Blood Moon; Blood Lust

by Nicholas Hall

Chapter 14

"It is not a field of a few acres of ground, but a cause, that we are defending, and whether we defeat the enemy in one battle, or by degrees, the consequences will be the same"

(Thomas Paine)

Events were unfolding rapidly and Ted was extremely busy, almost harried, he thought at times. He'd delivered Andy, Jennifer, and Alicia to the Lodge the day before and spent some time conferring with Eric, Evan, Jessie, and Chase, after his meeting with Troy, discussing a tentative plan of action he wished to take for part of the defensive postures they all would have once the attack began. At first reluctant, the others finally agreed, if Troy and Ted thought they might know who the leader of the intended coup was, without revealing any names to them, they felt they'd have to trust Ted's judgement. After breakfast, he'd travel back to the Lodge to meet with Franklin, Stephen, and Flynn to explain what he proposed doing.

Patrick and Gaige were now at the Lodge, making their appearance and residency in the pre-dawn darkness to conceal their movements, about the same time Ted was making the transfer of Bruce to Eric's and Mark to Jessie's; all before breakfast.

Ted settled at a table with a clear view of the parking lot at the Pelican. He decided it'd be necessary to be vigilant and keep on his toes from here on out. The attacking force didn't know of his presence or involvement and he intended on keeping that way until the last possible moment!

The morning was cool, but not cold, and the day would warm as the sun heated the earth's surface. His light jacket probably wasn't necessary for warmth, but a necessity. Necessary since it concealed the .45/410 revolver attached to his pants belt. He attached the holstered pistol after he dropped everyone off at the various houses. Ted removed the shells and placed them in a small, lead-lined container when he was close to his Lycan friends and companions, but away from them, he reloaded. Ted was taking no chances, even though it'd be another day before the vanguard of the enemy arrived. Prewitt and Dusty verified the day of arrival and what Troy had witnessed and downloaded, but why take chances?

The breakfast crowd was sparse at the Pelican, he thought at the time, until he glanced at his watch. It was only a little after six in the morning and people weren't up and around. God, it felt like noon already, his day was so busy!

Bev served his breakfast and, to his surprise and delight, sat down across the table from him. Pleased but curious, he waited for her to speak. Something was on her mind and Bev wasn't hesitant to express her feelings or concerns to him.

"You know, Ted," she began seriously, in a voice low enough not to draw attention or cause her conversation to be overheard, "there's no such property management company around here named Fox River. I saw you put up the business card on the bulletin board and then steer those four characters into taking it off."

He was about to object, but he couldn't really lie to her; she was too special to him for that. She held up he hand to silence any remarks he might make.

"Ted, you're up to something. You're carrying a gun under that jacket again and that means, in my mind, you're either back to work or maybe you never really quit. I don't know, I don't care, and I don't want to know! All I know is, I want you to come back from whatever you're about to do unhurt and alive! You hear me? I'll really be pissed if you don't and my boys will be disappointed."

Ted nodded, smiled, replying, "Don't worry, I wouldn't want the prettiest woman I ever met pissed at me or her sons to be disappointed."

That was all that was said between the two of them. She knew, he knew, and the secret was safe!

Ted wrote a note and wrapped it around the tip he left for her. It read simply, "The next time I see you, I'm going to ask you to marry me."

Franklin, Stephen, and Flynn listened carefully and quietly while Ted explained the essence of the plan he devised in cooperation with Troy and approved by Eric, Chase, and Jessie.

"We knew Troy was smart as hell," Franklin commented, "but what he's discovered and what this plan consists of, if it produces the results you claim it will, is quite brilliant."

Stephen interjected, "Of course, he wasn't the one who thought of it and outlined it was he?"

Confessing the truth to Stephen, Ted added, "The two of us worked out the details, with suggestions from Eric, Chase, and Jessie. It'll mean sneaking Troy out of here either early the morning of the tenth or the day before. Either way, he'll need some time to acquaint David and Lindsey with the monitoring system so they can operate it. It shouldn't take much time."

"It might be easier," Flynn suggested, "if he shifts and one of us accompanies him when he leaves here and you pick him up somewhere on one of the backroads, just in case we're being watched."

"That was one of our options until Eric made such a simple suggestion. You know how he comments about 'hiding in plain sight'? Well, he has a friend who has a delivery service and does it in a step van. The delivery van, driven by Chad Coleman with me inside, will pull up here late afternoon on the ninth, Troy will slip in, Chad will make a delivery to Eric's, and Troy and I will slip out and stay there the night in anticipation of surprising the undesirable bastards on the tenth when they appear!"

