Reconciliation by Lisa Oliver
Chapter Two
“Time to wake up.” Luka jolted as someone slapped his face. “Come on sleeping beauty, time to put those doctor skills to use.”
“What the hell?” Luka touched the side of his head gingerly. His throat was dry, his voice raspy. “Water?” He croaked. He didn’t want to look at the guy looming over him – he was too busy checking his body. He was still dressed, which was a huge positive and apart from a headache, an empty stomach and a strong need to drink something, he was fine. Somehow or other, he’d managed to sleep, which he’d needed after his twelve-hour shift. Unfortunately, being woken up in chains was miles away from waking up in his bed. He tried to brush the hair off his face as best he could.
“You’ll get your water when you get your ass off the floor. Get up.”
Luka’s wolf was all for him leaping up and ripping the man’s throat out, but instead, he slowed his movements, hanging onto a handy shelf beside him as he got to his feet. He was in a room, not much bigger than a closet, his captor blocking the door. Luka’s nose let him know there were a ton of people beyond the door, with a lot of cheering going on, and the stench of booze overriding sweat and leather.
Okay, I’m in damp clothes, have a stinking headache, a wolf that wants out in the biggest way and I could seriously do with a drink and something to eat before my stomach eats itself. Without wolfing out, Luka had no way of getting out, and he knew he’d be best to comply until he knew why he’d actually been taken and maybe glean something about where he was.
As suspected, there were about twenty guys in the room beyond his closet, but none of them paid attention to him. They were standing in groups, beers in hand. Luka tensed when he heard someone mention “wolf,” but the men were talking about hunting and his captor grabbed him by his jacket collar and dragged him along, through another door and down a long tunnel to an exit door.
Luka knew it was too much to hope he was being let go. He’d seen too many faces, so things were only going to end badly for him. He didn’t have a clue where he was, and now he didn’t have his phone either. I’m going to have to rely on my wits to get myself out of this mess.
His goon tugged at the solid exit door and as soon as it was opened, a wash of various smells and sounds blasted Luka like a giant wave. Luka was pushed out into what looked like an abandoned parking lot. It was dark, but the area was flooded with stage lamps. He caught the impression of cracked pavement, chunks of grass, and a mass of bodies who were screaming, yelling and booing, their focus on people who were fighting in the middle of a wire mesh enclosure.
Luka didn’t have time to take it all in. There was a marque tent set up by the side of the building, and he was encouraged to move towards it. There were only four men inside, one of whom was sitting at a table with piles of money in front of him. Two others were chatting by the table and the fourth guy… Luka’s eyes narrowed – he was sure he caught the hint of “other” in that one, but he was slapped around the head before he could look any closer.
“Your bag.” The goon who had him pointed at his bag sitting under the table.
Running his tongue around his teeth, Luka growled, “Water.”
“Get the doc some water, Bronco,” another man came forward – his only claim to fame a Grim Reaper belt buckle. “After all, we can’t expect him to work his magic if he’s worried about his throat.”
Luka waited as Bronco stormed off back the way they’d come, and the Grim Reaper guy hovered close to his shoulder. An extra large roar went up from the crowd, along with a mass of boos. “Oops, there goes another one,” he grinned, nodding his head towards the fighting. There was a clang of wire on wire, as if a gate was being opened then closed. “Who’s out, Jim?”
“It’s Rocky.” The man at the table was younger than the others, his thin shoulders shaking. “Shit, Marlo. It’s Rocky! It looks like his leg’s broke. They’ve had to drag ‘em out.”
“That’s why we got a doctor.” Marlo, a.k.a. Grim Reaper man, grabbed hold of Luka’s arm. “You’re going to fix him up really quick, aren’t you, doc? We need to get him back in that ring before the last man goes down.”
“I need water and use of my hands.” Luka held up his chained wrists. “I can’t do anything chained up like this.”
“You can use your hands. Don’t think I’m stupid.” Marlo showed his teeth. “Fix Rocky. I need him back in the fight.”
Well, where the fuck did Bronco go with my freaking water. Luka’s mouth was so dry, the ache in his head was making him woozy and his wolf scented nothing but danger and just wanted out. But there was nothing Luka could do. Marlo had a rifle strapped to his back, and Luka was sure that wasn’t the only gun in the raucous crowd. He allowed himself to be led to where a bunch of men were laying on the ground.
