by Sydney Addae
“Don’t be cute. You’re sounding like Rone.” He sighed. “I have to trust that you, Theron, Jayden, and the wolves they’re bringing can handle this situation until I get there. I know you’ve locked everything down and I warded the tunnels so only you and your mom can enter a special section. Use it as a last resort because once you go in, the only way out is to wait for me to release you and life has too many uncertainties.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“When the Alphas get there, I’ll inform them that you’re on lockdown and will contact them if you need anything. No one has a reason to enter your wing. Only open the steel gates for an emergency. I don’t trust this power Arianna’s using. By now she knows I’m not there and yet she hasn’t shut it down.”
“That’s true.” Tyrese hadn’t thought of that. “Can she make Jacque tell her everything about you? Could that be what she’s doing, gathering intel?” The idea sent a curl of unease through him. Jacque was a powerhouse of information and if she tapped into his mental database, it’d be catastrophic.
“I don’t know. He’s not responding to me anymore. Jayden’s ETA is twenty minutes. It’d take me at least four or five hours from where I am now.” Silas cursed again. “I need that bitch shut down.”
Jayden would kill Arianna on sight, that wasn’t good. “Don’t you need to know what she’s doing and how she’s able to hold this many wolves at bay? What if she’s able to turn the ten wolves outside against Theron and his wolves? She’s a threat, but you still need to understand how, right?”
“We need knowledge, but she’s too dangerous. If I was there—”
“Could you withstand her pull? There are ten strong wolves down there immobilized. Remember how hard it was when mom…when mom was in heat. La Patron, it’s best for our nation that you’re not here right now being held hostage.”
The silence on the phone lasted for a few heartbeats. Tyrese was afraid he’d overstepped his boundaries but knew he’d spoken truthfully.
“I’ll make sure the Alphas and their wolves wear masks when I inform them of this latest development. She’s going to die.” He sounded tired, resigned. “If I have to kill her from the inside out, she will die for this. I pray the other human females do not own this ability. No man, wolf or human, appreciates being forcibly controlled by his desire for a woman. The level of anger I sensed in Jacque does not bode well for her. If she loses control of those wolves for a second, they will rip her apart. The best thing that can happen for her is if Jayden or Theron gets to her first.”
“My mom is not like that,” Tyrese said, recognizing the inherent threat in Silas’ words.
“I know. You know. But that’s not what my Alphas are going to see in a few minutes. By breeding with a human, they are going to wonder if she used a similar type of control with me. Remember, Jayden was there. He sensed your mother’s heat and it scared him.”
Tyrese closed his eyes as his throat tightened. “That’s not how it happened. You could have let another wolf sate her. But you wanted her for yourself. Your wolf wanted her.”
“I know. And it still amazes me how much my wolf wants her now. Nothing is going to happen to your mom. I swear. I just want you to understand that Arianna has now made things a thousand times worse. I will have to inform the Alphas of this ability. And even though I have a decree of “no harm” for the human females, many will die.”
Tyrese gazed out the window again. “I think one of the Alphas is here. A man wearing a mask has Arianna pinned to the ground and is placing cuffs on her.”
“Where’s Jacque?”
Tyrese looked around. “I don’t see him or any of the trainees. The man in the mask is leading her off. Where will he take her?”
“I told them to take her away and make sure she can never return.”
Tyrese nodded. “Funny, looking outside now, you’d never know the gauntlet for war had just been thrown down. There’s nothing out of place, nothing to even suggest ten men had been held in stasis by their balls a few minutes ago.” He moved away from the window intending to season the chops for dinner.
“Tyrese.” The sharp command from Silas came through the phone and their mental connection.
Stopping mid-stride, Tyrese answered. “Yes, Sir?”
“Theron and Jayden haven’t arrived yet.”
Tyrese shook his head to clear it. “What? I just saw a man in a mask…” He ran back to the window. The courtyard was empty.