Flynn, Stephen, and Franklin agreed the transfer of people would work.

"While I'm here, I'll let Troy know we're moving ahead with the plans. By the way," Ted asked, "any possibility I can get a look at the bunker you've spoken of before I leave?"

"I don't think Troy's awake yet," Flynn responded, "I think he was up quite late last night, so there'll be time to take a quick tour."

Flynn was partially correct in his assessment. Troy was awake and he had been up late the night before. The day had been rather unsettling for him. David and Lindsey stopped by his room and asked him to accompany them to their mother's apartment on the second floor of the Lodge. After the death of their grandfather and her marriage to Franklin Campbell, they'd taken the opportunity to remodel and expand the apartment from a one bedroom to a two bedroom, evidently planning on a family.

In the short time since he'd arrived, Troy never visited the living quarter of Becca and Franklin. Young William was napping when the three of them arrived, giving Becca the opportunity to visit without interference. Troy noticed, as he entered the apartment, Franklin, Flynn, and Stephen were also present. Invited to take a seat on a couch in the living area, he waited patiently, while David sat on one side of him and Lindsey the other, for Becca, seated on a chair nearby, to begin the reason for his visit and the assembled group.

"I really don't know how to begin this," apologized Becca, "but it is a subject which has needed discussing since you arrived Troy. I'm certain you'll be embarrassed by my questions so I'm hoping they," pointing at Lindsey and David, "will help me with them."

She cleared her throat trying to suppress her own nervousness. "Where were you born, Troy?"

Odd question, Troy thought, but didn't hesitate to answer jokingly, "I don't know! I was too young to remember the exact place," and laughed before adding seriously, "I'm adopted!"

"I don't know who my biological mother or father is, I only know I'm loved and cherished by my Mom and Dad. They know who and what I am and love me for it."

Troy's parents, an older couple who were childless, were thrilled with being able to adopt and raise a son of their own. There was no hesitation to provide for him, within their limited means, an educational opportunity, a loving home, and encouragement for his creativity. He was an extremely bright, handsome young man, with great promise in the future, once he completed college. They loved him, nursed him when he was ill, and supported him when others decided to tease and belittle him. Troy was raised as a son who loved his parents and one with a sense of pride and self-worth.

"What more could I ask for?" Troy said.

"I'm certain you miss them greatly," Becca continued, watching Troy carefully for any reaction. "What was their reaction when you were caught hacking into the Campbell computer system?"

"Disappointed at first! It saddened me so to think I may've hurt them so greatly, but they forgave me, supporting me as I faced what we thought would be imprisonment in some far away Lycan prison with no contact ever again with them."

His parents, as well as Troy, were overjoyed learning, when Franklin appeared, offering Troy a second chance, a future and present employment working for a computer firm, a place to live, free education, and as a bonus, a monthly annuity payment to supplement their income. Additionally, they were promised visits with their son at company expense.

"I haven't been gone that long," Troy confessed, "but I hope they don't miss me as much as I miss them. Maybe, when this crap is all over, I can begin contacting them on a regular basis."

"Have you notified them all is well with you?"

"Yeah, but I don't know if I was allowed to, but I did. If I survive this fight, maybe they can come for a visit or I can go home to visit them."

Changing the subject back to his adoption, Becca inquired, "Do you ever wonder if you have any other family, such as brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, and uncles?"

Troy shrugged his shoulder indicating an outward indifference, uncertain how to respond or if he even wanted to speculate if there were others, yet a growing, internal, nervousness began, warning him to be wary and respond defensively responding, "I've got cousins!" and directed his eyes toward Stephen, making eye contact, almost daring him to not admit it or if so, leap to his defense. Stephen didn't respond.

Flynn listened quietly to the exchange and began noticing an increased nervousness and agitation on the part of Troy.

"Years ago," Flynn began, entering the conversation, "there was a young girl with whom I am familiar, who had an affair with a handsome, young stranger. It was a one and done encounter resulting in her pregnancy. Her father was madder than hell and blamed her brothers until she confessed. All she knew of the young man was he was visiting a family in the area and moved on."

"When the baby was born, her father took the child and it was never seen again. All she could remember of the dark-haired beautiful boy she birthed was a strawberry colored birthmark on his lower abdomen, much like his father had."

