Elijah

My body stiffened, and my mind raced faster than I could keep up. Seeing Dice stare with wild eyes didn't exactly instill a sense of calm in me.

“And where will we go?" I asked, casting a quick glance at the dining room table. “How are we gonna get out?"

“I've got my car out front. Let's get in it and go. Leave everything behind."

That wasn't a plan. That was stupidity. What was so different now than when I wanted to leave earlier? They would still hunt us down.

I stepped over to the table and picked up the photo of us in bed together before handing it to him. The look of horror on his face said everything.

“They left these in my mailbox for whatever reason. There wasn't a note or anything."

He snarled and crumpled the photo in his hand. “This was a message for me." His ears dropped, and he collapsed onto the chair, holding his head in his hand. “I'm gonna fix this," he said, rocking slightly. “I'm gonna fix this and get you outta here."

This fuck-up was on me too, and I really had no one else to blame. I knew what Dice was, and what he was into. The wolf practically detailed his sins the other day, and I still allowed myself to get swept up in it, finding his allure irresistible.

“What do you have to do?"

He looked up, his eyes wide. “Don't worry about it."

“Dice—"

“Don't worry about it," he shouted, slamming his fist on the table. As the moment vanished, his eyes watered a bit. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that." He stood and padded toward the door.

I followed him close, and when he stopped to unlatch the deadbolt, I wrapped my arms around him from the back, not able to get all the way around his wider body.

“Dice," I whispered as he turned around. “This is scary."

“I know." He leaned in and kissed me on the neck. “If I don't come back by tonight," he handed me his keys, “my car is in the parking lot. Take it and get as far away as you can."

“I don't have a license."

“I don't think it'll matter."

We stared at one another, and I drew a blank. I knew what he was implying by the nuance of his voice and the look on his face. He was saying goodbye.

There had barely been enough time to get to know him well enough, let alone fall in love, but I knew I didn't want him to go. We had something between us; something that, for whatever reason, kind of worked. Now it could be over before it started.

“I still want three weeks." It was the only thing I could think of to say.

He smiled and nodded before turning away, opening the door. “We should go on a proper date."

“Well, when you get back, maybe we will."

I heard him sniff once before he wiped his face, but he didn't turn around.

***

It had been twenty minutes since Dice left, and I wasn't sure of anything. Was he dead, or was he still alive? Had there been enough time for anything to happen? Was I even safe in this place?

Every curtain had been drawn, and every window and door locked. I sat on the couch in complete stillness as I listened for any movement outside. There would be the occasional door slam or conversation from neighbors, but nothing more than that.

When the central AC kicked on, it startled me, but the gentle hum lulled me into more of a catatonic state. My brain couldn't handle the what-ifs right now, so I fluffed a throw pillow and rested it against the arm of the couch.

The serenity broke as my bedroom window shattered, and a loud thud hit the floor.

***

Dice

There was one thing every Melioran, regardless of species, understood: you never cornered a wolf. Both sides had me pinned against the wall, and I wasn't sure how much of the rage I could contain. If I lost too much control, that was it for me.

Wolves are taught from young ages the consequences of allowing those parts to manifest, but that trait was why we were leaders. We were feared for it. There was a threshold—a point of no return, and I was fast approaching it.

It didn't matter. I'd either die to my father, or have to be put down after killing him. Either way, I'd ensure Elijah could run.

What I couldn't understand was how I allowed this to happen in the first place. I knew the consequences, but I pursued him anyway. I went against every shred of common sense.

I guess that was what love did.

No, that wasn't it. What actually made me stupid was my drive to mate. I was at that age where it was too strong to ignore, but I also couldn't deny there was a lot more I felt for Elijah. I could be myself, and he preferred that.

Since it was about to rain, the streets weren't that busy as I ran toward our estate, my trench coat flailing wildly in the wind behind me. Leaving the car back at Eli's apartment and running toward danger gave me an hour or so of much-needed clarity. I was about to kill my father, and then deal with the consequences of being labeled a traitor by my family once I turned power over to Gero… that is, if I survived.

If I could keep my mind intact and survive my family, I could vanish with Elijah. I had been stashing money away for days, but I still wasn't sure where we would go. Maybe we'd have to leave the country. Would human society even recognize our relationship, or would we end up in a worse situation?

