Broken (40 page)

I could feel my mind trying to shut down,
hoping to cushion me from the worst implications of what was
coming. I knew it was going to be bad, could feel it in a
sickening, only seconds away from vomiting kind of way, but
couldn't follow the chain of logic through to the very end.

I let Jasmin help me pull my books together,
and then numbly followed her out to the hallway. Alec, and the rest
of the pack were waiting for us at my locker. Jasmin, calmly opened
my locker and put my things away while I was still trying to come
to terms with everything.

Alec took my hand. "Are you ok?"

I shook my head. "This is going to be really
bad isn't it?"

His silence validated my belief, probably
even more than he realized. "I'd...we'd...spare you it if we
could."

It was my turn to shake my head. "No, this is
my fault. I belong here, not cowering in a corner somewhere."

Rachel hugged me from one side while Dominic
placed a gentle, dark hand on my other shoulder, and then we were
off.

Brandon, and what must have amounted to his
entire pack, were waiting for us just off school property. The two
leaders faced off as everyone else fanned out around them. Jasmin,
Isaac, and the others all maintained calm exteriors that were
markedly different than the eager, often sadistic expressions of
Brandon's people.

"I demand satisfaction on behalf of my pack
for the two of our number that you brutally murdered. This is
within my right under the laws that bind us. I demand two lives for
the two lives robbed me."

Brandon's expression was confident and a
little smug, and I somehow didn't doubt in the slightest that he
really expected Alec to calmly hand over two people to be
executed.

Alec hadn't even flinched at the demand.
"Your wolves were lawbreakers who were executed before they could
break further laws. The protection of the people, of the secrets
that guard our nature from the dayborn, represents a law that
supersedes any question of territory or dominance."

The energy suddenly rolling off of the
gathered shape shifters, nearly drove me to my knees as Alec
continued.

"By their actions Adriana Paige learned of
our nature, and it was only by the grace of the Maker that I was
able to stop them from killing her. Their deaths were an
unavoidable price to save an innocent."

Some of the faces across the circle from me
flinched a little, and I had a moment to wonder if Brandon hadn't
told them the truth about what'd happened.

"Her life belonged to me, it was mine to
dispose of as I saw fit."

I opened my mouth to protest, but closed it
at a sharp jab in the ribs from Rachel.

"The ancient laws don't support her life
being a disposable commodity, extinguished at your whim. Not even
the bond of Ja'tell provides you with that right."

Brandon's grin was wider even than before.
"Ah, but those aren't the laws under which we labor now are they?
She's mine, and I have every right to do whatever I wish to her.
Her presence among your pack is a direct affront to my rights and
honor. I could demand your life, be glad I'm only requiring two of
your pack."

Alec shook his head, face more emotionless
than even a second before. "By the same laws set down by Adjam and
Inock when they first took mates from among the dayborn, I
challenge your bond of Ja'tell. I challenge your standing among the
people, and your personal honor. The dispute between us is such as
can only be settled by blood."

For a brief second it seemed Brandon had been
taken by surprise, but he regained his equilibrium while I was
still trying to understand what was being said. He closed the
distance between himself and Alec with such quickness that for a
second I thought they were going to fight then and there.

For the first time I realized just how much
bigger Brandon was than Alec. I'd never seen them so close
together. They were so careful not to cross paths, it was possible
this was a true first, but seeing them now there was no way to get
around the fact that Brandon was at least two inches taller, as
well as being broader and more muscular. I'd seen Alec shirtless,
and he had the incredible physique of a swimsuit model, but
Brandon's was that of a professional body builder. Either of them
dwarfed me, but Brandon gave off an air of menace that even Alec's
controlled power couldn't offset.

Brandon's next few words came out in a low
growl that I couldn't make out, and then he slowly backed away from
Alec before he and the rest of his pack disappeared from sight.

I finished processing everything about the
time Alec turned and walked back. I opened my mouth to protest, but
he shook his head at me as we all fell into formation around
him.

From what little I knew about Alec's pack, it
wasn't uncommon for them to spend time together without the kind of
chest beating byplay that was so much a part of Brandon's group,
but our lunch table was even more subdued than I'd expected.

Faced with an almost complete lack of
conversation, I didn't have the courage to ask some of the
questions on my mind. It wasn't until I'd followed Isaac to my
history class that I finally worked up the nerve to find out more
of what was going on.

Once the substitute had called roll, and then
more or less turned the class loose for a 'group study session', I
turned to Isaac and whispered my first question.

"This fight between Alec and Brandon, it's
for real? I mean they aren't just going to fight until first blood
are they?"

Isaac's nod was hesitant, like he knew I was
headed towards things he wasn't supposed to tell me. "I'm afraid
the contest is quite serious, but still nothing for you to worry
about."

That didn't add up in the slightest. "I don't
believe you. At least not the part about it not being anything to
worry about. You all wouldn't have been so worried about Alec
bringing me home Friday night if this was all no big deal. None of
you have argued with Alec about anything since then, but Friday
night James, Jasmin and Jessica were all ready to rip my head off
over his express orders."

The nod I received this time was even slower
than the first. I waited for Isaac to say something, but he seemed
unwilling to give away anything I hadn't already figured out for
myself.

"Can he win? Alec I mean. Can he ki..beat
Brandon?"

Isaac's sigh was eloquent, "I'm forbidden to
speak on these things, to do so risks no small amount of Alec's
displeasure."

"But you're going to anyways aren't you?"

"It is right that you know the sacrifice
undertaken on your behalf, both by Alec, and by the rest of our
family. The one because of his feelings for you, the other because
of our respect and love for Alec."

