Inheritance (The Dark Gifts)

by Willow Cross

  “He ain’t going to challenge him until Jason is dead. I wouldn't either if it was me. That dude makes two of you, and you're the biggest in the pack.” Swaying from side to side, Mark gazed at the black sky. “I just don't feel right about this. He's been our leader for a long time. What if we are on the wrong side?”

  Pete stretched his long arms and moved his head from side to side. Several stifled cracks sounded as his neck and back popped. “What if? Man, we are on the wrong side. Have no doubt about that.”

  Mark shuffled his feet and stuck his hands in his pockets. “So what are we doing here then? What are you doing here? You know Thomas was going to make you second. We all knew it was coming.”

  “Yeah. Well that don’t mean much now. She's determined to combine the two packs. Haven't you noticed? Those standing in her way end up dead or missing.” A rustling bush to his far right caught his attention. Head tilted to the side, Pete watched until a small rabbit bounced from under it and hopped across the yard.

  “But Pete, if you don’t agree with this then you should--”

  “Should what? Go against Rashuk clan alone? Aiden wants her. He's always wanted her. Thomas was a fool to think he'd be able to keep Shana on a leash. Besides, this whole clan is full of weaklings, old people, and women. There's maybe twenty strong enough to fight. Of those, ten are hunters, and they'll only listen to her. Who's going to stand with me? You maybe? Or better yet, why don’t I just run on in there, rip her throat out, and end it?” His words dripped with sarcasm.

  Mark’s eyes glittered with anger as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Yeah. Why don’t you? A fine second you’d make. Where’s your loyalty?”

  Pete winced at the accusations, but remained silent.

  Mark’s voice lowered to a whisper, “You should do something. We should do something.”

  Kicking at the rug in front of the door, Pete’s expression soured as he quietly answered, “There’s nothing to be done. Whether we get killed by our own for not following orders, or the alphas get us, either way some of us are going to die. When they come for us, things are going to get bloody.”

  Chapter Six

  The crescent moon hung low in the night sky. Tiny pinpoints of light sparkled and danced across the sky like a curtain of glittering diamonds. A warm breeze, unusual for that time of year, lifted Sarah’s hair and dropped it back to her shoulders leaving her with a sensation that ghostly fingers toyed with her. Jason had retreated to the woods to concentrate on shifting into his stronger, savage alter ego. As Sarah stood alone, watching her uncle's house in the clearing, images of the future flooded her mind.

  A vision of Jason in wolf form, injured and bleeding in a woods. Thomas, dead along the side of the road, naked and torn to shreds. She saw herself, and her brother, in a place that looked foreign. They ran past small dwellings with thatched roofs, many wolves following close behind. Shana, surrounded by hundreds of wolves, sitting atop a boulder smoking and laughing. The images flashed quickly before dissipating completely.

  Sarah took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. If they did not rescue Thomas, they would die. Leaving did not offer much comfort; those against them would hunt them down. It was painfully obvious Shana thirsted for power. She wanted total pack domination. Now that Sarah had learned how to tap into her abilities, she could see Shana had manipulated events even as a child. Shana could never be Alpha. The most she could hope for was to mate with the new Alpha and lead through him. That’s what happened with Thomas. She had never made a connection with him, he was just a pawn in her quest to conquer and control the pack.

  A soft rustle from behind caused Sarah to turn. Jason was ready. She could feel his wolf presence in her mind before she saw him. When he was in Lycan form she could feel a telepathic link between them. It had grown so strong that for brief seconds, she could see through his eyes, and experience what he felt. The soft tinkle of laughter escaped her as he stopped several feet away. She knew he was still worried he couldn't control his beastly side. She sighed and returned to watching the house. “Can you hear me?”

  Jason grunted in affirmation.

  “We head straight to the front door and walk in. The others should shift as soon as they see you. They have no hope of taking you in their human form and they know it. When they shift, I will take control. I don’t think she'll change. She knows she can’t fight me then.”

  “I’m more worried about what she’ll do to you.” Jason answered.

