CHAPTER 6 | jack the who?
📎A/N. Hello my lovelies, it's wonderful to meet up again.
Thanks for all your wonderful feedback and support :)
This chapter we learn a little bit more about what was going on in Kaitlyn's mind :-)
Don't forget to vote :-) Remember, each vote lets me know that someone is enjoying my story and really makes my day.
Take care.
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Kaitlyn commenced pacing the length of the verandah the moment Murphy disappeared into the house. A habit she'd developed whenever her logical intellect was in conflict with her emotional psyche.
Wolf. Man. Animal. Human. Big Wolf. Big Naked Man. Her mind working overtime to dissect and interpret the scene that had just played out.
Kaitlyn, like others with her high IQ, envisaged each unfolding situation in new combinations. They are quicker to accept and embrace new circumstances that would otherwise be considered impossible or inconceivable.
With her quick and ever active mind, she was able to see and interpret things from a different perspective, and her ability to be flexible enabled to her adapt to changing circumstances.
Kaitlyn continued to pace, allowing her synapses to fire and process the traumatic event from only moments before.
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The head-strong woman, not able to wait for the morning to find answers, had taken it upon herself to find out where O'Neill was staying. Three phone calls and one promised favour later, she was furnished with the required information to track him down.
As she drove up the long secluded driveway, a light from somewhere inside the house alleviated the sudden thought that he would not be home. After knocking on the front door for what seemed a lifetime, she wandered around to the back of the house. A large verandah faced out to the forest the house backed on to.
The back door was open. "O'Neill, are you in there?"
Getting no response, she took a quick look round to confirm that the Profiler was absent. Kaitlyn, deciding he could not have gone far, took a seat on the porch swing to wait his return.
After a while, the temperature dropped a few degrees, and she began to shiver. Noticing a blanket had been carelessly left on the swing, she wrapped herself within its warmth. The masculine earthy scent both comforting and intoxicating as she relaxed and sat back into the pillows to wait.
Kaitlyn had no idea how long she had been sitting on Murphy's porch when she spotted a movement in the distance. Taking a closer look, she had been temporarily thrown when a large wolf emerged from the trees. The three-quarter moon provided enough light to clearly see the animal as it came into view.
Her obsession with her fathers murderer had made the F.B.I Agent an expert on all things related to the Wolf Killer cases. This included becoming knowledgeable on all matters relating to his accomplice.
The steadfast determination to learn everything about Wolves extended to a number of visits to Wolf Hollow, a Wolf Sanctuary an hour and a half north of Boston. The sole purpose; to study the habits as well as nature of the animal. It had always astounded her how a Wolf could be tamed enough to participate in the brutal slayings.
There was no doubting the fact that the magnificent creature stealthily sauntering across the clearing was a Wolf. What was odd was its stature. From this distance, the animal was almost twice the size of the grey wolves she had encountered in Ipswich.
A frown creased her forehead when she recalled that wolves of any shape or kind did not roam free in this part of the state.
"You look too healthy to be a wild animal," Kaitlyn whispered to no one in particular, as she scrutinised the large canine.
She tensed, her mind ever vigilant and active considered the remote possibility that this maybe the animal they were all after. That being the case, its savage owner would not be too far behind.
"Fuck," Kaitlyn groaned quietly, as she realised she was without a weapon.
The off duty F.B.I Agent pulled a phone from her pocket as she scanned the darkened tree line, ready to dial if the need arose. No movement was evident from within the forest.
From the corner of her eye Kaitlyn noticed the Wolf had stopped midway between the tree line and the house. Turning her gaze back to the animal, the woman was startled to observe the creature's shoulder dislocate.
The animals body seemed to ripple as it began a series of jerky motions. Each, more extreme than the last. She watched in fascination as hair was replaced by skin; forepaws were replaced by hands; hindpaws by feet; the powerful streamlined upperbody of the wolf was gone, and in its place defined muscles and broad shoulders. The unfolding phenomenon unraveled before her, her mind registering it in slow motion.
Within less than a minute the wolf was gone. And in its place was a naked man, who gracefully stood from his crouched position. Kaitlyn was stunned to recognise the man as Murphy O'Neill, her partner and the person she had come here to demand answers from.
Her synapses began to fire as her brain immediately attempted to make sense of what it had just been presented with. Running through a myriad of possibilities, she immediately discounted the thought that she was loosing her mind.
I am not going insane. I did not imagine that just happening.
Like a dealer flicking through a large deck of cards, her mind ran through all other credible reasons. Each time coming to the same conclusion.
Occam's razor; the simplest explanation is usually the right one.
Accepting the fact that she had just witnessed an animal transform into a man, her mind then became a flurry of questions as she considered the ramifications of this new startling fact.
Snippets from the case reports now started to make more sense. One of the biggest unanswered questions she had asked time and time again. How did a Wolf roam the streets of a city of over six-hundred thousand people and not one person noticed.
