A Very Alpha Christmas

by Anthology

  Selena shivered. "This is crazy."

  "It must seem that way. You've had quite a day."

  She nodded.

  "Do you still wish to be returned to your home? I can…but I will have to leave people to watch over you. The safest place for you is at my side, I'm afraid."

  She sucked in a large breath. "I thought that's what you wanted?"

  "It is," he agreed. "But only if you want it to. My associate marked you earlier today, do you remember?"

  "Marked me?"

  "She saw something in you that she thought I might like. She was right. More than right, though you can't see in yourself what I see in you."

  "I don't— this is ridiculous. Nobody marked me!"

  "No? Didn't you see a blond woman earlier who touched you?"

  She shook her head in denial and then gasped as she remembered the bathroom. The woman in the bathroom. She'd handed her an earring, but it wasn't the earring that she remembered, it was the spark when her fingers brushed Selena's hand.

  "You remember."

  "The bathroom. She— she shocked me. I mean she touched my hand and it shocked me."

  "That marked you," he said. "And it made you open your eyes."

  "Open my eyes? I don't understand…"

  "Why isn't Las Vegas locked down? Why aren't there police on every street and soldier rushing in to contain the outbreak?"

  "Oh," she said. Her eyes widened as his words sank in. Why hadn't there been more shock at what had happened? Dark or not, the top of the towers of Caesars Palace wasn't that tall that people couldn't see it at night. "Oh! Why not?"

  "People don't see things unless their eyes have been opened. Yours have. All those people down there? They live their lives oblivious to the real world around them."

  Selena peered out the window at the tiny lights moving back and forth. It was after three in the morning, but Las Vegas was a city that never sleeps. "That's…"

  "Impossible?" he guessed.

  She looked at him and laughed at the twinkle in his eye. "Amazing."

  He groaned and laughed with her.

  For a moment Selena forgot about the crazy night. Instead she saw a person sitting with her and laughing with her. Not at her, and not because she'd made fun of someone. They were sharing a real moment, however quirky and crazy it might have been. Her heart beat a little quicker in her chest.

  She dropped her eyes, embarrassed at the strange twist her thoughts had taken. She wasn't even sure if he was human! How could she— "You're hurt!"

  Krenn looked down at his chest and frowned. His jacket had been torn during his brief scuffle with the wyvern. One of the tears had dried blood on it. His blood. He reached up and brushed at the cut. "It's nothing," he said. "A scratch, the bleeding's already stopped."

  She stared at his chest. "Are you sure? This isn't some macho BS, is it? I don't like that."

  He placed his hand on his chest and smiled. "I will never lie to you, Selena."

  She sniffed. "I'm going to hold you to that."

  "Good."

  She leaned back in her chair and noticed how comfortable it was for the first time. She tried, and failed, to stifle a yawn. "I'm sorry," she mumbled when she could speak again.

  "It's beyond late. You've had an incredible day, we'll be in the air for a while, go ahead and get some sleep."

  "We will?"

  "Yes, we're going to Phoenix. From there we'll catch a plane, unless you decide you've had enough of me."

  She smiled. "Not yet."

  "Good," he said and stood up to reach into a cabinet and pulled out a blanket and pillow. "Get some sleep, we can talk more tomorrow."

  Selena opened her mouth to protest but her adrenaline was wearing off and she really was exhausted. She yawned again and let him cover her with the blanket. She rested her head on the pillow and watched him watch her. He smiled and she blushed, then she closed her eyes.

  9

  Selena woke up in a strange place. The walls weren't quite white, but they weren't quite straight either. They curved inward at the top, giving her the feeling of being in a tube. A tube with a really comfortable bed in it.

  She rolled on the soft sheets, feeling her tight muscles respond. She stretched, spreading her arms and legs and letting out a moan as she yawned. Exhausted from the stretch, she collapsed into the plush mattress and studied the ceiling and walls again.

