Find My Heart (boyxboy)

26. Underground Network

Nathan

It had only been 24 hours but it felt like weeks since I had last seen Cole.

I hadn't slept at all since he'd been gone. Casper and I had headed up two search parties with some of our best trackers, but no one could even catch a hint of a trail.

Damn modern vehicles.

It was getting dark and I knew I needed to rest, but somehow I couldn't stop my feet from continuing through the city, looking down every back alley and in every doorway, just hoping to get a glimpse of my boy.

God I missed him.

If they had even hurt a hair on his head I was going to tear them into tiny pieces. Oh, who am I kidding, I was going to tear them limb from limb anyway.

I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into their flesh.

I stumbled over a loose flag on the pavement, and knew it was time to rest. I didn't want to sleep though. When I stopped and really let my mind wander, all it could think about was Cole, and whether he was hurt....or even worse.....

I heard some music coming from a door across the street, and it got suddenly louder when I saw a group of young males open the door to go inside.

I crossed over in curiosity and saw a sign above the door saying 'Benny's'.

I opened the door to reveal a set of steps leading down into what must be a basement.

The music, which was loud, but not the kind of loud that made your ears bleed, led me to think this was some sort of drinking establishment.

I followed my feet down, and passed two burly looking men in suits, before the room opened out into an underground bar.

The lights were quite dim but I could make out several seating areas, as well as some tables and chairs. There was a real chilled out atmosphere as small groups just stood around chatting and laughing together.

I headed over to the bar.

I never drank, but I felt that today called for it.

I ordered a pint of lager and a whiskey chaser. I downed the whiskey immediately, then sat on a bar stool and stared miserably at my pint.

"Bad day?" the barman asked, with a grin on his face.

"You have no idea," I replied before taking a gulp of beer. It didn't taste bad, but I still didn't see why people loved it so much.

The bartender didn't seem to pick up on my mood and continued to talk to me, telling me funny stories from things that had happened at the bar.

I guess I didn't mind. He seemed quite happy to talk to me without me having to say much. I just offered him a tense smile every now and then at some funny anecdote.

Another group of people came in and took the bartender's attention away, much to my relief. I began to wonder whether he was just passing the time, or whether he was actually hitting on me.

I didn't understand humans at all.

I swung round on my stool to look out into the room, when suddenly I caught a scent that was familiar.

It was the scent of a werewolf.

I quickly started scanning the room, looking for where it was coming from. It was hard to pick up the direction of the scent while sitting still, and while other people were moving around.

Then I saw him.

It took me a few seconds to place him, but it was the servant from Blackwood manor. The one who had mistakenly headbutted me. The one who Casper liked. I searched my brain for his name but came up blank. What was he doing here? At least he was alive.