The Geek Job by Eve Langlais

Chapter Nine

Anthony rode the elevator up to his apartment trembling. Part of it was fear if he were to be honest with himself, but the rest had to do with what he’d just seen. Something possessed Lexie, or had always been a part of her if he could believe the tests he’d run.

With her living in such close proximity to him, it proved ridiculously easy for him to snag DNA samples in the form of saliva from her toothbrush and hair from her pillow with follicles still attached. Each test, no matter which way or how many times he ran it, came back the same. Lexie’s genetic code was not one hundred percent human. His discovery of the double helix of human DNA twined with wolf belonged to her. He’d assumed the anomaly was a dormant portion of her genetic makeup, until a few moments ago in his lab where she’dchanged.

Even as clueless as he usually found himself around women and their moods, he’d noticed a strange energy imbuing Lexie all day, an almost sizzling current that emanated from her, strong enough it made the hair on his body stand on end. He’d watched her with wary eyes, unable to help himself, intrigued—and in lust—with the wild animal magnetism that rolled off her while she moved about his space with predatory grace. Anthony feared her coiled tension and leashed violence, almost physically visible beneath the veneer of her indomitable will, but his trepidation wasn’t the only thing flooding his senses. Her dominant persona drew him, made him want to beg her to share that passionate energy, to touch him and let him taste it. When she finally did with a kiss so scorching he’d expected to implode, he’d almost come in his pants. Then just about crapped them when he felt her change.

When she’d kissed him, he’d felt, to his shocked disbelief, how her canines had elongated, and the way her nails seemed to suddenly sharpen into razor points. Even more astonishing, he’d seen the way her eyes glowed. She hadn’t needed to threaten him to get him to flee, he was ready to do that on his own as myths he’d scoffed at tumbled around in his mind, making a mockery of his assertions that creatures of the night didn’t exist.

He attempted to cling to disbelief, to wrap tight around him the rules governing science. Perhaps in his fear of her strange mood, he’d imagined or exaggerated some of the things he’d perceived. People couldn’t grow fangs and their eyes definitely didn’t shine with an inner light, and the woman he’d once made love to most assuredly wasn’t a werewolf even if her DNA seemed to want to say otherwise.

Then why did I run away?

Anthony moved across his darkening living room and leaned his head on the glass overlooking the front of the building, the soft glow of the moon bathing him in a pale radiance. His eyes fluttered shut as he sought to control his rampaging imagination, but a motion outside caught him before his lids fully closed.

Peering down, he saw Lexie. He forgot to breathe as he watched her strip until she stood naked, her body a thing of beauty. Head held high, she walked forward, away from the building, the light from the moon along with the security lights behind her illuminating her bare shape. And then despite all his scientific knowledge, despite everything he believed in, he saw the impossible.

Her whole body rippled as if alive. His stomach churned at the sickening movement on her flesh that brought to mind alien movies he’d watched in his youth because, just like those horror movies, it appeared as if something tunneled under her skin and fought to escape. Under his riveted gazed, her skin darkened as fur sprouted spontaneously while, at the same time, her limbs contorted. As if that weren’t horrifying enough, through the tempered glass he could hear her strident screams, her rapid change from woman to beast an obviously painful ordeal.

When the agonized cry transformed into a howl, the truth hit Anthony like a freight train, refuting every logical assumption he’d ever made. Lexie was a werewolf just like her DNA touted.

He slumped to the floor in disbelief as the woman he’d made love to bounded off into the darkness of the trees his boss kept on the premises. An eternity passed as he stared out into the night, his mind a clean slate as his psyche adjusted to his sudden, new reality. Shock could only last so long before his brain and common sense kicked in.So what if I’ve discovered that the impossible is real. This is a moment to celebrate, to explore a new frontier.How many scientists could boast they’d been given the chance to research a live werewolf? And yet, here he sat like a dolt, staring at nothing.

Eagerness to not let this opportunity escape made him spring from the floor and head to his bedroom to change. He dressed in dark clothes and found a navy colored hat. Snatching his digital camera, which he set for night-time photography, he moved to the elevator and slapped his hand on the console. The light flashed red and a message scrolled onto the screen.

System Lockdown.

