Page 114 of Forbidden Moon
“I’ve done all I can for now. Ben is very weak, and his heart is under a lot of strain. He may need another transfusion, but I can’t guarantee success. Come to him as soon as you can.”
Evan watched as they hurried off with his mate, howling inside for his beloved. He forced himself to turn away and deal with his next assignment. While Jack kept the other humans calm and oblivious, Evan walked over to where Russell Hook was being held. If only he could rip out his throat! It wouldn’t help Ben in the slightest, but he wanted to make this humanpay! Eyes flashing, he stared Russell down and uttered a short command.
“Stand up!”
Russell reluctantly obeyed, curling his lip at the young, blond man before him.
“Going to kill me now?”
Evan got right up in his face, growling deeply.
“I’mnot going to kill you, but some of my friends are eager to tear you apart. Have at it, boys.”
Evan stepped back, leaving Russell to defend himself against snapping, snarling wolves. They weren’t going to cause any physical harm, though the human didn’t know it. Evan received no real pleasure from this, but it was necessary to make sure Hook never threatened them or anyone else. Once the quaking human wet himself, Evan took over.
Locking eyes with the terrorized man, he intensified Russell’s actual memories of wolf shifters, the horror they inspired, and his fear of death. The programming overrode everything else until healmostcracked.
You cannot hide from us.
No one will believe you.
Beware of the dark.
Look for us in your dreams.
By the time Evan released him, Russell was reduced to a blubbering mess. The small kernel of compassion he felt for the man was overshadowed by his attempt to wipe out the pack, including his mate. He walked away feeling dirty, having crawled around in a mind so twisted and corrupt. Evan went to have a word with Jack while they all waited for the sheriff and his men to arrive. Those in wolf form were encouraged to shift, dress, and follow Lou’s instructions.
While he longed to be with his injured mate, he and Jack were not yet finished here. The final act in this wretched drama was yet to come; far easier perhaps, yet still unpleasant and difficult to endure. Without warning, Jack opened the mind-link and wrapped his brother in a hug.
“Do not give up hope, young Evan. Your love anchors Ben, and Luna knows you need him. His destiny lies here in Gladstone. I feel your frustration and pain at these events and our role in them. Our work is not always pleasant, and we must live with the memories. I enjoy some measure of solace knowing our people will be safe. My sacrifice, and yours, seem a small price to protect so many.”
Through the link, Jack was aware of Evan’s thoughts and feelings. His own long life provided multiple examples of personal pain, far exceeding anything his young protégé had yet experienced. He, of all people, understood the conflicting responsibilities waging war in Evan’s bruised heart. At length, the man responded.
“You’re right, of course. At the next full moon, I hope you can bring me to see Hezekiah. Our brothers need to understand how modern life is so much more... complicated than what they knew. It irks me that they did not take the danger seriously.”
“Agreed. Perhaps they have not yet learned everything.”
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WHILE JACK AND EVANdid their work, Lou brought in a cleanup crew to remove some of the evidence, along with relocating the injured. It had to look as though the struggle was confined to a relatively small area, without any sign of human injury or death. As far as the law was concerned, the scuffle was short-lived and resulted in only minor scrapes and bruises. The only casualties were a few unfortunate wolves.
He hated leaving his fallen comrades lying in the dust, but their wolf bodies lent credence to the story he intended to tell. With help from Evan and Jack, any inconsistencies could be smoothed over. He only hoped the new motivations and memories given to Hook and his men held true when they were questioned.
Lou’s phone chirped with a text; Sheriff Tucker and his fellow deputies had arrived and were on their way in. He rechecked the scene of the battle for anything incongruent and then gestured for Jack and Evan to join him as the welcoming committee. Lou’s fellow deputies arrived first and assumed guard duty over the already-disarmed militia group. Tucker brought up the rear and made a visual sweep of the area before facing Lou and the others.
“This is mighty unusual, Deputy Harmon. What the hell happened here?”
Lou acknowledged him with a nod and began the tale.
“We caught them sneaking in, armed to the teeth, and managed to intercept the group here. Mr. Blair calmly asked them to leave, but they refused and were about to open fire when the wolves attacked. Near as we can tell, Hook’s people must have disturbed the pack on their way in. Their arrival was just enough of a distraction to disarm them before anyone was badly hurt. As you can see, several of the wolves were killed, and the rest ran off. Once the threat was over, I called for help.”
Lou flicked his gaze at Jack, who deftly encouraged Sheriff Tucker to buy the story without question. The wily old man shook his head. With a lifetime of law enforcement experience, he’d never imagined anything like this. While the Michigan Foresters were known to him and state officials, they’d only been guilty of lesser crimes as individuals, not as a group. He’d been working with Lou and Mr. Blair from the start, but today’s events took the cake.
“I still don’t understand why they wanted to bother you folks in the first place.”
With a disgusted look, Lou answered his boss.
“Hate. Plain and simple. These fellows think homosexuals don’t deserve to live. The preserve doesn’t discriminate, but they don’t want us here. Ask them—they aren’t shy about it!”
