by R. A. Sears
Sherry whistled as she took in the lavish quarters. “Holy crap, girl.” I waved it off and went to the large walk-in closet, opening the door and motioning for them all to join me.
“Jesus, Kaysh! This closet’s as big as my bedroom!” Aya sputtered, eyes darting to take everything in. After a moment of assessing the wardrobe, she finally settled on the area I was afraid she was going to. The leather and vinyl section.
“I, uh… Had a mega goth phase in tenth grade.” I explained as the blond girl inspected everything with a discerning eye. “I’ve mostly found ways to intersperse those pieces into normal every day wear, rather than looking like I got lost on my way to a leather bar.”
She glanced over her shoulder at me with eyes almost as blue as Sherry’s. “You do have good taste. I’ll give you that. Something like this would do nicely.” She held up an outfit that made me cringe to think I’d ever worn it, much less out in public.
The nightmare ensemble consisted mainly of two-inch wide strips of soft black Napa leather that crossed over each other in intricate patterns that kept the wearer just this side of decent. It was a top that came with a pair of matching hot pants that I usually paired with thigh high boots and fishnets to fill the space between. "Um... one problem with that choice." Aya nodded, urging me to go on. "I was a whole cup size smaller then, so..."
The blond smirked as she looked from the outfit to me, giving my chest an appraising stare. "I'm sure we can find you something similar, with a bit more support." She handed me the outfit and took her phone from her pocket. "Say cheese!" I stuck my tongue out at the camera, earning an eye roll for my efforts. I was only too happy to put the club wear back where it belonged: hidden and forgotten on its hanger at the back of my closet.
The girls vacated the large room so I could get dressed. I came out a minute later in a plain black tee shirt and a matching light knee length skirt. It made the changing process go a million times faster when I didn't have to jump out of, and back in to, a pair of pants. I had a feeling there would be much time spent in fitting rooms today. Grabbing a pair of slip on shoes, I barely had them on my feet before I was being dragged down the stairs, trying desperately to keep up with Aya's frantic pace. The four of them were beyond stoked at the chance to mall hop and spend time with me.
Aya drove us to the mall, a gargantuan complex with three floors of shops, and a fourth upper level that housed the cinemas and a fitness center. The next five hours of my life were swallowed by a fashion montage I hoped to erase from my memory as soon as physically possible. Getting to hang out with some girls for a change was nice, but shopping wasn’t the way I would have preferred it to happen.
We’d finally settled on a black halter top which stopped just below my breasts, a few thin straps crossing each other in stark contrast to my milk pale midriff. Rather than hot pants, we’d gone with a leather mini skirt with a dangerously high slit that barely kept my lady bits decent. I’d let Aya talk me into splurging and actually buying a new pair of boots, even better than my usual favorites. The rest of my outfit was monochromatic, so I went with a splash of color: soft ankle height boots with a low heel that were a gloriously deep crimson mottled with obsidian specks.
I was relieved, overjoyed to finally be done with the mall, when Aya dashed my hopes to pieces. “Don’t start celebrating yet, girl! We’ve still got to get your hair done!”
I visibly sagged, a heavy affected sigh leaving my lips. “But whyyyy?” I whined, earning a laugh from our entourage.
“Because none of us have hairdresser status, and I’d be mortified if I ruined that gorgeous long hair of yours. And so, the best answer is to have a professional do it up right.”
“Fine,” I groaned. “I suppose. What exactly do you have in mind? No cuts, I hope.”
She shook her head rapidly, looking horrified at the thought. “No way, girlie. We’re just gonna get you styled.”
Kerry gave me a wry smirk, hands tucked into her jean pockets in an almost masculine pose. “Don’t worry, Kacea. She’s overzealous, but she means well. Promise.” The quiet girl’s reassurance made me feel a bit better about the whole situation, and I nodded my thanks with a genuine –albeit a little weak- smile. She clapped me on the shoulder, the light contact from someone of our clan bringing me a measure of comfort.
