by Mara Lee
It was times like these that Lothos wished that he were telepathic like Sophie. He could see the wheels in Ethenia's head spinning round and round and it was driving him crazy.
Finally Ethenia found her voice, her words were not soft. “Why do you care? You're dumping me here, aren't you?”
Lothos was surprised at Ethenia's harsh and bitter words.
Before he could speak, Sophie jumped in. “Lothos isn't going anywhere. Indeed, I believe we will need all of the help we can get. I may even call for reinforcements.”
Now both turned to Sophie, surprised. It was Lothos who spoke first. “You anticipate that much trouble?”
Sophie swallowed. She remembered how the evil had seeped into her skin and taken hold of her body. She remembered the fear that had blinded her. Oh yes, there was great trouble on the way. “I anticipate much.”
Lothos frowned, concern etching his face. “Is there anything else you can tell us about what you saw?”
Sophie shivered from the memory. She cleared her throat. “There is magic being used. Black magic. And right before the waters cleared I saw a face. The face of a man.”
“Describe the face,” Lothos demanded.
Sophie did. “Square jaw line, high cheekbones, blue eyes and dark lashes. He was handsome, oh, and he had a large scar above his left eye.”
Ethenia gasped.
Sophie turned to her. “Ethenia?”
Ethenia went pale. “Sophie … the scar, was it shaped like a half moon?”
Sophie nodded. “How did you know?”
Sophie watched as Ethenia sank. If Lothos hadn't grabbed her she would have fallen boneless to the ground. She watched as Lothos cradled the little Loopin in his arms and comforted her. It was obvious to her that something had spooked Ethenia, something had spooked her good.
Lothos was concerned. Ethenia's eyes were foggy and her skin had paled so, that she wore the complexion of death. Her heart was pounding furiously, he could hear its desperate beats against him and she seemed, suddenly, in another world. What was wrong with her? He turned helpless eyes towards Sophie.
Sophie walked over to the couple. She placed her warm hand on Ethenia's cool forehead and frowned. “She scared shitless, Lothos.” Sophie pulled a small tin from her apron pocket and opened it. She forced Ethenia's mouth open and placed a small thin wafer on Ethenia's tongue. “Just let it dissolve, darling, it will help.”
Sophie was right. In a matter of moments Ethenia felt considerably better. Her head was clearing and her heart rate slowed down to a more normal pace. “What was that?”
Sophie smiled, “A cinnamon and paprika wafer, it helps to clear the head.”
“Nothing else?” Ethenia asked, ever cautious.
Sophie laughed and shook her head. “Yes, several other elements, but all of them natural, I assure you.”
Ethenia sighed. She knew that Sophie was not about to divulge the other ingredients. And as long as she was feeling better, and didn't seem to be experiencing any bad side-effects, she had to assume that the wafer was harmless. “All right, thank you.”
“Don't mention it. Now,” Sophie's eyes darkened, “why don't you tell us what this is about.”
Ethenia swallowed, her throat felt tight. “What do you mean?”
Sophie softened her tone. “Ethenia, really, you didn't need that wafer for nothing. The moment I mentioned the man I saw in the seer spell you disappeared from our radar. You were in another world,” Sophie's eyes were filled with knowledge, “and not a good one. Darling, tell us…”
Ethenia shivered involuntarily. Lothos murmured soothing words in her ear and continued to stroke her hair. He had moved to sit in a chair, and had Ethenia cradled in his lap. “It is my fault, the evil you detected, it is entirely my fault,” Ethenia whispered out.
Sophie took the seat opposite of Lothos and Ethenia. “Tell me, Ethenia.”
Ethenia swallowed and had to try twice before words came forth, past her dry throat. “My Pack Alpha,” her voice broke, she tried again, “my Pack Alpha would never have let me go. He owned me, body and soul, and he liked to remind me of that fact every day. He kept me isolated in his home, away from the rest of the Pack. He said I was a fitting slave, but an ill-fitting Pack member. I had no spine, no guts. I was hardly the Loopin mate he wanted.” Ethenia kept her eyes trained to the floor. She didn't want to see the look that surely had to be in Lothos's and Sophie's eyes. “He didn't want me, but he didn't want anyone else to have me either. At first, I dealt with the pain and humiliation. I mean, he had taken me from the orphanage and all but raised me. I owed him, or so I thought.” Ethenia felt a sob work its way up her throat. She took a deep breath. She glanced at Lothos.