"If David and Lindsey are correct," Becca quickly added, "you have a birthmark of a similar nature in a similar location."

Troy's facial expressions changed, as he slid a hand down his front to his lower abdomen to where his birthmark was located, from curiosity and agitation wondering where this conversation was heading, to shock, disbelief, and realization of the impact and consequences of such an announcement, to a darker, angry unacceptance.

His body began to shiver as he said, "That means you are….?"

"Yes," Becca said, "David and Lindsey are your half- brother and sister and Flynn, actually Dave, is my brother and your uncle."

"No!" he growled, holding his hands in front of him in denial and protection, feeling the adrenalin pump into his body, readying him to defend himself from the verbal assault on his very core beliefs of how he was raised and what he'd known. His body began to change, heading toward a shift from human to wolf, allowing him to not only defend but attack.

"My parents - are - John – and – Linda - Granger," he snarled, separating the words to emphasize his declaration, standing up, as he felt the beginning signs of shifting into wolf form.

"Don't shift, Troy!" Stephen commanded. "You are in no danger!"

Reluctantly, Troy eased off, relaxed enough to halt the shift, but didn't lessen his defensive stance, the anger, the hurt, the feeling of betrayal sparking from him in emotional bolts! He was the optimum example of any angry, confused teenage boy, albeit a teenage boy who was a Lycan and could tear flesh, with sharp, long canines, from living flesh.

David stepped toward Troy and in an attempt to console his half-brother, extended his arms seeking an embrace.

"Don't," Troy threatened, "touch me!" turning without another word and stalked out of the apartment.

"Well," commented Franklin, eyebrows raised in frustration, "that didn't go quite as we expected it to."

"I just hope it doesn't mess up our plans for the upcoming battle to keep Gaige safe and the others alive and safe as well," Flynn said, highly discouraged and concerned.

"Ted's going to shit little, green bricks," David whispered to Lindsey, "when he hears about this."

Troy ignored the tapping on his locked bedroom door shortly after returning to his room. His response when the voice on the other side of the door, asked, "Troy, please open the door. It's Stephen and we need to talk," was simply a curt, "go away!"

He sat on his bed as the late afternoon morphed into the dinner hour, preferring to remain in his room and eschewing dining with the others. Darkness settled outside but Troy, now stripped naked, stretched out on his bed hoping to fall asleep. Sleep didn't arrive, his mind so muddled, confused, and torn between anger and hurt and acceptance and forgiveness. Only when a strong familiar scent, a scent he couldn't ignore, invaded his nostrils and a very light tap on his door, bid him to rise, go to the door, and unlock it.

Andy stepped inside, closed the door behind him, extended his arms, and allowed Troy to collapse into them his smaller body wracked with great, deep sobs. Andy held him, rocking back and forth gently, while trying to sooth the troubled spirit of the boy he loved, with words of comfort and love. Troy's sobs diminished to hiccups and Andy led him to the bed, laid him down, and joined him, pulling Troy close to him, wrapped in his arms, body to body contact.

"Want to tell me about it?" Andy asked softly.

Troy did, from the time he was asked to go the apartment until Stephen asked for entry to his bedroom. Finished, he giggled nervously, "You're naked!"

"How observant of you to notice, after what, an hour or so?"

Troy began to feel his cock stiffen, reached down to touch the very stiff, smooth, and large erected penis of his bedmate. Running his fingers up and down the underside of Andy's rampant shaft, commented,

"It's so smooth and hard, yet so soft," before trying to grasp it with one hand, "and so big around!"

Andy moved Troy over on top of him so they were belly to belly, his large cock nudging Troy's rosebud, cupped Troy's head in his hands, pulled his face close to his, and kissed him, deep, passionately, and sensuously for an extended period of time, their tongues exploring, tasting, and savoring each other's.

Breaking the kiss, Andy asked, "Got any lubricant?"

"You bet!" giggled Troy, scrambling down and trotting his bathroom. He returned with a tube, announcing, "Before I slick that beauty up, I want to taste it."

There was no objection from Andy except to warn, "Don't try to take it all, I'm pretty big!"

Troy licked up and down the shaft, suckled on the large head for several moments before lifting his head, asking, "Do all of you Cajun Wolves have this big a cock?" as he fondled and massaged with his hands, measuring with his hands in contemplation how and it would fit where he wanted it to. He'd had big cocks, especially Steele's, up inside him before, but never this thick and long. He figured determination and lube would bring his desire to fruition.

