For Love of a Wolf: Alric's Story
by SpikesKat
Chapter 20
Doyle really didn’t want to involve Spike, especially given the feelings the volatile vampire harbored for Angel, but he was at his wit’s end. Angel had been missing for over two months now. The Powers had been decidedly closed-mouthed on the subject and without their help, his detective skills were severely lacking. He’d known there’d been something on Angel’s mind right before he’d disappeared but hadn’t wanted to pry.
“I should have pried,” he muttered as the phone rang in his ear.
“Should have pried where?” Spike asked irritably.
“Spike! Heh. Hey! Nothing. Um— you got a second?”
“Do you know what bloody time it is, mate?”
Doyle looked at his clock and cringed. “Sorry?”
“What do you want? And you better not tell me your bloody Powers have something they need us to do. Got enough going on across the pond to come traipsing back there right now. Let Angel deal with it.”
Doyle heard a shuffling noise that came through the line and then Spike murmuring, “Go back to sleep, pet.” Silence, and then what sounded like a door closing.
“What’s wrong, mate? Not like you to forget to check the time before you call.”
“It’s, uh, about Angel, actually,” Doyle spit out. “He’s missing.”
“Missing?”
“Yes. Missing. For almost two months.”
“And you’re just now calling me?” Spike snapped.
“Well—”
“Doyle,” Spike interrupted, instinctively sensing what the half-breed was about to say, that the less said about Angel, the better. “The wanker pisses me off most days, but he is still family— of sorts.”
“I was handling it.”
“Doesn’t bloody well look like it from where I’m sittin’.”
Doyle sighed. “Can you help me out here, or not? I hate to admit it, but I’m worried, Spike.”
“What do your Powers have to say?”
“Not much of anything.”
“Fat lot of help they are.” The two were of a common mind when it came to the Powers That Be.
“Tell me! So—?”
“I’ll see what I can find out,” Spike finally answered.
“Thanks, Spike.” Doyle hung up when he heard the line disconnect without so much as a goodbye from the vampire. He smiled though – Spike hadn’t said no.
~*~*~*~*~
Spike walked down the hall towards “command central” – Adam’s nickname for the unused bedroom that had been converted into an elaborate office. He let himself into the room and smiled at Clayton who stopped typing to look up.
“Hello, Clayton.”
“Sire.”
“I need you to put out some feelers in LA. It seems we’ve lost an—” Spike almost said ‘another’. “… a vampire. Doyle just called. Says that Angel’s gone missing. See if you can figure out what he was working on. Retrace his steps.”
“Do you need me to go to Los Angeles?”
“No. At least, not yet anyway,” Spike amended. “Let me know what your search turns up, if anything.”
Clayton nodded and Spike took a moment to brush his fingers over his childe’s cheek in silent thanks before leaving the room and returning to bed.
~*~*~*~*~
Bob had been at Sky Harbor International Airport for about an hour when he was paged to a courtesy phone. He stood and straightened his tie; his suit was a recent purchase now that he was officially representing the company once more. The only thing missing was the firearm he usually had tucked away in a shoulder holster, but he figured that would be taken care of as soon as the company jet landed.
“This is Robert Higgins.” Bob was happy to note that his voice didn’t quaver. He mentally breathed a sigh of relief at the reprieve he was given when an airport official came on the line and announced that his company’s jet was just now taxiing and gave him the particulars for departure. After thanking the operator and hanging up the phone, he looked around to get his bearings, then started off – to what he felt like – was his own execution.
Steve was just coming down the steps when Bob walked into the hangar.
“Hey, Bob! Long time no see.”
“Yeah.” Bob smiled weakly, wondering how much the pilot knew about his situation; the man’s poker face gave nothing away, unfortunately.
“Just gonna stretch my legs for a few,” Steve told him. “Wheels up in thirty minutes.”
Steve walked off, making for the hangar door, and Bob turned around and had just put his hand on the rail to go up the steps when the other’s comment stopped him cold.
“Adam wants you to call him on his private line.”
“Yeah. Okay. Thanks. You, uh, said wheels up in thirty?”
