The mans head thunked quite loudly as it hit the stone floor. His eyes had rolled back as he fainted just after he'd told me his name. Adam. I couldn't help but feel an itch of humour, the name of man given to something so animalistic.
Setting track to the spring I stood, mind buzzing with new information and questions. I'd grab some of the furs, after all I didn't do anyone any good to lay on a particularly hard floored; and having a subject without a backache would lead to a much easier interrogation later. But first I need to take care of my hand, which turned out to be a quick fix- only having to flick out some shards and get the blood to clot. Just as I had gathered a bundle of the furs, a small noise caught my attention from above.
"Psst, Lydia?" came a hushed voice, I recognised the speaker.
"Joseph." I said, voice as hard as the rock surrounding me as images of the beast's - Adam's- scarred wrist flashed in my minds eye. I mustn't jump to conclusions, many a mistake has been made when people only interpretate with limited information.
"Is he in there?" He asked skittishly, head just peaking over the lip of the cave.
"Why is your nose failing you?" The snip passed through my lips before I could even stop it, for some reason my ire kept increasing, to the point that my hands where shaking and jaw clenched. This wasn't like me at all.
Joseph looked taken aback, unsure on how to reply. "No, but, um... The steam, masks the scent." He stuttered before shaking his head, "Anyway, I need to talk to you and I need to know if it's safe to come down."
"He's not here." I lied smoothly, curious as to what he had to say. I dropped the furs as he jumped fluidly down to stand a few meters away from me, making the steam swirl in great curls as the air was disturbed.
As soon as he landed he started talking in a speedy, garbled mess as his eyes searched restlessly like a scared animal.
"Slow down I can't understand a word you're saying." Clinching my jaw to dull the hot feeling.
He stopped and took a large gulp of air, holding it for a second before exhaling and looking a little less tense. "He hasn't hurt you at all has he?" Slowly slipping back into his professional tone.
"No." I replied curtly.
The answer took ten years of his already young face, he smiled brightly and seemed to sigh in relief. "Good, that's really good, finally."
My eyes narrowed in glare and lip twitched to snarl as I stalked up to the man enraptured in a glow of happiness, like the air around him was rebuffing against my skin to the point that it prickled like there were needles dancing across it. This didn't even make sense I was being completely irrational. And despite knowing this I couldn't stop.
"What?" the deadly leer in my voice was not something I normally took.
"He's been alone for so long, but now he's found you. Now he can come back to us." He looked into my confused but angry eyes and put his hand on my shoulder, a gleeful smile on his face, "Now the vampires don't stand a chance."
Something snapped. It may have been the mental thread that held the unexplainably white hot rage aback or one of Joseph's bones as I threw him over my shoulder.
Joseph groaned as I crouched over him and pined his neck into the ground against my forearm. "What is he to you?! A war toy?" I hissed.
"I think you're misunderstanding-" I leaned in heavier, increasing the pressure just enough to see his lips begin to turn blue and voice strain further.
"Misunderstanding what? I've seen the scars. So you chain him like a pet then unleash him to exploit what he is?"
"You're protecting him, calm down." He choked, almost sounding pleased as he struggled to move, but the limited blood going to his brain had already made his limbs numb.
"And where is your alpha in this, does the bastard condone this? I'll put a bullet through his spine."
"No." Joseph took a shallow breath, "He is the alpha."
His eyes began to roll back, quickly I lessened the pressure.
"You lie, wolves would never hurt their alpha's like that." I said unconvinced, hovering over him, ready to strike.
"Unless they're ordered to." His face serious but eyes sad, "Every wolf needs a mate." I looked at him quizzically, "Without them there is no balance, no anchor to keep us sane. We loose ourselves."
I'd heard of it before, a wolf going mad because they'd never found or lost their mate. They would slowly slip into insanity; they mated for life after all, with the solid belief they were made for each other. It was a terribly romantic thing.
I pieced the puzzle together,"Will not hurt, mate," the words echoed in my head.
"Oh..." All of the anger and confusion dissipated as I sat to the side of Joseph silent minded. "So even though he's a...?" He nodded, slowly rising too. "Oh."
I ran my hand down my face, it was bleeding again- trailing a red stain from my brow to chin. Joseph stood then offered me a hand to rise to my feet. He then started scanning the floor before moving towards a tan shoulder bag, it had most likely been tossed off when I had slung him to the ground- a part of me felt slightly guilty now.
"Cathy made me bring this, clothes and stuff." He sad taking a pointed look at the sopping wet, DIY shirt I wore.
"Thanks..." I stopped, hearing the growl tumble through the ground. Joseph cast his panicked eyes behind me to the dens corridor. He looked conflicted between happiness and fear. I turned my head enough to catch a glimpse; Adam was crouched, looking ready to pounce. However, this time, despite having a human physic his eyes were black again.
"Play dead." He whispered.
"What?"
"When I run, drop to the floor, act hurt."
"Wha-"
Joseph took off at lightening speed, heading straight up the wall. It was only when I heard the grunting bark from Adam as he pursued Joseph that I caught on and let out a particularly high pitched scream before falling to the ground with a thump.
AN: Hope you understood what happened there, it's all a little cryptic now but I'll make it clearer later on.
Hope you're enjoying the book, thanks for all the lovely comments and votes, until next time - which should be soon because this one was suuuper late, sorry xxx
YOU ARE READING
Lycanthrope
Werewolf"Will not hurt mate." the hot puffs of breath tickled her neck, she couldn't help the increasing rate of her heart as it's claws rhythmically brushed down her back and the wirery, bristle like hair on its chest prickled into her cheek. _____________...
