CHAPTER 12 – ON THE ROAD
~X~
I do not own Twilight, no copyright infringement intended.
Cold, violent, sex-obsessed vampire eye candy—but you've got to love him for it!
Thanks to SweetVenom69 and Duskwatcher for their awesome betaing skills.
THIS CHAPTER COINCIDES WITH CHAPTERS 3 AND 4 OF RED EYES AND THE SHE WOLF
~X~
During the day, I stayed put in the empty house. Many thoughts ran through my mind, but almost all of them were she-wolf related.
I thought about how it felt to be inside her—unlike anything else I had ever experienced. I wondered if I would be lucky again tonight, or whether I would attempt to bite her in the heat of the moment. It seemed that deep breaths would be the way to go when I neared release. I had to admit that the head rush that came with a pulse throbbing so close to me was not unwelcome.
And her body temperature…
Groaning aloud, I leaned back in the armchair I sat on, rubbing a hand across my forehead in a vain attempt to clear my mind.
The anticipation of what was to come caused me to start clock-watching, and time seemed to drag. A week would not be long enough to try everything I planned. After all, I was here on a fact finding mission—it would only be prudent to make sure I tested a few physical limits.
As I sat and thought, a grin stretched across my face. First on the agenda would be to have the she-wolf doggy-style—I meant the sexual position, of course.
Dwelling on one subject for so long wasn't healthy, and so to distract myself from memories of werewolf sex, I called Felix to find out my friends back home were coping without me. I also planned to speak to Aro and discuss the possibility of a more extended stay if the she-wolf continued to refuse to come to Volterra.
Samantha, the receptionist who had replaced Gianna after her unfortunate end, answered the phone. "Buon pomeriggio."
"Samantha, buon pomeriggio. Please put me through to Felix." I didn't pause to flirt today; it would not help lift my train of thought out of the gutter…or off the forest floor.
After a few moments, Felix answered the phone, but I could hear in the tone of his voice that he was no happier about his mission to become a father.
"Felix!" I still greeted him enthusiastically, hoping my light tone might improve his mood. "How are things in Volterra?"
Felix chuckled, but it was so lacking in humor that it chilled me. "Don't ask. How is your mission coming along?"
"Fantastic. I almost ate a wolf last night." I was surprised by how quickly I'd brought up the subject of the she-wolf, but it was a good opportunity to start my bragging. Maybe a little banter would snap my friend out of his depression.
"Why would you want to eat a wolf?" Felix asked.
"Heat of the moment. I was having sex with her at the time."
Felix expressed his disbelief with expletives, and I pulled the phone away from my sensitive ear until he stopped.
"A wolf? Demetri, I thought even you had standards."
"She was in human form at the time—give me a little credit. Heidi and I had a wager; she owes me some money."
"Did you learn nothing from Maria?" I could hear him shaking his head through the phone. Maria had definitely been one of the more memorable moments from our time dispersing the newborn armies, and not for the right reasons. I still had scars in unusual places from my time with her.
"Oh, this was nothing like Maria. This was…something else. Werewolf sex is entirely different from anything else I've ever experienced. I'm going back for more tonight."
"Demetri, having your brain in your pants will be the end of you. What if it's a trap? Last night may have been to lull you into a false sense of security."
I thought for a moment; Felix had a good point. "She seemed to enjoy it as much as I did. You should feel it, Felix. She's so hot."
"Attractive girls are ten a penny, and most of them aren't your natural enemy," Felix scolded me.
"That's not what I meant—I was referring to her body temperature. Imagine a human being, and then make her ten times warmer. Everywhere, Felix."
Felix paused for a moment and thought. "Everywhere?"
"Yes, everywhere. It feels rather spectacular. I'm going to ask Aro if I can stay a little longer, as I can't imagine her changing her mind about coming to Italy anytime soon, but that doesn't mean I can't conduct a few experiments of my own here." I chuckled to myself as I pictured Felix's usual eye-roll.
