Friends and Foes Ch. 01

Tom sat between the other two and heard the sharp intakes of breath to either side of him. The name obviously meant something to them. He looked at Mark for an explanation.

"Adam Stephens is the head of Stephens Construction, the major rival to the Arcan business. It's a similar situation, a family firm. He took control a few years ago when his father retired. Not long after he took over he began diverting some of the profits of the company into the research facility. I was hoping your business knowledge of him would shed some light on the man before we make our next move."

Tom felt a strange shift in the connection he had to Sam, and could feel Tilly was shuffling nervously in her chair. He was about to ask when Sam started to speak.

"Sir, I have to say I find this kind of hard to believe."

"I don't." said Tilly quickly. "Have you forgotten..."

Her words were interrupted by a growl from Sam. "I will tell them." He took a deep breath before continuing, and Tilly's fidgeting got worse. Tom even put a hand on her to try and calm her down. He had no idea what this was about, but there was obviously a lot yet to be said.

Sam cleared his throat, seeming to be uncomfortable with what he was going to say. "You will be aware that Tilly and I went to a human university. Our parents thought it would be very useful for us to have a presence in the human world when it came to running the business that our family has been involved in for generations. While we were there Adam was also a student. We became friendly despite the competition between the family firms, because we all understood the pressure and responsibility. We even thought at one point that when we took over our firms might work together."

Mark nodded. "It is understandable. It's also helpful if you knew him personally rather than just professionally. We need to know all we can about him."

Sam started to go red, and he looked at Tom before saying any more. "Adam and I became involved, for a while."

There was silence, Tom and Mark taking this unexpected news on board. Tom was the first to question that statement.

"You mean you were lovers?" he asked, not sure if he wanted the confirmation.

"Yes." was the quiet response. "It wasn't that serious, and it didn't last very long. In the end Tilly and I had to cut all contact with him."

"Why?" asked Mark. "What happened? I realise this is difficult for you but Council needs to know."

Sam looked across at Tilly, giving her permission to continue. She nodded her head in acknowledgment first.

"Adam had an interest in literature, particularly in folklore and history and more specifically the supernatural and paranormal and accounts of contact through the ages. A major part of that was an obsession with werewolves. His research was extensive even then. He found some texts that are rare even amongst our people. And he believed it all. We couldn't take the chance of him finding out about us. We tried to convince him it was all superstition and rubbish, but he almost became more sure he was right because everyone laughed at him. It was as though he was determined to prove everyone wrong."

"You're making him out to be some complete obsessed nutter." said Sam, displeased.

Tilly snapped back. "I was able to see what he was like a lot more clearly because I wasn't fucking him. And I would have thought what Mark has told us proves my point."

Mark stopped them both. "Arguing isn't helping. I hate to say it, but Tilly does have a valid point. Being involved with someone can often blind you to their faults. I guess you saw it eventually."

Sam nodded. "I knew that he was going to continue his research, but it was all books Mark, not anything real. We just couldn't take the chance of him finding we were what he was looking for."

"Perhaps once he did find the real thing it was far more tempting than books." said Tom. "I'm with Tilly here. You wanted him and that will stop you looking for the bad in people. I'm not upset with you, hell, I've made some bad choices in the past too, but a history like that plus him now having the money to throw at his research adds up to him being a perfect candidate for our bad guy."

"Is it at all possible he knows what you and Tilly are?" asked Mark, very serious.

Sam could only tell the truth. "He can't know for sure. I certainly didn't tell him. But he did ask me straight out one time."

Everyone else looked at him shocked, and he had to explain. "There had been rumours of a wolf sighting on campus. I don't know, it could have been true and someone saw me. Certainly there wasn't a natural population anywhere near, although it could just as easily have been a husky or something like that. Adam became convinced that it was a werewolf. I don't know why he thought it could be me. Perhaps I was too vehement that it was all rubbish, or maybe he saw or heard something when my guard was down a little. But he did ask me."

"What did you say?" asked Tilly, her tone severe.

"I just laughed at him. That was pretty much the last time I spoke to him too. Perhaps cutting off all contact like that told him what he wanted to know anyway. I couldn't take any more risks with him, it was far too dangerous for me and Tilly if he did discover anything."

Mark was deep in thought for a moment. "I agree you did the right thing to cut contact, but given the level of his interest perhaps it would have been wise to inform someone else of the situation."

