"Bennett," Dorothea sounded annoyed. Her alpha strength was different than Alexander's. Hers was calm, almost like a cool waterfall.
That was all it took. One look in her eyes and the fighting stopped.
They must have felt the same warmth that I felt earlier, when her eyes had been on mine.
Bennett rose to his feet and tilted his head to the alpha female. I stood there with my jaw hanging open and my eyes latched onto the woman who had stopped an entire battle in two words or less.
"Let's, once again, take our seats." Emerson spoke firmly.
CL
"I still don't understand what happened during that meeting." I was half leaning on mom as we walked into the pack house that night. We had left Germany early that morning, after staying the night with Emerson, and now we were home sweet home. Still no one was giving me answers.
It was almost 10, but I wasn't that tired. The drive had the opposite effect on me than everyone else. I could go on a ten-mile run at that moment.
My mom sighed slightly, "Some things are just best left unsaid."
"Or unexplained." Michael added behind me.
"But why? Everyone else knows what's going on." I was almost pouting. Okay… so the drive had affected me a little. Even I knew I was acting more childish than usual.
Mom laughed at my tone, "How about we agree to tell you later."
"But why? What's the big secret?" Cassiel was waiting for us when we got to the door. I stepped out of mom's grasp and into Cassiel's open arms. "You're brother's being mean. They won't tell me anything."
Cassiel chuckled, "They're always mean." He said into my hair, "They're always keeping stuff from us."
"Yes! And it's wrong!" I exclaimed, and after a second I laughed at my four year old behavior.
"You two always manage to see the bad of a situation." My mom mockingly lectured, "Can't you tell him about who you met, or all the scenes you saw instead of how a fight broke out?"
Cassiel broke out laughing behind me, "Please tell me you started to fight. That would be the best thing ever!"
"Thanks." I grumbled jokingly and jabbed him in his ribs with my elbow.
Cassie released me and I followed everyone into the kitchen. It seemed that we were the only ones there, although I was sure that Gabriel was around somewhere. I skimmed the kitchen counters and my gaze landed on a bright pink post-it note. I smiled to myself as I remembered that I was the one who bought them.
I reached the counter just as the phone rang. Since I was the farthest away from the phone I didn't pay much mind to it. I knew someone else would get it.
Anger management. I'll see you guys for breakfast. – Pavel
I frowned and silently wondered if Pavel and Gabriel got into something while we were gone, but that seemed unlikely. If that theory were correct it would have been Gabriel who would be in anger management. Pavel would have gone on a run. So it must have been something else.
"Durand's," Cassiel had answered the phone. I turned around and pressed my back against the edge of the island counter. The marble was cool against my bare hands and I sighed in anxiety. My eyes darted to the back door and I pondered over whether or not I would be able to slip out unnoticed.
"We just got here, Elaine. Can you wait ten minutes before you run away?" Michael's eyes were staring intently at me when I turned to face him. He was leaning in the archway between the kitchen and hallway.
"Hold on, Leo," Cassiel put his hand over the phone, "Dad it's urgent-" Alex grabbed the phone before Cassie could finish.
I watched Michael tense up and I assumed that he was listening into the conversation Alex was having with the London Alpha.
I folded my arms over my chest as I walked across the room to where my mom was standing. It looked like Cassiel and I were the only ones who weren't included in this conversation.
I nudged my mom's arm gently and shot her a questioning look when she met my gaze.
She opened her mouth, but snapped it shut a second later.
"Don't move. I'll send someone to bring you here." I turned back around and saw Alexander hang up the phone without saying goodbye. He ran his hand over his face in a frustrated and tired fashion before turning to my parents. "Leo is just outside his territory near the London city airport."
My mom stood up straight beside me, "You want us to bring him here?"
"As soon as possible." Alexander turned his back on us and started towards the basement, "Avoid any dark alleyways, if you know what I mean. I don't want to start another scene in London. Two many rumors are filtering around already."
Then my parents were heading to the door.
I followed them. I noticed that Michael had left the room and I was thankful that he wasn't anywhere in sight when we got into the hallway. Then he wouldn't be there to keep me from my interrogation.
"We just got home." I started.
My mom glanced back at me, "We'll be back tomorrow." Her eyes were soft while the rest of her features were serious; military style. "There's no reason to worry."
"Then why do you have to go right away?" There had to be a reason why they had to leave right away.
She sighed, but couldn't say anything because my father stepped in between us. "Go start the jeep. Give me two minutes." He told her.
My mom nodded while meeting his gaze. They stayed like that for a few seconds before she turned on her heel and headed outside. I often wondered about my parent's relationship. They never fought during my childhood, but I assumed that was because they never wanted to have their last moments together being in spite.
My father was more dominant than my mother, because he had been a werewolf far longer than she had, but he'd never forced her to submit; or at least not that I knew of. Not since I was born anyway.
Then my father kissed my forehead, "Stay in the territory, you understand. We'll be back in time for breakfast tomorrow."
Then, without another word, my father straightened his back and left the house.
I groaned loudly and fell back so I was leaning into the stairs banister.
"Welcome back." Cassiel entered the hall. He was only in a pair of socks, yet he had a jean jacket in his hands.