"Just be careful. I would hate your eulogy to read, 'His fatal flaw was his penchant for bestiality.'"
We both laughed out loud, and I gave him a blow-by-blow account of how I managed to seduce the wolf. After I'd caught up on minor news from Volterra and successfully taken his mind off the subject that was depressing him, I asked for him to transfer me to Aro.
"Dear Demetri!" my enthusiastic master answered the phone. "I trust you are well, and things are going according to plan?"
"Yes and no, Master. I have learned much by observing the pack from a distance, and I have made contact with the female wolf as you suggested. She seems…responsive to my attentions, although at the moment she refuses to return with me to Volterra."
"I see…" Aro went quiet for a moment. "Has the she-wolf imprinted on you?"
I thought for a moment. "I'm unsure, Aro. There is definitely an attraction, but I do not know enough as yet, which is the reason for my call."
"Go on."
"Given her reluctance to come to Italy, I wonder if it might be beneficial if I extended my mission and continued to try and win her trust. Even if she continues to be obstinate, I could use the interaction to find out more about her and her species by remaining here."
"Hmm." Aro paused, obviously thinking. "Has there been any trouble with the Cullens or the rest of the tribe?"
"None at all, Master. There has been no sign of Cullen interference and no major issues with the wolves."
"Excellent. Then how long do you think you will need to be able to thoroughly study the beast?"
I looked around as I tried to estimate how long a not-quite-human woman might be able to keep her looks and stamina. "I'm unsure, Master. As long as you believe the mission is of some use to us. I will make sure to report in regularly and keep you informed."
"A marvelous plan, Demetri. Now tell me, what have you discovered so far?"
I launched into a commentary of what I'd overheard and seen, obviously leaving the more sordid details to Aro's vivid imagination. He was so delighted at what little I had discovered that he practically begged me to rush off and find my Quileute contact immediately in order to find out more.
It was settled—there would be no issue at all with me taking as long as I needed before returning home.
Once Aro finally ended the call, I began to notice a flurry of activity on my mental radar. Earlier, in my distraction, I had not been paying attention to the male members of the wolf pack. I became nervous when the coarse male that I had eavesdropped on two evenings previous was in the vicinity of the clearing in which I had met the she-wolf, and I began to become suspicious.
What if Felix had been correct? Maybe she had been a honey-trap to lure me into a false sense of security. Perhaps they had warned her that I was in the area before I had approached her in Port Angeles? Or maybe she had informed her pack of my offer, and they were using my interest in her physically to lure me into a vulnerable position?
As the morning passed and moved into afternoon, I kept close tabs on everyone's movements. The she-wolf's pattern showed no deviation, but maybe that was a ruse because they knew I might be watching. The Cullens hadn't appeared on my radar, but Bella Cullen was invisible to me. Perhaps they'd enlisted her help and discovered my scent—if she recognized me, then the Cullens would be able to enlighten the wolves as to my abilities. If that was the case, then they would surely want their bait to trace her usual steps.
I had made arrangements to meet with the she-wolf again tonight. There was no doubt that something out of the ordinary was happening on the Quileute reservation, with almost all the wolves tearing about the place. Apart from Leah Clearwater, the younger Clearwater wolf, and the Cullens' pet, everyone else couldn't be acting more out of routine.
They knew something was up.
Felix's words echoed through my brain. I would spot an ambush a mile away, but if the Cullens' shield was involved, the plan could be to conceal some of the wolves and take me by surprise, using my faith in my own ability to my disadvantage.
When the she-wolf's relative ran to the Cullens later that evening to join the Cullen wolf, and the rest of the pack congregated in the woods not far from where the she-wolf resided, I was convinced of the conspiracy theories forming in my mind. I had no doubt that the she-wolf would head back to the clearing to meet me, and I had to admit that even I would struggle to defend myself if outnumbered by the entire pack.
I had stood by and watched them chase one or two vampires that had wandered onto their lands during my initial observations, and their strength certainly lay in numbers. I wouldn't allow them to catch me with my pants down, and so I wouldn't be meeting the she-wolf tonight.
