Fiction: Thrown to the Wolves Viggo/Sean Part 3
I know, I kept promising it wouldn't be such a long wait between chapters and I lied. RL, and Anime Central, just keeps attacking Akasha and I and it's hard to make progress. We haven't forgotten our boys, though. *pets them*
First Chapter
Second Chapter
Title: Thrown to the Wolves
Authors: Akasha & Helyn Highwater
Beta: the wonderfully talented Namarie
Pairing: Viggo/Sean {Viggo/Orlando implied}
Summary: If a stray follows you home, can you keep it?
Rating: Probably PG-13 for this chapter, but NC-17 eventually
Warnings: Do not drive or operate heavy machinery while under the influence of this fic.
Disclaimer: Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental…well, maybe not purely coincidental. *Whistles innocently*
Authors’ Note: Yes, we know that Christopher Lee and Judy Dench are British, but for the purposes of this fic, we’re going to pretend they’re not. They work well as Elders and going by what we’ve decided is normal for werewolves in this universe, it just wasn’t logical for more than one of the Elders to be a Brit. But we won’t mind if you still imagine them with their original accents. ;^)
“Moon! Moon! Golden horns! Melt the bullet, blunt the knife, rot the cudgel, strike fear into man, beast and reptile, so that they may not seize the grey wolf, nor tear from him his warm hide. My word is firm, firmer than sleep or the strength of heroes.”
~WRS Ralston, Songs of the Russian People as quoted in Montague Summers’ The Werewolf in Lore and Legend
Sean’s POV
Waking up was like swimming through molasses. Everything felt thick and gritty and it was hard to think. My mouth was dry and my stomach was uncomfortably empty. I knew I wasn’t in my house. Even at its cleanest, my place never had that chemically sanitized smell. There were other scents, but they were hard to distinguish under the disinfectant. “Hospital?” I thought with muzzy alarm. I was curled tightly in a ball on a solid flat surface with a soft padding. It didn’t feel quite as smooth as cotton sheets against my skin, but it might have been a bed. There was nothing between me and the cool air, though. Wouldn’t a bed come with covers? I shifted a little and discovered pain in my ribs, shoulder, and arm. That was no picnic but it was bearable and much better than it had been last night. Wait, what happened last night?
With a growing horror that did a lot to help clear the fog in my aching head, I realized that I must still be at the vet’s clinic. That would have been fine if I was still in my fur, but I had Changed during the night. Did I dare hope he hadn’t seen me and I could sneak out quietly? I think I’ve mentioned that my lucky stars don’t pop round very often. I could hear breathing, too fast to suppose the good doctor might be catching a power nap. It was no use playing dead. He might call someone before I could stop him, if he hadn’t already. There was no help for it. I opened my eyes.
And there he was, the poor bugger, standing not five feet away, bone pale and slack of jaw with eyes open wide as church doors on Sunday. I wondered if I could pass myself off as some kind of drunk or crazy who’d broken in, which was at least logical, if terribly embarrassing. But no. There was too much knowledge in those stormcloud eyes of his. He must have either seen me Change or not left me alone long enough for anyone to have gotten in. Whatever went on while I was out, it was plain that only the truth would do.
“Shit.”
My good samaritan -Viggo, I recalled - started slightly, and I realized I’d spoken instead of just thinking it. Wonderful.
“I know this must be quite a shock, mate, but I can explain if you’ll give me a chance,” I said, trying to look and sound as harmless as I was chagrined. It probably helped that I was in a cage on the floor. There was fairly decent breathing room for a wolf in there, but it was a tad cramped for two legs. Slowly, careful to keep my hands visible and trying with limited success to not to wince at the aches and pains movement awoke, I shifted off my side and managed to sit up. There wasn’t much headroom, as I had to hunch over a bit, but I felt better facing him from a more upright position. We never broke eye contact.
“What are you?” he breathed, still shocked but seeming slightly calmer. “Am I dreaming?”
Oh, didn’t I just wish! “Sure, why not? I can handle being a bit of undigested potato for a while and then we can both wake up snug in our own beds and swear never to eat spicy food too close to bedtime again. How’s that sound?” That sounded rather more hopeful than I’d meant it to. Pathetic, really, but it was too damn early and my head hurt already.
Viggo was quiet for a moment and I began to worry that I’d been too flip, but to my surprise, his lips quirked just slightly. “Sounds safer and quieter, but a fuck of a lot less interesting.”
“Interesting. Yeah, that’s one word for it.” Dangerous was another. “Listen, you haven’t called anyone, have you?”
He shook his head no. “I only just walked in and saw…you.”
I let out a breath I didn’t notice I’d been holding. “Good. Good, that’ll make this conversation much easier. Do you think we-” Tires rolling over gravel was never an uglier or less welcome sound than it was right then. “Damn. Were you expecting company?”
Again, he shook his head no. “I’m closed Sundays. It could be someone with an emergency or maybe Orlando.”
I didn’t have time to ask who Orlando was before there was a knock at the door and a very familiar voice called out, “Hello? Doctor Mortensen? Is anyone home?”
I knew I’d have to face the pack today, but I was really hoping to have a chance to talk to Viggo alone and explain things first. Something of my nerves must have shown on my face because Viggo was looking nervous now.
“Look, I can hide you in another room and go deal with this if you want.” He’d known me maybe twelve hours tops (less than 5 minutes of that time in human form), just found out that I belong to species of supernatural creatures with a traditionally evil reputation that isn’t supposed to exist outside of myth and nightmare. Yet the man was willing to trust me enough to have me out of his sight and offer me more help than he’d already given? Amazing. It’s a memory that still warms and humbles me to this day.
But there was no opportunity to take it in properly at the time. From the door we heard, “I just need to know if somebody brought a large dog in last night.”
I managed a weak smile for Viggo. “Thank you, but it’s okay.” Louder, I said, “I’m here, Johnny. Just a sec.”