"Can't think of any that do," Andy replied, squirming under ministrations, "there must be some somewhere. I suppose if you're really curious, we could try and find out."

"Could care less," Troy responded, "not while I got this beauty so handy," and lapped up a couple of drops of clear, pre-cum oozing from the tip.

Andy, frustrated sexually and seeking some relief, finally moaned, "Please!"

Troy slicked up the throbbing pole, lubricated his own rear portal well, and kneeling over Andy, so he was facing him, and slowly lowered himself onto the object of his desire. He felt his anus open slowly, experienced some discomfort, rested a minute or so, and began a gradual descent until his butt cheeks rested on Andy's pubic bush, the long thick cock embedded to the max, stretching the anal opening almost to its limit.

"Never had one this big before," moaned Troy, pleased at what he knew was going to be a delightful experience.

"That's nothing," Andy groaned with pleasure, "I've never done this before!"

The night was consumed with the two teens making love and when they woke in the late morning, Andy was still buried balls deep and preparing for another round.

"I think you better have a talk with Troy," Stephen advised Ted after they finished the tour of the bunker. "He had a rather nasty surprise yesterday afternoon and I'm afraid we'll have a change of plans as a result."

"Tell me about it!"

The teen males uncoupled when they heard Ted knock on the bedroom door and ask if he could come in. Without troubling to dress, Troy unlocked the door and invited him in.

Making no comment on the sight of two naked teen boys in the room or the fact they both were semi-flaccid, one more noticeable than the other, Ted asked, "Understand you had a bit of a shock yesterday?"

"Yeah, I did," Troy admitted, scooching his naked body up on the bed and settling between the thighs of an equally naked Andy, and leaned back, resting his back up against Andy's chest. "But, I'm a lot better today, thanks to Andy."

"Why do you feel that way? And tell me what happened, Troy. I've heard Stephen's version and now I'd really like to hear yours."

Troy re-told the encounter in Becca and Franklin's apartment, ending with his leaving angry and hurt, and returning to his bedroom where he also rejected Stephen's attempt to visit with him and perhaps bring some resolution to the problems others thought his outburst might cause in the grand plan of attack and defense.

"How do you feel about it now?"

"Andy and I talked about it last night and with his help, I'm sort of come to grips with the situation. You know, Andy's an orphan now since his parents were slaughtered. Now he has Alicia, Mark, and Bruce to take care of, although I think Alicia's future is pretty well sealed."

Troy paused, organizing his thoughts, trying to make sense of his feelings so the human he admired and trusted might better understand them.

"I can accept the fact Becca Campbell is my birth-mother, Flynn is an uncle, and David and Lindsey are half-brother and half-sister to me. Those facts are indisputable biologically! However, I really don't see them as my 'family', if you know what I mean."

Nodding, Ted acknowledged he did understand, knowing definitions of family are different for different people and of the different relationships between members of those groups. It's not unusual for adopted children to understand they had a birth-mother and father and siblings but chose not to embrace them as 'family.'

"My real Mom and Dad are John and Linda Granger. They're the ones who raised me, loved me unconditionally, and accepted me for what I am. They never had any children and never could, so when I came along, they were overjoyed. One time I asked my Mom why they picked me and she told me I was the cutest, happiest little baby boy she'd ever seen and just couldn't say no. Ted, we don't have a lot of money, but they gave me everything a son or daughter could ever ask for, at sacrifice to themselves, I might add."

"So, you see, they're my real family; Mom, Dad, Stephen and the other cousins, and my aunts and uncles. Home is Eagle Lake, Maine since that's where they are. No way am I going to abandon them for this. Oh, I'll be friends, probably good friends with David and Lindsey, but even though related by birth, they're not my real family. When this is over, I'm going to make certain my folks are well taken care of. Which leads me to mention, there will be some minor changes in the neutering of the wolf."

"Will these minor changes affect how we're going to defend ourselves and kill off the Red Wolf and the others? You know this is more than just us; it's what's right for the sake of justice."

"No, it won't change how we're defending ourselves and killing the attackers. Yes, in how we neuter the headman, and when Chad picks me up, Andy will be coming with me."

"They're here!" announced Prewitt, waking the sleeping Troy and Andy. "When you're finished what you're doing, better call Ted and move your pickup time ahead. There are two SUV loads of them unloading right now at Clark Lake."