by Jessica Snow
"And you aren’t ashamed to be seen with me?" Edward asked. "I'm not exactly the sophisticated type you are, and wolves seem to have painted us in a bad light over the years. Those that still know about us that is.”
"You'd be surprised, Edward," Kimberly said. "I'm not always as sophisticated as I seem. And you are hardly a rube. As for all the things we Lycans have said about your kind, it’s just out of ignorance. Now, let's go to one of my favorite stores for the last few items on your shopping list."
"Oh, where's that?" Edward said, a relaxed, natural smile coming to his face. If Kimberly wasn't afraid to be seen with him, he could enjoy her company all the more.
"Army-Navy store. We're going to get you outfitted for action, and besides, they carry some of the best big men's shoes and boots in the city. What size are you?"
"Eighteen quadruple E. And if we have the time, maybe we can stop somewhere to pick up some basketball shoes? I prefer them for relaxing around. I train barefoot, though, I'd blow out any shoes that aren't made of just galvanized rubber like a tire."
Kimberly smiled and took his hand again. "Of course. And if you wouldn't mind, maybe we can try holding hands for a little bit? For public perception, of course."
Edward smiled back and squeezed slightly, careful not to hurt her. "Of course."
Chapter 31
Keith was encouraged by the sounds that he heard when Kimberly and Edward came into the penthouse. Despite the strange way they had met, the two seemed to be getting along, at least as evidenced by the light laughter that preceded them into the room.
"I guess your shopping went well?" he said, trying to keep a brave face. He knew that being down the whole time would not help things at all. The situation called for calm bravery, not moroseness. Besides, it didn't serve any purpose to dump on Kimberly when she was trying her best to find the good in her situation. She had made a great sacrifice to try and help get Melanie back, it was only natural to try and minimize the scope of it, or to try and find the gold lining in the dark cloud. "What all did you get?"
"Oh, hello Keith," Edward replied. He quieted down and held up an armload of bags. At least ten bags hung from each of his massive arms, and Keith could see the straps from what looked like a large duffel bag slung over his shoulders. "Kimberly insisted on buying half the damn Army-Navy store for me, apparently, I look best in what she termed, what was it?"
"Urban commando," Kimberly replied. Her own smile faded as she looked at Keith, her escape from the situation broken. "Keith, I'm....."
"Happy that you had a good day out," Keith completed for her. "Which you both should be. I wanted you to anyway. Now, show me what you guys bought."
Edward carefully unpacked the bags of items that Kimberly had bought for him, saving for last his favorite, a pair of Nike Air Force One's in his size. "We never could get shoes like this up where I lived before," he said, carefully lacing up the contrasting lacing, white on black. "Most of the time we wore work boots, combat boots, or anything else that could be called a boot. During the winter if you blew out a pair, you were out of luck until spring came and the helicopters and planes could start to come in again. I had to wear handmade moccasins when I was ten because of it. These, though.... I was almost tempted to wear them out of the store, except knowing my luck I'd have scuffed them up on the way back here and ruined the surprise. By the way, I also got a matching pair for you."
Keith was touched and nodded. "Thanks. So where are you planning on keeping all this stuff?"
"I was thinking of renovating the floor below this one," Kimberly said. "I know it will be difficult, but with Mother gone, and now this situation...."
Keith shook his head, waving it off. "You’re right. Mother never did like it that you had a normal condo in the Towers even after becoming Alpha Female," he replied. "And with you two being betrothed, you can't exactly be spending half the nights in my guest room anyway. I think one floor apart is still pretty close, though, and if you want, we'll build a special stairwell connecting the two floors if you want. Send a message to the building manager tonight, he can do it ASAP. Until then Edward, you are more than welcome to stay where you stayed last night, or anywhere else you want."
"I think your guest room is great," Edward replied. "Your penthouse is really cool too. Although if you find me curled up in front of your fire pit, don't be too surprised. That thing speaks so much to my inner self that I might sleepwalk out here some night. The wood panels, the leather.... it's the closest thing I've seen to home since landing on the roof."