“Is he…” Viggo asked quietly,
“Yeah. They’d have smelled me the moment the door opened and already know I’ve been in your car.”
Viggo nodded thoughtfully. I gestured to the cage door. “Can you?”
“Oh! Right.” He quickly stepped in and sprung the latch. It was a tight squeeze crawling out of there and my shoulder especially didn’t thank me for it, but I managed. Viggo, unnecessarily careful to keep his eyes on my face, offered a warm and steady hand to help me up without hesitation. I took it gratefully, though I didn’t need the assistance. “You okay?” he asked with a small worried frown.
“Yeah, I’ll do.” I would have to regardless, but I wasn’t too badly off. I wasn’t healed, but I was functional thanks to my unconscious transformation, which should bloody well be good for something after getting me into this mess. I could fight if I had to, but was hoping there wouldn’t be a need. My instincts told me both to be prepared for it and to trust Johnny. My pack leaders are fair and level-headed. I’ve never known them to be harsh when it wasn’t strictly necessary. This was a very serious business, though, and I wasn’t sure exactly how this meeting would go. I laid a hand on Viggo’s shoulder. “This may not be pretty, but whatever you hear, don’t be afraid.”
He was still nervous, but nodded. I had to hand it to him, even if it was only that the shock hadn’t worn off yet, he was taking all this extremely well. Most people would have been thoroughly freaked out simply at finding me, much less by the time some of the pack showed up followed by a warning that things could get scary. I gave his shoulder a squeeze and he led the way to the door.
On the stoop stood three of my packmates, Johnny, Eric and Elijah. I guessed they were one of several small search parties that were looking for me. I was glad to see Johnny. His mate, Cate, is our pack leader, but Johnny’s her right hand and has nearly as much clout as she does. Johnny’s a good guy, open-minded, and fair. He’s generally laid-back and even tempered, slow to anger and prefers to talk things out when possible. This leads some unlucky wolves to underestimate him, but he can be every bit as tough and forceful as Cate when he needs to be. I saw him fight once and was very glad not to be his opponent. I couldn’t guess how he would want to deal with our current problem, but knew Johnny could be trusted to hear us out and not make any rash, irrevocable decisions.
I was much less thrilled to see Eric. He would most definitely be trouble. We weren’t enemies, but neither were we likely to ever become friends. I find him hotheaded and overbearing and he thinks I’m a sissy and an outsider. By unspoken agreement, we usually avoid or ignore each other, but that wouldn’t be possible this time. Eric had been burned by humans before and was no longer willing to trust them. That I was involved would only make it worse in his eyes.
Elijah, bless the poor lad, would be no help either way. Eric is his big brother and even though Elijah has a bit of a crush on Cate, he knows it’s hopeless and it doesn’t stop him from looking up to Johnny. He would stay neutral to avoid antagonizing anyone. He’s a good kid, but was too young yet to realize that disagreement with his elders is not a betrayal.
It was Johnny who spoke first after a quick, evaluating glance at Viggo, who still looked pale, and me, still a bit battered and a lot naked. “Sorry to interrupt, but we’re looking for a lost dog we discovered missing this morning. Should we be worried, do you think?”
He was looking to me with the latter question. I knew what he was really asking, and I suppose I could have tried to play this off as a social call to the friendly neighborhood vet, but didn’t see the point in trying. While I was pretty sure I could convince Viggo to keep quiet about the existence of werewolves, this wasn’t wholly my secret to trust him with. Besides, I respect Johnny and the rest of the pack too much to lie to them, even if I could have come up with a solid story. It’s doubtful I’d have been believed anyway. We wolves read people too well to be fooled easily. Even if that weren’t the case, it was better all around to just come straight out with it.
“I’m hoping there won’t be anything to worry about, but I’m afraid my new veterinarian friend here just got an eyeful when he went to check on his patient.”
Johnny’s expression retained its calm, but a certain quiet tension appeared on his face and in the set of his shoulders. He opened his mouth to speak, but Eric beat him to it.
“Oh, that’s just great. What the hell were you thinking, Bean?” He stepped closer to the door, looking like he’d prefer to be in my face, but the doorway wasn’t large enough for him to confront me without jostling Johnny. Elijah stood behind both of them with wide eyes.
“Unfortunately, thinking wasn’t an option at the time, or this wouldn’t have happened,” I replied evenly. I wasn’t in the mood for dealing with Eric’s shit, but I wasn’t going to let it rile me.
Johnny spoke this time before Eric had the chance. “Perhaps we’d better take this inside, gentlemen.” This wasn’t a suggestion, but Johnny kept his tone light and sent an inquiring glance at Viggo.
Viggo nodded and stepped back to make room for our visitors to enter. “There’s a pot of coffee in my office,” he offered quietly. He was worried and a little nervous, but keeping a good handle on it. I silently thanked him and Johnny for their calm. Viggo led the way past the waiting area to an open door at one end of a hall of exam rooms.
At first glance, it looked more like a break room than an office. There was a counter and sink, a microwave and a small fridge, along with a drying rack next to the sink. A scarred but sturdy wooden table dominated one corner of the room with two simple wood chairs attending it, one of which had one of its legs on the seat, presumably awaiting repair. Viggo’s desk occupied the opposite corner, where it faced the wall with two very comfortable looking chairs beside it, facing Viggo’s computer chair. It was a nice set up. Viggo could comfortably work at the desk, but could swivel his chair to the side to talk to clients without the desk between them.
Eric headed straight to one of the chairs by the desk without stopping for coffee. Elijah followed in his wake and took the one functional chair by the table, but looked ready to surrender it at any moment if someone else wanted it. Johnny took the time to pour himself a cup of coffee. Viggo stood next to his chair at the desk, looking unsure whether he should take it or offer it to one of us. I understood his dilemma. We were one chair short and he wanted to show proper hospitality, but standing while the rest of us sat would call more attention to himself. The attention of 3 potentially hostile werewolves, or 4 if he counted me, is certainly a daunting prospect for a human and doubly so when one has only just learned we exist. Most of the desk was covered with loosely organized piles of paperwork and charts and I wasn’t any too sure that clearing a space to sit on it would be appreciated, so I propped myself against the wall next to Viggo’s chair with a relaxed posture to show I was settled so that Viggo could sit without guilt. I wanted to stick close to him anyway. He needed a buffer between him and Eric at the least, if not the other two as well.