“Uh huh. Flying to London with a layover in New York—but I’m sure Adam will fill you in when you call him.”
‘I just bet he will,’ Bob thought, though he smiled pleasantly before Steve turned away. ‘Fuck!’
Still, he wouldn’t have changed anything about the past six months, and if Adam thought he was going to get any information out of him—
“This is one pattern you’re gonna have to figure out without any help,” Bob muttered.
After retrieving one of the cell phones from a hidden compartment inside one of the cabinets, he sat down and placed the call. Knowing Adam like he did, he expected the vamp to be counting the minutes between when the jet landed and when the call was made. Anything short of as soon as possible would be met with a sharp reprimand by Adam, and Bob figured he was in enough trouble as it was.
As expected, Adam answered on the first ring. Also, as expected, the first question out of his mouth after a terse “Bob” was “Where is Alric?”
Thankfully, he could honestly answer that he didn’t know – and he did – which resulted in the vampire losing his cool and shouting into the phone. Bob didn’t even bother to flinch; he was saving that for his confrontation with Spike. And there was no doubt in Bob’s mind that he was going to be having a one-on-one with the head of the clan.
Adam’s tirade went on for several minutes, and Bob took the time to shrug out of his coat and pour himself a drink. He looked up as Steve stepped into view, rolled his eyes at the man’s knowing smirk.
“How long?” Bob mouthed.
Steve held up two fingers; twenty minutes before Bob could ring off with the excuse that he had to stow the phone so it wouldn’t interfere with the airport tower’s communications. He glanced at his watch and sighed, though not loud enough for Adam to hear.
The phone suddenly went quiet and Bob waited, tense.
“You’re not going to tell me anything, are you?”
“No,” Bob replied honestly. He could hear Adam draw in a breath to speak and cut him off, adding, “And I’d do the same for you. I’m not a tattle-tale, Adam.”
Adam, chuckling, replied, “I hope you don’t use that argument on my sire. Alright, Bob. Keep your secrets. I’ll see you when you land at Heathrow.”
“Yes, sir.”
The line went dead and Bob leaned back in his chair, took a healthy swig of his drink. ‘One bullet dodged.’ He knew he wasn’t going to be so lucky the next go-round.
Alric was so going to owe him, putting him in the hot seat like he had.
~*~*~*~*~
A car was waiting inside the hangar when Bob opened the side door and stepped out onto the top stair. However, the dark windows made it impossible to determine who was waiting for him. Mentally steeling himself for the confrontation, Bob squared his shoulders and made for the car. As he drew close, the back window rolled down just enough for him to hear a terse, “Get in.”
Bob froze as he opened the door; Spike was alone, and if his expression was any indication, was none too pleased. He slid into the seat facing the vampire and closed the door behind him. Tried to project a calm exterior when Spike rattled off the address to their Chinatown apartment to the driver.
The vampire didn’t say another word during the trip and rather than engage in a staring contest, Bob stared out the window and watched the London scenery go by.
~*~*~*~*~
Spike preceded Bob into the apartment and walked around the room, his hand ghosting over the back of the couch, along the tabletop. His eyes never left Bob so he saw the human’s eyes dart briefly towards the bedroom Alric had used.
“Where do your loyalties lie, Bob?” Spike demanded abruptly.
“With the clan,” Bob stammered out immediately.
“As the head of the clan—” Spike began, but never got to finish.
“There were reasons Alric did what he did.” Bob’s eyes again flickered briefly to the room he and Tala had shared. “I didn’t think he should go off alone, so I went with him. Fire me if you want, I don’t care, but I’m not going to betray his trust by talking to you.”
Spike’s eyes narrowed and he scowled at Bob near trembling before him, though secretly, he struggled not to smile in the face of the human’s defiance. As much as he wanted to pound the information out of Bob, Spike respected the man for sticking to his guns and maintaining his silence. Adam had said the driver was very loyal. And he was, individually and collectively. It was easy to see how torn the man was. Spike turned and walked towards Alric’s room.
“Relax, Bob. You obviously don’t know where Alric is or you wouldn’t be standing here now. Am I right?” Spike glanced back over his shoulder and saw Bob reluctantly nod, shoulders drooping. “I would like to know about my childe’s consort though.”