Lexie had locked him in. Or so she thought. Anthony didn’t spend much time attempting to get around her lockdown code. Why, when he already had an alternate escape route for the times he needed to spend time alone without guards or cameras watching him.

The fire exit to his apartment hid behind a large pantry in his kitchen. He’d hidden it early on in his tenure and programmed it to run on its own network. He slid the heavy furniture to the side revealing the door and security panel. When he tapped his hand to the scanner, the light turned green and Anthony grinned.

He jogged down the dark stairs, excitement bubbling in him. He reached the bottom and with another slap of his hand, opened the door to the outside. Hidden behind dense brush, Anthony fought his way through until he stood in the clear. It was only as he viewed the dark tree line that he wondered how he’d find Lexie. Mr. Thibodeaux’s property spanned over a hundred acres, a good portion of it wooded. He refused to allow discouragement to bring him down. Somehow, he’d find her.

Anthony searched the darkness for some of the guards that usually lurked, but not seeing any, he sprinted across the grounds to the shelter of the forest. The white light from the moon didn’t reach under the dense canopy of branches and Anthony stumbled for some time through the underbrush like an idiot before halting.

How the hell am I going to find her? At this rate, I’m more likely to twist an ankle than document her.The easy and probably smart solution involved him returning to his apartment and confronting Lexie in the morning. However, Anthony grew tired of always taking the safe route. All his life, he’d followed rules whether of science or society’s making. Tonight, for the first time in his life, he realized that rules didn’t need to apply, not if he wanted to live life to the fullest and truly discover things. In order to open his mind, he needed to leave his comfort zone and confront the unknown, starting with one intriguing werewolf in the woods.

His enthusiastic inner pep talk held him for a while as he tread through the forest; however, the further he went, the more the icy grip of fear tried to clutch him. His neck prickled as if eyes watched him. His skin grew cold and clammy as the gloom hugged him tight and mocked him for his inability to see further than a few feet in front of him.

He stood still, his heart racing, and listened to the sounds of the night, but he had to admit, he had no idea what the heck he expected to hear. The outdoors wasn’t exactly his strong point and he grew tired of tracking her, if his feeble attempt could be termed such. It occurred to him that while he couldn’t discern her presence, with her probably heightened senses, she could more aptly find him, especially if she were made aware her charge had escaped the building she’d imprisoned him in.

Taking in a deep breath and ignoring his manly pride, which at this point was mostly swallowed by fatigue and fear, he bellowed for her. “Lexie!”

A hush seemed to descend over the forest, and he shivered as he reminded himself there was nothing to fear. The woods on Mr. Thibodeaux’s lands were not truly in the wilds with any number of feral creatures; although, Lexie’s assertion that his life was in peril came back to haunt him. In leaving the lab to satisfy curiosity had he painted a target on himself? And now, by bellowing like some idiot, pinpointing his location, was he signing his own death warrant?

Fear descended on him, a blanketing cold that amplified every noise from the crackle of underbrush to the slight whistle of the wind through the branches. His heart rate sped up as the darkness became cloying, and he whirled, sensing more than one predatory gaze on him, yet he saw nothing. He started to walk, his steps noisy compared to the quiet that had fallen because even the whirring of the insects ceased. Soon, his slow steps turned into a paced jog, then a full out run. Something roamed out there in the shadows. Irrational as it seemed, Anthony could sense it there, a dark hunter watching him hungrily.

Anthony crashed through the shrub, almost losing his balance several times in his headlong flight. Around him, the sounds of chase erupted as those stalking him dropped their pretense of hiding. His breathing hitched and sweat poured all over his body as he pumped his legs faster, cursing his own stupidity in not listening to Lexie. She’d warned him about leaving the building. Warned him that things waited for their moment to harm him, but like the stupid blonde in the movies, the one he used to mock, he’d not obeyed. And now, like the victim of a horror flick, he ran for his life.

He saw the welcoming glow of building lights, closer than expected, and he didn’t take the time to hear his mind mocking him over walking in circles; in this instance he thanked his ineptness as it meant safety loomed nearer than expected. He strained harder to reach the haven he should have never left. He hit the edge of the woods and stumbled out into the cleared area. The nightmare followed him with snarls.

Anthony reached the main door to his lab and slapped his hand on the console only to have the lockdown warning flash.

