Prompt 074

Title: Lycan Tales
Genre: Drama, suspense
Characters: Alana, Greg, Caine
Prompt: 074~Home
Word Count: 3,044~ish
Rating: PG-13
Type: Series
Summary: Things aren't always what they seem.
Warnings: Language, some nudity


Greg’s butt started to hurt after awhile so he got up to poke at the now waning fire. He didn’t know how much time had past. It could have been hours or minutes. He had killed some time by going back to the car and grabbing the suitcase that had flown some distance away. He had tried to put out some of the flames as well but the gas kept those alive.
Time just seemed to be moving so fucking slow because he wasn’t used to being idly. Leaning in closer to the fire he straightened when he heard rustling behind him.
“Welcome back to the land of the living, Sleepy Beauty,” he said before placing the poker aside, out of reach. One could never be too careful around female lycan. Human men thought they had it bad. They had no idea.
Turning, he watched as she slowly sat up and rubbed at the back of her head before gently poking at her face. He shook his head when she winced.
“Hell of an accident you got yourself into,” he said in jovial tones then stiffened when her head slowly swung around toward him. A low growl rumbled in her throat before she blinked.
“Where am I?”
“In a little wooded area about two miles out from the city. Hey, I wouldn't do that if I were you!”

Greg watched as she slowly stood and moved stiffly out from under the enclosure. She looked around for a minute.
“Where’s my car?”
“About a quarter mile back. It’s totally trashed so there’s no way you’re going to get out of here…I mean if that’s what you were thinking.”
Crossing his arms he stared back at her as she studied him. Finally, not able to stand the way she was staring at him, as if she were sizing him up for the kill, he gestured for her to sit back down.
“Look, you’ve just been in an accident, you’re bruised and battered and you’re wearing your pj’s. There’s no reason for you to get wet as well. Sit.”

Alana narrowed her eyes. Or at least she tried to. Her face hurt. She could barely see out of one eye it was so swollen and the cut on her lip kept ripping open every time she moved her mouth. Fabulous, just great! She probably looked as if she’d lost a fight…with Mike Tyson.
“Who are you?”
“The name is Gregory. Everyone calls me Greg.”
“So, I take it your not just a good Samaritan?” she asked as she stepped back under the ripped awning. He was right. There wasn’t any need for her to get wet.
“How much do you know about the pack?”
“What pack?”

Greg walked over to her. “Ahh…so nothing. Well, take a little sit down. We have a lot to discuss you and I. I’ll try to squeeze in as much as I can before we’re interrupted.”
“By whom?”
His eyebrows rose at her proper speech. “By Caine of course. Alana, I-”
“How do you know my name?” she asked. Her body tensed in preparation to leap up and tear his throat out. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where in the world had that thought just come from, she wondered in confusion.
“Why Alana, I was sent to capture you.”
It took a moment for his words to penetrate her confusion and when they did she surprised herself by only tilting her head and staring at him with interest.
“Really? And why do you want me?”
“I don’t…Ethan does.”
She groaned. “Duncaine was always throwing his name around. Why does it sound so familiar?”
Greg shrugged. “Probably because he’s a big mover and shaker in this town. Ethan hands out money like it’s water. Keeps the people off his scent ya know?”
“No, I have no idea what…Ethan Vanderwall? I remember he donated money to my school. Something about inner city kids having just as much a right to a good education as private school children.”
“Says the man whose son is in a very prestigious private school. Also, Ethan is Caine’s uncle.”
A hazy memory nudged at her brain until it suddenly became clear. She snapped her fingers. “About a month or so back he was on the news. He was trying to find the whereabouts of Caine-”
“So he could kill him.”
Alana’s upper lip curled in a silent snarl that Greg missed as he paced away from her. He spun around and opened his mouth to say something but the breath was pushed from his lungs as her foot hit him dead center.

“Jesus!” he gasped as he flew through the air. He hadn’t even seen that coming. Hadn’t even heard her move. He sure felt her ninja feet though, he thought as he landed hard on the ground several feet away.
“What was that for?” he wheezed as he tried to suck air back into his lungs. He had underestimated her. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.
“You were hired to kill Caine?” she snapped.
“Something like that. Look, I-”

Blood filled his mouth when she curled back her fist and punched him.
“Fuck,” he snarled. He hated hitting females. He may be a cold blooded killer to some but he did use discretion. A quick, painless kill for the females but this bitch here was working his nerves. He hid a wince as she grabbed a fistful of his hair and drew back her fist again.
“Hold on, hold on!” he snapped as he spit out a mouthful of blood. “Don’t you want to hear the whole story?”
Alana tilted her head and the low, warning grumble that had been building in her chest died out. She stared down at him in horror. What was wrong with her? She wasn’t a violent person but the thought of someone hurting Caine upset her for some reason. Even thinking about it started her blood to boiling again and her hand tightened in his hair.
Shaking her head she moved away from him and threading her fingers in her hair shook her head to clear it. She could hear him getting up behind her. Turning she saw that he was eyeing her cautiously. Rolling her head on her neck she loosened her muscles before going to sit under the ripped awning. The smell of wet grass drifted upward as she shifted to get comfortable. She made an unknowingly regal gesture with her hand.
“Tell me this story.”