"In the meantime, do you need a hand putting it all away temporarily?" Keith asked. "As for the decor, I understand. It's the reason I have it the way it is as well. It also has some tricks that Kimberly can show you, she worked some of her high-tech gadgets into the paneling as well."
Kimberly shook her head. "Maybe later. As for the bags, the two of us have it. When we come back out, fill us in on what you learned today."
Scooping up a half dozen bags, Kimberly led the way back to the guest room, opening the walk-in closet for a moment before stopping short. She had forgotten that Melanie, in her moving into the penthouse, had set up half of the closet already as hers, and was already storing baby items that people gave her against the wall. The plan was for the guest bedroom to be converted into a baby's room soon. Tears sprung to her eyes, and she had to blink them away hurriedly. She felt a little ashamed that she’d had somewhat of a fun day while Melanie was god knows where. Setting Edward's bags against the wall in the unused portion, she turned to find him behind her, startling her.
"Oh!" she squeaked, stumbling back. "Sorry, I just lost my train of thought for a second."
Edward set down his bags and looked at the clothes hanging in the rest of the closet, and the things that were stacked up neatly. He picked up a tiny pair of knit baby booties, which someone had obviously hand made, so small they barely fit on his index finger. "You miss her, don't you?"
"Yes," Kimberly said quietly, her vision doubling again as tears filled her eyes. "She may be Keith's Mate, but she helps complete me too. She's my only Sister."
Edward reached out, taking her hand, and Kimberly came to him, embracing the gigantic man. They held each other for a long time, Kimberly gathering strength from him. Stepping back, she looked up into his gray eyes, and without knowing why but just knowing it was the right thing to do, pulling his head down into a kiss. His lips were gentle, and she felt warm and protected in his arms, more so than with any other man in her life.
Her body responded to the closeness of him, and her tongue came out to quest at his lips, seeking entrance. He didn't resist, and their tongues wrapped around each other, tasting each other with growing hunger. Kimberly moaned lightly, pressing her body closer against his, until Edward pulled back, shaking his head.
"No, not like this," he said, pushing her back carefully by the shoulders. "I want you, I really do. But not in this closet, and not like this."
"Why?" she said softly, resting her hand on his chest. She could feel his heart hammering, and she was sure her own was the same way. "It's not wrong."
"It's not wrong, but it's not right either," Edward replied. "Kim, I swore I'd help you get your Sister back. And I will. So until then, that's all I am going to focus on. Afterward, maybe when your own place is complete, if you want to continue this, we can. But until then, I can’t do what I want to do with you right now. That part wouldn't be right."
Kimberly nodded, taking her hand off his chest. He was nobler than she had ever hoped, and she knew that despite pulling away, there was a passion burning within him that she wanted to see unleashed some day. "I understand. And you’re right. But Edward, after we get Melanie back, I'm going to hold you to that promise. Remember, I'm not as fragile as I look."
Edward grinned and nodded. "Good. But let's go see what Keith can tell us."
Exiting the closet, Kimberly and Edward practically ran into Keith, who burst into the room excited. "The Mexicans just contacted Ak
iko Thornblood. They have a lead."
Chapter 32
Keith, I'm here. I'm sure this is Mexico. Please, if you can hear me, respond.
Melanie tried again, sighing in frustration as she felt her mental energy drifting away. Opening her eyes, she blinked in the afternoon sunlight and looked out on the scenery. The facility was surrounded by rolling hills, nothing too obvious from her exercise yard, although she thought she could see mountains off in the distance, which she had figured out by now was to the east.
Wherever she was, she was in the western half of Mexico, if her memory of high school geography was correct. Maybe somewhere in the Sierra Madres? She wasn't sure, but she remembered that the central part of Mexico was like one large chunk of mountain range, with the coastal areas on each side.