“It wasn’t my Alphas. Damn, damn, dammit! That bitch. Talk about underestimating someone, how the hell…”
Tyrese was beginning to understand. “She had someone put on a mask and take her away. How’d she know the Alphas were coming?”
“Jacque could’ve been tapped into me. I didn’t bother shutting down our link in case he could break free of her. Damn it,” Silas snarled.
“Can you talk with Jacque now, or did she take all the men with her?”
“I…hold on.”
Tyrese ran to the panels and switched to auxiliary power so no one on the outside could tamper with it. The appliances beeped and then returned to their low grade hum. From the bedroom, he heard his mom’s cell ring and ran to get it before it woke her.
“Hello,” he whispered.
“Jasmine?” Jacque said.
“Um hmm,” Tyrese answered.
“I’ve got those samples you ordered. I came by your place but the entrance is locked. Could you open it and let me in so I can give these to you?”
Rage erupted and flowed through every vein in Tyrese’s body. “Motherfucker, you’d better snap out of whatever control she has over you before I forget you’ve been the Patron’s go to guy for the past hundred years. Wake the fuck up and remember you serve the Goddess. Did you hear me, Jacque? You serve the Goddess. You belong to the Goddess.” He disconnected the call, hoping his reminding Jacque of a conversation they’d had a month ago helped the man find himself. Otherwise, he’d kill him without blinking if he tried to gain entry.
Tyrese placed his mom’s cell in his pocket while waiting for Silas to return to the line.
“I still can’t reach Jacque or the trainees. Holding wolves still is one thing—”
“Jacque just called mom on her cell asking her to open the door.”
The line went quiet.
“La Patron?”
“I heard you. I just…I don’t know what to say. Nothing like this has ever happened before.” He paused and then spoke in a suspicious tone. “Did we read the Mexico situation wrong? Is it possible Arianna was running that whole operation? I mean…how is she able to get someone as old and strong as Jacque to do her bidding?”
Tyrese had never heard the Patron sound so unsure before, it creeped him out. When the most powerful wolf on the planet was confused and didn’t know what to do, the shit just got real.
“It’s possible.” He thought back on the Mexico trip. “She never lost her composure, not once. The pack leader fought you when it was obvious he couldn’t win. She laughed and blamed it on him when she realized all you wanted was information. But it could have been the other way around. Maybe she made him fight and when he lost, she decided you were the one she wanted.” The woman had asked Silas to take her with him.
“My Alphas will be there soon. Keep what happened between me, you and Rone, since he’s been eavesdropping on our connection the entire time. I need to think.” He released a breath that told more than anything his level of frustration over the events. “Do not let anyone inside until Rone and I knock on your door. I’m heading there as soon as we get down this damn mountain. I’ll talk to Jasmine this evening, give her a heads up.”
“Hopefully this isn’t some kind of trap.” He said, and then added. “Sir.”
“It probably is, but I’ll deal with it when I get there.”
****
Hours later, a sharp pounding on the metal gate leading to her wing woke Jasmine. Groggy, she glanced at the clock and was surprised so much time had passed. When the so
und came again, she threw the blanket off and stood.
“Tyrese?” Wrapping her robe around her waist, she headed toward the living area and was surprised by how dark the room was. “Rese?” She called again, before heading toward the kitchen.
“In here.”
She followed his voice to the den they’d turned into an office. “Did you hear that?” She pointed to the front of the house.
“Yeah. Every once in a while someone slips through security and gets close enough to knock on the gate. Don’t worry about it.”
She frowned, tightening the belt around her waist. “Worry? That word hadn’t entered my mind until you just mentioned it,” she said, Slowly glancing around the room, she noticed a few guns and ammo on the tables. “What happened?”
“Remember Arianna? The old human we found in Mexico?”
“Pregnant, moved to Texas?” she asked, trying to place the conversation.
“Yeah. Although no longer pregnant. She’s here and holding a few wolves hostage. At least we think that’s what’s happening. Jayden and Theron are here and having a hard time controlling wolves.”
Jasmine shook her head. “What? Hostages? How is she controlling wolves?”