Lothos was so stiff he had the appearance of a vampire. Every muscle in his body was tense and taut and the straight line of his mouth and coldness in his eyes bespoke of his anger.
Sophie handed Ethenia a glass of water and urged her with her eyes, and her soft reassuring look, to continue.
Ethenia took two sips of the water and began to speak once again. “I … I dropped a plate,” Ethenia's voice quivered, “I dropped one of his dinner plates, one of the good ones. They had a small rim of blue flowers and a larger rim of silver ones.” Ethenia would never forget those plates. “He had beaten me so badly the night before and I hadn't had the opportunity to heal completely. I was shaky and in pain, and I dropped his plate. He … he took the shattered pieces and ground them into my skin. When the wounds began to bleed and tear, he filled them with silver to prolong, even stilt the healing process.” Ethenia's eyes had gone dull. Her voice was now almost mechanical and she recalled the events. “It was at that moment that he realized that beating me was not enough. Torture was necessary to obtain his pleasure. I could deal with the beatings, but I could not deal with the torture.”
Ethenia took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself. It was then that she saw Sophie, whose face was mottled red.
Ethenia was startled at the fury she saw on Sophie's face. The majii's cheeks had flushed and her eyes were bright with anger.
“Sophie,” she asked questioningly.
“I'll hex him, that's what I'll do.” Sophie began to pace. “I'll have his heart shrivel … no … I'll let his manhood rot away.” She smiled then. “Perfect. Just let it rot away little by little until…”
“—Sophie, get a hold of yourself. Your anger is not helping Ethenia. It is feeding her fear.”
Sophie nodded curtly. “I apologize. I got carried away.” Sophie turned to Ethenia. “Would you continue, please.”
Ethenia swallowed. Her heart was still beating furiously. It seemed her relaxation techniques hadn't helped. But she needed to tell this. Sophie, Lothos needed to know the evil that was headed their way. “Kieran, my Pack Alpha, he broke my spirit, he thought that was enough to keep me under his heel forever, or at least until he tired of me and killed me. But it wasn't enough. Kieran took my spirit, but he didn't steal my strength of will. I still had that. When he was attending to Pack matters in Paris … I fled. One of the servants in Kieran's household aided me. His name was Pierre.”
“Was?” Lothos asked quietly.
Ethenia nodded, “I am assuming that Kieran killed him. Rarely did things go unseen in Kieran's household, he was master of everything. He would have discovered Pierre's betrayal and killed him. I owe Pierre everything. He gave me money, but most importantly he gave me hope and faith. Faith that there are people, good people out there who are willing to help those in need, even if it means handing over their own lives.” Ethenia laughed then, but it was a brittle laugh. “I was so stupid, God, I was so stupid. I truly thought that if I escaped and got far away enough from Kieran that he would let me be. I had never meant anything to him, if I was no longer in his territory, fuck,” Ethenia swore, “no longer in his country, he would forget about me. I should have known better. Kieran could never let anything or anybody defy him.” Ethenia unconsciously began to dig her fingers into Lothos's
thigh, bruisingly. “I made it as far as Pennsylvania.”
“Why Pennsylvania?” Sophie asked gently.
Ethenia smiled slightly. “Pierre,” she said his name reverently. “Pierre had family living in Pennsylvania. He promised me that they would help me, that they would hide me from Kieran. I made it to the Blanchard's farm,” Ethenia's eyes went dull, “and I got them killed.”
“Kieran,” Lothos spat the name out.
Ethenia shook her head. “No, it wasn't Kieran. But Kieran has friends loyal to him everywhere. The moment I hit the soil, I was tracked. They followed me to the Blanchard's farm … they made me watch as they tortured and killed the family and then they turned on me. They didn't kill me and they didn't rape me. No, those pleasures were being reserved for Kieran, but they made me bleed. They reveled in it. When I was unconscious they left me in the barn. They went to the house to find food and to wash up.” Ethenia laughed wildly. “They should have checked the barn. Morons. It seemed that Mr. and Mrs. Blanchard kept a shotgun there in case of emergencies.” Ethenia's eyes twinkled with malice and seething fury. “The shotgun was full of silver bullets.”
