Chapter Three
Marcus
John intimidates me, all seven feet of him.
His aura of authority, the way he nudged me to eat when he could have made it a command—and heck, those chiseled cheekbones—all make him something larger than life.
If I was a braver man, I’d curl up next to him and let him chase all the bad guys away, even the ones in my own head.
But I’m not brave, and if he’s giving me heated looks, it’s only because he doesn’t know me yet. I’m too much of a beta to hold the interest of a man like him. Besides, I’ve barely got my bits covered in this oversized case of a tunic. How attractive can I be, really?
If John is larger than life, Rob is on another level entirely.
He’s not as tall as John, though still a good six inches taller than me.
His long, curly hair is pulled back in a short ponytail, and his smile is a deadly weapon.
He’s one of the Old Ones, I know it in my bones.
Fae, like David’s boyfriend, Connor. Well, fae on steroids, because damn.
David once said Connor is half Tuatha de Danaan.
This Rob dude has the same flavor, undiluted and a thousand times stronger.
I should be terrified of these two on principle.
Instead, I’m buckled into the rear leather seat of a new Toyota hybrid SUV, with Rob at the wheel and John in the passenger seat, and we’re bouncing along an unpaved Forest Service road.
I need a shower, a shave, and some actual clothing, and they need a referee.
I grew up with werewolves, so I know how to navigate power dynamics. I’m also used to bickering. I’m less used to being trapped in a moving vehicle with so much raw dominance. I’m intrigued by them, sure. More than that, I want to get out of here in one piece.
“Fritz isn’t there yet?” John’s speaking low, like he’s putting a layer of patience over something important.
Rob doesn’t answer for a few beats, and when he does, there’s a note of mockery in his voice. “You weren’t going to show up until snowfall, so don’t complain.”
“I don’t see us pulling things off without him.”
“Never fear, John Naylor. My merry band will be more than up to the task.” Rob glances at me over his shoulder. “Don’t you agree?”
I say “yes” even though I don’t have a clue what they’re talking about. Rob’s got this way about him that makes me want to agree with him no matter what he’s said. That vibe should send me running in the opposite direction, and maybe I would if I weren’t wearing a damn linen bag.
After all, my recent experience with doing what I’m told has only brought me a ton of trouble.
“See, John? Marcus agrees with me. We’ll be fine.”
“Hmph.” John shifts in his seat, flicking his hand at Rob. “Tell me more about where we’re staying.”
“Yeah, where is it?” I raise my voice enough so they know I’m more than Rob’s yes-man without really getting in the middle of things.
Besides, I need to figure out how far wherever we’re going is from home.
Or David’s home, anyway. The house belongs to David’s boyfriend and that’s where I’ve been staying because, like most alphas, David likes to keep his pack close.
But it’s not really a home, for me anyway.
“It’s a bed and breakfast in South Pasadena,” Rob says. “I’ve rented the whole place for as long as we need it. The owner, Cherie, lives on premises, and she’ll cook for us. Well, for most of us, anyway.”
Most of us? Must be vampires involved, or maybe incubi or a succubus. Is it a mistake to assume everyone involved in this enterprise is some kind of supernatural creature? Maybe, except my gut says I’m right.
Rob keeps talking against an undercurrent of muttering from John.
“Ten bedrooms, so there’s more than enough space, and there’s a good-sized barn on the property where, even now, Sonny is installing communications and computer gear as well as upgrading the security system.
The neighbors aren’t too close, the property is warded, and there’s a small park nearby for those of us who miss the Greenwood. ”
John referred to the Greenwood earlier. “And where is that?” I ask, adding some controlled sass to my voice because it’s the second time I’ve asked basically the same question.
Rob and John exchange a look, which makes me lean forward so they know I’m not backing down. “You’ve both mentioned this Greenwood place, but I’ve never heard of it before.”
They share a quick glance. “There’s not an easy answer to that,” John says. “It’s most easily accessible from an area in the north part of England, although with the right spell—”
“And strong magic,” Rob says with a laugh.
John scowls at him. “If you know how, and you’re willing to pay the price”—he gives that bit added emphasis—“you can reach the Greenwood from anywhere.”
“I’m sure both of you have strong enough magic,” I say softly. The long look John gives me denies nothing.
