Page 67 of Bad Moon Rising (Dark-Hunter 17)
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Fang moved forward into the room, making sure to show Thorn no sign of his hostility. "What are you doing here?"
Thorn leaned nonchalantly against the desk. He crossed his arms over his chest while he kept a probing stare trained on Fang. "Just checking in with you. Wanted to see if the demon was winning and if we needed to kill you because of it."
"Nice to see you again too. I see time away hasn't made you any more charming."
"Oh, I can be charming. I just choose not to. People start to think you like them, then when you stab them in the back, they take it so personally. Really pisses me off."
Fang sat on the bed and tugged his biker boots off. "Do that a lot, do you?"
"Boy, don't make me smite you." He crossed one long leg over the other.
Fang tossed his boots aside and laughed. "Just how old are you again?"
"You don't need to know anything about me. It's much safer that way."
"Safer for who?"
"Most definitely you." There was a deadly undercurrent in Thorn's voice. "There's really only two, maybe three, entities who threaten me. And you're not one of them."
Point taken. Fang leaned back on his arms to narrow his gaze on Thorn. Honestly, he was getting tired of this pointless exchange. "So why are you really here? Do you have another assignment for me?"
"No. Just a warning."
"For what?"
Thorn scratched his chin as if they were just shooting shit between them and not handing over information that could prove vital. "One of the demon spawn here summoned Jaden out of his hole."
There was a name Fang had never heard before. "Jaden?"
A snide smile curved Thorn's lips. "He's a . . . demon broker. He bargains with the primal source to attain powers and other things for demons. Personally, I hate the bastard and he's not real fond of me either. Since you're new to all of this, I wanted to warn you to stay out of his way."
"Why?"
"Suffice it to say that he's been known to use my people as target practice. He doesn't really think I'm on the up-and-up and so he sees you guys as stupid pawns."
"Does he have reason to think that?"
"Not really. Basically he's just another prick I have to deal with. I think it's emotional scars from his childhood that won't allow him to believe in anything. Or maybe it's post-traumatic stress disorder or simple brain damage. End of the day, don't really give a shit, but he is lethal, so steer clear."
"And how will I know him? Does he by chance wear shirts with his name on them?"
Thorn laughed. "Damn, wolf, I do like your sarcasm. No, his mother didn't sew his name on or in his clothes. But you can't miss him. Tall bastard with one brown eye and one green. Really off-putting. He has a slave collar and an aura of power that smacks of a godhood he doesn't have. He also has demon funk all over him."
Lovely that. Fang could gag already. "Noted and marked."
"Good. Now you need to be on your toes. If Jaden was summoned here, someone is playing with fire and they're after something pretty severe that requires a lot of power to achieve. You are one of three Hellchasers stationed here and I expect you three to play nice and be firemen."
"Firemen?"
"Yeah. When the fires of hell break open, you guys put them out."
Damn, so much for his thoughts that a simple fire hose would work. "Do the other Hellchasers have names?"
"Varyk and Wynter. You've met Wynter already and I'm rather sure you won't like Varyk in the least."
"Why?"
"He's an Arcadian Lykos."
That news hit him like a fist to the gut. For a minute, Fang couldn't focus as raw fury tore through him. "I thought I was the only one you had."
Thorn smiled snidely. "Varyk is a werewolf. You are a wolfwere. Though to most people there isn't much difference, in our world there is. But if it makes you feel better, you are the only two Were-Hunters I have on tap. Besides, there were politics in the way, which is why Varyk couldn't be utilized against Phrixis."
"You like that word, don't you?"
"Phrixis? Hardly. It's not even an attractive word to say."
Fang gave him a droll stare. "Politics."
"If that's what you meant, why didn't you say so?" Thorn snorted irritably. "And to answer your question, not in the slightest. I hate playing games, but my existence is ever a study of high-IQ chess. We move, they counter, and vice versa. God help us if our enemies ever capture our king . . . and for the record, that would be me. Don't let that happen as it would go very badly for you."
"I'll keep my eyes open."
