The Wellington Supernatural Summit and Team Building Retreat

Chapter 18 - Monstrous Humans

It was pure dumb luck that they managed to get the door open without alerting the remaining two hunters, but that had been the way of things so far.

The full force of wolves, along with Maria and Maureen, entered the main lodge quietly. They flanked either side of the kitchen door. The wolves were communicating with headnods and hand gestures and knowing looks.

Just when they were about to attack, a voice rose up, "Who's there?" And then there was the sound of a cocking weapon.

A hunter appeared at the door, holding Nick in front of him like a human shield, a gun that had to contain silver bullets up against the vampire's temple.

"Hey guys," said Nick, hand lifting. "Good to see you. Em, bad rescue job though, gotta say."

"Shut it," growled the hunter. "Anyone make a move and..."

There was a blur, and suddenly the hunter's neck was broken. He dropped to the ground.

Vladislav, pale and a bit worse for wear, stood over him with the silver bullet gun in his hand. "I got bored waiting outside," he drawled.

"Not cool, man. That guy could've shot me," murmured Nick.

"What? You are fine. It is all fine. What are you complaining about?" said Vladislav. "A rescue is a rescue." He gestured broadly.

Meanwhile, Maureen turned to dark smoke and snuck up behind the last remaining hunter, who she drained gleefully.

"Nick, where's Stu?" asked Viago as he crept carefully up to the other vampire and peered into the kitchen.

"Dunno. Somewhere around here, I hope. It's some real fucked up shit, man. They were experimenting on us..." Nick motioned inward.

The supernaturals crept inward. Anton paused to exchange looks with Viago and squeeze his wrist.

As they were examining the kitchen, which was scattered with equipment and weaponry.

"Guyyyys," said Viago. He gingerly picked up a dirty surgical implement and held it up towards them.

"See? Fucked up," said Nick as he pointed. "I think they were trying to...well, fix us. Stop us from being vampires and ghosts and werewolves and shit. And those of us they couldn't do that to, they were learning new ways to try and kill us."

There was a very large walk-in fridge that suddenly all the gathered supernaturals were aware of. There was a trail of blood leading back there.

As a group, like some kind of West Side Story gang, the cluster of supernaturals moved forward, none sure they actually wanted to see what was inside.

"Oh for.." said Anton with a sigh. He stepped forward confidently, then threw open the door.

"Anton, be..." began Viago.

The smell hit them all in a wave of decay. There was a pile of zombie corpses inside, all inert. There were a handful of werewolf corpses that showed signs of surgery, before they were dispatched with. Not every missing supernatural was accounted for by the pile of corpses, but it represented a fair number of them. And no Stu, either alive or among the dead.

"And they call us the monsters," murmured Deacon in a moment of odd profundity.

—

The supernaturals spread out to sweep the lodge to see if they could find any of the missing or locate any last hunters.

"There are fresh tracks from what looks like some kind of offroad vehicle," said Rory as he came up to Anton and touched him on the shoulder. "I think someone got away. Someone we didn't account for."

A very petty, jealous part of Viago had hoped that the beta wolf would have been in danger during the attack. He certainly wouldn't have been upset if something happened to the handsome wolf. But alas, Rory had come out unscathed. He hissed softly, instinctively when the man kept his hand on Anton's shoulder longer than necessary.

"Nick, when did you last see Stu?" asked Anton.

"We were being held together. Upstairs. In a room. Then they brought me down here, probably to cut into me or something," said Nick.

"Did anyone check this room?" asked Anton.

The supernaturals all looked between each other.

"There were a couple of locked rooms..." said Marcus.

"And did you try and open them?" Anton asked, clearly growing irritated. "Or did you just decide because something was in your way that you'd just give up? People could be hurt! If you find a locked door, bust it down or get a vampire to help you. Honestly!"

Marcus scuffed his foot against the floor, and several of the other wolves likewise looked contrite.

Rory tried to squeeze Anton's shoulder again, but the alpha shoved his hand off and stalked away.

Viago watched him go, and thought for a moment about just giving him space. But then after an encouraging look from Vladislav, he moved to follow Anton.

The wolf had stepped into the lodge manager's office and was pacing around while rubbing the back of his neck.

Viago rapped on the door.

"What?" barked Anton, his wolfy snarl making that word sound more beast than human. He looked up and his expression softened. "Oh, Viago. Sorry."

Viago crept in and slowly closed the door behind him. He stood, fingers tapping together, a few feet from the other man. "Are you all right?"

Anton ruffled fingers over his hair and snorted. "We lost so many. And the experiments! It's..." he whuffed. "I've failed as an alpha."

Viago stepped forward and reached out for Anton. He slid his fingers along his cheeks, rasping the werewolf's stubble. "No, no...come on, now. They are hunters. They hunt us. That's what they do. They ambushed us."

At first, Viago thought Anton was going to tense up or pull away. He hadn't seen the man in alpha mode very often, and this version of him was so much more stressed and irritable than the sweet, attentive man he was in private. But as soon as he touched the other man, Anton leaned into him and wrapped his arms around him, burying his face against the curve of his neck.

Viago squeezed him and felt the tension that was knotted up on every inch of Anton's body. He kissed the werewolf's forehead gently and fingered through his ginger hair. "You are a very good alpha. Very sexy and in charge," he murmured.

Anton pulled back and looked up at Viago, eyes crinkling and a smile tugging at his lips. "Sexy?"

"Oh yes," Viago fiddled with a bit of hair and pecked a kiss. "We are here, we are alive. The hunters except one are all very dead. We lost friends, but they didn't do what they meant to, ja? They did not win."

"Anton!"

That was Marcus' voice from the other side of the door.

Anton pressed a quick kiss to Viago's lips before he opened up the office door.

Viago stepped out of the office to see Maia helping an injured Stu down the stairs from the upper level.

"Stu!" said Nick and Deacon in joyus unison.

"Hey guys," said Stu. "What'd I miss?"