Chapter Five

John watched as Natalie spoke on the phone from the balcony. She was pacing as she spoke to her Uncle.."I'm fine I swear Uncle Bo, I just.. I needed some time to think thats all" she lied as she stared out into the city before her. Her mind was still spinning with what John and Steele had told her only thirty minutes earlier. She couldn't wrap her mind around it, it seemed like a dream, possibly a nightmare to be exact.."I told you he was gone, he just left" she continued to lie to her uncle. She was glad this was being done over the phone because in person she was a horrible liar.."I know, I know but when I went to get my car he was no where to be seen" she said with a shake of her head.

Steele walked over and handed John a drink.."She seems to be handling this well" he said as John looked at him and sipped his drink..

"Yeah I would say she is pretty much in shock, its not everyday that you learn the world around you has been a lie" John said honestly..

"Well now we have to figure out what to do with her and wolf boy in the other room" Steele raised an eyebrow..

"Let me worry about the boy, as for Natalie, we'll figure something out" John said with a shake of his head.."Did you get the guys to clean up the mess back at the cabin?"

"They are working on it as we speak, it will look good as new" Steele grinned as the balcony door opened and Natalie stepped in and looked at the two of them. She swallowed hard..

"Everything OK?" John asked..

"Yeah, he's not happy but..."she sighed heavily.."I think I could use another drink" she added quickly..

The world as she knew it was not what she believed it to be. The world was much darker and filled with more evil than she could comprehend. She couldn't help but replay the conversation in her head that she had had with John.."Those things in your cabin weren't human Natalie"..he had said as she couldn't help but let out a small laugh..

"OK so now your gonna tell me that they were some kind of werewolf, like in the movies" she rolled her eyes sarcastically as she sipped her drink. He didn't say anything as she looked at him.."Oh come on you don't seriously think I'm gonna buy that, I mean so yeah there were wolves in the cabin but I live in the woods".

"Why do you think that guy was laying on the ground naked, you said yourself that you saw the wolf there and then it was gone" John raised an eyebrow..

"So... it could have been anything" she stood up now from the couch as she looked at him.."There is no such thing as monsters or the boogie man" she laughed sarcastically but neither John or Steele laughed..

"This isn't a joke Natalie, this is real and whether you want to face it or not, you could very well be in danger" John said seriously..

"Oh OK so I get it now, your a super hero right?" she rolled her eyes..

"Exactly!" Steele said quickly as John shot him a look.."What? We sort of are" Steele added..

"Were not super heroes" John shook his head.."Its complicated"

"Fine, try me, uncomplicate it" Natalie said quickly..

"There was a reason I was on your property Natalie and it wasn't because I was out for a jog" John began as she rolled her eyes.."You saw the shape I was in, and it wasn't caused from your car" he raised an eyebrow..

Natalie gasped some now as she stood there.."I knew it, I knew I wasn't driving that fast" she said in shock.."But then how did the wounds all go away" she said with a shake of her head and he just looked at her as she gasped again and her eyes got wide.."They did just go away, didn't they?"...John just nodded his head yes as she looked at him.."Oh my god, are you... are you a vampire?" she said in shock..

"Oh god no, we have more self respect than that" Steele interjected quickly..

John rolled his eyes now at his friend and then he looked at Natalie.."For right now all you need to know is that were the good guys"

"Good guys" she said quietly.."And that guy you took up here?"

"Not so much" John said quickly..

Natalie began to pace now as she stared at the walls, how could this really be happening? I mean how could a world like this exist and she didn't know about it?

"It's a lot to take in" John said as he watched her..

Natalie sipped on her drink as they guys talked in private some. She still felt completely in the dark with everything. If there were werewolves and vampires out there than what else could be real? Ghosts, zombies and even demons? It was almost too much to take.

John looked at Steele as Natalie continued to pace in the other room.."Listen I gotta get some answers from that guy" he said seriously..

"Yeah well then we have to figure out what were going to tell Vincent, he isn't going to be pleased" Steele said honestly as John rolled his eyes..

"Vincent can do whatever he likes, its time that things need to change and if what I believe is true about those wolves then Vincent will have something much bigger than us to worry about" John ran a hand through his hair..

"And what about the girl? We cant just keep her around" Steele said with a shake of his head..

"I'm not about to send her out there to be killed or worse" John sighed heavily.."Let me figure out what were going to do with her OK" John walked past him and headed down the hall as Steele inhaled deep and then went into the living room.

Natalie turned and faced Steele, she swallowed hard.."This is all real, isn't it?"

"Just think it could be worse" Steele smirked.."At least you have the protection of us"

"How long are you planning on keeping me here" she couldn't help but ask..

"Until its safe" Steele said seriously and then John could be heard yelling loud as they both looked in the direction of the hall.."Stay here" Steele said as he rushed down the hallway, Natalie followed after him, she just couldn't help herself..

"Son of a bitch!" John yelled as he looked at the now decapitated body on the ground.

Steele swung the door open fast.."What the hell man, you said you were just gonna talk to him first!"

"I didn't do this, that crazy bastard did it himself" John shook his head..

"Your telling me he killed himself? Why?" Steele said in shock..