Sophie and Lothos both smiled tightly.
“I picked up the gun… I could have run, but I didn't. I went to the house. They were sitting at Mrs. Blanchard's table eating the supper she had laid out for her husband and herself.” Ethenia ignored the tears rolling down her cheeks and pressed ahead. “They laughed at me. They dared me to shoot. I told them the bullets were silver. They told me that even if they believed me, which they didn't, that the silver would only wound them. Not kill them. And that once they had taken the shots, they would tear me limb from limb, friendship with Kieran notwithstanding. They taunted me, told me to shoot if I dared,” Ethenia's smile was bitter cold, “I did. I took their heads off with the first two shots.”
“You dealt a killing blow on the first shot?” Lothos's eyes were filled with admiration.
Ethenia clenched her hands. “Yes. Kieran kept me isolated, not stupid. I know what I am, what I am capable of. I am Loopin. I may not be a strong Loopin, but I am one, nonetheless. Those idiots thought that just because I am not a Lupe, that I could not kill them. Lupe or not, blowing one's head off of their shoulders effectively sees them dead.” Ethenia bit her lip. “I ran after that. I ran and I ran until I could run no further. I was … I was contemplating my demise when I saw the light,” Ethenia turned her head to look into Lothos's deep eyes, “Your light. I thought that it had to be a sign from above. And who am I to ignore a sign from the heavens?”
Lothos brought his head to rest atop hers. He caressed her cheek. “It was a sign, angel. Someone was watching out for you.”
Sophie nodded and quoted from the Book of Beasts. “A mate for each man that does not deny his beast,” she said softly.
“What?” Lothos asked.
Sophie smiled, “I am quoting from the old texts.”
Lothos's eyes widened. “You've seen the old texts?”
Sophie nodded, “I've seen many things, Lothos. And I know, as truly as I know that the sun will rise and fall, that you and Ethenia were meant to find one another. Someone was watching out for Ethenia, and someone was watching out for you, too.”
Ethenia began to struggle in Lothos's lap. What was Sophie talking about? “What are you saying, Sophie? Lothos is searching for his amouratesh, you heard him.”
“Yes, I did.” Sophie's eyes bore into Ethenia's.
Ethenia shook her head, disbelieving. “No, no it isn't possible. I can't be any Loopin's amouratesh.”
Sophie smiled sweetly. “Why not?”
“Because, well, because, you know why. I'm not strong enough, Sophie. And, well, I'm defective.”
Sophie laughed heartily. “Defective? What on earth are you talking about, darling? You're not defective.”
Ethenia's eyes and voice went flat. “Kieran,” she began. Sophie cut her off.
“Kieran is an evil man. And he is NOT the Loopin for you. Just because he was your mentor, just because he initiated you in the way of the wolf, does not mean that he was your bond mate. Was he the one to tell you that proper Loopin are submissive and docile?”
Ethenia nodded.
Sophie growled. “He probably poisoned your mind with all sorts of rubbish. That is why your beast is sluggish, that is why your instincts, although good, are slow to work. You have the ability to be a strong Loopin.” Sophie knew that there was much more to it than that, but she was willing to wait for a more opportune moment to fill Ethenia in. Right now she just had to get the girl to understand that she was able to be a bond mate. That there was nothing wrong with her wolf. “You have the power and,” she winked, “all the working parts. You just have to get over your fear. You have to realize that your inherent nature, your beast will never fail you. It will not steer you wrong.”
Ethenia's eyes were wide and unblinking. She turned to look at Lothos who was staring at her with those beautiful dark green eyes of his. “Lothos,” she asked questioningly.
Lothos's smile was brilliant. “Sophie is right, angel. You are my amouratesh, my bond mate.” His eyes went hard. “Mine.”
