Pinnacle

by Lynn Veevers

  Reaching up, she touched his face, and wiped the single tear that had spilled. He looked at Kaya and she could read the emotion in his eyes; he was asking for her forgiveness. She kissed him on his cheek softly.

  “It’s OK, Kenneth. It just scared me is all,” she reassured him accepting it for what it was.

  “Well Kaya, if you’d like to join us downstairs, we are discussing the pack hunt we are going on tonight. You are part of the pack, part of the family now, so you have the right to accompany us on the hunt,” Owen said as he headed back down the steps.

  Kenneth spun her around, caught her face in his hands, and kissed her with renewed passion. It made her legs turn to jelly and he wrapped his arm around Kaya, supporting her against him. When he broke the kiss, his eyes were burning with need again.

  “I want you again, Kays,” he whispered.

  Kaya averted her eyes from him and placed a hand on his broad chest. He smelled of the shower he must have taken that morning and it reminded her that she too needed to shower.

  “Kenneth, I need a shower.”

  “All right, I guess I’ll see you downstairs. Don’t take too long, I’ve already been missing you too much this morning,” he said with a smile and went back downstairs.

  She walked into the bathroom, shaking her head with a smile. The man was just too much. Despite what he said, she took her time in the shower. The warm water felt good on her tired muscles, muscles she hadn’t even known she had. When she finally made it downstairs, there were the knowing, smiling faces of her pack members there to greet her. Her sense of modesty made her blush fiercely and everyone noticed.

  “I love you, Kays. They all know it. They also know that, as of last night, we are now bonded mates. It’s OK, just relax. Intimacy is a huge part of the Lycan lifestyle,” he whispered in her ear after walking to where she stood.

  They joined the rest of the family around the kitchen table, and the buzzing about the pack hunt began.

  “Kaya, as a member of the pack, you can participate to the fullest extent. Seeing how you are able to morph into our kind, you would fit right in,” Owen said.

  Kaya took a few steps back from the table, away from Kenneth, and the absolute horror must have registered on her face. He was immediately by her side and asking what was wrong.

  “I would love to be able to participate, but I won’t do it by morphing into Lycan Hybrid Form. I don’t understand why being in that form is so much different than any other I take, but I have very limited control over my choices and actions. The longer I am in Hybrid, the harder it is for me to control it. It’s almost as if it has a mind of its own.”

  Kaya visibly shook at the thought and he rubbed his hands up and down her arms. Everyone at the table looked just a little disappointed by this news. She hated the way it made her feel and quickly scrambled for a different role she might play in this family affair.

  “Well, there is something else I can do to contribute to this hunt,” she said grinning.

  Kaya had everyone’s full attention, and finally Samantha got to her feet, bubbling with excitement. “Well don’t keep us in suspense, sister. What is it?”

  Samantha’s enthusiasm was contagious. “Well, instead of telling you, why not just show you? Kenneth, can you please open the door to the back patio?”

  The same smile Kenneth had given her the first time they met materialized on his face and, for a moment, everyone else in the room disappeared. Kaya walked straight into his arms and kissed him. The sound of cheering and whistling ripped them out of their cozy place. Kaya looked around the group at their smiling faces and sheepishly shrugged after Kenneth had opened the door.

  “Anyway, I can scout prey for you!”

  Kaya made a dead run for the door and morphed into her signature animal. She flew out the door, caught an updraft as she passed the patio’s edge, then soared into the sky.

  10

  A Bird’s Eye View

  Kaya loved being in this form, and rather than return straightaway, she decided to take a moment for her. The O’Connell estate was impressive, even from the air. It was a vast expanse of property, bigger than she had first imagined, but from this height, she had a clear view of the boundary fences. Their little slice of heaven wasn’t little at all; it was enormous. The sun was still climbing into the sky as she took in the rise and fall of the earth below her. The land here was beautiful, with all its changing colors and shades. She traveled over the pasture where the lone maple tree stood. Before long, she found the O’Connell herd of Angus. They were magnificent creatures with their beautiful, shiny coats of black. The cows had stopped to drink water at a stream that ran through the pasture Kaya was flying over.

