by Sydney Addae
Asia was up first. She ran the length of the platform, leapt into the air, and did several flips before landing. Turning, she leapt higher and shifted into her hybrid while in the air and landed on her feet. Spinning and leaping across the room, landing to the side of the trainees wearing red uniforms, she morphed into her largest beast and growled.
The men sitting near her long claws leaned to the side as they stared up at her. Pleased they couldn’t speak and the lack of color in their faces she glanced to the stage at Angus. He leapt into the air and flipped twice before morphing into his four-legged black wolf. Green eyes gleamed at the trainees as he pranced across the stage.
Asia returned to human and enjoyed the show. Large as a pony with foot long incisors, his beast was as spectacular as La Patron’s. She wondered if the candidates made the connection. Next, Angus shifted into his hybrid and landed on the other side of the floor next to the candidates dressed in purple. They stared up at his huge form for several seconds and then watched the stage as Tyrese started running in a circle. With blurring speed Tyrone joined him and together they ran so fast it was difficult to distinguish the two. Several candidates leaned forward for closer looks.
It was an incredible sight.
Pieces of what appeared to be a mannequin flew from the middle of the circle. When the head landed in the midst of the candidates, they applauded. Tyrone ran to the right and Tyrese slowed and walked to the middle of the platform. Chest heaving, he morphed to his hybrid and leapt straight up, hanging onto the bar 30 feet in the air. Tyrone returned to the stage and looked up.
Tyrese dropped and stared at Tyrone who then morphed to his hybrid and charged Tyrese. The fight between the two amounted to normal training for the twins, but to the candidates, she sensed their excitement over the ferocity of the battle. La Patron and Angus had worked with the twins, teaching them moves she hadn’t seen in decades.
Her wolf itched to join the fray. She glanced at Angus as he watched the battle on stage and sensed this would be a fun night. Neither of them would hold back as they worked with the trainees.
After five minutes, Angus called the fight. Tyrone and Tyrese separated and then embraced each other after returning to human. “My twin, Tyrone, and the Director of the Half-Breed Program,” Tyrese said, pointing.
Everyone clapped as the twins’ wounds closed. That had been another thing Silas wanted everyone to see. Half-breeds had the same healing capacities as full-bloods.
“Before you are allowed to leave this training, each of you will fight each of us. Call it an Alpha challenge if you like, makes us no difference,” Tyrese said his chest heaving. “We’re Captains of KnightForce because La Patron knows we’re capable of being your Alphas. Those of you wearing purple, you’re with Angus and will be training up on the third floor. If you’re wearing Gold, you’re with me on the second floor. And those of you wearing red, you’re with Asia on this floor in the ring over there.” He pointed behind them. “Don’t allow the fact that she’s a woman make you think you can take her, that’s a mistake you’ll regret. La Patron made her promise not to kill anyone, but she is permitted to hurt you.”
Chapter 4
Mélange sat at the dining room table tapping her fingers. Who would’ve thought? After all these years roaming the globe, spending time in over 30 countries, learning and working for various organizations. Not once had she sensed a connection like now. Not even with her lover.
She ran her finger over the thin metal collar around her neck, the dampener helped hide her wolf and kept La Patron from taking control. She’d worn it for two years after she’d finally broken free from the Liege. Elyria taught her how to go human deep, so that no one could tell the difference. It had taken years of practice until it became second nature. Many nights she had lain awake stroking her wolf, keeping her quiet so the Liege didn’t detect her true hatred. For 20 years she served those bastards, only to have them turn her into some type of freak. It had been a waste of time rising through their ranks, believing their lies. She never should have returned to do that last job. In the end, they hadn’t cared whether she lived or died, and she’d been seconds away from dying. But Elyria saved her.
Ten years.
She met Elyria in Egypt, and it had been love at first sight, on Mélange’s part anyway. When she saw the tall Amazonian goddess walk through the market, she followed as if pulled by an unbreakable string.