We ended up at a salon on the second floor and I was seated before I knew what had happened. “I called ahead to make you an appointment,” Aya gushed. “I even sent them a picture of you in your whole outfit so they could find something perfect to bring it all together!”
I nodded and the stylist gave me a smile in the mirror, a caramel skinned woman with brilliant green eyes. “No worries, hun.” She ran her fingers through my hair. “You and these luscious locks are in good hands.” I closed my eyes and let her go to work, almost afraid to open my eyes when it was all over.
“Go ahead and look now, love. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
Doing as I was bidden, I opened my eyes, a gasp escaping my lips as I turned my head back and forth to get a good look at it in the large mirror across from me. My bangs were loose, falling straight in their usual asymmetrical manner to either side of my jaw. From my forehead back, all of my hair was done up in partial braids that went from my crown to the back of my head. From there, each plait was banded into place and the rest of the hair beneath it fell in loose ringlets that foamed around my shoulders like ocean waves at midnight.
Very pleased, I paid the extravagant bill without batting an eyelash. We were headed back to Aya’s car when my cell rang. I fumbled to extract it from my purse, finally retrieving it. I saw Jynxx’s name flash on the screen and my heart sank with sudden dread. Something was wrong. Very wrong. I could feel it.
“Hey, hun. What’s up?” I asked, trying to sound nonchalant and hoping my fears were for nothing.
Jynxx was quiet a second, long enough that I almost thought I’d lost the call. “Tonight at the samling, they won’t just be introducing me as the rightful leader.” I let that sink in. It could have meant a million different things, but none of them were the words he spoke next: “Teigan has challenged Gavin for his rank as beta due to some… issues that have recently occurred.”
I swore under my breath. Elomina had explained to us a little about the way rank could change hands, but not much. This challenge didn’t sound like a good thing, and Jynxx’s emotions struck me like a tidal wave through the phone. “You’re projecting really hard, babe… What exactly does this mean?”
“Tonight, they’re going to fight for the title as my second.” He was silent again and I waited, knowing there was more bad news coming. “Unless the victor grants them mercy, that means we’ll be burying one of them tomorrow.”
Chapter 21
"That's..."
"Absolutely batshit insane. Believe me, I know. Tried talking them out of it, but when I walked in on Teig kicking down the bathroom door and trying to shove the door knob through Gavin's back via body slam... I knew serious shit had been going down."
Gavin was a creep, but I still wouldn't wish anything like that upon him. Teigan was always so calm and collected; it must have been something awful to provoke him like that. "Are they both alright?"
"Yeah. Some bruises and scrapes, but nothing that won't heal up in a few days. Provided that they're both even alive by then, that is. Even as the Kongen, I still don't have any control over power struggles... The best I might be able to manage is calling for a damage count if there's an obvious winner, before they're both so frenzied that there's no stopping them."
I hated to admit it, but the thought of losing either of them made me feel paralyzed by sadness, and a touch of fear. I wasn’t sure how we were going to manage to get through this challenge with both of them in one piece, but there had to be a way. Jynxx and I said our goodbyes and hung up. Something must have shown on my face, because Aya looked at me curiously, her own expression quickly growing as worried as mine had to be.
“Wh
at happened?” she asked, her words quiet like she was afraid of the answer.
I was silent a moment, trying to think of the best way to tell her without sounding like an insensitive bastard, knowing her history with Gavin. “Gavin and Teig… They had a big fight; I guess it’s something that’s been going on for a long time now. So tonight at the samling, Teigan’s challenged him for the position as beta.”
The bubbly blond’s skin turned ashen at the news, her whole body almost physically wilting from the strain. "As much as I'd like to say that I'm surprised... I knew it was only a matter of time." Her voice became wistful and it seemed more like she was talking to herself than any of us. "Stupid fucking hot head..." She tried to conceal a sniffle, her blue eyes growing darker with repressed tears.