One problem at a time, you idiot.

I couldn't worry about bullshit that hadn't even happened yet; I had to get over this hurdle first. I needed to make sure he was safe.

The mansion loomed over everything in the distance, like a mad scientist's facility, storm clouds churning overhead. It was never a place I wanted to be, despite it being my home for thirty-six years. I never wanted any of this. I'd even give up my wealth if I never had to see it again, and depending on what happened in next several moments, it might be a possibility. I'd figure something out.

My paws slowed to a sudden stop over the slick concrete as I neared the gate. A flash of lightning ripped through the sky, and I looked up, allowing the storm to soak my face for a moment as I took in a calming breath through my nose. I ran my fingers over the outline of the pistol I had tucked away in my jacket before tapping out an entry code on the keypad. A welcoming chirp preceded grinding metal as the steel gates pulled apart. 

I'd been a cold-blooded killer for over a decade, always able to push away my conscience and reservations. This would be the last time.

I steeled myself, keeping my focus on the double French doors as I padded onward, balling my fists. As I reached for the handle, the door groaned open, father standing on the other side of it. My presence wasn't exactly a secret considering how many cameras surrounded the estate.

“Get out here," I shouted with a snarl, kicking the door the rest of the way open, surprising both of us. My reservations fell. Every bit of fear I had on the way over evaporated the moment I saw his face. It didn't matter whose it was, his or Gero's, they were both threats that had to be eradicated.

Was I already losing myself?

“I know everything." He folded his arms and glared before moving off to the side, revealing Troy… holding Elijah by the throat. “About Gero—about how you'd sell out your clan for a human." He let out a furious howl and struck the door with his fist, cracking it in half. “I saw the pictures, Dice. This is disgusting, even for a fag like you."

The blind rage disappeared from me, and everything got darker. I looked over at Troy, my eyes pleading. “Why?"

The wolf didn't answer; instead, he kept his grip on the human's throat. Eli stared at me, not able to speak, the terror in his eyes sending my emotions into freefall. He knew he was going to die, and there was nothing I could do.

“Everyone has a price," my father said, looking back at Troy. “His was freedom." He nodded to Gavin, a black wolf henchman who held a gun with a silencer. “So we'll give him freedom."

“Wait a minute," Troy said, letting go of Elijah, putting his hands up. “You promised I'd be out if I—" The sharp sound of the bullet was the last thing I heard as my childhood friend fell to the floor, eyes unblinking, a trail of blood trickling from his forehead. Elijah stumbled backward against the stairs, shaking as he looked down at the corpse.

Time seemed to stop as the shock overtook me. He was dead. The idiot was dead. There was nothing, no flashes of memories we shared, just the blackness of betrayal and death.

“The human has done nothing," I said, my voice low and unusually calm. There was a jolt of energy in my mind, and I could feel every salivary gland open. There was no escaping this. I would lose myself and fight. My father didn't know what he had awakened, thinking me weak. Thinking I would never dare cross that line.

How wrong he was.

“Kill him," he grunted with a grin. Gavin pointed his gun at Eli's head, but a louder shot rang out and the wolf dropped to the floor. I wasn't thinking or planning, I was reacting, letting instinct take control of my body. The pistol I drew from my coat pointed at my father soon after, but he was quick to react, knocking it out of my hand before his claws raked across my face, slicing through my muzzle.

I felt nothing.

My focus was on Eli as he struggled up the stairs, the other henchmen falling into formation after the shock of seeing their comrade drop to the ground wore off. Why was everyone going so slow? They seemed to react in minutes, not seconds, each one rushing for me.

There was a red hue to everything, and my thoughts were mired in instinct alone. So this was what it was like to break… down…

Everyone dies today.

Elijah

I'd never seen anything move so fast in my life. One after the other, they fell to a crazed Dice as they shot at him. He wasn't dodging anything, but the bullets obviously hadn't been able to hit anything vital. Nothing stopped him.

Something hot hit my upper arm, causing me to double over, despite the adrenaline rush. A stray bullet? I glanced at the sleeve of my white shirt as crimson spread through the fibers. I put a hand over the hole and turned away, climbing up to the second floor, hopefully out of line of sight.

Another wolf fell, his neck ripped open, blood spraying everything. The gunshots and animal roaring stopped as the last wolf fell.