Elyria wore her thick sable hair braided and wrapped around her head like a crown, or so Mélange thought. At six feet, she looked like a giant to Mélange, a beautiful dusky complexioned goddess with startling blue-green eyes she kept covered with dark glasses. Smitten immediately, Mélange abandoned her vacation plans and left with Elyria that day.
Over time their relationship encountered a number of bumps. Elyria had a temper and frequently changed directions midstream. It was if her thoughts took off and landed at random airports. Often her elaborate ideas made no sense. The more explanations Mélange required, the more stubborn Elyria became. Mélange left several times and returned to a repentant lover.
And now this.
Heart heavy, she stood and walked to the large abstract black and white monstrosity on the wall and flicked the switch beneath it. The frame swung open. She removed the disk from the camera and re-snapped the picture to the wall. Inhaling deeply, she moved to the back room where she kept her computer, inserted the disk, and replayed the video of Renee.
Zooming in on her features, she traced Renee’s face with her fingertip and stared into her eyes. Her gaze moved to her nose and finally her mouth. Without listening to the conversation still fresh in her mind, she made a copy and sent it to the cloud. Next she sent Elyria a text informing her of the new file.
“Got it, thanks love. See you at midnight.”
Mélange read the text, over and over. The letters grew larger with each read until they crowded the screen and become illegible. Unable to deal with her jumbled thoughts, she headed to the kitchen and made a drink. Returning to the computer, she opened a file she used when she needed a whipping boy or some variation.
The first pictures were of her biological father and his children, three daughters from his wife, no sons. Served the bastard right. All wolves were to be loved, cherished, but in some parts of the country, especially large states like California, 100 years past, the Alpha couldn’t oversee everyone and a few slipped through the cracks.
Labeled a whore, shunned by her family, Mélange’s mother lost her job and roamed the streets begging for scraps as she grew larger with child. She died in a back alley giving birth. From what she’d been told, a pack member heard her mewling cries in the alley, recognized her mother and then took Mélange to her mother’s family. He threatened to turn them in to the Alpha if they didn’t do right by her.
The first 10 years of her life, she lived worse than Cinderella. Always hungry, she ate the scraps left for the animals. She never saw the inside of a school until she was in her late teens. Her kin kept a tight rein on her until another pack member reported the abuse and gained permission to take her in. Hunger was no longer an issue, but school was torture.
By some miracle she passed the test and joined the military where she excelled and met other wolves. But the tight structure and close proximity to humans didn’t work well for her, and after five years she left with an honorable discharge.
When she left the military she served as mercenary, taking odd jobs all over the world, and wound up working for the Liege. When Griff learned of how her family had treated her, he set a series of events in motion to drain her biological father’s wealth. It made that awful night she spent in Griff’s bed almost worth it to see the old man ask his Alpha for assistance.
She smiled at the pictures of his closed businesses and the For Sale sign on his mansion. Her mom’s people fared slightly better, but not by much. After she closed her purse strings and reported their laziness to the Alpha’s local rep, they had to repay her for her years of service, and
find jobs.
But that was before the forced surgeries that changed her into a metal freak. She looked at her arms and legs and wanted to scream to the heavens at the unfairness of it all. “Bastards.”
A text from Renee beeped and appeared. “Made it home, miss you.”
The simple words tugged on Mélange’s heart. Conflicted, she rejected the feeling. Renee thought their first meeting in the airport had been coincidental. Nothing Elyria planned was coincidental. From the first meeting to the dinner invitation tonight, Elyria had orchestrated this elaborate scheme with pre-calculated precision. Through the years, they’d embarked on several adventures, relieving men of their fortunes and building their own. Elyria had a sadistic streak when it came to Alpha men that bordered on hatred, but she’d never seen her lover this hyped before.
Elyria called this the big one, their last major coup. The one that would fix all the wrongs if they did it right. She spent hours working out details to make sure everything went perfect. After this, they would retire to a private island they owned in South America off the coast of Brazil.
