by Lynn Veevers
With Love,
Aunt Senka.”
Dahlia sat stone-faced and devoid of emotion. Owen was about to say something but before he could, Eric held up a hand.
“There’s more. I read the letter to Renee and she snatched it from my hand a second time. I asked her what she was doing. She told me she was peeling away the layers so she could see the events surrounding Senka, that it might tell her where she was taking our sister. We all heard the story surrounding Senka as pups, but nothing prepared us for what we saw when it came to her. As the layers of events were stripped away, Renee saw the transformation, the day Senka had turned Afflicted. The vision was so strong it pulled at my trait and we were both spectators in this event of the past as if we were there. This is what we saw.”
Senka ran through a field of sunflowers on a balmy, late-summer day. The hem of her blue cotton sundress wisped around her knees as she ran through the tall stalks toward the cottonwood tree at the field’s edge. She had so many emotions going through her—pain, excitement, depression, and true love. It was fresh, new, and an absolutely consuming love. Senka came to a stop when she reached the tree, completely out of breath because she had been in a hurry.
“I’m sorry Miguel, I know I’m late,” she said to the man who waited for her.
His deep, earthy voice responded saying, “Don’t fret over such a thing my love.”
Miguel’s voice was a soothing balm to Senka’s harried emotions. She absolutely loved the thick romantic cadence of his mesmerizing Spanish accent. Sitting in his lap, he held her close, breathing in her scent and the scent of the sunflowers she had just run through. There in his arms, Senka marveled in the love she’d found so late in life. Miguel was mysterious, two years her senior, and forbidden. His pack and her pack hated each other but had peacefully coexisted by avoiding each other. Miguel was Senka’s mate although they had not finalized it. She was still in her purest maiden form, with her virginity still intact. This was to be the day she would trade her pack’s protection for the protection of his. Miguel leaned in to kiss Senka, love evident and strong in his amber-brown eyes, when he heard the sound of pounding paws. His head shot up in alarm as he quickly set Senka on the ground next to him.
Senka’s oldest brother Nathaniel, came charging out of the sunflowers in Pure Form. Nathaniel was no small creature. His fiery reddish-orange fur glistened in the sunlight as he made contact with Miguel. The two went cartwheeling across the ground. Senka saw everything in slow motion. The two alpha males tumbled through the tall grass sending wild wheat, seeds, and dust flying every which way. Miguel rolled from his back with the momentum of the charge and found his paws in Pure Form.
Senka had never seen him in Pure Form since he was adamant about making her feel like his equal, rather than the inferior her own pack had made her feel like over the years. She regarded him, now standing tall and proud on paws the color of brushed steel shavings. He was beautiful, and favored the likeness of the Iberian wolves that were native to his homeland of Spain. But Nathaniel was much larger than Miguel in Pure Form.
Senka knew Miguel would challenge Nathaniel for his right to court her as his mate. She also knew her brother would sooner die than grant Miguel that privilege. Feeling panic raise up from the depths of her soul she blindly ran in between the two, trying to stop the inevitable from happening. With one quick swipe, Nathaniel lashed out at Miguel, but hit Senka instead and sent her flying back into the tree. The sound of bone cracking on impact had both alphas running to where she had hit.
Miguel came out of Pure Form and hit his knees on the ground next to her. He gathered her in his arms and she screamed in agony. A second later, Nathaniel materialized next to Miguel in Human Form as well, and tried to take Senka from him. Miguel faced Nathaniel, eyes blazing yellow, and growled at him in warning. Nathaniel backed up the slightest bit, then stared down at his baby sister. There was a large gash across the width of her chest that oozed blood onto the torn, blue fabric of her dress, a gash he had put there. He turned away, unable to escape the guilt inside him. Miguel saw it as well.
Senka saw Nathaniel had genuine sorrow in his eyes and heard it in his voice when he spoke, “I’m so sorry, Senka, but you know what has to be done now.”