Tyrese stopped typing and told her what happened while she’d been asleep. She couldn’t believe she was on lockdown and that Jacque was under the woman’s spell.
Stunned, she reached behind her for a chair and sat. “Unbelievable.” Processing the information, she looked around the desk for her cell and picked it up.
“Who’re you calling?”
Instead of answering, she dialed a number and turned her back to Tyrese. “Silas?” She cursed when the call went to voice mail. “Silas. Do not come here right now. If she’s able to get you, then she has everyone. My children included. Now’s not the time to play hero. We have to think. There’s a reason all of this is happening. Something—”
She clicked off and dialed again.
“What happened?”
“I ran out of time,” she snapped, waiting to finish her earlier message. “Call me when you land, lets talk this through. Something’s not right with all of this. Call me.” She stressed for him to call her before the message disconnected.
“I told him the same thing.”
She looked at Tyrese. “Okay, lets walk through this. I went into heat. But I didn’t even know what was happening except I was…well, I wanted to…” Her face heated. “I don’t understand how she controls it.”
Jasmine’s phone jingled. She looked at the caller ID. “It’s Renee. Should I answer it? She can’t come here now and I can’t explain why.” The ringing stopped and then started again. Jasmine looked at Tyrese.
“Don’t answer it. She won’t let you off the hook with an easy 'now’s not the time,' and things are wild enough.” He continued typing. “Dinner’s in the microwave if you’re hungry. Might as well eat, feed my brothers.”
Her stomach growled at the mention of food. “And sisters,” she added, leaving the room. As she passed the window overlooking the courtyard, she stopped and gazed between the blinds. Her heart dropped. “Rese,” she yelled. “Rese…come.” Her hand tightened on the window sill as she stared at the spectacle below.
He ran into the room and stopped next to her. “What.” Unable to speak, she tipped her forehead in the direction of the window.
“Mom…calm down. Whatever’s going on out there is not going to affect us. You have to believe me. We’re going to be okay.”
“Look,” she whispered hoarsely, closing her eyes.
Tyrese turned away from her slowly, peeked through the blinds and gasped. Jayden and Theron were hanging from wooden poles with their gas masks on. Jacque and several other wolves sat on the ground in front of the Alphas, watching them sway in the wind.
“I don’t see her.”
Jasmine returned to the window and searched the dark. Closing her eyes, she prayed for Jayden and his family. She’d come to respect the man and adored his son. Callum would be devastated. In the corner of her conscious she sensed a flicker of awareness.
“What the hell?” she murmured, trying to understand what she was feeling.
“Mom?” Tyrese touched her arm.
“Just a minute. Something weird…I’m picking up something like…I’m not sure but I hear somebody.”
He shook her arm. “Let it go. Drop the connection. They might be able to track you.”
She held up her hand. Surprise filled her as she looked at Tyrese. “She’s calling to me…can you believe it? This stupid …she’s actually demanding I come to her like she’s somebody I’d listen to.”
“Mom.”
“Shush…she’s giving me her pedigree. Claims she is the mother of night…I’m her daughter...” Jasmine covered her mouth to hold back the laugh. “She actually thinks she has some control over me.” She gazed at Tyrese, who stared back at her with his mouth open.
“What?” she asked, frowning.
“You can hear her? I mean you’re listening to a woman talk to your mind.”
Jasmine froze as what he said settled. Smiling, she tapped his shoulder. “Yes. I heard her. It wasn’t as clear as our talking now.” She pointed her finger between the two of them. “But I did hear her.”
He stared at her for a moment. “Did you hear me? I just tried to contact you.”
“No. Try again,” she said, eager for the new experience.
He shook his head. “I’m not picking up anything from you or her. Another human female had the ability to call other humans. She got mad at Rone for not answering her call. But you know Rone, he said something sarcastic and ignored her.”
Interested, she grabbed his hand. “Did the women come when she called?”
