plik

An  ordinary  rainy  day  at  the  Bremen  is  interrupted  when  a
strange  courier  shows  up  with  a  package  for  Peyton  Blue,  the
Bremen's much-loved owner and bartender. When the package
turns  out  to  be  a  piece  of  Peyton's  past  and  brings  that  past
violently into the present, it is up to Johnnie to resolve a years
old problem and put the past where it belongs once and for all.

Ruffskin  takes  place  after  Dance  in  the  Dark,  and  is  best  read
after that story.

Ruffskin
By Megan Derr

Published by Less Than Three Press LLC

All  rights  reserved.    No  part  of  this  book  may  be  used  or
reproduced  in  any  manner  without  written  permission  of  the
publisher, except for the purpose of reviews.

Edited by Samantha M. Derr
Cover designed by London Burden

This  book  is  a  work  of  fiction  and  as  such  all  characters  and
situations  are  fictitious.  Any  resemblance  to  actual  people,
places, or events is coincidental.

First Edition March 2012
Copyright © 2012 by Megan Derr
Printed in the United States of America

ISBN 9781620041093

The quotes used by Johnnie and Grim were pulled from the
following sources:

The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations by Subject Edited by Susan Ratcliffe
ISBN 978-0-19-860750-2

Century Dictionary of Quotations Edited by The Princeton Language Institute

ISBN 0-440-21447-5

Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales Barnes & Noble Books edition
ISBN 0-88029-519-8

The Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe
ISBN 978-0-40-405109-9

Ruffskin

Megan Derr

6 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

"What did I tell you?" Johnnie snapped, slapping Grim's

hands away. "Do not touch me. If you want to touch, you can go
back to your stupid ex. I said do not touch me!" Slapping at
Grim's hands again, he turned and stalked across the bar to the
pool table, leaving Grim to hang up their wet, muddy coats.
Angry, he yanked down his cue stick from the rack.

The balls were already racked, ready, and waiting. The bar,

thankfully, was empty.    It had  been  nothing  but  rain,  rain,  and
more  rain  the  past  few  days.  Locals  were  braced  for  the
hurricane  season  not  far  off,  and  to  judge  by  the  already  foul
weather, it was going to be an interesting summer.

Johnnie struck, sending balls scattering, wishing each and

every one of them  was  the  head of  the  pretty  little witch who
had  all  but  plastered  himself  to  Grim  while  they'd  been  out
shopping.  And  right  in  front  of  him!  Like  Johnnie  did  not  even
exist.

That was easily rectified, to be certain. If the fool was stupid

enough to give his name, then he could suffer the consequences
of being blacklisted by Desrosiers. See who had the audacity to
get overly friendly with what belonged to Johnnie after that.

A hand touched his back, startling him, and Johnnie jerked

away. He was immediately pulled back into Grim's arms. "Leave
me—mmf—"  He  bit  down  hard  on  Grim's  lip,  thoroughly
annoyed  that  Grim  was  not  listening  to  him,  the  insufferable
ass.  "What  did  I  say  about  not  touching  me?"  he  asked  icily
when Grim finally broke the kiss.

Grim rolled his eyes. "I have no idea; I've been ignoring

everything that comes out of your pretty little mouth since we
finally escaped Weston."

Johnnie made a show of haughty indifference. "Weston,

was it?"

"You know very well what his name was," Grim said, looking

amused, which was entirely inappropriate for the situation. "I

7 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

do not doubt within the hour you'll know everything about him
and ensure he is not welcome in half the buildings in the city."

Sneering, Johnnie said nothing, only turned away and tried

to go back to his game. Half, indeed. He was going to be far
more thorough than that. Grim pulled him back once again and
held him firmly in place by an arm around his waist, while the
other captured his wrists, pinning them to his chest.

"Let me go," Johnnie hissed, twisting his head—and jerking

it back around when Grim's proved to be far too close.

Then that hot toddy voice poured over him and made him

shiver despite himself. "As much as I love it when you get all
lordly and snotty, Highness, jealousy does not become you."

Johnnie said nothing, only shivered again when warm lips

trailed  along  the  skin  of  his  throat.  What  was  he  supposed  to
say?  The  stupid  witch  had  been  beautiful  and  skilled  and
obviously  more  than  willing  to  renew  his  old  relationship  with
Grim.  A  witch  like  that  was  probably  far  less  complicated  and
troublesome  than  Johnnie,  and  he  and  Grim  had  looked  good
together.

He knew Grim would not leave him, but it was hard to

convince old fears of that.

"Honestly, Johnnie, you're getting jealous over nothing."
"Trifles light as air/Are to the jealous confirmations

strong/As proofs of holy writ," Johnnie replied.

"Shakespeare, is it?" Grim asked, amused. "You are in a

snit." Johnnie said nothing, merely jerked his head to the side
when Grim tried to kiss his neck. "He cheated on me, you
know," Grim said quietly. "He thinks I don't know, but you know
how well I can see things that people don't know can be seen."

Johnnie narrowed his eyes at that and decided blacklisting

the bastard was not good enough.

"Stop plotting all the princely things you can do to him,"

Grim said with a chuckle, breath hot against Johnnie's skin.
"He's well in the past, and I would much rather focus on my
beautiful, if hostile, present."

Relenting a little bit, Johnnie said, "How would you react if

you ran across one of my ex's?"

8 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

Grim laughed. "You do not have any ex's. If you had, your

father would have taken care of them long before I arrived."

"I hate you," Johnnie replied and struggled to get free so he

could inflict bodily harm.

"If you think I am letting you go just so you can hit me,"

Grim said, still laughing, "then you are sorely mistaken,
Highness."

"You'll have to let me go event—" The words broke off on a

hiss when Grim bit the back of his neck, nuzzled at his throat,
and Johnnie decided he would delay the hitting slightly if—

Johnnie nearly fell forward onto the pool table when Grim

abruptly let him go as the door slammed open. He scowled at
the intruder, who at present was nothing more than a raincoat
and what seemed to be buckets of water pouring off him. The
man had better have burst in for a very good reason.