She now had her answer. That's because there was no Wolf roaming the streets!
Kaitlyn was now left with the logical conclusion that there were at least two people who could be an animal one moment, and a human the next. A terrifying thought then struck her as she pulled the blanket closer.
What if there is only one?
Murphy chose this moment to reach the house and walk through the porch door.
Her emotional state of mind, finally catching up, began to react to the traumatic events it had just witnessed and placed her body in a state of frozen indecision.
Was Wolf, now a Man. Not just a man... O'Neill. Fuck. Maybe I am losing my mind!
Blood pumped through her veins and her heart was pumping so violently that she could both hear and feel the roar of her pulse in her eardrums.
The look on Murphy's face told her he was just as shocked as she was. Self preservation kicked in as her partner took a step towards her.
She reached for her sidearm. Shit, no gun! as her hand felt nothing but air.
"I am not going to hurt you."
Yeah? Well I am not staying to find out. She looked around for a weapon or avenue of escape.
Attempting to bide some time. "Are you... him?" she questioned.
The woman was dismayed to discover there was nothing she could use to defend herself. What was more frustrating, he blocked both possible exits.
"No, like you, I am trying to stop him."
The sincerity in his words made her reconsider her initial assessment, and she stood her ground as he took a step towards her. She stared into dark eyes that seemed to hold so much power and determination.
Kaitlyn had been around criminals and degenerates long enough to recognise a killer when she saw one. As she searched the ebony depths of the window into his soul, she again noticed that they seemed to be pulling her in as if something was calling to her.
Physically dragging herself back from the precipice, Kaitlyn came to the realisation that he was not the person they were after. She instinctively knew the man standing before her was not a cold-blooded killer. He may be many things, but he was not capable of needlessly destroying a life.
She knew without a doubt that he was capable of killing. There was something raw and primal that exuded from him. Murphy was not the beast she was after. However, Murphy shared something in common with the killer. That, she was sure of.
"But he's just like you." Kaitlyn did not need his confirmation, she already knew. His bitter response left her in no doubt that the powerful man in front of her, had also been wronged by her father's murderer.
Her body relaxed as she accepted that she was in no danger from the Profiler. Kaitlyn then began to take notice of the actual person dominating her vision. She had been so focused on the moment she saw the change, she had missed the fact that there was a very impressive looking naked man less than two feet from her.
His broad shoulders framed a chiseled and well defined chest. Strong athletic arms that begged to be touched, tapered down to hands that had looked like they were not afraid of hard work.
If she thought that the wolf was impressive, he was equally matched by the human he had transformed into.
The dazed woman felt her face heating up as she absently continued her scrutiny. Catching her train of thought before it could embarrass her any further, she halted her gaze from travelling down his body any further. The sight of her partner was making her flustered, and she was finding it hard to think straight.
As soon as she spoke, she could see his walls slam back into place. Any evidence of emotion or empathy that had been there a moment before was gone. In its place, was the stern exterior she had become used to throughout the day.
Demanding that he put some clothes on, Murphy quickly complied and vanished through the door leading into the house.
Wolf. Man. Animal. Human. Big Wolf. Big Naked Man.
Kaitlyn continued pacing as the two sides of her over active mind continued to battle. Something her impulsive nature had often caused over the years.
The creaking of the door stopped her in her tracks and Murphy, now dressed in jeans and a form fitting t-shirt approached her.
Without saying a word he handed a small object to her.
The confused woman glanced down at the weapon in his outstretched hand. "What's that for?"
"It might make you feel safer."
Reaching out slowly she took the offered handgun. Murphy turned and made his way across to the far side of the veranda putting some distance between them.
Minutes went by before Kaitlyn broke the silence. She had so many questions which desperately needed answers.
Raising her eyes to look directly at him she took a breath and plunged in. "Do you change into any other animals?"
There was no movement in his face or posture to give her any indication on his thoughts. It struck her that he may not provide any answers.
"No," he eventually said, after what appeared an eternity.
"Apart from you and him," she ventured, "are there more of you?"
"Yes."
"Are you an Alien?"
He chuckled at this. "No."
"What are you then?"
Murphy sighed before he answered. Uncrossing his arms, he turned and leaned over the railing, gazing out towards the trees. "We refer to ourselves as Werewolves."
Kaitlyn rose an eyebrow in surprise and glanced up at the night sky. "How can you be one? That's not a full moon. Don't you only change on a full moon?"
The imposing man shook his head. "That's just a myth that Hollywood came up with," he scoffed.
"So you can..." she began, not quite knowing the right words, "you know... change when you want?"
Murphy nodded as way of a reply.
Kaitlyn walked the short distance between them and placed the photo, which had been held tightly in her hand, on the railing beside her partner.
"You knew my father."
