* * *
Back at the house,when we were showered and dry, Luc made us both mugs of soup. Waving aside my protest about not being hungry, he left mine on a side table and sank into the sofa cushions with a happy groan. “You’ve made me realise I need to run more. It’s just not so easy in a town. I have to make the effort to drive somewhere quiet before I can unleash the beast.”
“Huh?” I was pleasantly fuck-drunk and quite possibly tired. We’d had a lot of sex and exercise, including a third round in the shower, and not much sleep. Not that I was complaining.
Luc clicked his tongue. “Thewolf,Charley, keep up. I prefer to run in fur when I can.”
“Oh yeah, course. Sorry, I forgot.” I regarded him, trying to imagine what he’d look like as a wolf. Would he still look like him? No, of course not; he’d be a wolf. I mentally smacked my head. Could I ask him? Would that break some werewolf etiquette I wasn’t aware of? Fuck it, he could only say no.
“Luc…”
He put the soup down and wrenched off his jumper in one fluid movement. I must have looked shocked as he gave me a resigned smile, and with a small shake of his head said, “Yes, I’ll show you.” His joggers hit the floor on top of the sweater.
“I didn’t say anything,” I protested.
“Didn’t have to. You’ve lasted longer than most people.”
“Do you tell many people?” Now I was shocked.
“No, definitely not. But it’s usually out of their mouth before we even fuck, if I do tell them.” His boxers joined the pile of clothing, and he sat on the carpet facing me. “I will still understand everything you say, just so’s you know.” His eyes twinkled and he twisted until he was on his hands and knees.
I sat up and moved forward on my seat. Luc inhaled and exhaled deeply, then went lax. A few seconds later, he groaned, and the sound reverberated in my bone marrow. Like some up-close special effects film, but in real life, his human form began to stretch and reform, joints cracking, face lengthening into a muzzle, limbs sprouting fur. I knew it was real, but it was almost too much for my brain to process.
An impossibly large golden wolf with dark honey eyes stared at me. I gulped. Fuck. I’d known Luc wasn’t a liar — don’t ask me how, but I knew — but the proof was alotwhen faced with it in the confines of an unremarkable, and remote, living room. I temporarily forgot I was also possessed of supernatural powers, and could outrun this creature, at least when we were both in human form, so presumably like this too.
Wolf Luc tilted his head to one side. He whined softly, then lowered himself to the carpet and laid his huge head on his front paws. It was…Dammit, it was cute. I felt my pulse slow back to around normal and gave him a tentative grin. “Big bugger, aren’t you?”
Jeezus! Wolves shouldn’t smile. My heart rate rocketed straight back up. Luc’s teeth were another reminder he was a top predator. Trying desperately not to curl my limbs under me on the armchair, or alternatively leg it through the nearest window, I aimed for a nonchalant tone. “Maybe lose the toothy display, huh? You’re making me remember why I’ve always been wary of wolves.”
His jaw closed so fast his teeth clicked. He shook his head and whined again. His eyes remained fixed on me, assessing, and I suddenly felt stupid for thinking he’d hurt me. The last words out of his mouth had been to reassure me. I inhaled shakily, then curled a finger. “Come closer?”
He stood and approached my chair, standing sideways on to me, possibly so as not to alarm me with his gobful of oversized gnashers. Mouth dry, I reached out to touch the fur where his head met his back. Omg, it was beyond soft! And so thick and…
“Wow, you feel like a teddy bear.”
He whuffed a growl which made me laugh. “Sorry, but you kind of do. Guess you won’t get cold any time soon. Is it okay, me touching you like this?”
In response, Luc whuffed again, then pushed his head against me and settled it over my knees. One amber eye sought me out, and I took it as a green light to move my exploring hand to his head. The fur here was less dense than on his body, but no less soft.
He made a weird noise that I realised was his version of humming, or I’d have said purring if he was a cat. Ah! I was stroking him, petting his ears and neck. “You like that?” I asked him quietly. He whuffed a third time, but this was a positive, happy sound. I didn’t question how I could tell the difference, but it was obvious.
We stayed like this for a while, the occasional spit and crackle of the logs a comforting background to my noiseless appreciation of his animal form. Suddenly Luc shook himself, and dipped his head towards the couch. “You want to sit on the sofa? Dude, knock yourself out. I don’t care where you sit. Not like you’re gonna make a mess.”
He laughed at me then, his jaw wide, tongue hanging out, like I was the most ridiculous person he’d ever met. Lying down, he quickly became human Luc again, and as he sat up, he was still laughing, even though I didn’t think transforming could possibly be a pain-free experience. “You absolute bell-end,” he cackled. “Sit on the fucking furniture like a pet dog? I’ll sit wherever the fuck I please, like you could move me.” He guffawed again. “Ahh, man, that tickled me.” He began pulling on his clothes. “So, whatcha think? Not too terrifying now you’ve seen my wolf up close and personal?”
I disagreed. “You’re more terrifying. Because you seem like this totally chill fluffy oversized dog, except I’m a hundred per cent certain you could rip me apart and scatter the pieces. But, as long as you’re on my side, we’re good.”
“Sensible man,” he affirmed. “I could definitely rip you apart, but don’t fret, I’ve no intention of doing so. For one thing, you’re much too good a lay.” He shot me a wink that warmed my insides. “Right, back to more serious matters. This missing security footage. Who do you think could have taken it? Because seems to me whoever did is the one we’re looking at for the murder of poor Chip. Either the instigator or the one who did the deed.”
I sighed. Luc had done exactly what my own mind had when I’d been challenged to find a reason for not showing up on the video; he’d assumed they’d been swapped or altered somehow. Except I trusted Stanno, the bloke who was the accountant for The Dive and other venues the Wyverns owned. He had no stake in changing the footage for personal benefit as he was related in some way to Chip. Chip had been his nephew, or a cousin of sorts maybe? Something like that. Stanno was one of the few folk I did trust at the club, and generally had a friendly word for me too. He knew I worked hard to keep the club’s hygiene standards from sliding into the gutter. He was older, kinda kept himself on the periphery of club activities, and was generally found in the back office of any building he was in, filing, cleaning or otherwise tidying up on top of his paid hours. Had I mentioned the Red Wyverns were a bunch of utter slobs? Hell, I was still a teenager and I knew better. This bunch of renegade petrol heads were only lucky someone hadn’t dropped dead from food poisoning. I’d prided myself on keeping the venues I cleaned above basic sanitary levels. Anything more would have taken an act of God.
Plus, I recalled, Stanno had been abroad at the time of Chip’s death, sunning himself at a Portuguese resort. Far as I knew, he still could be. I genuinely couldn’t see him framing me for murder. He had nothing to gain from it.
I explained all this to Luc, further describing how I showed up in photos, and had been captured on film more than once. There was even camcorder footage of tiny me toddling about on a beach somewhere. I hadn’t hung around at school with anyone keen to commit my likeness to film, but I’d accidentally been in shot a few times. I wasn’t some mythical vampire who had no reflection. I was glad of it too. I wouldn’t have had the first idea how to get a fake ID. Or rather, I expect the club would know, but there’d be a price, and it was doubtful I could afford it.
Luc listened without interrupting, his expression thoughtful. “So, if we assume the footage hasn’t been tampered with, and that you’re telling the truth about where you were that night—”
“I am!” I protested hotly.