"Sorry!" the man said, and pulled off his raincoat, hanging it

up on one of the hooks by the door and adding to the mess
already put there by Johnnie and Grim's coats.

Johnnie picked up his cue stick, setting it aside while he

racked the balls to start over.

"Sorry to barge in and make a mess," the man repeated.

"Especially as loudly as I did; I'm afraid the wind got the better
of me." As if in agreement or protest, the wind rattled at the
door, threatening to slam it open again.

"No worries," Grim said. "Can we help you with

something?"

The man pulled down the brim of his flat cap, hiding his

face. Johnnie realized then that they had yet to get a good look
at him. "I'm looking for Peyton Blue?" the man said, phrasing it
as a question, as if not certain what Peyton looked like—yet
Johnnie had the distinct impression he knew neither of them
was Peyton.

"He's in the back," Johnnie said even as Grim darted off to

fetch him.

Curiosity snared, Johnnie abandoned the pool table and

wandered over to the bar, closer to the man. He was dressed in
a drab polo and worn jeans, but Johnnie could not make out the

9 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

insignia  on  the  polo,  covered  as  it  was  by  the  light  hoodie  the
man  wore  over  the  polo.  He  wore  no  jewelry  to  speak  of,  and
his  hair  was  hidden.  Nothing  about  him  stood  out  or  was
remotely  memorable.  The  man  was  trying  very  hard  to  give
nothing of himself away.

Johnnie moved closer, smiling congenially as though he

were attending some interminable social function. "So what
brings you out in this wretched weather?"

"Uh—business," the man said. "Delivery. Man said the

package couldn't wait, had to be delivered today, the sooner
the better."

"Package?" Johnnie echoed. But before he could press

further, Peyton appeared, wiping his hands on a towel, with
Grim just behind him.

The delivery man jumped, and Johnnie eyed him askance.

The man then stepped forward and thrust a small brown box
into Peyton's hands. "For you," he said, and Johnnie caught the
faintest tremble in the man's voice.

Then suddenly the man turned and bolted, door slamming

behind him—his raincoat was still hanging beside Johnnie's on
the hooks by the door.

"What in the world was that all about?" Peyton asked aloud.

He looked at the package, frowning. "Should I open this?"

Johnnie took it and examined the box carefully. "I don't

smell or sense anything."

"Nothing seems amiss," Grim added. "Maybe Johnnie was

just making him nervous?"

"Be silent or I'll give you good cause to be nervous," Johnnie

retorted. Grim only smirked.

Peyton rolled his eyes at them, and then began to peel off

the  brown  paper,  revealing  a  black  velvet  jeweler's  box,  but
deeper and wider than usual.  There were no markings to speak
of.  So  it  was  a  generic  box,  or  the  contents  were  from  a  store
too low-end to bother stamping their boxes.

Pulling off the lid, Peyton drew a sharp breath, and all the

color drained from his face—then he threw the box, contents

10 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

and all, on the bar and bolted out the door, bellowing for the
messenger.

Johnnie flicked his fingers at Grim and said haughtily,

"Fetch."

"Yes, Highness," Grim replied and vanished.
Alone, Johnnie helped himself to the box. Inside was a

handsome watch. He would not have minded seeing it in his
collection. But then, a Rolex was always a nice thing to have. He
turned it over, examining every minute detail, and somehow
was not surprised to see an inscription.

To Peyt, Love Ruff

Who was Ruff?
Johnnie continued to examine the watch, but nothing else

caught his eye. Setting it on the bar, he moved around the bar
and poured himself a vodka rocks. He'd just taken his second sip
when the door opened and Grim and Peyton returned.

"Gone," Peyton said bitterly.
Johnnie looked to Grim, who just shook his head. "He can

hide."

Which meant he was hiding even the energies that Grim

could  see.  That  was  expensive,  like  in  the  millions  expensive.
"Impressive."  Such  a  charm  would  have  to  contain  demon
blood, the only other race that could see energies. He set down
his  drink  and  picked  up  the  watch  again.  "Anyone  who  can
afford to give a Rolex, however, can clearly afford fancy charms
to hide himself."

Grim snorted. "Meaning we're looking for one of your ilk."
Johnnie ignored him. "Who gave you a Rolex, Peyton?"
"No one—I mean, he never got the chance," Peyton said,

and he sat on a barstool with a sigh. "I admired his, once, and
this  was  years  ago  mind.  After  that,  he  kept  teasing  and
promising about  getting me  one.  I  told  him  not to  because we
were on opposite ends of the pack. Being friends was one thing;
him  giving  me  a  gift,  never  mind  an  expensive  one—that  was
something else entirely."

11 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

"Who was he?"
"The alpha's only child," Peyton replied. "His son, name is

Hudson  Blue.  Younger  than  me  by  seven  years.  He  was  born
premature.  All  their  previous  attempts  to  have  children  had
ended  in  miscarriages  or  stillborns,  so  they  were  fiercely
protective  of  Hudson.  'Ruff'  was  my  nickname  for  him.  We
shouldn't have been friends, but we were." His expression said
that they had clearly been more than friends, but the Rolex had
already hinted at that.

Johnnie poured a beer and slid it across the bar to Peyton.

"You said once that you left the pack because of things that
went down and were going to keep going down."

"Yeah," Peyton said bitterly, looking three times his age

suddenly. "Murder. The Alpha and his Candidates were abusive,
malicious,  and  downright  cruel.  After  they  wound  up  killing  a
couple  of  pups,  me  and  another  wolf  simply  couldn't  take  it
anymore.  Kipling  was  his  name.  We  killed  the  Alpha  and  the
Candidates.  All  of  them.  Then  we  ran.  Kipling  went  one  way;  I
went another."

"Blue never really got another Alpha, not in all these years,"

Johnnie commented. "The pack is a mess."

"Yeah," Peyton said. "Like I said, crap is just going to keep

happening."

