“And if we don’t want to?” She whispered, although Caia was sure she didn’t really mean it.
Dimitri glanced at Caia. “You must,” he said, throwing Irini a meaningful look. Irini now turned to her and reached for her hand. Clasping it she nodded in agreement.
“Do we leave now?” Caia enquired.
Dimitri looked at her, seeming startled. It was the first time she had spoken. “Yes,” he eventually acknowledged. “Whilst you pack, I’ll summon Marion so she can finally drop the protection spell from these many years past.”
2 - The Unknown
They travelled by plane. Caia sat by Dimitri leaving Irini alone to her thoughts.
“You’re apprehensive.” Dimitri smiled kindly down at her. She brushed her hair behind her ears so she could look up at him. Being so close to him she could smell his own individual brand of beautiful damp earth that identified him as a lykan. It brought with it unprepared for memories. In truth, she sighed inwardly, she had been so long without the pack that if it hadn’t been for her weekly runs with Irini in her true form, she would have felt almost entirely human; a socially deficient human, but one nonetheless. Looking into Dimitri’s eyes she saw blurry images of a life long gone, a life where she had felt a part of something. But it no longer existed, and now they just expected her to what... be one of them again? The pack didn’t know her anymore, and she didn’t know them.
“Of course,” she muttered in reply to his question. “I’m the returning orphan who stole away a member of their pack.”
He laughed. “Irini? She’ll get over it.”
“Really? Because that’s what lykans do, they get over it?”
“Well.” He shrugged, his eyes twinkling. “True we’re a temperamental bunch, but Irini has never blamed you for what happened. No one has.”
Right.
“Good to know.” She turned away and gazed straight ahead with her jaw set in determination. Out of the corner of her eye she felt him nod in understanding. It was irritating - she wanted to hide where he couldn’t see through her false bravado.
“Well, as for having no immediate family that will change. It’s only right you go back to staying with Irini and her mother Ella... and Lucien, of course.”
“What about Uncle Magnus?” She tried to sound indifferent. Magnus was an Elder like Dimitri and Ella, and in truth, the lykan she remembered the most.
“He’s there … waiting for you, too.”
They’re all waiting for me, she sighed, trying to tamp down the butterflies in her stomach.
“You’ve been living a civilised life with Irini in a big town much longer than the pack has. I’m sure you fit in at high school much better than any of the pack kids.”
She turned towards him at that smiling wryly, shaking her head. “Uh well … I wouldn’t say I exactly fit in.”
“What would you say then?”
“I ate lunch in my car.”
“Oh.”
***
The door was thrown open, his tall, gangly assistant almost falling into the room in his hurry to get to him.
“The spell!” He heaved, as he lunged at him, out of breath.
“You’ve been running?” He asked him incredulously, following the trail of sweat that trickled down his assistant’s forehead.
He nodded, bending over, his hands braced on his knees as he tried to regain composure. “I … I … I still … haaaa … haven’t … mastered the communication spell you taught me.” He gulped for air again, wheezing as he flopped down beside him.
“Well obviously you rushed with a purpose. Spit it out, Lars.”
Lars turned to him now, his eyes bright with excitement. “The protection spell is down. She’s unprotected.”
His eyes blazed with the news. “You’re certain?”
“Positive. I’ve been on Marion duty for two years. Her protection spell on the girl has been dropped.”
His smile of triumph was slow and predatory. “Do you know what this means?”
“It’s time?”
“Activate our agent.”
***
“They’re on their way, Magnus.” Lucien sauntered into his sitting room. Magnus was sprawled across an armchair, whilst his mother Ella poured them all coffee.
The Elder looked up at him and smiled brightly. “I get to see my Cy again.”
“I forgot how fond you were of the little brat.”
“You were too busy chasing skirts at the time to notice the little blonde kid who was constantly perched on his shoulder,” Ella pointed out wryly.
“I remembered her,” his voice was low, tone a warning. Instantly a chill fell over the room.
