Among Wolves (24 page)

Roman dropped his gun. "You coward. Turn into
something I can hit!" He got into a battle stance.

Montague slid his sword into the scabbard on
his back.

Roman took a swing at him, but it passed
through the image as if he wasn't there. "That's not fair!" Roman
was hit so hard in the chest, he fell on his ass on the ground. He
gasped in shock and the man was now standing over him. Roman held
up his hands to fend off an attack he simply could not defend
against.

Out of the gloom came a small white
powerhouse.

Roman had no idea what it was at first, then
the little package of dynamite on four legs leapt at Montague,
snapping its jaws at him.

"Harley?" Roman blinked in shock.

Just as the Alpha was about to strike the
little dog down, a pack of wolves advanced on him. Like a legion of
armed military men, wave after wave of timber wolves dove at
Montague.

Montague held up his arms in defense and pure
white light flooded the area.

Roman shielded his eyes from the glare. The
sound of canines tearing something apart made him wince. He crawled
away and felt hands on him. Butch and Charlie grabbed him and they
huddled in a tight ball as hellfire was released around them.

The noise of a war of mystical spirits echoed
in the clear mountain air and Roman envisioned the carnage though
he wanted to block it out.

A bomb blast-like current hit Roman and it
knocked all three men to the ground, flattening them like dry weeds
in a hurricane.

Roman felt faint and couldn't open his
eyes.

The noise of horse hooves pounding the ground
was like a vibration through his cheek and chest.

Then the light vanished and all went
silent.

Tickling licking on his cheek made Roman open
his eyes.

Harley was trying to rouse him. As if seeing
he had, he sat down and panted, his tongue hanging out of his
mouth.

Roman leaned up on his elbows and spotted a
flashlight, searching through the brush and deep snow. "Here!" he
said.

He heard JP and Goat's voice. "Roman? Is that
you?"

"Yes." Roman reached around him and touched
Butch and Charlie. "It's all of us."

JP stood over them, shining the flashlight.
"What the hell happened?"

Roman held up his hand to block the
flashlight glare and could see Butch and Charlie moving, coming
around after the strange impact of wind.

Noise of an SUV engine whining out in the
distance, the sound of men's voices, brought Roman back to the
present.

He sat up and rubbed his face and neck.
"Jesus. I am completely confused."

"Roman?"

"Charlie." Roman reached for him.

Charlie dove on Roman and embraced him,
holding him tight.

"Thank fuck." Butch appeared woozy, sitting
up.

"Get the hell over here." Roman grabbed
Butch's shoulder and held him in a group hug.

"Go find their clothes, Goat." JP crouched
down. "Anyone hurt?"

Roman looked at Harley, shaking his head.
"Only my ego."

Butch and Charlie began to chuckle, then
laugh loudly.

Spotlights lit the area and JP waved at the
back-up that had finally arrived.

Goat returned with a pile of clothing in his
hands. "I have no idea whose this is."

"Don't matter." Charlie reached for it,
handing it to Roman.

As he got dressed, Roman heard Phil's voice,
asking, "Where the hell is Burk now?"

JP led Phil to him.

"Naked again, Burk?" Phil shook his head.
"I'm going to tell Nick to assign you to a nudist camp."

"Shut up, Dean." Roman stood, aching, trying
to put on his pants.

"Here ya go." Goat had another handful of
clothing.

"Thanks." Charlie gave Butch his coat and
tried to sort out the pile.

Sheriff Kenmore appeared near Phil, holding a
flashlight. "Anyone need an ambulance?"

Roman touched the slice on his stomach and
shook his head. "I need a week or two of therapy to figure out what
the hell just happened, but I'm okay physically."

The sheriff shined the flashlight around the
area. "What did happened? All the plants are flattened out."

"And the snow is melted." Phil walked closer
to the spot where the conflict occurred.

"I have no idea." Roman put his jacket on and
then looked for his gun. He spotted it nearby and stuck it back
into its holster.

Harley stood at Roman's feet, his front paws
on his shin, his tongue wagging with his tail.

"Huh." JP shined the light on the dog. "He
finally likes you?"

Roman laughed. "He's surrendered. I'm his
alpha."

"Uh uh," Butch laughed. "He's yours."

