Wyrd Calling (Wyrd Bound Book 1) (9 page)

He landed with a heavy thud, but almost immediately tried to stand again. His body refused, and he lowered his eyes, nodding his acceptance of the defeat. I smiled and kept my breathing calm and steady, refusing to give any hint at the pain I was in or how my lungs strained for oxygen. Dan was going to be my problem, and he knew it.
 

Ryan and Nik moved to their knees and lowered their heads with their hands tucked in their laps. I lowered my head in acknowledgment and acceptance of their submission. Dan looked between them and me before finally adopting the same position.
 

The tension remained in his neck and shoulders, but he kept the position until I said, "We are pack. I am your alpha, and I accept your loyalty."

They all laid back out on the patio under the bright blue sky and relaxed for a little while. I maintained a standing position and only stretched a little. I ignored my injuries and kept my composure. I could not afford to show weakness.
 

I focused on keeping my breathing calm and steady while the pain crept back into my consciousness. Ark would not be happy at the work he'd have to do. I couldn't help smiling as I felt him step out into the garden. I glanced over to Alex, who gave me a smile and a shrug.
 

Ark simply said, "I had to keep an eye on you."
 

We grinned at each other. He strode past the cubs and gave me a tight hug. He whispered, "How's it going?"

I nodded and said, "Not too badly."

He pulled back and looked at the cubs who were all blood splattered and sprawled out on the patio. He raised an eyebrow and sighed at me melodramatically. He couldn't keep the smile off his face for long though. Adam stood in the doorway to the house. His eyes darted around everything before they settled on Ark. He was such a nervy little thing, I was half worried that the cubs would try and eat him alive. Adam swallowed, put his head high and his shoulders back and then walked across the patio over to Ark, with the large healer's bag Ark had owned for decades in his hand.
 

Ark stroked Adam's hand affectionately as he took the bag. "Check the guys, would you? I'm going to start with Thalia, oldest first..."

He gave me a big grin as I lightly punched him in the arm. "You're not much younger than me, my dear elf!"

He couldn't resist a, "Still younger."

We laughed together as a group. It felt good, to be a part of something. The adrenaline was still present, giving me that exhilarating buzz. Alex stood and came closer. He hugged Ark and surveyed the damage I'd done to the cubs. He stood between me and them, shielding their view as Ark lifted my shirt to check the damage. I rolled my eyes. He always was protective and mildly possessive. It was something I'd grown used to. Shifters are naturally that way, after all, and part of me liked it.
 

Ark tutted and sighed as he patched me up. The bright red salve felt warm and relaxed the surrounding area. It sent a shiver down my spine and left me feeling mildly fuzzy and distant from the world. Once he'd finished, I lay back on the grass and enjoyed the feeling of the grass beneath me and the bright blue sky overhead. Things were looking up, and everything felt so... good. My mind wandered through the surrounding trees and giggled at the tall flowers dancing in the light breeze. Everything was fantastic in that moment that seemed to span days, maybe even weeks. The feeling passed and my body began to ache once more as my mind returned to its usual state. Ark declined Alex's offer to join us for dinner. He mentioned something about the local fae and smelly furry creatures. We hugged once more. I couldn't resist kissing his cheek. He gave me a mock-disgusted face and wrapped his arm around Adam's waist before leaving. I shook my head, trying to realign my mind with its usual feeling and understanding. It took a moment, but I was myself again.
 

Ryan and Nik were stripped down to their underwear. Their bloodied clothes had been discarded on the patio. Dan, who looked the worst out of them, had kept on his filthy, blood-stained shirt. I couldn’t understand why, but I was feeling too good to argue. Part of me tried to state that I had to remain slightly distant and hold my place as their superior. I ignored it.
 

I walked over to Dan and placed my hand on his shoulder. "I admire your determination. You'll be a good addition to my pack."

