Chapter 22
Ivan dropped his fork. Alba’s laughter went off in Amy’s head. “Now you’ve done it. Just be ready for the fallout.”
“How did that happen?” Ivan asked glaring in Amy’s direction.
“What? You mean this.” She projected her thoughts into his mind again.
“You shouldn’t be able to do that. Does Marcus know?” Real anger was apparent in his voice.
They all heard Marcus in their heads. “Yes, Marcus knows.” He said to them, “And if you don’t lower your voice and be polite to Amy, I’ll be down to teach you some manners. I would prefer sleep though so pull in your claws. Amy, Mary means nothing to me. I’ll prove it later.”
With that Marcus was out of their heads.
Ivan looked at Amy and then at Alba. “This entire place has gone nuts.”
Ivan left the room as fast as he could.
Alba was laughing again. “Ivan always retreats when he loses. He needs to think things through and then he’ll be back. It was priceless though. He’s such a control freak.”
Amy cleaned her plate then got up and made herself another. As long as her waist size didn’t increase she could get used to this.
“What happened last night and why?” Amy said to Alba.
“We’re aware the cats keep an eye on us. We keep an eye on them too. It’s part of the game. When you showed up, it caused some questions and they wanted answers. It’s not common for humans to be part of our world. We think Sinner was killed to get the wolves away from here and to get at you. The pride’s queen is very jealous of what we have and she hates Marcus. She’ll find out soon enough that you’re with him. She may have thought you were going to breed with a wolf and we were letting you into the pack. It’s been done. When she finds out you are with Marcus, he will have to deal with her, once and for all.”
“Is she another of Marcus’ spurned lovers?”
“It’s more than that and you’ll need to get those answers from him.”
“Fair enough, would you mind calling for Philip? I want him to remove the stitches in my head. They itch and I think Marcus’ blood has almost healed the wounds.”
“Yes, but come over here first.”
Amy walked over to where Alba was lying by the fire.
“Place your hand on my stomach. The babies are moving.”
Amy tenderly placed her hand into the fur on Alba’s stomach. She felt a roll under her fingers as a small baby changed position.
“That’s incredible, does it hurt?”
Laughing, Alba replied, “No it doesn’t hurt, but the babies are getting big and I think it will only be a matter of weeks before they’re here.”
“Is there no set time?”
“If I hadn’t changed twice these past few days, or given blood to Marcus, it would not be so fast. It never seems to harm the babies, but we like keeping them within us for as long as we can. Giving birth while in wolf form has its advantages, but it’s mostly so the babies are born as wolves. They mature faster that way. Newborn human babies are defenseless far longer than any other mammal. It’s difficult to explain, it’s just the way it is for beastkind.”
“Why aren’t any of the other women having babies?”
“It takes a lot of time to raise young. Many of the females aren’t ready to settle down. Many hundreds of years ago we were kept from breeding. It became a way of life for the women and many have chosen not to have offspring. We live a very long time and a woman can chose to breed regardless of her age. I think we will have more babies after my two are born. That’s how it usually works.”
“Can Marcus have children?”
“No he can’t, and if your life is given to him you will never have children. If you decide not to change, you could do the same thing the wolves do and find a man to mate with in order to have a child.”
“And I will kill him before he lays a hand on you.” This came from Marcus again.
“We are having a girl’s talk and you should be sleeping not eavesdropping. I guess I’ll have to come up and tuck you back into bed.”
“I’m waiting.”
Alba walked over towards the kitchen saying, “We can finish this discussion later.”
Amy made her way up to Marcus’ room.
She quietly opened the door and was pulled inside. “I thought you needed to sleep during the day?”
“I do, but I’m having a restless night. I need company.” His voice was husky.
“But I’m no longer tired and I want answers.”
“I have no desire to sleep at the moment, but talking wasn’t on my mind either.”
Amy laughed as Marcus carried her to the bed.
Marcus’ hands gently explored her body. There had been light bruising on her face the night before but the bruises had all but faded away. The feel of her body was what he needed. He kissed each of her cuts softly. She let out an impatient sigh as he continued to check her injuries with his mouth. He laughed softly as she used her good hand to place him where she wanted him. “I thought you’d never ask.”
“I’m not asking I’m begging. I’m fine now and I need your warmth to take away my only ache.”
A while later, before Marcus could fall back to sleep, she asked him about the pride’s queen.
“It’s a long story and you need to hear it, but it must wait. After dinner tonight, I will satisfy your curiosity.”
She kissed him gently on the lips. “Sleep and call me when you wake up, I’ll be here.”
“Thank you Amy. I love you.”
She walked out of the room. She was afraid to tell Marcus she loved him. She was unsure of so many things. Would he ask her to become a vampire? Did she want to? Maybe he wouldn’t ask.
“I’ll ask!” He was still in her head.
Amy realized she should have shut him out. Now he knew she loved him.
“I always knew.”
Amy slammed her mind closed and heard his laughter from inside the room. She walked downstairs.
Amy didn’t see anyone so she went to the kitchen.
She could hear an unknown woman talking before entering the room and she stopped.
It was Mary.
“I don’t know what he sees in her. He doesn’t need her and she’s only human. Without wolf blood she couldn’t even keep him alive without killing herself. I can. I’m available anytime he calls.”
Alba answered, but sent the message to Amy’s mind as well as Mary’s. “You never meant anything special to him. He’s always known you’re afraid of him.”
“I’m not afraid of his body just his teeth and I still share my blood freely.”
“You share blood to stay alive, but he knows your family was killed by a vampire. He knows what you fear.”
Mary began crying. “But I love him. He didn’t kill my family. It was his father.”
