BirthControl (11 page)

“I… I’m expecting a package, a personal package that I’d like delivered as soon as it arrives. I was told yesterday that all mail is checked before it’s routed. But…but I don’t want my package examined. It’s private and personal.”

His brow rose as though she say more. But she was too embarrassed. “I will alert the mail handlers to let this box?”

Throat dry, she nodded.

“Alright, I will tell them to allow your box to be delivered without examining the contents for danger.”

Relief flowed through her. “Yes. Thanks. I appreciate that.” She’d been wondering how to handle that problem after Tyrese mentioned the deal with the mail. She’d been petrified and tried to cancel her backordered vibrator. But it had shipped.

Closing the door, she sank against the wood and closed her eyes. It had been a long day and she wanted to slip into the tub and soak.

“Mom?” Tyrese called out.

She opened her eyes and watched him walk toward her.

“Everything okay?” He stopped a few feet away, looking her up and down.

Tired and wanting to be alone to think, she pushed off the door and offered him a smile. “I’m good. Jacque gave me a tour of the grounds and introduced me to some staff.”

“He did?”

“Yeah,” she said, passing him.

“Why?” He followed her.

“Hmm… I don’t know. I guess he was trying to make me feel welcome. But I saw the training building, is that where you and Rone disappeared?” She headed for her bedroom. Her head ached with everything she’d learned and she needed time to decompress.

“Yeah. Silas wanted us to meet his godson, Cameron, and sit in on a class with the trainees. Later we’re going to watch them fight. That’s what I came to tell you, Rone and I’ll eat at the training center. We’ll probably be late and might stay there if it’s real late.”

Too tired to care, she nodded. “Okay. Have fun.”

Tyrese stopped. “Fun? Are you alright?”

She glanced at him over her shoulder. “Just tired. I’m not cooking, so it’s good you’re gonna eat there. Bye.” She closed the door in his stunned face and dropped face down on her bed. Images of the tunnel, the spring, and various emergencies that would cause her to use those rooms flew through her mind.

As tired as she was, she recognized the tunnel was a safe place of last resort, an underground fortress. That Silas needed such a place rattled her nerves and filled her with apprehension.

As the reality of what she was doing settled, she covered her face with her pillow. Large sobs racked her body as the truth of her situation crashed around her. Silas had enemies. Enemies who’d kill her and her children without thought. Enemies that required an underground bunker to save them from.

“Oh Lord,” she said, breathing through her terror. For the first time she recognized there was a real threat to the children she carried. She quoted every Psalm she remembered, asking for protection. When she ran out of verses, she rolled over, at peace. She’d sent up her request and for the moment that was all she could do.

A thought struck her. “Goddess of the moon, I don’t know you, but Silas does. Please protect the babies I carry against all harm.” She paused unsure of any protocols for this Goddess. “Thank you and amen,” she added hurriedly.

Chapter Seven

Silas masked his presence so he wouldn’t be discovered as he stood at the back of the auditorium of the training building watching Cameron stretch and warm-up in preparation for his time on the mat. There were five Alpha candidates in the program and Stefan, the physical trainer, had used Cameron as a training partner. To date, one of the candidates, Felipe had been able to pin his godson a couple of times. Silas suspected the next contender would stretch his ward’s capabilities.

Arms crossed, Silas settled against the wall when Tyrone and Tyrese entered the building. The two were laughing over something when Stefan approached them. Tyrone nodded, placed his bag on a bench, and pulled his shirt over his head. Silas glanced to Cameron, who watched the twins in silence, then looked at Tyrone who was listening to Stefan. Silas had introduced the twins to Cameron the day they'd arrived at the compound, but he hadn’t shared the twins' breed status with anyone except Jacque.

It was important not to muddy the waters regarding breeds before the trainees recognized what they’d be up against. Cameron hadn’t said much in the past few days. Stefan reported the younger wolf had been moody, distant, and only came alive during the more aggressive times of training. It bothered Silas that the carefree pup who’d entered the military was gone and in his place lived a volatile stranger. Now that he was here, Silas planned to do everything in his power to help his godson find his way through whatever had happened to change him.

“Cameron. Tyrone.” Stefan looked at each man and waved them forward to the middle of what constituted a ring. The two pups came forward, smiled at each other and then turned to Stefan.

“These two wolves will fight three rounds with a brief discussion of techniques between rounds. The first two rounds will be in human form, the last round as wolves. Each round is five minutes. Pay attention so you can ask questions and make suggestions.” Stefan looked at the trainees who sat a few rows away. After securing their agreement, Stefan moved out of the ring, then nodded as he sat down.

The moment he nodded, Cameron jumped toward Tyrone. Tyrone flashed to the side and kicked Cameron in the back, sending him crashing to the mat. Cameron pushed up, flipped backwards, landing in front of Tyrone, and barely missed a punch to the gut.

Tyrone moved so fast, Cameron couldn’t land a hit. Every once in a while, Tyrone landed a punch somewhere on Cameron. Nothing big, but it came across as a score. Silas sensed Cameron’s frustration and hoped he didn’t lose focus. The trainees, who had all fought Cameron and lost at one time or another, leaned forward in rapt attention.

Silas glanced at the clock. There was one more minute in this round. He didn’t know how he knew it, but he knew either Cameron or Tyrone would do something that would change the trajectory of the fight before Stefan called time.

And then it happened. Cameron leaped forward into the air, did a series of kicks of which only a couple landed. But those were enough to slow Tyrone down for a minute so that Cameron was able to slam him onto the mat, place both hands on his neck and press him into the mat.

