An alarming dread of unease washed over me as I stared across the
yard. The full weight of expectation threatened to drown me, under the
watchful eyes of every wolf. It made me uncomfortable, making me even
more on edge since discovering this turn of events. Satchel's recovery
had soon been forgotten in each of theirstares, but not to me. Seeing
him, only ignited a flame I thought had dimmed when I saw him lying in
that gurney all those weeks ago. I'd never thought I'd live to see the
day that Satchel will be up, walking around, with no care in the
world. In fact, I'd gone over every possible scenario, picturing this
very day when Satchel woke up from his slumber, but never in a
thousand years did I think of this.
Satchel looked like he'd lost a few pounds, but hewas still bigger
than mostof the guys here, and his shoulders were squared off all the
same, warring off any threat that those wolves may pose. He never let
his guard down,and I felt comforted by that fact. For mine and
Derryn's sake.
Cairo made no move to shift from his position, and neither did any of
the others that lined the forest. I was consciously aware of the way
his eyes raked over me, and then over at Satchel, keeping his steer
neutral as he flicked them besideme at Derryn.
I watched Satchel clutch his cane, as he walked briskly toward the
forest,making sure his limp didn't impair him of any weakness. I made
a moveto follow him, but one look of warning in those light green eyes
of his, and I stopped in my tracks. Stunned motionless. If not for the
fact that he could manage on his own, but for the instinctual order
that his eyes sent to my inner wolf.
Stay! It was demanding, pleading with conviction.What I saw deep in
the hollow of his stare was protection, and a direct order that I had
no choice but to abide by. And that's when I knew that even though I
wouldhave accepted Satchel as a mate eventually, today I'd formally
accepted himas my Alpha male...with witnesses, by bowing my head a
little in submission.
Derryn ambled up beside me, and I was startled out of my gaze from
Satchel as she clutched the sides of my arms, threading her arms
through them, as she peered over at what was unfolding in front of
her. Her eyes mirroring my own curiosity.
Satchel's attention divided between us, keeping his stance as some
kind of physical sign of protection, a human barricade that warned the
pack that there was no going past that point, unless they wanted to
lose a paw.
Satchel addressed Cairo with a furrowed brow. "What makes you think I
want that responsibility?"
"I know a leader when I see one."
It seemed like that was a lot harder to say, as his brown eyes
narrowed slightly. I wondered whathe was playing at.
"You expect me to believe that you came all this way, to swear
allegiance to someone whom you'd rather see dead, than to follow
orders?"
The slight nod from Cairo sent my nerves buzzing, as Satchel dared a
foot closer, so that they were separated by stray pine needles and a
breath of air.
"Killing your brother wasn't an accident," Satchel boomed, and the way
he said it with pride made me shudder, as he continued, "and if I had
the luxury of doing it again, I would. You don't owe me any favors,
and if I didn't know any better, you're here to avenge him." It wasn't
a question I noticed, it was more of a statement of truth than
anything. Cairo didn't flinch, his voice ever so clear of what he
wanted.
The muscles at Cairo's jawclenched, as he said,"Trench fought a fair
fight, and he knew what he was getting himself into. It was his
arrogancethat killed him, and that'sa price he had to pay."
"You speak of him so dearly," Satchel said, sarcasm dripping in
tow."But I have neither the means to trust you, nor do I have the
energy for keeping you alive. If I remember correctly but wasn't it
you who'd put apermanent mark on my baby sister?"
I heard Derryn growl a little in annoyance, and I knew it was at the
remark of calling her a baby. She hated that. Satchel sent an
apologetic look back her way. "My sister, Derryn," he corrected. "She
smells of you, and it's no secret that she's been through her
transition, already." His hands fisted into two large balls, clenching
andunclenching as he glared at Cairo.
I tensed as he brought Derryn's transition up, and the vivid memory of
seeing her so vulnerable made me angry at Cairo for putting her
through that.
Cairo followed his gaze, and Derryn narrowed hereyes, ducking her head
behind me.
