Dawn of a New Age: A Sons of Satrina Novel (20 page)

He had to draw his eyes away from her when Master Warrior Kelton continued speaking, but he wasn’t really listening. It would have been far easier for him to just keep on staring at her, but the guy who was standing next to Trey was giving him the evil eye. Maybe that was her boyfriend? She hadn’t mentioned anything about a boyfriend to him, but why would she? It wasn’t like he had asked her out or anything.

Aisline had been one of the very few that had tried to make an effort with him so it was a bit of a surprise when one of the biggest trainees, Trey, went out of his way to say hi and invite him to sit with them at lunch. Caleb didn’t know what to say and settled for nodding awkwardly.

It wasn’t like it was much different from any mealtime, for he had been sitting with Aisline at the same table, but this time it was different. The way the guys treated him was different. He may not have said much, but Caleb could feel a subtle difference in the way they treated him. It was like they were no longer so wary of having him around. He had no idea what had happened to bring about this change, nor was he ready to dive headfirst into making friends, but at least it was easier now. He didn’t feel quite so alone.

Caleb kept quiet, eating and watching as the others laughed and joked about. Luckily, they only had a short time to power up before they all had to head over to the gym area. He wasn’t the most social person. However, he did appreciate Trey making the effort and easily fell in next to him as they walked over to their next gruelling work out session.

It was quite a surprise to him to find that the guys who he was with talked about the kind of things that he normally would, such as the latest games on the market, bands they wanted to see, movies they couldn’t wait to come out on DVD. It was nice, in a weird kind of way. What he had expected them to talk about, he wasn’t sure. Blood? Biting people?

Plus, once they got to the gym, Trey didn’t hesitate to include him in their group when Kelton got down to arranging the guys. Usually, he would have hung back until Kelton had forced him on a group. Even he noticed the look of happy surprise on Kelton’s face when he saw him standing with the others, ready to get down to it.

Caleb thought that it was perhaps time for him to rethink a few things and give the guys at the academy a chance? Well, some of them, anyway. That Denver guy and his clique were still making snide comments every time Caleb walked by them and they thought the warriors couldn’t hear.

When they had all finally sorted themselves out into groups, Master Warrior Kelton demonstrated the circuit he wanted them all to do. It sounded like a piece of cake, even after the exhausting training they’d been put through earlier. Caleb could do all that and more without even breaking a sweat. Those vamps had nothing on shifters when it came to staying power.

“Well? What the hell are you all waiting for? Move it!” Kelton bellowed and the groups jumped into action.

Caleb glanced over at Aisline, who remained standing over near the door. “Aren’t you training?” His eyes flicked to the tight work-out gear she was wearing.

“No.”

“Too much like hard work, huh?” Caleb grinned, knowing exactly why she wasn’t training, but trying to make a joke out of it to make her feel better.

“Hardly,” she scoffed. “I’ll be running rings around you all when I get back to it.”

“Come on. You’re supposed to be my partner in this, man.” Trey puffed and pulled on his arm. Caleb laughed. He couldn’t help it. Out of all the vamps he had come across, Trey would have been the one that would have had least problems with this course. The man was a machine. He was doing this to help Caleb out, to get him to join in. Funnily enough, it didn’t feel like a charity move. Trey was a genuine guy. Caleb gave Aisline a mock salute and he and Trey raced off in hot pursuit of the others.

Aisline rubbed a hand over her face to try and hide her own grin. Caleb was gorgeous, fun and confident, but not in the arrogant way that Denver was. The more he settled in, the more she was seeing of him. He had a killer personality and would be a lot of fun to be around if he ever loosened up. He may be a little rough around the edges, but he didn’t seem like a bad guy. Hopefully, Trey would have the right kind of influence on him and bring him out of his hard shell.

Jackson was still glancing over at her every few minutes when he didn’t think she was watching. It was like he was afraid she was going to break. As much as she wanted his attention, the pity that he was throwing her way when he thought she wasn’t looking was definitely something she could live without.

Ash watched in silence as Kelton put the boys through their paces, working them harder than ever before. Never in a million years would she have ever thought that she would be jealous watching the others sweating buckets and huffing and puffing while she relaxed with a few stretches on the side-lines. It was strange to think just how far she’d come and how much she had changed. She wasn’t the spoilt little princess that her parents had hoped to make her into. She was her own person, making it in her own world.

