Releasing Chaos

by Lexi Ander

  The screen of the tablet cracked as my grip tightened. Something dark and unbidden rose within me. Images of the humans lying in pools of blood, the rich coppery scent tainting the air as I ripped them apart with my claws, filled my mind.

  Brian gently placed his hands over mine, and I looked into his tri-colored eyes. "Did you see?" My voice came out raspy, the S protracted into a sibilant hiss. "They are torturing our people, and have the gall to laugh among themselves, untouched by the horrors they perpetrate."

  Thankfully, he didn't tell me we didn't know for sure what the humans were doing. I didn't want to hear logic or cautious warnings. Instead, Brian set the pieces of the tablet inside Jory's duffle bag. Ushna threaded his fingers with mine, lending his strength, and a wave of calm rolled over me, which helped a little. But only a little. My growing righteous indignation released the anger I'd stamped down earlier.

  It was no use trying to convince myself the human military only questioned my people, attempting to gather data about Lycans. The Servants of the Glorious One had organized the transfer of my warriors into human hands. Sold them, actually. Jory had uncovered the tidbit a couple of days after we'd freed the warriors from their Lupe form and destroyed The Center. The Servants were given millions of dollars in exchange for some seventy Lycans, with more promised. They had helped the military bypass the barrier surrounding Bahbelle, giving away the location of our largest Tri-City, and endangering over five hundred thousand civilians. All the while, the Servants had taken over The Center and conducted their own heinous experiments. On my desk was a list of every warrior who had died in their care or was currently missing. It was far too long.

  "Tristan." Brian's soft voice brought me out of my dark thoughts. Smoke rolled from my nostrils, turning the air hazy. "We'll bring our warriors home." His grave gaze was tinged with sorrow.

  Suddenly, it hit me. Brian would be leaving with the scorpion-men within hours, and wouldn't be coming with us to free our people. My skin rippled uncomfortably as my dragon reacted to my volatile emotions, demanding to be let loose. Needing to be outside where I wouldn't damage anything, I hurried through the chamber. The warriors and Magi took one look at my countenance and rushed to move out of my way.

  Finally, outside on the open green, I release my tenuous hold on my human self. My dragon emerged in a blink of an eye: my outer clothes tore, splitting asunder, while the scaled silk I wore underneath absorbed into my skin. I'd never transformed so quickly. The power of Sanctuary surrounded me, like calling to like, and I kept growing. The ground moved further and further away. My body filled with so much energy I thought my skin would burst. My dragon shouldered me aside, pushing me behind him in his bid to protect me as my rage and terror bled over us. When we couldn't stand the pressure anymore, we lifted our long, barbed neck and bellowed, releasing the internal agony in a great gout of red fire and smoke.

  Usually, when I took my other forms, whether it be wolf, Lupe, or dragon, I shared a mind with my beast, our dual personalities in sync, never overwhelming each other or one dominating the other. Perhaps if I hadn't suppressed my emotions, or if I hadn't reacted so strongly to the information Jory had given… Yeah, perhaps I would have had more control and kept our thoughts coherent, logical. Perhaps. But I'd failed. And so the dragon took over, and I was swept along by the unbridled fury pouring from me.

  "Mine!" he thought, over and over again. The recent bouts of jealousy and possessiveness over my inner circle clearly did come from my dragon. "My people. My brothers. My children. My mates. None can have. None can take. Make them pay!"

  Around us, our warriors took their Lupe form, their blood-red eyes scanning for a threat, not understanding that there was no immediate danger. We counted our wolves, fierce pride flaring at their loyalty and their protectiveness.

  "Silly wolves," Dragon thought, "I'll be the one to protect them."

  Dragonets and serpents poured onto the green, their jewel-toned scales glinting in the bright sunlight. "Mine, too." We growled smugly. They were fierce and dangerous. Perfection for our hoard.

  The call of our name by familiar voices drew our gaze to the doorway of the King's Tomb. The ziggurat was the perfect size and shape to drape our form over and bask in the noonday sun.

  Stepping from the doorway, the dark figure of our Ushna held out his arms, beckoning to us. Behind him followed our Brian.

  Brian.