  It didn't take her long to tie things together. The porthole style windows with the covers closed was the most obvious clue. The ridges where the wall and ceiling met were the next one. Recessed lighting and hidden vents were located in the recession. She was on a plane. Not just any plane, but a plane with a bed.

  Selena sat up in bed and rolled her neck. Everything hurt, even the muscles in her neck. Her abs were shot, but maybe that was a good thing— did that mean she might be able to finally see them?

  She smiled at the silly thought and took stock of herself. She was still wearing her tank top and shorts from... last night? The night before? How long had it been? And where in the world was she?

  Selena pushed the sheets back and rolled out of bed. There was a little room beside the bed and the wall, enough to stand and turn in, at least. She moved to the nearest window and pushed the cover up. She let out a yelp as daylight blasted her in the face and made her fall back onto the bed.

  She blinked, trying to get rid of the colors in her eyes, and laughed at herself. She hadn't even seen the sun, just how bright the blue sky and white clouds were. White clouds that were beneath them. She stood up again and squinted as she looked out the window and confirmed her first glimpse. Wherever she was, or whatever they were flying over, was going to remain a mystery.

  Selena pulled the window shade down and turned again. There were two doors in the bedroom. One on either side of the front wall of the room. In between them there was a narrow shelf and dresser built into the wall. There was a mirror above the dresser and a hook on either side of it, complete with a black silk robe hanging from one of them.

  She looked at herself in the mirror and groaned. She'd washed her makeup off last night and let her hair down. Now she looked like she was a homeless bum that hadn't seen a brush in a month. She reached up and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to make it somewhat presentable. After a few minutes she sighed and gave up. It was a lost cause. She pulled it back and tucked it behind her ears as best she could.

  Without any makeup her face looked dull. She had a pimple coming on her chin that looked like a growing volcano, and no way to conceal it. She reached up to touch it, wondering if she could force it out. She scowled. The blemish was nowhere near ready and if she squeezed it, she'd have a red, swollen, and bruised bump on her chin.

  Ratty hair: check. Dirty face: check. She lifted her arm and sniffed. Maybe the commercials were right, maybe her deodorant really did provide forty eight hours of protection. That left the rest of her appearance. Her blue top was dirty, but the color hid the smudges enough. Her pink shorts weren't any better off, but that was the least of her worries. They were her sleep shorts, not something she'd wear out in public. At least not without some leggings under them to keep her ass from hanging out.

  She looked around and settled her eyes on the robe hanging beside the mirror. She reached out and ran her fingers down the cool silk. "Now we're talking," she said and reached for the robe. She held it out and looked at it, then frowned. It was only a half robe, and what was there, she could see through.

  She sighed and slipped it over her shoulders. As predicted, it fell to her upper thighs. She tied the sash in front and gave herself a final once over in the mirror before turning and moving to the door on the right.

  "Thank god!" she hissed as she opened it up and revealed a small bathroom. She rushed in and went to the sink first. She still didn't have any makeup, but now she didn't need to look like someone who'd survived a tornado.

  After washing herself up as best she could she almost felt human. She definitely resembled
one. More than the gargoyles and wyverns she'd met last night did, anyhow. She hugged her arms to herself and shuddered before leaving the bathroom and heading to the door on the left.

  Selena took a deep breath to steady herself and opened the door. She stared down a short hallway. The left wall had windows on it and the right wall was smooth and featureless, except for a couple of pictures. She glanced at them as she walked, the first was a picture of mountain tops with clouds obscuring the ground below. An old castle was nestled into the peaks. The second was a valley filled with trees and a river that snaked through the forest.

  Beyond the pictures the hallway opened up into the main body of the airplane. It stretched long enough for matching tables against the left and right with seats on both front and back sides. Ahead of the two tables and eight deluxe reclining chairs were either upright or laid back to allow their occupants to rest.