"Whatever happened to Hudson?"
"I don't know," Peyton said quietly. "I've wanted to contact

him for years, but didn't dare. If the pack finds me, I'm a dead
man, and I don't know what they'd do to him if they thought we
were  staying  in  touch.  But  I've  always  wished  I'd  gotten  to tell
him  goodbye—"  He  broke  off  and  shook  his  head.  "I  always
hoped  he  would  do  okay.  His  mother  was  crazy  protective  of
him;  I  thought  that  would  be  enough  to  protect  him  from  the
rest of the pack."

Johnnie said, "He was just here and gave you that watch."
"He must be in danger," Peyton said. "I have to think

something is wrong, because otherwise wouldn't he just come
see me instead of acting this way? But maybe not. I don't know

12 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

anymore." He raked a hand through his hair, miserable and
confused.

Refilling Peyton's beer, Johnnie left him alone for a bit and

headed upstairs, Grim on his heels. Once upstairs he closed the
doors and turned to Grim. "How does anyone hide from you?"

Grim snorted. "Even death can only do so much. Hiding

from us can be done, and you probably know with what. Hell, it
doesn't even always require charms. Why do you think we have
to cross so many planes to find the lost souls we seek?"

Johnnie nodded. "So far as charms go, that's high sorcery,

and it would require demon blood as a major component.
Father had one once. He sold it centuries ago, and then bought
the land where we later built the beach house, a couple of
properties downtown, and used what was left to redo the lower
west wing."

Rolling his eyes, Grim said, "Anyway. The charm

camouflages his unique energies. If I get another shot at him, I
may be able to see past the camouflage now that I'm aware of
what he's doing and am braced for it."

"How often do people hide from you?" Johnnie asked out of

curiosity.

"It's pretty damn rare," Grim said. "Which is why your father

got an eye-rolling amount of money for his charm. My mother
can actually remember all the times it's happened to her, which
should tell you something. This is my first time running across it.
Usually it's just an irritating game of hide and seek with
breadcrumbs.

"The guy must be scared to death, I can tell you that much,"

Grim continued. "Those things are stifling, according to my
mother. It's like slowly suffocating, but with your aura or
energies or whatever you want to call it."

"So we need to know what he's running from," Johnnie

replied. He pulled out his phone and punched the first speed
dial.

"John," Ontoniel greeted on the first ring.
"Father," Johnnie replied. "Have you heard anything

regarding Pack Blue, lately?"

13 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

"You mean other than the usual," Ontoniel said, not

phrasing it as a question. "There was something a few months
ago, actually. I'm surprised you don't know."

Johnnie shrugged. "I stay out of Blue in deference to

Peyton, and if I made an effort to keep myself apprised of wolf
gossip, I would have little time for anything else."

Ontoniel chuckled briefly. "Indeed. But as regards Pack Blue,

I did hear that a few months ago their Alpha Female was nearly
killed. No one knows who attempted to murder her; there was
no clear evidence. To the best of my knowledge, they are still
hunting her attacker, and she is still in a coma. Why?"

The Alpha Female, hmm. "I believe her son visited my bar

very briefly this afternoon and left a personalized Rolex for
Peyton. He's wearing a charm that keeps anyone from finding
him, even Grim."

Sighing, Ontoniel said, "I thought we had gone too long

without you risking your fool neck. Tell Grim to take special
care; I don't trust wolves."

"No," Johnnie retorted. "Thank you for the information,

father."

"You're welcome, John," Ontoniel replied, and they hung

up.

Johnnie looked at Grim. "The Alpha Female was nearly killed

three months ago; her murderer failed, but only barely. She's in
a coma."

"Matricide?" Grim asked, following Johnnie's line of

thought. "So what did your father say?"

"Nothing," Johnnie said, sliding his phone back in the pocket

of his deep umber vest. He moved to the mirror to adjust his tie.

"Liar," Grim said in his husky, hot-toddy voice and nibbled at

the soft skin of Johnnie's neck, arms warm where they slid
around him. His teeth and tongue teased Johnnie's ear, making
him shiver.

Johnnie twisted and let Grim press him against the wall. "I

do not recall saying that you were no longer in trouble."

"You did," Grim assured him, "and your father knows I will

take extra care saving you from yourself."

14 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

"Shut up," Johnnie replied and kissed him to prevent a

reply.

The sound of shouting, shattering glass, and screams of

pain, made them both freeze. Growling, Grim snarled, "Stay
here," and bolted off.

Johnnie followed him. Downstairs, the bar was a wreck:

glasses,  bottles,  and  even  a  couple  of  barstools  and  one  table
were  broken  to  little  more  than  shards  and  splinters.  Peyton
and  another  wolf  were  fighting  with  the  sort  of  ruthlessness
that  only  wolves  could  muster,  intent  upon  destroying  one
another  and  not  caring  if  they  brought  down  the  bar  in  the
process.

He had never seen Peyton as a wolf before. Peyton was

handsome, as wolves went. His fur was gray and black, and
even in the middle of the fight Johnnie could still occasionally
see the bright, rich hue of the trademark Blue eyes.

Peyton was also large, even for a werewolf—significantly

larger than the wolf who was trying to kill him, and also a better
fighter, though that was a near thing.

The other wolf finally collapsed and did not get up again.

Peyton shifted back and collapsed himself, slumping against the
bar and leaving a long smear of blood across it. He looked at
Johnnie, and then passed out before he could form the words
he was obviously trying to say.

Swearing, Johnnie pulled out his phone.
"John?"
"Father, a wolf just nearly killed Peyton. Blue is bringing

their feuding into our territory and hurting our people."

Ontoniel hung up without another word; no doubt he would

immediately turn around and contact Blue to let them know
they had officially pissed off a Dracula.

Johnnie punched the next speed dial. It rang three times

before finally picking up. He didn't give Rostiya a chance to
speak, simply said, "Get over to the Bremen, now."

"On my way," Rostiya replied and hung up.

15 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

Last, Johnnie called Micah. "Get whoever you can and get to

the Bremen immediately. Someone just tried to kill Peyton."
Micah, like Ontoniel, hung up without a word.

"If you are finished calling the cavalry," Grim said, "I could

use some help."