This was her life now and she hated not being able to live it to the fullest. She was one of them now. It may be a strange concept to understand, but in a way, the abduction may have actually been a good thing. She had shown the grit, strength and determination to get through it. Those that had been in two minds about how a female warrior would work out should now totally accepted her as one of their own. However, she now had to get them to agree to let her train again and prove that she was made of tougher stuff and could get through it. It wasn’t easy. They saw her as fragile, and she had to prove to them that she was just as tough as the boys.

“How are you feeling?” Kayleigh said as she walked up behind her, making her jump.

Ash moved to sit down on the wooden bench at the wall. “Like I should be joining in with them?”

There was a bitter tone to her voice that made Kayleigh smile. This girl truly was made of warrior stuff. “You’ll be back with them all soon enough.”

“How soon?”

“When Kelton and Doctor Phillippe give you the green light.”

Ash groaned. “But, why not? I’m fine. Look at me.” She held up her wrist where the bruising and raw rope burns had been the worst. “You can’t even see anything now.”

“You know why. It’s not just the physical aspect. And, this isn’t because you are female, so don’t even go there.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Ash grumbled. That had been her next line, trying to get Kayleigh on side. She’d tried that track with Doctor Phillippe, accusing them of picking on her because she was a girl, but the doctor wouldn’t listen to it. “It’s just so hard to sit here and watch them all getting on with it when I feel fine.”

“Well you need another assessment from the doctor before Kelton will even think about it. You’ll just have to sit tight until then.”

Ash didn’t bother to respond. What could she say to change their mind? Nothing. She knew that Kayleigh was right but it was still infuriating.

They watched as Denver tried to show off, probably for Caleb’s benefit. Ash rolled her eyes. He would never change. He would always be that arrogant, competitive ass that wouldn’t know when to quit. It was actually quite amusing to watch from the side-lines, not that she would ever tell him that.

Letting out another bored sigh, Aisline couldn’t wait for things to get back to normal. Counting down the hours, minutes and seconds was getting monotonous.

Chapter Sixteen

Kayleigh skipped breakfast. There was just so much for her to do. There were still a million and one things to get unpacked that the job seemed never ending. There was also an issue with one of the human donors that she wanted to get cleared up. The headaches were continuous at the academy. There was never a dull moment, even for her and she didn’t have an official capacity there.

Also, she had a meeting to prepare for. Patrick Mulholland from the shifter pack was meeting up with Kelton to check up on how the boys were doing and Kelton wanted all the information she could lay her hands on with regards to their progress. Luckily, Kelton was going to meet him alone. She just didn’t have the time to spare to go, even though she would have loved to have seen Patrick. He was a breath of fresh air and always fun to be around.

It was such a difficult situation for them all. Caleb and Rees had been stuck with the warrior mark and now they were training with people that they didn’t know and didn’t have anything in common with. It was sure to be a hard journey for them. Luckily, they seemed to be settling in better than expected.

Who knew what the future would hold? They were clueless as to how this would all turn out in the long run. The shifters spending their lives away from the pack to defend the Lamia Matris would be difficult for them. They would somehow have to juggle their lives and their warrior roles, which wouldn’t be a piece of cake. Typically, the warriors give up about eighty per cent of their time to protect the Matris, having very little time for a private life. This was something Kelton and Patrick would have to sort out with the boys.

Obviously, Patrick’s worry about his two young pack members was totally understandable. He and Kelton had known each other for a number of years, which was a huge benefit in this situation. At least his boys were with someone he knew and trusted. Not that it would stop him worrying, though.

Kayleigh liked Patrick. He was a good guy, down to earth and told you things straight. He didn’t hold anything back. If there was something he wasn’t happy with, he’d speak up without hesitation. So far, things were working for them. Which was lucky because see a Master Warrior and a pack Alpha going head to head wouldn’t be a pretty sight. They both had the boys’ best interest at heart, but it was inevitable that they wouldn’t always see eye to eye on how things were going. Kayleigh wasn’t looking forward to that at all.

She used the key that Kelton gave her to unlock his office. He would be along as soon as he wrapped up training and got showered. He needed a couple of things to take with him. Of course, he could have got them himself, but she was always happy to help out, no matter how full her workload. He was the love of her life and she would do anything to make things easier for him.

