Authors: Melissa Morgan
“Well, does anyone
have anything they would like to say for themselves?” He asked. They all stared
at him. “How in the hell did she get that far onto our land before she was
scented out?”
They all glanced at
each other uncomfortably. A few shifted in their seats. Cassius spoke first.
“We were all doing our jobs, Alpha. No one knows how she got passed us.”
“If you were doing
your jobs, she would not have gotten passed you.” He returned simply. “So…who
scented her first?”
“I did, Alpha.” Matteo
spoke up. “I was on the west side, circling the inner perimeter. I saw her
tracks headed inland and alerted the others.”
“She had already
gotten across the river before she was known?” Alpha asked, surprised.
“Apparently.” Matteo
shrugged. “We caught her anyway.”
“Barely.” Cassius
pointed out.
“She should not have
gotten far enough onto our lands to be able to declare sanctuary in the first
place.” Alpha Sheridan growled. “I have no idea what this girl is running from,
but you know the packs are on the verge of war. Now, we may be forced to it,
because of her.”
“Alpha, why did you
grant her sanctuary then?” Teague asked. Third in command, he was the only one
who dared ask what they had all wondered on the way back to the den.
“You know I keep my
word. Any who make it to the dais can request sanctuary. I never expected
anyone to be able to, when I made that pack law. I only did so to keep peace
between the packs, and remain neutral in the pack battles.” He sighed. “I gave
my word. I couldn’t very well go back on it, the first time someone requested
sanctuary. Even if it was a cat.”
“Does sanctuary even
apply to her, as a cat?” Ukiah asked. “Wasn’t it only meant for wolves?”
The others looked at
the Alpha. He sighed. He couldn’t very well admit to them that he hadn’t
thought of that, at the time. Now word would get out that sanctuary was to all
the species. Son of a bitch!
“Sanctuary was given.
I will not go back on my word.” He growled. “I want each of you to choose one
of the best Omegas, and take them on patrol with you. Two man teams, around the
clock until further notice.
Cassius, create a
schedule that allows for each team to eat, shower and sleep semi-regularly. We
may have others to worry about once I notify the council sanctuary has been
invoked.”
Zara woke to the
sounds of beeping and hushed voices. The room was dimly lit, and she was
surrounded by a light blue cloth curtain. She struggled to sit up and found
that she couldn’t. Her ribs still broken, it hurt to breathe. A monitor beeped
hysterically until footsteps came running.
“You’re awake!” A young
woman chirped, smiling widely.
“Where am I?” She
croaked. Her throat was dry. Her skin itched and her whole body ached.
“Don’t you remember?”
The blond literally skipped over to the monitor and punched buttons until the
annoying noise stopped. “You are on Black Moon lands. I better go wake the
doctor, and the Alpha.”
“Who are you?” The
girl made a move to touch her. Zara grabbed her hand instinctively, stopping
the woman. Suddenly she was flooded with information on the woman. Her most
important and painful memories swarmed in her head, like a movie on fast
forward. She gasped and shoved the woman backward, breaking contact. The blonde
girl crashed through the curtain and fell backward into the patient on the bed
next to hers.
“Well, that wasn’t necessary,
was it?” A lady walked in carrying a clipboard. “Good to see you are awake.”
The woman slid the board into a slot on the end of her bed. “Are you ok,
Sasha?”
“Oh, yes, Ma’am.”
Sasha said, setting herself right again. She smoothed her hand over her hair
and straightened up. “I apologize miss. I didn’t mean to startle you.” She
smiled at Zara warmly.
Zara groaned inwardly.
“I’m sorry. You surprised me. I don’t like to be touched.” She said, by way of
explanation. She turned her head back to look at the doctor. “Why am I
chained?” She asked. “Am I a prisoner?”
“No, Zara. It’s
protocol, with strangers, to chain them until we can be sure they aren’t a
threat to anyone while they are injured. It is for your safety and others as
well.” The woman smiled, calmly. “I’m sure the Alpha will allow you to be
released as soon as the two of you chat.”
“Yes, please. I’d like
to talk to him now.”
“It’s the middle of
the night, Zara.” The doctor reminded her. “It can wait until morning.”
Zara groaned, out loud
this time. “No, you don’t understand, there is no time for that. Please, I need
to talk to him now.”
The doctor stared at
her for a second and calmly walked over to the intercom on the wall.
“Joseph, please go
alert the Alpha’s personal staff that his presence is requested by our new
guest.”
Cole was woken from a
dead sleep by the presence of someone hovering over his bed. His eyes snapped
open the same instant he pulled the knife from under his pillow and rolled
over, smoothly leaping to his feet, the sharp blade of his knife at the throat
of one of his Guardians.
“I’m sorry sir.” The
man said carefully. “The cat is awake and asks to speak with you.” Thomas said.
Instantly, Cole removed the knife and dropped it onto the bed.
“My apologies Thomas.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “It’s highly unusual for anyone to come into my
room.”
“I understand, Alpha.”
Thomas shrugged. “I tried to knock…”
“It’s ok; you were
just doing as you were told.” Cole sighed. He rarely slept through a night, and
it looked like, despite his exhaustion, this would be one of those nights.
“Please inform the doctor I will be down in ten minutes.”
“Of course sir.”
Thomas said, stepping back and bowing slightly, turned on his heel and left the
room, gently closing the door behind him.
His maid had cleaned
up the pile of his clothes from the night before. He went to his closet and
pulled open a drawer. He pulled on a pair of loose khaki pants and a black
t-shirt. It had the Black Moon Crest printed over the heart, signifying his
royal bloodline and Alpha status.
