by Sydney Addae
She swallowed and nodded. “Yes. Please do.”
“I asked Astrid to tell you a little about me so that you would understand the urgency of the situation,” Barticus said his gaze flitting between them.
“She’s scared,” Peter said. “Never heard Astrid sound so spooked. But Bella’s not afraid so I’m not sure what happened.”
“I’ve been told to tell you everything. Which means your lives depend on keeping this secret.” Barticus paused at their widened eyes. “I know you didn’t ask to know what I must share with you, but there’s nothing else to be done. We all live with the hands we’re dealt.”
“Is my little girl in danger?” Peter asked.
“In a way, yes she is. But she does not realize it, not yet,” Barticus held up his hand to stem the questions. It’s better if I tell you in a way that makes sense and then you may ask questions.”
Regina exhaled and nodded. “Okay.”
Barticus told them of dual-natured beings and gave them a little history. He talked about breeders and how they’d recently discovered them. Peter and Regina stared at him with their mouths agape. “Do you have questions?”
“Wolves? Half-breeds? That’s… unbelievable,” Peter said in an agonized whisper.
Regina sat still, a contemplative look on her face and didn’t speak.
“Believe it, we are real and have been here for centuries. Now to get to Bella in all of this.” Barticus appreciated Regina’s calm handling of the information and wished she’d share some of that with Peter. The man looked as if he would jump out of his skin any minute.
“Thank you, I’m more concerned about her now,” Regina said in a low, calm voice. She patted Peter’s arm, but didn’t look at him.
“You believe him?” Peter asked her, skepticism riddled his question.
“Yes. And if you think hard you will too. Please continue Barticus.”
“Bella’s mother was a breeder.” Barticus paused and watched Peter sit back slowly.
“You knew Greta?” Peter asked.
“No. Bella’s a breeder and they are only born from breeders. There’s no other way,” Barticus said.
“What are the characteristics of these breeders again?” Regina asked.
“Longevity, fast healing, ability to give birth past the normal age. Also, they only conceive when they want, they stop aging and are very hard to kill.”
“My wife sickened and died,” Peter snapped. “She wasn’t a breeder.”
“Which makes her the only known breeder to die by mysterious causes. Had she ever been sick before?”
Peter frowned. “No. She never got sick. That’s why it came as a surprise when she did.”
“Do you have any idea what it was that caused her illness? A chemical reaction? Plant? Allergies? Anything?” Barticus pressed.
Peter shook his head. “No. I came home from work, dinner wasn’t done. I went in our bedroom to ask what happened and she lay across the bed like she was asleep. I tried to wake her, but she didn’t move. I got Regina, who brought a couple healers and after an hour or so of trying to help her…” He looked at Regina who looked straight ahead and nodded. “they got her to wake up.”
“She had some kind of rash spreading across her body. Later they turned into large dark spots,” Regina said softly.
“Was she in pain? Did she ever say what caused the marks?” Barticus asked.
“She had been somewhere outside the Compound,” Regina said frowning. “Greta always went into the mountains looking for certain herbs or berries for her medicinals. She never said there had been a problem. Plus, she’d been collecting them for decades…” She broke off and glanced at Peter.
“We’ll get back to Bella’s mother in a bit. Believe me when I say it’s important we learn what happened to her, but Bella’s situation is more pressing.” Barticus paused. “Bella is throwing off pheromones.”
Peter frowned. “Pheromones?”
“Mating pheromones. That’s why the men fought in the streets. They all wanted to answer her mating call.”
Regina gasped and covered her mouth. Something in her expression warned Barticus she wasn’t surprised. Upset, yes. Surprised, no.
“What does that mean, Regina?” Peter demanded looking at her.
“Greta was raped. Remember, she told us she was raped and conceived the twins,” Regina whispered.
Barticus closed his eyes. He’d hoped, prayed he was wrong, but he wasn’t. “Girls who died?” he asked.
