~Xyana~
Stepping out of my room, I head straight downstairs and run into an Omega along the hallway.She directs me to Clifton's office and I head outside the pack house. Shielding my eyes from the fading rays of the evening sun, I turn the curve to the same complex building where Gaston's office is located.I pass the large living room and take the stairs to the first floor which brings me to a door with the tag; 'Beta Clifton.' My heart beats into my throat and I gulp down before knocking.He calls me in from behind the door and when I step inside, it is obvious that he isn't expecting to see me. But he immediately wipes the shocked expression from his face and clears his throat."What are you doing here?" He asks."Umm... The Alpha sent me."He stares at me, a deep scowl on his face. But I continue speaking. "He says you should reply to his mails immediately, and I should treat the message as urgent.""I just replied to his mail," Clifton tell~Carmen~ He says it so simply, I’m not sure I heard him right. “What?” I find myself gasping for the second time. “He’s dead, Carmen,” Elder Felix says more firmly, his own anger leaking into his voice. “He was killed yesterday by vampires.” “No,” I moan as the truth of his words hits, taking all the strength out of me. Elder Francis is dead…killed by vampires. The man who’s been my only protector in this cursed world is gone. “Yes, he’s gone,” Elder Felix says cruelly, “all because of girls like you who carry that awful, cursed mark around. A cursed mark that warrants the Sect to always protect you from their whoreful destiny. It’s sad that in the end of the day, you all will still end up with them, but on the Sect’s terms. Stupid terms that are always focused on exploitation anyway.” Looking up at the ceiling, tears stinging my eyes, I ask him, “What do you mean?” But he doesn't give me an answer. “Why?” I ask, but this time, I’m not asking Elder Felix, I’m asking god
~Carmen~ And I swear I feel something answer back. It’s faint... so very faint. But it sounds like my name. ‘Carmen.’ Soft warmth fills me at once, and it’s not the same warmth of the lust pumping through my blood. It’s the warmth of... affection. At least that’s what I think it is. It’s the only word my messed-up brain can come up with to describe the strange sensation. I let the warmth wrap around me like a fluffy cloud that will protect me. The throbbing between my legs begins to ease, not completely gone, but muffled. The air around me also seems to thin, and I find it easier to breathe. Sucking in big mouthfuls of air, my head begins to clear. The need to go to him is still there, but it’s not quite as extreme. I don’t feel like I’ll die from lust if I don’t find him and throw myself at him at this very minute. Which is good...almost too good. What happened? Where did this... protection come from? Did god take pity on me and decide to answer my prayers? Feeling
~Carmen~I startle awake.Blinking my eyes, I lift my chin from my knees and push through the stiffness in my neck to turn my head. Searching for whatever it was that disturbed me.But there’s nothing here. I push out of my little hideout into my room. Sunlight is streaming through the curtains. My phone is on the wardrobe floor, where I dropped it.Nothing is out of place. I’m completely alone.Sagging with relief, I let out a breath. It must have been a dream. He’s not here. He didn’t somehow break in while I slept.Sitting on my bed, I let my lashes lower, beginning to ease into sleep once again, but then I remember I can’t stay here. I need to get up. I need to move.Who knows how much time has passed? How much time have I already wasted?Jolting again, I open my eyes and look to the window, studying the sunlight. Given how weak it is, it must still be early morning. Which means I only passed out for a few minutes.Thank God.There’s still plenty of time to plan my escape. There’s
~Zegulf~Still, one can't take it away from the man that he’s after the welfare of his offspring. The request is for him and his family.Alaric is a large man, maybe an inch shorter than me, with a barrel chest and thick legs. If I didn’t smell the wolf deep within him, I’d mistake him for something else.His thick beard and long hair try without success to make him look much older than he probably is.“We’ll need a proper sit-down,” I say to him, “but now is not a good time. We need to get answers from the hunter before we act tonight.”Alaric grins through his beard. “No problem here. We’ll keep watch over your mate while you sort things out.”“The majority of my men can't be found in plain sight, still, If you need help with anything, don’t hesitate.”“I appreciate that. This city and the surrounding cities used to be big enough for my pack and Warsunng’s when we all migrated from the tropics. But over the last couple of years, it’s changing,” he says, and while I can sense he would
~Zegulf~Walking over to the man who’s not handling the prisoner, I reach out my hand. “I believe you’re Alaric?”“That’s me,” he says, his eyes flitting from me to the other men in the room as he takes my hand and nods his head at them.“Zegulf,” I say, and give him a firm shake.From the way he shakes my hand, I like him already. It’s firm, no sloppy handshake with him, and no power games. I can feel the respect he’s earned from his men and the respect for me.I pull my hand back. “I want to thank you personally for assisting us.”He smiles. “Thank you as well, from me and the pack.”Good, now is the time to ask what he wants in return for offering us help. So, I do, but his reply gets my chest to constrict.“Respect, Protection, and acceptance.”Is he kidding me? He seems like a loved and well-respected man. The loyalty from his men drips from across the room.“I don’t understand,” I tell him.“I have a son. He's a teenager. I want a union that will seal his fate as being untouchab
~Zegulf~"What can we do to keep you alive?" I ask him."Hmmm?" he asks, his voice now barely a whisper. "Nothing can work, Zegulf Landerman. I behaved like my father. I forced myself on a very unique soul-fated. Now I have to bear the consequence of my actions."Shaking his head, I see tears flowing down Oscar's cheeks. "I don’t have any information that might help you to kill my father." His voice cracks through the air in the room and we all stare as the first spurt of blood rushes out through his nose. "But you have to kill him for what he did. He heartlessly murdered a woman. Continuously forced himself on her until she gave up. Dargo and I know this because our nanny told us before she passed.""Brody, is there something you can do?" I ask my Beta, stepping closer to Oscar as I watch more blood force their way out of Oscar's mouth.Brody comes to stand beside me, shaking his head, slowly. "I can't keep him alive, but I can take some blood samples and run extensive tests to find