So first things first...thanks for the kind and funny reviews. =))) I really appreciate them. Yes I try to keep the tenses right, promised (won't work!). For all the mistakes I am doing - forgive me …. ^^
"You kidnapped me. You know, that wasn't exactly very clever!" she whispered angryly in the knowledge the man would listen to her. He smiled bashfully. "Not really... no. I mean I knew about the Ash but no one knew that you are a succubus' favorite pet..." "I am not her pet." Lauren retorted displeased. Dark eyes met hazelnut colored. "I didn't mean to offend you." the man said and lowered his gaze.
Lauren scanned him for a while wordlessly. "What are you? A gentleman gangster? A kidnapper with manners? The Robin Hood of the fae? No pun intended.." she gave him a weary look. "I am just someone who needs your help...we need your help." The blond became silent. "as you probably see." he added and looked over to the now sleeping bodies in their beds. Lauren joined him. There were about 7 men and women strapped down, tossing and turning in feverish dreams.
"They are seriously ill but I guess you know that." she simply stated while she realized that there was still blood on her hands. The hooded man raised. "We better go now!"
The coated man sat on a throne and talked to the bearded man when Lauren followed, hidden behind his broad shape, the hooded man. She noticed the change in the coated mans face when he finally saw her. "Dr. Lewis. So nice to meet you. Again." he greeted her. Lauren felt the cold shivered on her back but forced herself to speak with steady voice. She knew of her value. "And you are?" the man did not answer just showed her with a patronized movement of his hand she had to take the seat in front of him. "No name than?" she noted and sat down.
"I don't really have one...you may call me as you are pleased." Not the answer she had expected. "How about Klaus...?"the blond returned sarcastically. His eyes confronted her with his feelings of suspect and doubt. It started a uncomfortable feeling in her belly that wandered to her throat. She tried to avoid it by swallowing hard several times ...no use. He on the other side seemed to know exactly about her discomfort. As if he was used to create such feelings. The artificial smile he gave Lauren couldn't mask this.
"There are more important things you should ask for...don't you think?" she hold his eyes.
They've been filled with danger and coldness, even when they were embedded in a sketched smile. His hands clasped in front of his face hiding the bigger part of it. Lauren forced herself to clear her voice and break the rigidity she was fallen in.
"Who are you - I mean - all of you?" This question seemed to fit better to be answered. "We are a very old pack in the fae world."
"So you are shape shifters. Like wolves? "
"We are a pack." The man repeated. Lauren simply nodded. "How many are you?"
"120, approximately." he told her not even blinked once.
"That's not just a pack - that's a colony." Lauren tried to stay cool. Let it sound like a statement. Again no answer. "How do you supply them? Are there any children? Have they ..." "Dr. Lewis …" he interrupted her, his voice low and dangerous but he kept smiling aloof. "please keep your focus. We appreciate your ... enthusiasm. But this is nothing you have to concern of..." She laughed bitterly. "Of course not...I am just the pity human puppet who will doctor your people whenever something sharp slashed them."
Lauren noticed the slow flicker in the olders man eyes and the tremble of his nostrils.
"It's not because of that, Lauren..." she lifted her head to see the dark orbs of the hooded man which shining in sympathy. "but we have our reasons not to tell. "
"Yeah. Don't we all have …" she whispered more to herself. "We don't intend to kill or even harm you. " Hoody went on with a soft tone in his voice.
"You can be lucky when Bo thinks the same way." Lauren mumbled. "We have taken care about the succubus. For now." She heard the coated man say. The human swallowed hard. She didn't want to Bo get hurt just because she … felt for her or wanted to protect her. "Don't worry. She is absolutely okay. And so will you. When this is over... you are free to go where ever you want to..." Hoody told her with a warming smile, trying to support her by a touch on her shoulder.
The doctor heard these words but they couldn't be true. That's a trap. It must be. That's not how the fae world worked. "What? I mean, really?"