"Are we about to do something that could get us grounded for life?" I asked dryly.
Cassiel only grinned, "Not us." He handed me the jacket.
I perked up at the prospect and took the jacket out of his grasp. "What are you going to tell Alex?"
"I'll tell him the truth if he asks, but if he doesn't," Cassiel trailed off. He didn't need to continue because I already knew that he'd evade all questioning if it wasn't Alexander asking him a direct question. Moments like this reminded me of how much I was rubbing off on Cassie.
Then, after kissing him on the cheek, I took off running through the house and out the back door.
CL
I was too late to see the Jeep leave; which had been my original plan. I had run as fast as I could. I leapt over the river, climbed tree trunks that had fallen in the path, and ignored the swamp-like slug that I was forced to run through about four miles away from the house. Even after all that, I was late.
I didn't even catch a glance at the jeep on its way through the town.
So, with my head hung and my feet dragging I headed to the only place I could think of that would bring me any sort of comfort.
The door swung open and a pair of concerned eyes greeted me, "Are you hurt?" Lily asked me instantly, while pushing the door open further. "Come in, El."
"Thanks." I told her and stepped inside, "I'm fine. I'm just feeling lonely."
Lily snorted at that, "Lonely? How can you feel lonely? You live with like ten guys or something like that."
I laughed lightly but my smile didn't reach my eyes, "Yeah, that's true, but they're all guys, as you've pointed out."
"Ah, you need some girl time." Lily perked up a little too, "If that's the reason for the visit, and you're not being a barer of bad news, than come right in."
&nbs
p; I shrugged off my jacket and hung it by the door, "Is Claire in bed?"
Lily gave me a look.
"Right." I answered my own question by remembering what time it was. "Well then it's just you and me."
"I'll get the chocolate." Lily grinned.
"I'll get us a movie." I watched her leave the room before I went into the living room. Personally, I thought a girl's night was what the doctor called for. There were only so many pep talks I could take from Michael and Gabriel, and even Pavel. Sure, they could be good anger management counselors, but there was only so much they could do. They were just men after all.
I laughed to myself as I thought and put in Rush Hour 3.
We only half watched the movie. Most of the time was spent talking. I told her about the Alpha Senate, she told me about her new job. After we ranted, swore, and ate our weight in chocolate and ice cream we were out.
I fell asleep curled up in an armchair while Lily stretched out on the couch.
CL
I jerked awake and felt a sharp pain in my neck as I tried to get out of the chair. First, I scanned the room. Once I saw Lily I remembered where I was, but I didn't understand why I had woken up to abruptly.
"Did you hear that?" Lily grumbled. Her words came out muffled because she was speaking into her pillow, but I understood here anyway.
Then I heard it.
Someone was pounding on the front door. By the heaviness of the knock I knew the person was using a fist. It made my heart stop and the breath hitch in my throat.
Lily seemed to have been effected similarly. She didn't move at first, and I didn't blame her. Neither one of us were familiar with this kind of situations.
So, I got up. I knew I had more martial arts experience than she did, so I knew I'd be better suited if a fight broke out.
"Who is it?" Lily called out.
A deep sound came from the other side of the door, and I instantly knew it was a growl. That made me less than willing to open the door. Human's I could handle. A werewolf, who I may or may not know, I could not handle.
"Lillian this is Alexander Durand!"
Without hesitating I unlocked the door and swung open the door.
Alex's face looked weird. It wasn't that he was vulnerable, but there was something off about how the way he was looking at me. I noticed that Michael and Josh were with him, and I took a few steps back' more out of fear than an invitation.
The three men stalked inside.
I bumped into something. I jumped and turned. Lily had come out of the living room. She grabbed hold of my arm and if I weren't paying so much attention to my alpha I would have noticed how her fingernails dug into my arm.
"Elaine, we need to talk." Alexander's voice made me continue to back away from him.
I noticed that Josh was shaking and I got a sinking feeling in my chest. My stomach felt sick and I actually found Lillian's deathly tight grip comforting.
"Elaine, something's happened in London." Michael took a step forward. I back up until I couldn't anymore, until my back was against the wall and Lillian was half cowering beside me. She could obviously feel the rage in the room.
"When Leo called earlier, he had been attacked after he got off the plane." Alex's voice was so much different than Michael's. It was his alpha strength coming out. I found myself gravitating towards him, like I had to Dorothea two days before. "I had sent your parents to bring him here, so he'd be safe."
My body grew tight with fear and hot with anticipation. Part of me knew what was going on, which was why tears sprung to my eyes, but the other part of me wished I were jumping to conclusions.
"Elaina," Alex paused, "You're parents have gone missing."
The room began to spin as the words left his mouth and I found myself dropping to my knees. I tried to take in a breath, but I could barely get any air through my throat. Tears clogged my body from my chest and up.
I never fell to the floor. Josh caught me before my knees made contact with the wood.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and held onto him as tightly as I could, which wasn't much. I felt like I was watching the scene from the sidelines. It was like time stood still and I had no control over my own actions.