I smiled at him and found it being genuine. He had a lot of potential, but I hadn't expected to feel anything positive about him. My head hadn't quite returned to normal, I concluded, and wandered off back inside. The cubs seemed to be in a similar state to me, much to Alex's amusement. The rest of the evening passed in something of a blur. I thought I had felt some strong arms carry me upstairs to my wonderful nest, which had been covered in crisp, fresh, rose-scented bedding, but I couldn't decide if I dreamed that. I had no idea what Ark had put on me, but the concrete conclusion was an, ‘it's fantastic.’

10

It took a little longer than I'd usually have liked, but I woke up and wandered down to breakfast. Fuzzy memories flitted around my mind as I quietly ate breakfast by myself out on the patio. Alex sat down next to me - a little closer than I would have liked, but I accepted it.
 

We sat in a comfortable silence for a little while before he said, "You did well yesterday. It's the last day before we head over to the city, though. We need to make sure we have everything ready to go."

I groaned to myself. Somehow I'd managed to forget about the task with the murders. It had all felt like a warm, happy thing, and in that moment it crashed down and my mind finally snapped into focus.
 

I turned to Alex. "Where do we stand with things?"

He looked into my eyes. I felt his energies creeping closer to mine. I raised an eyebrow and scowled at him. He hadn't tried to push that hard previously. I didn't know what made him think he could try it then.
 

He broke the contact and said, "The cubs seem to be settling in reasonably well. They're showing some respect and cohesion. Their fighting's pretty good. It's not exactly perfect, but it'll work well enough."

I ran it all through my mind. The fight the day before had gone well. Yes, we'd all been injured, but it was nothing that would impede us by the time we got to the city. I frowned as Dan's face flitted into my mind, those intense dark blue eyes and that stubborn determination.
 

"And Dan?"

Alex curled his lip a little and his eyes flashed before he calmed himself. "He’s definitely the most difficult of the lot, but there's potential there."

I nodded. "And us?"

Alex searched my face once more. His mouth tightened before he shrugged and looked away. "We communicate. Sometimes. Neither of us has attempted to harm the other."

A corner of my mouth twitched in some semblance of a smile. "We're not there yet, though."

"None of us is."

With that, he stood and left. I lay back on the decking and cursed the Sisters again while running my fingers over the choker they dared mark me with. They were sure to be damning me, so I saw no reason to hold back.
 

I closed my eyes and found myself thinking of Lee. It had been a long time since I'd spent more than a few minutes with him and I wanted the comfort of his presence. We had an odd relationship, but I needed it, needed the security and the thrill. I pushed it all away. I knew I was in a huge mess, and I needed to make it less complicated, not more. I opened my eyes to find Dan lying next to me. I had to give it to him, I hadn't heard or felt him.
 

He looked over at me with his eyes half closed in a relaxed, almost sleepy way and said, "Did you mean what you said yesterday? About being proud to have me in your pack."

I had to think back for a second before that odd, genuine smile formed. "I did."

He nodded and closed his eyes, basking in the sun. It truly was a mess, but I was quite determined to make the best I could out of it.
 

Once the sun started to rise properly and become too hot for comfort, I wandered inside and sat on a stool near the breakfast bar where I watched the boys preparing everything to go with us to the city. Accommodation had been arranged, we just had to take what could potentially be useful and hope for the best. Alex laughed at something Nik said. He patted him on the back before leaving to retrieve something. I tilted my head and was tempted to eavesdrop on the conversation, but I decided it was more interesting just watching them. Nik was very organised in his packing methods. He routinely pulled out the items Ryan had thrown into the bags and placed them back in carefully. Everything in its place, and a place for everything. Alex returned and focused on the more ritualistic side of things as he carefully wrapped the blades and tucked away a couple of talismans. I found my hand wandering to play with a feather on the choker about my throat idly. I hated them for that marker, but I grudgingly accepted it.
 

Ryan began grinning as he gestured and talked animatedly, which made Nik and Alex laugh uproariously. I couldn't help but sigh as I watched, feeling apart from things. I almost jumped when Dan sat down next to me and said gruffly, "It stings, doesn't it? You being here on the outside."

I smiled softly. "Sometimes."