“I don’t like this.” Patrick said.

They were sitting in an old diner in Brandestowen, the rapidly cooling coffee in front of them was all but forgotten.

“You think I do? Nothing like this has ever happened before. We were shocked enough when a female of our kind got the warrior mark, but this? I didn’t see it coming. None of us did. Believe me, we’re trying to make the best of it for all concerned.”

“I know you are. This is so fucked up, that’s what it is. I can’t do a bloody thing about it.”

“But, what else can we do? The boys are settling in better than we expected them to. We can only work with what we’ve got. You tried to keep them from fighting with us and that didn’t work out so well. What else can we do? This is it.”

Patrick shook his head. “Nothing. That’s what so frustrating. I’m sorry. I know you’re doing your best, but I’m feeling a little helpless here. Not a good feeling for an Alpha.”

“I can imagine.”

“You know what’s worse?” Patrick thumped a hand down on the table. “I’m not just thinking about what’s happening now. I’m thinking about their future. Their lives. Are my boys going to be with, protecting your lot for the rest of their lives? Where does that leave the pack?” Patrick’s eyes were getting darker and dark, but he was managing to hold in his rage. He didn’t want to rail at Kelton, but he needed to vent. His anger wasn’t directed at his friend as none of this was his fault and he was helping in the best way he could. He and the warrior were trying to make the best of a bad situation, but in Patrick’s mind, it still wasn’t good enough.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen yet. You know how strong the call of the mark is. We’ll have to all wait until after the training is complete to see what happens next.”

“But now? What about now? What about the pack?”

“We’ll have to make arrangements for them to come home for a visit. I know how strong the connection is between you all.”

“But, will a visit be enough?”

“It’ll have to be. There’s not much else I can do. They need to train.”

“They need their pack.”

There was a dark silence between them as they both tried think of a solution, both coming up blank.

Patrick looked at Kelton thoughtfully. “You were going to try and work around it with that girl, the one that got the mark. How did that go?”

“Aisline?”

“Yeah, her.”

“Well, she opted to fight so we didn’t need to try and work against anything.”

“So, we don’t actually know what we’re doing with my boys? We’re just winging it?” Patrick snapped bitterly.

“Look, we’re winging it the best we can. This is unprecedented. This isn’t an easy situation for anyone, you know. I’m doing the best I can.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. The boys are doing great. It’s taking a while for the older one to settle in, but he’s getting there. They seem to be making friends, which will make things easier for them both. We’re doing the best we can.”

Patrick nodded. “I appreciate it.”

Kelton leant forward in his chair. “It’s all going to shit. I don’t mean the boys. They’re doing great with their training and are going to be important members of our team. But, today we received word from one of our other academies that there is a possibility that another two females of our race have received the mark.”

“Two? Two more females? Why is this happening now?”

Kelton shrugged. “It’s not something that anyone can explain.”

“But why is there such a large time gap between the death of your leader and the marks appearing on these people? It makes no sense.” Patrick didn’t understand anything about the magic of the mark, but he was willing to learn. He had to learn in order to help Caleb and Rees. The more he knew about it, the more he had something to work with. Knowledge is power, as they say.

“Actually, there hasn’t been much of a gap between these latest marks showing up from what I was told. We’ve no idea why Aisline got her mark more or less straight away, or why the others are only recently appearing. Apparently, if it’s true, the girls received their marks at the same time as your boys. The academy is waiting to hear more news on them. The last thing I heard was that the girls were abroad with their mother and are heading home.”

“So, they’re on their way back?”

“Thankfully not to us. We’ve got more than enough to deal with at the moment. But, the warriors are keeping me up to date with any information they receive, so when I find out more, I’ll let you know.”

“So, do you think that the boys were different because they aren’t Lamia? What about the girls? Are there any more of them? Have you heard anything about them?”

“These are the only one’s we’re aware of at the moment. As of yet, anyway. Anything could happen. Yeah, there could be others out there, not knowing what this mark is or what they’re fighting against. Take Caleb and Rees for example. If you had not known me personally and trusted me to take good care of them, what would you have done? Would you have known to contact the Sons?”

Patrick thought about it for a moment. “Probably not.” He and Kelton had been friends for years, meeting up every so often to catch up and chill out. He had gotten used to seeing Kelton with the warrior mark covered up whenever he was out in public, but he knew it was there and what it stood for. If he didn’t know, he dread to think what could have happened to his boys. He saw the struggle they were going through, the uncertain emotions and desires.