"Good, wolf. And there is one more piece of advice I'm going to give you."
"That is?"
"The mark I gave you will tingle anytime you come near a demon as a warning. The stronger the sensation, the more powerful the demon."
"But don't kill the demon, just smack him with my sword."
Thorn inclined his head sarcastically. "Now you're starting to get it. How are you and your inner demon doing anyway?"
"He hasn't possessed me yet."
"Good. Keep it that way. I'd hate to have to kill you this early in our relationship."
Fang cocked his brow at that. "We have a relationship? Does this mean I get pinned?"
"Oh, I'll pin your ass to the nearest wall. That would actually brighten my otherwise noxious day. Shall we?"
"It's all right. I'm not in the mood and I'd hate to have to make you work that hard."
Thorn shook his head. "Watch your back, wolf. There's a pall over this place and the bears are racking up enemies faster than Wal-Mart rakes in sales. When the time comes, it's going to get bloody."
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Don't be so arrogant. Long before I was the debonair sophisticate standing in front of you, I was a warlord. I put more blood on my blade than Madame la Guillotine. The one thing all that battle taught me is that no one walks away without scars. No one."
Fang paused as he realized just how right Thorn was. Vane used to have a similar saying. In a fight, everyone gets bloody.
"Watch your back, wolf, and remember when the time comes to choose sides, make sure you choose well."
At dawn, Fang headed downstairs to help close up and clean. Though Sanctuary was technically open 24/7 for preternatural beings, they closed at 4:30 A.M. and opened at 10:00 A.M. for humans. Mama Lo and Papa were on standby during the off-hours in Peltier House.
Fang entered the bar at the same time Aimee's older brother Zar, who was almost indistinguishable in looks from the quads, was carrying a tray of glasses into the kitchen.
Zar thanked him for holding the door open. "You can help Aimee finish up. I'm done for the night."
Fang nodded as he saw Aimee taking the cloth from Wren and pushing him toward the door. Music was playing at a much quieter level from the jukebox. It was the Indigo Girls, which was one of Aimee's favorite bands.
"Wren, go on. You've put in fourteen hours with only a tiny break. Get some sleep."
Still, Wren hesitated. "You shouldn't be down here alone."
She looked past him to see Fang. "I'm not alone."
Wren turned to see him, then clamped his jaw shut. Nodding at Aimee, he did as she asked.
Fang frowned as Wren flashed out, then he moved over to where Aimee was draping a white hand towel over her shoulder. "I like him, but he's a strange kid."
"I know. Trust me though, he has reasons for it."
No doubt given the stories he'd heard. Half the Were-Hunter staff here thought the tigard had killed his own parents. Nicolette couldn't stand him and while Papa Bear appeared mostly ambivalent, he did watch Wren a little closer than the others.
"You're the only one he really talks to."
Aimee moved to pick up a chair, turn it upside down, and put it on a table. Fang beat her to it.
She stood back with a smile. "I love Wren and he knows it."
"Yeah, but he seems like he wouldn't welcome it."
"Sometimes he doesn't. But it's like Cherise says, the hardest ones to love are always the ones who need it most."
He scoffed at her blind optimism. On the one hand, he admired it, on the other . . . she was too kindhearted. "Do you really believe that?"
She smiled up at him. "Absolutely. I love you, don't I? And the gods know you are definitely not easy to deal with." She stood up on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss on his cheek before she flounced over to the next table to stack chairs.
How could one comment both warm and offend him at the same time?
But then she was good at that. "Thanks, Aim. By the way I still have a tiny bit of confidence left. Please make sure you stomp on it too while you're at it. Gods forbid it should actually grow into something called self-esteem." Fang continued pulling up chairs.
Aimee laughed as she mopped the floor. "Anytime, wolf. Vane told me I'm not supposed to let you get too big a head."
Papa Roach kicked on next to play.
"Interesting mix you got going there."
"Just wait. Debbie Gibson's on there too."
He froze to look at her as she sang along to the song. "You are joking, right?"
"Nope. I like a wide variety of tunes."