"Apparently he liked the odds better" John shook his head and then he roughly pushed everything off the dresser.." DAMN IT!" he yelled..

Natalie gasped as she stood in the doorway and then she backed up as she looked at the scene before her. Both John and Steele looked at her as she backed up more.."What... what the... is he?" she said with a trembling voice as she looked at the body on the ground..

"Get her out of here" John said quickly towards Steele..

"No, no I have a right to know" Natalie put her hands up quick as she trembled.."How did this happen?He was tied up and...and.." she said in shock..

"Fine" John said with annoyance..This was his big chance to find out what those wolves had been planning and who exactly they were working for and now it was gone.."You see this thing here that was around his neck?" John kicked the head some as Natalie swallowed hard.."Well this device here is to stop the fuckers from transforming because if they do it causes immediate death by decapitation and well apparently he choose death" John ran a hand through his hair..

"Why...why would he do that?" Natalie said in shock..

"Because sometimes death is the better choice" John said through gritted teeth and Natalie shook her head and then walked back down the hall..

"You know you didn't have to get that psycho look John, you ain't gonna earn trust that way" Steele said quickly..

"Do you think I'm worried about trust right now" John snapped.."Everything I went through was for nothing, and now were still stuck without answers!" he spun from Steele and then picked up the head by its hair as Steele left the room..

Natalie was standing in the living room with her back now facing him.."Sorry about that, John is... well he just isn't a people person" he began to apologize..Natalie sniffled some as she wiped her face, this was all definitely too much and she wasn't one to cry like a baby but she was sure that this would be considered OK considering the circumstances.."Your not crying, are you?" Steele said a bit uncomfortably..

"No.." Natalie wiped her face once more and walked across the room.."So what happens if one of those things go back to my cabin, I have family" she began as images of what could be done to them raced through her head..

"We have someone in place that is keeping an eye out" Steele said quietly.."Its a lot to ingest OK, I get that"

"You do? Do you really? Because last time I checked you and him weren't even human either" Natalie snapped some as she turned and looked at Steele with tears in her eyes..

"Hey... its gonna be OK, you know that right?" Steele said as he walked over to her..

"How is it going to be OK, I'm not built for this, I cant... its too much" she said as she covered her face and cried..Steele walked over to her without even thinking and he quickly wrapped his large arms around her and hugged her. He was half expecting her to freak out but instead she just cried against his chest..

The sound of John clearing his throat as he got back into the room made Steele look up. John had the body wrapped up in a blanket but his eyes looked enraged..Steele immediately pulled back from Natalie as she looked up at John and he quickly looked away from them.."I gotta dispose of this" John said coldly as he walked towards the door..

"Dispose?" Natalie said as she wiped her eyes but John just kept walking as Steele stood there and than the door closed.."Is he going to?" Natalie began as she looked at Steele..

"Yeah, I wouldn't think much about it" Steele shook his head.."I'll be right back" he said as he walked towards the door as Natalie stood there. How the hell was she suppose to get use to this, she didn't know if she could! Steele got into the hallway as John made his way to the elevator.."Hey hold up" Steele called out but John just kept walking as he had the body draped over his shoulder.."Hey John, wait" he said as he caught up to him..

"I dont need your help" John said as he hit the button for the elevator..

"Man are you pissed at me or something?" Steele said as John rolled his eyes.."She was upset, thats all".

"Do you think I care, I'm not your keeper" John said sarcastically as the elevator doors opened.. but Steele put his hand on the side so that it wouldn't close.."I dont have all day" Johns said with annoyance..

"If she is off limits John then just tell me" Steele began as John glared at him..

"I dont give a shit about the girl, if anything I'm beginning to think that she is gonna be more work than she is worth now if you dont mind" John snapped as Steele took his hand off the elevator and then the door closed as he stood there.

Steele stood there for another minute. He didn't need John to tell him that he girl meant something to him, hell it wasn't like John just to go out there and rescue a human. No there was definitely something more, Steele could feel it even if John wouldn't admit it..

Natalie paced the hotel suite as the door opened and she saw Steele walk back in.."He cant just dump that body, someone will find it" she finally said..

"Oh he wont dump it, you gotta burn it" Steele said nonchalantly..

"Burn... oh..." Natalie said in shock as Steele looked at her..

"I think another drink will help the situation" Steele said as he walked into the kitchen and Natalie followed him..

"So what are you guys exactly?" she couldn't help but ask even though her anxiety level was dangerously high..

"Thats a good question, unfortunately the answer isn't so easy" Steele said as he poured himself a drink and then handed one to Natalie..

"It seems like I'm going to have some time" she said honestly as she sipped her drink..

John stood in the alley way of an abandoned factory building that was located right outside of New York. He watched as the body burned and sparked on the ground as his mind went back to her. It wasn't like him to feel an attachment to a human but there was something about her, something that drew him in and nearly drove him insane. John had been alive for quite some time and he had been alone for the majority of it. The last time he had any sort of relationship it had ended badly and he had no one to blame but himself.

