"Sam, I'm going for a walk. Just need to
breathe some fresh air for a bit. Can you hold down the fort?"
Sam was shocked. Riley never did this. She
had been acting weird all day, but this was icing on the cake.
"Hey, you alright?"
"Yep, only need to go out for a while."
"OK. I have it covered. See you in a bit."
Sam frowned, concerned for her friend. She had a feeling it had
something to do with the new man in Riley's life.
Riley went outside, deciding to walk down the
block and see how far she wanted to go. She realized she hadn't
grabbed her phone so she'd need to mentally track time and not be
late. She had almost two hours, that'd be plenty of time to work
out some stress.
Thirty minutes into her walk, she felt as if
someone had been watching her. She turned down a side street and
saw two men standing alongside a building. They were a bit
intimidating; muscularly built and had an air of dominance about
them. She swore she saw them sniff the air.
That's creepy.
She looked straight ahead and walked quickly by on the opposite
side of the road. As she passed them, they started walking down the
street in the same direction as her. Her heart started racing, and
she tried not to panic. She didn't have her pepper spray or her
phone with her. At least she was wearing some running shoes. Wait,
she didn't have anything. She didn't have a purse they'd be
interested in stealing. Maybe they were merely walking down the
street.
She tried to ignore the hair standing up on
the back of her neck and took the first turn she could.
Unfortunately, it was into a deserted alleyway. The visions of
poorly written horror movies flicked through her head. She looked
over her shoulder and saw them turn as well - their intent clear.
Adrenaline spurted through her system and she started to run, she
felt like she was flying and barely touching the ground, but they
were much faster. They caught up with her in a matter of seconds.
One man clamped one hand on the back of her neck and the other over
her mouth. She tried to kick and stomp on his foot, but he was
strong enough to keep a grip. The other quickly zip tied her hands
behind her back and then zip tied her ankles. It was fast and
fluid, as if they've done it before. She was terrified and afraid
she'd pass out from fear. Then she felt the sting of a needle in
her neck and her world went black.
Garrett
reflected on their evening together as he left her house after
their date. He'd never felt so right with another person in his
life. Before meeting Riley, he never believed the stories he had
heard about Kismets. However, they didn't come close to what he was
experiencing so far. When their emotional connection clicked into
place, he knew it would be near impossible for him to leave her
side without claiming her, but he had forced the connection so
she'd realize how important they were to each other before he went
out of town. It was a stupid, selfish mistake. Now they'd both pay
for it. It had only been minutes and he was already feeling hollow
and depressed by not being near her. As he left Riley's, his wolf
howled in his head to stay. His knuckles were white from gripping
the steering wheel; he feared it would break off. Grinding his
teeth, he drove home in frustration.
He tossed and turned all night. He got out of
bed at 4:30 AM to shower and head to John's house. He wanted to
talk with Riley, their connection was demanding it, but he didn't
want to wake her. He decided he'd text before flying out. As he
drove up, John was waiting outside, probably to keep him from
waking up Cherise. He didn't look happy about leaving his mate
either.
"Hey John, thanks for setting this up for me.
I know you don't like to leave Cherise alone."
"No, I don't. But this is important, for all
wolves."
"I made a mistake last night." He felt John
tense next to him.
"What did you do?"
"I kissed her and it created the emotional
bond. This trip is going to be very difficult on her sense she
won't understand what she's feeling. I keep proving how much of an
ass I am." He shook his head in disgust.
John ran his hand through his hair, "Well, I
can't say I'm surprised. I was worried you told her or claimed her.
I don't know how you're able to control your wolf. You have more
willpower than anyone I know."
"I'm able because she'll be killed if I
don't. I'll do anything to protect her," he growled in
frustration.
They arrived at the airport by 5:45 and made
it through the security screening. He was waiting to board when he
couldn't take it any longer and decided to text her, hoping it
wouldn't wake her up.
