“You have to understand. We’re not bad people. Most of what Matt and my father told you is true…” Alaric spoke with hushed tone, rubbing his throat carefully. They sat face to face on the floor. On the second floor they could have been sitting on a chair and a bed, but Logan didn’t want Alaric anywhere near Marie’s bedroom.
*Not bad people?* He snorted and grimaced.
“Would you at least listen to me before you judge us all?” Alaric asked. Logan shook his head, thick tendrils of drool falling to the floor around him. He wasn’t really in a talking mood. Whispers were getting louder inside of his head. He swallowed the murmur that tried to squeeze through his gritted teeth.
*Talk.*
“Every one of us is born Lycan. And for my knowledge every one of us follows the way of the pack. We do not spread the curse. Hell, many of us have already forgotten what it is like to answer to the call of the moon. And lately… Children are born and after every generation wolf in us is weakening. You have seen those kids that play outside? Wolf is still in them, but they can’t let it out. They can’t transform.”
*Isn’t that a good thing?* Logan asked. Alaric chuckled.
“Most of the people would think so. I think so. But elders of our pack… They’re worried. Afraid that if we let the wolf in us die, Rebels will take over.”
*That’s not a good thing…* Logan grunted. Alaric shook his head.
“No. It’s not.”
*What’s killing it? The wolf?* Logan asked.
“Age. And closed gates of our village. For past five decades nobody has moved in to Salem. No new blood to strengthen the line. When Rogue came… She was supposed to be the savior. Mother of the new line. New beginning.”
*What?*
“She was supposed to become my wife. Give birth to my children.”
It was hard not to tear in to the boy sitting in front of him. When his enraged snarl made him shiver and lean back slightly Logan was able to suppress the sudden urge to sink his jaws to his throat. At least the runt was submitting.
“We didn’t want that. Rogue and I. She doesn’t want me. I don’t want her. I helped her to escape and told everybody that she had left. At first they were going to go after her, but I told them that I had seen a band of Rebels going after her, so they gave up.”
Logan stood up and started pacing back and forth, rubbing his arms and cracking his knuckles nervously. Silver under skin, covering his bones, was itching. He was itching all over. Marie was somewhere out there. This pathetic runt in front of him knew where she was. And kept yapping his jaws about something he couldn’t have cared less. Why wouldn’t he just shut his mouth and take him to Marie?
“I hid her nearby. I have been taking her food and other supplies. She won’t leave. I have tried to tell her that it would be safer for her if she left, but she keeps telling me that she’s waiting for somebody…”
*Shut up.*
“I guess she’s waiting for you.”
*Shut up.*
“Must be you. You’re her husband, right?”
*Shut the fuck up!*
He couldn’t stop himself. He grabbed the younger man’s shirt, bunching it around his fists and yanked him up, slamming him against the wall, pushing him there with his body, his own body vibrating from the suppressed howl, bared teeth hovering only inches above Alaric’s face.
*I’m sure that I would appreciate your ability to tell stories if we had met under different circumstances… Right now you’re the only thing standing between my wife and me… And that’s not a good place to be…* Alaric’s eyes narrowed, and to his surprise he leaned even closer to him, nostrils flaring.
“What have you eaten?”
*None of your concern… Right now I’d be more worried about what I’m going to start eating if you don’t take me to Ma… Rogue soon…*
“I can’t take you to her…” Alaric managed to mutter just before Logan’s paw curled around his throat again.
*Think again…*
He squeezed almost gently until Alaric had turned nearly black and blue from his face before he let him go. Young man slid to the floor, coughing and gagging. Logan didn’t even try to resist his instinctual reaction. He kicked the boy to the side. He’d be tearing big chunks out of Alaric soon if he didn’t obey. Alaric curled on his side, trying to crawl away from him.
“I can’t take you to her… They have poisoned you…” Poison or no poison, the punk was keeping him away from Marie.
*You will take me to my wife!*
“No! I’d rather die! She doesn’t deserve…”
*Rather die? I can arrange that…*
“Kill me and you’ll never find her… She’ll die. She’ll starve to death...“
*Take me there!*
He was holding Alaric up, shaking him, trying his best not to tear him up yet.
“I won’t tell you where she is.” He backhanded the boy, breaking his nose and splitting his lip.
*Insubordinate whelp…*
“Poisoned you… You’d rape her as soon as you see her…”
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