Her name was Caitlyn and from the moment he had met her he knew she was the one. He had been living with his family pact at the time and with him being the next Alpha in line to run the place he just knew he would need a woman by his side. Caitlyn had come from a neighboring pact that they had an alliance with, she was a beta but a strong one. It was like fate had planned their lives out for them. It was the night that they were suppose to be married that his life was thrown upside down. He had been so nervous about the upcoming nuptials that he hadn't noticed that Caitlyn had gone missing, no one really had until it was time for the wedding.

John fidgeted with his tux as he stood at the altar. This was finally it, they were going to be husband and wife, they were going to be the leaders of this pact and life was forever going to be changed. It was the scream that alerted everyone in the small chapel and then the door busted open as Johns younger sister Theresa came running inside, tears streaking down her face as smoke poured into the small place..

"There's a fire, its burning everything down!" the small girl cried out, she was only fourteen years old but nearly the spitting image of her brother John..

"Where's Caitlyn!" John yelled frantically as he got outside with the others only to see that everything was on fire, the homes, the stores, the entire town they lived in was burning to the ground right before their eyes.."CAITLYN!" John yelled as he ran down the street towards the house they shared and then he heard her scream and his heart leapt out of his chest as he ran even faster. He didn't even think twice as he entered the burning home, smoke made it nearly impossible to see anything as John called out her name again and again. The sound of a groan across the room made him dart towards it and there she was, her body badly beaten and it wasn't from the fire. John lifted her up into his arms and ran with her outside than quickly put her on the ground.."Caitlyn who did this" he asked as he looked over her body and then he saw the gash on her stomach, she was bleeding bad, he put his hand on top of it to stop the bleeding..."Caitlyn, who" he asked again as her eyes got wide as she looked past him and he looked up just in time to see a wolf lunging at him and knocking him hard into the ground..

John shook his head as he laid there for a second, the wolf was next to him and he too was shaking his head but than he looked right at him. All John saw was red as he ripped his tuxedo open and let out a loud roar as flesh was ripped from bone. His bones broke and reformed. It felt like his body was on fire and there was no way to put out the flames. The transformation was always so damn painful but he didn't care at this moment as he tore at his own flesh until the only thing left was a beast covered in hair and muscle. He towered over the wolf before him and he stood on his hine legs as he grabbed at the wolf and violently began to beat him.

Caitlyn's scream startled him as he snapped his head onto to see two more wolves tearing at her body as she tried desperately to transform and then one of the wolves looked at him with a menacing grin as Johns eyes got wide. He threw the wolf that was still hanging onto him, it crashed onto the ground as John lunged for the wolves that stood over Caitlyn and then the larger of the two bite into her neck, tearing her flesh as she screamed out. With a howl that was damn near deafening John slammed into the wolves as they fought viciously on the ground as Caitlyn gasped for breath and then everything turned quiet and still as John looked over at her now lifeless body, Caitlyn was gone, she was truly gone forever.

John watched as the flames got smaller and smaller. Not a hint of a body left behind as he stood there. His body tense and his mind in the past. It had been so long ago and yet at times like this it seemed like yesterday. He had lost his entire family that day, his entire pact gone in the flash of an eye.

Natalie listened as Steele told of how John and him met so many years ago. Not only were they both over a hundred years old but there were others out there like them. Some good, some bad. They were wolves and rogue ones at that. Steele had met John when he had been in New Orleans just passing through. It had been at a bar where a fight broke out between Steele and some drunken guys. John had jumped in and helped him. They formed a sort of pact between the two of them since neither had one to call home though according to Steele the whole living with the pact idea was long gone now and lost within the centuries. Most wolves were rogues now, times had changed and so had they.

She felt frightened and fascinated at the same time. It was unreal to think that there were such things out there and that so many people didn't know about it. She felt like a child sitting there, one who had a million questions she needed answered.

"And thats basically it" Steele finished as he downed the rest of his drink..The door opened as they both watched John walked in, he stopped and eyed them both and then went down the hall.."Give me a sec" Steele said as he got up and went to find out how it went.

John was damn near naked by the time Steele got to his room..He stood in a pair of boxer briefs as Steele stood in the doorway.."What do you want Steele, I'm getting in the shower" John said dryly..

"I told her everything, I think she understands now" Steele began as John rolled his eyes..

"Good" John said quickly and then walked into the bathroom without looking at Steele..

"Listen your the one who wanted to drag her along John" Steele began as John spun and looked at him..

"Yeah well maybe if you can keep it in your pants long enough to not get us all killed" John snapped at him..

"What the hell are you talking about, I'm not even doing anything" Steele snapped back..

"Yeah OK, you seem to forget that Ive known you for a hundred plus years" John said sarcastically.."She's a job Steele, nothing more, you'd be best to remember that" he finished as he walked into the bathroom more and then closed the door as Steele sighed..

"Is everything OK?" Natalie asked as she got up to the door. She had heard yelling though she couldn't make out what was being said but she could definitely tell it was intense.

"Yeah, everything is just great" Steele said as he walked over to her.."I'm hungry, are you hungry?"

"Um.. I mean honestly I dont really feel like" Natalie began as she looked at him..

"It's settled then, I'm gonna go get us something" Steele said as he walked past her and she followed him even though right now she was more confused than ever.