Johnnie snorted, even as he obliged. "You do not need my

help with him. I would only hinder, I should think." He knelt
before Peyton, grimacing at the horrible state he was in. "At
least his wounds do not seem too severe, even if he will not be
doing much around the bar for a bit. I guess they are hunting for
one wolf, but not opposed to bonus kills."

"I can tend the wounds," Rostiya said from where he and his

vampire lover Jesse had just appeared behind them, and he
knelt in Johnnie's place as Johnnie stood up.

Leaving him to it, Johnnie started to inspect the damage

around the bar more closely. He stopped short when he saw
that Jesse was kneeling beside the other wolf. Moving across
the bar, carefully avoiding puddles of blood, Johnnie joined him.

"Dead," Jesse commented, and he dipped his fingers in a

pool of blood and licked it idly. "Hmm, Alpha blood. Peyton just
killed either an Alpha or a Candidate."

"Hardly the first time," Johnnie replied. "Anyway, it was in

self-defense."

Jesse shrugged. "I am not going to lose sleep because a wolf

is dead. He is lucky he is dead, really. If he were alive, he would
be dealing with your lover and your father."

"I can take care of myself," Johnnie snapped. "Anyway, he

was not attacking me. He was after Peyton, in case you missed
that."

"No, I caught that," Jesse said, amused. "But when wolves

are like this, they'll kill whatever falls into their path, up to and
including the reckless sons of Draculas." He motioned to the
dead wolf. "Know who he is? Other than Blue, obviously."

Johnnie shook his head. "My father—" He broke off as

Ontoniel appeared by the door.

"What is going on here?" Ontoniel asked sharply.

16 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

Johnnie sighed and stood up. "Grim and I went upstairs to

speak in private. I called you. A few minutes after I hung up, we
heard a ruckus down here and found them trying to kill each
other."

Ontoniel looked at the mess, eyes dark, mouth tight with

anger. When he looked at Johnnie, however, he said only, "We
need to find the source of this commotion; you and Grim are
best suited to that task. Do it. I will tend matters here. Be
careful, John."

"Yes, father," Johnnie replied and shrugged into the jacket

that Grim held out for him, one step ahead as Grim so often
was. Accepting his cane and fedora from Grim, he led the way
out into the rain.

"If we are going to be stuck under an umbrella together all

day, it seems to me I should be doing something a lot more
interesting than hunting for wolves."

Johnnie pressed a kiss to his jaw, breathing in faint traces of

myrrh and musk rose and a hint of the fruit candies Grim
occasionally ate. "I'll let you make it up to me later."

"Brat," Grim replied and stole another kiss.
"So how shall we begin?" Johnnie mused aloud. After a

moment, he quoted, "Where does a wise man hide a pebble?"

Grim's mouth curved in a slow smile, and he tugged down

the brim of his cap as he quoted in reply, "On the beach."

"Where does a wise man hide a leaf?"
"In the forest," Grim answered. "So what beach or forest

are we looking for?"

"The same one Peyton went to when he came here,"

Johnnie replied.

"You think Hudson came here and tried to settle in all

legally?" Grim asked. "He may as well have called up his pack
and said 'come and get me'."

"Until today it worked for Peyton," Johnnie said and quoted,

"He never once thought it probable, or possible, that the
minister had deposited the letter immediately beneath the nose
of the whole world, by way of best preventing any portion of
that world from perceiving it."

17 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

Grim grunted. "No one ever tries that trick with me."
"No," Johnnie said tartly, "but you certainly feel free to

employ it yourself."

Grim winced. "Good point. So our runaway wolf registered

here and clearly received permission to stay. But did he use his
real name?"

"That I doubt," Johnnie said. "If he had, Peyton would have

noticed, and I think he was avoiding Peyton at least as much as
his pack. Of course, this is all supposition for the moment."

"As if you're ever wrong," Grim said and smiled at him.

"Very clever, Highness. I was simply going to see if I could follow
any residual energies I might pick up from the watch he left and
hope they led me to a larger trail."

Johnnie savored the bright smile, so freely offered, because

not so long ago Grim had not been much for smiles like that—
not with him. "Not a bad idea, either," he said. "We could
split—"

"Don't even think about it, Highness," Grim said. "I'm not

stupid enough to leave you unsupervised, even if I thought your
father wouldn't slay me for it. You attract life threatening
situations like flowers attract bees."

Johnnie smirked. "You mean I attract death?"
Grim lifted his eyes to the sky and pointedly ignored him,

instead fussing with the Rolex on his wrist, no doubt put there
for safekeeping and easy access while he tried to follow
whatever it offered. He was obviously unused to the weight and
feel of it and probably uncomfortable just with the idea of such
an expensive watch in general.

The kind thing would be to leave him alone about it.

Johnnie harassed him. "I hope you're not expecting one of those
for your birthday."

"What?" Grim asked, taken aback. "No—of course not,

Johnnie!"

Frowning, Johnnie leaned up and kissed him. "I was teasing

you, idiot shepherd."

Grim scowled. "There's nothing wrong with being a

shepherd."

18 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

"I certainly approve," Johnnie replied. "But, if you want a

Rolex—"

"I don't," Grim said hastily, firmly. "I hate fancy crap."
Johnnie bit back a smile and decided he would have to buy

Grim a piece of 'fancy crap' for Christmas. Or maybe Halloween,
that seemed rather more apropos. But all he said aloud was,
"Good, because I bought your birthday present last week and
returning it to buy a silly watch would have seemed extremely
gauche."

Grim's eyes snapped to him, flaring ever so briefly with

white light. "You got me a present? What is it?" he demanded,
looking surprised and delighted and so boyish Johnnie couldn't
remember how to speak for a moment.

When he could remember, he turned and strode off down

the street, taking the umbrella with him. Looking over his
shoulder, he quoted loftily, "Patience, and the mulberry leaf
becomes a silk gown."

"I am a kind of burr. I shall stick," Grim quoted in retort, and

then caught up with him.

"Now who is quoting Shakespeare?" Johnnie muttered.