  Selena came to a stop and stared at the men and woman in the plane. The conversations between them stopped as, one after another, they turned their attention to her. A woman with blond hair stood up from the table and smiled at her. "Congratulations," she offered and stuck out her hand.

  Selena gasped. Not just because her makeup and hair were in perfect place and she looked calm, professional, and beautiful in her slacks and blouse. She was shocked because she recognized her. "You— you were in the bathroom!"

  She smiled again. "I was, and I was right about you."

  "You were? What's that mean? Who are you? Who are all of you?"

  "Cort, leave her alone. The Master wanted to see her as soon as she woke up," the other blond from the restroom said. She was sitting on the other end of the table and was just as put together. She turned her attention back to Selena and added, "Glad you made it."

  Selena's eyes never felt wider. "You were there too!"

  The standing blond laughed. "I'm Cortney. That's Bridgette. I believe you met most of them too?"

  Selena followed her hand as she gestured and saw three others staring at her. One man had a large bandage on his shoulder and several others wrapped across his chest. Another was wearing a loose silk shirt that, coupled with his wavy dark hair, made him look like an Arabian prince. The third was a woman that only wore a pale blue sports bra above her matching track pants. She had bandages on her body, arms, and cheek.

  Selena reached out to touch the wall of the plane. "I don't— were you the...um..."

  "We're gargoyles," the woman said. "I'm Paulina. Ivan has the bandages and Orff is the one who looks good enough to eat... but trust me, it's all empty calories."

  "Hey!" Orff cried out.

  Paulina grinned. "Welcome to the family, Selena."

  Selena clamped her mouth shut and glanced around. Everyone was smiling at her and treating her like they meant it. Was that even possible?

  "I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you without the, um—" Selena gestured with her hands in a flapping motion, "wings."

  Paulina and Ivan laughed. Orff was still scowling at Paulina's back.

  Selena's eyes narrowed as she looked at the three of them. "Wait, wasn't there a forth one of you?"

  The mood darkened in the room for a moment, almost as though a high flying cloud blocked the sun. Ivan breathed through his nose and answered in a Slavic accent, "Da. Tanya, my sister. She rode the bastard red to his death and died a noble death."

  Selena gasped. "Oh my— I'm sorry!"

  He shook his head. "Do not be. This is what we do, the price we pay to serve."

  Selena blinked and looked for help from the others. Cortney came to her rescue. "This is a strange time for you, you don't understand us. All of us, the gargoyles and Bridgette and I, will spend our lives protecting you and Master. We will do it freely and willingly, do not upset yourself over it."

  "A death in His service is an honor to the fallen and to the friends and family of the fallen," Orff added.

  Ivan nodded. "I miss my sister, but I salute her triumph."

  "Wow," Selena said. She smiled and shook her head. "This is intense."

  Bridgette laughed. "Go, Master is waiting for you."

  "He is?"

  The blond pointed at the door in the wall behind her right next to the hall she'd walked down.

  Selena blushed. "Oh! He's in there?"

  "That's his office, he's been hard at work preparing things for you. He didn't think he'd find you," Cortney said.

  Selena glanced back at her. "I... I don't really understand. He said he wanted an assistant? This seems like a lot?"

  Bridgette frowned. "An assistant? That's all he said."

  "He said I'd be his equal and handle his affairs when he couldn't?"

  The blond nodded. "Ah, that makes more sense."

  Selena sniffed. "Not to me!"

  "Go, talk to him," Cortney urged. "Knock and go in, his office is sound proof."

  Selena swallowed and nodded. She turned back to the door and practiced a few deep breaths before she reached up and knocked.

  10

  Krenn stood up from behind his desk as Selena opened his door. He smiled, showing white teeth that looked too perfect to be human. "You're awake!"

  The heat in Selena's face stole her breath from her. She was supposed to do something. To say something, at least. Something witty and cute. Instead she stood there looking and feeling like a moron. Everyone had treated her so good, and now Krenn was grinning from ear to ear like a boy who was genuinely happy to see her. Didn't they know, she was nobody. A ward of the state that dared to try and make something of herself.

