Page 65 of Act of Brotherhood
Jannick was suddenly there, helping to thrust Garth backwards. He laughed and returned to his seat. “We’re not about to unleash you onto the world. For the umpteenth time, the girl is fine. When you have ahold of yourself and your wolf, we’ll take you to her ourselves. But you’re not there yet. If roles were reversed, you’d do the same to one of us. You wouldn’t let us loose when we were in a volatile state. You’ve been back to human form for less than eight hours. In that time, you’ve made countless escape attempts, bit the shit out of meandHans, and have tried to kill Auberi like ten times.”
“He’s already dead,” snapped Garth. “That can’t count.”
Auberi gave him a sideways glance. “This dead man has managed to keep you occupied in here for hours. Must be something that counts about me. I could be out right now at a club, dancing with sexy people before taking them all home with me for the night, not here with you.”
“So go,” Garth said in a heated voice. “No one’s stopping you.”
“Ah, yes, but when given the opportunity to beat the hell out ofyou, how could I resist?”
Jannick laughed.
Garth’s bare feet glided over the foam-tiled mats in the massive training room. The area he was in was often called the dojo by fellow operatives. Though it wasn’t actually one in the traditional sense of the word.
Mat flooring had been installed and while it looked a great deal like hardwood floors, it was anything but. It was made to help both take and cushion blows from alpha-male supernaturals. In reality, not much softened the impact of alpha against alpha, as was the case now.
“This is about as fascinating as watching paint dry,” shouted Hans from his seat. “We should have left Garth locked in a containment room downstairs. That was more amusing. I never knew the man could string together so many curse words and turn them into threats. If he wouldn’t have smelled like roadkill, we could have left him there to cool off and get his head about him.”
Garth shot Hans a dirty look.
Hans rubbed his lower leg. “I didn’t appreciate you taking a chunk out of me in wolf form, Captain.”
Garth had no memory of biting the man. In fact, he’d only just learned it had been a week since he’d been in Savannah with Nicolette. It had seemed like seconds to him. “I need to get back to her!”
“Captain, you’re having major control issues.Youare the biggest danger to her.”
Garth didn’t agree. He bared his teeth at the man.
Hans grinned slightly. “Be upset all you want and face the truth. You had a bad reaction to the meds they gave you and you lost your mind over some girl.”
“She’s notsomegirl,” snapped Garth. “And if you all know what’s good for you, you’ll stop keeping me here against my will. If something happens to her, I’ll kill each and every one of you.”
Hans glanced at his brother.
“That makes number three hundred and forty for him and the death threats today. He’s on a roll.” Jannick raised a bottle of water in the air as if it were a beer. He’d sworn off alcohol several weeks prior after he’d woken up four states away from where he’d started the night’s festivities.
Jannick’s personality was vastly different from his twin’s. Where Hans was stoic, Jannick was all about fun. Too much fun. “I’m with stick-up-the-ass. Gladiator death match or we’re out.”
Hans shot his brother a hard look. “I am not that bad.”
Jannick said nothing in response. He merely grinned like a Cheshire cat.
“I’m with the Germans. That is somethin’ you do nae hear many Scotsmen saying,” said Gram. “Less bitching and more blood sport, now! The vampire offered to keep you occupied and us entertained. Now make it so.”
Laughter echoed through the room at the suggestion.
Garth didn’t find the matter funny. “Grid is in Savannah. He’s stalking a human woman and you fucks are keeping me prisoner here. He’s going to hurt someone else while you all sit on your thumbs!”
Gram stopped smiling. “You forget, I was given the same shite you were. Turns out a side effect is hallucinations. You know that. Trust me, Viking. For the first two days I was awake, I was certain I was having conversations with my mother. She’s been dead and gone for over a century. If that wasnae enough, I kept seeing white wolves in the room with me. I think they were my version of dancing elephants.”
“I didnotimagine my brother. He was there. He threatened the woman I was with,” argued Garth, needing them to understand he was telling the truth. Nicolette’s life depended on it. That being said, the smallest of doubt crept into his head. Had he merely imagined Grid there?
Jannick cleared his throat. “Gram also thought I was Brooke and he tried to kiss me. That shit they gave you makes you randy, too. Makes sense you’d spend the weekend fucking a hottie, but we’re telling you, Captain, Grid wasn’t there. The Outcasts who contained you said they found the other shifter whom they’d been tracking prior to coming across you losing your shit in the open. And the wereduck was not your brother.”
Gram grunted. “Och, I dinnae try to kiss you. Stop telling people that. They’re likely to believe you. As for you, Viking, stop with thinking yer brother was in Savannah. What do you think the odds are that you’d be sent on an assignment there at the last minute and he’d just so happen to be there too? Oh, I know, one in a fucking million. Now, fists up, mouth shut. Kick the vampire’s arse.”
Hans tipped back in his chair. “Why am I only hearing of the wereduck now?”
Gram snorted. “Because it was nae a wereduck. It was a werebird—eagle, I think I heard Corbin saying.”