"He had help." Roman met Charlie's gaze. "You
do that?"

Charlie smiled.

"Do what?" Butch asked.

"Can we get off this freezing mountain?" Phil
said, gesturing to the SUV.

"Yes. We can." Roman put his arm around both
Charlie and Butch and walked to the SUV.

"Where did you find Butch?" Goat asked.

"I did," Charlie said, "And I have no idea
where the hell I was or how I got there." Charlie tapped his cowboy
hat on his thigh to brush off the dirt, then popped it on his
head.

"You're all insane." Phil opened the car door
to get behind the wheel.

"Do I need to write a report?" The sheriff
leaned into Phil's car.

"About what?" Phil asked, looking
perplexed.

Sheriff Kenmore appeared to think about it.
"Have a nice night, boys." He tapped the top of the car and walked
away.

JP and Goat waved, climbing on their horses
and headed back to the barn. "Get some sleep. Good to have ya back,
Butch." JP spurred his horse on.

Roman sat beside Phil on the front seat as
Charlie and Butch climbed in back. Harley hopped into the back
seat, making himself comfortable on Butch's lap.

Once they were all inside the car, Phil
turned the SUV around and headed back down the snowy trail, his
headlights shining on the two horses. "You ever going to tell me
what the hell happened up there?"

Roman looked back at Charlie and Butch.
"Either of you know?"

"Nope." Charlie petted the sleepy dog and
relaxed on the bench seat.

"Butch? Who kidnapped you? Where were you?"
Phil asked, trying to see Butch in the rearview mirror.

"An Alpha wolf-shifter named Montague. And I
was in a cabin. Don't ask me where."

Phil glanced at Roman. "What's an
Alpha-wolf-shifter?"

"Don't know." Roman rubbed his gritty hands
together. "Okay. I give up. What day is it?"

"Tuesday," Phil replied.

"What time?" Charlie asked.

Phil looked at the dashboard of the SUV.
"After three am."

Butch moaned in agony.

"Are we done with this wolf shit now?" Phil
asked, parking near the ranch house as the two men on horseback
entered the barn.

"I have no idea." Roman opened the
passenger's door. "Thanks, buddy." He put his hand on Phil's
leg.

"You're welcome."

Roman leaned closer.

"Don't you kiss me, Burk!" Phil moved
away.

Butch cracked up with laughter and opened the
back door. Harley hopped out and headed to the ranch house.

"Aw," Charlie said sarcastically. "Ya know ya
want him to, Agent Dean." Charlie winked at Roman and got out of
the car.

Phil gave Roman a warning glance.

"Thanks." Roman squeezed Phil's leg
affectionately and said, "Are you going to call Nick? Because I
need to sleep for a week to recover."

"I will. And yes. Sleep. Take time off to
make sure this thing is gone. Again."

"I will." Roman cupped Phil's head and pecked
his lips.

"Roman!" Phil pushed him back.

"Love teasing you."

"I know. You asshole." Phil gave him a look
of concern. "Call if you need me. I'll be here for you."

Roman winked and got out, waiting for him to
drive down the lane.

Charlie opened the door for Harley and when
he did, Roman could see the Norman family awake and waiting for
news. Vernon hurried to the door, followed by the three women.

"You boys okay?" he asked.

"Yes." Charlie nodded. "We're fine. Go to
bed."

"Butch?" he called out.

Butch approached Vernon and smiled. "I'm
fine, boss. No worries."

"Oh, Butch!" Suzie embraced him with Sherlane
in a group hug. "We were so worried."

"Where in the heck were you?" Vernon
asked.

Butch looked back at Roman and then said, "I
guess I was among the wolves. But I'm back now."

"Huh?" Sherlane tilted her head. "Oh no.
You're not one of them now too, are you?"

"No. I don't think so. But if I were, I'd be
among good company." Butch touched the brim of his hat. "I need me
some shut eye." He waved. "'Night, y'all."

"'Night," Sherlane said, "And thank you boys
for finding our Butch."

"You got it." Charlie waved and the three of
them walked to the cabin, opening the door. Once they were inside,
Roman groaned as he took off his coat and boots. "I am so fucking
exhausted."

"Me too." Charlie hung up his hat and
coat.