"Take us to the offices of admittance."

"Yes, Highness," Grim replied, but the tone of his voice said

that the matter of the present was not over yet, only
postponed. He held Johnnie close, and then they vanished.

They reappeared in front of a rather plain looking office

building on the west edge of the city not far from the shoreline,
though it was too rocky there for good beaches.

Grim slowly let him go and tugged at the brim of his cap.

"So what now?"

"Ask if they've seen him," Johnnie said. "I think his delivery

job was authentic. Slender—too slender for a wolf, really. Short
hair, I could see none of it beneath that cap. Shy, nervous." He
made a face. "If I go in there and ask, they will tell me
everything they think I want to hear."

Nodding in agreement, Grim said, "Do not move so much as

a finger while I'm gone, Johnnie. I'm serious. If you move one

19 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

toe out of place, I will tie you to the bed—and you won't enjoy
it," he added when Johnnie started to smirk.

"I managed just fine by myself before I was saddled with a

babysitter," Johnnie said, annoyed. "I think you've gotten worse
since openly sleeping with me."

Grim only smirked. "Hold still." He shook Johnnie briefly in

warning and went inside the building. Johnnie leaned against
the wall and rolled his eyes, and then settled on glaring at the
rain and going over what little information they had.

Though ordinarily he was thrilled by a mystery, this one had

nearly  gotten  Peyton  killed.  Peyton,  who  had  already  suffered
enough  and  just  wanted  to  be  left  alone  to  enjoy  his  bar  and
quiet  life.  Peyton  obviously  still  carried  a  torch  for  the  alpha's
son he had left behind—a man who had bought Peyton an eight
thousand  dollar  watch.  Who  was  trying  to  reach  Peyton,  and
who was probably the reason Peyton had nearly died, and had
murdered another high ranking wolf.

Johnnie's scowl deepened while his mind raced. Time, he

felt, was slipping away, and they could not afford to lose much
more of it. Where could Hudson be? Why go to all the trouble
to give Peyton an old present only to bolt?

To say goodbye, Johnnie realized in the next moment. If he

had  really  attacked,  and  possibly  killed,  his  mother,  then  Pack
Blue  would  be  after  him with  a  vengeance. Blue was  no  doubt
long  tired  of  losing  leaders,  especially  those  killed  by  fellow
Blue. For a son to kill his mother…

Hudson no doubt felt, and not incorrectly, that his days

were numbered. Something must have scared or tipped him,
however, that he dared to reach out to Peyton to say goodbye
before… what? Was he going to run away somewhere else?
What had changed things?

He looked up at the sound of footsteps and smiled at Grim.

"Well?"

"They recognized him, said he was here to finish up his

paperwork and finally get full citizenship just a few days ago.
He's always wearing his uniform: a gray polo with a winged foot

20 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

and sunburst logo. Fleetfoot Deliveries. They gave me his home
address, but I can tell you right now it's bogus."

Johnnie nodded and pushed off the wall. "That is not

surprising. So let us go visit his place of employment; I
guarantee they have some sort of authentic address."

Once they arrived at Fleetfoot Deliveries headquarters,

however, Johnnie once more was forced to wait outside, after
being strongly admonished by Grim to hold still again, while
Grim went inside to extract answers.

After nearly two hours of waiting, Grim reappeared. "Got

it," he said. "You owe me big time for that hassle. I don't think
even you are as stubborn as those bastards."

"Is that a challenge?" Johnnie asked.
Grim reached out and pinched his nose. "No, it was not. If

you try to make it one, we will go right back to tying you up in
ways you won't enjoy, brat."

Johnnie laughed and pressed a kiss to the corner of Grim's

mouth. "So where are we going?"

"Not too far from the Bremen, actually. The really, really

bad part of town." He took hold of Johnnie and they vanished,
reappearing in yet another part of the city.

Johnnie regarded the dilapidated looking apartment

building,  and  then  looked  over  his  shoulder  at  the  familiar
building  across  the  street.  He  smiled  at  Grim,  sweet  and  razor
sharp.  "Such  fond  memories,  babysitter.  I  really  should  have
figured out when you walked over the cage that trapped me."

"But you didn't," Grim said smugly.
I really do not think you need to get cocky," Johnnie replied.

"Not with your stalker tendencies, your lying, and do not think I
have forgotten your ex from earlier today."

Grim rolled his eyes. "Why must I be in love with a

princess?"

Johnnie smacked him with his cane and strode up the stairs

into the apartment building—

Only to be thrown back when the double doors leading into

it were thrown open, sending him tumbling. His nose throbbed

21 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

with pain from where the door hit it, and he only barely avoided
landing in a sludgy puddle.

Steady, familiar arms caught him easily and set him up

straight  again,  and  then  Grim  was  gone,  bolting  after  the  men
who  had  already  vanished  around  a  corner.  Wolves,  Johnnie
would  bet  his  fortune  on  it.  Straightening  his  clothes,  he  left
Grim  to  his  chase  and  strode  up  the  stairs  and  into  the
apartment building.

When he finally reached it at the end of the fourth floor

hall,  he  was  surprised  to  find  the  door  closed  and  locked.  He
had  not  thought  the  wolves  would  bother,  given  the  haste  of
their departure.  The lock was a simple one, and he had it open
in a moment.

Inside, everything was exactly as he had expected to find it.

The  place  was  a  disaster  area,  the  wolves  having  thoroughly
tossed  it.  But  what  had  they  been  looking  for  other  than
Hudson?  If  it  was  just  Hudson,  they  would  not  have  slit  open
cushions and torn apart books.

Johnnie picked his way through the mess, examining every

object. By the end, however, he was not really certain he had
learned anything beyond reaffirming that Hudson was still in
love with Peyton.

The scent of myrrh and musk rose caught him a split second

before he was roughly grabbed and slammed into a wall, and
then pinned there by Grim.

"Unhand me," Johnnie snapped.
"You are an idiot!" Grimm snarled, ignoring the order. "They

could have left men behind! Why are you so reckless!"