Viggo flashed me a grateful glance that bounced around a little on its way up to my face before taking his seat and turning to where Johnny stood stirring sugar into his coffee at the counter. “There’s cream in the fridge if you want it.”
Johnny put the spoon down and turned to us with a faint smile. “I prefer it black, but thank you.” His face was all business when he sat in the last open chair and looked at me. “So what happened?”
I started at the point where I broke away from the group to follow the deer scent, without bothering to make excuses for losing track of where the hunt led. Even the most experienced wolves can get lost in the chase if they’re not careful and it happens to all of us at least once in our lives, usually with far less disastrous results. It’s a stupid mistake, regardless, and I tried not to let my chagrin show through - with limited success. I told them how Viggo found me, emphasizing his kind treatment and leaving out what was said in the car and when he got his first good look at me here at the clinic. When I got to the part where I lost consciousness, Johnny shifted his gaze to Viggo, who obligingly took up the story without further prompting.
“I gave his injuries a more thorough looking over and my assistant - I called him just before bringing your friend inside - arrived just as I’d determined what needed to be done. We treated him with no unexpected complications and put him in the largest cage to sleep off the anesthesia. Orlando went home and I went to bed. Until I walked in this morning to check on him and found a man asleep in the cage, there was no reason to suspect I had anything more exotic than a wounded wolf on my hands.”
“So your assistant doesn’t know, correct?”
“Right. We’re closed Sundays and Mondays but he’ll likely want to come in anyway and help me with our unexpected patient. He calls first, though, on off days, so I can tell him not to come.”
“I think that would be best. Has Sean told you anything about us, Dr. Mortensen?”
Viggo shook his head. “There wasn’t time. He woke up just as I got over the worst of my shock and then you showed up before he had a chance to do more than sit up and ask if I’d called anyone.”
“We’re grateful for the help you’ve given our packmate. Please don’t think otherwise, but I’m afraid it puts us in a delicate position. Our first, most basic and universal law among werewolves is to never allow human society to know we exist. We are a strong people, but greatly outnumbered by your kind and discovery puts us all at a terrible risk. Our secret is worth more than any one wolf, even any one pack. It hasn’t been practical to keep ourselves totally separate from humans for centuries, so we live among you and keep quiet as best we can. Individual humans are sometimes taken into our confidence, usually with much forethought and planning, but all the same, there’s a precedent. That allows us some breathing room-”
Eric rudely interrupted here, as I expected he probably would at some point. “Breathing room? Don’t tell me you’re thinking of letting this go, Johnny. This pack knows better than most that non-Kin humans can’t be trusted with secrets this big. We have to keep The Law.”
“I don’t need any reminders from you about The Law, Eric,” Johnny said evenly but with unmistakable steel in his voice. After a pause to make sure Eric was properly quelled, he turned back to Viggo.
“What I mean by breathing room is that so long as there is no physical evidence, no videotape, no blood samples from Sean, nothing that can prove what he is that isn’t right here where it can be destroyed, then we should be able to come to an understanding.”
Eric spoke out again. “Our last ‘understanding’ didn’t work out so well. This human-” He stood and took a step toward Viggo.
I moved firmly between them before he could take another. “This human saved my life.” Eric is heavier than I am and a little taller. Just then, he was doing his best to tower menacingly over me, but I refused to be intimidated. If I had to take him on, I would, injuries or no.
“Come off it, Bean. Even you could take a bigger beating than that and keep breathing. You don’t owe this man and we don’t owe this man anything. Under The Law, we could kill you both!”
“Enough!” I didn’t see him get up, but Johnny was standing right beside us with tightly controlled thunder in his face. “No one is going to die today. We need to get Cate and the council involved. Why don’t you go get her, Eric.”
“She has her cell-”
“That wasn’t a question.”
Eric scowled, but left without protest. Even he’s not dumb enough to cross Johnny when he’s riled up. Johnny and I both spent a quiet moment easing our hackles back down.
Viggo spoke up then in a quiet, not entirely steady voice. “Is what he said true?” Poor fellow. He looked all at sea with a dark storm blowing in.
Johnny sighed. “Technically, yes and I’m sorry you had to hear it put so rudely. Exposure is a life and death issue for our species, and we have to take it seriously, but it is not our way to take lives lightly. That option is the absolute last resort. I wouldn’t condone it unless you were on your way to see the press or the government with credible proof in your hands and it was the only sure way to stop you in time. Our pack leader has the final say in the matter, but I know Cate very well and she won’t be eager to harm you, either.”
“And, um, Bean?” he asked, darting a worried glance in my direction. I was surprised (and touched, too, if you must know) to note that he was genuinely concerned. Few people would have been able to think past their own part in the situation to consider others, much less worry about them. Especially when that someone was a near stranger and had landed them in the whole mess to boot. Dr. Viggo was a rare find indeed.
“Sean’s lack of care in the hunt will be addressed, but there was nothing he could have reasonably done to prevent what happened once he’d been hit, so no, I don’t see him being put down for it.”
I must admit I felt a certain relief at that. Most of my worry was for Viggo, but I hadn’t forgotten that I was in trouble, too. And, for all that I’d come to expect fair and even kind treatment from my pack, some part of me was still unwilling to depend on it. I wasn’t out of the woods yet. There was, after all, still Cate and the council to contend with, but Johnny wouldn’t presume to speculate on their decision like that if he wasn’t confident that he was right. If death was off the table, I could endure any other punishment they chose.
