BirthDate (La Patron, the Alpha's Alpha)

by Addae, Sydney

  “There are some locations I wanted to check to see if there were scraps of information that would help me discover more about my past. And lay on the beach for a few hours drinking a margarita. That is something I always wanted to do.”

  “Sounds like a good plan to me. You said was, what happened and how did Silas snatch away your freedom?”

  The scraping sound continued above, but sounded distant. More importantly she needed Mistress to see her clearly, to know her true motives. This time she would prove her gratitude in more than empty words, she would be open and above board.

  “You bonded me to you and you have saved me repeatedly. In my desire to be free I failed to see the gift I was given. In what is truly my darkest moment you are the light, the link to life. Earlier I welcomed death with open arms. It was better than being buried alive.”

  “No. No, stop talking like that.”

  Asia chuckled, feeling curiously lighter as the truth rose from the murky depths of despair. “It seems I have mechanisms that defy the odds.”

  “Good… when did I bond with you?”

  It never occurred to Asia that the bonding was accidental. Her shame intensified. “The last time we talked.”

  “I don’t remember any bonding, I remember being upset over the way you discounted your life…but… nothing like a bonding.”

  “You grabbed my arm tight and made me promise to return. You said I could die, but not cease to live,” she said slowly as the words clicked into place. She had died. Had her vow caused her body to regenerate?

  “That’s bonding?”

  Asia shook her head wondering over what all of this meant. “Your fingerprints became a tattoo on my arm. The vow I made to you became my focus, trumping plans I had been making for years and I hated that. I wanted to be free, but…”

  “Asia I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that to you. I want you to be free. To fall in love and have babies, I can bounce on my knee. Whatever happened to bond us wasn’t Silas, it was me. I’m still trying to gain control over this power. I will reverse it and free you, don’t worry.”

  “No.” She smiled as the reality of what happened flowed through her.

  “No?”

  “You are the only person I can communicate with.”

  “Yes, but I’m sure we can fix that.”

  “You don’t understand. I’m doing a bad job explaining. One second let me think.”

  “Do you have time? I mean you’ve been under there for a while.”

  “Yes…yes I have. I heard two voices earlier. I think they’re bounty hunters trying to dig me out.”

  “What? Why didn’t you… hold on. I need to tell Silas. I am going to be pissed if they pull you out and start some bullshit after everything you’ve been through.”

  Asia smiled at Jasmine’s rant…she tasted her Mistress’ name on her tongue. It felt right to call her that in her private thoughts. Something major happened and she needed to understand a semblance of what it was so she could explain.

  One thing she knew with certainty was that she died, which must have broken all of her links minus the one that she made a vow to live. The bounty hunters said something about a transmission winking out which signified death.

  Euphoria bubbled from within her. Somehow death had destroyed her former employer’s final link to her. Idly she wondered what it was, the metal they used in her arm and legs? Possibly. She wiggled both her toes and fingers, happy to feel the dirt beneath them.

  “Okay, Tyrese is looking for two people digging, when he clears the way, we’ll figure out a way for you to direct him where you are.”

  “Okay.”

  “Continue,” Jasmine said.

  Asia thought hard over what she was about to say, it sounded weird, and given her career or body chemistry that was saying a lot. “I died which cancelled everything, including the last link they had to me.”

  “Oh my God, thank you, thank you. Not that you had to die, but in this case dying worked in your favor. I’m just happy you’re free from those bitches.”

  Asia laughed. It hurt. Her mouth could only move a few inches, but the genuine joy in Jasmine’s voice over her good fortune made the discomfort worth it.

  “Yes. I am. They are digging me out to prove I am dead, from what I gather that is not the norm. I am supposed to be dead.” She paused. “But I’m not.” Maybe it was more than her vow to Jasmine. Had they done more experiments on her during that last surgery? She had no idea.

  “Hmmm… sounds like they knew there was a chance this might happen, that’s why they want your body. Silas said you’re the prototype for a lot of their inventions.”

  “Yes. They will never stop looking for me until they have my body.” A life on the run, looking over her shoulder loomed big on the horizon.

  “I don’t mean to sound spooky, but you’ve been buried underground for five hours with no water or air. You should be dead or close to it. Not alert and rethinking your life. Whatever they did to you is cutting edge and worth billions. It’s no wonder they want your body so they can replicate or even jump start you again.”

  Stunned, Asia realized Jasmine was right. Remembering the excruciating pain earlier, she shuddered. Had her body regenerated on its own after she entered the darkness? Was that even possible? Had she actually died, died? Or did her body go into some kind of mechanical stasis?

  “You are probably right. Although, I have no real idea what happened, it is a mystery to me and something I never want to repeat. Good news is they cannot locate me like before. All ties to their money maker has been broken by a flaw in their design. I can move freely, see, hear and think without them in my mind. It was a glorious death, Mistress,” she said with feeling.

  Jasmine laughed.