"I panicked, it was a spur of the moment thing when I marked her," he
said, bowing his head lower in submission. "ButI never scratched her,
or bit her, I swear."
Satchel tilted his head, and spared me a glance over with a frown. The
steady hum of Cairo's heart made the truth of his words palpable. If
nothim, then whom? I silently wondered.
I felt Derryn tense beside me. "It's true," Derryn said, as she spoke
up. Satchel and I gave her a questioning look, and she started chewing
on little strands of her curls, noticing that her hair had grown
longer.
She sighed. "Sheeba and mama were fighting, andI tried to stop them,
but I couldn't. I got in the way when Sheeba accidently scratched me."
I kissed the top of Derryn's head, I too had thought Cairo had scratched her.
Satchel seemed to believe her, and turned toward Cairo.
"The last time you tried to recruit me, you wanted Sheeba to mother my spawn."
"That was then, this is now. Beside's, whether you like it or not,
being apart of a pack is what you've wanted for a long time."
He seemed to consider this. "How do I know you're serious about all of this?"
Cairo smiled. "By blood ofthine blood," he murmured, unsheathing a
hunters knife from his belt where animal skin covered his waist, as he
sliced a long cut diagonally down his palm. Blood oozed from the
wound, as he passed the knife to the next male, as he did the same.
Together the whole pack started murmuring, and chanting the same
thing. "Blood of thine blood, a tie of thy oath, of blood we shall
share, with blood of mine brothers. As our moon mother bearwitness, we
kneel before our leader...our loyalty, protection, and allegiance we
brand."
"A night before the full moon, a new Alpha shall take stand," Satchel
muttered, finishing it off.
I blinked as I heard a gasp coming from Derryn. I knelt down to her
level, and frowned. "What's the matter?"
"The Sacred Oath, he's swearing allegiance by the Sacred Oath. He's
dead serious about this," Derryn whispered.
I looked from Cairo to Satchel, and by the looks of either of them,
they seemed to come to an understanding.
The sound of tires skidding on gravel pierced my ears, and I realized
that I was more attuned to my inner wolf,than I realized. I noticed
seconds later that every one else heard it too.
"Go," he said to Cairo anda few seconds later. The pack left, but
Cairo hovered to stay behind. Satchel looked back and frowned.
"Full moon tonight, you know where to find us. Oh, and you might want
to keep the blue coats away." He nodded in the far distant. I
squinted, watching the carriage ascending the long driveway up ahead,
where dust kicked under the tires.
Satchel cursed lightly, his face a picture of frustration. The thought
of a full moon tonight made me shiver. I didn't know what to expect,
all I knew from what stories Derryn had been keepingme uptodate with,
was that the sign of a full moon wasn't a good one,and something I
wasn't looking forward to, as I eyed the two officers that came out of
the carriage.
"Black Wolf?"
Satchel and I turned at the sound of Cairo. "Yeah."
"You owe me."
A silent promise passed between the two, and seconds later, he
disappeared through the brush. Satchel's eyes remained on the forest,
and it took a few tries to get his attention as I called his name.
His snapped to focus a second later, when two officers approached us.
The officer came forward, I recognized him as the baldheaded officer
from months ago when he'd questioned me about Peter. The hot prick of
fear slithered up my spine at that small realization. Peter. They must
have a lead on whathappened to him. I stole a fearful glance at
Satchel, and his cool bravado had already been painted on. I tried to
ignore the frantic beatof my heart, and gulped. Managing a forceful
smile as I felt Satchel's hand squeeze mine.
"Mr. Heins, long time no see. Y'all been staying outof trouble?" I
didn't like the way this officer was looking, and the tangy accent
that dripped from his tongue suggested he was a local. I frowned,
stealing a glance back at Satchel, and I noticed his jaws tensing.
That's when I knew there was some history between the two, and the
silent venom that seeped from Satchel's stare made me think it wasn't
a good one.