My sudden frustration irked me—I hadn't quite had my fill of wolf-sex as yet.
I left the house and moved further north, making sure I had a clear route of escape should they catch my scent and choose to pursue me when their trap had failed. Near the Canadian border, I waited and continued to keep tabs on the movements in La Push.
Just before the time we had agreed to meet, the she-wolf left her home and joined the congregation of wolves. So it was confirmed—she was part of all this. She remained there until well after she should have been in the clearing, and I wondered how it was that they knew I wouldn't be there.
Then, the she-wolf suddenly broke off from the pack and sped away north-east from La Push. Two wolves followed close behind her—the alpha and one of the wolves that had chased me the previous night. They weren't as fast as the female, and I wondered if this was some kind of ruse to tempt me into following.
If they wanted to catch me and destroy me, they would need more than three. If this was a plan to draw me out, then it wasn't a very good one. So long as I caught her, I could easily dispatch the she-wolf before the other two arrived, especially considering the she-wolf was moving at great speed and stretching quite a lead.
I checked in on the Cullens and the two wolves that had been with them for most of the evening. All were accounted for apart from Bella Cullen, and she hardly posed a threat to me. I doubted that her possessive mate would let her engage a member of the Volturi Guard on her own, and decided that she would be with the rest of them.
Eventually, the two male wolves stopped, paused and turned back towards their territory. The she-wolf continued to run.
After making no move to follow at first, curiosity eventually got the better of me. Once the males had almost reached the Quileute reservation, I decided to track her to see if I could discover a reasonable explanation for the wolves' unfathomable behavior.
The she-wolf finally stopped and I soon caught up once she was stationary. I approached apprehensively, even though she did not pose much of a threat on her own. Now that my guard was up, she was unlikely to catch me unaware.
When I first caught sight of her, she was in human form, and sat slumped against a tree with her knees tucked up. It did not take me long to realize that my theories had been off the mark.
An unusual scent assaulted my nostrils, and I noticed that the she-wolf's shoulder was covered in dried blood. I got closer and she looked up as I revealed myself. Her pained expression did not brighten any as I came into view—in fact, she barely acknowledged my arrival.
"Leah," I greeted her, keeping my voice low and calming while I judged her mood. She certainly didn't seem friendly, but her anger couldn't possibly be aimed at me. After all, she hadn't been anywhere near the clearing to find out that I hadn't been there. "Are you all right? I hope you don't mind that I followed you here."
The she-wolf looked up at me and the side of her mouth twitched—you couldn't quite call it a smile, more of a sneer—and it was far from welcoming. Less of a honey-trap, more like vinegar.
The strange smell in the air still had a slight tang of blood, despite not smelling quite right, and the she-wolf's pulse amplified my distraction. I held back.
"What happened?" I asked, despite her visible prickliness; my curiosity needed satisfying before I could leave her alone. "You took off on your own. Two of your pack followed you for a while before they broke off the chase. Is there any particular reason you ran off?" Or neglected to meet me as planned? I added internally. Pausing to get my bearings, I used my geographical knowledge and detected the concentrations of mental voices. "I think we're just southeast of Lake Cushman."
The pause before the she-wolf replied was long and awkward, and when she did speak, she almost spat the words at me. "They found out what we did last night. I got disciplined, and now I'm no longer part of the pack."
I raised my eyebrows. So the fuss had been over the she-wolf sleeping with me. I decided that their act was awfully prejudicial against vampires; my masters had been much more open-minded and reasonable about cross-species relations.
It dawned on me that the wound on the she-wolf's shoulder had been part of her punishment. I stayed across the clearing from her. Her blood did not smell edible, but it's heavy, earthy aroma was making me light-headed.
"They threw you out?"
"I'm not sure what happened," the she-wolf said, looking up at me and scowling, although it seemed that today she had a reason to do so. "I don't think I was thrown out, but something happened. It may have been me that disconnected."