Johnny continued, “Cate has the final say, but we also have a council of Elders. It’s not in the nature of wolves to be truly democratic, but even we have a certain check and balance of power. The Elders can declare Cate unfit to lead before the pack and if they can convince a majority that it’s true, she would be exiled. So, while Cate isn’t obliged to always take their advice, it pays to give it due consideration.
“All wolves are allowed to be present at a council meeting, so Eric will be here, too. As you’ve seen, he’ll be vocal opposition. You should know that he has good reason to be bitter. A few years ago, Eric was dating a human woman. She was a doctor - a people doctor - in Buckland. Eric wanted to ask her to marry him, but of course, she would have to know what he is before becoming his mate. She seemed like the sort of person who would be able to handle it, so after much discussion, it was agreed she could be told. Jane was as shocked as anyone would be, but not afraid. She was fascinated by us and deeply curious about our biology. She soon became convinced that studying us would be of great benefit to human medical science. It’s possible she might be right, but it would be nearly impossible to conduct without a fair amount of human involvement and even more challenging to share any positive results without explaining its origin.
“It’s not that we don’t want to help mankind if we can, it’s just that there isn’t currently a way for us to do the kind of research she wants without huge risks to our kind. We do have scientists and doctors among us, and they all agree that we just don’t understand enough about how our own biology works to even begin to think about trying to apply any of it to humans in any way. Jane argued that that was all the more reason for a more organized study to be conducted. She was very vocal about setting up a large facility and refused to believe that no could be the final answer.
“She began quietly calling friends of hers in the medical field to sound them out about possibly working on a research project she might be getting funding for. Jane didn’t tell them what it was about, but it was clear that she had no intention of heeding us when it came right down to it.”
“What happened to her?” Viggo asked quietly when Johnny paused to sigh.
“Eric discovered something in her past, just a stupid youthful mistake really, but it’s questionable enough to discredit her professionally in the eyes of many of her peers if it got out. It killed him to bring it to us, but something had to be done. Nasty as blackmail is, at least it keeps both her and us safe with a minimum of fuss. Jane was furious with all of us and Eric most of all. She gave her word again, in firmer and more specific terms, to hold our secret sacred, purely because she had no real choice. She packed her bags that very night. A friend of hers in Florida needed a second doctor to expand her private practice and was happy to take Jane on. She hasn’t spoken to any of us since, but there’s a pack based about two towns away from her new home that keeps a discreet eye on her for us.”
“So now that you’ve all been burned, you’ll be twice shy about me.”
“Essentially. Normally, taking a human into our confidence is a move that we choose to make after a lot of forethought and it’s someone who is known to most, if not all, of the pack. You’re still fairly new here, while most of us have been in this area all our lives. All of Beren County is our territory but most of the pack, myself and Sean included, live in Forlong. Since most of your work is in Greenleaf Meadows you’ll have only met a few of us.”
“Why are you telling me all this?”
Johnny raised a brow.
“Not that I’m not grateful or curious but…”
Johnny gave one of his quirky half smiles. “Well, now that the biggest cat, so to speak, is out of the bag, it doesn’t hurt anything to release a few kittens in her wake, does it?”
“I guess not. Is there-” For the second time that morning, we were interrupted by tires on gravel, two cars this time. I could tell by the way Johnny’s posture relaxed subtly that Cate was in one of them.
They didn’t bother to knock. Cate strode in with her usual air of calm competence. I’m quite fond of her as a person as much as a pack leader. She’s an odd mix of sophistication and pure wildness. She can be very businesslike, precise, well spoken and urbane. No matter how casual her clothes, she always seems to look well put together, as if jeans and a T-shirt wouldn’t quite dare to look sloppy in her company. But there’s a fey intensity to her eyes, a certain careless grace and strength to her movements that belie the more civilized impression. Cate has a wicked, sometimes twisted sense of humor and for all her fine vocabulary, she can and will curse like a sailor in a cathouse if she feels like it. Even humans seems to sense that she can’t be bullied and rarely try. She should seem intimidating and she certainly can be, but she has a warm smile and ready laugh for her friends. It’s that side of her that shows her pack is family in a way that runs deeper than blood.
She wasn’t smiling now, though. Nor were the Elders who followed her in. Our pack currently has four Elders. There’s Ian, a stately gentleman with kind eyes and a sharp wit. Ian and I hit it off right away and he’s probably the best friend I’ve got here. We have a lot in common, being two of the three wolves in our pack who weren’t born into it and both British ex-pats as well, among other things. Ian has been around the block too many times not to prepare for the worst, but he likes to see the best in people, give them a fair chance before making up his mind. He could be counted on to support us.
I didn’t know the others nearly as well. Christopher is a tall, slender gentlemen who is so reserved, it’s easy to imagine that no one knows him well. That can’t be true, though, for he and Ian are good friends. Christopher doesn’t say much, which is a pity, really, because his voice is beautiful. When he does speak, his words are always well chosen and his opinion well considered. People always listen. I couldn’t predict where he might stand on this issue.
Judy I knew would be against us. She’s a spitfire in the best sense of the word. She’s one of those people that even when you don’t agree with her, you have to admire her spirit. I like her, but she’s Eric’s aunt and she dotes on him. Eric can get away with behavior that would earn anyone else a clout to the ear from her, family or no. Judy was perhaps even more upset by Jane’s actions than Eric himself.
Tommy-Lee is what you Yanks call a ‘good ol’ boy’ through and through. He’s rough around the edges, opinionated, a bit on the mouthy side and sometimes lacking in tact. He’s very honest, though, and you never have to wonder where you stand with him. If ever you need him, you can always depend on him to be a good neighbor or have your back in a fight. He cares more than he likes to let on. I wasn’t sure which way he would jump, but I did know Tommy-Lee would keep an open mind and try to judge Viggo on his own merits.
I straightened up when Cate entered. Johnny and Elijah, who I’d almost forgotten was still there, he was so quiet, stood. Viggo quickly followed suit. Cate stopped beside Johnny and didn’t smile, but her eyes were warm when she looked at him and she discreetly took his hand. She offered her other hand to Viggo.
