Page 99 of Forbidden Moon
After his head cleared, the full weight of his encounter with Russell flooded back in, bringing the same unanswered question to his troubled mind. What the hell was he going to do?
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AROUND SIX P.M., RUSSELLHook’s home
Had anyone been watching, they would have assumed a simple gathering for Mr. Hook and his friends. Numerous vehicles lined the edge of the road in front of his house, and a peek into the backyard would have revealed some friendly conversation and alcoholic refreshment. A jovial picture of men gathered together at the start of a warm summer weekend. None of them suspected furry ears were listening in on their private meeting from the surrounding woods.
Once everybody had a nice buzz going on, Russell brought the meeting to order, and they gathered the lawn chairs into a rough circle. He called on John to tell the others what happened in the park yesterday, confirming the true identity of the people on the Preserve. Some of the men, quiet doubters from the start, were clearly surprised but ultimately convinced. Russell took it from there.
“Our time has come, men. We need to rid the world of these creatures before they grow too big and put us all in danger. Screw the feds and military; this is a local job, and we’re going to take care of it. We’ll meet up here first thing Sunday morning and head out together. Now listen up while I go over the details.”
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TACTICAL CENTER, ONEhour later
After the depressing gloom of their last meeting, Ben and Oscar found Caleb’s renewed optimism encouraging.
“It’s kind of a mixed bag, Ben. We know for sure they plan to attack early Sunday morning. They think we’ll all be eating breakfast or asleep and don’t expect much resistance. Unfortunately, they’ll be heavily armed, and their primary objective is to kill rather than take prisoners.
“The group intends to enter packlands along the northern border. For some reason, they believe we aren’t watching as carefully there, but the information gives us an advantage. Let me show you.”
Caleb rose and walked over to the large map.
“Unless I misunderstood, they plan to use an old game trail that runs almost parallel to the main entrance, only farther to the northwest. It’s narrow and winding but broadens out to the south when it passes through part of the old burn scar. There’s a large open space there with little vegetation and rocky soil. If we manage to intercept, it gives us room to maneuver and keeps them from getting too close to the central compound. The nearby woods are thick enough on two sides to hide our people from view until we need them.”
At Ben’s suggestion, they slipped over to the Surveillance Hub to ask Artem for a birds-eye view of the area. Glad to help, he re-routed one of the drones to take a look. Neither Ben nor Oscar was familiar with the spot, though it looked reasonably defensible and a great place to intercept the intruders. Before they returned to the Tactical Center, Ben asked Artem for an opinion.
“We don’t have much in the way of equipment over there, but since I have more than a full day to prepare, it shouldn’t be a problem. I can have enough cameras in there to film a royal wedding if you need it, and certainly enough to create a record for the authorities. Just say the word.”
The trio returned to the Tactical Center and resumed their seats. Oscar asked a question before Ben restarted the discussion.
“What did your intel say about numbers, Caleb?”
The man grimaced.
“We don’t know for sure. Hook didn’t mention anything specific, only that he would notify the others. According to Lou, they have around forty members. Whether he brings them all or even splits the group is unknown. I left three of my men at his home to pick up anything he might reveal between now and Sunday morning. I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”
Pleased, Ben smiled at his security chief.
“Excellent work, Caleb. I want Artem to seed the entire area with whatever we have. If necessary, strip the eastern and southern borders for what we need. It’s doubtful they’ll approach from there as it’s too far on foot, and they wouldn’t be able to sneak up on us. At the same time, let’s game this out several different ways—in case they do split up and assuming they bring all their men. We also need to get Lou in on this as soon as he gets home, and I have a couple of aces up my sleeve that Hook doesn’t know anything about.”
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MEANWHILE
After a sleepless night, RJ spent most of Friday putzing around doing mindless tasks to keep himself distracted. Dishes, laundry, yard work, reading—until he couldn’t take it any longer. The house itself sparked memories of the man everywhere; the dining table where they ate, the back deck where he saw his wolf, the living room where they kissed, and especially the bedroom where they’d pleasured each other for the first time.
All reminded him afresh of their separation and his need to decide their future. Back and forth like a teeter-totter, he struggled with competing needs and fears, yet he always seemed to come to the same conclusion—he belonged with Jonah. Wolf shifter or not, his soul, mind, and body craved the man.
He knew what held him back and it both scared and shamed him. Neither Jonah nor his friends werehuman. Until yesterday, he’d assumed humanity ruled the earth. Now, RJ couldn’t wrap his mind around sharing the planet with another life form. One he knew very little about—one who wanted to claim him as a mate.
What sacrifices were required? Would he be considered inferior? What kind of future might they have? Would Jonah still want him when he was old and worn out? What secrets must he keep? Could they have a family? So many questions, but without returning to the Preserve, they would remain unanswered. Perhaps that was the compromise he must accept to break the mental logjam.
RJ’s empty stomach interrupted the internal discourse, reminding him to eat. Without going to the grocery store first, there wasn’t enough on hand to create a decent meal. He quickly decided to run down to the Irish Oaks Bar and Restaurant for a late supper. Getting out of the house for a while also sounded like a terrific idea, and he took off.
The drive into Gladstone didn’t take long, but when RJ arrived there were no parking spaces close by, forcing him to take one in the next block over. As suspected, the place was packed and without a free table in sight. The hostess apologized and asked him to wait while she went and spoke to someone sitting alone at a high two-top. She returned with a smile and good news.
“The gentleman in the blue shirt over there doesn’t mind if you join him.”