Rubbing her stomach, she looked over at the pull-up bar. It had been a long time since she had attempted any, and was suddenly stricken with the desire to push her body. Walking over, she rubbed her palms together, wondering just how much weight she had gained since her pregnancy began. Hopefully, it wasn't too much. She didn't want to feel totally weak by not even being able to do one, even if she did have a baby inside her.
Using the steps on the sides, she grabbed the bar, hanging for a moment, testing her grip. Confident she could at least try, she pulled, finding the level of exertion much higher than she'd expected. Either she had lost some strength, unsurprising considering the now close to two weeks of confinement, or she had gained more weight than she thought. Still, she struggled her way through five before failing, and she let go of the bar, dropping to the ground.
"Well little one, I think Mommy needs to keep herself in better shape," she whispered to himself. "Perhaps I need to use my time a bit more constructively. Less reading, a few more pushups."
One of the other attendants, who barely spoke to her other than to give her commands, stood up from his seat in the shade near the door and waved. She wasn't sure if it was because he didn't like her, or because his English wasn’t so good. "Time's up!" he hollered. "Come here!"
Melanie nodded and walked back, stretching the time outside by strolling. The sunlight was nice on her shoulders, and she didn't look forward to the period stuck inside. Reaching the door, she deftly avoided the guiding hand from the guard and shook her head. "I'm here. You don't need to touch me, and it wouldn't be a good idea."
"I'll grab your arm if I want," the attendant said. "Or do you think that you could stop me?"
"I was a cop, remember?" Melanie said levelly, staring him in the eyes. "Do you really think a baby is going to stop me from breaking your wrist if I really wanted to? And seriously, what could you do if I did? You hurt me, and you have to answer to your boss, maybe even the Archbishop."
The man brought his hand up, pausing before lowering it back to his side. "Come on. Lunch time."
Melanie nodded and walked inside. "So what's on the menu today? I am assuming that filet mignon is out of the question.”
"I believe that it is chorizo, beef, and potatoes," the man replied. “I’ll bring it to you in your room in about fifteen minutes. Afterward you will have a chance to shower."
"Appreciated," Melanie replied. She headed towards her room, rubbing her hands on her shirt. After lunch, she thought. She'd start getting herself ready after lunch, before her shower. Fifty or sixty pushups and some leg lifts wouldn't be that hard, would it?
* * *
Edward stretched out as he looked across the aisle at Akiko Thornblood. The Alpha Female, dressed in full tactical clothing, sat at the head of her warriors in the back of the C-130 transport. Stashed in the back of the airplane, crated up in secure lockers, were the weapons each warrior was going to use. While some of her warriors were multi-generational Lycans, two of them were first generation who had been recruited by the Clan due to their skills as warriors. Most of them would attack conventionally, using handheld weapons. Akiko Thornblood herself was planning on going in her full wolf form, so her clothing was for appearances sake only. "You don't look very comfortable," Lady Thornblood said. "Are you sure you will be effective?"
"Don't worry, Lady Thornblood," Edward replied. He rolled his shoulders and leaned back against the cargo straps that made up most of his seat, finding the most comfortable position he could. "This is nothing compared to my flight from Canada. That was four hours in the back of a Kamov helicopter. This C-130 is luxurious. Thank you for arranging for it."
"You’re welcome. Tell me, will your brethren meet us in Guadalajara?"
"They are flying in as we speak. They will meet us at the airfield. Ten warriors of the Aklark People to defend our Sister. Our strength combined with your tactical skills, weaponry, and Lycan speed should provide an overwhelming force. I read the account of the attack at Lockwood Manor. I wish I had been there, I could have neutralized the Bradley, at least bent the barrel of the main gun."
"Is that so? Then I wish so as well, my Mate would still be with us today."
Edward paled at the unintended comment and lowered his eyes. "My apologies, Lady Thornblood. I meant no insult. By what Keith told me, your Mate fought with honor and ferocity that I can only hope to emulate today. My brethren as well. We only wish to get our new Sister back."
