by Roxanne Lee
His smile flashed wide and clear, pure white teeth that sharpened at the canine. It was a slightly unnerving smile, one that seemed less like a greeting and more as if he were famished. I stood as his steady steps brought him closer, putting Ty slightly behind me and letting him know he'd have to come through me to get at him. I may have agreed to that one chance but I certainly didn't trust the wolf yet.
"Little witch...I am pleased to see you alive."
His insistence on calling me a witch, was becoming an aggravation. "Why wouldn't I be, Alpha?"
He frowned and lost his carefully placed smile. "You may call me...Lane."
"Yes, I could."
He seemed awfully confused for quite some time.
He stopped ten feet in front of us, a distance I appreciated. "I've come to...collect you."
What? Like I was a package or something? A tiny scowl worked it's way onto my lips and I felt the tug of my mouth as the muscles tightened. "As much fun as that sounds...no."
Again confusion descended rapidly over his tanned face, I couldn't tell if he simply couldn't believe I wasn't falling at his feet or if he didn't understand what I was telling him.
He thought for over a minute, I could practically see those wheels turning. "Conall said, I should not...take you without asking.." more seconds of serious thought, "..I asked and you refused. So then I should just...take you."
I envied his thought process. It was quite frankly simply astounding. "How exactly do you expect to do that?"
His head cocked to the side, "usually unconscious...however I understand that would not be...an acceptable way to treat a mate."
He paced a little and I looked at Ty in bewilderment, his returning frown was equally baffled.
Lane’s smile quickly returned and I dreaded the conclusion he'd come to. "If you come with me...I will not kill the empath."
He looked pointedly at Ty and I felt that anger rise to almost molten levels as he managed to look extremely pleased with himself.
"Touch him and I'll kill you." It came out almost sickeningly sweet and the smile that graced my lips was almost on par with his.
He sighed and regained his frown, little mumbles leaving his lips. Pacing soon resumed and I very nearly laughed at the agitated bounce his leg had now added to his walk. He stopped for a moment and seemed to struggle with himself before leveling that steely gaze on me once more. "A wolf is looking to...kill you. I would like you to...stay alive, you are safer with me."
I could have almost felt sorry for him. That broken speech and roughly strained voice only pointed to a man not used to speaking so many words. Of course that was before he'd threatened Ty. "We've already met him I think, red hair?" Lane nodded and savagely snarled at my words. "We left him on his knees in the town."
I think it quite possibly could have been pride on his face, some glorious type of sunshine that allowed his skin to glow and his eyes to lose the brutal coldness of hard metal and gain the polish of soft silver.
"Dead?"
I shook my head in the negative and his scowl dropped once more.
"Then we will see...him soon." He looked around the warehouse for what must have been the first time since he entered and a question filled his expression, "you are living here?"
I don't know where the embarrassment came from, normally I wouldn't care what others thought and yet for some reason his opinion mattered - more aggravation filled my stiff form. "We are."
His eyes swept the empty bottles on the floor and he locked gazes with me again, "I have alcohol at...the house. Food too."
Now that's just bribery. "We're fine here."
Sneaky wolf produced a sneaky smile. "Then we will all...be fine here," and proceeded to sit himself on the cold floor and stare unblinkingly at me.
There’s something to be said for staring, I found him so overtly disturbing that it wasn’t long before a muffled scream burst from my lips and I grabbed hold of a grinning Ty. I stalked out of the warehouse, trailed by one large blond wolf. A bottle swung in my hand, tipped every few steps to my mouth in efforts to get as blindingly drunk as possible before we faced the pack house. I had two thoughts as we made our way back to the place we'd only just escaped - I'd been just beaten by the crazed stalker behind me, and I was not going down quietly.
Chapter 12
Forty minutes it took to return to the border.
Forty long minutes.
Ty walked quietly at my side, amusement clear in his face as I fidgeted while being stalked like deer to a tiger. He stayed at my back, walking quietly behind me and only disturbing the silence with a question every so often. I found the heavy burn of his eyes on me never left. They traveled from my head all the way down to my feet often enough, but never once left my form. It was some odd combination of disturbing and thrilling, perhaps something to do with the inner conflict I was currently fighting with my wolf. She was very much interested in showing herself to the warrior she felt hunting her backside, I was more concerned with keeping her hidden for now. I didn't trust this Alpha, he had given me no reason to believe that he was in any way innocent of the crimes I so far judged him for and she had secrets to keep, ones not for this man that I doubted so much.
Those eyes flicked along my form once more and I tried very hard to keep the little shivers hidden. Ty already knew enough about my conflicting emotions, much more and it would become beyond awkward, his ability to look inside the soul and draw on those feelings allowed him more liberty with my thoughts than I felt comfortable with.
I caught a hint of confusion from Lane. I didn't see things quite the same way as Ty, but I could glean more than what showed on the surface.
"How did you do it...little witch?"
I glanced around and met with melted steel, "what?"
