Is Beast cow.Showed another glimpse of killing fangs.
Brute licked own jaws and muzzle in submission. Put jaw on legs. Watched with sad, calm eyes.
Bruiser put dead-cow on floor in front of Beast. Beast tore off chunk of cow with killing teeth and swallowed. Ate another bite. Looked at Bruiser and made whistle sound of kit.Is good cow.
Bruiser asked, “Is it okay if I feed Brute too?”
Beast chuffed. Turned head away from both mate and dog, but watched from corner of eye. Ate more.
Bruiser put plate in front of Brute. Cow piece for dog was smaller than Beast’s. Was good for Brute’s to be small.
Brute ate in one bite, choking on cow.Stupid wolf-dog.Beast finished cow and licked jaw with rough tongue, cleaning off water-blood and small bits of cow. Cleaned paws, sitting with head high. Stared at Brute. Waiting.
Werewolf stood to paws, but crouched close to ground, eyes looking away, head down. Was properly submissive to alpha big-cat. Beast stared. Stopped cleaning paw. Wolf stepped closer with one paw. Beast did nothing. Brute crept close and stopped; extended head to Beast. Was cat gesture, to touch heads. Was strange to see on wolf.
Beast leaned in and touched wolf head with Beast head.
I know where Leo is. You and Jane probably need to know too.
Beast reared back. Skittered into next room, living room, and to far side of couch. Wolf had talked to Puma concolor mind to mind.
Brute was there-not-there. Then was standing at big-cat door at side of house. Brute chuffed out dog-laugh and ducked through door. Beast raced across living room and outside, predator eyes on wolf.
Bruiser opened door and came into yard to tall metal cage gate that led out to street. Said, “It’s fully daylight. Don’t be seen. If you can slip through time, I’m quite sure the angel gave you the ability to remain unnoticed.”
Beast looked at Brute. Brute was man, stuck in werewolf form by angel, Brute had angel magic powers. But Beast was best hunter. Beast shoved off with all feet, leaped. Cleared tall gate and landed near street. Chuffed in challenge and thought,Can wolf-dog jump gate?
Bruiser opened gate. Wolf strolled out and looked at Beast, using bored cat look. Was good cat look for human man stuck in white wolf. Brute stood beside Beast and small silver lights danced out of wolf, like sparks into Beast’s nose. Beast sneezed. Looked around to see Bruiser mouth was open to speak, hand on gate, not moving. All things stopped moving.
Brute was in timewalk. Beast was in timewalk with Brute, with angel’s wolf. Brute bumped puma with hip and started walking. Beast walked. Together, walking slow but fast, Beast and Brute, passing humans, dogs on leashes, bikes, and cars, all not moving. Then more changed with silver lights. Got bright. Too bright for Beast eyes.
Smell changed. Was no longer near Jane house. Blinked eyes to see place of death for humans, place humans put bodies to keep scavengers from picking bones clean of rotting flesh. Beast did not smell rotted humans; smelled Lake Pont-char-train, stinky-salty-fresh-dead water. Had not been in this place before as Jane or Beast.
Wolf did not go into pathways between tall, stone graves. Wolf bumped puma again and walked across street and to porch of house, still walking through time. Took much effort, but wolf pushed open door. Walked inside.House had no furniture, no rugs, no paintings on walls. House had no fresh smell of humans. Was empty.
Timewalk ended. Brute trotted upstairs and Beast followed wolf into empty bedroom. Into empty closet. Brute looked to see if Beast watched, then wolf scratched on piece of wood near floor. Wall opened to show stairs back down into darkness. Brute pranced stupid dog-walk down into dark, tail wagging. Beast followed more slowly. Smelled Leo on air of stairs. At bottom of stairs, found small room with no windows, space for bed, chair, table, and weak light at top of tall pole. Leo was lying on bed, not breathing, heart not beating. Black hair was spread over pillow. Skin white. Was wearing black pants and black shirt with white spot. Black jacket was over chair back.
Beast stepped onto bed and walked up and down, sniffing Leo. Vampire smelled not-alive-not-dead. Still smelled of pepper and what Jane called papyrus, but also smelled different. Did not smell of fear and blood and sex and violence. Beast lay down on top of Leo, muzzle and killing teeth to Leo neck, sniffing. Was what Jane called flehmen, pulling air over air sacs in roof of mouth. Used brain of ugly-dog-good-nose Beast had taken from other form. Leo smelled different from Leo before being more dead than now dead. Vampire death was confusing.
Leo smelled of ocean and wind in trees. Smelled of clean earth.
Bed and Leo smelled of Brute. Sniffed more, harsh sound of flehmen. Smelled Brute on mattress, much wolf smell. Brute lay beside Leo many days. Brute had been guardian of Leo. Brute jumped to small mattress and lay beside Leo, head on paws, eyes on Beast, touching Beast with leg and side. Beast swiveled ears and narrowed eyes in cat-stare to show displeasure.Wolf will not touch Puma concolor,Beast thought.
Brute lowered head, asking Beast to touch. Beast did not want to talk to werewolf, but was important. Beast blew out breath, snuffling, thinking.
Touched Brute head. Brute thought at Beast,The angel said a bunch of gobbledygook crap I didn’t halfunderstand. What I got was that some witches have been doing dark magic shit, calling a demon, borrowing its power in return for some big mojo curse they have planned, and binding Hayyel closer. He’s nearly bound.
Jane has to find the angel and free him before the Heir binds him fully, and before Mainet becomes the master of all the suckheads. If that happens, Leo will be totally bound too, and if the bindings are all finished, we’re all screwed. Jane will have to kill Leo to keep him from going over to Mainet. War will come.
What the fuck else?Brute thought. There was something. Oh. Right. You have to burn the Heart of Darknessafteryou kill Mainet. As soon as you kill him. Not before. If the Heart of Darkness is destroyed first, the timelines show war. And the angel said Leo is important, but he didn’t say why.
Beast thought,Leo was master of the city. Then Leo was dead. Then Leo was not dead. Leo smell is not same Leo smell. Why is Brute with Leo? Why is Leo here? In this empty den.
I’m his fucking guardian. Can you believe it?
Beast pulled away, thinking, wondering why master vampire needed a guardian to mate. Saw spot of white on Leo black shirt, between paws. Moved paws to see white band on collar. Leo was Leo but not Leo. Leo was different. Leo was outclan priest. Angel wanted outclan priest kept safe. Did not know how to tell Jane this. Did not know what this meant. Was confused. Looked at wolf and chuffed.
Wolf put head back and touched Beast.That’s all I know, cat, and I’d a told Jane if she could hear me. Unfortunately you’re the only part of her who can talk like an animal. Shit’s about to get real, you asshole cat. Be safe. Be smart. Stop acting stupid. Jane’s in danger.