He stepped back and resumed Pure Form. Senka’s eyes grew large as realization of what he was about to do became clear; he meant to kill her before she could become Afflicted. When she started to cry, something inside Miguel snapped and he reared back, taking on Pure Form again and turning on Nathaniel. Miguel would die defending her, she realized. Nathaniel took four pawed steps back, then assumed Human Form once more. He glared at Miguel’s silver face and growled angrily.
“Fine, she is your responsibility now! If you will not let me put her out of her misery, then you are responsible for the monster she will become. She is no longer protected by my pack! Do with her what you will,” Nathaniel said and shot through the field of sunflowers.
Miguel returned to the tree and knelt beside Senka in Human Form. She was in agony, and upon more examination, Miguel saw her back was broken. Miguel’s special trait was a healing one, but only when in Pure Form. Miguel explained to Senka how he was going to try to heal her injuries. He spent some time licking her wounds, and when he had done all he could, he took on Human Form and held her into the night. In those hours, he made her a promise.
“You are not a rogue, without pack or family. My pack will care for you and love you as you should have been by your former pack. I know I cannot claim you as my mate in the traditional sense because of your current condition, but you know how these things work Senka. You have to choose me as much as I choose you,” he said stroking her hair.
She smiled at him and immediately regretted the gesture as she winced in pain.
“You know I do,” she said trying to mask the pain.
Senka looked into his eyes, eyes starting to rim with the primal yellow light of his desire for her. He bent down kissing her, and his pack’s mark blazed to life behind her ear. He sat and watched over her as her wounds slowly mended themselves. He was satisfied that his saliva had done its job. He stayed there, her head in his lap, and stroked her hair. It was a wonderful feeling and she couldn’t have been happier, but something in her was changing. She could feel it.
“Miguel I don’t feel right, something is wrong,” she told him.
As he gazed down into his love’s eyes, he saw the green creeping into her otherwise crystal clear blue eyes.
“My pack will accept you,” Miguel said reassuringly. “I did everything I could, Senka…it just wasn’t enough,” he said sadly as he watched the green finally snuff out any trace of the beautiful blue.
14
Smitten With Samantha
Dahlia sat perfectly still and said nothing for a long moment.
“Are you OK, baby?” Owen asked, clearly concerned.
Kenneth and Kaya exchanged a look of surprise over the term of endearment, then glanced back at Dahlia.
Dahlia looked confused as she nodded that she was OK to Owen. “But that isn’t the story Noah told me and our babies. What you just told us, if it is true, explains a lot. It gives this insane chain of events a deeper reasoning. Senka was the victim, and she has a motive for revenge.”
Eric sighed, knowing Dahlia’s assumption was correct.
“Yes, and the events I told you are what actually happened. Memories cannot be changed. Nathaniel was our grandfather. The story Noah recounted to you and the cubs was Grandpa Nathaniel’s story. It is clear now he twisted the truth and it is entirely his fault that Senka lives an Afflicted existence. Rather than admit it and carry the blame, he fashioned a more desirable version of the story that benefited him. I also know that, after Senka turned, Nathaniel was the first to die. I am talking within a few weeks. Then as time progressed, she killed the rest of her original pack with the exception of my father and his sister, my Aunt Renee, who my sister is named after. Senka had always been their favorite aunt and they
had been the only ones who cared that she was gone from the pack. It didn’t matter to them what circumstance made her leave; they loved their aunt unconditionally and as such. mourned her loss genuinely. Neither was old enough to have started their own family yet, so she spared the two youngest children and slaughtered everyone else.”
Grandpa told his mate, cubs, and the rest of the pack his version of the story. In turn, Dad told Noah, Shannon, and Renee. Then when I was old enough to understand, Noah told me. Dad died before I was old enough to remember him, Shannon and Renee barely do. The only one of us who had any memories of Dad worth a dime was Noah. Anything else Dad told him about our Aunt Senka died with him.”