“Wherrrrrare you." Those were barely words as he groaned and snarled, looking around the room. His father wasn't on the ground with the other bodies, and I wasn't sure what scared me more: the wolf hidden in the shadows, or the one in the lobby who had no semblance of personality left. “Wheeerrrrrearrrrrreyooooou," he repeated, this time much more drawn out and animal.

He pointed his snout in different directions, his blood and the blood of those he killed soaking his fur and clothing. He glared at me, and I crawled backward, away from the banister as he ascended the stairs. My arm started to go numb, but the bleeding wasn't as bad as it could have been. The bullet missed an artery, but I could feel it stick inside.

I was too scared to even get to my feet, my legs too shaky. All I could do was slide back against the wall as he appeared at the top of the steps.

“Dice?"

He grinned, blood dripping from his maw as he padded closer. What was wrong with him?

“Dice," I said, holding one hand up. “It's me."

“Everrrrryone… dies."

That wasn't Dice anymore. Was this the true nature of the Melioran? Was this why humans kept them under such strict regulation outside of this city?

He was on all fours now, climbing on top of me. I knew I was going to die when that wolf brought me here, but I didn't think Dice would be the one to finish me off.

His mouth opened, and rows of sharp teeth grazed my neck. He then fell against me, unconscious, blood loss finally winning the battle. Dice's breathing was slow but steady, though I couldn't tell if he had merely passed out or was inching closer to death.

A gunshot rang out from the front yard, just beyond the broken front doors. Everything was quiet after that. A cool, humid breeze blew in, and a low rumble of thunder disturbed the steady splashing of rain falling into puddles.

The fresh scent of the deluge clashed with the metallic odor of bloody death from downstairs. Dice lay in my lap, and my uninjured arm held him. I wasn't able to move, so I stayed there, listening to his labored breathing, waiting for it to eventually stop.

Despite losing himself, he saved my life. What an awful way for this to end.

Claws tapped slowly across the floor downstairs, and I was too far from the edge to see who it was. They stopped, and I heard I high-pitched whine, almost as if the wolf downstairs was crying. Dice groaned as he shifted position against me, giving us away.

The stairs creaked as whoever was downstairs ascended them. My stare locked with the ruby eyes of an elder, dark gray and silver wolf. He stopped at the top, examining both of us, not saying a word. The wolf was obviously distraught, despite his silence and piercing gaze.

He turned away and looked down at the lobby, panting and shuddering.

“I suppose this is mine now," he said with his back still turned. I kept silent as he held his clawed hands behind his back, surveying the carnage downstairs.

Dice stirred in my lap. “And all it cost was Troy." His voice was weak as he spoke, looking up at me. The wild animal eyes that were devoid of any emotion from earlier had become sentient again.

The old wolf cleared his throat, but there was a slight tremble in his tone. “I have other sons."

“You drove him to this. All he wanted was out. He just wanted out, and I know the feeling," Dice whispered, his speech slurred and breathing labored.

“The estate will be surrounded soon," the old wolf said, turning back to look at us. “I killed your father, but this is going to further widen the rift between our packs. It should have been you to do it; it'll be war now."

“You should do the honorable thing and turn that gun on yourself. Both you and my father should have been put down decades ago."

“If I do that, how are you gonna get out of here with your human?"

Dice scoffed. “Like you had any intention of helping. You threatened to kill him and drove me to this." His eyes went from the old wolf to me. “I almost killed you." He rocked a bit in my lap, tears welling in his eyes. “If we get out of here, take the car and the money inside, and don't look back. This wasn't ever going to work."

“Stop. Not now," I said, not knowing if I should be relieved or even more upset. “We'll talk about it later." I looked up at the wolf standing over us. “Are you gonna help us?"

“I can," he said with wrinkled glare. “But I won't unless he helps me."

“He can barely move."

“Luckily, it won't require much moving at all. There's gonna be a powder keg and a very short, lit fuse outside of the gates soon. No one saw me kill Blaise, but since I'm here, it's going to look very suspicious." He folded his arms and sighed. “Bring our families together, Dice, and…" He paused, seeming to hesitate about what he would say next. “Take your father's place."

“Why the change of heart?"

