“C’mon, Wolfy, talk to me. You guys finding anything?”
Two days of traipsing around in the woods, hoping to find out what was after Caden, had been a bust. No unusual scents, no tracks, nothing. Except Dyson droning in Quade’s ear almost constantly. Why couldn’t he have gotten Peter? At least he was military and understood the need for stealth. Dyson was bored and kept trying to engage Quade in conversation. Hell, at this point Quade would be happy to talk with Jess or even the little kid who kept asking for her mommy.
“Why can’t you talk with Perkins?”
“Because you’re in charge, so I wanna talk with you.” When Quade didn’t rise to the bait, Dyson sighed. “Is this about me saying you ain’t my type? I mean, if I had to, I suppose I could let you suck my dick. Guess it would work if I don’t have to, you know, look at you.”
Once more Quade wondered if he could kill Dyson without harming Jess or anyone else that resided in Alexander’s body.
“Wooooooolfy….”
“Shut the fuck up! I am sick to death of hearing your voice. And for the last time, my name is Quade. Fucking say my name, you son of a bitch.”
Dyson chuckled. “Wolfy.”
Quade snarled. Reaching up, he switched off his earpiece. He turned and glared at Jeff Perkins, who was obviously trying not to laugh. “You say one fucking word, and I will leave your ass out on this mountain.”
“Yes, sir.” Perkins snickered.
“I hate you—I hope you know that.”
“Come on, Dyson is fun. I don’t know what you have against him.”
“He calls me Wolfy. He shares a body with someone I like, and I hate that she’s stuck in there. Every time I hear his voice, it grates on my nerves knowing that she has to actually live with the guy.”
“Sounds to me like you don’t hate him so much as your friend’s situation.”
He started to object, but instead Quade grumbled to himself a moment, then muttered, “Shut up.”
That set Perkins to laughing, which irritated Quade even more. He kept moving forward, surveying the area, when a strange scent assailed his nose. It was like moldy and rotted meat. He closed his eyes, doing his best to get a fix on it, when Perkins screamed. Quade spun on his heel to find something that resembled a hybrid of an emerald green beetle and some freakish spider, with long, hooked fangs sunk into Perkins’s neck, ripping at the flesh. Before the echo died away, Quade raced forward, grabbing the creature by its face. He didn’t dare pull it off for fear of doing more harm, but his choices were limited. He tried hitting it, but that did nothing. In a panic, he sank his nails into the creature’s top lip and yanked upward, tearing it from its face.
The thing screamed and dropped Perkins, who lay on the ground, his body shuddering violently, dark blood oozing from the wound. It raced off into the woods, black blood dotting the ground. Quade reached up and tapped the earpiece as he moved on the thing. “I need an evac now at marker fifty-three. Perkins is down.”
“Evac on the way. Is he alive?”
Quade huffed as he chased after the assailant. “Don’t know, but the thing that attacked him won’t be much longer.”
The voice changed. No longer Dyson, now it was Peter. “Do not kill it. Repeat, do not kill it. We might be able to get information from it. If you give a damn about Caden, you’ll bring it back alive.”
That brought Quade up short for a moment. He sneered, angry at the butcher who may have killed his partner, but more angry with himself. He should have thought of Caden first. They needed details, and they needed them now.
“Peter, how’s Perkins?”
“Docs are with him now. There’s a green pus flowing from the wound, and it looks like it’s dissolving him from the inside. They’re doing what they can, but it doesn’t sound good.”
The bad news pushed Quade to run faster. Perkins had a wife who Quade liked and two children he almost tolerated. Perkins, a bobcat shifter, had been in Sanctuary since they’d found him lost in the streets after being hit by a car. He had no idea who or what he was, but Ten had brought those memories to the surface, allowing Perkins to find his way back. He’d fallen in love with the nurse who took care of him, and after he was discharged, he invited her out for coffee.
She accepted and the rest, as they say, was history.
If Perkins died, it would be on Quade. He was in charge of the operation, and he’d let his partner down.
It’s a Tsuchigumo. Tell them that.
Quade had never been happier to hear Ten’s voice in his head.
“Tell them to look up Tsuchigumo. It’s a Japanese demon that resembles a spider. I’m willing to bet that’s what it was. And tell Doc… tell him to do his best. Perkins is a good man.”
“They’re all good men, Quade.” Peter’s voice softened. “Sometimes a soldier dies.”
“Not this time.” He knew all the wishing in the world wouldn’t help Perkins. Only the doctor’s skills could save him. Quade wasn’t even sure where Ten pulled the name of the demon. He couldn’t recall ever hearing it before. Then a thought struck him.
Ten?
Don’t tell Poppa. He doesn’t want me using my abilities for a while. I… may have done something bad.
Which we’ll talk about when I get home. How do you know about Tsuchigumo?
I know things.
Yeah, so I hear constantly. How do you know these things?
Could you hear a mental sigh? Because Quade was certain he had.
The scent of the Tsuchigumo was stronger now, and the blood spatters were more pronounced. As Quade came out of the forest and near a stream, he found the thing in the water, splashing its mangled face.
I just do.
He’d almost forgotten Ten was in his head. He didn’t need his son to see what was about to happen.
Get to Caden and tell him whatever his punishment is, I approve.
But, Dad!
Quade chuckled. He’d heard other parents complain about their kids whining, but to experience it firsthand was… amusing. No ‘buts.’ Caden wouldn’t punish you if you hadn’t deserved it. We’re going to be discussing this. Now get out of my head, I have work to do.
Ugh. Fine! There was a pause. Dad? Be careful. They can be nasty if they’re threatened. Don’t let it spit on you.
Will do. Tell Poppa I love you both.
The thing didn’t so much as turn around when Quade rushed it. He slammed into it from behind, taking them both into the cold mountain stream. Quade was up first, his claws flaying the monster’s skin, causing the beast to wail. Quade and his wolf were in agreement. They both wanted to kill this thing for what it did to Perkins and what it had planned for Caden.
“I was told to bring you back alive. Well, alive covers a lot of ground.”
He lashed out, scoring his claws over the things face. Dark eyes opened wide, and then it stood to its full height. The creature shimmered and limbs began to push their way out of the body.
“Well, ain’t you an ugly fucker?”
It spit, but Quade was able to dodge it. When the expectorant hit the ground, it sizzled. Now he understood why Ten said not to let the shit touch him. Diving under a swing, Quade knocked the thing off its feet. He pounced, straddling its chest, where he started slamming his fists into the beast’s face over and over.