If only it were that simple. How long she sat staring at pictures of people who no longer mattered, she wasn’t sure. When the security alarm beeped, telling her someone had entered, she shut down the computer and went to greet Elyria.
Dressed in black leather skin-tight pants and a figure-hugging black short-sleeve shirt, Elyria looked like rock star or runway model. Whenever she entered a room, especially if her hair hung natural and loose down her back, people stared. Tonight, her eyes looked bluer as they sparkled with warmth and affection. That could change in a heartbeat, depending on the situation, and Mélange suspected they would become ice chips tonight.
“Hi, babe. I got that last transmission, Renee became hesitant at the end, and you need to convince her you’re serious. I saw how that last question bothered you, but don’t let our relationship trip you up. We’re so close to finding the chameleon bracelet, I can taste it.” Elyria grabbed her in a loose hug and took her hand, leading her to the sofa.
When they were seated, Elyria massaged Mélange’s hands. “She hasn’t mentioned Asia yet. How do we find out more information on that bitch? I want to personally kick her ass for shooting you in Griff’s lab and leaving you to die in the explosion. Stupid ass bitch.”
Mélange cringed from the memories of that day. On her last assignment for the Liege, she stole Asia from an underground laboratory and took her to Griff’s hideaway for a huge bounty. Elyria had heard Griff secured a chameleon bracelet from someone in her old clan and wanted her to steal it so she could alter it for her needs. But Asia killed Griff, and refused to give Mélange the bracelet.
She squeezed Elyria’s hand. “You were there and got us both out in time.”
“But she didn’t know that.”
Mélange didn’t belabor the point, they had other matters she dreaded to discuss. “What’s the timeline?”
“The kids just started school, so we give them time to relax into the routine a bit. See if you can go with her to see her mom.”
“That’s pushing it. She’s mentioned it twice and never invited me.”
Elyria’s eyes narrowed. “Are you giving her the magic treatment? I’ve seen you smile and flirt with both men and women better than you’re doing with this trick. By now she should be handing over her debit and credit cards.” She leaned forward. Black eyes clashed with blue. “Get her to take you to fucking West Virginia, that’s the reason you’re sucking up to this bitch.”
She’s human, not a bitch. “I’ll try.”
Elyria patted her hand and sat back. “As long as you’re successful, all I ask is that you try.”
Mélange eyed Elyria. Something was off. Normally during a job they discussed details, how to make the job work better, but this time Elyria kept things separate, treating her more as an employee than partner. Uncomfortable with her lover’s comment, Mélange stood.
“You’re pouting. Goddess, please,” Elyria said, rolling her eyes. “Look…you know what I mean. Do your best and if it doesn’t work, we’ll figure out something. Is that better?”
“I’m not a child,” Mélange said, preparing for the storm.
Elyria stood and wrapped her arms around Mélange. “No baby, you’re not. I’m sorry if I made you feel unappreciated. Forgive me.”
Mélange closed her eyes at the frequent request. Goddess, she grew tired of Elyria discounting her and then wiping over it with an apology, as if words spoken could be reclaimed. They couldn’t. Like bullets ripping through flesh, the damage is never forgotten.
“Why?”
“Because we’re partners for life.”
Mélange shook her head. “No, I mean why are we doing this? We have more than enough money to live two lifetimes. Why do this now?”
Elyria stared at her for a moment and then looked away. “I’ve been working on my own chameleon bracelet, it’s something that originated in my clan, but I can’t get it right. There’s no transference of knowledge, just a full body exchange, and the change only lasts for 24 hours. But the one Griff had, created by my clansman, has limitless power that can only be harnessed by a black wolf.”
Chills raced down Mélange spine over Elyria’s declaration. “So you plan to go after Angus? La Patron’s litter mate?”