  She was banking north to return to the house when movement in the shade of the trees caught her attention. Circling around, she retraced her flight pattern and descended about sixty feet to get a better look at what had caught her eye. As she cleared the tops of the trees, Kaya saw it was a family of wolves napping in the cool shade.

  These wolves were large…too large. Kaya realized they were Lycans, six by her count. Just past where the group was, there was a dead Angus calf. It had been severely mutilated with chunks of its flesh missing. The chest area had been gutted and Kaya could clearly see what was left of the rib cage. Her heart raced for the first time since she’d left the house and now she flew with purpose.

  Kaya ate up the distance in a just a couple minutes. She flew onto the patio where she saw yet another family of Lycans; Lycans who were now her family as well. Hitting the deck running, she ran right into Samantha at full speed and fell on her butt. Samantha hadn’t budged even an inch.

  Her wolven expression was curious as she glanced at Kaya through the beautiful yellow orbs that were her eyes in Pure Form. She cocked her head to one side inquisitively in the adorable way dogs do when they are trying to figure you out. Putting a hand on Samantha’s head, Kaya concentrated on the image she’d conjured in her mind of herself in Pure Form, with the correct proportions to match the others. Kaya felt the morph take hold and opened her eyes. The rest of the family had gathered around Kaya and Kenneth was dutifully sniffing her hind courters. She growled and he growled right back in response. When she took a step toward him and bared her teeth, he whimpered and took a paw back. It was then she’d noticed, despite her best efforts, she’d not quite hit the mark on her size. Kenneth was still bigger than her by a full head.

  Kaya quickly nuzzled Kenneth with her snout and began to explain to the rest what she’d just seen on her flight. Cole’s ears stood straight up on end as Kaya relayed the information.

  “What’s Cole doing?” Kaya asked Kenneth.

  “Listening, he has superior hearing even in Human Form. In Pure Form, his ears are like radar and can hear almost anything if he knows what to listen for.”

  Owen, the only one still in Human Form, walked out onto the patio and did a double take when he saw Kaya. Kenneth brought his father up to date on what was happening, and Kaya was surprised to discover they understood each other no matter what form they were respectively in. Owen immediately started for the far end of the patio and jumped off the edge. By the time the four of them made it to the rail and looked over, he was already in Pure Form and clipping across the ground.

  Everyone but Kaya followed suit, making the fifteen-foot drop like it was nothing but Kaya, did not feel so comfortable in her current skin to make such a leap. So instead, she took to the air once more. By the time she caught up to the others, Kaya noticed Owen had fallen behind his children, who were eating up the distance between them and the group ahead like it was easiest task in the world. Kaya swooped down alongside Owen and morphed into his Pure Form. This time, she nailed the proportions accurately. She was bigger than Owen and she saw his eyes gleam with approval. They ran in tandem a good expanse behind his children.

  When they finally caught up to Kenneth and his siblings, they had the family cornered between the three of them and the tree row. There were
two full-size Lycans and the other four were significantly smaller. Upon closer examination, Kaya noticed the four were huddled and cowering behind the larger two, who had teeth bared and hackles up. There was something different about these Lycans than the ones who had attacked Kaya though. She couldn’t put her finger on it.

  The sounds the four little ones made tore at her heart. As Kaya took a step forward the bigger of the two adults charged Kaya and knocked her onto her back. The Lycan was snapping at Kaya’s neck, trying to land a strike, when Kenneth jumped into the fray and knocked Kaya’s attacker off. He sent her sprawling head over paws. A few yards away, she recovered and sprang to charge Kaya again. It was then Kaya noticed her eyes were burning a fiery yellow rimmed in an intense orange.

  Kaya morphed from bear to Human Form and the she-wolf came to a screeching halt. These Lycans were not of Afflicted variety; they were Natural Lycans.