He grinned that savage smile and it was no less unnerving now then it had been the first time, "Duncan, he's a big wolf...how did you get away?"
I smiled at him, a little bit of that savageness showing in my own flashing teeth. "He underestimated Ty." I glanced at my brother and saw him with an eyebrow raised, wondering maybe if I'd let some of those secrets out so soon. I wouldn't, it was his secret to share and so I deferred to him to answer.
Ty stopped walking and turned to Lane, I saw the slight twitch in the blond's facial muscles that proved his aversion to empaths was alive and well, infecting and simmering the blood that ran violently to each shuddering sinew. Ty's eyes flashed that icy blue and I saw an answering flash in Lane, quick enough to be gone before I whipped my gaze his way - I just missed the Alpha wolf that pushed his way to the surface. "I could show you if you want. Think you can handle it, blondie?"
I rolled my eyes and groaned softly. For once, I'd like to put two men together and not have the competition that follows. I don't think Ty had thought this through completely, it's like waving a steak in front of a starving dog, enticing the animal with a full show of something he craved. It was plainly written on the man's face exactly how much he'd like a reason to kill the feeder that taunted and I had a premonition that eventually those instincts would not be swayed by the mate he pursued. I'd be keeping a close eye on that Alpha - I'd not be losing any more people to this wolf or any other.
"Both of you stop." I turned to face Lane and shivered once more under that hard stare, perhaps I'd give him something, allow him to see part of what made me so different and as a consequence, let go of a little bit of that trust I'd refused to bestow, make one sure step towards that chance I'd offered and hope it wouldn't be dashed under his heavy feet. "We have small abilities, mine is to project feelings onto others." I saw those eyes harden and for a moment I debated continuing but figured a non explanation would only be worse. "I can replicate the most controlling fear and launch it on others, overwhelming their real emotion and debilitating all fight. I've found it takes a particularly strong wolf to be able to see through that false fear and push it aside to continue fighting."
His grey eyes flashed once more, not with wolf but w
ith the man that seemed to be holding onto anger he couldn't control much longer. "Any emotion?"
I shrugged and averted my eyes, for the thousandth time I felt a sense of wrongness in what I was. Since I'd been old enough to comprehend, I'd known I was different and that according to both wolves and empaths, I was something not quite right. It was a cold day in hell though that I'd ever have thought the soul that was to be bound to mine would be just another voice in the crowd condemning my nature. "Most that I've attempted so far." We were feet away from the pack house, I saw most of the remaining members milling about in the large courtyard, women that I'd fought, women that had been part of that torch carrying mob and even some I'd yet to meet. The blond moved so silently, I had no warning of his intent, maybe distracted by the faces that turned towards me in anger, yet again encroaching on their territory, maybe distracted by that small amount of trust I'd so foolishly thought to offer.
A large hand wrapped itself around my throat and I snapped my gaze back to those grey eyes full of uncontrollable rage. As the fist tightened and breathing became almost critical, I finally saw what the man was capable of and exactly how much he was hiding. Not once did I see the wolf rise within his metallic gaze, not once did a growl rumble from his chest. As his grip became bruising and I caught Ty's icy gaze descend from over the blond's shoulder, I had one moment of hard won realization - the wolf had no part in the man's madness, the animal fought and the animal killed, but every ounce of lunacy was the human's numb prison.
Ty wrapped his own hand around Lane's throat, Slightly shorter than the Alpha his snarling mouth reached the blond's ear and icy words to match his glare froze all movement from both. "Release her. Right. Now."
Lane made no indication that he had either heard Ty's words or that the hand around his throat was as uncomfortable as the one around mine was. I caught my brother’s gaze for a minute, he was aware that he was at a disadvantage in this situation - he couldn't use the same ability as he had with Duncan, not with my neck on the line and the unusual responses the Alpha had shown so far. I wouldn't put it beyond Lane to snap my neck as soon as he felt that constriction on his own.
"You working that...on me? Making me...feel this way, feeder? "
The sneer on his words, the blank violence in his eyes was agony to watch. He had in one action and few words proven that his hatred for my nature was buried deep, clinging furiously and cemented in solidly - trapping the man in such blinding indignation that clouds covered his sun and pollution tainted the very air he breathed. And in this sorrow I wallowed, consumed by spoil and extinguished by such decayed loathing that in this truthful face I disappeared under thoughtless disgust.
I think my eyes filled with tears, I'd like to think it was a reaction to my struggling breath although in my heart that hurt like something had been stolen from it, I couldn't lie. A flicker in that hardened grey broke the rage that overcame, for a second it almost looked as though fire was overtaking silver.
Ty's voice was clear in the silence that shook the deadened forest line, "only as a wolf, Alpha." A sneer to match Lane's own. "She can't force anything in human form." His hand tightened so forcefully on the throat in his grip that Lane's skin burned red beneath it and contrasted to Ty's bloodless fingers. "Now release her."
