by S Lawrence
"If you follow the trail, someone came and carried her to the dock. There is also another set of tracks that went behind them. There was at least one boat moored at that dock. At least one." I swivel on the balls of my feet motioning Michael over. "Michael found a guard with his throat slit."
Aislin's voice pierces the air, "What did you find? Please tell me you didn't find her." Her terror and anxiety beat at me.
"We doona know what happened, but she isn't here. We didnae find her." Her sobs of relief echo through the dark night. Kai is talking to her, calming her. Her sniffs and gulping breaths fill the room.
"We need to find the office." Her voice is stronger, determined.
"We'll meet you inside in a minute." Their footsteps disappear.
Rising to my feet, I focus on the Druids, "Where is Raven? We need to hurry."
"I saw her at the dock. She was looking at something and then she leapt into the air and flew east. I went over there to find what she had been looking at." Michael's eyes are on the sky as he speaks.
"We need to go in. We have to figure out who's running this island. This is a small operation, and I bet there is one crazy Order guy in charge here."
We turn in unison, heading to the front door. Drawing a breath in, I scent the air. Emma's scent comes from two directions. Looking left, I notice the stairs; right is a hallway. Turning right, I follow her path down the hall. Aislin and Kai join us at some point as we wind through the older part of the house, and I pause looking at the walls. Studying the stone work, I glance back at Aislin. My hand gestures to the bottom stone at the corner of the wall, and she squats down getting a better look. Gasping, she straightens and looks at me.
"It's the same as at the headquarters."
"Yes," I answer, even though it wasn't a question. "Probably even older."
"Someone mind telling us what ye are going on about." Sean's irritated brogue breaks the tension.
It is Aislin that answers, "The cornerstones here and at the office building are from ancient, and I mean ancient, Greece. Like, before it was Greece."
A slow whistle sounds from both Druids. Emma's scent tickles my nose, and I turn the corner, coming to an old carved door. The scene depicts Sisyphus pushing the boulder up the hill, and I stare at it for long moments. "Jason?" Aislin's fingers slide into my hand. I turn my head towards her.
"This is where she was." I grip her hand, looking over her head at Kai. His arm slides around her shoulders.
"What? What is it?" Her eyes slide from me to the man she loves, her voice trembling.
Kai turns her toward him, drawing her gaze. "We smell blood and death beyond this door. You need to ready yourself for what we might find." He cocks his head listening and then I hear it too. Rats. They sound frenzied. I turn the knob, pushing the door open. Aislin gasps, the Druids’ teeth are grinding, and a growl vibrates from Kai. I'm simply relieved it isn't her. I feel bad for the poor bastard in the chair though. The scene is gruesome. It is Michael that speaks first. He and Sean have depended on their observation to keep them alive for years, and today it keeps our hopes alive.
"Someone fell over the chair, shoving it out of the way as they tried to flee.” He glances around and moves to the wall in the corner, "There is some blood here, but it is transfer from someone else. Seems to me she tried to get away from that poor fucker and fell in her scramble. Then the arsehole doing it came to either get her or calm her. Probably calm her." The last he said while looking at Aislin, for her sake. It helped to calm my racing heart also.
Focusing more on the scene and less on my need to get to Emma, I sifted through the smells in the room, caught hints of the feelings. Shaking my head, I try to understand. Opening my eyes, I see the others are watching and waiting.
"I agree. She is still alive for sure. I keep catching her fear, that guy's fear," my hand waves at the body, "and love. No… Not love. Obsession. That is our mystery man. He is obsessed with… Her, it seems."
Aislin sighs, "That's good though, right?" She gulps, her memories pushing forward, "Dorran was obsessed with me, and he kept me alive." Her face says she refuses to consider the flip side to the obsession.
"Yes, Sparrow, he will keep her close to him, if he is obsessed. That's good." Kai rubs her back.
"He was watching her." Sean points to the computer screen, and we all move around to look at it. Clicking on the screen, we roll the footage back until he carries her in the room. We watch as he kisses her while forcing her jaw open. I'm breathing hard when I look up, and I know my eyes are red. I calm slightly as he stalks from the room. Our eyes are locked on the screen as she cries, and then we see her glance at the camera.