"I'll find them, Elaine." Josh told me. His tone was firm and promising, but I felt him shake within my arms. "I'll bring them home."
I began to shake violently and I buried my face in my brother's neck as tears streamed down my face and aggressive shudders shocked up my spine.
Chapter Twenty
I curled up into a tight ball and squeezed my pillow to my chest. The black room reflected the void that had consumed my mind. The only thing I could feel were the tears drying on my cheeks and the cold draft that was circulating through the room from my ceiling fan.
I faintly realized that Josh's hand was stroking my back as he said, "I'm sure they're alright. Mom and dad are tough." I heard the lie in his voice, even though I was half drowning in misery.
"Why were they taken?" I cried, "Why did Alex have to send them? We had just gotten back from Germany. They were tired. He should have had someone else find Leo!"
Josh rubbed my back, but I found no comfort in the action. "It's not Alex's fault."
"Then whose fault is it?" I wailed angrily, "Leo's? Their own?"
"Just relax." Josh held me close, "I'll find them."
I struggled in his embrace, "How can I relax, Josh? Our parents were captured by a sadistic mentally ill werewolf! How can I relax?"
Josh held me close again. My struggle did nothing except make him hold me tighter. "You have no idea how strong our parents are. They will survive. They will come home."
I finally submitted to his embrace and rested my head onto his chest. We sat like that for a while, but not much comfort came out of it.
"Can you leave me alone, for a while?" I shifted away from his touch and pulled myself into a tighter ball. I felt strange without my brother's arms around me, but I ignored that feeling. I also ignored that I truly didn't want to be alone. I just held myself tighter; hoping that my own hug would be enough.
"I'll be in my room." I understood what was left unsaid. He wanted me to know that all I had to do was whisper; and he'd be there.
I remained rigid even when Josh kissed my forehead. Even when my bedroom door shut, I didn't move.
Alexander's voice kept going round and round in my head. It was like that damn small world song, of the Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer song.
I was shivering, though I wasn't cold. I kept shaking and I only tightened myself up into a tighter ball. It didn't help much, but it made me as small as I felt.
The knowledge of being alone didn't do much. I missed my brother as soon as he left, but I didn't do anything about it. He meant well, but I couldn't take him being that close to me. He was just another thing that I could lose.
About an hour later I was still lying in that bed blinking back tears. It was five in the morning when I shoved my pillow and all my blankets away from me. I didn't bother to pull on a pair of shoes. I just left.
I was a blank slate as I walked across the lawn and up the stairs of the neighboring house. The door opened before I reached it.
"We'll find them, Elaine." Michael told me. He was in a pair of drawstring jogging pants and nothing else. I had a feeling that he hadn't gotten much sleep either. "Alexander is already,"
I waved my hand and surprisingly enough Michael stopped talking.
"Can we please not talk about this anymore?" I walked past him and started up the stairs. Michael was close behind me, but for once in my life the feeling of a werewolf walking directly behind me didn't freak me out.
When I reached the top of the stairs I slowed to a stop. My eyes went to Cassiel's door, but my feet didn't go in that direction. I actually inched towards Michael's door.
I sighed heavily and turned to the beta. I suddenly felt so vulnerable standing in front of him in nothing more than a pair of shorts and dark green t-shirt that was faded from
the many times I'd worn it.
With my jaw tilted to the floor and my eyes staring down at our feet, I asked in barely a whisper, "Can I stay in your room?" I started shaking again, "I can't sleep at my house." My voice was cracking and I found myself stepping away from him; I was really sure why.
I jumped slightly when Michael took hold of my upper arm. He pulled me into his chest. For a second I fought his embrace, but once the scent of his aftershave hit my senses I leaned into his comforting arms.
"Come on." Then he led me further down the hall and through the open door to his bedroom.
The room smelled like him and looked like I thought it would. He kept his dirty clothes in a hamper, his collection of CD's were alphabetically put away on the shelves he had built along the wall, and the windows were covered with dark curtains. Everything was neat and organized, except for the bed, because he'd just gotten out of it.
"We'll find them, Elaine." Michael whispered gently as he stopped at the edge of the bed.
I robotically got into the cold side of the bed and instantly curled up into a ball. The room was dark because of the curtains, and I was grateful.
The bed shifted and a second later I felt a heavy arm being placed over my stomach. I tensed for a second but then my wolf forced me to relax, because it was Michael, my beta. He'd never hurt me. He'd protect me.
"Go to sleep." Even when he was being comforting, he still gave orders.
I closed my eyes, but sleep didn't come immediately, but I hadn't thought it would.
My mind wouldn't stop racing. I kept thinking about my parents. Throughout my life they hadn't been around much. I had grown to accept that. It still hurt when they left, but I knew that there was nothing I could do about it. It was their job to protect the pack. It was their responsibility to follow Alex's orders.
I thought over the time I'd spent with them while they were home.
My father always kept everyone at an arm's length. That was how he was. I took after him. We both knew that loss meant pain. If you didn't let yourself get close to people, and you lost them, it wouldn't hurt as much.
I understood that, and for a time had begun to distance myself from everyone, but I found that it hurt just as much to stay away. My father obviously hadn't figured that out.
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