They were in a sorry mess. Some of them had blood pouring from what looked like knife wounds, a couple appeared to be unconscious. “I need my bag,” Luka muttered, quickly scanning the prone men, trying to work out who to help first.
“Bag. Water.” Bronco was back. “Fix Rocky.” He pointed to a shirtless man lying with torn jeans, moaning piteously. “He has to get back in the fight. There’s a ton of money riding on this.”
First things first. Luka managed to get the bottle of water open, and swigged down half the contents, before slopping the rest over his hands. He was hardly sterile, but then neither was anyone else. Kneeling at Rocky’s side, Luka waved at Bronco. “I need a knife.”
“You never fucking stop trying, do ya,” Marlo snarled as he unholstered one from his thigh. “What do you want cut?”
“His jeans.” Luka bit back his own snarl. “I don’t have x-ray eyes. Cut them off and then move back so you’re not blocking the light.”
“It hurts,” Rocky moaned as Marlo cut up the inside seams of Rocky’s jeans. “Mar, I’m hurt bad.”
“Shut up, you fuckwit. Doc’s going to fix you up and then you’re going back…”
Luka tuned them out, opening his bag and pulling out a pair of disposable gloves. He already knew he wasn’t fixing anything. Rocky’s tibia was snapped clear through, one end of it poking out of the skin. He pressed around the already swollen skin, causing Rocky to scream in pain.
Backing off, Luka shook his head. “This man needs a hospital. His leg’s going to have to be put into traction to set the bone right and it’ll be at least two months before he’ll be able to walk again. If I touch him, I’m likely to do more harm than good, especially with the risk of infection around here.”
Marlo leaned into Luka’s face, showing his teeth. “Slap a bandage on him and pump him full of drugs. He’s gotta get back in that fight.”
“The man’s tibia is snapped clear through. You can see it, damn it. It’s poking through his skin.” Luka clenched his jaw. “He needs a hospital. He might even need surgery, but there’s no way in hell this can be fixed with a bandage and drugs. Look for yourself. His leg is fucked, and it’ll stay like that unless he gets surgical treatment. I can treat some of the others…”
“You were here to fix our man.” Marlo’s eyes were wild. “Do you have any idea how much money we’ll lose if Rocky doesn’t win?”
“I’m not a miracle worker. He needs a hospital. I can’t fix him here.”
“If you can’t fix him, you’re fucking useless to me.” Marlo reached out grabbing Luka’s collar. “Open the gates,” he yelled. “We’ve got a new contender.”
Holy shit. Luka wriggled, trying to get out of his jacket, but with his wrists still bound he couldn’t get his arms out of it. He was half dragged, half lifted towards the fence, and at the last minute he was thrown beyond it, the clang of the gate mocking him as he landed on the dirt. He caught sight of a boot coming towards his face, and he rolled away just in time. Lend me your strength, he pleaded with his wolf as he got to his feet.
/~/~/~/~/
Seth had stayed back, unwilling to let the doctor wolf catch his scent. But when the gate closed on the slender form and a gang of ten or more guys descended on him, he knew he had to act. The doc was still lit up, Fates’ sign that Seth couldn’t ignore. He had no intention of ever claiming anyone, especially a fucking wolf shifter, but even he wasn’t mean enough to let the guy be pulled to pieces.
Sauntering over to the gate, Seth didn’t bother opening it, he leaped up and climbed over it, ignoring Marlo’s yell. The doc was holding his own, he was hanging off the back of a guy a good foot taller than him, the chain between his wrist cuffs tight around the man’s neck. Seth decided he’d take out some of the other competition.
Seth was the natural god of disorder – he ruled over storms, wars, and his everchanging desert. Fighting was as easy to him as breathing, and he swirled and whirled like the wind among the sand, punching, kicking, and at one point choking a man until he dropped to the ground. Feeling a bump against his back, Seth swirled around, his fist raised…
The light stopped him. Seth quickly froze the scene around them both as he lowered his arm.
“You.” Dark eyes glittered with wolf. The doc was panting hard and the look on his face changed as his eyes widened. “You? What are you?”
“Now’s not the time.” Seth shut down the rush of emotions he felt at being so close to the slender doctor.
“Oh, there’ll never be a time, buddy.” The shifter was furious. “You’re with a group of assholes that thinks it’s fine to kidnap a man who’d already done a fucking twelve-hour shift in ER – I haven’t eaten. My head aches, and you stood back and watched everything as they hit me and knocked me around. You’ve got powers. Use it for something decent for once. Shield me.”