Good Morning Sweetheart,
I waited until I thought you'd
be awake. I'm boarding now,
miss you already. Chat later.
-Garrett
By the time he took his seat, there was a
text back from her. His heart did a stutter of joy when he saw it.
Just having that little bit of connection lightened his mood.
Good Morning,
Have a wonderful trip, I
hope to hear about it when
you return.
- Riley
The flight was long and they couldn't talk
about anything important since humans surrounded them. Garrett
spent his time looking through
Sky Mall
magazine and
watching TV on the headrest in front of him. When they arrived in
Maine, there was a driver waiting for them with their names on a
white card "Forrester and Wright". They followed the driver through
the crowded airport to the covered arrivals section outside. A
black stretch limousine was waiting for them. After they sat down
in the back, the driver shut their door without saying a word and
climbed behind the wheel.
"That was ominous," Garrett said.
"Yah, they're not much for chit chat at the
headquarters. I know I don't need to tell you, but you'll feel the
dominance in the room. Bow to it and don't speak unless spoken
to."
He nodded and waited to arrive at their
destination. About an hour later, the limo started to slow. It
wound up a long brick driveway, edged by forest on each side. There
was 12' rock wall around the perimeter, he guessed there to be 20
acres in all. The driveway looped around a circular fountain at the
entrance to a massive, 3-story brick mansion. Two wings of the
mansion flanked the sides of the driveway. The main part of the
house was directly in front of them. The driver grabbed their bags
and led them into the marble foyer, which boasted dual staircases
circling down from the second floor and a crystal chandelier worthy
to be on the set of
Phantom of the Opera
. There was a view
from the back of the house onto a huge lake. A butler arrived, and
escorted them to their rooms, which were in the right wing of the
house. He could only assume the elder's rooms were in the left. The
butler left them, stating the elders would be ready in thirty
minutes.
Garrett entered his room, sick with worry.
The estate itself was enough to intimidate anyone who arrived. His
room had 15' ceilings with a king size sleigh bed in the middle of
the far wall, flanked by floor to ceiling windows. The size of the
room made the bed seem like a twin. The opulent draperies, bed
covering, and rugs were done in greens, browns, and cream. There
was an old world wardrobe near a door, which led into a bathroom
complete with shower, jetted tub and dual sinks. The bedroom was
too big for one person, which exaggerated his need for his
Kismet.
The effects of their separation was wearing
on him. He needed to call her and see if he could get his mind
right for this meeting, knowing he wasn't in his best form without
her. He looked at his watch and was relieved it was noon her time;
maybe she'd be able to answer the call. He dialed and waited
tensely.
"Hey, how did your flight go?"
Her voice immediately calmed him, "Long and
uncomfortable, but I'm on the ground now and we're going into our
meeting. I needed to hear your voice before heading into the room.
It's a bit of a big deal for me, so I'm hoping you'll wish me
luck." This was a huge deal for both of them. They needed to have
the elder's blessings.
"You bet. I'm sure it'll all work out and
you'll have good news when you walk out. I can't wait to hear about
it, and if it's that big of a deal I think we'll need to celebrate
when you get back."
He couldn't help himself - he had to chuckle.
If she only knew know right she was. "Truer words were never
spoken, my Kismet. Take care and I'll talk with you as soon as I
can. Bye."
"Bye."
The short conversation helped, he felt like
he could make it through this meeting now without fracturing. He
figured John was having a similar conversation in his room.
However, the telepathic link in their Kismet connection aided them,
keeping the sickness at bay. That thought, brought up a question,
so he left his room to knock on John's door.
John opened the door and gestured for Garrett
inside. "What's up? You're looking better than you did a few
minutes ago."
"Yah, I was able to speak to Riley over the
phone for a few minutes. Actually, that is why I came in here. Are
Kismets able to speak telepathically from long distances? Can you
speak with Cherise from here?"