I put my hand on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze, not trusting myself to say anything that wouldn't worsen her already porcelain fragile psyche. "Would you like me to drive?" I asked finally, the only help I could really offer her.
She merely nodded and handed me her keys, letting the much taller Kerry put an arm around her waist and keep her close as we trekked to the car. The ride back was fairly quiet, and none of us mentioned that Aya was openly crying over the beta. If both of them survived this contest, I was going to have a serious sit down talk with that red haired freak about Aya's feelings for him. I mean, who knew? Maybe a constant girl in his life could sort him out.
Back at my house, Aya and I both climbed from the car and she did something I totally wasn’t expecting. She threw her arms around me and hugged me with near bone crushing intensity. I felt dampness on my shoulder from her tears, but it was residual. She held me back at arm’s length, looking slightly up into my eyes. “Thank you, Kacea.”
Aya reached into her small purse and withdrew a darkly royal purple pouch from it, holding it out to me. “I wanted to wait to give these to you, but now you might need them tonight. I know you won’t have time to train with them, but if you need to.. I’m sure you could do what you may have to.” I was confused and unwrapped a set of six very light throwing knives, as well as two sheathes I could put around my forearm or strap to a leg. “They’re coated in silver, so they’ll do more damage to ulven than humans…” She was talking quickly, rambling to try to distract herself from the bomb I’d just dropped on her. Before I could even thank her, she went on.
“I’m glad Jynxx chose you over some other bitch from the clan.” She chuckled a little and it made me smile to see her normal cheer peeking through the sorrow. “Because seriously, if Perfection had gotten her claws into him, we’d all be fucked sideways.”
Before I could ask who this woman was, Aya gave me another quick hug and hurried to the driver’s side. Our eyes met over the car and she gave me a curt nod, her eyes filled with determination. She had a plan and, as they drove off, I found myself hoping it wasn’t going to make the whole situation even more complicated than it already was.
I felt older as I made my way into the house, noticing that Mom's car was gone, but Jynxx's was in the driveway. With a sigh, I trudged into the kitchen, bound and determined to have myself something to eat that would help chase away all of these negative emotions.
Much to my surprise, I was greeted by the smell of delicious things cooking in the kitchen. I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame, going to Jynxx and dropping my bags on the floor next to us. I wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his chest. I said nothing for a few minutes, just soaking in his warmth and listening to the steady beating of his heart. "This is going to suck, isn't it?" I said quietly. He took so long to respond that I was ready to repeat myself, unsure that he'd even heard me.
He kissed the top of my head, being very careful as he rested his chin on my elaborately styled hair. "It's certainly not going to be easy to keep them both alive, kitten."
"Only because Mister Cool as a Cucumber finally lost his shit," Conner's voice rang out clearly, and it startled me. I hadn't noticed that the others were even there. I lifted my head from the comfort of Jynxx's chest and looked to each of them, not at all shocked at the absence of Gavin.
"Was I just supposed to let him keep being an abusive prick to you and Ken? Hell, he almost went after Jimmy before we even had breakfast today. We don't even know if he's ever going to turn, and he might be Jynxx's little brother, but he's more built like his mother than their tank of a father. Would you be happier had I let him break and abuse a boy who just turned sixteen and might be wholly human?" Teigan's voice was filled with heat and cold all at once. Clearly, something like this had been in the works for a long time. His vehemence and rage toward Gavin was palpable, stinging like frostbite.
The omega shook his head. "You could have just kicked his ass and been done with it! Why'd you have to throw this whole position challenge bullshit into the mix, Teig?! We could end up losing both of you, for Christ's sake!" Conner's words echoed off the walls, his volume louder than he intended. His eyes were glowing with his emotions, their appearance watery. "You're one of my best friends, Teig. Like the brother I never got to have. If I lost you..."
The older ulven crossed willowy arms over his slender chest, leaning back against the counter and pointedly studying his feet. "People do stupid shit when they're upset, Conner. You, of all people, know that." His words were quiet, almost taunting, and I felt like there was a story that someone hadn't filled me in on.
