Page 37 of Under A New Moon

Galen chuckled. “It could be worse you know. You could have the sensitive nose of a canine, whose olfactory senses are reported to be a hundred times greater than a human’s.”

“Oh my God. I want to throw up just thinking about being able to smell this even more.”

They continued their sojourn into the unknown and unclean; Galen took the lead since his senses are so keen, but he kept looking back to ensure his lady fared well… or well enough. “I want you to know you saved me back there.”

“What do you mean? If you hadn’t turned into a werewolf in that club, we would have been toast.” She stifled a gag at the mention of any kind of food.

“No earlier, when PEACE attacked. I was freezing up because of something that happened when I was just a kid. The compound I lived in was attacked by armed people. They found out what we were and showed up with rifles to put us down.”

“Jesus. What happened?”

“It didn’t go their way.” Galen reflected silently for a moment on the memory.

Will I ever be able to tell him that I’ve put people like him down? Following orders.

Galen continued, “We had to move after that. That’s when my pack came to LA and I lived with them until I was a teenager.”

“Did you have to move again?”

“No, I didn’t. But I chose to. At that time there were people like me in Crescent City that were very good at training wolves to be… wolves. Dad wanted me to go, but I wouldn’t do it. It was the last in a long string of disobediences, and he had enough.”

Darla caught up and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, and then he paused to face her. They embrace for a moment.

“I’d kiss you, but I’m just as likely to throw up in your mouth.”

Galen laughed at Darla’s ‘joke’. “I understand completely.”

They didn’t break stride for long and soon began their trek through the murky sewers once more.

“If you asked me a week ago, ‘Hey Darla, wouldn’t like to know what it’s like to walk around in the sewers after being chased by co-workers and werewolves trying to kill you', I’d have said 'Hell Yes!'”

“Wait… no. I mean I would have said 'Hell Fucking No.'”

Galen laughed at Darla. “I’m guessing you cope with stress through humor.”

“Stress I deal with by punching things. Hopeless meandering through sewers that no doubt, harbor an alligator capable of devouring a planet… that I use humor to deal with.”

“Noted.”

“And what about you laughing boy? What’s your stress relief?”

“So, you’ve totally seen me turn into a wolf and wreck shit, right?

“Okay. Fair enough. I’d probably wolf out on some shit too if I could.”

“It’s not the worst feeling in the world, I can tell you that much.”

“I read in your file that you’re actually fifty. Is that right?”

Fuck. Why did I bring up his file? Hey, guy that I’m interested in. When I was professionally stalking you, I read that you’re old. Any comment? Real smart.

Galen’s immediate silence spoke volumes about how he felt about that file. “Yeah, I’m fifty. When do I get to read your file?”

Yep, he’s pissed.

“Look, I’m really sorry for that. If I could go back in time and tell my superiors to fuck off, I would. I can’t un-see things that I’ve read and learned about you. And I also can’t undo the things I did when I thought I was working for people that were on the level.”

“Well, for my sake. I need you to pretend there was never a file, and when you want to know something about me. Ask. I don’t have anything to hide, because I’m not ashamed of who or what I am.”

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