  The worry and pain caused by the thought of losing him dimmed immeasurably when we took in Brian's scent, the taste of his strength clear on our tongue when we licked the air. His power was unlike ours. He was Tiamat's Sword, the weapon bringing judgement. At his center sat a hard, cold core much like a length of steal. When he chose to act, his resolve could be just as unbending. Resolute. Unforgiving. Only the Heart nudging, guiding the Sword would bring about mercy. I worried for him, but Dragon found Brian's strength exceeding the challenge and danger looming before him. He didn't doubt our mate's competence. Reluctantly, I allowed my beast's confidence to soothe my concerns, although they didn't completely vanish.

  As our ire eased, we shrank back to our original size, still large but not towering over all. As we flopped onto our belly, the dragonets and serpents crawled over us, rubbing our scales together. The warriors released their Lupe and took up defensive positions. Corey stood in the doorway to the King's Tomb and we rumbled at him, wanting our brother to come to us. "Mine." He hadn't seen our form before and we preened, stretching our long neck so our blue-green scales would sparkle like precious gems. We wanted our hoard around us so we could watch and guard all we held dear. Overhead, the firebird circled, sending haunting cries into the now quiet mid-day. "Mine."

  The hunters peeked around smooth white columns, their dark faces filled with awe and fear. We beckoned them through the soil. "Come, you are mine, too," we sent, rumbling our pleasure when the hunters didn't hesitate.

  They came to us, transforming into the original forms Tiamat had given them. At one time, the defeated children of Tiamat had been depicted in the oldest of calendars, their likeness carved into the night sky. Fierce scorpion-men with humanlike torsos, their deadly bodies carrying the scent of heated desert. Weather-Beasts with their regal lion heads and dark, golden manes falling thick over their shoulders, eagle-taloned feet scraping polished stones as they rushed to greet us. In the very rear we espied two Mushussu, the furious serpent, their sleek dragon body too big to be hidden by the pillars, their long, scaled necks stretching to see us over the crowd. We stared back at their horned countenance, seeing Tiamat's touch in the color of their sea-green eyes, the scent of their longing so poignant we responded with a low clucking. "Come to us," we pushed to them. "Mine." They came, their feet marching daintily across the stone.

  Our hoard gathered around us and we hummed with pleasure, but there were more we had to bring together. Those who'd been imprisoned. We gazed to the northeast, stretching our senses to the Earth, and searching for our lost ones. Once we knew the general location, we stretched ourselves thinner, until we caught sight of the tiny glimmering threads of our people.

  "We are their anchor," I whispered to Dragon, amazed we could sense them over such great distance. I'd not been able to do such before.

  "We will make them pay," his reply to me just as soft, even though none but I could hear.

  The moment of instant harmony between us brought me closer to my animal side than I'd ever been before. Right, wrong, and logic fell away, melding into pure instinct, and I didn't worry about restraining myself or tempering my emotions. I borrowed Dragon's confidence, cocky though it was, because I needed to believe Brian would return to us unharmed. Otherwise I'd be tempted to follow him when I was needed elsewhere.

  "Uncle Tristan!"

  Turning, we glanced up the hillside to see Stan cradling Randy in his arms. The children, Justus, Neoma, and Dawn, stood at his side staring down at us. Our gaze focused on the hatchlings, their faces so alike anyone could see they were siblings at a glance. Born day
s apart from different she-wolves, they were a melding of Theo and their mothers. Given into our care, we loved and protected them fiercely. Why Stan chose to bring them to Sanctuary, we didn't know, but our heart lifted simply looking at them.

  "Uncle Tristan!" Dawn's long curly hair lifted in the breeze as she waved enthusiastically.

  Ushna gripped a ridge and hauled himself onto our back. Craning our neck around to see him, Ushna reached down and grasped Brian's hand. With our nose, we swooped in under Brian's butt and helped Ushna lift. Barely waiting for Brian to settle, we moved to meet Stan and the hatchlings. The dragonets and wolves parted before us as we slithered between the pillars. Happy giggles met our ears, musical and carefree. The hatchlings broke away from Stan, running to us.

  "I want to ride!" they chorused between shrill shrieks.

  Halfway down the hill, Dawn fell and rolled. We roared with worry and the firebird overhead screamed. Justus and Neoma went back and helped their sister, heeding Stan when he yelled for them to slow down. But we quickened our pace, Ushna's legs tightening against us like the cowboy he was and Brian complaining loudly about our bony back.