Ella stood slowly, her eyes narrowed on her son. “No one would dispute that you were very aware of Caia’s existence, Lucien. I meant only that you avoided her, so you knew nothing about her.”
“She was a cute kid.” Magnus chuckled, straightening up beside Ella, his warm teasing bending the steel of tension emanating from Lucien. His huge hand came down on Ella’s shoulder. “Why don’t you brew more coffee?”
Nodding stiffly she left the room, muttering under her breath about sensitive dogs.
“You need to ease up, Lucien. Everyone is well aware that you’ve fulfilled your responsibilities to this pack and that you intend to fulfil the one that’s on that plane. Defences down, please.”
“Thought I was the Pack Leader?”
Magnus laughed and cuffed him across the head, pushing him into a seat. “You’re still a pup.”
After Ella had returned with more coffee, and it was clear the tension had eased between son and mother, talk returned to pack business.
“So when do they get here?” Magnus queried, his excitement evident. Lucien had been so wrapped up in dealing with what was to come from Caia’s return that he had forgotten about the one person who was actually looking forward to it. The girl had never known anything but Albus and Ella, and in particular, Magnus.
He didn’t want to burst Magnus’ bubble but they needed to get serious about the situation. “Magnus-”
“Don’t start with that tone... this is a happy occasion. This is what your father fought for: the safe return of Rafe’s daughter.”
Lucien sighed. “I know. And I am happy to finally have that realised. Goddess knows for this reason only I will have made the old man proud. But Magnus.” His hard silver eyes searched Magnus’ happy ones. “We have to deal with the pack.”
Reluctantly, the Elder nodded in agreement. “Stupid, scared judgemental lykans.”
“That may be, but they’re our lykans, and we’ve got to make sure the pack is happy.”
Ella cleared her throat from the corner of the room. “I’ve already made sure most of the mated females are clear that they have to welcome Cy home. It’s the young I’m worried about. Most of them will see her as an outsider anyway. They still fear what they don’t know, and they fear possible war … and the fact that she’s more competition for our males …”
Lucien smirked. “Yeah, I see where you’re going. Fine.” He heaved, slapping his knees in determination and standing to his feet. “We’ll gather the whole pack here. It must be made perfectly clear to them that Caia is part of this pack’s future; that mention of the war is to be kept to minimum, absolutely nothing about her parents … and I want a full pack welcome.”
“Oh I dunno.” Magnus shook his head, his forehead wrinkled with anxiety. “Full pack welcome? That could be a little overwhelming. Lucien, this girl has lived without a pack for ten years. Irini would only have been able to teach her so much.”
“Irini will have taught her well,” Ella replied tersely, her look defying him to speak otherwise.
The Elder looked between son and mother, their posture relaxed but their eyes determined.
He knew when he was outvoted. “Pack welcome it is then.”
3 - Home?
“Have we got everything?”
The noise was overwhelming. Why were there so
many people going places, and did they have to be going there today? Someone bumped into her and nudged her into someone else. Was it warm here? Jeez, they really needed more windows in this airport. She stopped herself from bracing her hands on her knees and tucking her head between her legs in an effort to breathe.
“Caia?”
They were here already. How did they get here so fast? She wasn’t ready yet.
“Caia?”
Pain flared up her arm and she looked down to see the cause of it. Dimitri was gripping her tightly by the elbow, so tightly he was close to cutting off her circulation. She gazed up at him stupidly, her eyes clearing at his worried expression.
“You alright?”
She needed to get herself together. Lykans didn’t act like this. They didn’t wimp out. Nodding, she pulled from his grasp.
“You got everything, then?” He repeated, looking a little annoyed now. “We really should get going.”
Oh my.
Those earlier butterflies suddenly burst into flames in her stomach, the metaphorical residue covering her lungs in an attempt to suffocate her.
“I... uh... I just need to... use the bathroom.”
“Fine. Hurry up.”
