Bad Blood (Book 4 of The Warden series) (26 page)

“It’s a ludicrous suggestion,” Leona scolded. “Packs are banned. No female werewolf is going to pander herself to males for any amount of devotion they might claim to have to her.”

Callin rolled his eyes at her. “What about you…I don’t think I got your name.”

“Ethan. Ethan Pierce.” Ethan shot out his hand partially on instinct, but partially because this man deserved a proper introduction before he arrested him.

Callin looked over his hand, but shook it. “Callin Caldwell.” Ethan could feel the grip on his hand tighten slightly, and he resisted the urge to grip harder. Their hands dropped and after a second of evaluation, Callin spoke again. “What do you think about werewolves going back to their traditional ways?”

Ethan looked over at Leona. She gave him a biting sneer before huffing and looking away. “It all sounds well and good to me, but she’s right, the Council is still the policing factor in this situation, and they say: no packs and no baby daddies.”

“What would you do if your wife wouldn’t let you see your son or daughter?”

Ethan furrowed his brow at hearing Callin reference his wife, when he had only just gotten his name. Callin wiggled the ring finger on his left hand. Ethan looked down at the ring on his own left finger. The gold band that he often forgot about was still society’s best indicator of marital status.

He smiled thinking of Cori. He didn’t have a child yet, and up until right now, he hadn’t really imagined it. The idea of a ballooned up Cori complaining about swollen ankles and a sore back amused him. The idea of them both contributing to a human life was profoundly appealing. To have that grand creation and never be a part of it did seem cruel.

“Callin what’s your angle?” Ethan finally said shaking away the opinions that were forming in his head, threatening to cloud his judgment.

“How do you mean?”

“What do you want? Did you steal Lynnius to be with him, or did you do it to lure Leona into your pack?”

“I want to be with my son,” he said without the calm demeanor that he had been showing. He looked at Leona with the harshness that she had been showing him this far. “I don’t want to hurt you. I love you Leona. I want you to raise our son, but not at the expense of me deserting him.”

Leona stood up and walked away from them before the twins could even react to pull her back down. She wanted no part of this topic. She had probably heard it all before.

The twins started to follow her, but Callin waved them off. He looked disappointed, as any man would when his confession of love was rejected. “I don’t know her well,” Ethan waded into the water, hoping not to hit a deep spot. “If she likes her independence as most women do. She might consider attaching herself to one man, a shackle. Four men…” Ethan glances around to pinpoint Randal again. “…might feel like wearing concrete shoes to her.”

Callin didn’t seem to find what he said a revelation, but he didn’t ridicule him for pointing out the obvious. “I’m not sure I’m reading you right, Ethan. You seem to understand how dangerous we are and yet you’re in a room with four of us, not that more than one of us would be needed to rip your arms off, but you’re not afraid. What kind of hunter is brave enough to kidnap a baby from four werewolves, smart enough to know how stupid it is, but not smart enough to blow that whistle for your backup?”

Ethan smiled and looked down at the tiny bulge under his tight black shirt. “It seemed rude to interrupt the conversation. Besides, I liked your history lesson, illuminating to say the least.”

“Are you sure that was all you were waiting for?”

“What do you mean?” Ethan asked playing dumb.

“Come on Ethan,” Callin smirked. “I know when a man is flirting with me.”

46

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Callin said as he removed his olive summer sweater. His chest bore the same feeble attempt at hair growth as his face. He wore a leather strap necklace with a white tooth pendulum that he kissed before removing. Ethan assumed that it might have been the tooth of a since passed relative.

“I’m afraid so. I’ve had a chip on my shoulder about this for a while,” Ethan said. He saw no reason to remove his shirt. He expected Callin only did it because it was expensive.

Randal and the twins had cleared away the living room furniture so they had an open space to brawl in. Ethan couldn’t rationalize any of this, but that didn’t matter at the moment. Callin had been dead on about Ethan flirting with his ego. He hadn’t intended to make his intentions so obvious, but when he found out Callin was going to be civil about the whole taking his baby back thing, he was dejected. He came here for a number of obligatory reasons, but frankly, the idea of fighting a werewolf was the most appealing prospect of the assignment.

“You know you won’t win?”

When Ethan arched his brow at him, Callin shrugged apologetically.

“I don’t think winning is my goal. I just have to be rid of this desire.”

“What desire?” Leona returned from the kitchen where she had been sulking. She had pizza sauce on her lips, indicating she wasn’t above emotional eating. “What are you doing?”

“Sorry Leona, we got a little side tracked,” Ethan said.

She was on his throat faster than he could have predicted. “You promised me,” she yelled in his ear as she squeezed his neck.

It took both the twins and Randal to get her off of him. “I know.” He coughed and rubbed his neck. “We will get your baby back.”

“Not if he kills you!”

“I’ve never killed a man, Leona,” Callin griped. “I’m not going to start now.”

Ethan was pleased to hear that. “I don’t suppose you could give her that concession so she doesn’t do it herself,” Ethan asked.

“Are we negotiating now?” Callin asked.

Ethan shrugged. “She hasn’t held her baby in months. You at least have to have sympathy for that.”

“What’s to stop her from bolting with him?” Callin asked.

Ethan realized that there really was nothing to stop her, aside from
Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum, and Tweedle Dumber
. Before Ethan could speak, Leona jumped in when the prospect of holding her child became an option on the table. “Please Callin! I will not run! Let me hold him!” She prostrated herself to him. The submission left something to be desired since she took all three werewolves down to the floor with her.

Ethan wondered how many werewolves it would take to hold her if she weren’t pregnant. It was no wonder their society was a matriarchal one; what man would take opposition to a woman that strong. No man except Callin.