"Yes, we can, but we have an incredibly
strong connection. Not all Kismets are equal in their connection,
and the longer you're together the stronger it becomes. Since we're
so far apart, it's a bit weaker and hard to catch all the
details."
"What about emotional connections, How far
away can you be and feel them?"
"Same story, it differs. I could feel
Cherise's to somewhere over the Great Lakes, but now they aren't
there. Our telepathy has always been stronger though."
"So the chance of Riley feeling me from this
distance is extremely slim?"
"Yes, especially when you haven't claimed
her. Why are you asking?"
"I wanted to make sure she doesn't feel my
emotions. This is going to be a rough day, and without her knowing
what's happening, I don't want her to deal with anything more
strange than she already is."
"You should be fine, and you'd feel her
emotions too."
Right then a knock sounded on the door. They
walked over and John opened it. The butler was back.
"They are ready for you in the ballroom."
Garrett and John looked at each other and
nodded, and then followed his lead. As they entered the ballroom,
there was a long expansive dance floor between the door they
entered and the far end where the elders sat. A huge, crystal
chandelier hung from the center of the room, with several smaller
ones flanking it in all directions. Windows with navy blue curtains
graced each side, presumably leading out to balconies. As they
entered, the weight of the elder's dominance was painful. John bent
down on one knee and bowed his head; Garrett mimicked the sign of
respect.
"Please rise and come forward." Jeremiah, the
head elder, called from the far end.
They both rose, keeping their eyes down as
they entered the room and made their way to the group. There were
ten in all, between the ages of 150 and 200, equivalent of 50 to 65
in human years. As they neared the elders, they both kneeled once
again, waiting further instruction. Garrett hoped they all had
kismet's and could empathize with his pain, swaying a vote in his
favor.
"John, it is so nice to see you again. I
don't believe we've been in each other's presence since you became
Alpha," Jeremiah said.
"It is an honor to see you as well, sir,"
John replied.
Garrett could feel the weight of Jeremiah's
stare on him. Waves of dominance were crashing into him from the
elders and it was difficult to keep his footing. He believed they
were testing his mettle. Jeremiah finally addressed him.
"So, you are the young wolf who believes you
have a Kismet connection with a human?"
"Yes, Sir."
"We," he said, sweeping his hands in an
arcing motion to all elders, "have never heard of such an
occurrence. You have piqued our interest. At first, we didn't
believe John, but he has vouched that you know for sure. Tell us,
what is your proof?"
"I have no physical proof, sir. I have not
claimed her without your approval, so neither of us is marked. I
can only say we have established an emotional bond through a
kiss."
"Really? And tell us, why should we believe
you have such a bond? We have never allowed the first law to be
broken. What can you provide to prove there is a reason to do so
now?" he challenged.
"I'd gladly claim her and show the proof of
the mark upon doing so. If we do not bear the mark afterward, I'll
forfeit my life."
"Be clear, you would be forfeiting her life
as well if you are mistaken. Are you absolutely sure this is a
scenario you're willing to pursue?"
He felt sick at the thought. They'd kill her
for being with him. He knew she was his Kismet, but what if she
didn't get the mark, what if it didn't work because she was human?
He couldn't put her life at risk that way. "I'm sorry, sir. I can't
risk her life in any way. I know she's my Kismet, but I'm not 100%
sure she'd receive the mark because of her human nature."
The elders whispered among themselves for
several minutes. Garrett's knee was getting sore, but there was no
way he'd break protocol and stand or look Jeremiah in the eye.
"You are both excused; we will discuss the
situation and meet again tomorrow." Jeremiah dismissed them.
They stood up and turned, feeling eyes on the
back of their heads as they walked out of the room. The butler took
them to their rooms again and Garrett opted to stop at John's room
rather than proceeding to his own.
"That could have gone better," he groused,
feeling sick to his stomach. His wolf, which had been in full
submission during the meeting, was now pacing and whining in his
head. He was having a hard time thinking clearly.