I was unsure what broke the grip on my throat, perhaps Ty's words registered, maybe it was the shout from the pack house and Conall's footsteps that pounded the frosted ground. I looked towards the house when I could take a proper breath once more and saw the Irishman in a furious run towards us, a gathering of sly female wolves smirking at the scene they'd witnessed. I sighed deeply and rebuilt the wall that Lane had managed to crumble to easily, the pack took their cues from the Alpha and now I'd have more conflicts in front of me then one wolf should have to deal with.
"Sasha..."
I turned to the blond wolf, his hands held in out with palms up, shaking as he looked at those large paws. Such destruction he was capable of and yet it should be his choice on what path those hands took. I said nothing to his call, I felt nothing behind my wall of bricks - built on solid foundations of mistrust and too much dirt constantly flung my way. In the light of a broken soul connection, I was done with the Alpha that couldn't see past his own buried demons. "No. From now on you'll answer my questions, you'll give us the help we came here for and then you'll leave me the fuck alone."
Conall sprinted past me at the end of my sentence, he flew at Lane and aimed a punch without holding back that landed true on the blond's face. Lane made no attempt to block the hit and not once returned a swing. The Irishman landed a few more as the Alpha grunted with each strike.
"What the feck, Lane?"
Ty melted behind me, a swift and silent move that always surprised me in it's quietness. I grabbed his arm when I saw a worrying amount of malevolence on his granite face, he no doubt felt a need to join in on Conall's party but I refused to have any more reason to hate the Alpha - he'd done enough damage.
Conall's heavy breathing shot his words from his mouth, "get your shite together, yer aren't a young boy any more."
Lane's grey eyes locked on Conalls, a haunted expression paling his face. "I thought..."
Conall interrupted, "Yeah I know what yer thought. Like I said, get it together."
"Hey, Irish." Ty called from beside me as I stared at the ground rubbing the redness left behind from Lane's grip. It would be fine in minutes, my healing ability exceeding that of a normal wolf, but it was the act that hurt more than any marks left behind. "How about we grab a drink? Sure Sash could use one right now."
He slid green eyes my way and smiled, "come on, pirate. I'll tell yer some stories while we get shite-faced."
I nodded and took a deep breath, I appreciated the two men beside me, a little bit of backup on my way through the hostility of pack females. I left the Alpha staring after me, that haunted expression never leaving his face. His chance dashed beneath feet that slaughtered, hope cracked around hands that destroyed.
My soul soured, putrefied in it's rotten ruin. In the aftermath I fell back on the same path that comforted, one filled with pillows of vengeance and a hard mattress of validation.
I'd be more than this broken bond and I'd find my salvation in something other than destiny.
Chapter 13
"He wasn't tinking quite right yer know."
No, I didn't think he was. Thing is, it didn't really matter. If there was one person almost guaranteed not to hurt you - it should be the man tied to your soul. I'd had enough of hurt, enough of the people who saw evil simply on the basis of different and enough of feeling second class to a species who saw themselves as the top of the food chain. I'd spent a long time resenting both parts of me. The wolf for not being sufficient and the feeder for even existing.
"Isn't so much about yer, more about his own childhood. I know he deserves a beatin' and I'm sure you'll give dat tae him just, let him explain his own reasons. Can yer do dat?"
Probably not. I'd listen to his explanation I suppose, but I can't imagine what would make a man ignore his instincts enough to hurt his mate, and how often do you forgive that? would it become some self destructive cycle that would end up with him taking his female down with him? I don't think I'm built to stick around for such doom, I'm more of a self serving individual - well, I suppose duel serving if you included Ty. This is how I was born and nurtured, a single soul bursting into light to a world full of addiction and neglect. You learn quickly how to fend for yourself and you learn quickly how to put yourself before others, survival is a selfish game and I had more endurance than most. Females were vicious creatures, taking their vengeance as easily and remorselessly as breathing. Deep within the ever shifting lights, a parade of flashing colours that made up the beauty of the wolf’s soul, I was more than aware of my own failings in this bond. The wolf whispered words of hypocrite on a growl of disgust. I was a different package though - one that easily bled my own mistakes away on rivers of sweet denial.
"Yer not talkin', pirate?"
I huffed a small laugh, seems as though that nickname was staying for good. Conall refilled my glass, rum in its finest state - dark wood in colour and straight up. Ty had gone to the room he'd been in last time, leaving me in Conall's care with a warning to the Irishman to keep his hands to himself. They'd found some common ground in the last few hours, now it was more words than any real antagonism between the two. I took a sip and hummed in appreciation, a pure burn that heats and chases away a chill that settles. "I'm talking, just thinking for a while."
He got a little devilish smirk that stretched obscenely across his face, "If yer tinkin' about torturin' the lad, I've got a few ideas." A small tick in his facial muscles was slightly worrying, he lent forward and whispered conspiratorially, "I'm very good, wit' knives."