Lady Thornblood nodded. "I see. Well, I hope that they are as effective as I am sure they are intimidating. You truly are a giant."
Edward shook his head, smiling. "I'm the runt of the family, actually. My mother's bloodline included regular humans a generation before. My grandmother was very short, only five feet three inches. But, my grandfather loved her very much, even if they did look a bit unique in the old photos."
"When did they marry?" Thornblood asked, intrigued. She was the product of a very long line of purebred Lycans, stretching back all the way to Japan's feudal period. She had grown up her entire life knowing she was going to be an Alpha Lycan and had always wondered what it was like for those of supposedly less pure blood. She personally thought that while the blood might not be as pure, it was more energetic than many of the purebloods she had met, who seemed stolid and stagnant. Just look at the Waldwycks, whose mother was also a second generation Lycan. They were some of the most energetic Alphas she had ever seen in her lifetime of Gatherings.
"Just after my grandfather got back from World War I," Edward replied to her question. "The People are long-lived, much like your own."
Thornblood nodded, pondering. "Wait, according to what I recall of Peter Alces' story, the peace between your People and the Kenai started just after World War I. Something about two friends meeting in Europe. Was this your grandfather?"
"It was. Although we were not the head of a united Bear People then, just another warrior family of a loose confederation. It wasn't until later that we truly became the Aklark People as a unified group. It was part of the peace process that my grandfather had to work very hard to bring together."
"I see. I must hear more sometime, it is very interesting." Suddenly, a little smile came out on her regal face. "So you are the runt of the litter? Just how big do your People get?"
Edward's grin widened and he nodded. "You'll see."
The plane banked, and the pilot, a Thornblood Lycan who was also a member of the Air National Guard, got on the intercom. "Lady Thornblood, we're making final approach to the landing strip. We'll be on the ground in five minutes."
The descent was gentle, and the pilot set down the cargo aircraft with no jostling at all. "You've got a good pilot," Edward remarked over the noise of them slowing down. "My compliments."
"Thank you. But I’m more interested in meeting your People," Akiko said, unbuckling her shoulder straps. "And I am very interested in seeing how Keith and Kimberly react to seeing their assault force."
"Considering what they said they are flying down, things should be very interesting," Edward said. "I'm just grateful you permitted me to fly down in your aircraft rather than in theirs. Much too small for me."
The rear cargo door opened, and Edward led
Akiko down the rear ramp into the orange light of the local sunset. The sky was streaked in red, orange and purple to the east, only an hour before total darkness. "Ah, there they are."
In the seventy years she had been on Earth, Akiko Thornblood had seen a lot. Born in Osaka, she had watched as her nation rebuilt itself, and her shattered Clan tried to pull together the tattered remnants of their bloodline after the devastation of World War II. She had been among the first few women to go through her university, earning a degree in engineering at a time most women were considered little more than "office ladies" whose job was to serve tea to the men. Later, after falling in love, she had joined Clan Thornblood first as a Second Mate, then as First Mate and Alpha Female after Nioclas' First Mate had died in a tragic accident. She had stood by Nioclas through it all, and had held him in her arms as he had sputtered his last breath, a three-inch hole in his chest from the Bradley main gun, betrayed by his own daughter. She thought she had seen it all.
Nothing had prepared her for what she saw when she came off the plane, however. She for the first time in her adult life felt small, as a group of ten men, each of them over seven feet tall and easily four hundred or more pounds came closer and closer. Edward came up to the tallest and embraced him. "It's good to see you, Eznho. How was your flight?"
"Long, as you'd expect, but we've done worse. How are you doing Honiahaka? Living up to your name?" the gigantic man said with a smile. At first glance, he looked similar to Edward, but his skin was closer to the copper color of a full blooded First Nations member, and his hair was longer, being styled rather fantastically in spikes that twisted out from his scalp in short rows. He was dressed in a simple pair of track pants and a t-shirt that bulged over his massive chest and arms, which were tattooed heavily, and what looked like custom made shoes to support his massive frame.