“No,” he whispered. He’d forgotten about Lexie’s extra security. He whirled around to move to his secret exit, but froze as he encountered a line of beasts moving toward him.

Anthony backed against the door, riveted in fear as three large wolves stalked towards him, their eyes glowing balefully. He could hear their low growls and see their raised hackles as they approached. He scanned them, desperately looking for Lexie, whose pelt, he recalled, gleamed a solid black; however, she didn’t appear to number among the approaching wolves.

Standing and waiting to get eaten wouldn’t save him. His only chance at survival involved him making it to that damned exit. He shuffled his feet and almost tripped over Lexie’s clothing. His foot nudged a hard lump and he chanced a quick look down. He almost gibbered in relief when he saw the revolver. Quickly, he stooped to grab it and pointed it with shaking hands at the encroaching beasts.

“Stop,” he whispered. Then louder, “Stop it, or I’ll shoot.” Why he assumed the creatures would listen he didn’t analyze. Perhaps it was the cunning intelligence in their eyes that made him realize these wolves hadn’t sprung forth as a cubs, or their immense size which made it seem more likely he’d found more werewolves. If they understood, then they chose to ignore his command. Squeezing his eyes shut, Anthony pulled the trigger. The loud crack of the gunshot rang loud, and Anthony pried an eye open to see if he’d scared the beasts.

Nope. They still approached, but now he could swear he saw disdain in their eyes. Given he couldn’t shoot worth a damn, Anthony went to plan B—run.

Before he could weigh the pros and cons of that action, he moved, sprinting across the front of the building. He might as well have waved a red cape. Vicious snarls erupted as the beasts charged him. Anthony pumped his legs harder, even as he knew he’d already lost the race.

A heavy weight hit him in the back, and he fell, his knees meeting the ground painfully. Teeth snapped as Anthony rolled, trying to move away from the creature determined to kill him. Sharp, burning pain raked his left arm as something latched on. Anthony gasped at the fiery agony. He tried to pull away, but a heavy weight sat on him as the jaw holding his arm shook it back and forth, toying with him.

A piercing howl caught his attention, but not for long considering the more pressing problem of the wolf trying to chew his arm off. Another howl erupted, its chilling challenge even closer. The creature using his arm as a chew toy bounded off his back and Anthony waited for the attack to resume on a new body part; however, while he heard snarling, it seemed to have moved away from him. He turned his head, the waves of pain radiating from his arm threatening to pull him down into darkness. He blinked at what he saw. The three wolves who’d cornered him were fighting a fourth with sleek black fur.

Lexie.She’d arrived to save him, and now, fought for her life. Anthony struggled to his knees, his wounded arm hanging limp and useless at his side, his glasses cracked and sitting skewed on his face. He watched as she snapped at the other wolves, her sharp fangs drawing blood and yelps. Her fluid movements mesmerized him, for not only did she show no fear, she was savagely beautiful. And even more astonishing, gaining the upper hand.

The wolves attacking her got wise to her tactics and circled her. Anthony wanted to yell when they charged her all at once, but he feared distracting her. Horrified fascination froze his gaze on the battle, and anguish pierced him as her fur became matted with blood.Useless, I’m freaking useless. Even if his arm weren’t a throbbing piece of wasted flesh, he’d have had nothing to offer help-wise. He didn’t have super strength or teeth or anything to help her, but he also couldn’t kneel there like a coward watching her fight alone.Hold on, I do have something to even the odds. The gun.He’d dropped it in his tussle with the wolves, but he quickly spotted it on the ground. He grasped it and staggered to his feet, gritting his teeth at the cascading pain.

Once on his feet, though, he ran into a dilemma. He couldn’t shoot well enough to aid her; although, even the poorest shooter could score if close enough to its target. Refusing to analyze the stupidity of his action, Anthony staggered over to the snapping furry melee and aimed a kick at one of the attacking wolves. As kicks went, it sucked, but it served its purpose in getting that particular wolf’s attention. It turned to face him with a snarl and Anthony aimed the gun. He fired, the loud crack not stifling the yelp as he hit the damned wolf. He didn’t get a chance to see the damage though as the recoil from the fired shot sent him reeling.