“Yeah. If I remember correctly, they didn’t have much choice. We didn’t pay it much attention, there were so many other things going on.” He slapped his thigh. “We missed that she compelled them.”
She patted his arm. “No, don’t beat yourself up over it. One thing for sure, she’s not compelling me. Her voice is like an annoying gnat, but nothing I can’t ignore. I’m definitely not going to do anything to harm my babies. Not the ones in my stomach or the one sitting next to me.”
He kissed her on the cheek. “I know you're right.”
“Who knows, maybe I have some kind of powers myself. Not for evil, but for good.” She laughed at his horrified look. “Sweetie, I’m just playing. Calm down before you have a stroke.”
“Sorry mom. But that’s not funny. Not now. Not with all the other stuff going on.”
Her cell rang. After looking at the caller ID, she answered. “Where are you?”
“The plane just landed near Valley Falls. I got your messages, what’s going on?” Silas asked.
“We need to think through your next steps. Somehow Arianna has control over the Alphas and all the wolves. We’re barricaded in our wing, but she’s decided to use the courtyard as her theatre. So we have a front row seat of her escapades.”
“I lost contact with Jayden and Theron. Something’s seriously wrong. Have you seen them?”
“They are hanging in the courtyard,” she said softly.
A series of howls and yips rent the night. Tyrese fell to the floor rolling, covering his ears. Scared, Jasmine ran to her son. His eyes bled to white and he was in the midst of changing. “Tyrese stop. You can’t change.” She looked around. “There’s nowhere for you to run.” The feral sounds in the night escalated. Goosebumps danced over her skin. Returning the phone to her ear, she screamed. “Tyrese is turning into a wolf. I don’t know how to let him out of here.”
“I got him,” Tyrone’s said. “Silas gave me the phone, he’s…he’s pissed. I’ve never seen him like this. First, I need to focus and hold onto Rese.” Phone next to her ear, she stood over Rese, willing him to be all right. Slowly he stopped moving and his flesh returned to a light mocha brown instead of brown coarse hairs.
“What’s going on, Mom? I hear screams and howls.
What’s happening?” Tyrone whispered.
With an eye on Tyrese, who was slowly rising, she stepped near the window and looked out. Her mind refused to believe the carnage on the ground. Silas must’ve regained control of some of the wolves because it looked like a civil war had swept through the compound.
Her stomach clenched and she spun away from the window, closed her eyes tight and swallowed hard to stop the nausea rippling through her. “The wolves shifted and attacked the wolves who didn’t shift. It’s…it’s bad.” Seeing wolves rip into flesh was a sight she never wanted to see again.
“Is she out there? Did they kill that bitch?” Tyrese asked, coming to stand next to her.
Jasmine cleared her mind. In the recesses she heard Arianna demanding she help her escape.
“She’s not dead, I don’t know where she is, but she’s still kicking.”
“How do you know that?” Tyrone asked, sounding skeptical.
“She calls out to me, tries to get me to join the mommy-of-wolves club. Open the door, let her in, that kind of thing.”
“What?” Tyrone yelled. “When did this happen?” She heard him talking to Silas.
“Arianna spoke to you?” Silas asked in between breaths.
“Tell La Patron they are removing Jayden and Theron from the posts. They put them in a truck and are leaving.”
Jasmine repeated Tyrese’ words to Silas.
“They are taking them to the hospital. Hopefully we’re not too late. Their wives are dying but aren’t yet dead. Now answer me. She spoke to you? You can receive mental transmissions?”
She released a sigh and walked toward the kitchen table to sit down. After telling him what happened, he surprised her by chuckling.
“Damn, in my arrogance I missed all sorts of cues. I saw the human call other humans and paid it little attention. Don’t make that mistake and treat her of small consequence. I lost a lot of wolves tonight because I wasn’t paying attention.”
“She can’t compel me, Silas.” Jasmine wasn’t sure why she was so confident, but she knew it was true. “I’m not saying she can’t do other things, but there’s no way I’d do anything that might hurt my kids. Just not happening.”