by Sydney Addae
Raw, sensual energy flowed over his inert body. If he wasn’t here with his den-mates, he would be thrashing in pain on the ground as Cain was. He sensed the presence of someone and wanted his dad’s eyes on whoever came close.
“No,” Renee said. “Didn’t you call him?”
David hadn’t and tried to reach him but couldn’t. Fear coated his throat. “I can’t get through to him.”
Jackie’s eyes widened. “Hold on.” The next second David saw his father in his sister’s gaze. “What happened, David?”
David explained their morning and the fall. “Didn’t the Knights contact you?”
“No. I haven’t been able to reach anyone this morning. I didn’t know you’d fallen until just now. Let me see where you are.”
David returned to his body. He heard Jackie yell before his father short-circuited the whip of energy that hit him and Cain.
“What is that?” David asked his dad.
“Female energy. Old, sensual. I’ve never sensed anything like it before,” his father said.
“Is it wolf or something else?” David asked trying to mask his fear.
“Wolf and something. But definitely a wolf. My guess is it’s someone who’s lived in the mountain a long time. I hear water, which is necessary to live. Looks like a cavern or something. I’m going to try and help Cain,” his father said.
David inhaled. The scent he’d tasted before, wrapped around him, filled him and teased his mind with sensual promises.
“David,” his dad called, mentally shaking him. The next second his system was flooded with chilled energy that had the effect of a cold shower.
“What is that?” David said in a ragged voice. “It smells incredible. I...I want to smell more of it.”
“No, Son. It’s a drug that incapacitates men. Powerful and deadly. I’ve linked Abel to Cain to help him combat it. What he needs is female energy. Jackie’s not impacted at all. One second.”
David tried to find the scent again but was blocked.
“Okay, I’ve linked Cain to a female source to help dissipate the scent. I want the two of you out of there. Can you see the place you entered?” his father asked.
“No. All I see is rock. I must’ve fallen through a veil or warded gate. Cain was holding on to me. The Knights were sitting a few feet away and haven’t followed us inside, which means they can’t,” David said. He explained no one else but him had sensed the energy.
“You’re right, that’s strange. I doubt it has anything to do with me, but you never know. First, let’s find a way to get you and Cain out of there. Can you move?”
“Yes.” David sat up, stretched and looked around. “Why couldn’t I reach you before?”
“I don’t know. One thing at a time. Abel should have Cain almost done. I want both of you to shift, you’ll need your senses on high alert. Plus, I don’t think that scent will affect your beast.”
“You’re sure?” David asked as he flowed into his beast.
“Not 100%,” his dad said as Cain moved to stand next to David.
“Let’s look around and see if there’s a way out of this place,” Cain said.
CHAPTER THREE
SARITA HEARD HER NAME and turned. Kim, her former college roommate walked toward her with a soft smile.
Happy to see her friend, Sarita returned the smile and met her in the middle of the doctor’s lobby. Similar in height with dark, long hair pulled back in a pony-tail, jeans and a tee-shirt, Kim pulled Sarita close in a loose embrace, something she always did.
“Think positive thoughts, before you know it you’ll be going home to see your parents and David. You’ve got this,” Kim said moving some of Sarita’s long, dark wavy hair and placing it behind her ear.
Sarita nodded and took a deep breath. “Thinking positive thoughts and hoping you’re right. Thanks for coming, I know this is out of your way. Tell Jake I said hi.” Kim and Jake, her mate, were headed for a weekend trip out of town but made this stop to check on her to wish her well.
“Will do,” Kim said smiling. “You’ve got something for the pain or the itching?”
Sarita looked around the near-empty room and nodded. She didn’t like discussing her condition but since Kim had the same problem, they discussed everything.
“Good.” She squeezed Sarita’s hand. “Hey, you’re not alone, if you need anything, call me or David. We’re here for you, always.” She leaned forward and touched Sarita’s forehead with her own. “Love you, Dimples,” a nickname she’d given Sarita because of the deep dimple in her right cheek. “Take care of yourself.”