I was torn on how I felt about the situation. It was good to see them relaxed and forming those bonds, but I couldn't help feeling set aside from everything. I knew it was my own fault, my refusal to try harder, but it bothered me nonetheless.
 

"I understand more than you know. I’ve always been left watching from the outer circle too."

I looked at Dan, trying to puzzle out what he meant. He was sitting as close as I would consider allowing him, and he leaned in a little closer. He was always pushing. I held back the wolf as it growled and bristled, instead allowing the raven forward to maintain calm insight. His eyes took on an amber hue, and he sat up a little taller as his fox side stepped forward. I couldn't help but lean forward in curiosity. I hadn't met a male fox shifter before. It was something of a fascination to me. I tilted my head from side to side as I felt his energies smooth and sharpen at the same time. He watched me intently. Each little movement was observed. The shift was incredible.
 

I found myself standing and walking around him. Where he usually felt chaotic, aggressive, and pushy, he now felt smooth, curious, relaxed, and poised. He was ready to make his move instantly. His laid-back decisiveness was fascinating. My eyes wandered down over his casual T-shirt and scruffy jeans. While his posture was upright and ready, his muscles were entirely loose and at ease. He didn't follow me as I walked around him and returned to my seat. Instead, he simply listened. I looked deep into those rich amber eyes and felt the clear-cut understanding he had of the world in that moment. A small smile skimmed over his lips, but his eyes remained entirely emotionless, he finally spoke when I had finished exploring the change in him.

"You haven't met another like us before, have you? Another tri-shifter."

The question was only out of polite respect for my position. His tone clearly made it a statement. It ruffled my feathers a little, but the curiosity, the need to learn more overrode it immediately.
 

"No, I haven't. Have you?"

He smiled. It looked odd on his face. His cheekbones had become slightly more angular in response to the shift. The expression had a cold, calculating look about it that didn't quite reach his eyes.
 

"No, I haven’t, and I must admit that I am curious about you. To finally meet someone who may understand. We’re oddities. We don’t quite fit in anywhere."

I nodded, but didn't take my eyes off him. I didn't want to miss a thing.
 

He closed his eyes for a moment and his energies became swirling tendrils that lazily moved around him. He opened his eyes to show golden irises and a broad grin as his tongue slipped out over his lips. He slouched a little and leaned on the breakfast bar. Cougars I had met and dealt with before, but the change was clear. I wondered how others dealt with me when I did the same thing, the separation of self and almost multiple personalities.
 

He never took his eyes off me, and I had to ask, "How do others react to you, when they find out?"

He bared his teeth, which sharpened a little. A tawny-coloured tail slowly emerged from the top of his jeans and proceeded to flick from side to side. I watched it moving back and forth while I held back the jaguar. It wasn't the time to play.
 

He finally covered his teeth again and said, "Badly."

I raised an eyebrow and used my position over him to ask, "How do they react?"

His tail flicked more aggressively as he looked away and began to sheath and unsheath his claws. "Sometimes with fear, since they don't know what I am and they don't really want to find out. So they drive me away. Sometimes it's just aggression; I'm a monster and a potential threat. "

His tail stilled and he shrugged before the tail vanished entirely and his face returned to its usual impassive and mildly aggressive state. His golden eyes returned to their deep blue, but kept a few specks, a little reminder. I was entirely absorbed in the process and didn't realise someone else was talking to me.
 

"Thalia... are you ok?"

I looked to my side to find Alex standing next to me with a look of bemusement on his face. Ryan and Nik were standing just behind him.
 

"I said we're done packing, just waiting on your bags."

I shook my head and thought for a moment before it hit me.
 

"Oh, right, yes. I'll just throw a couple more things in then bring them down. Thanks."

Dan smirked at me. The jaguar won and I curled my lip baring my teeth at him. He was like me, but I was still the alpha. He lowered his head immediately. At least he was learning. Alex's hand brushed mine as I walked past him. I felt the familiar tingle and brushed it to one side, instead trying to remember where I'd gotten to in my packing.