"Because I can handle wolves!" Johnnie snarled back. "I

know you and my father persist in thinking that I am some
simpering princess, but I can handle myself."

Grim only made a growly, frustrated noise and kissed him

hard enough to bruise Johnnie's lips. "One of these days,
Highness…."

"So did you catch the other two?"
"Of course I did," Grim said, glaring.
"And?" Johnnie demanded.

22 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

"And I secured them so that I could come fetch a certain

royal brat," Grim replied. Johnnie said nothing, but he did let
Grim kiss him again. "Shall we then, Highness?"

"We shall," Johnnie replied. "There is nothing of—Wait a

moment. Get off me." Pushing Grim impatiently aside, he kicked
aside a pillow and knelt, pulling up the corner of a blue rug and
picking up what had been all but hidden beneath it. Put there?
Doubtfully.

Standing up, he said, "I think we just missed our quarry." He

held the necklace out for Grim to see: a gold medallion
inscribed heavily with runes and, from the way he was trying
not to sneeze, heavily imbued with magic. It had probably also
been washed in demon blood.

"So he's lost his protective charm," Grim rumbled, eyes

turning wholly white as he loosed his full power. "The residual
power will shield him for a little while, but I'll find him soon
enough."

Johnnie nodded. "Take me to the wolves, Grim. I want this

mystery over."

Grim obeyed, tugging him close and vanishing. They

reappeared in Grim's apartment, a place Johnnie had been
surprised to learn about. He had mistakenly assumed that Grim
lived with his parents, though in retrospect that made
absolutely no sense.

It was a simple studio with a large bed, a small kitchen, a

smaller bathroom, soft carpeting, and practically every last inch
of available wall space devoted to overstuffed bookcases. There
was  not  even  a  door  or  windows—Grim  had  bricked  up  and
plastered  over  both,  sealing  himself  inside  a  tidy  little  cell.    It
allowed  him,  when  he  needed,  to  be  completely  himself,
without any fear of anyone seeing what he could not afford to
have seen.

The first time he'd brought Johnnie there, he'd fucked

Johnnie hard and fast against one of the bookcases, leaving
bruises in awkward places, and sending more than a few books
falling to the floor.

23 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

Beyond the bookshelves, there was very little in the way of

personal items filling the place. A few knick-knacks from his
mother on the dresser and two pictures beside his lamp and an
alarm clock on the nightstand.

One picture was of Grim's parents, taken while they were at

a park. His mother wore mirrored sunglasses to hide her
distinctive eyes. They were a very pretty, very happy looking
couple.

The second picture was of Johnnie wearing black slacks and

a  black,  green,  and  gold  vest  with  matching  tie  with  his  shirt
sleeves rolled up. He was leaning against the pool table, his cue
in  one  hand  and  the  other  braced  on  the  edge  of  the  table,
smirking  at  something  not  in  the  picture.  He  remembered  the
day and what he'd been smirking at, but he did not know how
Grim  had  managed  to  take  his  picture  without  his  noticing.
Grim, the bastard, refused to say.

At the moment, two very angry wolves were lying on Grim's

bed, tied up and gagged. Their eyes widened, furious struggling
freezing when they saw Johnnie.

"Remove their gags," Johnnie said, voice going cool as he

assumed  a  Desrosiers  air.  "Do  not  speak  until  I  give  you
permission,"  he  said  coldly  when  the  wolves'  gags  were
removed.  "I  do  not  think  I  need  to  tell  you  that  you  are  on
Desrosiers  territory  and  your  behavior  is  seriously  out  of  line.
Never mind that another of your pack just attacked and almost
killed  a  very  good  friend  of  mine  in  a  bar  that  I  own—it  is
enough that you came here uninvited and for the sole purpose
of breaking laws. My father is highly displeased with your pack
at  present,  and  he  is  fully  within  his  rights  to  strike  out  with
lethal  force  in  retaliation.  You  have  one  chance  to  tell  me
something  that  will  cause  me  to  stay  my  father's  hand.  If  I  do
not like what you have to say … "

"We are only trying to find Hudson—"
"That bastard Peyton had a death order on—"
Johnnie motioned them to silence and said, "One at a time.

I do not care if he is marked to die—he has full citizenship here
which means by law he is under the care and watch of my

24 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

father.  If  you  wanted  him,  you  should  have  petitioned  the
offices  of  the  Dracula  to  get  him  back.  Showing  up  without
permission and assaulting him in a Desrosiers-owned bar… I do
not  know  that  you  could  have  done  anything  more  stupid.  Let
us try this again. Why are you after Hudson?"

"Because it's safe!" One of the wolves burst out. "His

mother is dead; she died three days ago. He can come back
home!"

Johnnie's expression did not change, but he only barely

managed to hold back his surprise. He had not expected to hear
that. "Safe to return," he said slowly. "Then why are you
hunting him down like an animal? Why, if you want Hudson
back, did you attack Peyton?"

"What does that bastard have to do with Hudson?" the

other wolf snarled. "He can fucking rot. We found him by
chance trying to find Hudson."

"Hudson moved here because of Peyton," Johnnie told

them. "They've been in love with each other for years. If you
were hoping to coax back your runaway, then I am afraid that
you have ruined whatever chance you had."

The wolves paled, and then seemed to wilt, all of the fight

going out of them.

"Did Hudson kill his mother?" Johnnie asked.
"Yes," the first wolf said dully.
"That is grounds for a death order," Johnnie said. "So why

are you not trying to kill him?"

Guilt and shame filled their faces, but the only reply they

offered was, "Pack business."

Johnnie struck their legs with his cane, and then drew the

blade and placed it beneath the first wolf's jaw. "You made it
Desrosiers business the very moment you slunk into our
territory and hurt my friend. Tell me, or suffer for it."

"We are not allowed to speak of it without permission," the

second wolf said. "The only one now who can give that
permission is Alpha Hudson. Your friend killed our remaining
Candidate."

25 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

"Take them away, lock them up," Johnnie said, sheathing his

sword and turning away.

Grim nodded and snatched up both wolves by their shirts,

then vanished.