Sarita inhaled deeply, sought courage and nodded. “Will do. Have fun and call me when you get back. Be safe.”
“Will do, sweetie. Let me know what the doc says.” Kim looked at Sarita again. “You sure you’re okay? I can stay until you’re done.”
Fighting the urge to beg her friend to stay as she had all the other times, Sarita forced a smile and shook her head. “No, you guys don’t want to get to the mountains after dark. You’ve got a ways to go. I may stay in town myself rather than drive to my aunt’s in the dark.” She released Kim’s hand and stepped back as her name was called.
“See, I’m going in now, this won’t take long. Go on, have fun. Talk to you when you get back.” Sarita waved goodbye, turned and walked toward the nurse who escorted her to the examination room.
After changing into an exam gown, Sarita stood waiting near the door for the specialist to enter. She closed her eyes and said a quick prayer that this doctor could help her. No one else had been able to do anything. She pulled the garment closer and bit down on the corner of her lip as footsteps stopped in front of the door. Moving back a bit she watched the door open and then released her breath when Dr. Lisa entered.
“Hello, Sarita. I’m Dr. Lisa, we spoke on the phone yesterday.” She extended her hand. Sarita shook it and took another step back.
The doctor read information on a hand-held tablet for a few seconds and then waved her hand in front of Sarita’ chest and down toward her pelvic area. “Everything seems normal. Let’s have a look at the problem.”
Sarita exhaled and took off the gown.
Dr. Lisa gasped.
Sarita didn’t blame her. She did the same thing almost every morning.
“I’ve never seen anything like this. The black lines are translucent, I see your flesh behind them.” The doctor ran the pad of her finger down the longest black line from Sarita’s shoulder down to her pubic hair. “How does this feel?” She looked at Sarita.
“Like you’re running your hand on my skin.” There was nothing wrong with the nerve endings. “I tried to peel them off once, used a knife to cut out the lines. Not only did the skin grow back, but the black lines doubled in size. Never did that again.”
“I’m sure.” Dr. Lisa pushed, then pinched the black line while watching Sarita. A few seconds later, she shook her head.
Sarita’s heart dropped. Another dead-end failure.
“Your blood work is normal. One would think there would be a different color or something behind these black jagged stripes. Fascinating,” the doctor murmured as she stared at the dark lines creeping across Sarita’s abdomen like a bad tattoo.
“No, I bleed red.” Sarita could do without all the “fascinatings.” She wasn’t in a zoo or a freak. Not yet anyway.
“The lines have been growing for five years?” the doctor asked.
Sarita closed her eyes, took a deep breath and nodded. She’d explained all this before. Why had she allowed Kim to talk her into coming here? Nothing ever worked. “Yes.” She left it at that.
“If you’d let me run more tests —”
Sarita whirled around. “What difference does it make?”
Helpless, the full-blood doctor shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“Exactly. My wolf can’t stop this from spreading or make it go away. Soon it’ll spread to my chest and back, up my neck and then my face. I’ve been told it’s a curse
. Another doctor said it’s a blessing. Another said I’m doomed unless I get the curse lifted.” Depressed, Sarita sat on the edge of the examination table and dropped her head. How could she go home like this? No way she could hide her condition from her parents. One of the specialists said she was contagious, another said she’d contaminate her mate and pups. None of the specialists she talked to gave her the same diagnosis.
Aggravated and filled with despair, she wanted to scream.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before. The lines, they pulse as if they share your heartbeat. It’s amazing.”
Sarita cut her eyes at the doctor and finished dressing in silence. Only an insensitive jerk would say something like that.
“I’m sorry. Sometimes I get distracted...” Dr. Lisa turned away. “Do you need something for pain?”
“No.” Sarita wanted out of there. She’d traveled six hours to meet with this supposedly specialist. Complete waste of time.
“You’re not in pain?”