"Don't you dare..." Conner practically hissed, the venom and anger floating around in the air making my skin prickle.
"Guys!" I half shouted, getting everyone to stop and look at me. "Everyone zip up and chill out. We're all friends, here. We're on the same side. Let's remember that. Gavin isn't even wholly the enemy, either." I remembered the way Aya's face had fallen at my news. If someone cared about him that deeply, there had to be some redeeming quality about him that I just hadn't seen yet. "Has he always been this much of a punk, or is it a more recent development?"
They all thought it over for a minute before anyone answered. "This extreme level of douche baggery is new. He's always been kinda dickish, but never to this degree." Kenshin put in with a sigh, turning his jade green eyes to me. "You sound like you might have an idea, Kaysh."
The hamster wheel in my brain was working double overtime before I finally voiced my idea out loud. "What if it's not his doing?"
"What are you talking about, kitten?" Jynxx fired back, intrigued.
"Well... We've got all this other supernatural mumbo jumbo going on. What are the chances of someone fucking with Gavin to get to us? Making him be a prick with intentions of planting him on the throne, so they can use him as a puppet?" The kitchen was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. It unnerved me and finally I shook my head. "Never mind. Forget I even suggested it."
Teigan perked up then, having mulled it over. "No, Kacea. You may be right. We know for a fact that the reason Jynxx's parents vacated in the first place was to protect Jynxx and Jimmy. What if the same people they meant to protect the boys from are now working to get their hooks into the Clan? With the time of Jynxx's ascension at hand, it would be the perfect opportunity to jump in and grab the reigns before he has a chance to really dig his heels in."
"Do you think that maybe Alain has something to do with this?" I asked point blank.
"Where the hell did that idea come from? And how do you even know that Alain is one of us?" Kenshin and the others stared at me and I shrugged, trying to remember how I knew. That nagging pain spiked my brain again and I winced, air hissing between my teeth.
"I don't remember. There's this... blockage in my brain, almost like something majorly traumatic happened. Every time I try to focus on it, it feels like someone just tried to give me an ice pick lobotomy..."
Jynxx ran his fingers soothingly down my arm, lacing his fingers with mine. "The first time it hit her, we were in the car. It actually made her eardrum rupture."
"Are you serious?!" Conner took a step forward and I merely nodded. "That's some heavy fucking m
agickal interference going on. Whatever happened, someone with balls of steel doesn't want you to be able to recall it."
Teigan looked from Jynxx to me before asking, "Do you think we should ask Mina about it? Maybe see if she can remove it so we know what someone think they're protecting you from?"
I shook my head almost immediately. "No thanks. If I can't break through it on my own, I don't want to try. With how badly it hurt me before, I'll pass. When it's time for me to be able to accept it and just roll with whatever this trauma was, my brain will let me know. Until then, I'm not fond of bringing on a potential aneurism over it."
Conner was the first to agree with me. "The fact that you mentioned Alain makes me wonder... What if it has something to do with him and his parents? I mean... The Reece family are the ones who broke away from our clan when Jynxx's folks took power. They felt they were entitled to the rule because their blood line was more 'pure'."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." I held my hands up. "So you mean to tell me that the reason Jynxx's folks split town was because Alain's family formed their own clan and wanted to wage war on the Davisons?"
"That's pretty much the long and short of it," Kenshin nodded.
Some things started to fall into place, but pieces of the puzzle were still missing. I wasn't getting the whole picture yet. "That actually makes what he said at that first show I went to with you guys make sense. He said to Jynxx, 'Haven't you stolen enough, already?' And he called us peasants."
"Can we talk and eat? I really don't want this meal to go to waste after all the work we put into it," Conner said with a little smile.
We nodded and all took seats around the table, Conner and Kenshin serving up the food. I couldn't even focus on how amazing the meal was, my mind racing in fifty different directions all at once, trying to pull things together. Around a mouthful of food I managed, "We're looking for someone with a magickal background linked to Alain's family, then."