Wolves and Men

“I had been separated from Paregoros and I had no idea where she might have been so I figured I was on my own. I ran through the rooms as fast as I could, ducking gun fire and freeing as many people as possible.” Nicholas stopped and stared at the floor. He finally said in a quiet voice, “I don’t know if any of those people got out.”

“I’m sure you did everything you could,” Charles said. “Whether they made it out or not, you at least gave them the chance for freedom, a chance they wouldn’t have had without your help.”

Nicholas looked up at the taller man with genuine gratitude for once. “Thanks, Chuck really… thanks.” The tall man nodded back to the Scout. Nicholas continued, “So there I was, somewhere on the third or fourth floor I don’t remember and I didn’t even know how many floors this place had. I had gotten away from the assault team for a second and I was sitting in a recently vacated room. There was blood spattered in places, on the walls and floors but quiet otherwise. I had no idea what had happened to the Shape shifters and I realized that I might be the only guy left. So, I had to make sure this place burned.”

“Now say what you want, but growing up in Jersey I learned a few things about pipes, pressure, release valves, and water boilers.” The rest of them regarded him with surprise.

“What?” Nicholas asked looking up at them. “My uncle was a plumber and he taught me a few things. I used to work for him sometimes during the summer, before my dad moved me out here to this shit hole side of the country. Anyway, I knew that what I needed was going to be down in the basement so that’s where I tried to get to. I crept outside and used the fire escape to get down. I shifted back to human form to not attract any unwanted attention. That half worked.”

“What do you mean, ‘half worked?” asked William.

“Well, Setford if you’d just shut your pie hole and listen, maybe I’d get there.” William let the comment pass. Nicholas continued with a smug look on his face. “So, I’m going down the fire escape, right? And then I must have passed a room with people still in it because I hear this screaming from right beside me. And just as I’m about to go in and help them, the door blasts open and this SWAT guy starts shooting at me. I fall straight back, hit my head on solid concrete and just barely manage to roll off to the side before the guy’s bullets trace right where my body used to be.”

“I jump up and over the railing. I shift into werewolf form again, mid fall, and even rolling off the landing the way Efraim taught us to do, I still landed really hard. Good thing I was only three stories up.” He looked around at them. William guessed he was looking for praise but he didn’t get any. Nicholas got a sour look on his face. “Yeah, so after I survive a death fall, I break into a back door of the building and start looking for the utilities room.”

“Funny thing is, when I get there Lethe and Billy and Paregoros are already there. And they act like I’m the one that screwed stuff up. Anyway, they rig the place and we get out of there. The temp maxed out a few minutes later and we watched from a block or two away as the building catches on fire.” A dark look passed over Nicholas’ face just then. “I wanted to watch that place burn to the ground, but Lethe had already told us that we couldn’t stick around. The place would be crawling with cops and fire fighters any minute. So, we left. The only thing is, is that I know that fire would have been put out pretty soon unless the place just flared up after we left, which I doubt. That place could be repaired and back up and running again in a month or two.” Nicholas looked over at Aceso, pointedly. “So, there you go. Did we destroy the place? Not really. Do I need any more incentive to want to kill every last one of these parasite vampires, no. Am I ever going to be in a pack with that asshole?!” He shoved a pointed index finger toward William’s chest. “Fuck no!” He folded his arms in front of his chest and glared down at the ground.

Aceso looked over at William, he had nothing to say. She looked back to Nicholas. “So, you’re ok, then?”

Nicholas shot her a look out of the corner of his eye. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he spat.

“Good,” she replied. “Because you are going to use your Scout abilities and help us find another unborn Shape shifter.”

Everyone in the room shifted their eyes to Aceso. William had hoped for something like this but who said Nicholas could even do or even want to do anything with them.

Nicholas snorted, “You really think I’m in any kind of mood to do anything with you f…?”

He didn’t get the chance to finish.

Aceso ripped him off the chair and pulled him to a standing position. “I am Alpha. I guide the pack. I understand the shock that you must have gone through today but if you want to help prevent more people from becoming enslaved to the vampires, you will do everything in your power to help your pack locate and bring back more Shape shifters.” She set Nicholas down on the floor. She then addressed the entire room. “We are it. William, you came here a few months ago and there has been no other Shape shifters to enter the city since. We need to find these un-reborn Shape shifters before the vampires do.” She turned to Nicholas. “To do that, I need for you to remember what you did that Elder Ansuya was able to pull out of you. You have to do it on your own, Nicholas. If you really care at all about those people you rescued, and the one’s that couldn’t be saved, you will help us.”