“I’m Cate Blanchett, pack Alpha. We have much to discuss, Dr. Mortensen.”
TBC
First Chapter
Second Chapter
Title: Thrown to the Wolves
Authors: Akasha & Helyn Highwater
Beta: the wonderfully talented Namarie
Pairing: Viggo/Sean {Viggo/Orlando implied}
Summary: If a stray follows you home, can you keep it?
Rating: Probably PG-13 for this chapter, but NC-17 eventually
Warnings: Do not drive or operate heavy machinery while under the influence of this fic.
Disclaimer: Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental…well, maybe not purely coincidental. *Whistles innocently*
Authors’ Note: Yes, we know that Christopher Lee and Judy Dench are British, but for the purposes of this fic, we’re going to pretend they’re not. They work well as Elders and going by what we’ve decided is normal for werewolves in this universe, it just wasn’t logical for more than one of the Elders to be a Brit. But we won’t mind if you still imagine them with their original accents. ;^)
“Moon! Moon! Golden horns! Melt the bullet, blunt the knife, rot the cudgel, strike fear into man, beast and reptile, so that they may not seize the grey wolf, nor tear from him his warm hide. My word is firm, firmer than sleep or the strength of heroes.”
~WRS Ralston, Songs of the Russian People as quoted in Montague Summers’ The Werewolf in Lore and Legend
Sean’s POV
Waking up was like swimming through molasses. Everything felt thick and gritty and it was hard to think. My mouth was dry and my stomach was uncomfortably empty. I knew I wasn’t in my house. Even at its cleanest, my place never had that chemically sanitized smell. There were other scents, but they were hard to distinguish under the disinfectant. “Hospital?” I thought with muzzy alarm. I was curled tightly in a ball on a solid flat surface with a soft padding. It didn’t feel quite as smooth as cotton sheets against my skin, but it might have been a bed. There was nothing between me and the cool air, though. Wouldn’t a bed come with covers? I shifted a little and discovered pain in my ribs, shoulder, and arm. That was no picnic but it was bearable and much better than it had been last night. Wait, what happened last night?
With a growing horror that did a lot to help clear the fog in my aching head, I realized that I must still be at the vet’s clinic. That would have been fine if I was still in my fur, but I had Changed during the night. Did I dare hope he hadn’t seen me and I could sneak out quietly? I think I’ve mentioned that my lucky stars don’t pop round very often. I could hear breathing, too fast to suppose the good doctor might be catching a power nap. It was no use playing dead. He might call someone before I could stop him, if he hadn’t already. There was no help for it. I opened my eyes.
And there he was, the poor bugger, standing not five feet away, bone pale and slack of jaw with eyes open wide as church doors on Sunday. I wondered if I could pass myself off as some kind of drunk or crazy who’d broken in, which was at least logical, if terribly embarrassing. But no. There was too much knowledge in those stormcloud eyes of his. He must have either seen me Change or not left me alone long enough for anyone to have gotten in. Whatever went on while I was out, it was plain that only the truth would do.
“Shit.”
My good samaritan -Viggo, I recalled - started slightly, and I realized I’d spoken instead of just thinking it. Wonderful.
“I know this must be quite a shock, mate, but I can explain if you’ll give me a chance,” I said, trying to look and sound as harmless as I was chagrined. It probably helped that I was in a cage on the floor. There was fairly decent breathing room for a wolf in there, but it was a tad cramped for two legs. Slowly, careful to keep my hands visible and trying with limited success to not to wince at the aches and pains movement awoke, I shifted off my side and managed to sit up. There wasn’t much headroom, as I had to hunch over a bit, but I felt better facing him from a more upright position. We never broke eye contact.
“What are you?” he breathed, still shocked but seeming slightly calmer. “Am I dreaming?”
Oh, didn’t I just wish! “Sure, why not? I can handle being a bit of undigested potato for a while and then we can both wake up snug in our own beds and swear never to eat spicy food too close to bedtime again. How’s that sound?” That sounded rather more hopeful than I’d meant it to. Pathetic, really, but it was too damn early and my head hurt already.
Viggo was quiet for a moment and I began to worry that I’d been too flip, but to my surprise, his lips quirked just slightly. “Sounds safer and quieter, but a fuck of a lot less interesting.”
“Interesting. Yeah, that’s one word for it.” Dangerous was another. “Listen, you haven’t called anyone, have you?”
He shook his head no. “I only just walked in and saw…you.”
I let out a breath I didn’t notice I’d been holding. “Good. Good, that’ll make this conversation much easier. Do you think we-” Tires rolling over gravel was never an uglier or less welcome sound than it was right then. “Damn. Were you expecting company?”
Again, he shook his head no. “I’m closed Sundays. It could be someone with an emergency or maybe Orlando.”
I didn’t have time to ask who Orlando was before there was a knock at the door and a very familiar voice called out, “Hello? Doctor Mortensen? Is anyone home?”
I knew I’d have to face the pack today, but I was really hoping to have a chance to talk to Viggo alone and explain things first. Something of my nerves must have shown on my face because Viggo was looking nervous now.
“Look, I can hide you in another room and go deal with this if you want.” He’d known me maybe twelve hours tops (less than 5 minutes of that time in human form), just found out that I belong to species of supernatural creatures with a traditionally evil reputation that isn’t supposed to exist outside of myth and nightmare. Yet the man was willing to trust me enough to have me out of his sight and offer me more help than he’d already given? Amazing. It’s a memory that still warms and humbles me to this day.
But there was no opportunity to take it in properly at the time. From the door we heard, “I just need to know if somebody brought a large dog in last night.”
I managed a weak smile for Viggo. “Thank you, but it’s okay.” Louder, I said, “I’m here, Johnny. Just a sec.”
“Is he…” Viggo asked quietly,
“Yeah. They’d have smelled me the moment the door opened and already know I’ve been in your car.”
Viggo nodded thoughtfully. I gestured to the cage door. “Can you?”
