by A. M Martin
“Is that your sister?” Suit man drawls crossing his beefy arms.
"No, that's my girlfriend. Which you guys scared shitless by the way." Jay chuckles slowly moving closer.
He does, and she sees his body tense with her warning.
"Now boy, that girl looks more like your sister." Suit dude says, waving a meaty hand in her direction.
"Nope, see my black hair and her golden wheat hair? Nah, man we definitely ain't twins," Jay smirks.
And that's always bothered, Shay.
Jay has black hair and deep blue eyes while she has golden wheat hair and caramel colored eyes that look gold when the sun hits them just right. They don't look like twins one bit, but they are. Shay was born two minutes after Jay, and it was a complete and utter surprise. Her parents thought her mother was having just one baby, Jay.
Shay looks back at skater boy. She tilts her head again as she feels his Alpha power brush against her. It feels like a sinful caress. She hides her smile, seeing him frown and his dark eyes narrow. He flicks a look at Jay then back at Shay, copying her head tilt.
Shay straightens up from her hunched position on the ground watching skater dude's wolf's head lift up in a silent howl.
She glides forward towards her brother. All pretenses of the scared human dissolves with each step as something otherworldly and deadly shines through her.
Her twin looks at her, those dark blues that makes her heart hurt and her breath catch for a second. Dad's eyes. Will she ever be able to look at her brother without feeling the pain from their dad's death? Will she ever be able to escape the anguish from what they lost?
She smiles softly at her twin, then slowly turns her head towards skater boy, checking one last time. The half-moon on the right foot of skater boy’s wolf. Just to make sure that it's still there and not just her overreactive imagination.
Only the Royal Shade Clan has a mark like that. The leaders of the Wolf Faders.
She smiles slightly at her brother knowing that this is the end. After all the running she's finally done with it. He can finally have a life. She’s giving up and letting him live.
Asher Shade. Crown Prince of the Wolf Fader Clans has caught her.
THREE
ASHER
ASHER SNARLS AT THE air, running through the woods, chasing after the supposed mystery Silverton Twins.
Which pisses him off. He didn't want to come here to another State to chase rumors. His King made him. He can still see the snarl on his dad's face as he told Asher he was to find the Silverton Twins, more importantly, the girl, before any of the other clans did. Even though they are the rulers of the Wolf Faders and the girl should be theirs by right, if another clan claims the girl before they do, she's lost to them. They lose the edge that they need.
And who's to say the rumors are true, that that's what they are, only rumors. No one has ever laid eyes on the girl, but through the grapevine, they’ve heard the boy looks just like his father.
How hard could it be to find two black-haired blued eyed twins? Damn hard. They've been hunted for nineteen years.
Asher stops in the tree line seeing the spitting image of Master Silverton face off with Tim and Ben.
"Well, we found the boy." Adam rumbles in his southern twang, "Now where is the girl?"
Adam is a big mountain of a man that would frighten even the strongest of warriors, built like a brick house, all solid muscle.
"There's a girl." Adam jerks his head towards the far end of the clearing. "Human." He says with disdain.
Asher locks eyes on the small frightened girl curled on the ground, at the end of the field. She's merely a child, with shiny wheat hair, not black.
The wind blows, bringing with it the scent of sweet honeysuckle. His wolf damn near purrs at the smell of it.
"Let's get this over with," Asher says, stepping from the shadow of the trees and into the bright clearing.
Asher watches the girl on the ground, seeing her golden eyes lock onto Adam as they walk through the trees. She looks out from under her eyelashes, the same color as her hair. One would think she was a frightened child, but that lift of her blood red lips has Asher's eyes narrowing.
He watches the girl look Adam over, and dismiss him, now looking at Asher. He feels her scrutiny. He feels his wolf push towards the girl. What the fuck? Her scent is so much stronger now. His wolf is purring, and his own body tingling. No, this girl is not just a human, but she looks nothing like the Silverton boy. Could others have been wrong about them being twins, or even about a Silverton girl existing?
Asher watches as the girl's gaze snaps onto the Silverton boy, her body tense. No, she's definitely something more than just a mere human. She looked towards the boy before he even moved. Asher cocks his head, watching her intently. When those golden orbs turn back onto him, he wants to preen from her attention. What an idiotic thing to do.
Who are you, little girl?
Asher wants to look behind him as he sees the girl’s eyes flick over his head, narrowing as if watching something. He knows there is nothing behind him. So what is the girl looking at? Is she simple?
He watches her head tilt; her eyes glow at the same time that the Silverton boy stops yapping. Asher feels like something is missing from his soul as the girl looks at the boy. A rage has him clamping his lips tighter as a growl fights its way from his throat. Neither he nor his wolf wants the girl looking at another person. Why? She's just a foolhardy human... with quirks.
When the girl looks back at Asher, he pushes his Alpha power onto the girl. He has it caressing her like a lover, waiting to feel something other than her humanness. Nothing. But there has to be something. She is not normal.
His dark eyes narrow at the secret smile on her lips. He watches with keen attention as the girl straightens up. The meek little human before them disappears as she struts towards the Silverton boy, a cockiness to her stride, and something other.