After a minute, he turns to Rob with a snort. “So we’ll go to this place in Pasadena. Who has already arrived?”
“Sonny spent the summer in San Francisco, studying with a computer scientist of some kind. He and Will have been with me for a week.”
“Only two?”
Rob gives him a narrow look. “Tucker is in Portland, leading the rebel alliance while dressed as a frog, Nasir is involved in something for the Securitas and won’t be free for another few days, and Alec will be along as soon as his tour ends.”
“We really are reuniting, all but Fritz.”
Rob is silent for a long moment, then scratches his goatee and shrugs. “He’ll be with us soon.”
The silence between them is fraught, so I distract myself by parsing what Rob just said.
The rebels in Portland are dressing as frogs to mock the federal troops who have no business being there.
San Francisco is overrun with tech bros, so studying with a computer scientist could mean any number of things.
The Securitas is basically the paranormal FBI, so at least one of their guys can shoot a gun, and while it doesn’t make sense, one of them might be on tour with a band. Or in the Army. Something like that.
Sounds like they’ve got a little of everything going on.
“You said you’ll be staying in South Pasadena?” I ask, taking the opportunity to bring up my main goal. “If I can borrow your phone, I’ll plot a course to the place I’m staying and maybe you can drop me off on the way.”
“Oh, dear boy, I was hoping you’d come with us.”
My eyes get wide despite my best efforts to keep a straight face.
“No, Rob.” John holds out his hand. “We’re not collecting him. Give him the phone.”
“Didn’t you get up on the wrong side of the tent this morning, Mr. Grumpy.” He swats John’s hand away while managing to keep the vehicle moving forward over the rough road. “Come with us, Marcus. I would love to hear your take on what we plan to do.”
“I’m not exactly dressed for meeting people.” I tug at the hem of the shift John lent me, caught between the desire to learn more about them and concern over John’s response.
Rob glances at me through the rearview mirror. “You’re close to Will’s size. He’ll have something you can borrow.”
“Rob.” John’s voice is a growl, a warning, and it provokes a reaction.
“Enough,” Rob snaps. “How much do you know about computers and the internet?” he asks John. The old wolf doesn’t respond, and it’s all I can do not to raise my hand with a quick answer.
“Sonny has been studying these subjects, but in order to accomplish our task, we need more than one person who speaks that language fluently.”
Someone who maybe just graduated with an IT degree? I can barely manage to keep my mouth shut, scowling at both of them even though they can’t see me. This has got to be some kind of weird setup.
John’s silence continues as if he’s somehow turned to stone. We come to where the forest road reaches a two-lane, paved street. Rob brings the SUV to a stop and turns to look more directly at me. “You know, Marcus. I think we have need of you.”
I don’t answer right away. Yeah, I’m intrigued, or I would be if not for John’s over-the-top reaction.
Like, I’m probably not the old wolf’s type, but he’d given me a vibe out in the forest, a mix of attraction and caring.
He’s worried about something, and I don’t want to dismiss that even though I have no idea what or why.
Either that or I did something to turn him off and he simply doesn’t want me around. For fuck’s sake, I’m not too many steps from naked, and while neither of them has mentioned it, my eye is obviously damaged. They know I’m a wolf, and they know I’m in some kind of trouble.
Why else would your friends have deserted you?
Shit. I squash that thought as nonproductive. It’s harder to stuff down the waves of sadness and worry threatening to swamp me. I don’t know what happened, how I ended up on my own in the dirt. I really don’t.
Swallowing down the stuff I can’t do anything about, I finally come up with, “You don’t know enough about me to be able to say that.”
That makes Rob laugh. “So, tell us about yourself, Marcus. I’m sure you’ve got a story or two, despite your youth.”
“I’m not that interesting.”
“Well, let’s start with vital statistics, like name, age, and occupation.”
John growls something indistinct. Rob laughs, speeding over a patch of potholes faster than the manufacturer would have recommended.
“I guess I can do that much. My name is Marcus Collins, I’m twenty-four, and last year I graduated from UW Tacoma with a degree in information technology.
I’m, uh, between jobs right now.” For reasons they do not need to know.
“I have a friend who’s trying to create an alternative to Facebook, so for now I’m helping him with the user side of the project. ”
“Information technology . . .” Rob lets the word trail off, tapping the steering wheel with one finger. “I think we found our missing piece.”