Their friendship had grown several years ago. Patrick had been consulting with Bartholomew over some security issues. At the time, the Mortuorum had been causing some problems for the pack, moving into territory they shouldn’t have, and Patrick had come to the Sons to see what could be done about it. He was the Alpha, the pack leader, and he would do all that he could to ensure their safety, even talking to the bloodsuckers. Liaising with the vampires had seemed the only course of action at the time, and ended up being a fortuitous meeting.

Kelton was definitely one of the good guys. Before speaking with Bartholomew, Patrick never thought that he would have ever voluntarily spent time with a fanger, but with Kelton, he could happily overlook that fact. Kelton was cool.

“So, to be honest with you, we’ve no idea what’s happening out there and what we do know, we don’t understand. You feel me?” Kelton was as frustrated about the whole thing as Patrick was. The call about the possible other two females coming into the scene had been playing on his mind. If there were two more out there, there was possibly more. And, now that the mark was hitting the shifters, there was no telling where this was going to stop.

“Tell me, how are they doing? Really? You’ll see through all of their bullshit. How are they coping with the changes?” Patrick was immensely worried about his boys. Being surrounded by the vamps was sure to be taking a toll on them. They were pack. Pack was what they were used to. This was so far out of the ordinary for them that it was unthinkable. Patrick wasn’t sure how he would handle it himself. Sure, he was friends with Kelton, but that was through choice. Being thrown in with them, working alongside several hundred of them and protecting their people was a whole other deal.

“I promised you that I would be keeping a close eye on them and I have. Rees is doing brilliantly. He’s working with Verynai and the reports I’ve been getting are glowing. He’s not letting any aspect of the training phase him. He’s getting in there with the other boys, training and socialising. He seems to be adjusting well, especially considering the circumstances.”

“And Caleb?”

“He’s getting there, I can tell you that. But it’s clear that he’s very bitter about the whole situation. He’s breezing through the training and physical side of things. The rest will come with time. He’s already making progress with the other guys. It’s just going to take him a little more time that his brother.” Kelton was watching Caleb especially closely. The boy was fragile, despite his harsh exterior. He didn’t want this situation to destroy him beyond repair.

Patrick sighed. They were doing better than he expected, but he still worried. Unfortunately, with Caleb, that was pretty much as he had expected. “Keep watching over him, please. I know he can be a handful, but he’s a good kid.”

“I don’t doubt that for a second.” Kelton nodded and sank the end of his stone cold coffee.

He’d always loved this old place. It was Matris owned and he’d been coming here since he was a young boy. The lady who ran the place, Jean, always slid him an extra piece of pie when he wasn’t looking. He loved being here. It was his one place of peace.

“I need to get back. Sorry to cut this short.”

“It’s understandable. You’ve got a hell of a lot going on at the moment.” Patrick shrugged on his leather jacket. “How’s Kayleigh?” He always asked after her. She was a beautiful person, inside and out. Kelton was a lucky dog to have her.

“She’s good, thanks. She’s the one who is mentoring Aisline, which is keeping her busy.”

“I can imagine after what happened to her, the poor kid. Tell her I was asking after her.” Patrick held out a hand, which Kelton shook.

“I’ll try and arrange something for the boys to come home for a few days.”

“Appreciate it.” Patrick nodded.

They didn’t share another word and Kelton watched as Patrick walked out of the old diner. People moved out of his way, not that he could blame them. Patrick was a tall man, well built with tattoos, leather and a badass attitude. He was a menacing sight to behold.

Within moments, Kelton heard the roar of Patrick’s Harley. Following his lead, Kelton left the comfort of the diner. He needed to get back out on the streets. He was taking some time away from training to take a stint out doing the real business. Even though he loved training the young guys, the need to get out there on the streets was strong and he couldn’t stay cooped up in the academy for long.

He was meeting up with a couple of the other warriors in five minutes. They had a lead on a Mortuorum nest. Kelton could feel the blood pumping around his body in anticipation.

Clearing his mind of what was happening back at the academy, he had to make sure to concentrate on the here and now. Tomorrow would come fast enough and he’d be back at the academy, putting the trainees through their paces. Tonight, he was going to relish the hunt.