Anthony hit the ground, and ended up splayed flat on his back, staring at the spinning sky. As he lost the battle with the darkness creeping over his vision, he prayed Lexie survived his stupidity.

* * * *

Lexie paced Frederick’s office, the metal shutters pulled tight against the encroaching dawn light. Her employer hung up his phone and glared at her. “You almost allowed my asset to die.”

“Me? It was your fucking minions who tried to take a piece out of him. If you can’t control your dogs, then maybe I should put them down permanently.” She allowed her anger to fill her. It beat the alternative of anguish when she’d seen Anthony fighting for his life.

“I thought you were supposed to have him locked up tighter than the president’s daughter?”

“Apparently, our resident geek had a secret exit, one he wiped from the building schematics housed on the computer.”Brilliant fucking idiot.

“I don’t pay you for excuses,” Frederick snarled.

“Fine. Then don’t pay me at all.” Lexie couldn’t believe she’d said that, but once spoken, she didn’t take the words back.

“What? You’re quitting?”

Lexie braced her hands on his desk and leaned forward, her lips curled in a sneer. “You wish, dead dick. I’m still going to guard, Anthony, because the idiot needs me, not because you’re paying me.” Besides, she’d made enough in the last few days to cover her for a few months, that and she felt guilty for failing Anthony. While she’d technically done her job to the best of her abilities, she’d fucked up. She should have known about the secret exit and, even with the moon change, never left off guarding the perimeter of the building. If she’d stayed closer instead of haring off on a run to clear her mind, Anthony’s attack could have been averted.

“Well, in that case then, do whatever you wish. I’m not going to argue a free bodyguard.” Frederick leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, the smirk on his face begging for a slap.

“You’re still feeding me though,” she grumbled as she stalked out of his office and back to the building housing the lab and apartment.

She walked with quick steps, her mind whirring with the developments of the last twelve hours. First and foremost, she’d discovered she loved the damned geek. Sure, she’d realized she cared for him, even liked him, but when she’d seen him, struggling to stay alive as he hovered so close to death, it hit her hard—I love the stupid, human nerd.

Not that it changed anything. She was still a werewolf and he a fragile human. Even if she pretended she could control herself, she knew it was only a matter of time before she forgot herself and killed him in the throes of passion. Her nature just wouldn’t allow her to play nice forever.

And even if she thought she could make her bitch behave, she also assumed Anthony wouldn’t want to come near her after discovering her furry side. For all she knew, he’d left the safety of the building to escape because she’d stupidly allowed her wolf to take charge in full sight of the building. Perhaps a subconscious act on her part to relate the truth?

At least now, if he still wanted her after discovering her hairy problem, he’d understand what she meant when she told him they couldn’t be together. Now, if only the thought of his rejection didn’t fill her with sorrow.

She arrived at his apartment and relieved the guard inside. The human doctor whom Frederick kept on staff to tend his sheep, straightened from Anthony’s bedside.

“How’s he doing?” she asked, her eyes anxiously scanning her geek’s pale face. She winced at the thick bandages wrapping his left side.

“He’ll live, but whether he keeps the arm or not is anyone’s guess. I’ve done the best I can, stitching the flesh up and cleaning it. I’ve also dosed him with painkillers and antibiotics.”

She gnawed her lip, not encouraged by the doctor’s blunt assessment. “When will he wake?”

The doctor shrugged. “When his body feels ready. I’ve left some drugs for the pain on his nightstand. I’ll be back in about eight hours to change his dressing.”

Lexie nodded and saw the man out before she returned to keep vigil. As she stared down at Anthony, lying so still, she wished there were a way to impart her shifter healing powers on him. However, unlike legends, werewolf status was something her kind were born with, not a mutation caused by bites.How I wish it were different. If I could make him a werewolf, not only would his arm heal, we could also be together.Wishful thinking though wouldn’t change reality.

Lexie paced at the foot of the bed, waiting for Anthony to regain consciousness so she could tear him a new one. She thought back on the harrowing moments of the night before. It still amazed her that Anthony had found enough courage even after his injury to take on one of the wolves himself. Lexie would have prevailed in the long run, but when the number of assailants suddenly dropped to two, she dispatched them quickly. But that ended up only the start of a long night. She’d stood over her geek’s prone body, guarding his nerdy ass from Frederick’s resident shifters who had poor control of their beast side and also from the younger vamps who’d smelt the blood and come running.