"Sure, when you will help us! But if you deny we are not able to keep this offer up." 'Klaus' explained coldly. He suddenly raised and caused so the end of the caressing touch. She noticed the regret in Hoodys face but there was no doubt. If it was necessary - he would kill her. For the better good. For the pack.
"Well at least you pretend that I'd have a choice."
"I am glad you acknowledge our efforts." The man looked to the the hooded one who obviously felt it and stiffened immediately. A thrill ran trough Laurens body. What a strange power.
"When … I will help you I need a few more answers. AND you let me talk to Bo." She felt the same icy look on herself when his eyes hit her again.
"That sounds like a deal."
Bo looked at the display of her smart phone with furrowed brow. "What's wrong Bo-Bo?" "I got a message from Lauren." she replied slowly in disbelief.
"Hey cool. Is she okay? Where is she? What is it?... I thought that's what you wanted from her? A sign." Kenzi looked at the still puzzled fae woman, which now agreed. "Yeah. It is, I guess."
"Why do I get the impression that there is a huge "but"!"
"It does not sound like her."
"That's a short message!" Kenzi said this as if this would explain everything. "What has she written?"
Bo handed Kenzi the phone. "'Hey babe, I am fine, just need some time. Don't worry. I call you as soon as I am back. Love Lauren'." she read. "Okay? Babe!" she joked and handed the smart phone over. "'Babe'? She never called me 'babe'! I mean never even signing it with 'Love Lauren'." Kenzis expression changed in a curios face. "How does she call you then?"
"Well, Bo?!"
"Wait you sleep with her but don't use any nicknames?" Bo felt awkward. "We haven't reached that level. Yet!"
"Hm! I see" the girl patted Bo's forearm..."So what are we going to do now?"
"Well I...go over and take a closer look at her place. And you call Dyson, ask him if he can track her phone …"
"By the GPS right..." Bo just looked at her. "Right!" Kenzi said quickly and picked a number...
"Dyson, it's Kenzi … can you do me favor...?"
"Well that's the lab." the hooded man introduced her in a very small room. "Nice one." Lauren lied. "Not as in the compound..." he began. "But it will make it...yes!" she gave him a small smile. For a short moment he returned it before he went on. "The doctor we had, tried to figure out what happened to us before she … died."
"I guess it has something to do with the people out there."
"Yes." the man confirmed her conclusion. "Tell me more." the woman encouraged him.
"About three month ago the doctor noticed a change in the behavior of some of the pack's members. There are files." he pointed to an old school locker. "She didn't came far. One of the Runners attacked her. She died in the moment she hit the ground."
"Oh. I am sorry." Lauren said, but got no reaction. " What are the Runners?" "It's a title or rank." he explained. "Like your's Hoody?" He nodded shortly. "Okay, do you have a real name?"
"No." His reply was plain and made clear he wasn't interested in the progress of this part of the conversation. "We tried to understand what she was working on. She did run some blood checks. Couldn't really finish them." she saw his cheek muscles working. "What I read was that there is something in our blood." The doctor understood. "So, then I will check the results and her notes and start a second run." He looked at her and the pain in his eyes touched her. No, this is not going to happen. She will not lay any emotion in this case. Because that's what it is. Just another case.
"Very well then. If you need anything..."
"I will call for you. Yes." He smiled politely, bowed in a decent manner and intended to leave the lab. "Hoody.." she called. "Do I really have to call you that way?"
"Call me as you pleased." She rolled her eyes …"Good lord." the hooded man hesitated for a moment, than he approached her to whisper something in her direction avoiding eye contact. "If this is so important for you, therre is a name I heard when I was a whelp. I liked the sound. So ...call me Daniel, if you want."
"Daniel. Okay. I like it." she whispered back against his shoulder. So he drew back from her and head to the entrance. Daniel nearly reached it when she needed to ask: "Have you actually...thought about..."
"The talk with the succubus?" Again a bashfull smile and this time it was up to Lauren. "Yes."
"I am working on it. You have my word. You will talk to your succubus." With that he slipped out of the room. 'My succubus. Where the hell are you?'