever could have obtained alone. Sometimes it's a pain in my ass, because Journey could only give us small pieces of information, as the Goddess slowly dealt it out.

Bones slowly retreated, his steps echoing against the cold linoleum floor. He sought solace by leaning against his cluttered medical counter, cluttered with an array of tubes, sterile medical supplies and various items I'd paid for. He rested his weight against the counter and his head sank. The look of remorse was etched across his face, as clear as day. "I know why your dream felt so real."

Sizzle, Grim, Hawke and I stared at him, curiously, waiting for his explanation.

"Those shots that your mate has been giving you aren't just antibiotics. They have steroids in them. It's a drug that humans use a lot in their health care. It's used in a wide range of physiological functions, including growth, development energy and metabolism. Since we are part human, and we are all waiting for Locke to gain his human form, I thought he would be the perfect specimen to try it out on. He's the strongest, even if he was rabid, and look what it did." He held out his hand and waved it up and down my human form.

I stared at Bones in shock; the pieces falling into place in my mind. The intense sexual feelings even in my wolf form, the bond between Emm and me developed far faster than I could have imagined, coming from a rabid state, the flashes of memory - it all made sense now. I clenched my fists, feeling a mix of anger and betrayal swirling inside me.

"You drugged me without my consent?" My voice was low, dangerous.

Bones held up his hands in a placating gesture. "It healed you faster, Locke. I didn't mean for this side effect. Half the club will be leaving, soon, going on a mission and members were hoping you would be human by then. I was trying to help!"

Hawke stepped forward, his eyes blazing with anger. "You put our pack at risk with your experiment! What if Locke went crazed after reliving that nightmare? You don't know what he fucking lived through! What were you thinking?"

Grim's expression was stone-cold as he spoke. "You will tell us everything about these shots, Bones. And, we will decide what to do next."

Sizzle stood silently in the corner, watching the scene unfold with a mix of worry and disappointment.

As the tension in the room thickened, I felt a growl building deep in my chest. The betrayal cut deep, and I knew things would never be the same with Bones. He had crossed a line.

I stood up abruptly, the hair on my neck bristling with anger. "You are out of your damn mind! Drugging me without my permission is unforgivable. I trusted you, and you betrayed that trust for the sake of an experiment?"

Bones held up his hands defensively. "I didn't mean any harm, Locke. I was only trying to help our pack and to help you. I promise I had your best interests at heart. I wanted our leader back, I worried—"

Hawke snorted in disbelief. "That's rich, coming from the man who experimented on our president without our knowledge. You're supposed to be our healer, Bones, not a mad scientist. You should have come to us, not decide all on your own."

Sizzle stepped forward, the dragon still hanging his head from his own mistake. "I trust Bones." I eyed Sizzle suspiciously. Sizzle doesn't trust just anyone. He's a grumpy ass at times, doesn't talk much to anyone since Grim had his mate now. "I believe he wanted to help. It's been hard, Pres. He shouldn't have gone about it the way he did, but he helped you. He got you to shift, he got you with Emm. I'm sure he calculated the pros and cons of this drug."

Bones nodded, but kept his mouth shut. He knew he didn't have the floor any longer, and he had no say in anything, now.

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose, my anger slowly dissipating as I considered Sizzle's words. He was right. Our pack's survival depended on helping me complete my transformation, to gain my mate and form the bond with my luna.

I turned to Bones, my expression softening slightly. "Do the shots need to continue?"

Bones shook his head. "No, Pres. You've shifted, I can let Emm know—"

I snarled, my eyes narrowing as I lunged forward and my fingers wrapped around his throat. The sound of his gasps filled the room, mixing with the thud of his back hitting the wall. The sickening crunch echoed through the room as I slammed his head against it, leaving a visible dent. The metallic scent of fear mingled with the adrenaline coursing through my veins, fueling my actions. "You will stay away from my mate, and you will stay the fuck away from me. The only reason you are keeping your doctor title, and your life, is because of what you have done for this club. Do not make a mistake like this again, Bones or I will rip you apart myself." Spit fell on his face and he nodded.

"I-I won't." He choked. "T-thank you for your mercy."

I forcefully pressed him against the rough, cold wall once more, my voice filled with anger as I unleashed a stream of curses. With a final push, I released my grip, watching as he crashed to the floor. "A week in the basement cell. He only comes out to treat our guests at the cabin. Make sure he showers before he comes out."

Sizzle gave Bones a pitiful look before he wrapped Bones' arm around his neck, lifting him from the floor. Bones said nothing as he was taken from the medic's room and I wiped my hand down my face in frustration.

"You had to do it, Bones was over-stepping. Hell, a lot of them have." Hawke rubbed his beard and leaned up against the wall.

"Who else, I want names and what they have done. This is bullshit. I thought our club would stay in line, even with Grim. Hell, I even fear you, brother." I gave Grim a smirk and he shook his head.

"I'm not an alpha. My word isn't law," Grim grumbled. "I can only do so much, and take care of a priestess that is constantly being harassed by the members trying to figure out if their mate is coming."

