The Darkness We Hide

As Michelle drifted off to sleep, Gareth buried his face in her sweat moistened hair, reveling in her exhilarating presence. It triggered something deep inside his animal brain, something primal and visceral. He knew he shouldn’t have taken her to bed, but he couldn’t stop himself.

The minute he’d walked into the bar he’d sensed Michelle, something about her drawing his attention immediately. He’d watched as she and her friends shared drinks, talked, laughed and shared what looked like a birthday cake. The longer he watched her, the more he wanted to know who she was.

When he’d realized she’d left, he’d been pissed at himself for being such a coward. If he had gotten her scent, he could have found her again, but in a city as large as Seattle, with all of its surrounding communities it was doubtful he’d ever see her again.

He’d planned on going home, but he’d caught sight of her walking up the street and fell. Seeing how hard she’d hit the ground, he feared she was hurt.

As he’d carried her up to her apartment he’d promised himself that he would only check her ankle and leave, but he couldn’t stop himself from taking her to bed.

She’d wanted him as much, if not more than he wanted her, it hadn’t even taken more than a subtle mental push to overcome her own reluctance, but he knew he should have stopped. He should have worn protection, and he really should not have bitten her. He knew nothing about her, what if he’d broken the skin? What had he been thinking?

With any luck, nothing would come of his thoughtlessness, and there would be no lasting complications from this night. Shaking his head at his own animal lust, he silently began to disengage his body from her’s.

As he lifted her arm from his hip, Gareth saw the mark, its jagged edges showing it had been a vicious bite, not one made on a willing participant. Quickly he ran his tongue over the puckered skin tasting the acrid venom that still remained just under the surface. A werewolf had bitten her.

Could it have been the same man who beat her? He couldn’t think of anyone from the were community who would be so cruel, but there were lone wolves who lived by their own laws. If one of them had gone so far as to attach her and beat, Gareth would gladly kill him.

Quickly he inspected his own bite on her shoulder, breathing a sigh of relief that he hadn’t broken the skin, only bruised it. Thanking the gods he quietly dressed and wanting to slip out of Michelle’s apartment without waking her.

“Dammit,” he scolded himself as he slipped into his jeans. What had he been thinking? This was a new town, a new life. No one in Seattle knew who or what he was, and while there were other lycanthropes living here, they were all lone wolves who’d chosen to live outside of the community and wouldn’t approach him.

If one of them had claimed Michelle, then he’d just committed a terrible crime by their laws, but seeing the placement and viciousness of the mark on her, Gareth was sure that she had no idea what had been done.

With one last glance over his shoulder at Michelle’s sleeping form he left, not knowing if he should or would contact her again he left making sure that the door was secure behind him.

Walking towards his car, Gareth was so lost in thought he was taken by surprise when a huge animal tackled him to the ground, it’s teeth digging into his calf. Grunting in pain, Gareth rolled into a crouch, his claws and fangs extending prepared for a fight. Instinct told him that this was no random animal, this was another werewolf.

Looking at the creature as it circled restlessly around him, its hackles raised, Gareth saw its markings and realized he knew this creature.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing Richard?” he challenged, glaring down at the creature.

The animal retreated into the shadows, returning as a man with disheveled hair, his shirt collar askew.

“Hello Gareth,” the man said, straightening his shirt cuffs. “Did you miss me?”

“I told you I never wanted to see you again,” Gareth declared, stepping away. “What are you doing here?”

“I live here Gareth, Seattle is my territory,” Richard said, spreading his arms wide to indicate the entire town, an insincere smile spreading across his face. “What are you doing here?”

“I didn’t know rogue werewolves could claim anything,” Gareth said coolly.

“Don’t be a dick,” Richard snarled, “Just because you still hang on to the coat tails of the lycan community and follow all of their stupid rules doesn’t make you any better than me.”

“I have no quarrel with you,” Gareth said, retracting his claws.

“You do now,” Richard retorted, pointing towards the windows of Michelle’s apartment. “That one. She’s mine.

“This discussion is over,” Gareth said, waving his hand dismissively at the other man.

“The girl is mine!” Richard yelled at his retreating back. “You stay the hell away from her, or by the Gods I will kill you!”

“What did you say?” Gareth asked, turning to face him once more.

“Michelle,” Richard clarified. “The woman you were just fucking. She’s mine. I don’t want you near her again.”

“She’s not yours,” Gareth said, walking back to stand toe to toe with Richard. “I’ve seen the mark you gave her, and it was anything but consensual. She has no idea what you’ve done does she?”

“I didn’t have the opportunity to do it right,” Richard said, backing down slightly. “I was forced to improvise.”

“Was that while you were beating her?” Gareth demanded, his anger rising.

“She was trying to leave me,” Richard explained, as if it were a reasonable excuse. “I had to make sure she was marked as mine until I could get her back.”

“You will never go near her again,” Gareth replied, using the power of his voice on Richard, moving to tower over the other man.

“You can’t stop me,” Richard snarled, fighting against Gareth’s power. “I’ve marked her. No one can argue that she isn’t mine.”

“She’s marked by me now,” Gareth lied. “I claim her as my own.”

“You bastard,” Richard spat, raising his fist to strike.

Gareth knocked the other man to the sidewalk with a swift blow to the chest.

“Don’t ever raise your hand to me,” he said, looming over the prone man. “I have the community behind me, the law of the pack behind me, you have nothing. I invoke the law of the alpha’s over you! Now tuck your tail between your legs and scurry back to your hole. This conversation is over.”

“Screw you,” Richard yelled from the ground. “I don’t give a fuck that your an alpha lycan, I will not just step aside and let you have her.”

Gareth ignored him and slid into his car.

“Dammit,” he cursed under his breath. “Dammit, dammit, dammit!!!”

How had he not known Richard was here? When he’d chosen Seattle as his new home, he’d spoken to the Elders and they’d issued a list of all were-folk registered in the area, Richard hadn’t been on that list; even as a loner he should have been on that stupid list.