Fanon:Survivre avec les loups

Former college student, turned soldier, turned werewolf Anoki Moon is just trying to keep himself and his small pack alive. Until he’s tasked to watch over Peyton Suzuki, a teenage girl with secrets she doesn’t even known about. Stalked by cold-blooded vampires, fondling a grudge, Peyton draws Anoki back into the Bridgeport Underworld. In a case built on lies, vengeance and power, Anoki learns that sometimes a promise can be the most dangerous weapon of all.

Chapter 1
Anoki Moon had been waiting for forty minutes in the Banzai Lounge. It was the middle of the day, preparations where being made for the Summer Festival in the park. The lounge was basically dead and so Anoki was wearing his grey Militant Mosher jacket with a white T-shirt, black jeans, and leather boots, nursing a soda and wondering why Kairi Wilson was late.

For the most part Anoki enjoyed the Banzai Room. It was popular enough to be exciting but not too popular that people where left outside waiting for hours and hours, while celebrities decided to make “the scene”. He was reaching for the check when Kairi arrived. She looked unhurried and cool; her business suit marked her as overdressed, even for the Banzai Room. She made him at his booth and took her time heading over, even stopping to order drinks from the bar. If Kairi thought she was late, Anoki couldn’t tell by looking at her.

He could smell the magic on her and his wolf marked her as a witch, and a very plausible threat to their safety. Anoki soothed his other half some; understanding the feeling, but remembering that it wouldn’t do them much good. If Kairi wanted to hurt him, there was little he could do to prevent it.

She had company too, a teenage girl, following a few steps behind her. Anoki put her at maybe nine or ten days away from adulthood. She was very pretty, with strong Asian features, dark eyes and hair styled in the same fashion as so many girls in Bridgeport.

“I ordered you another of the same.” Kairi reached his table and waited for the girl to take a chair before seating herself. “I hope that’s all right.”

“It might go to my head,” Anoki said. “I’ve been drinking for a while.”

Kairi smiled. She knew it wasn’t true and even if it was, werewolf perks included an extremely high metabolism able to burn through any juice no matter how strong.

“Peyton Suzuki,” Kairi said, “Anoki Moon. Anoki, this is Peyton Suzuki.”

“Of the West Bridgeport Suzukis?” Anoki asked.

Peyton looked somewhat alarmed. “No,” she said.

“Good. Can’t stand them.” Anoki turned to Kairi, “I’ve been here for forty-five minutes.”

“I was held up at the office,” Kairi said, and that was all she was going to give Anoki by way of an apology. In a sense, it was a fair explanation: When the High Witches returned to Bridgeport they did so under the guise of Aliah Holdings, a corporation with its hand in everything from military contracts to cosmetics, allowing the witches the foothold they needed to survive in the Bridgeport Underworld. Kairi herself was the CEO of the Bridgeport branch, a natural born caster and the daughter of two High Witches, basically a woman not to be messed with.

The waiter arrived with their drinks. When she had gone Kairi spoke, “I’ve been trying to reach you for days now. Alex told me you were out of town.”

“I got back today,” Anoki said.

“Moonlight Falls, right?”

“Yes.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“How is Pappy,” she asked. “I’d imagine he’s still not happy with you for stealing his wolves. Not to mention almost starting a war.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Anoki blew out a sharp breathe. It had been more complicated than that; a true vampire had come to the Falls and the only way to make him leave was a gift. A werewolf, Alex Dennis, had been offered up with Pappy’s approval and that didn’t sit well with Anoki. So much that he and two other wolves broke rank from Pappy and went all the way to Bridgeport to get her back.

<p class="MsoNormal">Things happened, and Anoki had returned to Moonlight Falls to receive their official banishment from the pack. It was definitive to say the lease, stripped of protection and threatened with death if they ever returned.

<p class="MsoNormal">Kairi smiled sympathetically, “Banishment can be really hard on wolves, being pack animals and everything.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“What do you want Kairi?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Ms. Suzuki here is involved with very important work for Alliah Holdings, important enough that we believe others might make a play for her, threatening her safety. I need you to provide 24/7 protection for her, for a few days anyway.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“You’re offering this to me, why?” Anoki asked.