  Asia stiffened as she heard sounds of footsteps. “Someone is here.”

  “Okay,” Jasmine said.

  “Who are you?” the male voice asked. His voice sounded further away this time.

  “Are you new?” the female voice asked.

  “I’m the one who’s going to stop you from digging.” Asia closed her eyes at the certainty in Tyrese’s voice. He had never been diplomatic and in this instance she was glad.

  “Tyrese is here.”

  “Good, I’ll let him know you are still buried so he’ll hurry up.”

  Lying still, Asia wished she could see what was happening. There was a slight tingling in her forehead. Seconds later her vision darkened and then she saw outlines of three people, not clearly. But the shape standing alone was obviously Tyrese. She hoped he remembered her warning about the primp, although the tight quarters made firing the weapon unlikely.

  “Really? Stop us from digging, why?” the male asked, stepping to the side while the female moved a few steps in the other direction. If Tyrese hadn’t spent hours tag team fighting with his twin she might be worried he didn’t recognize the common maneuver. They planned to jump him.

  The images sharpened a bit. She could not make out features, but the body outlines had more depth now kind of like night vision goggles. Excited by this new development she wondered what other changes occurred when her body re-booted. Her hearing was sharper. She moved slightly to the right. Debris fell as her movement unsettled the mound on top of her. She had just alerted her enemies that she was alive.

  She sighed at her stupidity when she noticed all three heads turn in her direction. Chances are she could free herself now but she didn’t want anyone to see her new form whatever that was. She was counting on Tyrese winning this fight so she could escape undetected. A weak groan escaped her throat. Every area of the lab had cameras; if the janitor’s closet was still standing, the cameras would pick her up as she went inside.

  Sounds of body slamming grabbed her attention. The fight had heated up. Tyrese hadn’t bulked yet, but he was a shadowy blur in a small space. The two hunters were good, but no match for his speed. After slamming the male into a far wall with a loud crunch, the female picked up a primp and tried to aim
it at Tyrese.

  Asia could not believe how fast he moved. The female pulled the trigger and hit her partner. Blood and body mass mixed with debris flew everywhere. The loud clap ricocheted and before the sound stopped reverberating, Tyrese had decapitated the female and tossed her body to the side. After taking two steps he bent from the waist, breathing. She hoped he wasn’t hurt.

  Just as she thought to test her theory of escaping her grave, he stood and walked toward the mound. “Mom says you can hear. You shook the ground a minute ago. Give me an idea where to dig and I’ll have you out in a few minutes.”

  Sweeter words had never been spoken. Moving to the left and then right, she hoped he could get an idea where she was located as the dirt moved.

  “Okay, you’re in the far corner. Assholes were digging over here.” He strode to an area she assumed was near her. She moved again for good measure.

  “I got it. Lots of concrete and some steel. Give me a sec.” The ground pressed in a bit as he bulked up and she wanted to tell him to move back. But a few seconds later the weight on her legs and stomach lessened as he tossed blocks of cement off her like a plastic ball. Sounds of running feet chilled her. Had more assassins been alerted? Clenching her fist she prepared to break through the debris and join Tyrese in the fight this time.

  “You found anything?” Tyrese asked in a gravelly voice that he rarely used in this form.

  “Yes, some equipment. It looks old,” Alpha Samuel said. “You found her?”

  “Yes, she’s buried here.” He continued removing rubble.

  “The whole time? I mean is she… alive?”

  “Yes. Did you have your men disable all the cameras and do a sweep for more?” Tyrese asked as the weight from the debris lightened considerably from her upper body.

  Pleased that Tyrese remembered their enemies used cameras extensively, she sighed in relief.

  “Yes, we disabled and pulled out a couple from the walls we found using your equipment. There are a handful of people, wolves, who were born and raised here. They don’t know anything else and are afraid to leave. La Patron said we can leave them here if they really don’t want to go.”

  “You don’t agree?” Tyrese asked stopping. Because of her interest in the Alpha’s answer, she didn’t mind the delay.

  “On the one hand, I feel I’ve done enough damage through sheer ignorance and should leave them alone. On the other I want them to learn what pack means, to experience the warmth and love of a den. They have no idea what being a wolf means. It’s not something to be ashamed of but they’re ashamed and that hurts on a level I cannot explain. They’re wolves, ours to protect. They were born here during my time as Alpha and I failed them. I had no idea this place was operating in my back yard. It’s a damn breeding farm where they experimented for years on my pack. They violated my den and stole pack members.”

  “You can’t undo the past, Samuel,” Tyrese said in a somber tone.

  “I know, I just want a chance to make up for it. I want to make their futures better in some way, you know what I mean?”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  “Yeah, I do,” Tyrese said and then resumed removing the debris from on top of her.

  “Need help?” Samuel asked.

  “Nah, bout done. Everyone out?”

  “We took care of two hunters and Leon handled one. I’d only sensed five before, but heard La Patron took one out so maybe there were six.”