  Kaya turned toward Kenneth and, with a single pointed look, had him standing down. She turned her full attention to the she-wolf and saw her gaze darting from the four little ones then back to Kaya. Kaya was blocking her path to the little ones and she was clearly concerned for them. It was more than just simple concern; she was absolutely terrified and had the eyes of a mother desperate to get her cubs out of harm’s way. Realizing what was going on Kaya slowly stepped aside and the she-wolf slowly passed, watching her the whole time. When she reached the four cubs, they all but glued themselves to their mother, whimpering and whining in fear. Owen had resumed Human Form and came to stand beside Kaya.

  “Who are you, and why have you trespassed into my pack’s territory?”

  The father of the visiting pack had also taken on Human Form and stepped forward. He was tall, looking about six feet three or four inches, with blond hair, green eyes, and medium build.

  “I am Noah Maraski, and this is my mate, Dahlia, and our children Christian, Valarie, Nadia, and Morgan. They are eleven seasons old,” he said, motioning toward his mate, who had also taken Human Form, and his four cubs, who had not.

  Dahlia slowly came to her mate’s side and looked at Kaya imploringly.

  “We are being tracked and hunted by Noah’s Great-Aunt Senka, or rather, by her henchmen,” Dahlia said, clearly asking for aid without stating it.

  Kaya’s blood ran cold at the sound of that name. Her skin turned clammy, her face was ash white, and she felt light-headed. Kenneth sensed her change and was there when she fell over and landed in such a way that he was now lying down on the ground and she was bolstered up against the soft black fur of his side. Dahlia peered down at Kaya. Confusion crossed her face.

  “You know her?”

  Cole and Samantha had materialized at Kaya’s side and were closing in on Dahlia, aggressively threatening in their manner. They immediately caught Dahlia’s attention, and she snapped at them both in a purely maternal and chastising manner.

  She had Cole stopping dead in his tracks; Samantha, however, was not so easily deterred. There wasn’t even the slightest hitch in her step as she approached Dahlia, fangs bared and growling ominously. Dahlia went ridged, like she was prepared to take Samantha on despite her being in Human Form and Samantha still being in Pure Form. The two stood toe-to-paw, staring each other down and remained that way for a long while when finally, Dahlia broke the silence.

  “Feeling froggy, dear? Well then, make your move.”

  Something was amiss because Dahlia was way too sure of herself. Rearing back on her hind legs Samantha started to come down on top of Dahlia, mouth open and ready to rip her head off, but Dahlia pivoted a quarter turn back and connected her right fist into the side of Samantha’s head. The blow sent her sprawling and sliding across the ground. Confidence radiated off Dahlia as she walked calmly toward Samantha and made her transformation back to Pure Form.

  Kaya had gotten past her state of shock. She saw what was going to happen, and didn’t want to pose any more of a threat to this formidable opponent. So rather than taking on a Pure Form, she took on a timber wolf form instead. This way she could communicate without seeming like a threat.

  Getting to her paws, she cautiously called Dahlia’s name. Her massive head swiveled around to look in Kaya’s direction and confusion registered in her wolf’s features. She forgot all about her confrontation with Samantha.

  “I have never seen a Pure Form so small, and how are you a wolf now? Were you not a bear or...OK, well I know I am not seeing things,” she said, still completely perplexed.

  “Well, that would be because I am not a Lycan at all,” Kaya told her.

  “I don’t understand. When you all showed up, you came as a bear, like this one,” she said, indicating Owen.

  “Yes, but it’s because I can morph, or shapeshift. I’m not a Lycan. I am what is known as a Natural Mystic and one of my abilities is morphing. However, I do not get that ability from my mother’s side, which is the Natural Mystic lineage. I get the morphing ability from my father’s side.”

  “You have crossed lines - dual magicka! It’s you! You are the one she is after. You are the reason we are being hunted!” Dahlia exclaimed. Her accent had been faint and barely underscoring her vocal cadence until now. It was a strong, rolling Latin accent. She was visibly stressed.

