by Fay Walsh
Roan followed her to her hotel room, where she stood inside the doorway. Its doors were broken off its hinges and the room inside was completely wrecked.
The beds were tossed to the side, the walls had large animal claw marks. The ceiling and floors were covered with crimson blood, the stench stung his nose. He couldn’t be sure whose blood was whose, either the rogues, Kai, or Chrys.
“Kai.” Roan rushed into the room, to his beta, who sat on the bloodied shagged carpet. His hands were caked with blood as they ran through his hair.
Roan bent down to his level where he heard his friend mumbling under his breath. Roan gripped his shoulder and turned his friend to face him, where he noticed Kai had a black eye.
“Kai, what happened? Where is Chrys?”
“I-I’m sorry Alpha… There were so many and, and they overpowered me – Chrys, she…”
“Where is my sister?” Harmony said from the doorway, walking inside of the room. Roan and Kai looked to her, her hands were balled into tight fists. “Kai, where is Chrysanthemum! Where is my sister?” Harmony yelled, tears ran down her face and trailed underneath her chin.
Kai broke down into tears and shook his head, putting his face into his hands. “It’s my fault. It’s all my fault.”
Roan rested his hands on his friends back, hoping to console him, but he knew something like this was not easy to get over. It was one thing to lose someone, but to lose someone’s mate, was gut-wrenching.
“Kai, look at me,” Roan said, his tone stern making him look up at him. “That feeling in your chest, do you still feet it? Is it gone?”
Kai blinked away the tears and shook his head. Harmony’s eyes were wide as she looked between Roan and Kai.
“N-No. The fiery feeling in my chest… It’s strong, even stronger than normal.”
Roan looked up at Harmony and they both looked at one another, knowing that they were thinking the same thing.
Chrys was still alive.
***
The sky was starting to become a light blue, as it cast light into the hotel room, and the sounds of birds chirped loudly to signify another day.
“When Kiran called,” Harmony told them, “he said he wanted me to come alone, in exchange for my sister, that he would have her at some cabin out in the woods.”
“We know it’s a trap. I don’t want you out there,” Roan said stepping into the conversation. He knew what cabin Kiran referred too, but he also knew how reckless his brother could be and didn’t want Harmony anywhere near him.
“I have to save my sister, Roan. I am not going to let that bastard think he can get away with this.”
There was a ferocity in Harmony’s eyes that Roan saw, as her fists were clenched and her teeth gritted in anger. There was clear sadness in her eyes, but she wasn’t going to roll over and die, as Kiran wanted.
“I know you want to protect me,” she said and took his hands in hers. “But, Kiran, he crossed the line. My sister is someone you don’t mess with, he will not make me submit.”
Roan looked into Harmony’s eyes and his heart clenched in his chest, knowing, despite how he felt, that letting Harmony fight was the right thing to do.
“Harmony’s right, Alpha,” Kai said. His eyes were puffy and red, but there was a look of determination on his face. “We can’t just sit here. I want to fight, and Kiran will pay.”
Roan looked from his beta to Harmony and he nodded, knowing this was what they would need to do.
“Alright, what do we do?”
***
Even in the bright morning, the forests made its surrounding area dark. Harmony stood out in the middle of the forest, surrounded by the open field, waiting. Her cell phone vibrated in her pocket and she pressed it to her ear.
“I’m in place, still no sign of Kiran anywhere.”
“Alright, you’ll be alright?” Roan asked her. Harmony could hear the tension in his voice and knew that he was worried about sending her out there.
“I’ll be fine, Roan. If you and Kai are in your position then everything is set. We have everything else set up just-in-case.”
Roan sighed. “Alright, fine. I’ll be waiting.”
They hung up and as Harmony pulled her phone away from her face, she saw there was a text message. Her eyes widened but she didn’t have a chance to respond to the sender because she heard the sound of the bushes rustling.
Harmony snapped her head up and peered around the dark forest. Only a shred of light peeked through but everything in the forest emitted nothing but darkness through the field.
Harmony stuck her phone back into her pocket and removed a knife that Helga and Klaus had given her. She controlled her breathing and listened to her surroundings as Klaus and Helga had taught her.
The sound of rustling was heard to the right of her. Harmony looked out the corner of her eye and saw a pair of red eyes coming from the darkness of bushes.
Her heart fell in her chest being in its presence as the large bear slowly appeared from its hiding place. Its sharp blue eyes glared at her menacingly and the large scar over its eye brought flashes from that night that made her immobile.
She found herself too scared to move.
I can’t move…
She couldn’t even open her mouth to muster a scream.
As if sensing Harmony’s panic, the bear looked to be smiling, having caught its prey for the final time.
Please, legs, come on and move!