The man Ethan had inadvertently baited into a fight.

“Let her hold her child, Callin,” Ethan said. “We both know this could have been over a half hour ago. Let’s just make this transition a little easier for Lynnius.”

Ethan wasn’t sure if his threat made him change his mind or the mention of Lynnius, but Callin went upstairs and brought down the baby in a bundle of blankets. Leona nearly dragged her captures to their feet as she rushed over to her baby.

Her face was plastered with a mixture of pain and joy. Callin placed the bundle in her arms, and she wept. As she sniffled over her sleeping baby, she thanked him despite the fact that he was the cause of the grief to begin with. Callin brushed away a tear from her face before gently holding her head as he leaned in for a kiss.

Ethan averted his eyes as the gentle kiss turned sultry and steamy. When they finally broke, it was Leona that pulled her lips from his. Ethan could see the panic in her eyes. She had liked that kiss more than she wanted to.

Ethan had thought Callin had been lying or at least exaggerating his affection for her. He couldn’t see the foundation for the allure, but clearly, Callin did love her. He didn’t doubt that Callin fully intended to let her be with her son if she would only stay with him. Shared custody was a lot easier when mom and dad were still hot for each other.

“Stay with me,” Callin whispered almost inaudibly, “if you take him from me, I will hunt him down again. I will never rest until you agree to share him.”

“I will stay for your childish battle,” she said loudly looking at Ethan. He snapped out of his quiet observation to acknowledge her. “If you want to be paid, I expect you to finish this before he finishes you.”

“Yes, oh patient one,” he mumbled as she sauntered to a chair to watch the events. Her bodyguards took position beside her and Callin took position across the room. “This is going to be one of those things I look back on and say, “What the fuck was I thinking?” isn’t it?”

“No,” Callin said. “I imagine others would, but I think you will look back on this with pride.”

“Even though I’m going to lose?” Ethan said rolling his shoulders.

“Especially because you are going to lose. Any man can fight and win. Any man can fight and lose. Not many men can fight, knowing that they are going to lose.”

Ethan smiled at his compliment. Despite being at odds with this man, he liked him. He was looking forward to trying to kick his ass, but that just seemed to be a chance for them to bond more. It was going to be a shame to see Callin’s face when he realized Ethan wasn’t just taking the baby back.

Callin lunged at him. Ethan had expected to be allowed the first punch, but he could already tell that Callin wasn’t as accommodating in his fighting as his hosting.

Ethan ducked and flipped him over his back. Despite his understanding of werewolf anatomy, the weight of him was still surprising.

He jumped back and turned to prepare for the next attack, which he had anticipated correctly. Callin’s fist swiped past him with force that might have broken his jaw. Despite the near miss, Ethan was not concerned about his strength or speed. He was more concerned with his determination and stamina.

In human form, werewolves were as strong as a bear, but with the temperament of a dog. That explanation called to mind a number of images of dogs fearlessly snarling at grizzly bears and mountain lions. Even if Ethan was a match to his strength, the ferocity of fighting a man with animal instincts would still be a challenge.

Ethan blocked another punch with his forearm. He could only defend so long before the purpose of this fight became moot. At some point, he was going to wear out. If he wanted the glory of having fought and lost to a great competitor, he was going to have to actually fight.

Ethan took a chance and dove his shoulder under one of Callin’s punches. While Callin doubled over, Ethan swung back with his opposing elbow and hit him firmly in the face. The crack was satisfying, but the low growl that followed was not.

Callin picked him up and tossed him across the room. There was no catching himself or landing well, he simply skidded across the shag carpet gathering a rug burn on his arm on the way.

He jumped up before Callin could get the drop. He could see blood dripping from his nose. He hadn’t broken it, but he had definitely gotten a nice shot in, which Callin was likely to make him pay for.

Ethan shut off the part of his brain that was designated to self-preservation. It wasn’t hard. A good swift finger flick to the white angel on his right shoulder usually did the trick. The remaining red devil on his left shoulder cheered and jeered him to kick some ass. It was the same red devil that sent him jumping off buildings and tearing through shards of broken glass without thinking about the consequences. There was a strong chance that little bastard was going to get him killed some day, but some day wasn’t going to be today.

Ethan sprang back at Callin before he was even ready. He must have expected him to be taken aback by his grand show of temper because he didn’t have time to stop Ethan’s throat punch. That gave him enough time to kick his kneecap bringing him to one knee. Taking life and liberty for granted Ethan smashed his fist into Callin’s face. The pain in his fist was enough to warrant not repeating the offense, but the low long growl coming from Callin, was an added caveat.

However, since the red devil was the only one running the show at this point, Ethan went for another and another while the getting was good. At some point, his fist had started to bleed or Callin’s face had; he wasn’t entirely sure which.

When Callin’s anger had finally piqued it was not unlike the moment when a dog goes from growling to biting. He whipped his arm around Ethan’s legs and knocked him down. The snarling bloody faced Callin jumped on to him and took several shots to Ethan’s face, before he managed to roll him off, which was not an easy task.

They rolled a few times, trying to find the upper hand in a pointless wrestling match. When Ethan finally got on top, Callin flipped him over his head, letting him land on his back. What was left of his air was gone, but Ethan flipped up and faced off with Callin crouched as low as he could get.

With his eye swelling more than it had already, he decided that keeping him at his front might save him in the end. Callin charged and picked Ethan up before he impacted. He body slammed him into the living room floor and shook every mobile object in the room.

Ethan sputtered from the pain. He wanted to curse, but his voice was gone. Callin grabbed his neck. His deadly vice gripped fingers wrapped around Ethan’s throat and strangled him.