The glimmer of gold caught Johnnie's eye, and he strode

over to the bed and snatched up the object. A signet ring with
the  eye  crest  of  Pack  Blue.  Sitting  down  on  the  bed,  Johnnie
pulled out the necklace he still carried and studied both objects.
Thinking  of  them  and  the  watch,  he  murmured,  "In  the  night,
when  everyone  slept,  she rose  and  took  from  her  jewel case a
gold  broach,  a  gold  necklace,  and  a  golden  ring.  The  three
dresses  of  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars  she  folded  into  so  small  a
parcel that they were placed in a walnut-shell."

He looked up as Grim reappeared. "You had best take me

home. You will find Hudson faster without me."

"What in the hell is going on here? Wolves don't forgive

murder—look at what they did to Peyton."

Johnnie tucked the jewelry away and stood. "I do not have

enough information to say … "

"But?" Grim asked with a smile, reaching to brush Johnnie's

cheek with the back of his hand.

Leaning into the touch for a moment, Johnnie then said,

"But Peyton said the woman was psychotically obsessed with
her son. That probably got worse when her mate died. The pack
wants him back, but those two were ashamed to admit what
drove him off in the first place."

"So she probably abused him," Grim said.
Johnnie quoted, "I will marry my daughter; she is the image

of my dead wife, and no other bride can be found to enable me
to keep my promise to her."

"That…" Grim looked ill. "Do you really think she would do

something that terrible?"

"I believe it is a plausible theory," Johnnie replied. "Take me

home; then find him."

Grim tugged him close, kissed him deeply, and they

vanished. They reappeared just outside the Bremen, and
Johnnie kissed Grim one last time before Grim vanished again.

26 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

Johnnie walked into the Bremen and hung his things up on

the hooks by the door. Ontoniel, Rostiya, and Peyton sat at a
table, nursing scotch, vodka, and beer respectively. "John,"
Ontoniel greeted. "How did your search go? Where is Grim?"

Reaching the table, Johnnie set out the two pieces of

jewelry, and then pulled up a chair and sat down. "They found
him, and he lost his necklace in the tussle. Free of the spell, he is
traceable. Grim brought me here and went to find him. They
should be here within the hour, I should think. How are you?"
he asked Peyton.

"I'll live," Peyton said. "So—you've really found Hudson?"
Johnnie nodded. "Grim will find him. He's been here in the

city for months. I do not doubt he's spent every day of it
watching you."

Peyton frowned and opened his mouth, but then closed it

again and said nothing.

"I think that after he attacked his mother, he fled here to

you, but then was too scared to actually approach you," Johnnie
continued.

"I killed his father and two candidates," Peyton said. "There

is a death order on my head. He shouldn't come anywhere near
me."

Johnnie shook his head. "I would hazard to say he was

scared that he would draw attention to you and put you in
greater danger—a fear which has proven warranted."

Peyton growled low. "Harper was no real threat to me. He's

become  a  dirtier  fighter,  but  not  a  better one.  I  may  just  pour
beers  and  sling  suds  now,  but  that  doesn't  mean  my  edge  is
gone.  Once  a  roughskin,  always  a  roughskin.  He  should  have
remembered that."

"Roughskin?" Johnnie repeated, not familiar with that term

and intrigued. "Is that something to do with the way
werewolves were once called wolfskins?"

Peyton shrugged, "Could be, I guess. Never thought about

it. A roughskin is just what they call wolves that get pitted a lot.
We're all 'rough around the edges and our human skins barely
fit'. We're also at the bottom of the pack order. The Alpha I

27 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

killed used to pit us all the time; it made him most of his fucking
fortune."

"Roughskins," Johnnie repeated. "How does that relate to

Ruff?"

Peyton smiled. "You would figure out they're connected,

Johnnie.  He  liked  to  come  see  us,  thought  we  were  different
and  strange.  I  was  fifteen  when  we  first  met;  he  was  barely
nine.  I  caught  him  sneaking  around  our  part  of  the  land.  The
heart of Blue lives on a plantation; we lived on the edge of that
land.  He  was  awed  by  us,  I  think,  because  we  seemed  tough
enough to beat his father, though that wasn't true. He wanted
to be a roughskin. I told him he was too soft and stupid to be a
roughskin.  He  hit  me  and  declared  that  he  could,  in  fact,  be
rough and I should shut up.

"I laughed and mocked him by making barking sounds—

woof, woof, ruff, ruff. Every time I saw him after that, I would
just say 'ruff, ruff'. It stuck." His smile faded. "One day, I found
him bleeding and beaten and realized he'd been putting up with
shit far worse than the Pits. He was stronger than any of us.
After that, we got closer. Too close. Then I killed his father and
fled."

"Yet he risked everything to bring you a watch in order to

say goodbye before he fled somewhere else," Johnnie said,
thinking about Grim and all the little things that should have
told Johnnie that Grim was Eros. "I think he wanted to protect
you and yet get caught at the same time."

Peyton frowned, but remained silent, clearly not certain

what to say.

Johnnie turned to his father. "So what are you going to do

to Blue?"

"Your brother has gone to speak with them and make it

clear they are one step away from being annihilated. We will
see what comes of that before I go any further."

"Where is Jesse?"
"He went along to further impress upon them the thin ice

on which they stand," Rostiya replied, speaking for the first
time. "Jesse can be quite ominous when he so chooses."

28 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

Johnnie nodded, half-wishing he could see the way Blue

cowered before two such powerful vampires.

They all looked up when the door opened. Peyton made a

rough  noise  and  stood,  growling  when  they  all  tried  to  remind
him of his injuries and that he should take care. Walking slowly
across  the  room,  Peyton  stopped  just  short  of  being  able  to
touch  Hudson,  who  was  still  firmly  held  by  Grim  in  case  he
should try to bolt.

Hudson had been struggling and growling, but he stopped

completely upon seeing Peyton. He tugged on his cap, pulling it
down low over his eyes.

