The Hunted

Twenty-Five

Red

"I mean, it's not the worst idea in the world. Hell, you and I have done stupider things than this I'm sure."

On the other side of the desk, Henry groaned. "You're not talking about the vamp nest again."

"Of course I'm talking about the freaking vamp nest again. You personally decided it was a great idea to visit vamp territory uninvited just so you could have a make-out session with a hot vampire chick. We almost started a war."

Henry grinned. "I was sixteen and stupid."

"Stupid is right."

"You were there with me."

"Well, of course, I was. You're my brother, I wasn't going to let you get killed alone." Red let out a sigh and crossed his arms over his chest. "Your dad was so pissed."

"Do you blame him?" Henry asked, but there was humour in his eyes.

Red laughed. "No."

Eight years had passed since then and though they were still young, the stupidity had abated some. Henry had become a father and an Alpha and taken on responsibility for everyone. And Red had been there to help him along. They couldn't afford to be as stupid as they'd once been. Not when it had the potential to put others in danger.

"Look," Red said, leaning forward. He pushed a hand through his hair. "I know it's a risk but I think this is what we have to do to be able to move this investigation forward. I've been trying to come up with a solution for how to get Blake to talk with some of the people on our suspect list without it being too obvious that we're targeting specific individuals. If she could get to talk to them in a more organic setting, we might be able to really start making some headway."

Henry nodded, hazel eyes thoughtful and then he snorted. "A human teaching werewolves how to fight. Who'd have ever thought we'd be contemplating such a thing. Not me."

"Me either."

"I'll discuss this with Lucy and Monroe as well. I want their opinions but if you think that this is the best way..."

"I do."

"Even after what happened yesterday?"

Red's vision went dark for a second at the reminder of what had happened yesterday. Even if Blake had looked better today. Not as pale and shaky as she'd been the night before, though the bruises on her face had been darker.

"In spite of what happened yesterday," he replied. "Blake is...She wouldn't take this as a compliment, but she's a werewolf, Henry. It's like she doesn't know that she's human. Or doesn't care. I don't know many people that would be able to rebound as quickly as she did. She has this inner strength that just keeps her from being afraid, I think. Last night, she told me how she got her scars and any normal person would have been broken by that, man."

Henry's mouth twisted into a frown, unhappiness in his hazel eyes. "It was that bad?"

"Worse than what I had anticipated. Her father...Werewolves released him into the woods and hunted him down back to their house. He and Blake's mother were killed. Blake was eleven and she threw herself into the path of a raging adult wolf to protect her little brother. What she described to me...I don't know how she survived, Henry."

"Perhaps that's why the two of you were destined for each other," Henry said. "You've both had rough childhoods. Harder than most."

"Maybe," Red murmured.