She slammed the door of the women’s toilets behind her and stumbled over to the sinks, striving to get her breath back. If she wasn’t mistaken she was having a full blown panic attack. Stop thinking about it, stop thinking about it, stop thinking about it, stop thinking about it. But the more she said that the more her head whirled.
Caia suddenly stilled at the beginnings of a rumbling noise.
Was that her heart?
No, she shook her head, looking around as the rumbling increased in volume. Holy Artemis, Caia exhaled, stepping back as the entire length of sinks in front of her began to shake ferociously, the rumbling coming from the pipes. What the...
All the taps blasted open, and water streamed out into the sinks with the power of a fireman’s hose, the original rumbling now deafening. Ceramic cracked and fell away from the walls; water billowed over the sinks and onto the tiled floor.
“Caia?”
She whipped her head towards the door where Irini stood, looking shocked. The water abruptly stopped.
“What the Hades?” Irini indicated the watery mess in front of her.
She gaped at her, and after a moment managed a reply, “I have no idea.”
“Well, come on, quickly, before you get the blame,” she snapped, grabbing her by the wrist and dragging her outside.
“How could I get the blame?”
“Just come on.”
***
Her breathing had regulated once they had left the airport. However, now that the car had travelled directly through the large town, and then made a turn onto the highway, her breathing was feeling a little forced again. She was nearly at her new home. Caia could see why they had chosen the town. It was large enough to melt into but had enough rural area surrounding it to run free in. There were a few tracks dotted along the highway leading off onto what she thought must be homes.
Finally Dimitri took a turn down a track that was closed in on either side by woodland. At last, the trees made a huge circled clearing, and in the centre sat a large home with an old-fashioned wraparound porch. She drew in a deep breath.
“The whole pack is here?”
Dimitri nodded, his kind eyes brimming with understanding. “It’s the only way to really welcome you, kid.”
Irini on the other hand was bubbling with excitement. Before Dimitri had even parked, she was out of the car and running for the house. He merely laughed and finally shut the engine off.
“Ready?”
“No.” She shook her head nervously. “But then I’ll never be ready for this moment so we might as well shove my ass out of the car, right?”
He chuckled getting out of the driver’s side. “That’s the spirit.”
Caia had no idea how she managed it, but she got out of the car, and slowly followed Dimitri up the front stairs to the porch. Her lykan ears could hear the sound of Irini crying happily and people murmuring warm words of welcome to her. She could hear her growl Lucien’s name, but then start crying and mumbling, ‘I missed you brother’ over and over. I guess all is forgiven, Caia thought wryly.
As her light foot came off the last step she was seized once more with absolute anxiety, undiluted and pure. She steadied herself, taking a deep breath. She couldn’t let them see how nervous she was. Dimitri had swung open the porch door, and was now throwing open the main door with as much grace.
“Well hell!” He shouted in amusement. “Look at you all … you didn’t eat everything already, did you?”
“I managed to save you some food.” A female voice sing-songed back at him. “I hid it from these vultures for you.”
She could hear Dimitri smack a kiss on someone and the pack chuckled lightly. The sounds of familiarity between them all sent another wave through Caia’s stomach, but before she could melt into an anxious puddle on the floor, Dimitri’s head popped back in sight around the door frame. “Come on kid.”
A sudden hush could be heard falling over the room. Slowly, she pushed her way through the porch door and stepped into a beautiful open hallway with a wide antique staircase winding up from the centre of the room to the next floor. Bracing herself against her own insecurities, she turned to the opening to the left of the hallway and took in the sight of the large pack that was to be her new family. There looked to be about thirty of them - large feral, handsome males, young and older; beautiful, athletic females; small children with enquiring eyes.
This was Pack Errante.
The whispering immediately began as all eyes drank her in from head to foot.