“How—?”
“Did I know?” Spike asked, turning around. “I can smell her. And the landlord confirmed as much to me when I asked.”
“I—I can’t,” Bob sighed.
“But she is the reason, or at least part of the reason Alric won’t come home.”
“Yes.”
“You’re loyal; I appreciate that. However, if your silence results in my childe being hurt—”
“I would never! I mean…” His voice trailed off and he appeared conflicted. “I told Alric that I would tell you. That if you asked, I wouldn’t lie to you. If you really think it’ll make a difference, I’ll tell you why Alric did what he did. But Tala—”
“Tala?”
“Alric’s, uh, consort? She-she’s got nothing, not even her pride. Alric wanted to give her that before he presented her to the clan. And now—” Bob shook his head, frustrated that they’d been unable to find Hakan and bring Tala back from her trance-like state, that she continued to linger on, entirely unresponsive to anything happening to her or around her.
“Now?” Spike prompted, practically growling in his impatience to get at the truth behind his childe’s disappearance, but Bob had clammed back up. “Fine. You’re to stay here in case Alric comes back.” Seeing Bob’s expression he added, “It’s either that or I ship you back to the States. My wife thinks you’re still with Alric. If you return to Jocelyn’s, she’s going to start asking questions.”
“Alright, but I don’t think Alric’s gonna come back. We only rented the place for a month; it’s long past that now.”
Spike smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes, and tossed Bob his cell phone. “Keep that. Adam will be in touch. Oh, and Bob? When this is all over, remind me to tell you Gina’s story.”
Then he left, leaving behind a very confused, but very relieved, human.
~*~*~*~*~
Alric let himself into the small room he’d rented and shut the door. He’d been reduced to letting from the demon populace because he no longer had any control over his demon. It was the main reason he’d ditched Bob; he just wasn’t sure how well he’d be able to take another scent in such close proximity with his Consort. And, rather than do something he’d later regret, he’d fled.
In the tiny kitchen, he poured out a small portion of soup and put the rest in the refrigerator. Tala’s eating habits were getting worse; if she didn’t come out of her trance soon, he was going to be reduced to turning her – something he was trying to avoid, if at all possible.
After placing the bowl on the bedside table, Alric set about enticing Tala into eating. He finally barked out, “Eat!” in a manner guaranteed to get her compliance, amber eyes boring into dark brown devoid of emotion, and began the long, tedious process of spoon feeding his Consort. A bath followed dinner – torture for him as he nestled behind her in the tub, sponge sweeping cursorily around body parts he’d dearly love to linger over.
Their one time together flashed in his mind, how she’d felt – and tasted.
He wanted that again, even though he’d made a muck of that as well. Wanted it so bad, he was half tempted to take her anyway. Part of him rationalized that it just might be the thing to bring Tala back to him. That joining with her, reclaiming her with cock and fangs, would reach her where nothing else had. The circumstances surrounding his having claimed her in the first place always stopped him before he did, however. He wanted Tala to verbalize her assent to his taking, wanted to see her eyes alight with recognition.
Each day, though, it was getting harder and harder to resist his demon’s natural tendencies.
That was when he’d escape into the night, substituting violence for what he’d really rather be doing. Only returning to Tala’s side once his demon was temporarily sated on the bloodletting.
He’d crawl into bed then, nuzzle into his Consort’s neck and drink. Drift off to sleep, sometimes with his fangs still buried in her throat – and with what he thought was her pleasurable sigh.
The water had cooled considerably before Alric roused himself enough to gently push Tala away from his chest and stand, bringing her to her feet with him as he did so. She stood docilely as he wrapped a towel around her middle and lifted her into his arms, hanging limply as he carried her back to the bedroom.
Alric felt his cock – already hard – begin to throb almost painfully the moment he climbed into bed and drew Tala to lie next to him, their bodies pressed tightly together. Knew, too, that he’d once again be leaving her side the moment she fell asleep. He sighed, tucked Tala’s head under his chin, and silently counted the minutes until she drifted off.
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