“Oh! Right.” He quickly stepped in and sprung the latch. It was a tight squeeze crawling out of there and my shoulder especially didn’t thank me for it, but I managed. Viggo, unnecessarily careful to keep his eyes on my face, offered a warm and steady hand to help me up without hesitation. I took it gratefully, though I didn’t need the assistance. “You okay?” he asked with a small worried frown.
“Yeah, I’ll do.” I would have to regardless, but I wasn’t too badly off. I wasn’t healed, but I was functional thanks to my unconscious transformation, which should bloody well be good for something after getting me into this mess. I could fight if I had to, but was hoping there wouldn’t be a need. My instincts told me both to be prepared for it and to trust Johnny. My pack leaders are fair and level-headed. I’ve never known them to be harsh when it wasn’t strictly necessary. This was a very serious business, though, and I wasn’t sure exactly how this meeting would go. I laid a hand on Viggo’s shoulder. “This may not be pretty, but whatever you hear, don’t be afraid.”
He was still nervous, but nodded. I had to hand it to him, even if it was only that the shock hadn’t worn off yet, he was taking all this extremely well. Most people would have been thoroughly freaked out simply at finding me, much less by the time some of the pack showed up followed by a warning that things could get scary. I gave his shoulder a squeeze and he led the way to the door.
On the stoop stood three of my packmates, Johnny, Eric and Elijah. I guessed they were one of several small search parties that were looking for me. I was glad to see Johnny. His mate, Cate, is our pack leader, but Johnny’s her right hand and has nearly as much clout as she does. Johnny’s a good guy, open-minded, and fair. He’s generally laid-back and even tempered, slow to anger and prefers to talk things out when possible. This leads some unlucky wolves to underestimate him, but he can be every bit as tough and forceful as Cate when he needs to be. I saw him fight once and was very glad not to be his opponent. I couldn’t guess how he would want to deal with our current problem, but knew Johnny could be trusted to hear us out and not make any rash, irrevocable decisions.
I was much less thrilled to see Eric. He would most definitely be trouble. We weren’t enemies, but neither were we likely to ever become friends. I find him hotheaded and overbearing and he thinks I’m a sissy and an outsider. By unspoken agreement, we usually avoid or ignore each other, but that wouldn’t be possible this time. Eric had been burned by humans before and was no longer willing to trust them. That I was involved would only make it worse in his eyes.
Elijah, bless the poor lad, would be no help either way. Eric is his big brother and even though Elijah has a bit of a crush on Cate, he knows it’s hopeless and it doesn’t stop him from looking up to Johnny. He would stay neutral to avoid antagonizing anyone. He’s a good kid, but was too young yet to realize that disagreement with his elders is not a betrayal.
It was Johnny who spoke first after a quick, evaluating glance at Viggo, who still looked pale, and me, still a bit battered and a lot naked. “Sorry to interrupt, but we’re looking for a lost dog we discovered missing this morning. Should we be worried, do you think?”
He was looking to me with the latter question. I knew what he was really asking, and I suppose I could have tried to play this off as a social call to the friendly neighborhood vet, but didn’t see the point in trying. While I was pretty sure I could convince Viggo to keep quiet about the existence of werewolves, this wasn’t wholly my secret to trust him with. Besides, I respect Johnny and the rest of the pack too much to lie to them, even if I could have come up with a solid story. It’s doubtful I’d have been believed anyway. We wolves read people too well to be fooled easily. Even if that weren’t the case, it was better all around to just come straight out with it.
“I’m hoping there won’t be anything to worry about, but I’m afraid my new veterinarian friend here just got an eyeful when he went to check on his patient.”
Johnny’s expression retained its calm, but a certain quiet tension appeared on his face and in the set of his shoulders. He opened his mouth to speak, but Eric beat him to it.
“Oh, that’s just great. What the hell were you thinking, Bean?” He stepped closer to the door, looking like he’d prefer to be in my face, but the doorway wasn’t large enough for him to confront me without jostling Johnny. Elijah stood behind both of them with wide eyes.
“Unfortunately, thinking wasn’t an option at the time, or this wouldn’t have happened,” I replied evenly. I wasn’t in the mood for dealing with Eric’s shit, but I wasn’t going to let it rile me.
Johnny spoke this time before Eric had the chance. “Perhaps we’d better take this inside, gentlemen.” This wasn’t a suggestion, but Johnny kept his tone light and sent an inquiring glance at Viggo.
Viggo nodded and stepped back to make room for our visitors to enter. “There’s a pot of coffee in my office,” he offered quietly. He was worried and a little nervous, but keeping a good handle on it. I silently thanked him and Johnny for their calm. Viggo led the way past the waiting area to an open door at one end of a hall of exam rooms.
At first glance, it looked more like a break room than an office. There was a counter and sink, a microwave and a small fridge, along with a drying rack next to the sink. A scarred but sturdy wooden table dominated one corner of the room with two simple wood chairs attending it, one of which had one of its legs on the seat, presumably awaiting repair. Viggo’s desk occupied the opposite corner, where it faced the wall with two very comfortable looking chairs beside it, facing Viggo’s computer chair. It was a nice set up. Viggo could comfortably work at the desk, but could swivel his chair to the side to talk to clients without the desk between them.
Eric headed straight to one of the chairs by the desk without stopping for coffee. Elijah followed in his wake and took the one functional chair by the table, but looked ready to surrender it at any moment if someone else wanted it. Johnny took the time to pour himself a cup of coffee. Viggo stood next to his chair at the desk, looking unsure whether he should take it or offer it to one of us. I understood his dilemma. We were one chair short and he wanted to show proper hospitality, but standing while the rest of us sat would call more attention to himself. The attention of 3 potentially hostile werewolves, or 4 if he counted me, is certainly a daunting prospect for a human and doubly so when one has only just learned we exist. Most of the desk was covered with loosely organized piles of paperwork and charts and I wasn’t any too sure that clearing a space to sit on it would be appreciated, so I propped myself against the wall next to Viggo’s chair with a relaxed posture to show I was settled so that Viggo could sit without guilt. I wanted to stick close to him anyway. He needed a buffer between him and Eric at the least, if not the other two as well.