  Eyes wide, Sarah turned and stared at him. “When did you learn to do that?”

  “I’ve been talking to you. You just haven’t been able to hear me before now.”

  “Oh. Sorry, I guess it must be growing.”

  “I am fully sentient now. The wildness is here, but not like before. Don’t worry about me, just take care of yourself!”

  Sarah turned to Jason and flung her arms around his massive fur covered neck, whispering, “They may have weapons, I can’t tell. Be careful. As soon as Thomas is free, he'll come to our aid. I love you Jason, if I'm wrong about this…thank you for all you‘ve done for me.” She turned, and straightening her shoulders, walked out of the trees.

  They made it half the distance from the woods to the house before the front door opened. Light spilled onto the porch and lawn. One after another, the pack filtered through the doorway lining up across the front of the cabin. Some stayed on the porch and others stepped into the yard, still remaining close to the house. Shana was the last to exit the cabin. Hands on hips, she glared at them. “I don’t know why you’re bothering with this, children. You're outnumbered.”

  Jason growled, and raised his head to let out an ear-splitting howl. In reaction to his challenge many of those guarding the house began to shift. The Alpha had issued a challenge, most had no choice in the matter.

  As soon as they had completed their transformation, Sarah ordered, “To me. Now. All of you.”

  Some fought the pull of her voice. Others moved with reluctant obedience.

  Shana screamed, “Stop. Stay where you are.” It did not help her cause. The control she held over their human forms dissipated when they were confronted with a direct order from an Alpha.

  Jason snapped and growled at the others as they joined them on their side of the yard, getting them into line and preparing them to attack those that still guarded the cabin.

  Jumbled voices faintly echoed in Sarah’s mind. Bits and pieces of conversation, feelings of confusion and fear, even anger bombarded her senses. Breathing deeply, she gained control and silenced the voices with a thought. Enough. Silence.

  Five stood against them. Sarah smiled in anticipation of an easy victory, calling out to Shana, “Looks like you’re out numbered, Auntie dear. We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way, either way, we are doing this.”

  “Oh yes, my dear, we are doing this. And hard it shall be. You have no idea with whom you are messing!” Shana called back. She brought her arms out to her sides and bellowed, “It is time. Come.”

  Figures, small and large, crept from the trees closest to the rear of the cabin and moved to where Shana and the five waited. They were all wolves.

  Sarah shook her head and laughed at Shana’s triumphant attitude. “To me.”

  The new wolves growled in reply and stood their ground. Shana let out a maniacal laugh and voice filled with hatred, said, “Oh dear…I’m a terrible hostess. Let me introduce you to our new friends. This is the Savata clan. I’m guessing you haven’t met them before. You see, they come from a distance and are not part of our pack. You are not their Alpha, dear.”

  Sarah’s jaw dropped. Not only had she not seen this coming, but she could not believe Shana would put her own pack in jeopardy. Every single pack member would fight to the death on her orders. If she continued with this, Sarah would be sentencing several of her own to death.

  Shana’s mouth broke into an evil grin as she watched the realization of what was about to happen, break over Sarah’s face. “
Yes dear, you’ve guessed it. If you order our pack to continue, some of them--possibly many--will die. Take heart, it is past time for a good cleansing. Some of those surrounding you are weak and should have never been given the gift of lycanthropy. You'll actually be doing the pack a favor because only the strongest will survive.”

  Sarah glanced at those around her. She could feel shock emanating from them. They had not known Shana’s entire plan. A few whimpers issued from those next to her.

  Jason stepped in front of her and bellowed out a monstrous howl. The five remaining immediately shifted and attempted to join their pack. The Savata clan growled and snapped at the five, biting and pulling at their fur, not allowing them to escape the porch.

  Sarah linked to Jason. “I don’t know what to do.”

  Jason growled in reply, his body rippled with tension. His mind was riddled with anger. “We do what we came to do. We free Thomas.”

  The pack joined him. Moving forward and protectively pushing Sarah behind them, they made ready to attack.