Sam looked embarrassed. "I did consider it. But at the time, it would have meant me making a confession of my own that I wasn't ready for. I couldn't tell my parents I was gay and I'd been sleeping with the guy."

Tilly's annoyance was still obvious when she replied. "I knew about you. You should have told me and we could have worked out a way if that was what you were worried about. Instead you just told me it had fizzled out but he wasn't taking it well so you wanted me to leave him alone."

"I'm sorry I lied to you sister. But you have no idea how I felt at the time. I was young and insecure, it was my first attempt at a relationship, and I know I was stupid now, but at the time I thought I had done enough. I really didn't think he was a threat. I'm still finding it hard to believe that he could be involved in that kind of research. I mean, he had his obsession, but he wasn't exactly pro-active or confident. It's a miracle his father ever retired and let him take over the firm."

"We haven't seen him in a long time Sam. He's obviously come out of his shell. And I agree to some extent, I can't imagine him getting involved in torture or those interrogations himself. But that doesn't mean he wouldn't have funded them to help him find out whatever he wants to know."

Mark cleared his throat to stop them arguing. "I don't think debating what should have happened then is going to help us. I have to say that with this knowledge I'm even more keen to do what I was planning, and set someone to find out more information about him. We may well be able to find and remove the other facilities anyway, but we have to treat him as a possible threat. Council works hard to make sure that our existence is not made known to the general public, and Adam certainly seems too interested for us not to investigate further."

Sam nodded. "So what do we need to do."

"Nothing." Mark said, to surprise from the others. "He knows Sam and Tilly, so you can't get close to him with the history you and your firms have without it becoming suspicious. That said, if we don't find out enough covertly it might come back to you making contact. I'll have to discuss that with Council. For the time being you stay off his radar, especially if he might already think you are Were. We can't take the risk."

Mark left them to it after that and headed to see Peter before he left. Tilly could feel some emotions rising and decided it was time to leave them to it. She figured that Sam would want to discuss the recent revelations with his mate, and she needed to be with hers.

"I'm going to get back to Dill. I'll see you at dinner."

The two men nodded, both deep in their own thoughts. There was a moment of silence before Sam spoke.

"I'm sorry you found out about Adam like this. I need you to know, it was nothing compared to what we have."

Tom gave him a look. "I know that, otherwise we wouldn't be together now. I'm not cross at you for having a past Sam. I can't sit here and say I was a virgin when I met you. But I am upset at you for putting yourself at risk. And the fact you were thinking about doing it again. He's dangerous and I don't like the idea that he might even have the slightest idea of what you are when he's been involved with that place. You know as well as I do what they were doing to our kind. The idea of you being subjected to that... it terrifies me."

Tom started shaking and Sam could feel the fear that rose inside his mate at the thought of him being hurt. He put his arms around him and drew their bodies together, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"That's not going to happen. I'm not putting any of us at risk Tom. But I do feel partly responsible for this. If I'd not got involved with him, or had handled things better back then, perhaps people like Sky wouldn't have had to suffer now. If there's a way I can put that right – without any of us getting hurt – I want to help."

"He was obsessed before you ever met him Sam. There was nothing you could have done to change what has happened. And you already have helped put things right when we destroyed that place, and found the information that will let other teams do the same for the other centres. You are not responsible for what happened to Sky or any of the others."

Sam let it lie there, kissing his mate hard until he relaxed in his arms and started to respond properly to the attention. He tried to switch his mind off, but involuntarily his time with Adam started to drift back to him. Conversations they had shared, little details of his research and what had been said when he had ended it. Only the feeling of Tom pulling out of his arms and away from him brought him back into the moment. The look on Tom's face was hurt and annoyed.

"Don't lie to me Sam. Don't pretend you're going to leave this alone and then kiss me while you're thinking about him."

"I wasn't." The hurt look he got at his denial cut deep. "I wasn't thinking of him like that," he corrected.

"It doesn't matter that it wasn't about you fucking him. It matters that you aren't leaving this alone when you have been told to by Mark. And it matters that you are thinking about an ex, even innocently, while you kiss me like that." He turned to leave the room. "Leave me alone until you can keep your mind on us. And if you dare put yourself in danger by going after him I will tear you a new hole personally." he snarled.

Sam slumped into his chair dejected. He felt bad enough already finding out about Adam, and now he had upset his mate. The worst part of it was, as distressed as he was about Tom, he still couldn't get his mind off what had happened with Adam and whether there was any way he could have known and stopped him.

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