"She knew he watched," Aislin whispers.
She jumps to her feet, running and closing the bathroom door before spinning and rushing out to the balcony, sliding out of sight. We wait for long minutes and realize that had to be when she had jumped.
"She realized she only had moments before he would be watching her again. She did what she had to." Aislin's voice is filled with pride.
"Ye girl made the jump. I think she hurt herself, but she had help getting to the dock. We found a guard with his throat slit, like this one. She might have gotten away on a boat. Raven saw something that sent her into the air." Michael looks at Kai, raising an eyebrow.
"You stay with Jason and your boys. I can cover more area than Raven. I will find her if she is out there." He pulls her into his embrace and kisses her passionately, spinning and sprinting out of the room. Her fingers drift to her lips.
Looking at her, I smile. "Tell him we will finish here, then head back to the house, unless he finds something."
She moves to the door, "I'm going to grab Emma's things. She's going to need them when we have her back."
Those of us left here in this room filled with madness and death share a knowing glance.
37
JASON
Glancing at the Druids, I draw in a deep breath, "I need to change. Then I'll have a better idea of what happened here."
"So go ahead then." Michael is grinning at me.
Glaring at him, I reply, "The blood will make my beast a little aggressive, watch yourselves."
They shift closer together, ready to defend themselves if they need to. I nod my head in approval. My head lowers, and I close my eyes, focusing on the beast within me. 'We must be careful, these are our friends.' A soft growl is his reply, as he cares for nothing but the hunt and the punishment he was designed to bring. Rescue is not his instinct. His calmness around Aislin had been surprising. I thought I would have to fight him, but he even let her pet him. Everything's been so crazy, I only thought of it.
A wolfy grin floats through my mind. 'She is important to her. Therefore she is pack to us.' This statement from him gives me pause.
'Pack?'
'Yes, our pack is growing. It is good. Even these two are pack.'
Two pairs of eyebrows draw together as my red eyes turn and focus on them. I smile, and their eyes widen. I run my tongue along the razor sharp fangs that have grown. My laugh comes out a bark, and the next instant I am looking up at them, tongue lolling out of my muzzle, beast and man one. Nose dropping to the floor, I follow her sweet scent to the corner, and her terror burns my nose. Beast growls deep and rumbling and his hackles rise. He doesn't like her terror. Turning the corner, I move around the desk, fighting to ignore the rats and blood. Drawing all the scents in deeply, I sort and focus on one that permeates the area. Male, angry, obsessive… Other. Us.
'He is like us, but not. No hellhound.' I send the thought to my beast.
'No, no beast, but he came from hell, like us.' The hellhound sends me images of the underworld. My rage builds and a long howl erupts from my mouth, causing the Druids to swing their gazes around looking for danger. Shaking my massive body, I leap over the desk and race down the hall. I have to get outside… Away. All this, once again, is Hades’ fault. I don't know how, but it is.
'You must call her to us.'
I don't want to listen. I don't want her here, I fight him as he tries to force the change. The beast takes control when we reach the outside. 'I will call her… For our pack.'
Eyes glowing red, lighting up the night, his howl echoes across the dimensions. It is one never heard before, not like this. Perséphone appears in front of me, face pinched with worry. Her hand drifts out, running through my thick black pelt and the change begins. Seconds later, because I was fighting it, I stand panting in front of her. I recognize Sean and Michael tense at my back, ready to defend me. Aislin is racing down the steps. She slides to a stop seconds later, out of breath, a bag in her hand.
"What the fuck was that, Jason?" She huffs out as she bends over trying to catch her breath. "I have to start working out," she mutters while glaring up at us.
"Sorry, Kukla, I didn't mean to scare you, and neither did my beast, but he felt we should question Perséphone." I stare at the goddess pointly.
"Jason, you know I will do anything to help you." Her voice is soft as she replies.