"Ruff?" Peyton asked, voice unsteady. "Is—is it really you?"
Slowly the man looked up, and Johnnie was startled by his

prettiness. Wolves were not normally that delicate looking,
though he could see the frail-looking beauty was deceptive. And
even for a Blue, his eyes were stunning.

The eyes filled with tears, and with a pained growl, the man

threw himself at Peyton, clinging as though for dear life. Peyton
held him just as tightly, making soft, rough noises, clearly
soothing Hudson in wolf fashion.

Johnnie turned away, leaving them in peace, and looked at

Grim. "Well done, babysitter."

Grim rolled his eyes and moved to the bar to pour himself a

beer. "You were right," he said as Johnnie joined him, voice low
as he continued, "About his mother, what she did. The energies
show it."

Accepting the vodka rocks that Grim slid across the bar to

him, Johnnie asked, "Where did you find him?" He sipped his
drink.

"Ship," Grim said. "He was going to sail out to who knows

where to do who knows what. I don't think I've seen anyone
that depressed since…"

"Since a certain betrothal ball?" Johnnie finished wryly.

Grim made a face and said nothing.

The conversation halted when Peyton and Hudson finally

approached the group, still holding tightly to each other. Free of
his cap, Hudson had dark brown hair cut extremely short; it was

29 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

little more than fuzz, really. It made him look hard and soft all at
once. Instead of the uniform he had been wearing earlier, he
wore faded jeans and a maroon t-shirt, a brown leather jacket,
and brown boots. There was a birthmark on his nose, a small
little smudge that added to that illusory image of delicateness.

There was also a bruise on his jaw, another right below his

left eye, and his knuckles showed hard use. Johnnie pushed
away from the bar and asked, "Are you aware they came to get
you back? I am sorry if I am the one to tell you, but your mother
is dead these past three days."

"I know. Thank you," Hudson said quietly. "I don't want to

go back, and they know it, but won't take no for an answer."
Hudson stared at his hand, tangled with Peyton's. "I'm the only
Alpha-potential left, you see. If I go, there's no one suitable left
to manage the pack." He looked up at Ontoniel. "I am sorry, my
lord, to bring all this upon you. It was not my intent. Pack
business should have stayed pack business."

Ontoniel nodded. "Do not worry upon it. You entered my

domain legally. They did not, and they will be punished for it. I
hope that if you choose to remain here your life will improve."
He tilted his head and asked, "Why do you not want to return to
your pack if they are willing to take you back?"

Hudson seemed to crumple, closing his eyes and covering

them with his free hand. "Because they knew. They knew what
she was doing to me, and I begged for help, but they would not
give it. They knew what I endured and left me to suffer. I will
not go back to those cowards and be their Alpha."

Frowning, Ontoniel left him in peace and looked to Johnnie

in silent inquiry. In reply, and in the interests of discretion,
Johnnie quoted, "The King's daughter saw there was no hope of
changing her father's heart, so she determined to run away
from the castle."

Ontoniel's brow shot up, and his eyes narrowed in a way

that made Johnnie extremely grateful he was not the source of
his father's ire. Rising smoothly, Ontoniel said, "Tend him,
Johnnie. I am going to disband a pack." He vanished.

Johnnie hoped Blue suffered very slowly.

30 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

Looking at Hudson, Johnnie said, "There is one thing I am

dying to know. Those wolves who attacked Peyton apparently
found him by chance while looking for you. But how did you
know Peyton was here?"

Hudson looked at him, startled—then laughed briefly. The

sound  was  brittle  and  fragile,  but  genuine.  "I  hired  a  detective
about  three  years  after  Peyton vanished  when  my  own  efforts
just weren't good enough. He told me Peyton was here. I always
meant  to  come  see  him  …  but  …"  He  looked  at  Peyton  and
finished quietly, "I never worked up the nerve."

Peyton pulled him close, kissed his cheek, and then simply

held him tightly.

"Go home," Johnnie said. "Take off as long as you need. I'll

find another bartender to tide over the Bremen."

Nodding, Peyton said, "Thank you," and then slowly led

Hudson from the bar, pausing only to accept his watch when
Grim returned it to him.

"Sounds like they've both had it really rough," Rostiya said

quietly.

Johnnie nodded. "Thank you for helping, Rostiya."
Rostiya smiled. "My pleasure. Shall I send you a

replacement bartender? I have the perfect one in mind."

"Please do," Grim said before Johnnie could reply. "Johnnie

couldn't do a job interview if his life—or his bar—depended on
it."

Rostiya laughed and vanished. Johnnie shot Grim a

withering loo, and pointedly turned away—only to yelp as he
was yanked back against Grim's hard, warm body.

"I believe," Grim rumbled in his ear, "that we have a

birthday present to discuss."

"It won't be a surprise if I tell you," Johnnie said snottily.
"But trying to make you tell me will be the best part," Grim

replied, one hand sliding up Johnnie's chest to his tie, making
Johnnie shiver.

He never lasted long when Grim put his ties to alternative

uses.

31 | Megan Derr – Ruffskin

But he wasn't going to go quietly because he really did not

want to spoil the surprise. Twisting his head around, he quoted,
"No admittance till the week after next." He jerked his head
away when Grim tried to kiss him. "You don't get to seduce me
and get your present."

Grim only smirked and matched his quote with, "They gave

it me—for an unbirthday present."

Johnnie rolled his eyes, but let Grim kiss him that time and

decided he would simply have to get a second gift if Grim
managed to make him reveal the first.

Fin

About the Author

Megan grew up a military brat and traveled extensively with her
family.  She  is  now  firmly  settled  in  Ohio,  with  two  roommates
and  their  six  cats.  She  has  always  been  book  obsessed,  and
writing  obsessed  since  she  first  gave  it  a  whirl  in  college.
Romance  and  fantasy  are  her  primary  obsessions,  but  she's
game to write just about anything and enjoys a challenge. She is
a  sucker  for  stories  of  enemies  becoming  lovers.  When  not
writing,  Megan  is  drinking  too  much  coffee,  reading  still  more
books,  and  harassing  family  and  friends,  or  otherwise  doing
whatever possible to avoid editing.