  Dawn wrapped around our foreleg, squealing in pure delight. "You're so pretty, Uncle Tristan!"

  When we craned our neck to see her, she giggled at us sniffing her for injury. Satisfied she was unharmed, we turned to Neoma, who stood stock still, eyes huge as she watched. Ushna and Brian slid off, talking to Dawn. I poked Neoma in the stomach with my snout before giving her a slimy lick across the face. Oh, how I loved to hear her laugh as she fell to the ground and I chased her with my nose. The familiar sound of Brian snapping a picture made us huff out a gruff laugh.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Stanley Kendall

  Within an hour, everybody was packed and ready to go. The kids hopped around, excited to see Sanctuary, having only heard their uncles talk about the ancient city. Coba, the Shadow Mover assigned to us, brought Randy and me over first. Randy grumbled when I'd picked him up and cradled him in my arms, but I'd experienced the Void and had no desire to lose him in the darkness simply because he lost his grip while being transported. The low hut we exited was windowless and undecorated. After confirming Randy and I were fine, Coba was swallowed by the shadows. I helped Randy move away from the shelter into the noonday sun.

  As expected, we were at the top of the hill. The city spread out below us, the stone sparkling, gleaming shiny and new. Pinpointing the three stone circles surrounding the turquoise pool was easy from this elevation. In the distance was the amphitheater. We'd kept Randy abreast of some of the plans for the coronation, however this was essentially the first time he'd left the house since returning from the underworld. His eyes gleamed with an inner fire as he took everything in. At the bottom of the hill off to the right sat a ziggurat, and I recalled what Brian had said at the meeting: he'd accidentally summoned the ancient King's Tomb from Susa. On the green in front of the pyramid, a group surrounded a blue-green dragon. The scene looked tense, even from where we stood. Immediately worried about bringing the children over, I considered calling them, but before I could do anything, Justus, Neoma, and Dawn ran out of the hut, exclaiming excitedly over everything they saw.

  "Well, shit." I mumbled under my breath when Dawn called to Tristan. Before I could say anything, they were sprinting down the incline, laughing and screeching as if they were at their favorite amusement park.

  Christie and Mary Jane brushed by me as they hurried to follow the kids, gasping at seeing Tristan in his dragon form. Sweeping up Randy in my arms again, I followed at a more sedate pace, descending the stairs set in the hillside. Thankfully, Coba strode next to me, ready to lend a hand if I lost my balance. Half my attention was on the firebird circling overhead; Tristan had told me about Theo's animal, but this was the first time I'd seen it. The red, orange, and gold feathers glinted in the bright sun, making him look as if he were a flame slicing through the sky.

  "This is a place of great power," Randy said, his head laying against my shoulder.

  I turned my attention to him, frowning at how tired he sounded. "Tristan said this is supposed to be somewhere people can come to heal. I hope being here will give you a boost."

  Before we reached the bottom of the hill, Tristan, Brian, and Ushna had the kids. Dawn and Neoma were exploring Tristan's dragon. Tristan had flopped on his side, the girls climbing him like a jungle gym.

  Coba led us to a well-appointed hut and I placed Randy on a cushy chaise lounge. He waved me away when I fussed over him. "Go. I know you want to check on the pups. I'm not defenseless," he groused. I didn't even argue, although we both knew he was full of shit.

  When I stepped out of the doorway, Coba waited. "I can stay here if you like." His dark eyes were full of understanding.

  "I'd appreciate it." I didn't regret caring for Randy or the kids, but at times they exhausted me, pulling me in multiple directions. I was grateful for Christie and Mary Jane's help with the pups, but I still didn't feel comfortable leaving without anyone seeing to Randy. He was too vulnerable in his current state.

  Carefully strolling across to where the kids played with Tristan, I took my time absorbing the sight. I'd never seen his Lupe form, and this was my first time seeing his dragon. Damn. He was majestic. Could dragons be called that? Ferocious. Scary. Deadly. He was all of those, but he also had a regal bearing not evident when Tristan was human. Perhaps I had a hard time seeing him as anything other than my friend and brother. He was our leader and carried a great responsibility, but he personified a cowboy better than a pretentious king.