"Really? Could you force your husband to stop making people and then throwing them away without a second thought." I grit my teeth, rage causing my eyes to glow. A constant growl rumbles in my chest. "Because once again, one is hell bent on getting revenge."
Aislin gasps behind me. Perséphone's eyes fill with sadness.
"Who?" She asks, resignation filling her voice.
"How the hell should I know?! He is holding Emma, doing god knows what to her. Go inside and maybe you can figure it out, maybe you can recognize him." I stalk away, unable to be near her anymore.
Stopping when the water is on my legs, I stand in the waves and stare at the sea. Aislin's fingers thread through mine once again, and her head rests on my arm. She doesn't say anything, just stands with me. Hands grip my shoulders as Michael and Sean move in behind us, always guarding our backs.
'Pack'
'How much longer I can do this, hunt them. So many, destroyed by those that created us. So many haunt me. Pack scares me. People to be responsible for. People that we can lose… Again.' I can't say it outloud. I can't speak the horrors. I can't open the door. Fifty years ago, I had family, and in an instant of lost control, I destroyed them. Panting, I step away and shift, running through the surf to the other side of the island, leaving them staring after me. They don't follow. Michael holds Aislin as she stares after my fleeing form.
Perséphone appears and walks slowly to my side, sitting on the ground she fingers my fur. "I think I might have an idea who it is. I need to check a few things, but I will come to you at your home as soon as I know for sure." Her hand slides down to my paw and tightens momentarily before she fades away. "I'm so sorry, Jason," floats on the wind as she leaves. My howl fills the night.
I shift back and continue sitting on the shore, staring out at nothing, darkness. My phone rings, pulling it from my pocket, I glance down at it. Nestor. I swipe the screen, and his raised voice fills the darkness before it's to my ear.
"ARE YOU CRAZY? We all heard that howl. I have people calling, asking if they should be running or hiding. That howl has only ever meant you are hunting and one of us is going to die. Are you hunting?"
"Yes and no. Tell them not to worry. It's not for them. He's one of us, the discarded. He left with Emma. He apparently joined the Order at some point. This place reeks of revenge and obsession. The hound felt we should call Perséphone to help and I disagreed, so he took control." I sigh, scrubbing my hand over my face. "He wants a pack."
Seconds tick by, and then he answers, "It might be good for you."
"How can you say that? You are well aware of exactly what happened last time. Listen, I've gotta go; the others are coming, and we need to return to my house. Call me if you find out anything. We have no idea who this is still. Perséphone seemed more worried than ever before."
"Well, that sounds ominous. I'll keep checking. He has hidden well if neither of us has any knowledge of him."
"Yes and that worries me. He has possibly had a very long time to plan this, and Emma fell right into his trap." My fist grips the phone as my rage simmers below the surface.
"Steady, my friend. We will find her." The line disconnects as the others reach me.
I watch them as they move around me. "Listen..."
"Stop. Ye naw need to continue; we hae been there." Strong hands squeeze my shoulder as they pass, climbing into the boat. I slowly come to my feet and look at the men. The scent of magnolias has me turning to see Aislin standing there and watching me sadly.
"We will find her, Jason. YOU will find her. And maybe, just maybe, she will hear what you need to her to." Her hand lays over my heart for a moment as she moves by me to the boat. I stare at her, confused. What is she talking about? Shaking my head, I shrug before joining them on the boat. I program the GPS, finishing as Sean shoves me out of the way.
"Take a seat, I'm driving." The sound of the motor and the wind is the only noise on the return trip, as we all sit lost in our thoughts and memories. Every so often, the others raise their eyes to the sky, searching for the others, hope etched on their faces. I don't bother. Now that I know who and what our opponent is, I have no hope that it will be this easy getting Emma back.
38
EMMA
I wait for him to return, feeling better about his love. My gaze drifts down to my twisted and swollen ankle. It had been stupid, my trying to run from him. I understand now that he killed that man to protect me. He loves me that much, so how could I doubt him?