In the bathroom he
splashed some water on his face and combed his hair. His eyes were still sleepy
looking. He sighed and headed down the large hallway to the elevators. Once on
the infirmary floor, painted a calming green color, he shoved open the double
doors.
“Alpha Sheridan.” The
doctor was the first to greet him.
“I’ve been summoned?”
He raised an eyebrow at her.
“She seems desperate
to speak to you tonight. She implied that she could not wait until morning to
speak with you. I thought it best to error on the side of caution. If you wish
for me to tell her to wait…”
“No.” He interrupted.
“I’m already awake and down here. Let’s get on with it.” He followed her
through the hall to where the woman was laying. Chains circled her wrists,
ankles, waist and neck. She was flat on her back, staring up at the ceiling.
“I am Alpha Cole
Sheridan, of the Black Moon Pack.” He said formally. “You wish to speak with
me?” One of the Omegas pulled up chair and he sat, rather ungracefully.
“I…um…yes.” She
whispered. “Could you remove the shackles? I’d like to be able to look at you
when we speak.”
He studied her,
carefully. “I swore no harm would come to you on my lands. I meant that,
however, you passed out before I had a chance to explain. If you harm any of my
people, in any way, you forfeit your sanctuary status, and you will be killed.”
“I have no wish to
harm anyone here.” She said. “I need your help.”
“Release her, please,
Doctor.” He nodded. The doctor took a key from around her neck and began
unlocking the heavy steel chains. Another omega took them away.
Zara sat up slowly and
leaned back against the pillows, rubbing her wrists. “Can I get some water?”
She asked.
“Sure.” He reached
over and poured some into a little cup, from a bottle on the stand beside her
bed. He handed it to her, and she drank it all in one gulp. He poured her more
and waited until she finished.
“Zara, why did you
come to my lands? What is it that you want me to help you with?” He asked,
taking the cup from her.
“The cats are fighting
amongst themselves. I’m…caught in the middle. I am being hunted by one of the cruelest
leaders of the panthers, among others.”
“Why?” He asked
simply, already suspecting the answer.
“Because of my
bloodline. They all think that the one, who owns me, will be more powerful than
anyone else and withstand the coming war.”
“And what is so
special about you?” He asked.
“Surely you’ve heard.”
She snorted.
“No” He said, “I’d
prefer you tell me.”
“Give me your hand,
I’ll show you.” She said simply.
He just stared at her.
She held out her hand to him, waiting.
“I won’t hurt you.”
She said. “I need to show you, so you understand.”
“What are you going to
do?”
“I can’t explain it.
You need to see for yourself.” She sighed. “Look, I get that you don’t trust
me. I don’t exactly trust you either. But if we are going to make this work,
you have to understand who I am. What I am.”
He took her hand and
they both gasped at the contact. Electricity cracked in the air right before
their hands connected and it traveled through them both. The warmth of his hand
sizzled through her blood and she breathed in his scent. Her head began to
swim. “Let me show you.” She whispered.
“How?” He breathed,
his heart thudding in his chest, finally back to a normal rhythm.
“Relax breath. Blank
your mind out. Just…let go.” She waited until she could feel his heart beat in
her hand and he totally relaxed. Gently, she let the energy inside her build
until it swirled out from her hand and into him. He shivered violently, and
suddenly, his mind was open to her.
Images swarmed her
mind until one rushed forward to the front of his mind. It was a memory of a
time when he was a child. Playing on the floor with his siblings, rough housing
like boys do.
They had rolled into a
side table and broken an expensive vase that had been a gift. Scared, he had
hidden his brother and waited. A man came into the room, screaming and began to
be beat the boy until he was bloody.
She could feel the
pain of each blow, the dizzying sensation of nausea at being kicked, the
metallic taste of hot blood in his mouth…until blessed darkness took over.
Shocked, he pulled his
hand away from her, visibly shaken by the buried memory. He rubbed his hand, as
if her touch burned. Her eyes were glassy, unfocused as she stared at him,
tears in her eyes.
“What are you?” He
gasped.
“I don’t fully
understand how I do what I do. Why I can…see things. My sisters and I each
carry different abilities. Mine are of the mind.”
“Sisters?” He gasped.
“My sisters and I are
different. Yes.” She put her hand down.
“How many of you are
there?” He asked.
“I have three sisters.
That I know of. Each of us was born in secret. Our parents were killed,
murdered. But not before each of us was adopted out. One of my sisters is in
Europe, the other in Africa. My sister from Asia was taken and lost to us.”
“Lost?” He asked his
brow furrowing.
“We are…connected.
Each of us can feel the other. None of my sisters can feel her. She is dead. We
agreed that the others would be safer if they came here. We figured we would be
stronger together, than apart.”
“Safety in numbers.”
He said. “Common sense.”
“My sister from Africa
isn’t here yet. She’s having trouble crossing the appropriate boarders to get
here. I have since warned her not to come. But my sister in France. She was
hunted down, and taken at the airport as soon as her plane landed. We think by
the man who killed our Asian sister hired Vaughn Cromwell, to hunt her, and
me.”
“What you are
saying…you know what it means, don’t you?” He gritted his teeth.
“War will break out.”
She said simply. “That is why I had to get here, first. Before anyone else
could find me. Before war breaks out. I need your protection, but more than
that, I need your help to rescue my sister.”
“What makes you think
that I would risk my people to help you?” He asked.
“Because…” She
hesitated. “If you help me, I will submit myself to you, as your mate. With
that, comes all the power that is within me, to help you lead your people. ”
He just stared at her,
too shocked to close his gaping mouth. Suddenly, he stood and shoved the chair
back forcefully enough to skid across the room and crack when it hit the wall.
Without a word he stormed out and slammed the door of the infirmary, cracking the
glass of the window.