  "Please, come in. Shut the door. We can have our private moment at last."

  She gulped and nodded. The door swung shut behind her and closed with a click that made her back spasm.

  "This is where I have my way with you, right?" he teased.

  Selena's face burned hotter. She shook her head and blinked back sudden tears that tried to overwhelm her.

  "Damn," Krenn muttered. He started to come around his desk and then thought better of it and stopped. "I was trying an ice breaker, you looked out of sorts. Now I've made it worse. I told you I wasn't good at this."

  Selena backed into the door and realized she was trapped. Sure, she could open the door, but his people were out there. All of them. And she'd seen what they could do. "Please…"

  Krenn lowered his chin to his chest and heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry, Selena. I didn't think. You've just woken up and you must be so confused about, well, everything."

  She blinked and nodded.

  He stepped back and gestured at one of the chairs in front of his desk. "Please, sit. I'll explain everything that I can."

  She swallowed to help the dryness in her throat and took the offered seat. She pulled the diaphanous robe as though it did any good and crossed her arms. "Your employees are nice."

  "They're more than employees," he said while sitting down.

  "Acquaintances?"

  He winced. "I did say that, didn't I? I was pressed for time. They're friends. All of them."

  She nodded.

  "Did they tell you anything?"

  "A little. Don't worry, it didn't make any sense either," she said. "They keep calling you Master."

  One corner of his lip lifted in a smile. "Creepy?"

  Selena found herself smiling back at him. "You got it."

  "What did you find out about me, anything? Before you were attacked, I mean."

  Selena thought about all the articles she'd read and the dry company statistics. All of that paled in comparison to what she'd seen after she'd been attacked. "Continuum. What's that?"

  "Ah, the board. Well done!"

  "Thanks."

  He smiled. "Continuum is a holding company. It does nothing by itself, and yet it does everything. We control much of the world's industries. Resources and infrastructure throughout the world. We're even beginning to break into the automotive industry."

  "So you are rich."

  "Yes."

  "How rich?"

  "Enou
gh that it doesn't matter," he said. "We use our holdings and wealth to keep the world from tearing itself apart."

  A laugh slipped through Selena's lips. "The one percent get richer and it's for the good of the world?"

  He frowned. "We are not the one percent. Most of our wealth is contained in holdings and is impossible to trace. That, or it's liquid and contained somewhere physically."

  "Physically?"

  "Gold, primarily," he said.

  "Like…gold? Bars of gold?"

  He nodded.

  "Wow," she said and then shook her head. "So back to you… Master?"

  "I lead the board," he said. "It's an inherited position, or at least it normally is."

  "Business doesn't usually work that way, unless it's a transfer of shares," she said. "See, I may not look like much, but I do have an education."

  "I think you look beautiful," he said and then shrugged. "I told you, I won't lie to you."

  "I'm a mess."

  "You're natural. Never underestimate how much we appreciate natural beauty."

  She nodded. "Your, uh, friends don't look so natural. Cortney and Bridgette?"

  "Their jobs require a lot of public relations."

  "I see. Well, they look like they're good at it."

  "The best," he agreed. He glanced at his desk and then back up at her. "Are these really your questions?"

  Selena frowned. "I don't even know where to begin. What do you want to tell me?"

  "Everything," he said and then laughed. "I don't dare though."

  Selena frowned. "Is that supposed to be mysterious, or disturbing?"

  "Neither," he said. "Let's start with you, shall we?"

  "One of my favorite topics."

  He grinned. "Oh good, your sense of humor is returning! Hold on to that, please, I enjoy that about you."

  Selena raised an eyebrow but remained quiet.

  Krenn picked up on her unspoken message and nodded. "Yes, about you. And about me, since the two of us are woven together. My position requires me to have certain requirements in place before the first of next year. Failure to do so means I forfeit my position, my holdings, and even my life."