Greg wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand as he rotated his jaw. Walking over to stand in front of her he looked down at the ground before shrugging.
“I guess I should start at the beginning huh?” He closed his eyes as he tried to figure out what was the beginning.
“Forget it. I’ll start at your beginning. Apparently one of your parents was a lycan. And since you grew up with your mom I’d have to say it was your dad.”
“Hold it right there,” she said throwing up her arms. “Just what is a lycan?”
“You watch the movies. You’re a teacher. What do you think a lycan is?”
Alana swallowed dryly. He couldn’t be serious. There was no such thing as werewolves. And since such things didn’t exist there was no way she could be one. Right? Of course she was right. She would know if…her eyes widened as she remembered that brilliant flash of light as she had stood in Caine’s kitchen. Before she had fainted she had seen him sprouting hair and his body seemed to contort.
“Ah, I see that your human precepts are getting tossed to the wayside. Look, being a lycan isn’t a bad thing. My question is why didn’t your mother every tell you unless…she didn’t know about your dad did she?”
Alana wrapped her arms tightly around herself. “I don’t know. He stopped coming around when I was a teenager.”
“Is he dead?”
“I don’t know!”
Greg studied her before he nodded once again. “Anyways, one thing is true in the movies. A bite from a full blood lycan will change you into a lycan as well. But only if you already have lycan blood. So, if one of us bit a full human they’d go to the hospital, get their boo-boo bandaged up and go on oblivious to what had occurred. It’s rare that we go around biting people anyways. Who did you piss off?” He held up his hand.
“Let me guess. Caine?”
He shook his head, bewildered, when she nodded. “I don’t get it. That man killed when he was ten years old. A full blooded beta at that but he lost control with you. What-”
Greg stiffened then took a hasty step back. “No, no. This hasn’t happened for…decades. Are you fucking kidding me? Why now? What…”
Alana scowled as he continued to mumble to himself. “What are you talking about?”
Greg shook his head. “This is bigger than I thought. Your nearing the end of your change and Caine…Caine won’t let you slip away from him.”

Caine wasn’t even out of breath as he raced out of the city limits. He had lost Alana’s scent a few times and had to double back more times than he cared to admit. In doing so he ended up on another side of town. A near empty part of the city. His gait faltered when he saw the smoke. Narrowing his eyes he saw the tire tracks and the smell of gasoline reached him.
“No!” his voice was guttural as he raced forward. “Christ no!”
There were small clusters of fire caused by gas spills. He peered into the woods to a pile of twisted metal that used to be a car.

He swallowed a wail as he bent and sniffed at the ground. Blood. He smelled blood. He couldn’t smell charred flesh. Maybe Alana had been able to ecsape the fire. Maybe she was wondering around in the woods searching for a way out.
“Please let that be what’s going on,” he whispered harshly before straightening. Not even trying to be silent he raced into the woods, slashing at the underbrush and small trees in his path. He stilled when he passed the wreckage. Peering down he saw a pair of boot tracks. The rain had nearly washed them away and if he had been human he would have overlooked them. But he wasn’t human…and Alana was barefoot. There was a man in the woods with her. Tilting back his head he inhaled deeply before a howl ripped from his throat. No, not a man. A male lycan. Near his mate. He issued a challenging snarl as he barreled further into the woods.

Alana jumped as a howl tore through the air a second time. “What was that?” she asked as she turned wide eyed to Greg. He was staring down at her with an indecipherable expression on his face.
“Don’t you know?”
Her heart leapt in her chest. She didn’t know if it was from fear or excitement. Her emotions were in such turmoil. She knew one thing.
Caine had come for her.
Greg nodded as he turned. They could both hear branches snapping and a steady growl grew closer and closer.
“Yes, he’s come.”
Alana stare at his back. There had been a thread of…excitement in his voice. Excitement? No, that couldn’t be…
“Holy crap!” she exclaimed as she scrambled up and backward as a figure burst through the small clearing. He was nearly on all fours and he was snarling. His eyes were locked on Greg…until she spoke then its, his, head snapped around to her.
“Uh…”
She froze as he tilted back his head and howled before launching himself at Greg.

