A crackle of power rolled down Nox’s spine, sliding through his gut, going lower and cinching his balls. He grimaced. Whatever it was the Anubis found attractive in Luca was getting stronger.
And after this morning, Nox could no longer deny the Anubis not only wanted Luca like it did an Alpha, it obeyed him. But Nox didn’t share death with Luca, so did the Anubis comply because it had to or because it chose to?
If it was the latter, then what would happen if it decided it didn’t want to do what Luca wanted?
It.
Nox shook his head. Luca was right. He needed to stop addressing the Anubis as if it were a separate being. It wasn’t. It was simply a part of himself he didn’t want to face. A darkness he housed, and when he admitted it, enjoyed.
The idea he took pleasure in the things the Anubis frightened him more than the possibility of losing control. And while Luca’s presence stirred the Anubis, at the same time, he soothed it. Maybe Luca was right, and it was time to quit fighting the pull between them.
Nox picked up the remote and flipped on the TV to check the weather. A warm front promised a substantial number of spring storms over the next few days. Nox left the remote on the bed and found the bag with the bottles of water.
He popped the lid, putting away half in a few swallows. The act of lifting his arms left his muscles aching with exhaustion as if they’d been worked hard in a gym.
It had only been a matter of time for lack of a regular high-protein, high-caloric meals to catch up with him. Soon it would become another issue. Hunting would help. Not only would it take the edge off, the Anubis could gorge until sated. At least for fuel.
He finished the water and went to put the bottle in the trash. A crowd of cop cars showed on the TV. Ticker tape racing across the bottom read: Police investigate bodies found mutilated in Rose Hill, Virginia.
Nox grabbed the remote and hit volume.
A young man stood in front of the scene, talking to the camera. “… authorities are not sure if the killings are related to the ones found a few days ago in North Carolina. But the two scenes are very similar.”
“Do they have any suspects?”
“Eyewitnesses’ testimony is varied. There are four unidentified bodies, and it’s unclear whether they are possible attackers or victims. The 911 calls reported large dogs. I fear those bodies may be the latter.”
“Has anyone reviewed the video?”
“Myself and others attempted to download copies to examine, but they’ve either disappeared as fast as they’ve hit social media or the videos appear too blurry to identify anything. Several guest staying here have complained about the FBI taking their phones with no promise of ever giving them back.”
“Sounds a little like the X-files.” The woman off-screen laughed, and so did the man.
“Yes, Beverly, it does. Apparently enough so that this morning military personnel arrived on the scene.”
“And what did they say?”
The man pressed his fingers against his earpiece. “They’re not saying anything.” He turned, revealing the view of the motel Nox and Luca had left. The single isolation tent that had been there when they had fled had transformed into a small village made of large trailers. They’d concealed breezeway where he’d first confronted the Anubis. Barricades held back gawkers, and now instead of cops, men in fatigues stood with rifles in their hands. “As you can see, they’ve made it impossible to see anything and have refused to let anyone within a hundred feet.” He gestured in the direction of a pair of camo-painted transport trucks. “They’ve brought in at least thirty men so far. The back right-half of the motel has been completely blocked off. Several long-time residents have had to move upstairs. I’ve attempted to question a few of the soldiers, but apparently they’ve been given orders not to speak to us and….”
Nox muted the TV. The reporter continued his animated hand movements while gurneys with body bags were wheeled across the background of the crime scene and loaded into one of the trailers.
The camera zoomed in on groups of soldiers in fatigues. A few wore tactical gear. The guards in the facility had worn something similar, but Nox didn’t remember any of them being military.
Running from the other Anubis was difficult enough. Now Nox had the US Army to worry about. Did they know where those unknowns came from? Or how they’d even been made?
Did they know those Anubis were after Luca?
And did they know Nox had escaped?
He decided they’d rest tonight, then head out in the morning. Staying in the van a few nights might help keep the military off their tail for a while. It wouldn’t stop the Anubis, but Nox could deal with them. Multiple men with enough firepower to rip apart his body were far more of a threat.
*****
Luca removed the bottle of lubricant from his bag of dirty laundry and tucked it into the front pocket of the sweatshirt.
The desk clerk in the lobby looked up when he walked in. Her white beehive hair added almost a foot to her short stature.
“How can I help you?”