Sometimes, but I’m not taking anything from you, Sarita thought. The woman was a bit too curious for her liking.
The doctor asked again when Sarita didn’t answer.
“I’m okay, thanks.” Dressed, Sarita picked up her bag and offered the doctor a slight smile. “I appreciate you seeing me.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t help. When you made the appointment, I thought your problem was something else.”
That surprised Sarita. “Really? Like what?” She looked at the doctor.
“Another disease that struck a couple of full-bloods a few years ago. They had severe skin discoloration, but it was localized, like on an arm or leg. Nothing this distinct.” She pointed to the now covered lines creeping up Sarita’s body.
“I see. Well, thank you.” Sarita left the room without looking back. This was the last time she’d take Kim’s advice. Moments later she left the medical facility, pulled out onto the highway and headed into town to grab something to eat. Maybe she’d find a hotel, spend the night and head to her aunt’s in the morning.
The small town boasted of several quaint shops, bistros and a small hotel on the main road. “This is nice.” She liked the ambiance of the place and decided to get a room first.
For a small hotel, there was a lot of activity in the lobby. Sarita waited in line five minutes before reaching the counter. After checking in, she went to the bistro across the street. Since it was a nice day, she sat outside, watching people. Her heart ached for home, her parents and her brothers.
She missed the compound, Adam, Renee, and Jackie. Most of all she missed David. What would become of them? She loved him too much to return home in this condition. The knowledge that something was destroying her from the inside filled her with unfathomable terror.
David had offered to visit, help her find a cure. But the risk, what if it was contagious? Worse, if they were mates, she’d pass it on to him. The idea of doing anything to hurt him almost drove her insane. After showing him proof of her disease, he’d kept her secret, and never questioned her about her long absence again. When he took European trips, his family thought he was with her. But, they hadn’t been together since her first year of college.
She placed her order with the waiter and leaned back in her seat with her face toward the sun. The warmth chased the chill of fear threatening to choke her.
If she could turn back the hands of time, she would never have gone to that party with Kim that night. During her sophomore year, her room-mate had asked her several times to go places with her. Sarita always said no. Drinking had little to no effect on full-bloods, plus the music was too loud and she didn’t want to see juvenile boys scoff down red meat. But Kim kept pushing until Sarita agreed.
The party was as bad as she knew it would be. She ignored the guys who wanted to talk to her and counted the minutes until she could leave. After an hour leaning against a wall, she went to find Kim to tell her she’d see her later. Kim was drinking a fruit drink and gave Sarita a cup. Laughing she told Sarita she could leave after she had one drink, claiming it was a party after all. Sensing it was a harmless drink, Sarita drank it and left.
The next day she dropped into hell. For a week her guts were on fire. Shifting didn’t help. The doctors were stumped. Her grandparents were concerned and took her home to stay with them until she felt better. By the end of the week, she could walk and hold down soft food. Shifting helped and she returned to school.
During that time Kim had moved in with Jake, her new boyfriend, but felt bad Sarita had been sick. She came to see her and apologized. The next month, two black, crooked lines appeared just above her pubic hairs. She didn’t pay them much attention at first. A few months later, they had grown an inch or so.
Then the pain kicked in. Sarita had shifted. The pain eased somewhat but not entirely. Later, Kim told her she had experienced the same thing and shared the name of the specialist she’d gone to see. That visit changed Sarita’s life.
“Can I join you?”
Startled, Sarita looked at the older woman standing in front of her table. Noting there were several empty tables nearby, Sarita wondered why the woman wanted to sit with her.
“I don’t want to eat alone,” the woman said.
“Sure. I apologize. My mind was elsewhere.” Sarita inhaled, picked up the full-blood’s scent and offered a smile.
“You’re not from around here, are you?”
Sarita’s brow rose. “No. I’m Sarita.”
The woman’s cheeks reddened. “I’m sorry. That’s rude of me to sit without introducing myself. Halas.” She chuckled. “I’m rusty at this but we’ll make do.”