Asher's hand clenches into fists as the Silverton boy, and the girl share a soft smile full of knowing each other. He doesn't like it one bit. As one they turn towards them.
"What do you want?" The Silverton boy snarls looking at Asher, all friendliness gone from his voice.
"Why do you look at him boy?" Adam asks.
Not taking those hard blue eyes off of Asher, he merely says, "He's in charge."
Asher's eyes widened a smidge. How could he know? Asher looks at the girl seeing her smile. Nothing friendly about it. His head cocks watching as hers does the same. She copying him. Playing with him. His dark eyes narrow as he steps forward. The girl narrows her eyes stepping closer to the Silverton boy, making Asher snarl at the boy.
"Ye Jay Silverton?"
It's quiet till the boy starts howling with laughter. Asher grinds his teeth together. The daft American.
"Ye him?" Asher snarls, moving closer, the girl does the same.
"Yeah. I'm him." Jay says, still chuckling.
Asher's eyes narrow as the girl elbows the boy.
"Um sorry." The boy smiles.
"And the wee lass?"
Jay narrows his eyes at Asher, "What do you want?"
Asher just smiles a mean smile. "Whit a'm waantin' is tae be aff th' glaikit land 'n' be back hame. Ah, cannae dae that wi' oot th' Silverton twins. Wha’ is th' lassie?"
Both the boy and girl stare at him, baffled looks on their faces.
"Aw, you made Asher mad. He tends to lean towards his native tongue when his rage gets the best of him," Adam says. "Who's the girl?"
"Shay Silverton." The girl says, her voice full of wickedness.
"Howfur? Ye seem lik' a normal lassie."
"I'm anything but normal." Shay grins wickedly.
All eyes widen at the gir
l's answer.
Finally, they've found the Silverton Twins who look nothing alike. Opposites. That was how they have been able to stay hidden for so many years. Different yes, but still found and now they can go home.
"Will you come peacefully?" Adam questions looking at the twins.
They share a look and Jay steps forward, "Sure if you feed us."
The twins laugh as Adam and Asher share a look. Asher nods turning back towards the woods, the Silverton twins behind him with Tim and Ben bringing up the rear, still in their wolf forms.
FOUR
SHAY
They've been walking back through the woods for over thirty minutes. Another thirty and they should reach the graveyard. It would have been so much faster to run. Running would be easier to escape, if that's what the twins wanted.
Shay is tired of it. All of it. The running, the hiding, always looking over her shoulder. At least Jay has a chance at an average life and her? Well, she wasn’t sure. Would one of the Shader clan try to mate with her or would they use her just for her powers? Or a worse fate. Use her as a breeding mare. She shakes the thoughts away. It doesn't matter, not yet. All that matters is her brother will be safe, and she will not lose another member of her family.
Her golden eyes shine back onto the Prince, watching him prowl through the woods, all Alpha male.
Her twin freezes at the giddiness of her tone.
She sends him an innocent smile and swiftly skips up to the other side of the Prince, her hands together behind her slim back.
His campfire smell has her humming.
Asher's black eyes narrow on Shay, flicking down to her smile.
"You’re Scottish." She says looking at his high cheekbones.
She hears her brother groan, and she flips him her middle finger behind her back.
"Aye." He looks at her warily.
Shay smiles wider as his accent washes over her body, singing in her ears. She giggles, causing the Prince’s eyes to widen and the brute next to him to snort. She cringes inside. She sounds like a silly human girl, oh well.
Shay has always had a fondness for accents. Any at all really. She loves them, and his seems so much better than all the others she's come across.
"I know the royals live in Scotland, but I didn't think you'd be Scottish." She says still watching the Prince, who’s looking straight ahead.
She ignores her brother’s snapping tone.
"What's my name?" She asks the Prince.
He looks at her long and hard, "Shay."
Shay sighs at her name coming from his lips. What a wonderful sound.
"You didn't want to be here huh?"
He doesn't answer just picks up his pace. Shay stays beside him, an evil smile on her lips knowing she's getting on his nerves but not really caring.
"What color is the sky?" She asks, looking innocent.Shay smiles when Asher rolls his eyes.
"You might be colorblind. Just making sure." Shay says, shrugging her shoulders.
They both know she's full of shit, but he answers her anyway.
"A dusky blue." He says, looking at her.
Shay throws her head back, a laugh ringing out in the evening air.
"Whit's wi' this, lassie?" Asher snarls at the Goliath.
"Oh my god, I believe you've just become my favorite person." Shay chuckles, latching her hand on the Princes' forearm.
Shay hasn’t had this much fun in a long time and picking on the uptight Prince is a delight she can’t ignore. He should have his fur ruffled once in a while.
He turns quickly, snarling in Shay's face. She just smirks as he shakes her hand off of his arm.
"De'il lass." Asher snarls.
"Shay!" Jay snaps at her.
With laughter, she moves back beside her twin still chuckling at the pompous Prince.
Jay snorts, and Shay laughs as they break through the tree line.
