Page 37 of Ruined Wolf

“Let me guess, you were thinking black with some industrial-looking furniture? Maybe some death metal posters on the walls?”

“Maybe,” I admitted.

He rolled his eyes and held his hand out. “Let me take you somewhere darker. Can you walk?”

“I’m not sure,” I replied, taking his hand.

He helped me stand, and I swayed a little, but at least this time my legs held my weight. Lucas slipped his arm around my waist. “Tell me if you need to sit down, or I can carry you.”

“I’m okay. Where are we going?”

“To the monster’s lair,” Lucas answered with a grin, though his eyes were cold. “Secrets are being exposed all around. Must be some planets aligning somewhere, or going backwards, isn’t that what they say?”

“Maybe. Come on then. Lead me down into the darkness, Lucas. Show me where you really live.”

He gazed at me, his expression deadly serious. I returned it without blinking. He sighed and led me out of the room. We followed a corridor that ran along one side of the building. The outside wall was glass, looking out onto some kind of courtyard, but I couldn’t make out much in the dark.

“How long was I out?” I asked.

“A couple of hours,” he answered.

The floor here was grey slate, but the walls were still white. Strange, abstract artwork hung on the walls, and several doors opened off the hallway. Lucas stopped at the last door. He pushed it open, revealing a flight of steps that led downwards into darkness.

“You weren’t kidding,” I teased, trying to lighten the mood.

“No, I wasn’t,” he replied. He leaned over and flipped a switch. Fluorescent lighting flickered to life, leading down the stairs to another corridor, this one floored with simple concrete. It reminded me of a prison, and as we descended, I shivered.

“What’s down here, Lucas?”

A couple of personal wine cellars, some storage units, and an office.”

“You keep your office in the basement?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

“It’s the office for my other business, and it’s more of a safe room.”

“You have a safe room?”

He shrugged. “In case anyone ever works out who I am and comes here. There’s also a secret tunnel that leads out of the house and down to a private jetty on the beach near here.”

“Now that’s cool, a secret tunnel.”

He smiled, and this one was warmer. “I’ll have to show you sometime. Right now, though, we’re going in here. He pushed open one of the heavier metal doors, and we walked inside. I looked around as he helped me sit down in the battered leather office chair that stood at one end. I sucked in my breath, and Lucas gave me another cold smile.

“Maverick said you should know.”

“I did.” Maverick stepped forward, wiping his hands on a piece of cloth. They were spotted with blood.

“Your hands!” I gasped, grabbing them and turning them over. His knuckles were split and bleeding.

“They are fine. I wanted answers, and our friend over there wasn’t too forthcoming.”

Maverick gestured behind him, and my gaze fell on the man tied to the chair in the centre of the room. His missing eye and fluid soaked shirt immediately gave away his identity, although his face was bruised and swollen from Maverick’s questioning.

“Has he said anything?” I asked.

Maverick shook his head. “Not yet, but Lucas hasn’t talked to him yet. We’ll soon find out who he’s working for when Lucas gets involved.”

I closed my eyes. “I already know who he’s working for,” I said. I opened my eyes and looked at Maverick. “You asked me once who my pack was. I didn’t want to tell you, I didn’t want to cause... trouble, but they’ve found me. This man works for my father.”

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