“Time,” Stefan called as he returned to the mat. Cameron released Tyrone and offered him a hand. Tyrone hesitated and then accepted the hand. Both men stood heaving, taking gulps of water from the bottles handed them.

“Questions? Comments?” Stefan asked, looking at the trainees.

Silas’ gaze remained on Cameron and Tyrone. The two men stood next to each other answering the questions directed at them. Most dealt with Tyrone’s speed and canny ability to avoid blows. Cameron’s face changed as more and more questions were directed to Tyrone and his style of fighting. It was obvious the fight had taken more out of Cameron than Tyrone. Cameron had been on the defense from the beginning. Silas brushed against Cameron’s mind with the intent to offer encouragement, but Cameron stiffened and shut him out.

“Okay, round two,” Stefan announced, and then sat.

This time Cameron waited for Tyrone to attack which probably wasn’t the best strategy. Tyrone slammed into Cameron, knocking him back, and then hit him with a series of machine gun blows that echoed through the auditorium. It happened so quickly that Silas was beginning to think Tyrone had been playing with Cameron the first round. By the time Cameron moved out of harm’s way, he was staggering.

Tyrone backed away, allowing Cameron time to pull it together. Silas released a breath, glad the pup remembered this was a training exercise. Cameron shook his head, popped his neck and rolled his shoulders before he looked at Tyrone and nodded.

Smiling, Tyrone walked forward a few steps, and then turned to the right just as Cameron flew past him. Spinning, Tyrone caught Cameron from the back and slammed him to the ground and placed his foot on his chest for a moment, then backed away. Silas glanced at the clock just as Cameron jumped up and ran at Tyrone. It was obvious his godson was losing his focus and it came as no surprise when Tyrone jumped and flipped mid-air, landing behind Cameron and taking him in a choke hold. An audible gasp from the trainees and then the applause knocked Cameron from his star status. Red cheeked, he stopped trying to remove Tyrone’s arm.

The clock hadn’t finished, but everyone agreed this round was over. Tyrone released Cameron slowly. Cameron turned and nodded to Tyrone before looking at Stefan.

Coughing, Stefan stood and spoke to the trainees. “Questions?”

Silas hurt for Cameron and wished he could say or do something to diminish the pain of embarrassment the younger man felt. He sent mental images of times in the past when he and Cameron had wrestled. They’d laughed and played for hours it seemed. A ghost of a smile appeared on Cameron’s face as he looked around the room.

“Last round,” Stefan said. “Shift.”

Tyrone flowed into his wolf. The large dark brown wolf ran into the ring and sat on his haunches. Silas smiled. Of the twins, he’d always thought Tyrese was the greater threat because he always seemed so serious. Today he saw another side of Tyrone. The pup was no light-weight, he couldt hold his own in battle.

Cameron pulled off his pants, a sign he was growing tired, and changed. His black wolf with two white stockings strode into the ring and sat. Both wolves were similar in size and height. Standing they looked at each other, baring teeth. Cameron began the dance by feigning right and then going left. He barely missed Tyrone’s flank.

That’s when Silas noticed the energy in the room changed. He wondered if Stefan picked up on it. Silas looked at Tyrese, who sat forward with his eyes glued to the fight.

“Are you involved in this?” Silas asked Tyrese.

“No, sir. This is all them. It’s not going to end well, one of them is going to limp out of here. Rone’s wolf’s taken over and he’s a mean son of a bitch. The one thing guaranteed to rile that wolf is to fuck with his legs or sides and Cameron just did that. This fight just got real.” He paused. “Should I tell Stefan?”

Silas exhaled as he watched the fight escalate into a true battle between wolves. “No. He knows and feels they have to play it out.”

“Okay, but your godson will not leave unscathed even though he’s fighting Rone with everything he has.”

“How can you tell Cameron’s giving it his all?” Silas moved closer to the mat.

Tyrese snorted even though his eyes never left the two wolves. “Look at Rone. He’s not playing. The only way to stay alive is to give it your all.”

Silas agreed. Cameron stumbled.

Tyrone pounced, snarling and baring his teeth at the fallen black wolf. Silas sensed Cameron’s shame through their link before Cameron shut it down and bared his neck to Tyrone. The silence in the gym was absolute for a second or two, and then the trainees jumped up, clapping and talking over each other.

Silas’ eyes remained on the two wolves, hoping he wouldn’t need to intervene. Tyrone sniffed Cameron and then stepped back. A minute later he returned to his human form and stood naked over Cameron.

“Come on, man,” Tyrone said to Cameron, waiting.

Cameron shifted and accepted Tyrone’s hand as Tyrone had accepted his at the end of round one. Mentally, Silas congratulated each combatant, praising them for the educational insight. Tyrone had locked down his wolf and nodded while glancing at Cameron. Cameron’s wolf was still agitated and he was having a hard time locking his beast down.

“Stand down Cameron,” Silas said, prepared to put the beast to sleep if Cameron could not.

“I need to run. Lately, that’s the only thing that calms him,” Cameron sent back.

“The session is almost over. The trainees look up to you. Control your animal until the class is over and then run. I won’t tell you again.”

He sensed Cameron’s scoff and pain. “They may have looked up to me before, but not after I got my ass handed to me. Tyrone’s good. I imagine his brother is just as good. The trainees can work with them now. I’m going for a run.”

Silas threw his energy into Cameron, grabbed his wolf and sent him to sleep. Then he forcibly sat Cameron on a bench near Stefan throughout the remainder of the class. He felt his godson’s anger flare, then change into some type of hazy lethargy. It was as though Cameron had no thoughts or emotions. Even his posture changed to a slumped position on the bench.