"I know I stink." Butch sniffed his pits.
"But I am barely upright."

"Don't care." Roman scuffed his feet to the
bedroom and fell face down on the bed.

Two more men flopped down on it as well, and
Roman fell deeply asleep.

Roman came around from a deep slumber.

He moaned and felt stiff and weary. Seeing
light outside, Roman rubbed his face and then realized his hands
were filthy. "Oh, Christ." Roman looked down at himself and he was
fully clothed. There was mud and pine needles on his pant legs and
he was wearing his lace up boots.

He moved to drop his feet to the side of the
bed and sat up. He glanced back at Charlie and Butch, and realized
both of them were in the same state he was; dirty, clothed, and
scratched up.

"Wasn't a fucking dream…" Roman got to his
feet and used the wall to steady himself. Once he'd reached the
doorway, he undressed, piling everything on the floor and stepped
inside the bathroom, turning on the light. His eyes were red and
puffy, his beard growth had darkened his jaw, and he had a long
scratch on his abdomen. With both hands he leaned on the sink and
stared at his eyes. "Is it over?"

He couldn't tell.

Shutting the door so he wouldn't disturb the
other two, Roman filled the sink basin and shaved his face, getting
rid of the dark beard growth, trying to come to a decision on what
had happened last night. He simply could not.

Roman finished shaving and turned on the
water in the shower, touching the skin where he was cut. The slice
confirmed it. It was no dream.

But…

It wasn't reality either. Not as he knew
it.

He stepped into the tub and wetted down,
scrubbing his face, his hair, his body, trying to let the hot water
cleanse him both in body and mind.

In retrospect…

He brought this on. His anger, his temper,
and his urge to dominate.

It had to be why this thing, this Alpha,
found him.

Roman finished washing and shut off the
water. He stood dripping trying to understand the connection
between himself, the Alpha, and the red witch. Was there one? Was
the red witch his ally now?

She showed me the gun. That red
glow
.

Roman rubbed the towel over his hair to dry
it.
She changed me from a crow to a man when I needed to be
one.

He stepped out of the tub and continued to
dry himself, trying to decipher the data in his head as if he was a
computer program. It was how he functioned at work; dissecting
criminal activity and using patterns of behavior and
surveillance.

Little puzzle pieces, all fitting
together.

But this time the jigsaw didn't make a
complete picture.

"Roman?"

Roman opened the door to see Charlie, looking
rough. "It's all yours." He gestured to the shower. "Is Butch up?"
Roman asked.

"He is." Charlie looked over his shoulder.
"We can't make sense of any of it."

"Join the club." Roman stepped aside and let
Charlie into the bathroom. When he looked up, Butch was standing
beside the bed, undressing, appearing exhausted.

For a twenty-one year old man, Butch had
showed amazing maturity and courage. Roman tossed the towel on the
foot of the bed and approached him.

Butch looked up, his brown eyes wide with
curiosity.

Roman caressed Butch's cheek affectionately.
"How are you doing, cowboy?"

The smile on Butch's face told Roman a
lot.

"Hungry." Butch laughed.

Roman reached for him and drew Butch into an
embrace, kissing his cheek and hair.

"Don't bite me."

Roman cracked up and met Butch's eyes. "Only
in fun."

Butch blushed and his lashes lowered at his
shyness.

Roman cupped the back of Butch's neck and
shook him gently. "You showed a lot of strength and courage, Butch.
You're a real man."

Butch's gaze immediately met his.

"Are we rid of that Alpha, Roman?"

"I hope so." Roman pecked his lips and backed
up, allowing Butch to finish undressing. "I know it's too late for
breakfast, but my guess is Connie will cook up a nice meal for
you."

Butch nodded, dropping his dirty clothing on
a pile and inspecting his wrists.

Roman could see the evidence of rope burn. He
reached for Butch's right hand and inspected it. "He tied you
up?"

"He did." Butch tried to catch Roman's gaze.
"Don't get mad."

Roman released Butch's hand. "I am but I
won't turn on you."

"How'd he do it, Roman?" Butch asked. "Last
thing I remember, I was riding the horse, seeing the dead doe,
and…" He shrugged. "I blacked out. Woke up in a strange cabin."