Viggo flashed me a grateful glance that bounced around a little on its way up to my face before taking his seat and turning to where Johnny stood stirring sugar into his coffee at the counter. “There’s cream in the fridge if you want it.”
Johnny put the spoon down and turned to us with a faint smile. “I prefer it black, but thank you.” His face was all business when he sat in the last open chair and looked at me. “So what happened?”
I started at the point where I broke away from the group to follow the deer scent, without bothering to make excuses for losing track of where the hunt led. Even the most experienced wolves can get lost in the chase if they’re not careful and it happens to all of us at least once in our lives, usually with far less disastrous results. It’s a stupid mistake, regardless, and I tried not to let my chagrin show through - with limited success. I told them how Viggo found me, emphasizing his kind treatment and leaving out what was said in the car and when he got his first good look at me here at the clinic. When I got to the part where I lost consciousness, Johnny shifted his gaze to Viggo, who obligingly took up the story without further prompting.
“I gave his injuries a more thorough looking over and my assistant - I called him just before bringing your friend inside - arrived just as I’d determined what needed to be done. We treated him with no unexpected complications and put him in the largest cage to sleep off the anesthesia. Orlando went home and I went to bed. Until I walked in this morning to check on him and found a man asleep in the cage, there was no reason to suspect I had anything more exotic than a wounded wolf on my hands.”
“So your assistant doesn’t know, correct?”
“Right. We’re closed Sundays and Mondays but he’ll likely want to come in anyway and help me with our unexpected patient. He calls first, though, on off days, so I can tell him not to come.”
“I think that would be best. Has Sean told you anything about us, Dr. Mortensen?”
Viggo shook his head. “There wasn’t time. He woke up just as I got over the worst of my shock and then you showed up before he had a chance to do more than sit up and ask if I’d called anyone.”
“We’re grateful for the help you’ve given our packmate. Please don’t think otherwise, but I’m afraid it puts us in a delicate position. Our first, most basic and universal law among werewolves is to never allow human society to know we exist. We are a strong people, but greatly outnumbered by your kind and discovery puts us all at a terrible risk. Our secret is worth more than any one wolf, even any one pack. It hasn’t been practical to keep ourselves totally separate from humans for centuries, so we live among you and keep quiet as best we can. Individual humans are sometimes taken into our confidence, usually with much forethought and planning, but all the same, there’s a precedent. That allows us some breathing room-”
Eric rudely interrupted here, as I expected he probably would at some point. “Breathing room? Don’t tell me you’re thinking of letting this go, Johnny. This pack knows better than most that non-Kin humans can’t be trusted with secrets this big. We have to keep The Law.”
“I don’t need any reminders from you about The Law, Eric,” Johnny said evenly but with unmistakable steel in his voice. After a pause to make sure Eric was properly quelled, he turned back to Viggo.
“What I mean by breathing room is that so long as there is no physical evidence, no videotape, no blood samples from Sean, nothing that can prove what he is that isn’t right here where it can be destroyed, then we should be able to come to an understanding.”
Eric spoke out again. “Our last ‘understanding’ didn’t work out so well. This human-” He stood and took a step toward Viggo.
I moved firmly between them before he could take another. “This human saved my life.” Eric is heavier than I am and a little taller. Just then, he was doing his best to tower menacingly over me, but I refused to be intimidated. If I had to take him on, I would, injuries or no.
“Come off it, Bean. Even you could take a bigger beating than that and keep breathing. You don’t owe this man and we don’t owe this man anything. Under The Law, we could kill you both!”
“Enough!” I didn’t see him get up, but Johnny was standing right beside us with tightly controlled thunder in his face. “No one is going to die today. We need to get Cate and the council involved. Why don’t you go get her, Eric.”
“She has her cell-”
“That wasn’t a question.”
Eric scowled, but left without protest. Even he’s not dumb enough to cross Johnny when he’s riled up. Johnny and I both spent a quiet moment easing our hackles back down.
Viggo spoke up then in a quiet, not entirely steady voice. “Is what he said true?” Poor fellow. He looked all at sea with a dark storm blowing in.
Johnny sighed. “Technically, yes and I’m sorry you had to hear it put so rudely. Exposure is a life and death issue for our species, and we have to take it seriously, but it is not our way to take lives lightly. That option is the absolute last resort. I wouldn’t condone it unless you were on your way to see the press or the government with credible proof in your hands and it was the only sure way to stop you in time. Our pack leader has the final say in the matter, but I know Cate very well and she won’t be eager to harm you, either.”
“And, um, Bean?” he asked, darting a worried glance in my direction. I was surprised (and touched, too, if you must know) to note that he was genuinely concerned. Few people would have been able to think past their own part in the situation to consider others, much less worry about them. Especially when that someone was a near stranger and had landed them in the whole mess to boot. Dr. Viggo was a rare find indeed.
“Sean’s lack of care in the hunt will be addressed, but there was nothing he could have reasonably done to prevent what happened once he’d been hit, so no, I don’t see him being put down for it.”
I must admit I felt a certain relief at that. Most of my worry was for Viggo, but I hadn’t forgotten that I was in trouble, too. And, for all that I’d come to expect fair and even kind treatment from my pack, some part of me was still unwilling to depend on it. I wasn’t out of the woods yet. There was, after all, still Cate and the council to contend with, but Johnny wouldn’t presume to speculate on their decision like that if he wasn’t confident that he was right. If death was off the table, I could endure any other punishment they chose.
Johnny continued, “Cate has the final say, but we also have a council of Elders. It’s not in the nature of wolves to be truly democratic, but even we have a certain check and balance of power. The Elders can declare Cate unfit to lead before the pack and if they can convince a majority that it’s true, she would be exiled. So, while Cate isn’t obliged to always take their advice, it pays to give it due consideration.
