Sui Generis – 40

 

"Where are we going?" Brand asked, watching the mountains get closer as they drove northwest of the city.

"To a piece of land the council owns where we're safe to be what we are," Randulf replied, turning off the highway at that point onto a two-lane road that began to climb sharply into the foothills.

Fifteen minutes later he made another turn onto a dirt road. Ahead of them, Brand could see a wooden gate with a 'No Trespassing' sign on it. Leading off from it in both directions was a low, rusty-looking wire fence. "Does that really keep hunters and what have you out?" he asked.

"More like it lets any of us who are here know if someone decides to come exploring. Antton's security company isn't just for show. This area is well monitored."

"Okay. Do alarms go off if someone tries to climb the fence?"

"Let me show you," Randulf said, parking the car by the gate. He got out and went over to the fence, pressing down on the top wire.

"Holy hell," Brand exclaimed, covering his ears.

Looking puzzled, because he obviously hadn't heard anything, Mag stared at Brand. "What?"

A moment later Brand uncovered his ears, just as Randulf returned to the car after opening the gate. "That's something like a dog whistle?" Brand asked him.

"Yep. An ultra-high frequency alarm. A human…" Randulf glanced at Mag, "won't hear it, but we can and then take the necessary steps not to be seen."

Mag frowned. "But Brand's in his human form."

"He still has the hearing sensitivity of a werewolf, just as he has the strength and speed of one, although it's less as a human than when he's shifted."

Grinning at Brand, Mag said, "So I can pick up a dog whistle and train you to do my bidding."

Brand snorted. "I think you already have."

"As if."

While they bantered, Randulf drove the car past the gate and deep in to the forested area beyond it, following a trail so narrow Brand wondered at times if the SUV would be able to navigate it. Eventually they came to a small clearing. Randulf parked at the end of the trail, announcing—to neither of the younger men's surprise—that they had arrived. 

"We'll start by shifting," Randulf told Brand. "Mag, I'll let you listen in once we have."

"You can do that?"

"No I just said it to tease you," Randulf replied with a laugh. "Yes. I can do it, and perhaps when we've finished. Brand will be able to as well."

Mag grinned momentarily, getting a wicked smirk in return from Randulf, who told him, "When his mouth is busy with other things, it does come in handy."

Brand just shook his head, saying, "You have a one-track mind sometimes, Mag."

Mag winked at him before asking Randulf, "If you can let me listen in does that mean you're reading my mind? I'm not certain I like that idea."

"No. I'm using mind-speak, which is different. I could pick up on what you're thinking but that would be an invasion of privacy, unless you gave me permission to."

"If you can, then any werewolf could and they might not be so polite as to ask first," Mag said.

"Like me, they would have to be an old and powerful alpha to do that. Of all of us that you've met so far, Antton's the only other one who can, and he's honorable enough not to unless it's an emergency."