Sarita watched the small woman move around her seat, pushing her glasses up her nose.
“Can’t really see with these.” Halas took them off, squinted and put them back on. “Maybe I’ll keep them on. What’s good?” She looked at Sarita.
“This is my first time here, I ordered a sandwich, that’s usually safe.” Sarita smiled and took a sip of her drink.
“Safe. Interesting word. The lengths a parent will go to make sure their pups are safe. Amazing.”
Sarita’s gaze sharpened at the pointed comment. Halas wasn’t talking about food. Did she recognize Sarita as Alpha Barticus’ grand-daughter? Or Hawke or Asia’s daughter? The lines on her stomach pulsed as her heart raced.
“Calm down little one, I don’t mean any harm.” Halas smiled, and her eyes twinkled. “What brings you to this small part of the world?”
Sarita wasn’t sure why she talked to the older woman. Maybe it was the compassion she read in Halas gray eyes. Or the sound of genuine concern she heard in her voice. Perhaps she had too many disappointments lately to guard her tongue.
Unwilling to examine her motives too closely, Sarita shared an abbreviated version of her trip. “I came to see a specialist, unfortunately, she couldn’t help me.” She tried to shrug off her disappointment.
The waitress served her food and took a drink order from Halas. Sarita wondered if the woman had changed her mind and would no longer eat.
“Would you like some?” She pointed to her plate.
Halas smiled, and it was like the sun peeked from behind the clouds. “Yes, thanks. It looks tasty.” She took a knife and cut off a quarter. “Mmm, that was good,” she said looking at Sarita’s sandwich.
“Have another piece,” Sarita offered as she picked up the other half.
“Thank you, that’s very kind.” Halas finished the other half of Sarita’s sandwich just as her drink was delivered.
Sarita placed another order for later that night and finished her drink. Halas watched her a few moments. “You’re a strong lass. But you’re going about this all wrong.”
“Hmm?” Sarita looked at her.
“You need fixing, no question. But the problem may not be physical as much as generational. Do you know anything about your family history?”
Sarita’s cheeks warmed. “Just my father’s side. I never knew the woman wh
o birthed me.” She was given to my father to impregnate and then discarded, Sarita thought.
“Not good. Your problem is hereditary, only happens to —” She eyed Sarita. “Do you know of Salah?”
Surprised, Sarita nodded. “Salah, the wolf pardoned by the patriarch Jacob and then blessed by Yahweh. What do you know about her? Plus, all of that happened thousands of years ago, why is it relevant now?”
Halas laughed. “Oh, you have spirit. I love that.”
Sarita rolled her eyes and took another sip of her drink.
“I’m not sure what you’ve been told,” Halas said, softly. “I can help you.”
Recalling her recent disappointment, Sarita’s brow rose.
Halas smiled. “Sometimes you just have to look in the right places, show the right amount of humility and kindness.”
Sarita stared at the woman, taken by what appeared as starbursts in Halas' eyes. “What? Your eyes, they’re... who are you?”
Halas clapped her hands and laughed. “Delightful, just delightful.” She pushed away from the table. “Come, we will talk as we walk.”
Conflicted, Sarita wasn’t sure what to do. Far from home and support, she didn’t like the idea of going with a stranger with funny eyes. The waiter placed her take-out bag on the table and handed her the check. He glanced at Halas and turned.
“Wait.” Sarita pulled out several bills and gave them to him as she stood. Taking her bag, she decided to walk with Halas but not go to a specific place. The two walked in the direction of the hotel in silence.
“How long have the vines been growing?” Halas asked in a somber tone.
Surprised to hear the black lines called vines, Sarita looked at her. Maybe Halas knew something about this after all.
“Since college,” Sarita said, hesitantly.
“And the pain?”
“Manageable.” She never told anyone how David helped draw away the pain to keep her from taking medication. She hadn’t talked to him in a couple days, but he’d told her to call out if she needed him while he was in Canada.