"I don't know. I just know she does," he told James. "She gets this look every time she sees you. The kind of look someone gets when they just stepped into a pile of crap," he explained. James frowned growing more troubled by the fact she didn't like him. He couldn't figure it out why it bothered him so much; lots of people didn't like him. In fact, he could only think of a handful of people who actually did like him. His feelings about Lily's dislike must be because he didn't know the reason, he decided finally.
After nearly an hour, James had sorted through all of the scents in the bar. "Nothing," he declared with frustration, bringing his fist hard against the table, making it wobble. Tony frowned and shot a glanced around the bar.
"It's Friday night and nearly the whole pack has passed through here at one point or another. Are you sure you didn't miss anyone?" Tony asked and James glared at him.
"Of course I didn't miss anyone Tony," he answered, feeling a little insulted and Tony held up his hands in signs of surrender, apologizing. James took a deep breath to reign back in his anger. "Sorry, Tony I didn't mean to snap like that. This narrows down our traitor to a kid, a golden oldie, or a new parent, they're the only members who haven't been here already minus the alpha and beta," James finished and Tony looked skeptical.
"Yeah you're right but it seems highly unlikely on all accounts unless our traitor is only passing along information while another werewolf commits the crimes." Tony replied and James nodded. That would mean two werewolves were involved and that didn't make things any better. If the other werewolf was not of this pack, it could cause a pack war. There hadn't been a pack war in the area for over two hundred years.
"Yes, I think that is the most probable option but first I will have to check out the other places. Can't rule out any member of the pack until I have been able to assess their scent," James replied and once more they both looked at the people in the bar.
"Well, it's late and Liz is probably pacing the whole house up and down by now," Tony announced placing his hands on the table as he grinned happily. James laughed quietly with a small shake of his head.
"Okay, well let's go lover boy," James teased him and they left the bar.
Tony dropped James off at his hotel room. As he watched his friend leave he felt a pang of jealousy wash over him. He had come to accept who he was and all that it entails, but there were times, like that night, where he wished his life was different. He would give up being one of the strongest and most feared creatures in existence just to be able to have a home to go to every night, instead of a hotel room.
To have a nine to five job, instead of doing odd jobs here and there just so he could eat and have a roof over his head. He also wondered what it'd be like to have a mate waiting for him at home. To give him a kiss when he got home and ask how his day was... a woman that would complete his life and make him a father... what it must be like to know that because of him life was created. How it'd feel to be called daddy and receive the unconditional love of his child.
James shrugged off the unwanted feelings and told himself to quit acting like a pussy as he walked into his hotel room. He slowly got undressed, passing through the events of the night in his head. It all seemed like a confusing mess, but there had to be a way to sort it all out and find the person responsible for all of this, responsible for what he had become.
He laid down on the bed, staring up on the ceiling and passing through what memories he had of that time. He remembered a dark room, a cold metal bed, lots of needles, a lot of intense burning pain, and someone always nearby. He had tried every way imaginable to remember that person. He had tried drugs, some legal and some not so legal, he had tried hypnotism, meditation, but nothing had proved effective. The face of the man who made him into the beast he was today refused to surface to the light. When Lily got home, she grabbed a bottle of Jack Daniels and threw herself on the couch pushing her thoughts about the fight she just had with her father away. Andrew had embarrassed her in front of everyone, dragging her out of the house like that. Lily opened the bottle and took a long drink. There was nothing that a good bottle of Jack Daniels couldn't fix; she thought as she took another drink and she was in need of some serious JD therapy. "Damn werewolves! Who needs them," she grumbled loudly and took yet another drink.
The next morning Lily woke to feel as if someone had jackhammered her head the whole night. She let out a long slow groan as she forced herself up off the couch. She wobbled to the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet to grab her strongest pain killer. Once she had swallowed the two large white pills, she brushed her teeth, hoping to rid her mouth of its horrible ashtray taste.
Lily surveyed her slightly pale face in the mirror. She had an enormous blackish-purple bruise where the thief of the lab, or Fluffy as she had nicknamed him, had hit her in the temple and another lighter bruise on her cheek where he'd slapped her. She had to admit the bruises, mixed in with the bloodshot eyes and the huge bags under them did make her look kind of pathetic.
"But I am not pathetic," she told her reflection. She stripped off the clothing from the previous day and got into the shower, hoping the hot water would help relieve her pounding head. She let the warm water wash over her until it had run cold. The tension in her body had slowly eased, and her head felt a little better. Lily shut off the water with a loud sigh and wrapped herself in a towel. She winced as her phone started ringing, sending daggers of pain shooting through her temple. She walked into her bedroom and laid down on her bed, reaching for the phone on the nightstand.
"This is Lily," she answered with little enthusiasm.
"Poor girl, you sound awful. I hope you are not suffering too badly from that hangover," A mechanical sounding voice stated. What the hell? She thought with her face scrunched in confusion.
"Who is this and why do you give a flying flip about my hangover?" she asked wondering how the hell he even knew she had a hangover.
The mechanical voice laughed, "I'm afraid I'm not going to tell you who I am... yet, and I really don't give... a flying flip was it?" He stated and she suddenly felt nervous, wondering who this person was. "I have to say I am impressed Lily. You are braver than I'd figure a human to be. I was sure the incident at the lab would have put you off from helping that sad excuse of an alpha," he continued. His voice was calm and smooth until he mentioned the alpha. Then Lily could pick up the aggravated tone of anger in his voice.
"Well, I don't take kindly to being pushed around, especially when you destroyed the lab, jerk!" She snapped, feeling furious again. She suddenly realized that this man wasn't the same man that had broken into the lab. If were then he wouldn't have wasted his time masking his voice, this man was someone else entirely.
"I had to get my pills back Lily," The caller replied, as if what he said was the most logical thing in the world.
"You should never have given them to those poor kids in the first place," Lily argued and she could hear him laugh quietly. The sound sent shivers down her spine. "You could have done it after hours as well, dumb ass, or at least without destroying the equipment!" She shot, not able to stop what was coming out of her mouth.
"Oh Lily, you are full of surprises, but you ought to be careful what you say. You already are on the outs with your father, best not be on the outs with me. Unlike the alpha, I can have you killed before you even have the chance to scream for help." He told her. The cold amusement in his voice made her extremely nervous and she swallowed hard. How did this man know so much about her?
"How do you know if I am on the outs with him or not?" she asked, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt.
"Everyone in the pack knows a certain werewolf who can't keep her mouth shut." The caller answered and Lily cringed, knowing he was referring to Lacy; she was a horrible sucker for gossip.
"I am not afraid of you so if you're going to do something then come on and try it," she snapped back, then cursed herself furious. Why she could never keep her mouth shut!