Kelly Meding - Requiem for the Dead

"How'd you get shot?" Milo asked.

I perched on the side of the bed to take some pressure off that crutch and my armpit. "Marcus tell you about our goblin hunt tonight?"

"No."

I filled him in on everything that had happened since our escape from Vale's hands, right up to checking on Paul. He worked hard to pay attention and seemed to be following along.

"Sorry I missed all the fun," he said.

"That's what happens when you get tortured, pal."

"Yeah."

"How's your pain?"

"Intense but not painful, if that makes sense. Dr. Vansis is worried about blood clots and…" He frowned. "Something about fluid building up in places. Don't remember."

"How about you let the doctor worry about all that, and you just rest? You're going to need it."

"Hate this, feeling so helpless."

"I know. We're Hunters, Milo. We don't wear helpless well. Any of us."

His eyes unfocused for a beat, then he blinked hard. "Evy? Tell me something."

"Sure."

"I don't remember much about us escaping Vale. Was Baylor shot?"

My stomach flipped. "Yes. There was a sniper outside the door when we tried to leave the building the first time." He waited for more, so I gave it to him. "He was down before we could do anything."

"He's dead." Milo didn't phrase it as a question.

I answered him anyway. "Yeah."

Grief worked its way through the fog in his eyes. "Gina must be a mess."

"She's taking it hard. They all are. You should have seen her out there tonight, killing those goblins. She was taking out a little rage."

"So who's stepping up?"

"To what?"

He somehow managed a perfect Are you an idiot? look. "In charge. Baylor was one of the Cerberus heads."

I hadn't given any thought to who would be taking over as one of the three head honchos now that Baylor was dead. Astrid and Rufus could certainly handle things for a while. I doubted they would remain a pair. Three worked better for decision making processes, in case two people got deadlocked. They'd need someone to step up.

"I have no idea," I said. "I think everyone's more focused on finding Vale, settling the discord he's sowing amongst the Clans, and trying to figure out what the goblins are up to."

"True."

His eyelids began to droop. He fought the fatigue and the drugs, but he needed to rest. Milo had a lot of healing to do, and I had a feeling it would be a long process to get him back to 100 percent.

"Get some sleep, pal." I gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "I'll make sure you stay informed, okay?"

He smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Evy."

I woke up later in bed, surrounded by blankets and a deeply-breathing body curled up next to mine. My leg ached and itched but not as badly as when I'd limped back to my room and passed out. I was still a bloody mess, which made the sheets a bloody mess, and it looked like Wyatt hadn't bothered to shower before going to sleep either.

The fact that sleeping in a gore-soaked bed with my filthy half-werewolf boyfriend didn't even seem strange made me laugh. Well, snort, anyway, right through my nose. The noise made Wyatt grumble and reach out. I let him curl around me from behind, grateful to have him there—and eager for him to wake up and deliver some news.

I grabbed my phone off the short bedside dresser that served as both clothing storage and a nightstand. After eight o'clock, still morning.

Behind me, Wyatt's breathing changed. The arm around my waist tightened and his nose pressed into my neck below my ear, not quite nuzzling but close. Some of his Lupa instincts were taking over, telling him his mate was near. He was getting hard and I didn't know if I should wake him up before he went farther, or encourage the attention. The walls between rooms in this part of the housing section weren't terribly thick, and we'd both been pretty vocal when we made love yesterday.

It was a lot easier to get loud with your mate when you have four-inch thick steel walls all around you. Maybe we could sneak back down to that bank vault….

He grunted, and I felt the tension in his body rack up the moment he came fully awake. I counted to seven before he relaxed enough that I could wiggle around to face him. If someone could look both exhausted and well-rested, Wyatt managed. He smiled, and I leaned in for a kiss.

"How's your leg?" he asked.

"Still healing but it feels better. Wound's probably closed. It hit bone. Dr. Vansis seemed impressed it didn't break my leg."

"I looked for you there first when I got back. Autumn and Marcus were discharged. He's keeping Paul for another day or two so he can watch for infection."

"Probably a good idea." Goblin mouths are not sanitary. "When did you get back?"

"About an hour ago." He exhaled hard through his nose. "We lost Vale's scent around Benton Street. Our best guess is he got into a car."

"Well, crap."

"Crap?"

"Fuck?"

"That sounds more like you. We did manage to put down a few Halfies while we were out."

"That's something."

"And Astrid spoke with the new Assembly Voice about Vale."

"Oh?"

The Assembly Voice is basically the public relations spokesperson for the Assembly of Clan Elders. The first one I met, Michael Jenner, was killed last month during our pursuit of Walter Thackery and his Lupa pups. His daughter, Dawn, would start working here at the Watchtower in another month, when she finally reached the age of four—which is the age of maturity for Therians. The new Voice was a Cania named Oslo, and according to Kyle he shifted into a coyote.

"Oslo said that Vale, Starr, and two other members of the Tuck family have been named criminals and are officially wanted by the Assembly for their actions against the Pride. Assembly security representatives are also searching for them."

"Well, that's good news," I said. "I don't care who finds Vale first, as long as we get the scroll and the vampire cure back." I had a lot of friends who needed that cure.

"It's good and bad news. Word is that the declaration has riled up some of Vale's friends in the Pride, as well as a few other Clans. Astrid expects there will be some pushback, maybe even violence."

"Vale kidnapped five people, tortured us, and had one of us killed. Who knows what else he's done or will do next?"

"It's Clan politics, Evy, and I don't understand it all. We see Prentiss's attempt to steal the role of Alpha from the Danes as wrong, especially through underhanded means."

"Cheating."

"Right. Some of the Clans have operated that way for centuries, wresting control from one family to the next. The Elder on the Assembly usually remains the same, but internal leadership changes hands often."

"So some of the Clans don't care what Vale's up to, because it's what their Clan would do?"

"Yes."

"Even though he's challenging for Elder, not Alpha?"

"Yes. The only reason the Assembly voted in favor of labeling Vale a criminal was because he openly attacked the Watchtower and its members, which is supported by a majority of the Elders, including Elder Dane."

"So if he'd only gone after Marcus, the Assembly would care less?"

"Right."

"That's fucked up."

"A little. But it's our reality right now, and at least we have more eyes out there looking for Vale."

Something else was bothering Wyatt. I saw it in the way his eyes pinched at the corners and the way he pressed his lips together. "What else is going on?"

"Astrid told me she's heard rumors that more than one Felia may challenge Riley as Elder, and that Keenan may also see a challenge as Alpha."

Something cold trickled down my spine. "That's bad."

"Yes, it is. And it may be my fault."

"What?" I sat up, tangled, sticky hair falling in front of my face. I pushed it away and glared down at Wyatt. "How do you figure?"