I huffed in annoyance. "It stops, now!"

Every inch of my being tingled with an uncontrollable urge, as if invisible ants were crawling beneath my skin, desperately seeking escape. The sensation was maddening, a relentless itch that made me want to tear myself apart. The brief respite of my human form was slipping away, its frailty no match for the transformative power coursing through me. Time was running out, and I could feel the imminent end drawing near.

A knock at the door started us from our conversation and Hawke yelled for them to open. Hammer strode in, his cut the only thing he was wearing above his waist. "Yes, uh, Pres, sir? I just got a text from your mate. I wanted to let you know."

I raced over to the other side of the room and ripped the phone from his hand. He stood back by the wall and made himself appear smaller than he was. I know logically I shouldn't be pissed at him, but fuck, why did she text Hammer?

"I need my tires. Are they still on schedule for delivery?"

Fuck. She's gonna run.

And, not stab me? I'm feeling insulted.

As I heard the sickening snap, I felt an intense jolt of pain shoot through my forearm. A guttural grunt escaped my lips as I clenched my teeth. With a trembling hand, I reluctantly let go of the phone, watching it soar through the air before colliding with Hammer. "Tell her three days." My voice broke into a growl and fur sprouted on my forearm.

"Shit." Hawke and Grim shoved Hammer out the door and gave me enough space.

I could feel my wolf inside stirring, pissed off and angry that I hadn't gone after Emm yet. He was a silent bastard, not talking much, but would let me know if something pissed him off.

"Mate," he snarled inside me.

"Good to hear from you, too," I laughed maniacally as my knees fell to the floor.

I don't think I'd ever been so happy to hear his dark voice inside my head again. He was ruthless after we were raised by Mordecai, and he could be a scary thing.

"You let her go."

Again my bones cracked. The shift from human to wolf was getting faster, but still not fast enough. It was because I was still rabid. My wolf had control of me, not the human like it should be.

I grunted, feeling the bones breaking again.

"We go to her, stay near her."

Great, now with the Neanderthal shit.

I agreed, bobbing my head and fully shifted into a wolf. Thank the Goddess it wasn't my lycan form, because I don't think Grim and Hawke could handle the bar's chaos if they knew I could do that.

My wolf shook his fur, now mostly healed, and sauntered out the door. He stared down Grim and Hawke and took us the back way out of the bar, away from the crowd until we hit the cool night air.

As we reached the outskirts of town, his sharp claws dug into the earth, propelling him forward in a determined sprint to locate Emm. The scent of the forest filled our nostrils, intensifying his relentless drive to find her. Usually, when I was in this form, it was me that was in charge, but my wolf, Fenrir as Emm had called my wolf's body, was here and making the movements.

Anxiety, an emotion I am not familiar with, surged within me. My wolf brushed it off and continued to rush toward our mate's campsite. She was outside, her shoulders slumped, staring at the tires on her RV.

"I could leave it. Just get in the truck and go." Her hair was a mess, no doubt from our actions earlier. I could taste the air of her leftover arousal but also dried, salted tears.

As we reached the clearing, Emm abruptly lifted her head, her eyes scanning the surroundings. In the dim light, she spotted us standing amidst the eerie darkness. A jolt of tension coursed through her body, but soon her muscles eased and she cautiously approached us. The crisp scent of fallen leaves hung in the air, while the distant sound of rustling branches added an unsettling ambiance to the scene.

"Hey there, Fenrir, where have you been?" She sniffed and knelt on the ground.

My wolf buried his nose in her hair, rubbing his body over her as she dug her fingers through our fur. "I had a bad night, wanna come inside?"

My wolf whined. He whined! " You hurt her. " My wolf snarled at me.

I couldn't argue with that statement. I did hurt her, but I didn't intend to. She was the one that wanted to hurt me. She was just upset that she was so attracted to her target.

I kept quiet and watched from the inside of my wolf as Emm led us to her room. I didn't have the heart to watch her strip off her clothes and put on a nightshirt before she wrapped her body around ours on the bed.

"What am I going to do Fennie? I don't think I can stay here anymore." She frowned and stroked our fur. "You are looking so much better. You don't need me anymore, really."

My wolf whined and pawed at her.

She huffed out a laugh and rubbed her face into our neck. "Would you miss me?"

He licked her cheek.

"You would, well, then that means I need to stay, then, huh?"

He yowled and pawed her again.

She huffed tiredly and laid her head on the pillow.

When my wolf looked around, we saw that the room was in shambles. Blankets, clothes, her knives and rope were all over the floor. She either had a break-in or she was angry when she got home.

After sniffing the air, I realized it was the former. She was angry.

I would be too, I guess. Having the enemy licking your cunt could be rather… invasive.

I snorted and my wolf laid his head on top of Emm. She was out faster than I expected. Maybe I would have to tone it down a bit. Show my true intentions, show her who I really am, rather than be a sneaky bastard.

One thing is for sure, though. She wasn't leaving, and I've already got the insurance to make sure of that.