By choice or by force Ch. 07

Greg switched of the car's engine and turned to his daughter. "Come along, Laurie, we have someone to meet before we can even think about sleeping."

She looked at her father worriedly as she registered the exhaustion on his face. He was trying to be strong for her -- but it was costing him dearly.

She climbed out of the car and two of the men ushered them up to the main door.

Another man walked in just behind them, and his face was a mask of indifference as he carried with him a neatly folded set of clothes, black shirt, with black trousers -- or jeans and shoes sitting on top.

"What is this place, dad... who lives here?" Laurie whispered as she looked around the grand hallway -- complete with the massive double stairway climbing up to a first-floor landing that split two ways to lead to wherever, and beyond.

"It belongs to one of the council members. This man can help us negotiate a truce with Bill Frawnings and so avoid a pack war... at least that is my hope."

Laurie gasped in horror. "Surely it wouldn't come to that!" she whispered.

"Things amongst our kind can get very serious very quickly," a booming voice said from behind them, and Laurie spun around and then stepped back closer to her father with a little whimper.

This man was massive. In height as well as build and the dark metallic eyes were the most sinister that Laurie had ever seen.

This man was a shifter... but he was more -- so terrifyingly much more.

He oozed strength and power and...

Her chin came up suddenly and she glared across at the newcomer -- as she saw this show of strength for what it was... just another attempt to bully her.

"Well then perhaps it's time 'our kind' learnt a little -- restraint?" she snapped defiantly, even though she stayed glued to her father's side.

There was a moment of stunned silence, and then suddenly the man laughed a delighted laugh.

His metallic eyes warmed to a brown twinkle and his shoulders and even his height seemed to shrink a little. He was not less than he was before though -- just more approachable.

His bearing and stance oozed a man of position -- and responsibility.

He strode across to them in long easy strides. "Greg my old friend -- how long has it been ten... twenty...?"

He reached the two of them as Greg nudged her gently away and the big man clapped her father lightly on the back.

"I think you will find, Jon -- that it's closer to twenty-five years!"

He beckoned to a young woman standing nearby and indicated Laurie.

"Marissa, please can you show this young lady to a room on the east side of the house, on my level, and ensure that she has refreshments and changes of clothing -- enough for a few days. And make another room next to it ready for my good friend here. I will show him to it on my way to my own rooms.

He smiled at Laurie and she bit back a little shiver as his eyes glittered again with a little metallic shimmer.

"Marissa here will take care of you if you would be good enough to go with her."

He deliberately turned his back on her and draped an arm across her father's back.

"And you my old friend... come and share a drink and we can briefly catch up -- before we turn in for what's left of the night."

*

The house was silent when the wolf wearily padded in through the main door.

The smell of disinfectant, and other cleaning fluids assailed him as the man who had just mopped the floor walked past with his tools.

The other men standing around nodded briefly at the wolf, before they went back to doing whatever it was, they were doing, at this time of night.

The wolf padded towards the stairs but stopped suddenly on the exact spot where Laurie had stood less than an hour before.

He gave a little sniff at the ground and the cleaning fluids assailed his nostrils, taking away that brief scent he'd thought he had caught. The wolf let out a mournful whine, and dropped to his haunches, as though waiting for the scent to return.

After moments of sitting on the spot, he got up and padded up the stairs.

He reached the open door of his rooms and shimmered back into the man, where he fell heavily against the door frame.

After moments of standing gulping much needed oxygen he trudged into his room slamming the door behind him.

He would spend his life being haunted by Laurie's ghost if he did not find a way to get her back!