Her eyes snap around. They're along the main road. She chews on the inside of her mouth. They should have gone through the graveyard. She wanted to go through the graveyard, just to say goodbye to her father one last time.
Her skin on her left wrist sizzles. She spins around to a redheaded fool snarling in her face. How dare he try to control her. He’s nothing to her, just a royal guard yet he has the never to try and chain her!? A yelp from her twin has her turning back around. Seeing him on his knees has her moving forward in her brother’s direction, a vicious growl bursting from her mouth. Shay will be damned if she has her twin taken from her the same day they buried their Father.
"How come isnae she doon?" Comes another Scottish voice from behind her.
Her eyes narrow at the sheen of the solid silver handcuff on her twins left wrist. She looks at her own wrist, seeing the same thing. The two-inch-wide bracelet made just for Faders to bring them down to their knees. To make them so weak, they can't even walk or barely talk.
Her twin lays on the side of the road, already he has lost his healthy color, panting and sweating. She'll kill them all for this.
Shay's knees buckle as another ring of silver clamps around her tiny wrist, but she stays on her feet by her will alone
"I'll be damned. She's still standing." The southern twang of suit guy reaches her ears, sounding muffled. Damn right she’s still standing. They should have thought twice before doing this to the twins.
Shay snarls at Goliath, watching him like he's her next meal. Another ring clamps around her left wrist. If feels like she’s been but in an electric chair, turned up on full blast is has her falling to her knees on the ground. She turns snarling and snapping her teeth at a redhead.
"Impossible." Someone mumbles as her nails lengthen, and her teeth sharpen.
A sharp kick in the middle of her shoulder blades has her falling forward. A fourth ring snaps around her arm. That has her weak and her body shaking, but it is nothing compared to her poor twin who lays twitching and whimpering.
"Yer aff tae hauf tae chap her oot." A voice comes from her left. It has her hand snapping out, clawing at a naked ankle. A scream rents the air as Shay digs her claws into the guy.
A harsh pain flares in the back of her head, and everything goes black. Her last thought.
I'm going to kill them all.
FIVE
SHAY
SHAY'S SENSE OF SMELL wakes before the rest of her body. Evergreen. A musty damp. Old dusty. Mildew. Water. Fresh snow. All of these smells hit her with a hint of campfire. Her brother's fresh rain scent is absent, reduced to only a little left lingering on her body but not in the air.
Her hearing comes to life next as the sound of two male voices reach her. They are maybe five feet away. One young and the other older. Their voices echo and bounce around whatever room she's in.
But her twin. Her brother.
Through their link, she calls to him, her voice sounding muffled, like she is underwater.
Nothing!
Her body starts to come awake as the seconds go by, her muscles sore. She’s laying on something cold and hard. Unforgiving on her already wiped out body.
If he's hurt
Her teeth lengthen and sharpen at the horrifying thought.
Her heart starts to pound with fear and rage. Shay can't reach her brother. Can't even feel him on the other end of their bond. This has never happened before. Not once in her nineteen years of life.
The twins have always been connected. Continuously able to feel the other at the end of their link. Now, there is nothing. It just ends with her brother missing.
In seconds Shay is up and moving her hands, wrapping around the cold iron bars preventing her fr
om reaching the two males. Her fingernails grow long and sharp turning black.
Shay snarls, "Where is my brother?"
The young one with black hair and green eyes maybe around ten years old jerks away from her cage, a yelp falling from his mouth. The sour taste of his fear fills the damp air.
Shay growls deep in her throat. Her sharp teeth snap at the empty air, as she pushes on the iron bars. Her hands spasm around the bars wanting to reach out and wrap around their soft throats instead of the cold metal. The beast within wanting their blood upon her lips for what was done to her and Jay.
"Where is my brother?" Shay asks softly, a deadly calm in her voice, one that promises a world of pain.
"Yer brother is in th' peely-wally ward." A gruff, aged voice says.
Shay snaps her eyes toward the older wolf, grey streaks his brown hair, soft green eyes shine with intelligence.
"I only understood half of what you said." Shay barks out, gripping the bars so tight her hands start to turn a snow white.
The older man's big shoulders go up with a sigh, "Yer brother is in the sick ward."
The sick ward. A queasiness bubbles up in Shays' gut. Why would her twin be in a sick ward? What happened to him?
"Why?" She snaps.
The older man looks at her intently, his big burly hands on wide coverall covered hips, like he's debating whether or not to tell her.
Shay snarls out at him impatiently.
His eyes blink, the only reaction he gives. "We belive th' Stan cuff wis on fer too lang. Soaked intae his bloodstream." He says gruffly.
On for too long? That doesn't make any sense. How was the cuff on her twin for too long? How far did they journey?
"How long?"
"Aboot a week." He says, looking Shay over. Taking in the details of her washed out color, the thin line of sweat covering her forehead, the tacky yellow ghosting over her gold eyes.
"You're telling me that you had my brother in a Stan cuff for a week. A week." She says in a whisper, her eyes seeming to glow from within.
The man's eyes narrow, he slowly backs up, pulling the youth towards the end of the hallway, and shoves him around the corner of the grey stone wall.