“Yes,” Regina said as tears ran down her cheeks. “Greta still remembered the horror of what happened even after all these years.”
“Oh my God,” Peter whispered as he dropped his head into his palm. “Not Bella. Please, not her.”
Barticus wished he could ease their concerns, but he needed to prepare them. “I don’t know why Bella started her emissions —”
“What do you mean she started them?” Regina asked frowning as she wiped her face with her palm.
“Breeders control their breeding cycles. They turn them on and off. No one else. Most don’t know this and have been victimized in the past thinking they had no choice. But there is a trigger that they flip even if they don’t realize it.” He thought of the young wolf going through his first change and La Patroness remembering her boys at that age and wishing fondly to experience it again. That was all it took for her body to seek a way to make it happen.
“But she’s a virgin.” Peter looked at Barticus, his eyes begging for an answer.
“That doesn’t mean anything. At some point, she may have desired a child of her own,” Barticus said softly.
Regina gasped and shook her head.
“What?” Barticus said needing some good news or an explanation for this.
“A couple in our Order is having a baby. Mona may have told Bella,” Regina said.
It fit. “Being unhappy away from home, missing her mother, she may have wished for a child of her own. I can see that happening,” Barticus said and inhaled. “There’s more.”
Peter’s head whipped around. Eyes red and wide he shook his head. “Let it be good news. Something that will save my daughter.”
Adam could save Bella from being raped, but they may not like how he would shut down the mating call.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Adam stepped outside of the car and looked at the small cottages arranged in three intersecting circles. It looked peaceful. Separate and apart from the world. In the distance he saw gardens, a barn, a garage and beyond that, fields with crops. In the inner circle stood three larger buildings. He wondered if that’s where Bella and the others went to church. Or did they call it a temple? Stomach twisted in knots, he wiped his palms on his pant legs.
Inhaling deeply, he sought Bella’s scent. Although not as potent as the first time, an inexplicable craving to possess her slammed into him. He isolated her scent and zeroed in on her location. She was close. Eager to claim their mate, his beast pushed against his chest. If his father hadn’t strengthened his hold last night, Adam would be running toward Bella, hell bent on mating with her right now without consideration of anything else.
Madness indeed.
The conversation last night with his mom regarding breeders helped him understand on a human level what his mate was going through, but it was fast becoming evident his beast refused the advice to go slow.
Alpha Barticus, Adam’s parents, and Jarcee had all offered encouraging words of advice and assistance. Now it was up to him to win the girl and mate with her to shut down the call.
In all honesty, he hoped Bella didn’t really want a baby and would be satisfied with sex. Adam wasn’t ready to settle down with kids. He’d just left home on his own for the first time and loved it. If there was a way to have Bella and wait on the pups, he’d opt for that. His parents weren’t sure if that would work but encouraged him to try.
Nervous and a little anxious to get started, Adam searched for the person who was supposed to meet him. Barticus ex
plained the Priestess and Bella’s father were more concerned about her not accepting him than the fact he was a half-breed. According to them Bella had never shown interest in any guys. They’d wondered about her sexual preferences actually. Barticus hinted they would prefer Bella be with him, a rich, young, handsome breed rather than a woman.
He moved in the direction of the houses and stopped when he heard his name.
“Adam?” A tall, slender man with salt and pepper colored hair walked through the woods toward him.
“Yes. Peter?” Barticus thought Bella’s father would be the one to meet him.
The older man nodded, waved for Adam to follow him, turned and walked in the direction he’d come.
With one last glance at the cottages, Adam followed. Neither spoke as they walked out of the Compound toward the mountainside. Adam wondered where they were going but didn’t ask. Instead, he reached out to Barticus. “They knew I was coming for Bella, right?”
It took a few seconds for Barticus to respond. “Yes, they agreed one person was better than many. But they aren't happy about all of this. They’ll go along to keep their Compound secure. That was the determining factor.”
“He’s taking me into the mountains somewhere.”