Kaya sat a moment and then reached out with her mind to Kenneth.
“Do you think my gift of testimony or, even better, my ability of spirit speaking can help here? I mean, I do not know how to target a specific person. My parents always find me. The night Noah died, my parents were with him, so I believe they brought him to me so he could pass his last thoughts to me to give to his family.”
Owen cleared his throat. “If you could please keep all conversations vocal, I would appreciate it.”
Kaya tore her gaze from Kenneth to look at Owen, and he was looking at her in that pointed fatherly way of his.
“Sorry Owen.”
“Your eyes glow blue when you talk to Kenneth on a mental level, remember? So it makes it obvious you are excluding the rest of us,” he said, the slightest hint of irritation in his voice.
Eric regarded Kaya with blatant curiosity, his intense study made her squirm a little.
“I think that might work. I had a familiar bond with Noah when he was alive because we are brothers. The same may be true even though he is gone.”
Owen grabbed Dahlia’s hand and started for the door, stopping only long enough to say, “We will leave you kids to it, whatever it is. Let us know what you discover.”
They stared after them, confusion clearly registering on their faces; well, all of them except Eric, who was grinning from ear to ear and shaking his head. Kaya decided she didn’t want to know after all. She figured she had better explain testimony and spirit speaking to him before going any further.
“So testimony is a gift I can only access in my sleep. Those who reside on the plane of the dead can speak with me in my sleeping hours as a means to communicate with those residing here on the plane of the living. Spirt speaking is as simple as me opening myself up to allow those from the plane of the dead to temporarily be pulled into the plane of the living. However, as soon as I close, they are returned to where they came from. I have to be honest; I do not have the slightest notion on how to specifically target one particular individual.”
“Well, let’s try it and see what happens. Maybe try thinking about Noah before opening yourself,” Eric suggested.
It felt like as good a place to start as any, so Kaya concentrated on thoughts and memories of Noah. Once satisfied it would be clear she was searching for him, Kaya fully opened herself.
When she did, Eric covered his ears with his hands and started screaming in pain. He stumbled backwards and tripped over the coffee table. Falling into the love seat, he curled in the fetal position, screaming, rocking, and crying.
“Make it stop!” Eric shouted.
Kaya abruptly closed herself to everything and Eric’s pained screams ceased.
“Eric, are you OK? What happened?” Kaya asked, concerned as she knelt beside the love seat.
“It was too much, way too quick…so many voices, so many thoughts, spanning over all of time and space. Some of those thoughts were ancient, Kaya, ancient!” he said frantically.
Eric was hysterical, Kaya realized. Her ability had overloaded his trait.
“Calm down, Eric, breathe,” she said in a firm but comforting tone.
He locked eyes with her and she saw the temporary insanity that had taken hold of him fade from his features and he visibly relaxed.
After a few moments, he spoke again. “It has to be a slower progression on the opening. When you opened, it was like unlocking a flood gate to eon’s worth of thoughts. That kind of onslaught will make me go crazy. I have no defense against that kind of flood, no barriers I can put in place to protect my sanity from the countless voices, and they are all loud, Kaya.”
Kaya pondered his statement for a moment, and out of nowhere the lightbulb blazed to life as her mind started forming a plan. Eric got a worried look on his face.
“Who’s Josh?”
“Genius idea, Kays. Josh can probably help with this!” Kenneth said grinning.
“Josh is Kenneth’s best friend and a Natural Mystic like me. He is boundary gifted. He may be able to produce the barrier you need for this.”
“Let me give him a call and see if I can get him over here,” Kenneth said as he walked out of the room, poking at his smartphone.
“Once I am open, there is no telling who might show up. With a trait like yours, it may amplify my spirit speaking ability, drawing out who knows who…or what.”
He considered that for a brief second.
“When you pull those from that plane to this one, do they become tangible or do they appear as spirits? Are they able to manipulate things on this plane physically?” Eric asked.