Kiran charged in her direction with some force, but Harmony dodged him at the last minute. She tumbled to the ground and rolled out of the way. She got to her knees and watched as Kiran turned around to face her and growled at her for being tricked once again.
“You took my sister, you won’t survive, Kiran, and I’ll make sure to take out your eye this time.”
There was a dangerous look in Kiran’s eyes and his pupils dilated as he came onto to Harmony full speed. This time, Harmony wasn’t expecting it, as Kiran stood on his hind legs and with his large bear paws scooped Harmony by his claws, raising her in the air.
Harmony gripped her eyes closed as she held her knife out in front of her, the silver blade connected with Kiran’s flesh made the bear roar in anger. He slammed her back into the tree and opened its large gaping jaws, roaring into Harmony’s face to reveal hundreds of jagged teeth that could devour her in minutes.
Harmony’s face paled and her body went limp, dropping the knife accidentally in her fear.
“Hey, over here,” a familiar voice spoke.
Kiran’s bear form turned its head and behind him was Helga, holding what looked like a taser gun pointed at the large bear. Helga fired the gun, a buzzing sound emitted from the machine, and a large coil rope launched itself in Kiran’s direction. The silver spiked jammed into the bears' side and latched onto its skin, an emitting surge of electrical energy that pulsed through the bear’s body.
The bear let out a painful growl that echoed through the trees. In its pain, it dropped Harmony from where it had pressed her against the tree trunk and Harmony raced over toward Helga where both women ran through the forest.
“That won’t last forever,” Helga told her, as they ran through the woods; knowing that Kiran’s fury would be ruthless once the administered shock was over. “Did you set any traps?”
Harmony nodded, hitching out a breath as she ran, still frazzled and her back in pain from where Kiran had slammed her into the tree trunk. “I did. There are some around the forest, one we’re about to come up. Where’s Klaus?”
They stopped to catch their breath and looked around their surroundings to assess their situation.
“He should be around here. Where is your shifter?”
“He’s waiting for the right moment. I’m here as bait, Kiran wanted me for my sister, but I knew he’d try to kill us both.”
“That’s risky, but I hope you have a plan,” Helga said, her brows furrowed. “The growling it stopped. He’s going to be coming soon. Where are your traps?”
Unexpectedly, Kiran burst through the forest. Helga and Harmony tried to outrun Kiran as the large-sized bear chased them through the forest. It wasn’t until after a few moments of rushing through the forest that a giant net came crashing down from the tree and entangled Kiran in its clutches.
From the trees, a figure jumped down.
“It’s good to see you again, Harmony.”
“Klaus. You guys are both here, you made it, what changed your mind? I thought that killing shifters was your thing.”
Klaus shrugged. “It is and I’m still not fully one hundred percent, but—”
“—You made a valid point,” Helga finished his sentence. “That there going to be evil shifters, supernatural creatures, like there are evil humans, but there will also be good ones too.”
Harmony grinned, knowing that it must have taken a lot for them to go through with this, but she was still happy all the same that, Hunters, even only two, were willing to change their views on Shifters for the better.
From Harmony’s peripheral, however, it was only a split second when she saw Kiran burst through the trap they had tangled him in. The ten-foot tall bear stood on its hind legs and let out a monstrous roar, Helga and Klaus positioned their guns, but Kiran swiped at them and shoved them away.
Harmony tried to run and grab the dropped gun that Helga had dropped, but Kiran dropped his paw onto Harmony’s back and prohibited her from moving.
Harmony dug her fingers into the dirt and tried to claw herself away from Kiran’s grasp, but his grip was far too tight on her. He turned her around with his clawed paw and he leaned into her, baring his fangs in front of Harmony.
In Kiran’s eyes, she could see hatred and wickedness in his icy blue eyes. It was as if they had shared telepathy and Harmony could hear every last thought that was going through Kiran’s head – one of those being how he would kill her.
She tried to reach for the blade on her leg, but it impossible to do so as she was trapped under Kiran. Harmony’s only hope was that Kai would get to her in time.
As Harmony closed her eyes to accept her fate, the body that had been shadowed over her was removed, and a brush of wind danced over her face. Harmony opened her eyes and they widened to see, Roan in his bear form tackled Kiran.
***
Roan stood at ten feet tall and like how they previously felt, both brother’s faced off again, only this time, Kiran would not be running away from him.
Kiran’s bear form shook his head seeing that it was his brother who had attacked him, he too stood on his hind legs. The two charged at one another and their bodies slammed into each other. The two brothers held onto one another in a bear hug, pushing the other back, as Kiran placed his jaws into the side of Roan’s head, while Roan did the same and his jaws wrapped around the side of his brother’s neck as the brother’s decided which one of them would fall.