Excellent, I thought to myself. Another opportunity to find out more about the inner workings of the wolf pack. Aro would be proud of me. "Disconnected?" I asked innocently.
My question was answered with narrowed and suspicious eyes, and I ceased my questioning immediately. The she-wolf stared me down for a few moments before speaking again.
"If you don't mind," she said with another sneer, "...I think it's probably best if I do take up that offer to come away with you for a while. I suppose some company is better than none." Her final sentence was said in such a way that it was obvious she meant to insult me, but instead, I realized exactly why she wanted me with her—and it wasn't for my sparkling wit and repartee.
I smiled despite her rudeness. Later, when she was screaming with pleasure under me, I would feel much better about her attitude. She was just a little upset about her being thrown out the pack, and I was the nearest person on which to take it out on. I was more than happy to allow her to take her frustrations out on me sexually.
"I wish it was under better circumstances, but yes, I would like that. Let's go find a motel; you look like you could do with a rest." And sex with a vampire, I added mentally, but with her heady aroma saturating me, now was not the time. I would have to bundle her in the shower first, and get rid of those clothes. "And we can clean that…blood off you."
The she-wolf looked down at her shoulder and then back at me. For a second, I thought I saw tremors that might precede an eruption, but then the only word that came out of her mouth was, "Oh," which took me by surprise.
I did a quick scan of the area and found a reasonably well-inhabited city not far south from where we were. The sooner I got her in a motel, the quicker we could get her cleaned up; the sooner she wasn't covered in werewolf blood, the quicker I could get my hands on her.
"It's okay. It's just best if I keep my distance for now. Do you mind changing? It's a little more inhabited further south."
The she-wolf slowly got to her feet, and I noted that she seemed more than a little tired and unsteady. Maybe I would have to wait a little longer before I got my wicked way.
As if it was second nature, she lifted her soiled vest up and over her head, and my body reacted immediately to the sight of her bare breasts. The half-naked woman in front of me didn't even glance in my direction, and began unfastening her knee-length shorts. As she removed her last item of clothing, I had to admit that there was something delightfully feral about the way she looked at that moment—naked, blood-caked and dirty.
As the she-wolf bent over to pack her clothes away in her Velcro pouch, I held back a sharp intake of breath as I appreciated the marvelous view she was treating me to. I admired her comfortableness with her own body, although I guessed that she was probably used to getting undressed around men by now.
Lucky men, I thought. Maybe being a wolf wasn't all bad. After all, they would be naked, too, and one thing could lead to another…
The she-wolf shifted into her animal shape and then turned and looked at me expectantly.
Now that the peep show was over, I didn't see any reason to hang around in the clearing. I ran in the direction of the voices that were calling me and the she-wolf ran alongside, but her pace was much slower than earlier. I would give her a good run to see what speeds she could reach later. Much later.
When we ran out of woodland in which to conceal ourselves, we found ourselves having to run alongside the asphalt road which led into Shelton. I felt a little ridiculous— like a man out for a jog with his over-sized dog. We ran in silence—not that I expected the wolf to say anything.
I couldn't sprint into the city with a wolf. I could be unseen if I wanted to and be nothing more than a shadow, but there was no way anyone would miss the she-wolf in their midst.
"You should phase back. It's a lot more inhabited from here. I will find a place to stay and come back for you."
The wolf turned its head toward me sharply, and when she changed back into a human, I was treated to a reverse striptease.
Once dressed, Leah stomped away and sat on a tree stump by the side of the road. Before I ran off, I turned and looked at her. She looked like a street urchin with her rags and obvious need of a wash— almost vulnerable.
For a moment, my chivalrous side argued with me about the propriety of leaving her sitting there. Then I laughed to myself at the thought of someone with bad intent trying to take advantage of her in my absence. She might seem in need of looking after, but appearances could be deceiving, I thought, as I rushed away into the night.
TRANSLATIONS:
Buon pomeriggio – Good morning
