Seduced by a Lycan – Chapter Five

Sean caught a hop into Fort Stewart and arranged lodging on the base. MWR arranged for a car rental and gave him a map of the area. He picked up his truck and went to a nearby Wal-Mart to purchase additional supplies, though he could have bought them on the base, and returned to his room to settle in.

Once he unpacked, he picked up the remote, turned to CNN Sports and watched a baseball game, more as a way to pass the time than out of any interest. He was a bundle of nerves. Former Private First Class Derrick “Hooch” Wilkins had encouraged him on more than one occasion to come for a visit, but was the invite still open? It had been years since they’d seen each other, though they still kept in touch via email and Facebook.

His friend, Hooch, was a minister now. A freaking man of the cloth. There’d been nothing holy about the guy he’d met in basic training and later deployed with in the same unit to Iraq. That guy had been pure trouble, proving the maxim about preacher’s kids to be true. They’d tagged Derrick with the moniker because of the amount of liquor he’d consumed and his winning way with the ladies.

Sean shook his head. Unbelievable.

And Von? Did Hooch know his woman still wrote to him? Sean picked up the recently opened packet of letters that were never far from his side. She’d continued to write and email even though he’d dropped off radar for several months. Von knew his job was frequently dangerous. He’d never gone into detail but had given enough hints that she knew not to panic or think he was ending their friendship if his end happened to go silent for weeks. But he’d never gone months without responding. From the letters that had caught up with him after everything was over, she was frantic with worry.

He brought the envelopes to his lips and kissed them, wondering if Von knew exactly how much of herself she revealed in the lines on these pages. She was so fucking beautiful to him. It didn’t matter if she was black, white, Hispanic, or Asian. Her soul radiated beauty. Derrick was a very lucky man. Sean wondered if the bastard realized how lucky.

Finally, evening arrived. Tight with nerves, he dialed Hooch’s home number. The phone rang several times with no answer. Just when he was about to hang up, Hooch answered. “Hello?”

“Hey, stranger. I hope that invitation to come visit is still open.”

“Cougar?”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“How are you? Where are you?” Hooch sounded happy to hear from him.

With a silent sigh of relief, Sean collapse against the backrest of the couch. “Fort Stewart for a little R and R.”

“Stewart? That’s right up the road,” Derrick exclaimed.

“That’s the plan. So, that invite still good?”

“Yeah, man! I can’t believe it. Wait until I tell Von you’re here. She’s been asking about you,” Derrick said excitedly.

Heart thumping at the mention of her name, Sean counseled himself to play it cool. “Oh, you two still kickin’ it?”

“We’re getting married.”

“Lucky bastard,” Sean told him with feeling.

“Don’t I know it.”

“So when’s the happy event?” he asked, dreading the answer.

“Not for another year.”

Sean scowled. “Why so long? Aren’t you afraid someone will steal her out from under you?”

“Von? Man, she’s crazy about me. She’s not going anywhere.”

Fool, he deserves to lose her, taking a beautiful woman like Von for granted. If she were his, he’d have bound her to him in every way possible as soon as she said yes. “You know her better than anyone,” he said, keeping his thoughts to himself.

“True that. We’ve been together a long time.” Derrick sounded smug. “So, how long you here for? How soon can we get together?”

“A couple of weeks. You tell me. I’m footloose and fancy-free. You’re the one with the nine-to-five.”

“How about tomorrow night? Von’s off and there’s no service or meetings at the church. Chili’s sound good?”

“Works for me. I can go for some ribs.” He paused to take a sip of his beer. “Hooch, I can’t believe you’re a minister.”

Derrick gave a sheepish laugh. “Yeah, well, what can I say? I’m following in the old man’s footsteps. And call me Derrick. That’s who I am now. Hooch is long gone.”

From what Hooch—make that Derrick—had revealed about his father, deep in the night when confessions flowed, in his place Sean wasn’t sure he’d want to be like his dad. Derrick Wilkins Senior sounded like a religious fanatic.

“I finished seminary and made junior pastor at our church. Dad suggested giving myself time to get used to my new responsibilities before adding a wife to the mix. Von understands and agrees. He’s been grooming her to be a minister’s wife, so she knows what’s important.”

Sean bared his teeth and growled inaudibly. “That’s great,” he forced out through clenched teeth, knowing full well how Von felt about continually being pushed to the side, coming in last on Derrick’s priority list.

“Hey, listen. I’ve got to run to a meeting, but we’ll definitely get together tomorrow, say six?” Derrick said, sounding rushed.

“Sounds good.”

“It’s the Chili’s on Ashley Road. Google it and get the directions.”

“Will do. Check you tomorrow.”

“Later.”

They both disconnected.

Sean sat staring blankly at the television. Tomorrow he’d meet the love of his life for the first time, face-to-face.