142
“You know that legally you can have sex with your wife,” Abeloth said.
“Piss off.”
“Sex is sex halfling, you heard what Typhon said, fulfill your needs,” he said with a laugh
I ignored Abeloth as I parked the SUV across the street from the warehouse. It looked deserted but I knew better. Inside people would be training, Wentworth would be in his office, working on gathering intelligence for whatever assignment they were busy with.
“Time for the big reveal,” Felix said as we climbed out.
We took the back entrance and I punched in my code as Felix just grinned. I could hear the grunts from the training floor and the yelling of their new trainer. I hadn’t met him yet but I knew Wentworth wouldn’t just choose anyone.
“Come in,” Wentworth said when I knocked on his office door.
“You look old Wentworth,” I said and stopped in front of his desk.
“And you look flabby,” he said without looking up.
“I brought you a gift,” I said and he looked up.
“How?” he asked as his chair fell over backwards in his haste to walk around his desk.
“That’s why we’re here,” I said as Wentworth grabbed Felix in a hug and patted him on the back.
“It’s good to see you, Felix,” Wentworth whispered as he let go of him.
We sat in front of his desk for about an hour as we took turns telling him what had happened and how I’d found Felix. He was very interested in our connection with Gideon Delanie and only shook his head when I told him about my recent activities.
“I heard a pack got blown to smithereens in Guatemala, had no idea it was your handiwork,” Wentworth said.
“Felix and I will be working the case,” I said.
“I’ll hand pick a team, coordinate with you two on this,” Wentworth said.
“We have people compiling lists of any disappearances, we’ll look into all of them,” Felix said.
“I have another interesting case on my hands,” Wentworth said as I smiled.
“We’re not back Wentworth, this is personal for both of us,” Felix said.
“We’ve had two cases so far. They disappeared for a while, woke up and started living new lives, with no memories of who they really are. They were found by chance in other cities, living their lives with memories of their new life,” he said.
“So their memories are taken and replaced by new ones?” Felix asked.
“Yes, they have no memories of their biological lives,” Wentworth said.
“That makes no sense, what would be the point of going through all that trouble?” I asked.
“That’s what we need to find out, why go to all the trouble of taking these people, wiping their minds and giving them a new life?”
“As bizarre as it sounds we’ve got our hands full with this vampire thing and Ryder’s wife is pregnant,” Felix said.
“There could be a link you know, between our cases,” Wentworth suggested.
“Only you would see a link,” I said.
“Think about it, you’ve got wolves turning vampires into zombies, someone wiping people’s memories and giving them new ones,” Wentworth said.
“It was one pack and they had other wolves, dragonkin and vampires in those cells,” I said.
“So where’s the link?” Felix asked him.
“The link is the mind messing,” Wentworth said with irritation as Felix and I chuckled.
“What people, who’s reporting this shit?” I asked him.
“Dragonkin women,” Wentworth said as he glared at me.
“How sure are you these two women didn’t get a bump on the head and got amnesia?” I asked him.
“I don’t know how this shit works, I’m just telling you what I know,” Wentworth said.
“Listen mate, there were no evidence of abductions, both women didn’t veer far from home, the familial bond kept them close,” Felix said.
“So because the women are dragonkin you think this’ll be personal for me?” I asked him.
“It’s your people,” he said.
“My people are the Grey lair in Princeton and Aurora, my family includes Felix, Elio, Basil, Marlo, Tank and Jack, not all dragonkin are my people, they’re my kind, there’s a difference. Stop trying to bullshit me into coming back,” I said as I glared right back at him.
“You feel the same way, Felix?”
“Wentworth, I was missing for a year, my family thought me dead. After we find the people in charge of operation zombie, I’m going home,” Felix said.
“And I’m left with the imbeciles enrolling like this is college,” he said with a sigh.
“You’d never let imbeciles complete the program,” I said.
“Fine, they’re not imbeciles, but you two … you two got something special, you were born for this unit,” he argued.
“We’ll be in touch, we’ve got another appointment,” I said as I stood up.
“You can’t honestly tell me that you don’t miss this,” Wentworth said as I opened the door.
“Take care, Wentworth,” I said and walked out of his office.
Felix and I took the stairs down to the training area and I could almost feel the silence as everybody stopped and looked at us. Felix’s picture was on the memorial wall and he stopped in front of it and took it down.
“I never liked this picture,” Felix said as he shoved the framed photo into the dustbin.
“Welcome back, Felix,” Michael O’Grady said as he walked up to Felix.
“Thanks, but we’re not back,” Felix said.
“That’s Ryder and Felix.” I heard the whispers as the trainees started talking in hushed voices.
“We need to go, before someone starts drooling,” Felix said as I laughed.
We got back into the SUV and drove away from the warehouse. Felix was tapping his knuckles against the window, lost in thought.
“You could always go back after this,” I said to him.
“I can’t Ryder, I owe it to my brothers to not go back,” he said.
“So you’re planning on settling down? Get a regular job and live in a coven?” I asked him.
“That’s not exactly what I had in mind,” he said.
“We’re here,” I said and switched the ignition off.
“A strip club?”
“You look thirsty,” I said.
We walked into the dimly lit club and sat down at the bar. On the stage behind us girls were dancing and the waitresses only wore thongs with stilettos. We could see them in the mirror in front of us and Felix shook his head as I ordered shots.
“Nobody’s grinding on my lap,” Felix said as I laughed.
“Let’s go get some food and then we’ll hit the bars, you really need to get laid,” I said to him.
“Says the man that hasn’t gotten laid in a month.”
“Stop listening in on my conversations,” I said to him as I paid our tab.
“I wouldn’t say no to that,” he said.
“Are you telling me you think my wife’s hot?” I asked him.
“She’s not really your wife, is she?”
“No, not really,” I said.
“Then yes, I think Ava’s beautiful,” he said.
“Now there’s a thought,” Abeloth said and chuckled as he shared his thoughts with me.
“Have you ever thought about life after you bond?” I asked Felix as we sat in a diner and ordered burgers.
“That one is complicated,” he said.
“How?”
“I know where she is,” he said.
“And you haven’t claimed her?”
“She’s with another,” he said.
“I’m sorry,” I said as I looked at the flash of pain in his eyes.
“Did she reject you?”
“No, she doesn’t know,” he said.
“That’s just fucked up, Felix. Everything will change once she knows about you,” I said.
“Perhaps, now’s not the right time though,” he said.
“Are you going to tell Lucas about what Typhon said to you?” Felix asked me.
“That wouldn’t be a good idea,” I said with a grin.
“Lucas might just understand,” he said.
“No matter what Typhon said, she’s still the mother of my child, even if I don’t claim that baby as my heir, that’s not Ava’s fault,” I said.
“Not to be insensitive to your royally fucked predicament, but where’s this club you’ve been bragging about all day?” Felix asked.
“Forgive me for not inhaling my food like you just did,” I said with a smile.
“Come on asshole, tonight we celebrate and on Monday we start working the lists,” Felix said.
I paid our bill and we headed back out to the SUV. The club wasn’t far but parking was a bitch and we had to walk three blocks. I bypassed the queue and headed straight for the front door where Samson was on duty.
He let us in with a nod, since I was basically related to Cameron, access was easy at clubs he owned. A blast of music and sweat hit our senses as we walked inside and Felix grinned as he surveyed the crowd. Tonight we’d let loose and be responsible grown-ups tomorrow.
Felix and I bumped fists before heading to the bar and opening a tab. I could see his mind working overtime as he assessed the talent available to him tonight. Maybe he’d take on more than one given his year of celibacy.
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