“Because no one's going to challenge a wolf who killed his father, my son, and ten collaborators all at once. That show of strength will be what keeps everyone in line. It's what we need."

Dice stared up at me and shook his head. “I want out, Gero. It's all been an act from the start, and I'm tired. Your son died miserable, and that's not gonna be how I go out. I'm also not gonna save a dying city with threats, violence and murder. My father said Melioran was the word chosen for our kind, but it belies the truth. We were never better, we were worse. Much worse."

Gero took a few steps closer and kneeled next to Dice, grabbing his arm before slinging it around his neck, pulling the heavy wolf from my lap. “Human, can you walk?" He asked, looking back at me.

“Yeah," I said, pushing myself up from the floor with my uninjured right arm.

“When we get downstairs, slip out the back and wait. As soon as the clans see Dice and I are alive, we'll pick you up."

I nodded, following the wolves as they descended the steps into the lobby. I kept my gaze averted from the floor where the corpses lay still in the same spots they fell earlier. It was horrible, and Dice let out a slight sob as we passed the wolf named Troy who broke into my house and brought me here. I wasn't sure what their history was, but it played a hand in turning Dice bloodthirsty.

They continued out the front door, Gero having to drag Dice because the poor wolf could no longer move much on his own. I turned toward a large, open room, with glass double doors leading to a deck outside. This was where we would part ways for now.

***

Dice

The bullets in the rest of my body hurt, but they didn't cause the trouble that the one piercing my left lung did. Every step I tried to take caused my breath to quicken as I had trouble taking in air without wanting to pass out from the pain.

Elijah and I were likely over. If I hadn't passed out earlier… No, I would have been able to stop myself. I could never kill him, no matter how far gone I was.

That would be the story I told myself, even if it wasn't true.

My mind was still intact by some miracle. I went insane, but there didn't seem to be any lasting effects from it, at least as far as I knew. After what happened, there was no way I could trust myself around him anymore.

A black lump on the ground pulled my attention, and I turned to see the corpse of my father splayed out like a freshly skinned rug. Even in death, he looked malicious, though this time his yellow eyes were wide and unblinking, staring at nothing as he lay there in the rain.

Despite wanting this for so long, I couldn't help but fall apart inside. He was still my father. There was too much death today.

Shouting took my focus as I looked ahead to see my clan closing in around Gero's, each wolf with a weapon drawn. The tension so high that if someone so much as farted, bullets would start flying.

Our clans turned to us, watching on as Gero helped me stand despite the wounds. Their weapons lowered.

“Dice," a voice called from the crowd. “What happened?"

Just one more façade and it would all be over. One more. I drew my face to a line, ignoring the pain as I glared at them, baring my teeth.

“Dad was a coward, and I killed everyone who interfered when I challenged him. Even Gero's son."

“What?" someone wearing dark purple colors of the other clan asked, looking at the older wolf in confusion. “Why are you helping the enemy?"

“Don't lower yourself to me, Gero," I whispered. “Answer this as though we worked together."

“You're not going to take up the role as alpha, are you?"

I shook my head.

“Blaise… was my friend at one point. My brother," Gero said, supporting me more with his body. “But this had to end. My son made the wrong choice, and Dice did what he had to."

“I'm not taking over my father's role," I said, having trouble catching my breath again. I just needed to hold out a little longer. The crowd began quietly mumbling. “Gero will take over—"

“Traitor!" someone shouted from the crowd. The rest joined in, drawing their weapons. This was going about as well as Gero said it would.

“Wait," the old wolf shouted. “It's temporary."

“Dice made the challenge; he's alpha now. We won't recognize anyone else," a voice called out.

“We're not following another Blaise."

“Choose your leaders then," I shouted, coughing as blood came up from my throat. I was running out of time and patience. “Choose whoever you want. I don't give a shit. Decide for yourselves." I turned to Gero, and whispered in his ear. “I did my part. Get me and Eli to the hospital."

My knees finally gave out as I fell forward.

***

There was a smooth hand holding onto mine as my eyes blinked open to see dimmed fluorescent lights above the bed. I looked over and saw Elijah sitting in a chair next to me, his eyes closed and left arm in a sling against his chest. The television was tuned to a cooking show, the captions on and volume muted.

He didn't leave me.