Finally, someone not out to try and fight her or eat him showed up and she led them to Anthony’s secret entrance. Frederick himself had arrived as Anthony was placed on his bed and tended the wounds himself, totally grossing Lexie out. Frederick had licked the bloody gashes, the coagulant in his saliva stopping the bleeding and at the same time releasing agents to speed the healing process, an inborn vampire defense mechanism that fooled victims in doubting they’d been attacked. However, all the vampire spit in the world couldn’t heal the deep, bloody gouges covering Anthony’s arm. The doctor arrived and went to work with his needle, but Lexie knew enough about wounds to guess that Anthony’s arm would require a miracle to remain attached.

It wasn’t until early evening that he finally stirred with a groan. Acting on intuition, she knelt at his side and supported his head up, offering him a straw to sip water. He swallowed, his eyes shut as his throat worked, pulling the liquid. He spat the straw out when done and she lowered his head back down to his pillow. She stood and watched as he fluttered eyes with thicker lashes than she’d noticed before.

It took him a moment to focus and she waited to see what he’d say. Hopefully, nothing along the lines of, “Argh, werewolf!” That would probably crush her.

“Lexie,” he whispered.

“Yes, Anthony.”

“You’re safe. Thank the gods of science.” He closed his eyes with a smile.

Lexie snapped. “Don’t you dare go back to sleep, Anthony. I want to know what the fuck you were thinking leaving the apartment yesterday after I expressly told you not to.”

He opened one eye to peer at her. “I wanted to take pictures of you.”

“Of all the stupid things,” she muttered. “And it couldn’t wait until I came back?”

He shrugged, then winced. “Ow. I guess the part about my arm getting chewed on is real, too. Why didn’t you tell me you were a werewolf?”

She wanted to slap him for having a one track, curious mind. “Shouldn’t your first question be how bad is your arm?”

Anthony gave her a wan smile. “I know it’s bad. My guess would be if infection sets in, I’ll lose it.”

“And that doesn’t bother you?” Lexie wanted to check him for a fever. She expected hysterics, sobbing, denial even, but this calm acceptance freaked her out.

“I’m more worried about you. You took a beating from those wolves. Are you okay?”

Lexie gaped at him. He’d lost his fucking mind in the attack. That had to be it. “I’m fine. See.” She lifted her shirt and whirled flashing her already closed wounds, the red weal’s the only remaining sign of the attack.

“Wow. That’s impressive. I don’t suppose I’ll turn into a werewolf now that I’ve gotten chomped on?”

He sounded so hopeful. She sighed. “Sorry. Legend only. Werewolves are born, not made.”

“I see. He seemed to ponder this for a moment, and she thought he’d gone back to sleep when he said, “So, is it the fact I’m human that keeps you from being with me?”

“What makes you think I even want you?”

A flush crept up his cheeks. “My mistake. I assumed the tension between us was sexual in nature.”

Lexie thought about lying, but she just couldn’t do that to him anymore. “You weren’t mistaken. I don’t know why, but I want you.” Before he could speak, she held up her hand. “But it can’t happen. Our time at the conference was wonderful, I won’t deny that. However, that gentle side of me isn’t the norm. Having sex with humans requires me being careful, and I can have fun, but while it scratches the itch, it doesn’t cure the problem. It can actually compound the urge.”

“So things get a little rough.”

She glared at him. “A little rough? I am stronger, faster and tougher than you can imagine. If I were to forget myself for even one minute in the throes of passion, I could kill you.”

“But what a way to go,” he replied wistfully.

“You’re fucking nuts,” she muttered. “Or the drugs are making you spout stupidity.”

He struggled to sit up using his good arm. “Why is it stupid to want to be with you? I feel things for you I’ve never felt before. I want to be with you.”

“It was just good sex.”

“Fantastic sex and more. You intrigue me with your smarts that you hide under a tough girl veneer. Your courage and audacity awe and inspire me. Your presence makes me happy.”

Tears pricked her eyes at his speech and she turned less he see them and use them against her. Even if drug induced, his words touched her and made her long for something she couldn’t have—him.