  “Me? What, why? I don’t even know you!” Kaya said.

  “Senka sought my mate and me out to track you, and when we refused, she was furious. For whatever reason, she thinks your core will grant her the ability to destroy her Affliction, making her a full, pure Lycan. The core of the Pinnacle is the purest of cores and neutralizes any evil traits that might ail an individual. The Pinnacle’s core is life and has extreme rectifying qualities,” Dahlia said, still staring at Kaya.

  “But we are not even sure if I am the Pinnacle. I just barely came into my manifestation on both sides.” Then a question occurred to Kaya. “What is so special about you that she’d ask you to track me rather than just have her minions do it?”

  “I have no problems explaining anything I can, but can we please move to a safer location before I tell you everything you need to know?” Dahlia asked.

  Kaya glanced back at Owen and he nodded in approval.

  “Well, round up your cubs and we will head back to the house,” Kaya told Dahlia.

  Dahlia vocalized a series of yips and the children fell in like well-trained soldiers. Before long, everyone made it back and Owen directed the four kids to the family room and put on a movie. He asked them if they wanted some popcorn and they responded in a cluster of excited sounds. Kaya assumed the reaction meant yes and watched as he went off to pop the corn for them. Dahlia followed him out of the room and into the kitchen where the others had gathered. She directed a grateful expression Kaya’s way.

  “Thank you. My babies are my life and we have been running scared for almost a week now.”

  Kaya told her she understood and asked her to please clue them in on what was going on.

  “As I told you, Senka is my mate’s great-aunt, so I will let him explain,” Dahlia said, gesturing toward Noah.

  He stepped forward and began to tell the rest of them the tale.

  “She is the youngest of my grandfather’s siblings. I come from a long line of Lycan blood, generation after generation of Natural Lycans. Rarely in my line, one will be born with the Lycan trait taking a recessive seat to the human trait. So in a nutshell, once in a great while, a Gnáth is born into an otherwise full Lycan family. This is due to a prior union of a Lycan ancestor taking a Gnáth as a mate. There is always the chance of one of your offspring being a Gnáth if Gnáth blood runs through your veins,” Noah said pausing to look around the room.

  "Senka was one such rare occurrence. My father told me, before he died, that his Aunt Senka was among the most bitter, spiteful, hateful, and intellectually brilliant of women. He admired her superior intelligence and sense of grace, but she resented the fact that she was alone in her “condition”. She wanted nothing more than to be like the rest of her family. So at the age
of forty-two, she purposely put herself in the way of an Afflicted Lycan, knowing full well it might kill her. Her rationalism told her it was worth the risk, and in doing so, she herself became an Afflicted Lycan. But instead of accepted by her loved ones, she was shunned from our family and lost her status as part of the pack. Their rejection made her irate because she felt what she had done was for her family’s sake, and they had forsaken her in spite of her efforts to please them. No one bothered to keep tabs on her, except my father, who was seventeen at the time she turned,” Noah said pausing again for a moment and then continued.

  "Senka harbored certain affections for my father because he loved her unconditionally, even though she was not a Natural Lycan. She was his aunt, his family, and to him, that was more important than being or not being a Lycan. So over the years, my father told me of her, but never dared let us meet. He figured her affections for him would not extend to his children. My father was older when I came along. Sadly, he died almost twenty years ago. My great-aunt is one-hundred-three. However, when you are Afflicted, the aging process slows dramatically. So while she is little more than a century old, she does not look more than a few years older than she was when she was turned. Most Natural Lycans have a heightened ability that is specific to them. Mine is an uncanny sense of smell. Once I have your scent, it is near impossible to lose me. Dahlia’s is her unmatched strength. This makes us efficient at tracking and taking down prey. So Senka tried to recruit us to her cause. She thought, because we are family, we’d just fall right in with her plans, but I have babies and her cause is not as important as their safety.”