I gave him everything and told him to go. He could have been set for life without me as an anchor, but I knew all the money in the world wouldn't be enough to make up for the trauma he'd endured. He was so close to dying… twice.

I gave his hand a squeeze, and he jerked awake, sitting up straight to examine me.

“Hey," I whispered. “How long have I been out?"

“Five days." He gave me a wide-mouthed grin. “They had to put your sorry ass in a medically induced coma. You're lucky to be alive with how many bullets they had to pull out of you. Some of them are still in there."

“Did they get yours out?"

“Yeah," he said, pulling up his hospital gown to reveal a medium-sized piece of gauze taped to his skin. “I had a bit of infection, but everything's fine now."

“I'm so sorry, Eli."

“Yeah, I know. You made up for it when you took like twelve bullets for me."

My mind wouldn't let it go. All I could picture was him under me and not being able to stop.

“Eli, about what I did—"

“The doctors say you'll be out in a few more days. Apparently wolves heal pretty damn fast."

“Elijah," I said, placing my hand on his cheek.

“It didn't happen."

“We can't just—"

“You saved my life," he said, firmly. “Leave it at that." He looked down at his watch and shook his head. “We've only got two more weeks."

Did he really just say that? I sat up in the bed, groaning as every bruise and incision on my body punched me at once. “After everything that's happened, you'd be more than justified breaking that deal."

“Are you out of the mafia?"

I tilted my head before nodding.

“And you're done killing?"

An unexpected flood of relief filled my mind, and I smiled. It was really over.

“I'm done killing."

“Then I want my two weeks." He let out a grunted laugh and leaned in close. “Actually, I want three. You were kind of useless for the first one."

Our lips met, and I couldn't believe it. Anyone else would have been long gone; after all, it's not like we had made any kind of genuine commitment to one another. But he was still here, his warm, full lips against mine. A nurse walked in as we were embracing, a lioness wearing pink scrubs and a judgmental stare, but I could care less. We'd probably get a lot of those from humans and Meliorans alike going forward, especially if we were to actually become mates.

Eli pulled away, and the nurse injected what I could only assume was morphine mixed with saline into the IV line. There was an immediate sense of warmth as my head swam.  

“Nice to see you fully awake, Mr. Driscoll," she said, tossing me what I could only assume was another disgusted glance, but I was getting too woozy to give it anymore attention. “I'll let the doctor know." She left the room without looking back, but then all I could see was Eli's head, a little bigger than I thought it was.

“Driscoll?" he said with a snicker.

“Yeeeees," I replied with a long upward inflection. “Mr. Thomas."

“Wait, how did you know my last name?"

“I could have sworn we exchanged last names already, or did I dream that?" I glanced at his stylish cornrows and neatly trimmed beard and sideburns. Even in a hospital gown, he looked amazing. “Damn, you're hot."

“And you are really high right now." His grin widened. “You think so? How's my hair?"

“I love it."

“Good, because it took a really long time to find someone who knew what the hell they were doing in this hospital. I'd have done it myself, but…" He raised his left arm up a little in the sling.

“Elijah," I said, pulling him close. “When I'm better, you up for some travel?"

“What'd you have in mind?"

“Hütsven. I've always wanted to go there, but never had time."

His eyes brightened. “In the alps?"

“Yeah. How about we fuck on top of one of them?" That kind of slipped out, but I was actually half-serious. I wanted us to be together like that again.

“Let's get to the top of one first, and if we're not dead from exhaustion or hypoxia, then I'd say we've earned it."

“How 'bout a little mountain?" I asked, pulling him closer.

“We could do it easily on a little mountain, but I don't think the other hikers are gonna like it."

Concern narrowed his eyes, but said nothing as we stared at one another. It was a feeling, a scent he gave off, which made me want to do anything I could to change it. As much as we tried, that moment back at the estate was too fresh.

“Are you okay?" he asked, gently stroking my head.

“Of course."

“No, really, Dice. This was just as traumatic for you."

My mind flashed to the moment Troy hit the floor, but I blanked as every coping mechanism kicked in to push it away.

“I don't wanna talk about it. Not right now."

He kissed me on the forehead and nodded. “When you do, I'll listen."

“I'd sooner chop off my arms than hurt you. You know that, right?"

“I wouldn't be here if I didn't."