  Looking at him now, there were hints of the arrogance one would expect a king to have. The demeanor made him seem more formidable. Perhaps it was the sharp teeth he displayed when he yawned. Dawn and Neoma didn't seem to notice as they tugged and climbed on the most dangerous man on Earth. Thinking about what Randy said, I should speak to Tristan about… Yeah, I wouldn't be confiding anything while he was a dragon.

  Glancing around, I searched for Justus. Usually, he didn't wander far from his sisters, and he wasn't. Off to the side, sitting on the edge of the building perched Theo, still a firebird. Below him stood Justus, staring intently. I sniffed the wind, clearly picking up the firebird's unique spicy scent mingled with something reminding me of Theo but didn't quite match what I recalled. Could Justus smell the hint of his father under the odor of feathers and scorch? Did he know who he stared at so raptly?

  As quietly as possible, I crossed to where Justus stood. He spoke to the bird, but I couldn't hear what he said. Perhaps I should have made sure Tristan knew what Corey and I had planned. It belatedly occurred to me that perhaps there was a reason Tristan hadn't brought the pups around Theo before now. I'd assumed the arrangements were okay, but I should have double checked.

  Justus tried to coax the firebird down with soft words and subtle gestures, but the firebird screamed as if he were in agony. He launched into the air, flying away with piercing cries that ripped through me and stole my breath. I wanted to follow, to find some way to fix the pain Theo was obviously in. Tearing my gaze away, I turned back to Justus, who also stared after the bird.

  "Are you going to say hello to your Uncle Tristan?" I asked, placing a hand on his small shoulder.

  He glanced up at me with his father's baby blues, a frown twisting his mouth down. Justus glanced once more at where the firebird had disappeared, clearly reluctant. The girls squealed with laughter, and true to Justus's curiosity, he finally ran over to Tristan. Some dragonets joined the group, climbing on Tristan and playing with the pups. Ushna rolled on the ground, laughing, when Neoma gave a fierce battle cry and tackled him. Brian stood leaning against Tristan's neck, a fond smile playing at his mouth as he watched everyone romp about.

  Moving casually around the edge of the crowd, I headed toward the building near the three stone circles. I wasn't sure, but I thought the firebird had entered one of the upper windows. Pushing the heavy curtains blocking the doorway aside, I entered w
ithout knocking. Abruptly, I stopped in my tracks at the sight of a naked Theo Sullivan rifling through a basket, unaware he was no longer alone.

  I was a right bastard, I knew. The polite thing to do would be announce my arrival, turn my back, and give him privacy to dress. But instead I stared, drinking in every inch of him. He was scarred, yes, but the vivid marks didn't detract from his beauty. They were proof of his survival, a map of his strength. If I didn't stop looking, there would be no hiding my arousal.

  A rough noise escaped me, drawing his attention. He blinked at me with red-rimmed eyes, and sniffled. When the shock of my presence wore off, his expression twisted to one of rage. "Who in the hell do you think you are? I told Tristan no. I won't subject the kids to anymore heartache." Theo stormed across the room to shove me with both hands. His eyes widened when I barely budged. I grabbed his wrists.

  There were a hundred reasons I should detest Theo, and yet all I wanted to do was bury my nose in his throat and hold him pressed against me. Yeah, I was definitely an ass.

  Instead, I introduced myself. "I'm Justus's mentor and I—"

  Theo yanked unsuccessfully against my grip. "You don't get a say in his welfare. Only Tristan does. I made sure of that. He would never give his rights away. God dammit! Why would he do this to me? To them?"

  I wanted to shake him, make him actually see me, hear me. My wolf hated that Theo kept talking about Tristan, never saying my name. Pfft. As if he'd even know it, much less care who I was.

  "I brought them," I snapped, struggling for patience and finding it in short supply. I reminded myself I wasn't in competition with Tristan. I refused to be. "He had no idea they were coming. I'm leaving on a mission with Brian shortly and won't be able to watch over the pups and Randy. Corey thought Sanctuary would be the safest place for them until I returned."

  Theo slumped, the fight seeming to go out of him. For a second, I thought he'd lean into me. "Please let me go." His voice was soft, holding a vulnerability I'd never associated with the Alpha of Tribe Enkidu. But he wasn't an alpha anymore, nor was he the leader of a tribe.