"No trouble from me, Officer," Satchel said a little bitter.
"That's good to hear, son."
Satchel's jaw ticked at the word 'son'.
The officer seemed to just notice me, and small light flickered in his
eyes as he did so. "We meet again, Miss Garrison. Niceto see you."
I narrowed my eyes on him, astonished that he'dremembered my last name.
"I wish I could say the same about you."
He fished out a notice, ignoring my comment, and handed it to me.
"What's this?" Satchel and I asked in unison.
"Oh, the warrant you wanted to see. It explainsthat I have free range
to search the property."
Satchel looked over my shoulder, and read the first few lines out
loud. I cursed silently, hoping those guys had left the perimeter. I
didn't want to have them wondering what a bunch of males would be
doing running half naked about, in my backyard.
"What's this all about?" Satchel asked a second later.
"A missing person's case landed on my desk three months ago, a student
Peter Maverick never made it home to his mother, and I'm here to see I
take care of that."
"What makes you think you'll find him here?" My voice raising a few
octaves high, I was nervous now. The officer gave me a derisive snort,
as he hoisted up his hip, to fish out the familiar photo of my ex
boyfriend, that was soon to haunt me again. He flashed it in my face
again, as if I hadn't gotten a full view of it before, and I tried my
hardest to hide the panic attack that was soon going to drown me if he
didn't put it away. Pale light blonde hair, spiky and unruly, with
blue eyes that always use to make me feel inferior. I averted my eyes
away, swallowing my fear down in gulps.
"The last time he was seen or heard from, was the night he took a
hunting trip up here from New York. His mother said he was probably
here visiting a girlfriend." His eyes flickered at me again, in a
silent form of entrapment, and then he brandished me with a smirk.
"Miss Willow Garrison, school captain cheerleader, and girlfriend of
Mr. Peter Maverick, ring any bells?"
If my heart could beat any faster, it would be doing the tango, and then some.
"I told you before, we broke up as soon as I moved here. He didn't
come to see me, and I didn't want to see him."
"That's funny, because a witness told me that you were jealous of him
spending too much time with other girls, and you flipped, threatening
to kill him."
I frowned. That was a conversation I'd had withPeter over the phone,
and I didn't actually mean I'd kill him for real. They were just
words, shot at him with anger. Impotent threats I would never
complete, I doubt it Peter would have thought them any serious. I bit
my lips, regarding the officer. He'd said a witness told him. The only
other person who'd been in on that conversation was mybest friend.
"Veronica," I bit out. The one who'd so conveniently picked up Peter's
phone. I grated my teeth in anger. This was her doing. She was trying
to destroy me, andI wasn't going to stand here and take it.
"Excuse me?"
"Veronica. She's the witness who told you that, isn't she?"
"I'm sorry, but names of witnesses are a breach ofconfidentiality."
"Right, well you tell this witness of yours, to get over her self. If
anything, she was jealous of me."
"Who's this she you're referring to?"
I rolled my eyes. Like he didn't know. "Veronica Steele. The one who'd
been sleeping with Peter behind my back. Your mystery witness."
"Do you have proof of any of that?"
"Well, no. But I know a slut when I see one."
"I'll need you to calm down, Miss."
I nodded, taking another breath.
He eyed me warily. "When was the last time you saw Peter Maverick?"
"The day I left New York."It was a lie, but I couldn't exactly say I'd
seen him in the forest as a wolf, so I made sure to tread carefully on
the topic. Satchel had been in his wolf form too when he'd killed
Peter, and it was a form of self-defense. But saying that to the
officer wasn't going to help his case, and neither would it keep my
sanity intact if I did so.
"So, you won't mind letting us take a look around, then?" The officer
flicked his chin around the estate in question, and I rubbed my arms,
searching for comfort. "I guess I have no choice, but to."
The instant warmth of Satchel's hand, as he hugged me into his side,
planting a kiss on the topof my head.