“Who?” Barticus asked.
“Peter. He’s heading into a building, I don’t sense any other heartbeats.” Adam followed the man and stopped inside the small, empty space.
“Call me if you need anything.” Barticus said and disengaged.
“Let me see this animal you turn into,” Peter said.
Adam stared at the man.
“We’re giving my daughter to someone we don’t know based on information that may not be true. Before I talk to my child, before I see the look of betrayal and pain in her eyes, I must be sure there is a genuine threat to her life and to the Order. Granted, you’re a big fella, so was the other one, but I must see with my own eyes so that I have no doubts.”
“Okay.” Adam looked around the space. It would be tight. Looking inward, he called his beast and flowed into his wolf.
“Lord Jesus, it’s true!” Peter backed against the wall staring at Adam. “How can you be that big? Was all of that inside you? How is this possible?” With each question, Peter’s fear eased until he stared at Adam as if he were a science project in a petri dish.
Adam morphed back into human and met Peter’s gaze. “When will you talk to Bella?” Adam had expected that particular conversation to be over and done with.
“Regina will talk to her after we’re done here and I send her a text.” Peter pulled out his phone, tapped a few times and then replaced it in his pocket. “In addition to seeing your wolf I wanted to ask about the others who may seek out Bella.” He paused. “They can’t come here.”
Adam nodded.
“Understand what I’m saying. No one, not people seeking to mate with my daughter or her mate, none of you can come here. We are a private Order Visitors are not allowed.”
Adam frowned. “How do you plan to stop that? Once her scent floats on the air, they will come. It’s how we’re wired.”
Peter exhaled, looked at his clasped hands and then looked at Adam with a troubled gaze. “Regina and I talked for hours, prayed, sought guidance and came to the same conclusion. My baby has to leave.”
“What?” Shock raced through Adam. He hadn’t expected that.
Tears pooled in Peter’s eyes. “Our purpose, what we do here…” He shook his head. “We cannot allow it.”
“How can you turn out your daughter when she needs you the most?”
Peter ran a shaky hand through his thinning hair. “I know. I know,” he whispered.
“She just lost her mother,” Adam snapped, angry on behalf of his mate.
“Yes, I know.” Peter closed his eyes and inhaled. “Regina is contacting Barticus. In exchange for providing a safe place for Bella, we will allow the doctor to examine Greta’s items and her body to determine the cause of her illness and death.” He looked at Adam. “We never do that, but this is the best compromise we could live with.”
Although he hated how this would impact Bella, Adam preferred to deal with her away from the Compound. Plus, his father made it clear how important it was to know what made a breeder sick and die. Instead of agreeing, somehow, he felt that would be a betrayal to his mate. He turned and walked out of the building and contacted Barticus.
“Where are you sending her?” Adam asked as he made his way back to the car. There was no need to talk to Bella while she was angry and upset. He understood. She’d just returned home and was being sent away again. If that didn’t put her in a pissy mood, she wasn’t human.
####
Bella stared at the Priestess for a few seconds, blinked and shook her head. “Wolves? Are you serious?”
The Priestess nodded. “You and Greta are, were breeders. Remember I told you that your mom was much older than me? She babysat me when I was a toddler.” Regina smiled and grew pensive. “I always thought she had great genes. She always stayed in great shape and never looked older than she did when I was a child.”
“That doesn’t mean that she, we, are whatever this guy told you. I don’t want kids, so that should stop everything, right?”
Regina shrugged. “I don’t know.” She leaned forward and took Bella’s hands. “Think back. When you were in Rome, did Mona tell you about Chad and Nanette?”
“Yes, she told me.” Bella frowned as she recalled that night.
“Did you wish you could have a baby? A little one to love of your own?”
Bella snatched her hands from Regina and covered her mouth as her heart raced with the truth. That night, she thought about a man of her own, children, a family. She frowned. No one knew about that night, even she had forgotten. “Seriously? Just because I thought it would be nice to have a baby didn't mean I wanted one. Not now anyway.”