Her face was a mass of scratches and bruises. If Caine had been thinking logically he would have paused and thought maybe she had gotten liked that from the car accident. But he wasn’t and he didn’t. He thundered toward the man who stood staring at him with fear in his eyes…as well as a little awe.
“You hurt her,” he snarled.
The other male hadn’t even bothered to change. Not that it would have mattered. Caine would have killed him either way.
“YOU HURT HER!!!!!”
“I didn’t. I didn’t hurt her,” Greg said as he scuttled backward. There was such fury in Caine’s face. All his life he had heard rumors of the Lancaster clan. Why they were always chosen to lead the pack. When they were hit with strong emotions they transformed into something more than a lycan. They were the true essence of a Lycanthrope in this form.
“She was in an accident and-”

Whatever else the man was about to say was cut off when Caine reached him and with nearly effortless strength began to squeeze his windpipe as he slammed him up against a tree. Greg blinked the stars from in front of his eyes as he tried to suck in a even a little air. Black dots began to swim in front of his face.
“Who are you?”
“My name…my name is Gregory Blade.”
Caine’s eyes narrowed and then he leaned closer and snarled. “You’re the man who wiped out those that opposed Ethan aren’t you. AREN’T YOU?” he roared. Spit flew out of his mouth and his teeth seemed to gleam wickedly at Greg.

Greg tried to knock his arm aside but it was like hitting steel. “Can’t…breathe.”
“That’s the idea. Did you enjoy slaughtering all those women? The children? The men who stood behind my father? The people that opposed Ethan taking over the pack by trickery? Did you?”
Alana placed a hand over her mouth as she listened to the exchange. She was afraid to move. Caine was enraged and Greg’s face was slowly turning red. His eyes were bulging out of his head and soon he was going to be drawing his last breath.
“Answer me!” Caine felt the tips of his claws sink into Blade’s skin. With a snarl he spun around and tossed him.

Greg coughed as air rushed back into his lungs. He took a deep gulp of air before it was knocked out of him again as he hit the empty trashcan.
Damn it, he thought as his head knocked against the tin. He tried to scramble to his feet but he was frozen in fear as Caine walked slowly toward him, eyeing him as if he was wondering which limb he was going to rip off first. He had never thought his life would end like this. Sure, he had done some things he wasn’t proud of but he had done them for the pack. It was always the pack. He blinked when his vision was suddenly filled with green plaid.
“Caine,” Alana said in soothing tones. “Caine, he didn’t hurt me. He was telling me things. Things that I needed to know. As a mater of fact-”
Greg stared in fascinated horror as she placed her hands on her hips and started to tap her foot. The crazy woman was actually tapping her foot. He hazarded a peek around her leg and saw Caine staring at her. The crazed look had left his eyes and he took a shuffling step forward.
“As a matter of fact he was telling me things that you should have told me. This is your fault! You should have been the one explaining things to me. Besides the fact that he talks in riddles. I had to keep dragging things out of him. Maybe I’ve grown accustomed to your straight forward talk.”

Caine reached out with a huge paw and to Greg’s amazement he gently brushed Alana’s cheek.
“He didn’t hurt you?”
“No Caine, he didn’t hurt me. And if you’re going to kill him don’t kill him on account of me.”
Greg stood drawing both their gazes. “If I could say-”
“Shut the fuck up. I am going to snap your neck. It won’t bring back my friends but it will make me feel better.”
Caine took a step forward then stumbled backward as his body jerked. He stared down at himself in amazement as the familiar glow started to come from his body.

Alana ducked her head as the light nearly blinded her but she made sure to keep a tight grip on the back of Greg’s jacket. She didn’t trust him not to do something to Caine as he was…transforming. Geez, transforming. What the heck? Was she going to have a run in with a vampire soon, she asked herself sarcastically.
Caine winced as his body contorted for a moment before he stopped fighting it and went with the change.

“Aaaand…he’s naked again,” he heard Alana say as the last of the light faded from around him.
“Christ, I could have used a warning. The last thing I want to see is another-”
“Don’t even say it,” Alana snapped.
Reaching up Caine touched his face. Everything was back to normal. Rolling his shoulders he looked at Alana. He noticed that she looked everywhere but at him. He found his first smile in what felt like days.
“See something you like Princess?” He chuckled when she snorted. His smile faded when he turned back to Greg.
“You and I have some unfinished business.”
“Yes, yes we do Alpha.”

Caine stiffened when he took a step closer than bowed at the waist.
“What are you doing?” Caine snapped.
“My family has always protected the Alpha of the pack. We had to keep up pretense when Ethan came into power but we always waited for a Lancaster to return. We always waited for you. When my father died I took his place and-”
“Slaughter everyone. You come from that line of Blades? You sicken me. Your father was my father’s beta. One of his closest friends. How could you do this? Why would you-”
“We have waited ten years for you Alpha. Give me ten minutes to explain.”
“Who is this we? There-”
Caine froze when he felt something tumble across his foot. He looked down and his eyes widened.

“These are the Lycan that I’ve ‘slaughtered’. The Lycan that I hid away. There are more Alpha. Many, many more in the surrounding woods. And we have all waited for you.”