“I don’t think so. They look almost transparent, kind of like you would assume a hologram would look. But they are here. You can see them, hear them, but cannot touch them or interact with them physically.”
“Josh isn’t able to come down until after six. So I guess this would be as good a time as any to figure out what we are going to do next. We have a lot of new information to work with. There is a ton to consider and we have to plan carefully about how we proceed from here on out,” Kenneth said as he walked back into the room.
“I know that keeping Dahlia and the cubs safe is at the top of my list, along with getting Shannon back. Senka needs to be stopped, that's a given,” Eric said.
“I am who she is after,” Kaya said solemnly.
Eric was clearly confused and so she opened her thoughts to what Dahlia had told her when they’d first met about Senka’s beliefs as to what Kaya was. A loud gasp from Eric told her he had gotten the message loud and clear.
“We have to keep you out of her hands!” Eric said adamantly.
“While I appreciate it Eric, I’m not what she assumes I am. I took it upon myself to research exactly what the Pinnacle was or rather is. One specific and identifying gift is Scathan. The gift of Scathan makes it so the Pinnacle can not only assume another’s appearance down to the last detail and note of voice, but they can also assimilate the individual’s specific gift or gifts and wield them as if they were their own. True I can take on the appearance of other Natural Mystics, however I cannot adapt their gifts, let alone use them. I have tried. I was able to alter my appearance to my aunt’s, Josh’s, and Josh’s cousin, Blaire, but under no circumstance was I able to harness their individual powers. So there is no way I can be the Pinnacle Senka is searching for.”
“Even so, Kaya, you are still a powerful core and she will want you regardless. The sheer potency you possess is unheard of, and would sustain an Afflicted for a long time. I am talking years! Even if she learns you are not the Pinnacle, your core is concentrated with so much magical energy, she would stop at nothing to gain access to it,” he said in earnest.
Kaya sighed to herself. She just couldn’t believe how much her life had changed. It wasn’t enough that she had what the average person would call supernatural powers and an equally impressive boyfriend. Oh no, now she had a psychotic, revenge-obsessed, power-hungry lunatic hunting her down to extract her core.
Eric suddenly peered toward the door and chuckled to himself. Kaya waited a moment, but no one came walking through. Eric held his index finger up to her.
“Just wait one moment…you will see.”
Sure enough, about three minutes later, Eugene came walking through the door, Samantha beside him all smiles an
d flushed cheeks. Kaya could only assume he had heard their thoughts well before they had actually entered the house. It appeared as if Eugene and Samantha had hit it off better than she had imagined they would. Eugene wore a giddy little smile that was so uncharacteristic of him. Kaya couldn’t help but gawk.
“What?” Eugene asked defensively.
If her intuition was correct, and usually it was, Eugene was quite smitten with Samantha.
“Hey Eugene, I need to talk with Samantha. Can you give us a minute?” Kaya asked him.
He threw his hands up in mock disbelief. “Fine, I can see when I am not wanted!”
He sashayed out of the room, making everyone laugh at his dramatic display. Samantha’s eyes followed him until he was out of sight, and then she turned her smiling face to Kaya and her bright demeanor vanished.
“What’s going on? What did I miss?” She visibly shivered and Kaya knew she must have just started paying attention to her instincts. It was hard to ignore the rioting emotions in the room, the hung thickly in the air.
Kenneth took the lead and dove right into catching Samantha up on all they had discussed. As Kenneth relayed the events, Kaya watched Eric watching Samantha. He was so keyed into Samantha’s thoughts that he was completely unaware of Kaya’s. As she watched him and occasionally glanced over at Samantha, she noted the more visibly upset Samantha’s features got, the more his softened. By the time Kenneth was almost done relaying the events in their entirety, Eric was positively enthralled by Samantha.
“Eric!” Kaya shouted in her head, and he nearly jumped out of his skin.