“All wolves are allowed to be present at a council meeting, so Eric will be here, too. As you’ve seen, he’ll be vocal opposition. You should know that he has good reason to be bitter. A few years ago, Eric was dating a human woman. She was a doctor - a people doctor - in Buckland. Eric wanted to ask her to marry him, but of course, she would have to know what he is before becoming his mate. She seemed like the sort of person who would be able to handle it, so after much discussion, it was agreed she could be told. Jane was as shocked as anyone would be, but not afraid. She was fascinated by us and deeply curious about our biology. She soon became convinced that studying us would be of great benefit to human medical science. It’s possible she might be right, but it would be nearly impossible to conduct without a fair amount of human involvement and even more challenging to share any positive results without explaining its origin.
“It’s not that we don’t want to help mankind if we can, it’s just that there isn’t currently a way for us to do the kind of research she wants without huge risks to our kind. We do have scientists and doctors among us, and they all agree that we just don’t understand enough about how our own biology works to even begin to think about trying to apply any of it to humans in any way. Jane argued that that was all the more reason for a more organized study to be conducted. She was very vocal about setting up a large facility and refused to believe that no could be the final answer.
“She began quietly calling friends of hers in the medical field to sound them out about possibly working on a research project she might be getting funding for. Jane didn’t tell them what it was about, but it was clear that she had no intention of heeding us when it came right down to it.”
“What happened to her?” Viggo asked quietly when Johnny paused to sigh.
“Eric discovered something in her past, just a stupid youthful mistake really, but it’s questionable enough to discredit her professionally in the eyes of many of her peers if it got out. It killed him to bring it to us, but something had to be done. Nasty as blackmail is, at least it keeps both her and us safe with a minimum of fuss. Jane was furious with all of us and Eric most of all. She gave her word again, in firmer and more specific terms, to hold our secret sacred, purely because she had no real choice. She packed her bags that very night. A friend of hers in Florida needed a second doctor to expand her private practice and was happy to take Jane on. She hasn’t spoken to any of us since, but there’s a pack based about two towns away from her new home that keeps a discreet eye on her for us.”
“So now that you’ve all been burned, you’ll be twice shy about me.”
“Essentially. Normally, taking a human into our confidence is a move that we choose to make after a lot of forethought and it’s someone who is known to most, if not all, of the pack. You’re still fairly new here, while most of us have been in this area all our lives. All of Beren County is our territory but most of the pack, myself and Sean included, live in Forlong. Since most of your work is in Greenleaf Meadows you’ll have only met a few of us.”
“Why are you telling me all this?”
Johnny raised a brow.
“Not that I’m not grateful or curious but…”
Johnny gave one of his quirky half smiles. “Well, now that the biggest cat, so to speak, is out of the bag, it doesn’t hurt anything to release a few kittens in her wake, does it?”
“I guess not. Is there-” For the second time that morning, we were interrupted by tires on gravel, two cars this time. I could tell by the way Johnny’s posture relaxed subtly that Cate was in one of them.
They didn’t bother to knock. Cate strode in with her usual air of calm competence. I’m quite fond of her as a person as much as a pack leader. She’s an odd mix of sophistication and pure wildness. She can be very businesslike, precise, well spoken and urbane. No matter how casual her clothes, she always seems to look well put together, as if jeans and a T-shirt wouldn’t quite dare to look sloppy in her company. But there’s a fey intensity to her eyes, a certain careless grace and strength to her movements that belie the more civilized impression. Cate has a wicked, sometimes twisted sense of humor and for all her fine vocabulary, she can and will curse like a sailor in a cathouse if she feels like it. Even humans seems to sense that she can’t be bullied and rarely try. She should seem intimidating and she certainly can be, but she has a warm smile and ready laugh for her friends. It’s that side of her that shows her pack is family in a way that runs deeper than blood.
She wasn’t smiling now, though. Nor were the Elders who followed her in. Our pack currently has four Elders. There’s Ian, a stately gentleman with kind eyes and a sharp wit. Ian and I hit it off right away and he’s probably the best friend I’ve got here. We have a lot in common, being two of the three wolves in our pack who weren’t born into it and both British ex-pats as well, among other things. Ian has been around the block too many times not to prepare for the worst, but he likes to see the best in people, give them a fair chance before making up his mind. He could be counted on to support us.
I didn’t know the others nearly as well. Christopher is a tall, slender gentlemen who is so reserved, it’s easy to imagine that no one knows him well. That can’t be true, though, for he and Ian are good friends. Christopher doesn’t say much, which is a pity, really, because his voice is beautiful. When he does speak, his words are always well chosen and his opinion well considered. People always listen. I couldn’t predict where he might stand on this issue.
Judy I knew would be against us. She’s a spitfire in the best sense of the word. She’s one of those people that even when you don’t agree with her, you have to admire her spirit. I like her, but she’s Eric’s aunt and she dotes on him. Eric can get away with behavior that would earn anyone else a clout to the ear from her, family or no. Judy was perhaps even more upset by Jane’s actions than Eric himself.
Tommy-Lee is what you Yanks call a ‘good ol’ boy’ through and through. He’s rough around the edges, opinionated, a bit on the mouthy side and sometimes lacking in tact. He’s very honest, though, and you never have to wonder where you stand with him. If ever you need him, you can always depend on him to be a good neighbor or have your back in a fight. He cares more than he likes to let on. I wasn’t sure which way he would jump, but I did know Tommy-Lee would keep an open mind and try to judge Viggo on his own merits.
I straightened up when Cate entered. Johnny and Elijah, who I’d almost forgotten was still there, he was so quiet, stood. Viggo quickly followed suit. Cate stopped beside Johnny and didn’t smile, but her eyes were warm when she looked at him and she discreetly took his hand. She offered her other hand to Viggo.
“I’m Cate Blanchett, pack Alpha. We have much to discuss, Dr. Mortensen.”
TBC