by B F Worlds
"I was going to continue our conversation from yesterday but, in light of the circumstances, I think I will come back later. Goodbye Dean. Dugen, come with me."
"Yes sir." Dugen was walking to the stairs when Franklin grabbed his arm. "Sir?"
"The cage. You've left it unlocked."
"I don't believe Dean will be going anywhere."
Franklin looked at the two girls and Viktoriya felt her face heat under his gaze. "I see what you mean Commander. We better get on then."
-
Dean swore inwardly as the two men left. The atmosphere was charged already but, once they were alone, Dean could practically feel little bolts of lightning crackling along her skin. Vikky's tight hold of her wasn't helping any. Her wolf was slamming against her mental barrier so hard, it was physically painful, like a fist banging on the inside of her skull. For the hundredth time since she'd been on the run, she thanked the gods for giving her people the ability to control their change with their blood.
She groaned and Vikky shifted in her arms to look up at her. Dean had never seen anyone who looked like her. She had a serious face; a long nose, thin lips, and sharp ears. Long, straight black hair fell down her back, her bangs falling low enough to partially cover her cloudy gray eyes. It was a bone chilling color, unnatural even, and she imagined it wouldn't be very fun having them turned on her in anger. She was lean, whipcord thin, with just enough curves to show she was a woman.
In her pack, someone so small would be a submissive, but she could tell the girl was a dominant from the expression on her face when she first came into the basement. She stood tall next to her alpha and her commander, what had to be two of the strongest wolves in her pack, instead of ducking into their shadows. I'm going to have my hands full with her. Shit, I don't need this right now. She needed space, desperately.
Slowly, Dean disentangled them and moved away. She saw the hurt expression on Vikky's face and it felt like a knife was being buried in her chest. "I'm sorry. It's just....this is very sudden."
"Of course. Of course." Dean could see her struggle to pull herself together. "I don't know what you think of me, jumping at you like that. I think I might have made a fool of myself."
"Don't worry about it." A smile tugged at Dean's lips. "I'm not exactly complaining."
Vikky returned the smile hesitantly. "Great."
They lapsed into silence again, watching each other. Dean felt like a recruit stepping onto the training field for the first time; nothing but restless energy with no idea where to put it. Actually, I have a few ideas where I could-
"Dean?"
Dean snapped out of her thoughts to find Vikky frowning at her. "Sorry, I was dazed. You asked me something?"
"I was asking you, what happened? How did you end up here? I had part of the story, but the details were left out."
"I was chased by rogues." She'd said it so many times the lie had begun to feel natural but she could hear every dishonest syllable when she spouted it to Vikky.
"And that's what has us so concerned. Rogues don't normally behave in that manner."
"I can't help you. All I know is what happened."
"Can you remember any details? How many there were? Any distinctive clothing? Did they say anything about what they were plan-"
"I didn't have time for a friendly chat while they were trying to kill me!" Dean popped to her feet and began to pace. "I ran and I didn't look back, okay? I don't know anything else!"
"Alright." Vikky was on her feet, holding her palms up. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound insensitive."
"No." Dean stopped, forcing herself to let out a deep breath. What are you doing? Get a hold of yourself! Your life depends on them believing you. Stop making doe eyes at the pretty girl and remember your duty! "I'm sorry." She lowered her eyes to the ground. "I shouldn't have raised my voice to you."
-
The change was so sudden and complete, Viktoriya would have sworn that someone had swapped Dean out with a double. First, there was this mysterious girl who gave off an electric energy that set her hair on end. The moment she mentioned the rogues, that girl was replaced a sniveling submissive who wouldn't even look her in the eyes.
Any other wolf would be all too happy to believe her act but Viktoriya wasn't fooled. Not with her wolf telling her to expose her neck and submit. Maybe it was the magic she could feel weaving itself between them, but there was an instinct that told her that Dean was lying and would do anything to keep the lie up.
With a sinking heart, Viktoriya concluded that Dean was very likely a danger to the pack. She pushed down the wolf's infatuation and studied the rogue, because that's how Viktoriya had to think of her, with the eyes of the Guard she was destined to be. "The alpha intends to let you stay here for the time being. But, we don't entirely trust you yet. We'll be watching and sending people out to validate your story."
"Franklin is very kind. I am most grateful for his mercy."
"Come on. I'll take you to him. We still have more questions for you."
CHAPTER 11
Franklin was starting to believe Dean. It wasn't rare for packs to live secretly in the more remote regions of the country and they had found evidence of a living space where she said they would. On top of that, the girl had an ignorance of the world that came from isolated living. In his thorough way, he'd had Dean tested and her scores showed she had received a very basic education. All of that, put with the fact that he could see no benefit to her lying, made him inclined to trust her.
That, and the fact that she was Viktoriya's mate.
It was puzzling and Franklin hated puzzles. It didn't make any sense. People were romantics and liked to blow up the mate bond bigger than what it really was. Changers had very low birth rates, one in a thousand chances of getting pregnant. Mates were the two most favorably matched to ensure offspring.