The two brothers tussled, but never let the other go, brushing their backsides into trees, and slamming into them. They never let go of the other, even as one tried to shake the other. Their jaws stayed latched on the other.
Roan swiped his paws at his brothers as his jaws held onto him, but Kiran retaliated with his own paws. Again, neither released the other.
As the brothers kept their grip on one another, never breaking their hold, Roan managed to untangle himself from his brother’s grip and step backward. Kiran growled at him and the brothers stood back from one another as they eyed each other.
Roan wanted to ask his brother so many questions, and he wanted to apologize to him for not being there when he should have been. He hoped by expressing himself through his eyes that his brother would understand, but the dead look in his brother’s eye showed that there was barely anything left of the brother that Roan once knew.
Kiran was gone.
The sound of a gun went off and everyone froze where they stood. Roan or Kiran did not move and both brothers stood across from one another.
From Roan’s peripheral vision, however, he could see Harmony who had the smoky end of a gun pointing toward them. When he looked back at Kiran there was a bullet in the middle of his chest.
The pupils in Kiran’s eyes dilated and as if in slow motion, Kiran fell to the ground in a heap as the ground shook slightly. Roan lowered his head as he inched toward the unconscious body of Kiran.
“Is he… dead?” Harmony asked as she approached by his side. Roan’s large paw rested on his brother’s heart where he looked to find his pulse. It was faint, and it wouldn’t last for long.
Roan’s chest ached, seeing his youngest brother die in front of him. Knowing he could not doing anything pained him.
As if sensing his turmoil, he felt Harmony’s arms wrap around his large neck as she tried to hug him, despite his large size. She did not say anything, and Roan was glad that she didn’t, he watched his brother’s eyes fade as he sent out one last telepathic link to his brother from the Alpha’s Calling, unsure if he would be able to hear him:
Forgive me, brother, for not being there when you needed it. I pray the Goddess will let us see one another again – I truly love you, no matter what.
Chapter 20
Harmony didn’t know how long she held Roan, but she knew it was better not to speak. When Roan moved his head to the side, she saw that his ears flickered, and she knew that he was sensing other members of his Herd.
She darted her eyes to see where Helga and Klaus were, but they were nowhere to be found.
At least they are out of sight, and out of mind. She did not want to witness the murder of two people she considered friends.
For now, she would have to worry about herself.
Roan, even on all fours was tall in height, and nudged her to follow him. Harmony understood that she should not be at the scene until he fully explained the situation. She hoped the other shifters would accept her and it worried her how they would react to a human in their midst.
“Harmony!”
Harmony turned around and saw her sister, running toward her, with another bear of light-colored fur beside her. Harmony’s heart leaped out of its chest seeing her sister, she was banged up slightly, but otherwise she was not hurt.
Harmony ran to her and embraced her sister, pulling her close. Chrys sobbed into her sister as she gripped closely around the waist.
“I thought I lost you…” Harmony whispered in her sister’s hair, the fear that she had been holding back escaped in a shaky breath. “I’m so glad that you’re okay.”
The two sisters broke their embrace and Chrys wiped her eyes, as did Harmony who rubbed her eyes with her arm.
“You weren’t scared, were you?” Harmony asked. She could still feel her sister’s arms trembling and knew she would be shaken for some time.
“What? Of course, I’m fine. Y-You’re the one who looked like the worry wart.”
Harmony smiled and pulled her sister back into a hug. Roan nudged his nose into her hand, and she looked at his awaiting amber eyes. She knew that they would be here soon. “Come on, we should hurry before the other shifters show up.”
Chrys nodded. She stopped and turned back around to Kai, wrapping her arms around his neck and rubbing her face into his furry cheek as the two embraced for a few moments, before separating. The two followed Roan out of the woods, while Kai stayed behind.
***
One week later…
It had been one week later since Kiran’s kidnapping and attack. From Roan’s reports, they managed to find the last few rogues that were in the area, but they were still finding other rogues had spread out. Roan still didn’t know if Kai had made any deals with other packs, but for now, they would play the situation by ear.
In other news, Roan had told his Herd that he was mated to a human. Roan had told her that the reactions weren’t as he had expected. They were shocked and hesitant, but they seemed to trust Roan’s judgment and were eager to meet their new Luna, and Roan’s better half.
Harmony was nervous and she touched her hand to her heart. Everything from this point on would be new to her. It frightened her, but she wouldn’t run away this time.
“Hey, are you almost ready?” Chrys asked from the doorway of the hotel. They were moving out, permanently, having told the manager to keep the rest of the money. They would be moving into the guest quarters of the ranch for the time being.
“Yeah, I’m coming. Just making sure that we didn’t leave anything behind, you can go wait in the car if you like.” Harmony dug into her pocket and tossed her sister the car keys, who caught them in her hands.
“No driving off, you here?” She teased.