The door opens and Pow (the nickname makes me smile) walks in. I study her face; it is serene, but something in her eyes warns me that it might be a mask. "Are you okay?" I ask her, worrying that something is happening.
"Yes, of course, I'm sorry to worry you. We are moving faster than we had planned. Won't be long before Jason is aware of who we are and then he will hunt us." Tension tightens her face before she sighs, a small smile curving her lips. "Never mind that now. Let me heal you a little more before Arias moves you someplace more comfortable. I hope to at least help the swelling go down. I'm sorry but I don't think I will be able to heal the bones."
Looking at my foot, I chew my lips before asking, "Will I be able to walk at least?"
"I'm hopeful yes, but I can't guarantee anything." Her regret reaches my ears and I reach out to her, trying to absolve her of any responsibility.
"My own fault for jumping." Her gaze turns questioning. "I was stupid and scared. I tried to run. I was lucky though. Arias found me and saved me again." There is something in her eyes, something I wish I understood, but she glances away.
"Let me start. He will return soon enough."
Her chants fill the room and my mind. They are relaxing, and I find myself swaying with the music of them. Again a dance builds in my mind. I can't stop the silent tears that come at the thought of never being able to flow around a room, letting the music take me away.
Time slows as I drift. I'm not sure how much time has passed when she stops. Looking down, the swelling and a lot of the bruising is gone and the pain is gone. The bones are still twisted though. I pat her hand as she studies at me with sad eyes. "It's alright. Really."
The door opens, and his handsome faces peers in at us. His face tightens in anger when he inspects at my ankle. Inwardly, I cringe, hating that I caused this. Pow's fingers tighten on my hand and I consider her face, sorrow and anger cloud her eyes. I shake my head.
Arias comes the rest of the way in. "You couldn't do more," is an accusation.
"Please, she really tried and the pain and swelling are gone. Now, can you please take me out of this room. I believe you promised me someplace more comfortable." I smile up at him as heat fills his eyes.
"Yes, I did promise you something, didn't I?" He moves around Powaqu, slides his arm under my knee and wraps the other around my shoulders as I wrap my arms around his neck, and he lifts me gently. Standing up, he carries me as if I weigh nothing. I bury my face into his chest, drawing in t
he musky scent of him mixed with the saltiness of the sea. As he strides through a great open room, another man and woman gawk at us with curiosity. His head dips a tiny bit at them, and then we are moving up a set of stairs. They are carved from the stone, worn smooth from use through the ages. My hand reaches out to slide along the walls; they are worn smooth from countless other fingers sliding along them over the decades.
At the top, I stare out through a wall of glass. The sun is setting over an inlet, and across the way is a beautiful home with lush gardens. The house is far enough away that the details are fuzzy, but even from here, I can tell someone loves and cares for it. Arias follows my gaze and a grin blooms across his face as we enter a massive bedroom.
He sits me on the bed and I scoot back, reclining on my elbow and watching him. Crossing back to the door, he closes it, sliding the lock into place. His eyes never leave me, and I shiver under the intensity of his gaze.
He stalks toward me like a predator; the image of a great panther flits through my mind. He kneels at the end of the bed, and his hands slide up my legs, stopping at my knees. His eyes are still locked with mine, watching for my reaction when he shoves my legs apart. He stares down at me, at my pale flesh of my thighs, my skirt riding up to pool around my waist. He inhales deeply, fingers digging into my thighs. I'm not fighting, but he still holds me still. His body hardens.
"Want me like I want you. Show me how you love me," his roughened voice caresses across my senses. I moan, half with need and half in acquiescence to the need in him. My belly tightens in anticipation as his head slowly descends toward my body. His tongue glides up the inside of my thigh, higher and higher until his teeth bite lightly, causing me tense. His warm breath blows over my core, and I tense, trying to close my legs. He peers up, lips pressed into a thin line, anger shimmering in his eyes. "Hold still." A command and my body responds. My panties are ripped from me, lust driving him. His eyes fixate on my core and the wetness that is coating it. My cheeks flame, but my need overrides every other thought. Finally, he will be mine.