The officer and the man in a suit regaled through the estate, taking a
walk over the property with their eyes aware of everydetail. A sound
of a camera shudder snapped, and I realized now that the man in the
suit was a photographer.
"What are you taking photo's of?"
"Animal paw-prints, you should see about getting this place fenced
off, keep the dogs out."
I snorted. The only dogs I intend to keep out are you guys. But I
didn't say that.
***
They found nothing useful in the backyard, oranything in the house,
but the suspicious look the officer had on his face, said he was
determined, and persistent. His eyes saying that this wasn't going to
be last time I seehim, and I shuddered.
"We're going to send a search party out in the woods while it's still
daylight, I suggest you folks stay out of there between the hours from
now 'til sundown. We don't want to shoot anybody by accident." The
perverse smirk on hisface made it look like a sick dare of some sort.
"Sure."
"You folks have a good day now." He mock saluted, and smirked, "We
will find what we're looking for."
"I hope you do." And I really meant that. I didn'tknow what had
happened to Peter, all of the details were a little hazy from that
night. All I remember was waking up in Satchel's arms.
We watched them leave down the dirt road, and Ilet out a sigh of
relief when they did. My hands were a little shaky, and I had to force
my heart to slow its roll.
Satchel pulled me into hisembrace, and I welcomedit with glee. The
instant smell of pine, and sandalwood wafted through my nose, as I
pressed my face into his chest. My insides warmedin delight, and I
didn't realize how long it had been since I'd felt his arms around me.
So familiar, yet so strange. He seemed a little too tense, I noticed.
"You okay?" he whispered into my hair. I nodded, shifting my headso
that I could see him better. "Yeah."
I frowned when his attention was back on the pine trees. His jaw
ticking as he clenched and unclenched. He mademe nervous.
"Everything okay?"
"Fine." Though the note in his voice clearly didn't sound like it.
"Satchel, tell me."
He considered this, as his green eyes roamed my face. He sighed,
finally, running his hands through his hair, only to drop his hat in
the process. I bent to pick it up when otherwise would have struggled,
and handed it back to him.
"You've got that look on your face."
He seemed to frown at that. "What look?"
"The look that scares the hell out of me, sometimes, like something's
going to happen, and our lives areat risk, again."
"It's a full moon tonight,"he supplied. I got that much, but I didn't
know what the big deal was.
"I heard you, but what's got you on edge?"
"Our moon mother is at her peak, which means by sundown, the Full Moon
will hit."
"I still don't understand. You said the Full Moon was just like any
other time we change. No big deal right?" I must have had confusion
written onmy face, because he decided to scrub his hands down his
face, andthen shake his head.
"It's a big deal, because tonight, our pack will recognize me as Alpha
under the Moon Mother's eyes." He clenched his jaw again, as I mulled
over this new information.
"Which we change right?"
He nodded. "But it's nothing like when we change on our own free will.
Our moon mother forces the change...and..."
He let that sentence hangin the air like the pine scent that lingered
in the forest.
"And what?"
"Our thoughts completelychange too."
"What do you mean? Likeit makes us think different?"
He started biting the curve of his lips. "Our wolf instincts are
silent, because our basic humanthoughts and emotions drown them out.
We're able to think like humanswhen we're going through our
transition. But under the Full Moon, when she's as close to her zenith
as she's going to be tonight, well everything changes. Our wolf
instinct is awakened, and all human thoughts are dissipated..."
"Thus, making us animals," I supplied. The instant nod confirmed as
much. And I didn't know what to say. And for the first time since I'd
changed into this very being, I knew why Gramsthought of us as
monsters. Because we became monsters under the full moon. Nausea soon
swept through my mind, making me dizzy.
"I think I need to lie down."
----
I forgot what the officers name is, so I'll add that inwhen I look
over my notes. LOL This is not even proofread at all. I haven't had
the luxury of doing so when I only write on notepad. Next chapters
nearly finished.
--
- - - - -
Presented by :->
" M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA "
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
No comments:
Post a Comment