  Sarah exhaled, resigned to what was about to happen and softly ordered, “Take them.”

  Jason and the pack methodically advanced toward the newcomers. Before they could make the trek across the lawn, several of the rival wolves leapt into action running full force into the leading members of the Masada clan. Fur and bits of flesh and blood mingled in the air as the opposing sides made contact. Fighting wolves covered the entire yard, teeth glaring and gnashing, shredding anyone they came close to.

  Horrified, Sarah watched the devastation of the brutal battle. She stood steadfast, fighting an overwhelming desire to run, but knowing she could not leave her brother, or her pack, to face the ravages of the vicious Savata clan. The bond that held them to her, also held her to them.

  Time seemed to decelerate until everything appeared to take place in slow motion. Several of the larger wolves attacked Jason, at least four if she counted correctly. Rolling and leaping through air as they fought, their gaping maws tore into his flesh. Some danced around each other searching for a breach that would provide a quick kill. Jason shook his attackers off with such force two flew head over tail, yelping in pain. He spun. Snarling, his massive jaws ripped into the throat of a brown wolf in front of him. Flipping his head to the side, its neck snapped and it fell limply to the ground. Jason's head flew back and a triumphant howl echoed through the trees. Blood dripped from his flanks, shoulders, and muzzle.

  From different points of the battle, Sarah heard whimpers and yelps from her wounded brothers and sisters. Even in the midst of the conflict, Sarah was surprised her mind would think of them that way. Her brothers and sisters…her family. She was home. This was her life now. If she were going to keep it, she needed a course of action to end this confrontation quickly.

  Sarah closed her eyes and concentrated. Her senses clicked into overdrive. The air, infused with the metallic scent of blood, burnt her nose. She heard the fighting move closer and felt the pressure of a body against her legs. Someone had returned and closely guarded her. No, not someone--several, she could feel them moving, circling around her. Sarah kept her eyes closed and continued to focus. Something Shana said stuck in her mind, “You are not their Alpha.” Shana was right, but Sarah knew she wasn’t just any ordinary Alpha. She was strong enough to usurp the power of a male and that was not supposed to happen. If she could create a link with the Savata Alpha, she might be able to stop this.

  She focused on the images radiating from her pack and connected fully, as if she fought each individual battle. Sarah’s eyes rolled back in their sockets. Her body seized and convulsed in response to the onslaught of razor-sharp teeth and claws tearing through flesh that didn’t belong to her. Agonizing pain blotted out the visions, sound, and her ability to comprehend what was happening. An ear-splitting scream erupted from her core. The tortured shriek enraged the Masada pack. Strengthened, the wolves retaliated against the interlopers with violent fervor.

  A desperate voice breached Sarah’s pain, “Sarah, you must take control. They will kill us!”

  Sarah latched on to the lifeline her brother had thrown her. With all her focus on him, the pain receded and allowed her to view the pack instead of joining with them.

  The Savata leader‘s jaws sunk into Jason‘s hide. Jason spun and the leader fell back. Sarah linked with Jason and instinctively, he let her take over. The two massive beasts were in a standoff. Eyeing each other, they waited for the next chance to strike. Using Jason’s eyes, Sarah dove into the other’s mind. She sifted through a kaleidoscope of his memories before trying to make contact. His name was Christian. A loner most of his life, he had no mate or children. He was a solid leader and cared for his pack. The only emotion stronger than his loyalty to his pack was his lust for power and Shana. That feeling saturated his essence, driving him unceasingly. In the seconds it took to read him, she knew everything about him.

  Christian shook his head in an attempt to force her out. “Get out!”

  She doubled her effort to stay. “You must stop this.”

  “You…will…not--”

  “Look. See what you are doing,” Sarah said as she planted images in his mind. Laughing, pack children tossed a red ball back and forth. One dropped the ball and ran to a lovely woman saying, “I love you, Mommy,” as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Visions of herself and her brother talking and laughing. Jason giving her a hug and the feeling of security it gave her. A picture of her parents and the pain she felt in losing them. Thomas in one of his gentle moments slipping his arm around her, trying to comfort. Any good and wonderful thing she could think of to make him see the loss her people would endure if he continued, she thrust into his mind.