The Priestess nodded. “Think. Did the men start fighting the next day?”
“Oh my God,” Bella groaned and covered her face in her hands. “Yes. I’d been out before and it never happened. That was the first time.” She removed her hands. “It was bad. Really bad.” She shivered at the remembered sound of bodies hitting flesh, the growls and fear that choked her.
“I know. But it creates a problem. You’re still releasing the pheromones.”
“What? I am? I didn’t know!” Bella jumped up ringing her hands. “I am so sorry! Please forgive me. I would never bring trouble to the Compound. I need to leave before they come here.”
“Sit before you fall down,” Regina said softly.
“No, I’ve got to think. Maybe I’ll go back to Astrid’s. But that would put her at risk.” Her stomach twisted in her belly as she realized she had no safe harbor. No place to retreat. “What should I do?” she whispered and sank back into her chair.
Regina took her hands again. “Barticus has a safe house for you until the pheromones stop attracting…people. According to Barticus no one knows much about breeders so he doesn’t know how long it will take.”
“As long as I’m a threat to our Order, I won’t return.” The words tasted bitter on her tongue, and her future looked bleak but she meant every word.
The Priestess rubbed her shoulder for a few moments. “Would you like to take someone with you to keep you company?”
Bella thought about Mona but remembered Jaiden and Mona might be getting serious. Should she pull her friend from that? “I’ll talk to Mona, but no one else I can think of.”
“Okay. Greta would be so proud of the woman you’ve become. This was very hard on you and your father. He doesn’t want to lose you too. We will all miss you, Bella. Come back to us soon.” Regina hugged Bella and walked out of the room.
Leaning back in the chair, Bella closed her eyes and prayed. “All my life I’ve been told to trust in You, that there is a season and a purpose for everything. But men who turn into wolves? And they want me?” That baffled her. She shook her head. “I’m struggling to
be thankful as we should in all things. But being a breeder seems like a curse, not a blessing.” She paused and wrapped her arms around her waist. “Help me to fulfill my duties, give me the courage and the strength to do whatever I must to protect Mother Mary Magdalene’s secrets. Protect our Order and all those who serve.” Tears rolled down her cheek, heartbroken at the thought of leaving home again. In the back of her mind, she knew she wouldn’t return. She was too different. To attract those kinds of men, something was fundamentally wrong with her. Just knowing she could jeopardize the Order’s mission made her stomach turn. She would never do that.
Maybe taking the heat to save the others was her personal mission. She wasn’t sure. Standing slowly, Bella returned to her bedroom, saw her unpacked bags from yesterday and sighed. Had she known on a subconscious level she’d be leaving again? She wasn’t sure and it didn't matter.
The Priestess was right. The men fought after she created her dream family which included children. Even if she didn't know men would fight in the street over her, she did all of this to herself. Thinking of her mom, she lay across her bed. “Did this happen to you? Is this what you meant by being different? Why didn’t you tell me in one of your journals?”
A loud boom split the air.
The house shook as the ground shuddered. Dust drifted from the ceiling coating her hair and shoulders. Coughing, she curled into a fetal position, covering her head as she prayed. Moments later she heard someone calling her name and slowly moved off her bed.
Her father ran inside, saw her and with arms outstretched, pulled her close, hugging her tight. “Bella, thank God you’re alright. I was so worried.”
When his arms wrapped around her, she sunk into the warmth of his embrace. Eyes closed, she stored a lifetime of memories while in his arms. “I’m okay, Daddy.”
“Good. Good.” He paused. “Regina said you’re…you’re leaving.”
The hurt and pain in his voice almost crippled her. She wished she could remain in the shelter of his arms and hide. Frightened sounds of her friends, other believers, strengthened her resolve to do what was best for the Order. “Yes, for now. Until whatever’s going on with me is under control and there’s no longer a threat.”