  “All your men accounted for?”

  “Those who made it. I lost two. They didn’t have collars and they were crushed.”

  “Sorry man.”

  “I’m going to talk to the residents again, see if I can change their minds.”

  “Have Rone come talk to them. No telling what they’ve seen over the years. Might be insightful.”

  “Tyrone?”

  “He has a magic tongue when it comes to talking with people. He’s the only one La Patron uses for interrogation.” Tyrese chuckled and Asia agreed. Tyrone had a gift for making you feel comfortable and spilling secrets before you could blink.

  “Really? I might do that.” Samuel paused. “What does he use you for?

  “Exterminations,” Tyrese said succinctly.

  Asia agreed as she heard the footsteps leave.

  Tyrese stepped back. “You can come out now.”

  Anxious over her new body, she didn’t bother to wonder how he knew she could get out. She threw both hands up and pushed. It moved some. She thought of bench pressing and pushed harder this time. A grinding sound and then a loud swoosh accompanied the falling rubble. Clouds of dust floated above her head, filling her nostrils. She sneezed as she pushed herself up.

  “Give me your hand.” She saw his arm through the haze and latched on.

  “You gain weight or something? Hold on I need to get a little more bulk.”

  Tyrese had no tact.

  She felt the same as she had before regenerating and refused to be embarrassed by his outburst. Looking down, she tried to see her body clearly but couldn’t. Dirt clung to her in places she knew would itch later, which meant she was half naked.

  “Okay now.” His arm seemed wider when she latched on. This time he pulled her up with ease and helped her off the rocky mound that had been her temporary burial ground.

  When he released her, she stumbled. He grabbed her again, but remained silent as she took a few steps on shaky legs. As her legs strengthened, instinctively she leaned forward and picked up a large boulder in each hand and completed bicep curls until she no longer felt the weight of the stones. Tossing them aside, she picked up a large slab of concrete with embedded twisted metal. It took a few tries, but eventually her body could handle the weight and stress.

  When she finished, she turned to find him leaning against a far wall watching her. “What?” she asked, embarrassed by him seeing her in a weakened condition.

  “Nothing, just watched as your body morphed into a sexy, lean, lethal woman.”

  Confused, she placed her hand on her hip. “What are you talking about?”

  “When I pulled you out, you weren’t shaped. Well, not like now. I’ve never seen anyone’s body change so quickly, as if there was an internal mold. Has this happened before? You went right into shaping up.”

  She frowned looking down. “I don’t know. Could have. I didn’t think I just acted. Now that you mention it, not many people step from their graves and start lifting concrete in lieu of weights.”

  He nodded. “Your face was larger, your body lacked that kind of definition and your hair well, it’s still all over the place.”

  Her hand flew up touching the thick, wiry ringlets of her natural hair. She looked down at her form. There was a little more meat on her body, but that didn’t faze her. Her muscular body wasn’t over the top.

  “Okay…so what are you saying?” She asked as she looked around for something to put on and saw the female hunter on the ground with her neck at an odd angle. Spying a larger backpack near the corner, Asia dug into it and pulled out a beige jumpsuit and soft soled canvas slip-ons. She put them on and turned to face him again, feeling more in control.

  “You changed. What happened while you were buried?” he crossed his arms staring at her. There was something in the tone of his voice that alerted her she needed to be straight with him. They were cool, but if he thought for one moment she was a threat to his pack, he would attempt to terminate her immediately and deal with the fall out later.

  “I died.”

  His eyes widened as he stood straighter. “You did? Is that what happened to our link?”

  She nodded, telling him an edited version of what she told his mother while searching through both backpacks. Each had those calculators, this time she put one in a pocket as well as the ink pen and a few other items she recognized.

  “So who are you now?”

  “I’m Asia. Just free of my oppressors and linked to one person who has my total allegiance.” She stood to face him wondering what he woul
d think of her declaration. Jasmine didn’t want anyone tethered to her in that way. And she did not particularly want to be connected to anyone at such a deep level, but this was her new reality. Thank the Goddess it could have been worse.

  He stared at her for a few moments and then grinned. “I wonder if she told Silas yet? We have all been worried over her obsession with you. Are you like my sister now or something?”

  Asia relaxed a bit. “Sister? No. I hope not. But we have more in common now. We have to help Mistress control her energy as she steps fully into her role as La Patroness.” She stopped at Tyrese’ surprised expression.

  “Can I be in the room when you call her that?” Tyrese asked as they stepped into the hall.

  “Call her what?” Asia asked stepping aside and then heading in the direction of the janitor’s closet.

  “La Patroness.”

  Chapter 10

  Silas watched the last EMT truck leave the clearing beneath the bright spot lights that had been hauled in to assist in the recovery and exhaled. The cost of this battle had been high. He needed to run…or fight. Gazing in the direction of the woods, he sensed the black wolf remained in the same spot he had been hours ago.