  She felt his mind rage against the intrusions, pushing and prodding, trying to regain control of his thoughts. With his thought processes broken, Christian’s pack fell apart. They were no longer fighting as one.

  The Masada pack took full advantage of the disoriented Savata. One by one, they brought them down, while Sarah and Christian fought for control of his mind. Many of the injured opponents fled the area, running into the woods to hide.

  Christian had no choice. He could not break Sarah’s hold on his mind. Although she could not control his actions, her invasion left him unable to focus or call out to his pack. She felt her consciousness fly out of him as he shimmered and regained his human form. “Enough!” he bellowed.

  Sarah released Jason with a swift order to maintain his position. Her eyes flew open and she groaned as she observed the injured and dead strewn about the lawn like discarded debris. Every wolf there, Masada and Savata alike, had sustained injuries. Many of them critical, some fatal. “Look what you’ve done,” she raged.

  Contempt filled Shana’s voice as she answered, “Look what I have done? You have done this thing. You and you alone ordered the pack forward. I warned you there would be consequences for your actions. It was you that chose not to listen. You do not belong here. Both you and your brother are aberrations and should have been exterminated at birth. If your parents had not been so weak and disgustingly human, none of this would have ever happened.”

  Those with less serious injuries began returning to human form. The Masada pack stood with their new leader awaiting her next order. A coldness began to fill her, weaving through her mind, wrapping around her heart, it settled and allowed her to think clearly. “Help the injured, all of them, regardless of clan.” Then looking at Christian she went on, “We can be friends or we can be enemies, it makes no difference to me. You need to choose your friends with more care, Christian. You trespass on our lands, take your people and go.”

  Naked and bleeding, the man nodded before once again transforming to wolf form.

  A woman Sarah now knew as Rene, whispered quietly at her side, “What are you going to do with Shana?”

  The rest of her pack waited silently for her reply. She thought it over and called out to the retreating Savata, “Wait.”

  Christian stopp
ed and faced her.

  “One more thing before you go. Pack law dictates we have the right to ask for reparation in an unwarranted attack. This is your penance…take her with you. She is no longer welcome here.”

  Chapter Seven

  Sarah flinched as Jason’s fist hit the table for the second time. “It would be nice if you'd learn to control your temper.”

  “You had no right! How could you just let her go? Three are dead because of her.”

  “You’ve yelled at me for two days now Jason, I’m sick of hearing it. I did what I thought was the right thing to do. It’s not like you made any suggestions. Besides I couldn’t just kill her. After everything that happened, so many were hurt and some were dead, there’d been enough killing for one night.”

  Thomas listened as the siblings hashed it out. He agreed with Jason. Sarah let her off too easy, but nothing could be done about it now. Sarah was just a seventeen-year-old girl, for being so young, she had acted wisely and without malice, he couldn’t fault her in her judgment. The argument between the two had worn down and now they glowered at each other. Thomas decided it was time, once again, to put in his unwanted opinion, “Guys, this is not getting us anywhere. Sarah did a remarkable job for someone her age; you have to see that, Jason.”

  “I know, I know…I just feel like this is not over. Do you think she’ll be back?”

  “She will most definitely return, and next time she’ll have greater numbers on her side. It won’t be difficult for her to find help; many from the other packs will not want to see a female take leadership.”

  “So they won't follow me, but they'll follow her. That makes no sense at all!” Sarah exclaimed. Leaning forward, he spoke earnestly, “It’s not about you per-say, our people are very old and drenched in tradition. Those Shana works her charms on do not fear her. She's smart. She has a knack of making you think you're the one in charge. Those that come will not be following her as much as obeying direct orders from their leader. I knew Christian loved her. I didn't realize how far he'd go to have her, but I knew he wanted her. I should’ve seen this coming.”