O'Neill picked up the offered photograph and studied it. After looking at it for a while, he handed it back to her. "Like I said, he was a good man."
"Why do you still look the same? This photo was taken over twenty years ago."
He shrugged. "We age differently."
She pondered his words before speaking again. "How old are you exactly?" she questioned.
His intense gaze had her squirming slightly. "Does it really matter?"
"Just answer the damn question!"
Murphy turned away from her and resumed leaning against the railing. "One hundred and fifty-two," he said quietly as the words drifted across the cold night.
For some reason, this did not seem to phase Kaitlyn. With the other revelations from the evening, this did not even rate.
"And how exactly, did you know my father?"
"I think that's enough questions for tonight."
Turning the photo over she held it up to the now defensive Werewolf, "Why did he write that on the back?" she demanded, pointing to the words 'Nihil ant mi familiam' clearly handwritten on the back of the photograph.
For once, this appeared to rattle the otherwise calm Murphy. "Kaitlyn," he ground out, "I said that I wasn't answering any more questions tonight."
The object of his anger backed off. Kaitlyn knew there was no way she was going to get more out of him at the moment.
But he didn't say he wouldn't answer them tomorrow. Kaitlyn reasoned with herself.
"Fine," she declared, "but you will need to answer them at some point. I want answers and mark my words you will be giving them to me."
With that she placed his gun on the table, grabbed her keys and stormed out. Her footsteps crunching on the gravel driveway so loud she failed to notice him trailing silently behind her.
Unlocking her car door, Kaitlyn jumped as he began speaking.
"You do know if you say anything about what you saw. No one will believe you."
Holding her hand over her chest. "Where the hell did you come from," she cursed.
"If you didn't walk so loudly you might have heard me," he retorted.
"I do not walk loudly," she argued, "you just have loud gravel. And, for your information, I have no intention of outing you or your little secret."
"Fine."
"Fine." she replied as she slammed the door and started the car.
"Humans," snorted Murphy as he rolled his eyes and watched Kaitlyn's Prius quietly roll down the driveway.
Maybe that car's not so bad after-all, he thought idly as he wandered back to the house, at least it's quieter than her.
The entire drive home Kaitlyn's mind kept tripping between replaying Murphy's transformation from Wolf to Human and the words her father had printed on the back of the image... 'Nihil ant mi familiam'.
Her Latin was a bit rusty, but she was positive it translated to 'Nothing before my family'.
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The music blared from the live band, drowning out any conversations within the crowded Pub. The crowd, moving in time with the music was euphoric as they chanted with the lead singer.
He watched from his corner of the bar as the patrons came and went. He had learnt over the years that patience was most definately a virtue, and tonight was no exception.
A beautiful woman leaned over the bar to get the bartenders attention. Noticing the man leaning against the bar she turned and gave him a bright smile as she looked him over.
"Can I buy you a drink, handsome?" she purred as she leaned towards him, providing an ample view down her very low cut top.
Elijah gaze slowly took in the woman offering him something more than a drink. He was used to this. Admiring her ample cleavage which was threatening to spill out of her top, the Werewolf recalled a time when he did not need to be careful.
During his years in London, in the late 1800's he chose his victims based on the amount of cleavage they showed as they propositioned him for money. It was always a thrill to watch their change in expressions as he sated his hunger and then slit their throats as his seed flowed down their thighs.
Scotland Yard were useless. They didn't find half of them.
About to respond to the woman, he halted as he spotted the reason he was here walk through the door.
Elijah turned back to the woman. "Sorry lovey, I'm expecting someone. Maybe next time."
With that he made his way closer to his target. As he got near, he could see and scent the tell-tale signs he was looking for. A triumphant smile crossed his face as he passed by the man.
It was working. Two birds with one stone.
Paybacks a Bitch!
Since arriving in America he had been evading the Alliance whom he detested with a vengeance. They were at the top of a very short list that had sat on shoulders as a very heavy chip.
Recently, he had added to this list.
Elise.
He was going to make that Bitch pay for abandoning him after all that he had done for her.
He had served her diligently all these years and she had discarded him in a heartbeat when the Alliance had invaded their compound. She had escaped. Leaving him behind to fend for himself.
As he continued to watch his target he considered the plan he had come up with. It was genius. How he had not thought of it before was beyond him. Pissing off both the Alliance and Elise at the same time was going to be pure bliss.
He felt stirring within him as his wolf pushed through his thoughts.
Okay, Okay you can play with her. Elijah scanned the crowded room for the busty Brunette.
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A/N. So what did you think?
... Some more little revelations... wonder what the message on the back of the photo meant?
... And wonder what Elijah's wolf wants with the brunette at the pub? ;-)
... Also, what's he up to?
Hope you enjoyed the chapter. It's going to get bumpy from here :-)
Don't forget to vote.
Have a wonderful weekend and see you mid-week.
M.
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