“What? Shield?”
The wolf shifter leaned closer and Seth had to fight the urge not to pull him into his arms. “I need to shift. There’re a lot of guns here.”
“I can shield you.” Seeing his wolf form will remind me of why holding him is such a bad idea. “Just make sure you keep your teeth to yourself. I can make it so you’re invisible for about ten minutes - I can protect you that way.”
“Too little, too late in my opinion, but I’ll take what I can get. And you don’t have to worry about my teeth going anywhere near you.” The wolf was really pissed off and suddenly Seth didn’t want to be calling him “wolf” anymore.
“What’s your name?” He asked quickly.
The doc hesitated and then held up his chained wrists. A tiny zap and they fell to the ground. A quick flick of his hand and the man would be invisible to anyone else for a short time at least.
“The name’s Luka,” the wolf said as he stripped off his jacket and shirt. Seconds later, a brilliant white wolf appeared where a naked man had been, his eyes the same color as Luka’s. White? Is he an albino? But no, he couldn’t be, because the wolf’s eyes were dark. A long look seemed to pierce Seth’s soul but before he could say anything, the wolf took six long bounds towards the fence and jumped, clearing the wire mesh easily. Weaving through the frozen crowd, he disappeared, taking his light with him.
Seth let out a long breath. “That was close,” he muttered as he zapped the pile of clothes away. Taking a moment to lean over his last victim, Seth let the frozen scene go, got in one more punch for good measure and making sure he was the last man standing, he sauntered back over to the gate, shoving it open.
“You’re a real bastard,” he said as he walked past a stunned Marlo. “But I’m sure you know that.” Heading back to the tent, Seth ignored the shocked young man’s face as he swiped up the piles of money still sitting there and stacked them into one pile.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Marlo puffed up behind him.
“Taking my winnings and leaving.” Seth stuffed the money in his pocket.
“What happened to that fucking doctor? Don’t think I didn’t see. You were fighting to protect him and now he’s fucking gone.”
Whirling around, Seth grabbed Marlo’s shirt under his chin, scrunching it in his fist and lifting the man’s bulk off the ground with just one hand. “You kidnapped an innocent – beat him, refused to feed him, and then you had him dragged around like he was a dog on a chain. How would you like it if I did the same to you?”
“Er… Mar, Marlo.” Bronco staggered in, rubbing his jaw. “The crowd outside, man. They’re looking for their money. They say you cheated ‘cos the guy that won wasn’t in the betting pool. They want their money back. They’re forming a mob out there. You gotta sort this shit out.”
Seth grinned, showing all his teeth. “The Fates just might love me, after all.”
“Fates? What the fuck are you talking about? I need that money back,” Marlo kicked out, but Seth held him firm.
“I won. Last man standing. You said yourself, the winner will take home the money.”
“They’ll kill me,” Marlo protested, and Seth could hear the crowd were getting restless – shouts of anger and demands for money being made.
“Maybe that’ll teach you to leave innocents like that doctor alone.” Seth dropped Marlo to the floor with a thud and turned to walk away. He heard scrambling and then the click clack of a rifle being cocked for firing.
“I’ll fucking shoot you,” Marlo yelled. “Don’t think I won’t. You took my money and I know you did something to that doctor too. You’re a dead man walking.”
Seth flicked up two fingers and kept on walking, his grin widening as the sound of firing went off behind him. Those bullets weren’t going to hit him – they’d just ping off his shields. Rolling his shoulders, Seth considered his destination and how he was going to get there. Maybe it would be a good time to stay in a nice hotel. He was sure Paulie could recommend somewhere fancy, with a bar, a bath and twenty-four-hour room service. I’ve got the money for it, and I certainly earned it tonight.
He eyed one of the many bikes ranged in front of the building and walked over to the biggest one. This’ll do nicely. The bike jumped to life the moment he touched the handlebars. Settling himself on the seat, Seth used a trickle of his own powers to put the bike into gear. Just like riding a horse without the lumpy bits, he thought as he wove his way out the parking area, and onto the road.
And if his thoughts as he was riding veered towards a certain wolf shifter, hoping that individual might be okay, Seth put those ideas down to him being in a good mood. Having a good fight did that to him and he’d defy anyone who’d say otherwise.