Lucien was stunned. Whatever he had expected it was not this. Caia stood at the front door gazing at them, her cat-like green eyes still and calm as she took in the sight of the pack staring back at her from his large living room. He could tell by her tentative step towards them that she was more nervous than her placid expression let on. He watched in satisfaction as people came forward to shake her hand politely.
They had taken his warnings to welcome her to heart.
As distracted as she was by his pack, she had yet to notice him, and so he took pleasure in the moment to really look at her. Her heritage gave her away, he decided - as did her smell. She wouldn’t realise it, how could she? She didn’t know that there was anything to look for. She was as graceful as the lykan she was, but looked more fey than wolf. Moreover, she held herself far more coolly than the rest of them. She was like water to their fire.
He was stunned by his reaction to her. He had not expected attraction.
He watched her sleek, light eyes widen every now and then depending on what kind of welcome she was given. Her skin was pale compared to the golden glow of his and his pack’s skin, her figure slight compared to the curvaceous shapes of the other women. He frowned, wondering how much of a problem this was going to be - she didn’t look like one of them at all. She stopped suddenly, in the middle of shaking one of the mated female’s hands. Her bright gaze flew across to the other side of the room and widened.
“Uncle Magnus?” Lucien heard her whisper. In an instant Magnus had crossed the room and had the little lykan wrapped in his big arms. Lucien smiled at her surprise and then her tentative happiness. This is a good sign, he decided. It was a show of family, and it seemed to ease the tension radiating from his anxious pack. Magnus of course, Lucien realised wryly, seemed unaware of any tension.
“My Artemis!” Magnus exclaimed heartily, holding her slight weight away from him so he could inspect her. “Look at the size of you, Cy. I wouldn’t have recognised you on a clear, full moon!”
She teased her lip shyly between her teeth. She shed no tears, Lucien realised. Not like Ella and the other’s who had wept at his sister’s return.
He watched as Magnus lavished praise over her. She blushed prettily and kept holding onto him.
Su
ddenly Magnus looked up at him and turned the young lykan towards him. “Caia,” Magnus’ voice rumbled in the room, “I’d like to introduce you to Lucien: Pack Leader.”
***
Before this moment she had been bemused, but happy, in the arms of Magnus, his laughing eyes and coarse voice drowning out the buzz of wariness and apprehension she felt oozing from the rest of the pack. Although some seemed genuinely glad to have her returned, excited by her presence for reasons that were not yet clear to her, others - in particular females - viewed her as a threat. She could feel it on them; see it in their eyes...
The bubble of happiness Magnus had momentarily created popped as he spun her around to introduce her to the Pack Leader.
She had vague memories of a tall, dark haired young man who was moody and forever in some kind of argument with his parents. He barely spoke to her, never looked at her, and at times she had even felt like he despised her. There had been things said, arguments started, and she had been sure they had something to do with her, but as a child she’d had no comprehension of what they meant.
That dark haired young man had turned into a powerful lykan. He towered above most of the others in the room, excluding Dimitri, Magnus, and one young male who was gazing at her with an almost cruel twist to his lips. However, it was safe to say that standing at least at 6 ft 6”, with broad shoulders and an intimidating musculature, there was no question as to why this man was Alpha here. His face was all sharp lines and hard angles, his eyes like liquid mercury. She couldn’t believe any human would believe this man was not supernatural. His gaze bore into her, intent, watchful, waiting. His scent flooded her - an overwhelming combination of earth and rain. In fact, she decided, he smelled exactly the way the air did on the verge of a lightning storm. She held her hand out formally to him, and determined not to be intimidated by the brute, held his silver gaze with her own soft green one. He seemed to search her eyes for something and when finding nothing, clasped her small hand in his own large one. A rush of heat exploded like a million darts of fire shooting up her arm. Damn, she knew her eyes had widened in surprise. She was only appeased when his eyes mirrored her reaction. In reflex, she tried to pull her hand out of his, but he held firm, pressing his callused skin into her softness.
Blood Will Tell (Warriors of Ankh #1) Page 18