The wolves could tell just by being in each others' presence and they dragged their human's emotions along for the ride. The love and tenderness a person claimed to feel from the bond was akin to heat in the natural world. A means to an end. So why would two girls be mated?
He'd never had to take a stance on gays. They just didn't exist in the packs. Until now, he thought bitterly. Yes, he was against it, but not because he had anything against the life. It had more to do with his ruined plans. He needed Viktoriya and he liked her the way she was; unquestionably loyal and devoted to the pack.
He liked the cold efficiency she used to handle problems. It reminded him of her father, the previous guard commander. He had never felt safer than when Viktor Volkov walked at his back. The fallen guard's daughter was Franklin's good luck charm. He knew she wanted to follow in her father's footsteps. He would never allow that, but having her among the Guards boosted morale.
She was so eager to please, he saw no problems molding her into the future wife of his chosen successor. But she was a woman. The romance of a mate was going to throw all that out the window.
There might be hope yet. At least Dean wasn't aggressive. If he could break her, his plans would be salvaged. The first step was understanding her.
A knock on his door brought him from his thoughts. "Enter."
Viktoriya stepped in, closing the door behind her. "You called for me Alpha?"
"Yes. I wanted to talk to you about Dean." He hid a frown when his normally composed girl visibly became anxious. Already, she's starting to lose focus.
"What about her?"
"I think there's a place with her with us."
"...I think so too."
"Right. The new school year will be starting soon. I plan to have her enrolled in your year. She's far behind in her studies, but the standards of that school are pretty low. I'll be counting on to make sure she passes all of her classes."
"Is that wise? It's one thing to assimilate to the pack, but from the sound of it, she's never had to be around humans."
"She's a submissive. They have a much easier time about it. And she'll be surrounded by pack
if anything goes wrong. I'm sure you're willing to keep an eye on her."
Viktoriya nodded. "Of course. Thank you."
"One other thing. The Guards found several tracks leading into the city. We think there were more rogues with the ones that attacked Dean and if they have a score to settle, they'll be watching her. Keep your eyes peeled."
"Yes sir."
-
Lucien had told them stories about the changer packs. He'd described them as a weaker, inferior race that had forgotten their honor for a place at the feet of vampires. Dean had found that many of the things Lucien said were exaggerated, but she grudgingly acknowledged that he was correct in the case of the Freewood Pack.
For one, they lived separately. She had been brought to Franklin’s house, which housed Franklin, Viktoriya, Dugen, and four Guards that were dedicated to protecting the alpha at all times. Everyone else was scattered to the winds it seemed.
Majority lived in the city or the surrounding area, but there were a couple who lived at the very edge of the state line. If there was trouble, it would take hours to organize their forces, not minutes. On the plus side, she admitted, it made it harder for one massive attack to devastate them, like what had happened to her home. Then again, on the negative side, if someone targeted them, they could pick the wolves off one by one and she doubted Franklin would be any the wiser.
The worse part was their attitudes. Wolves would come to visit the house and Dean would tuck herself in a corner nearby to watch. All they talked about were their jobs, or human politics, or, gods forbid it, TV shows and movies. Their arms were soft, their faces were round, and she couldn't imagine a single one of them defending themselves. The rogues, little more than animals, were in far better condition and she wasn't surprised they were worried about their presence. These wolves looked like a strong wind could knock them down.
The only thing missing from Lucien's warnings were the fanged overlords and if the vampires didn't have control now, they would soon. The Freewood Pack was ripe for conquer.
Still, she decided she would stay with them. Franklin had offered her a place in his house, a very nice place. She had good food, water, shelter, clothes, and the Guards had taken to tutoring her, something she found more and more necessary as she traveled.
Then, of course, was the issue of her mate.
Thankfully, the emotions had calmed some. Her thoughts tended to stray toward Viktoriya every other minute and, if the girl was in front of her, Dean could barely string together intelligent words, but at least she wasn't stalking her anymore. She had even unnerved herself, following Viktoriya through the day. But the wolf demanded to be close and she couldn't fight her curiosity.
If she looked at it objectively, Viktoriya was rather boring. She spent her time in the study, pouring over endless books. On alternating days, she was with Dugen. Dean wouldn't risk bringing up awkward questions by following him, but they came back in the middle of the night, covered in dirt.
Viktoriya tried to start conversations. They were always stilted and quick to end. Dean realized it was her fault. Somehow, Viktoriya could tell she was lying and it was building a rift between them. Dean was between a rock and a hard place, because telling the truth would get her in much more trouble. It was ironic. If her home hadn't been destroyed, she would have never had met Vikky, but there was no place for the girl on her quest for revenge. The gods must love me. My misfortune is especially amusing for them.
She was in the room they'd given her, scowling over a math book, when her door swung open and Viktoriya appeared in the doorway. "We need to talk."
Dean shut the book. Oh, good thing she didn't knock. That might have been rude. "Of course Viktoriya. Anything you need."
"I told you to call me Vikky."
"I couldn't possibly address a Guard so casually. You and Franklin have done so much for me. The least I could do is address you respectfully."