Amy’s heart broke. She was prepared to hate Mary and now this. She backed away from the door and walked out the side door and into the garden. She continued to the pond.
She should not have been surprised when she saw Ivan. He looked at her as she walked towards him.
“Is this a private party or can I join you?” Amy asked.
“I need to speak with you anyway. Let’s sit down.”
Amy followed him into the gazebo and sat on a bench with Ivan across from her.
In a tight controlled voice he asked, “Did you know about us before you came here?”
Amy realized what he was afraid of. “I had no idea this entire world existed, so no, I did not.”
“When were you aware you could mind share with us.”
“When Alba spoke into my mind. I had no idea before then.”
“Did Alba know before you came?”
“Alba is your wife and you need to discuss that with her.”
“It’s okay, you answered my question. How good are you?”
Amy realized he meant at reading his thoughts. “I’m learning to turn it on and off. It’s hard with
multiple people and I don’t isolate what I’m hearing, but I think I can be quite good with more practice.”
“Did Alba explain what this could mean?”
“Yes she did, and I was able to read the cats’ minds last night so I know it’s more than just the wolves.”
Ivan inhaled a sharp breath. “This could be a true gift to us and the best thing that’s happened to the pack in a long time. What do you feel for Marcus?”
“I don’t believe that’s your business, but I’ll answer because you are his friend and you care about him. I love him. I’m drawn to him and it’s unbelievable. He’s unbelievable. I don’t think I can leave even though it means throwing away my entire career. I think I would do almost anything for him.”
“You are a gift. You’re a gift to me because you love Alba and she has never had a friend. She has me and I love her dearly but I worry for her. She took the death of our sons hard. I would have agreed to her having another child but she took the choice out of my hands and didn’t trust me enough to talk with me. I love her and would give her anything. Even give her, for one night, to another man if it would take the sadness from her eyes. I will love these babes as I love all my children. I don’t want them to be a reminder of how much she couldn’t trust me.”
“She loves you Ivan. I don’t think it was trust. I think it was desperation. The two of you will heal and she says the babies are coming rather soon. Once they’re here and you see her joy, I believe yours will follow.”
“I hope you’re right. Practice with me?”
“What?”
“I want you to practice reading the wolves on the ranch. I want to see what you can do.”
“Okay, I’m ready?”
“Who’s close by?”
Amy let her mind travel, then she laughed. “Conner is with his girlfriend and they’re saying things we have no business hearing.”
Ivan laughed too. “Okay who else?”
“Philip is cleaning the dining room. He’s thinking about what he’s making for dinner. It sounds like we will be having Italian and he wants to make a homemade dressing for the salad.”
“If he ever finds a she-wolf, I don’t know what we’ll do. Do you cook?”
She laughed. “Only if I have to and it’s usually barely edible.”
“Well, we can keep you around for other things. How far can your mind travel?”
“Where was Marcus last night?”
“We were outside Dallas. That’s how he knew? You told him?”
“Yes, but it was Alba’s idea. She told me to notify him after she was hit in the head. I’m not sure I would have even tried if she hadn’t suggested it. It’s too new for me and too unreal.”
“You could be very dangerous.”
“That’s what Alba said. I don’t want to be dangerous, but I don’t want cats coming here and hurting anyone either. It seems I’ve adopted you as my family and I’ll do whatever I can to protect you. If my mind can do that, then I’ll use it.”
“I’m surrounded by warrior women. I thought Alba was bad. With the two of you, the other clans will be in trouble.”
“Explain clans to me. You are pack. The cats are pride. Where does clan come from?”
“A clan is made when a vampire takes control. Marcus’ father took control of us. He had us for three hundred years before he made Marcus. Marcus could speak in our minds before he was changed. He was a prisoner and he discovered his ability to mind read by accident. We had him for a month before we knew he understood what was going on in our heads, but his gift was limited to the wolves. Marcus’ father would not let us go around as human. It bothered him and he forced us to be in wolf form most of the time. We were slaves to him. It wasn’t a good life even with a vampire to lead us.”
“Marcus told me that becoming a vampire was forced on him.”
“When his father found out that he could speak to us in his mind he decided to kill Marcus. At the last possible moment he changed his mind and turned him. He then kept Marcus imprisoned for over one-hundred years. He starved him much of the time, but even with barely enough blood to stay alive, Marcus was strong. It was not until war came and he was needed that an agreement was reached. He was let free if he would fight and kill for his father. After that, a truce was called and Marcus was allowed to go off alone. It was two hundred years before Marcus came back and killed his father.”
“If he was so bad, why do you refer to him as Marcus’ father?”
“When a male vampire makes another male vampire, he is referred to as father. When a male makes a female or vice versa it is usually for love and that person becomes mate to the vampire. The bond of mates is even stronger than father and son although in Marcus’ case his father did not do a good job at the bond. Kirill was his name and he needed to die. Marcus knew it. Kirill was insane and probably was before he became a vampire.”
“How did Marcus kill him?”
Marcus found wolves without a pack and made them his own. They attacked and some of my pack was killed, but Marcus prevailed and let the rest of us live. It took years, but I fought my way up and finally became Alpha. The hardest part when Marcus took over was being human. Marcus required us to act the part and all of us had to practice. We were animals. He had a heavy hand, but what he told us and taught us made sense. We listened and followed. Many of my pack hated vampires and it took years for them to trust Marcus. He allowed us to leave if that was what we wanted. Because I had a choice, I stayed. I knew another vampire might be worse than Marcus. I didn’t want another Kirill for a master. I’ve never regretted my decision.”
Fang Chronicles: Amy's Story Page 28