Ethenia's mouth formed a giant O. She stared at this beautiful man who was claiming her as his amouratesh and could think of not one good thing to say to break the silence. She settled for punching him soundly on the arm. She was very pleased when he winced.
“Why did you do that?” Lothos's voice came out in the form of a growl.
Ethenia clenched her hands together and forced herself to remain calm. “You jerk. You knew all of this and you didn't tell me?”
“I was going to,” Lothos said belligerently.
“Oh?” Ethenia's voice was sweetly sarcastic. “When? After you bit me, bled me, and said the ritual words?”
Sophie was chuckling at their exchange.
Lothos shot her a dirty look. “No, listen, angel … I was trying to tell you this morning when…”
Ethenia cut him off. “Trying? You didn't tell me anything. You were pacing back and forth and behaving like a jackass. If that was your way of telling me, well then,” she growled, “it sucked!”
For once in his life, Lothos was completely stupefied. He stared at this she-wolf in his lap. Speechless? This was his meek little angel? She had claws and they seemed more than willing to take his head, along with some other important appendages, off with one strike.
“Oh for God's sake, darling, don't look so surprised.” Sophie said. “She has every right to be furious. It is a lot to take in at once.”
Ethenia turned her blazing eyes onto Sophie. “Don't think I'm not pissed at you.”
Sophie's mouth dropped open. “Me? What did I do?”
“It's what you didn't do. You didn't bother telling me any of this, either. You just sat around, knowing what a lunkhead Lothos can be and waited for him to come out and spill the beans.”
Sophie's eyes widened.
“Is anyone safe from your anger?” Lothos asked blandly, having found his voice at last.
Ethenia seemed to genuinely ponder that question before she pointed to the kitchen door, “Him. I'm not pissed at him.”
Both Sophie and Lothos turned to the door. Xethre stood, half naked in the doorway, watching them all with laughing blue eyes.
Lothos growled. “Vampire,” he hissed.
“Wolf,” Xethre's mouth quirked up in the corners.
Ethenia jumped out of Lothos's lap and padded over to where Xethre stood, deathly still. “He—didn't keep anything from me. He didn't lie to me, and he doesn't have something to gain from all these machinations.”
“Not quite true,” Sophie said dryly under her breath.
Ethenia, if she heard her, ignored her. “So he's the only one I don't feel like kicking the shit out of right now.”
Xethre looked down at the golden-haired wolf standing so fiercely beside him. She truly was magnificent. Too bad she was spoken for. He shot a look full of humor toward where Lothos sat,
fuming and stewing. Oh, he would still love to have a taste of this little Loopin she-cub, but he would never consider keeping her. The two wolves were obviously a mated pair, or as good as mated. And, well, he would never be content to merely share someone's heart. He was greedy. In the end, he wanted it all.
“You're being childish,” Lothos said. At the darkening of Ethenia's eyes, he guessed that that had been the wrong thing to say.
“Childish am I? Oh really?” Ethenia narrowed her eyes. “Well, while I'm on the childish kick, how's this,” she extended her arm, rotated her wrist, and stuck her middle finger out at him, right before she turned and stomped out of the kitchen.
Right after she stormed past him, Xethre trod barefoot into the kitchen. “What was that about?”
Lothos sent him a dark look.
Sophie sighed, “Ethenia has just been informed that she is Lothos's bond mate.”
Xethre laughed, “You mean she didn't realize this before?”
Sophie cleared her throat, “Apparently not.”
“Well, that must have made for an interesting conversation.” Xethre said blandly.
“Extremely.”
Lothos growled and began to pace. He gritted his teeth, jaws clenching.
Sophie sighed, “Lothos, goodness, will you just relax. She is just blowing off some steam.”
“I'm going after her.”
Xethre grinned. “It's your funeral.”
Sophie glared at Xethre and cleared her throat before turning back toward Lothos. “Lothos, I would strongly advise that you wait until she has calmed down a bit. Right now she is sorting everything out. She is an intelligent girl; it won't take her long. If you push her,” Sophie's eyes deepened, “you'll lose her. She's only now beginning to realize everything that she is capable of. Too much, too soon, will frighten and scare her off.”