<p class="MsoNormal">“We’re short staffed right now. We’ll gladly cover all expenses and of course the financial compensation will be amble.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“You can’t really be so busy at AH that you don’t have anyone to spare,” Anoki said.

<p class="MsoNormal">“We’re running some major operations upstate and in the city, and sadly it’s taking all of our resources. So I decided to offer it to you.” Kairi leaned back in the booth to appraise Anoki. He was big, not just tall but wide obviously Native American, with his dark skin and black eyes. Anoki had always been told he was beautiful, he wasn’t sure but about that but he always seemed to draw the gaze of women in a room. But Kairi seemed unaffected by Anoki’s appearance, something that made talking to her much easier.

<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s babysitting,” Anoki said, “and I’m not interested.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“You owe me. I could call in my marker.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“If you want to waste it on this, go right ahead. But I’m not some glorified dwam babysitter.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Kairi smiled again, and Anoki could feel the hair on back of his neck stand on end. He sensed magic at work, and it took him everything to keep from snarling at her.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Now Anoki, don’t be rude.”

<p class="MsoNormal">There was suddenly a great weight on his chest, and Anoki found himself unable to move or breath. He knew his eyes were glowing now, the wolf screaming to get out and challenge the threat.

<p class="MsoNormal">“So, I’m going to leave Peyton with you for three days and then I’ll send for her around noon. Please make sure that’s she’s fed and clean when she’s picked up.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Anoki could barely nod his head.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Now you two have fun together kay?”

<p class="MsoNormal">Kairi smiled and in the next moment vanished as though she was never there, leaving Anoki gasping for air.

Chapter 2
<p class="MsoNormal">Kairi Wilson was gone and Anoki felt the heat rising in his cheeks at the implicit humiliation she had caused, before it started slowly reaching his ears. He swallowed trying to find his center, his peace. He wished the heat would stop. He wished he didn’t have the urge to tear something apart.

<p class="MsoNormal">The heat snapped suddenly hotter, and he realized that his drink was still in his hand right before it shattered, spilling the contents all over the table and onto his lap. It only made him angrier.

<p class="MsoNormal">Kairi was playing him for a fool, but Anoki couldn’t find a way out. And now if Anoki didn’t get control of his temper he would undergo a feral change, making him dangerous to those around him.

<p class="MsoNormal">“So are we going or what?”

<p class="MsoNormal">Anoki looked up surprised having completing forgetting the young girl he had been introduced to only moments before. Why wasn’t she terrified of him, didn’t she know what he was?

<p class="MsoNormal">“What,” he asked with genuine surprise, noticing that the anger was gone from his voice.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Are we getting out of here, cause I’ve been on my feet all day. And I really, really want to rest.”

<p class="MsoNormal">He almost laughed.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yeah we can go.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Peyton nodded and headed for the door while Anoki paid for his drinks and followed behind. The hostess at the front handed her several pieces of luggage, after receiving them she promptly handed them to Anoki, before pushing open the doors of the Banzai Room.

<p class="MsoNormal">Anoki hailed for a cab with his one free hand, before turning to stare at Peyton.

<p class="MsoNormal">“No,” Peyton said without looking at him.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Wait what?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“No I don’t know why AH wants me, I don’t know why she gave me to you and no I’m not a supernatural.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“But how did you-,” he began.

<p class="MsoNormal">“How what?”

<p class="MsoNormal">How did you pull me back, he wanted to ask. How did you silence my wolf’s rage?

<p class="MsoNormal">“Nothing.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Anoki noted how tired her voice sounded; as though the question had been asked of her so many times that it had become merely a minor annoyance. But she had answered all the question he was going to ask her, and werewolf senses told him she was telling the truth. When the cab came to a stop Peyton disappeared inside, leaving Anoki to deal with the cab driver and her suit cases.