Elyria snorted. “No, Asia has a bracelet. Once we kill her, we’ll take it and be on our way. That’s why I want you in West Virginia with your new lady. It’s the perfect cover.” She stepped away and took Mélange’s hands, swinging them from side to side. “Once I get it, I’ll make you a bracelet, and we’ll have so much fun traveling and being whomever we want to be.”
Alarm bells rang in the corner of Mélange’s mind. “Elyria, I don’t want to work like this anymore. I told you that. No more shootings, or bombs, or kidnappings, I’m done with that life. We agreed.”
Elyria laughed and it sounded brittle. “Nonsense, you’ll grow bored. The bracelets will give us the element of surprise. Imagine being able to change your appearance to look like anyone in the world, having their memories and ideas. No one will be able to tell the difference. You could be La Patron or his mate, or Asia.” She paused. “Or the President.”
Mélange turned slowly and stared into Elyria’s eyes. “You’re serious.” She couldn’t believe it, although she should. Her lover always believed she belonged in a different era where Amazon females were worshipped and obeyed without question.
“Dead serious. Aren’t you?” Elyria’s gaze pinned her to the spot.
“Yes. But there’s a problem. One neither of us expected or predicted.”
Elyria waved her hand. “What kind of problem?”
Mélange broadened her stance, prepared for anything. “Renee, she’s my mate.”
Chapter 5
“The girls want to have a sleepover,” Jasmine said to Silas as they lay in bed exhausted from a bout of mind blowing lovemaking.
Silas pulled her closer. “A what?”
She placed her palm on his chest. “A sleepover with a few of their friends from school.” When he didn’t respond, she released a long sigh.
“Tomorrow is their what? Third day? What kind of friends have they made already?” he asked.
“The kind who’ve given them five invitations to skating and birthday parties.” She paused, realizing Silas never gave thought to the social aspects of school, he’d been focused on the children’s academics and blind to the rest.
“Five invitations to parties? That would be a security nightmare.” His tone hardened and she recognized the tone for an imminent lecture.
“True, but we never discussed how we intend to handle this with them. Remember the circus? The fallout from that?”
“Every time we have a disagreement you bring up how I changed my mind about allowing them to leave the compound to go to that damned circus. It wasn’t safe and I did what was best at the time. Sure they were angry, but they got over it.”
Stung s
he arched back. “No I don’t bring it up.” She took a deep breath. “These are our children, a combination of our personalities, Silas. You demanded they go to this school, opened the tunnel, installed additional security equipment and assigned full-time security staff after scanning each person who worked in the place. But you never dealt with the issue of them interacting with other children and developing friendships.”
“David made new friends?” She heard the skepticism in his voice.
“No. According to Jackie, he’s in watch-everybody-mode, which is who he is. Adam is the complete opposite and has made several friends who he sits with in class.”
Silas stiffened. “He’s not with David?”
“No. David sits with Jackie and Sarita sometimes. Jackie made a new best friend, Maggie.” She tried to remember the names Jackie and Renee told her earlier. “Renee has two best friends, Bonita and Freda.”
“What happened to Sarita? They aren’t best friends?”
Jasmine snuggled closer. “Apparently you can have several best friends. Sounds like David and Sarita are the loners in the group.”
“Hmm, I thought being around others would help, maybe it wasn’t the best idea.”
“It’s done; we need to plan how to deal with the change. You can’t isolate them after releasing them into the mainstream.” She repeated the speech she gave the school staff the other day, and repeated how the parents lined up to see her, and explained how nice it was to see Alpha’s pups in their school.
“When it comes to the safety of my pups I don’t care what they think,” he snapped. “Maybe we should hire tutors, turn the nursery into a classroom. That way –”
“What? They don’t make friends? Don’t receive invitations to social activities or play sports?”
“They can still have friends, Cameron has a house full, and there are children who live in the compound –”
“And all attend the school.” Jasmine wanted to smack him for opening this door, but he’d refused to listen to her objections and now refused to deal with the fallout.