Vikky eyes blazed with anger and Dean hunched away from her, though inside her wolf was figuratively wagging his tail. Gods, but she's sexy when she's angry. Must be my Amarok blood kicking in. "He has commanded that you attend the local high school. The new year starts in a week. We have a lot to cover before then."
"High school? With humans?"
"Yes, with humans. Is that going to be a problem?"
"No, of course not. I'm happy to follow the alpha's directive. It's just, I don't see the point in it. My tutoring is more than sufficient here."
"Yeah, but if you plan to stay with us, you need to understand how to behave in society. This isn't your backwoods group of mutts breeding in the woods. We're modern wolves. Our survival depends on our ability to blend in."
Dean stiffened at the insult. "Whatever you say," she hissed.
Vikky picked up on her tone. "What? Don't tell me you're angry? You angry with me Dean? Is it because I called your family a bunch of inbred terriers?"
She couldn't stop the growl that came from her throat. "Stop it."
"And what if I don't? What are you going to do about it? Cowering in the corner every time a shadow passes by you. What the hell can a coward like you do, huh?"
Coward was the last straw. In a flash, she had Vikky against he wall, a hand on her throat. When the girl tried to break her hold, Dean gripped her harder and lifted her into the air, giving her a shake. "Stop fighting me!"
Viktoriya let her hands fall to her sides, whimpering. Dean let her feet touch the ground but she didn't remove her hand. "Don't ever, EVER, insult my family! I deserve every insult you want to hurl at me but my father....my mother....." Her speech trailed off to a growl.
What am I doing? I'm supposed to be blending. If anyone came in right now, I'd have a manhunt on my hands. The thought helped her remove her hand and step away. She kept her head ducked so Vikky couldn't see her teeth grinding together with frustration. She shouldn't have gotten angry like that.
Before, she wouldn't have. When she was just another member of her pack, control was natural to her. Now, her temper was a coin flip, even chances on her lashing out. The odds were stacked against Viktoriya this time though. Mate or no mate, she wouldn't let anyone soil the memory of her family. "Please get out."
"I don't get you," Viktoriya whispered, rubbing her neck. "I don't know why you're hiding who you really are, but I know for a fact that you're dangerous. The gods know I should tell my alpha about this and have him throw you over the state border."
"Yeah?" Dean raised her head and glared at her menacingly. "Then why don't you?"
"Because I want to believe in you!" Viktoriya yelled, slamming her foot down like an irritated child. "Maybe it's this stupid mate bond, maybe I'm a nice person, maybe I'm too curious for my own damn good, but I want to believe in you. I want to understand you and, if I can, I want to help you. People don't usually get a second chance and I won't waste mine."
Viktoriya shook her head and turned to the door. Before she left, she looked over her shoulder. "Tomorrow, meet me in the study. We have a lot to cover before you're ready for school. I'll be watching you Dean…I really hope you don't disappoint me."
CHAPTER 12
Viktoriya was right, there was a lot to get through. The supernatural races were more organized when than Dean thought.
The vampires were the most segmented in their ranks. One ruler sat at the top, the King. From there, it went to the Lords who controlled the separate regions, the Counts who ruled over individual states, and Barons who ruled individual cities.
The Fae were more flexible. Higher Fae, those of a pure bloodline, were nearly extinct. What was left were the Halflings, there half human descendants. They were divided into Families, one Higher Fae and all its children. Most of the Fae ruled their families independently, but a few had banded together to form a Council. The Council rarely got involved in others' business, except to prevent any action that would reveal their existence to the world.
The changers were the least united. There were far fewer of them than the other races, all s
pread out, each pack ignorant of each other. Dean was disgusted by it all. She imagined every alpha was thinking the same thing; they could manage their wolves, but could they face someone of equal status and come out on top? They weren't willing to sacrifice their own desires for the betterment of their people.
Just like Lucien.
One thing she was sure of was that she couldn't stay here for long. Alphas saw only what they wanted to see so it was easy to fool the changers. These other races? Viktoriya told her that some vampires had the millennium long memories of their sires and Fae could tell what you were by reading your aura. If she ran into the wrong person, she'd be recognized.
Then again, she was learning invaluable information about the Otherworld, as the Freewoods called it, things she couldn't learn by sticking to the streets. Names and locations that could be crucial to figuring out who attacked her home. She'd even heard that one of the teachers was a Lady with direct ties to the Vampire King.
She'd hang in there for a little while longer, but she'd keep her bags packed under her bed. Dean had the feeling that if she was going to survive, she'd need to leave at a moment's notice.
-
Dean decided she hated school.
It had been nothing, but a circus since she woke up. Viktoriya had entered her room with several bags filled with clothes and a hard glare. "It's the first day. In a small school, everyone will know you're new and they'll be watching you. This is your one chance to make an impression."
She allowed the girl to play dress up with her for a while. After an entire hour passed, Dean got fed up. She knew Viktoriya was doing it because she wanted to break Dean's submissive act, but she couldn't take it anymore and demanded she dress herself. The outfit she chose was simple. Jeans, paired with a long sleeved white shirt and a black vest. She'd tied her hair back into a braid, tying a gold ribbon around it. There was bag filled with accessory options. Dean bypassed it. In her experience, jewelry only got in the way.