"It's true then; he can't win."

"While it isn't impossible, it's unlikely.
Alec is a remarkable fighter, to hear Donovan speak of it, he's
possibly even almost the equal of his father, but Brandon's
strength and speed have not seen a match in centuries. It's likely
Brandon will emerge the victor."

Even though, or possibly exactly because it
was what I'd suspected, the words sent slivers of ice through me.
My heart seemed to be having a hard time maintaining a steady
rhythm, but I forced myself not to give into the panic attack that
was promising temporary relief from the horror of my life.

With what I'd just been told, I should be
able to put some of the pieces together. "Once Alec is dead,
there'll be repercussions for everyone else?"

Again the short, reluctant nod. I had so many
questions I still wanted answered, but it didn't seem fair to get
Isaac in any more trouble than he was already in."

"Will you be ok? I mean with Alec. He's not
going to torture you or anything for telling me is he?"

Isaac's smile somehow completed his face.
Funny how I'd never thought there was anything wrong with it
before, but after finally being rewarded with something more than
his normal, serious countenance, I had the first hint why he was
one of Rachel's favorites among the pack.

"It's likely I'll be exceedingly sore for the
next few days, and my ego such as it were will likely take quite
the beating, but our Kir'shan, our Alpha as you would say, isn't a
bad sort."

That was a relief. It also meant I knew
exactly what I was going to do when I saw Alec next.

Half an hour later, I was following him down
the hall towards Physics and wishing I'd had more time to prepare.
Alec slowed as we finally arrived outside the door to Mrs.
Alexander's classroom. I carefully craned my head around him, half
expecting to see Brandon's entire pack waiting to ambush us.
Instead the pause seemed to have been caused by the fact Mrs.
Alexander had been replaced by a sub.

"Do you mind if we don't go to Physics
today?" Alec's question should have been lost in the clamor of all
of the kids walking by us, but somehow I picked his voice out as
easily as if we'd been alone together in the forest. Was that
another mystical power granted to alpha shape shifters, or just
because I was so hyper aware of him?

"I thought you said we'd get in trouble if we
started cutting school."

His easy, graceful shrug pulled his black
polo shirt tight across his shoulders. It seemed impossible that
anyone could be so well built and tightly ripped that you'd be able
to see every muscle through his clothing, but there he was.

"I may have exaggerated slightly. Odds are
that I can convince the secretaries to make your absence here
disappear, and mine hardly matters."

I throttled down my first impulse, the almost
overwhelming desire to say yes, to do anything required to spend
more time with him, and instead focused on the opportunity to get
inside his head, to learn some of the things moving him.

"But that isn't why you want to skip."

"No, I find that I'm strangely unconcerned
right now with what the future may bring, and this seems entirely
too good an opportunity to waste on a substitute that knows even
less about physics than we do."

I returned his smile, and grabbed his hand,
tugging him in the direction of the outside door. We didn't go far,
stopping in a little cluster of trees no more than fifty feet from
the school.

"So is this nearly-complete disregard for
consequences typical?"

Alec gazed at me with one of his
indecipherable looks for several seconds. Feeling more than a
little self-conscious, I tried to let go of his hand and scoot a
little further away, but he maintained his grasp. "Please don't. I
didn't mean to make you nervous. It's just that you continue to
surprise me."

"It's more than a little creepy how you all
can do that. Are all shape shifters born with the ability to read
people's minds?"

The smile was back, gentle and teasing.
"Minds no, scents yes. The human body is quite marvelous in how
many different systems it recruits to match its mood."

The way Brandon had seemed to always know
exactly the right thing to say at any given time suddenly made
sense. Alec let me process his latest little tidbit of information,
and then continued.

"Actually, none of us are born with any
unusual abilities. All of the changes tend to show up more or less
around puberty. And no, disregard for the consequences of my
actions isn't typical. In fact I've spent nearly a decade weighing
almost every word."

"So dashing off to rescue an admittedly
stupid teenage girl and landing yourself in a fight to the death
that you probably can't win isn't how you normally run your life.
Why did you do it then?"

Again the silence, but this time, more
completely enveloped as I was by the tingly warmth that seemed
synonymous with being in his presence, I was content to wait.

"Apparently Isaac's decided there are a few
things you should know. Don't try and tell me it wasn't him, you
didn't know that particular piece of information an hour ago, and
nobody else has had the opportunity to tell secrets."

I felt myself tense up in worry, but he waved
my worries away. "In answer to the core of your question, Jasmin
thinks it's because I've finally gone over the edge, that in
essence I've snapped due to the stress, and this, 'obsession', as
she terms it, is merely a novel way of committing suicide."

My heart started racing again, but he wasn't
done. "The other school of thought is that I'm more of a healer
than anyone realized, and that I couldn't resist your obvious
need."

He'd lost me there. "Wait, what do you
mean?"

Alec paused for several seconds before
answering. "You glow. All of the time. Until now we always thought
someone had to be shape shifter to do that."

"But I'm just a normal person. Why would I
appear different than anyone else?"

Alec's shrug was enough to send my heart
racing again, but not enough to distract me from his words. "With
shape shifters, we believe it's because the animating energy, the
soul if you will, burns more brightly than normal. I think it's
tied in with what allows us to shift forms. With you, there isn't
any obvious reason, but I think that Dominic has probably hit upon
the root of the matter."

His pause this time wasn't just to collect
his thoughts; I could tell he was tempted not to tell me whatever
he was thinking.

"You know that our legends indicate a belief
we were created in order to watch over and protect humans? Well,
Dominic believes that your light represents a defense mechanism. We
don't know of any accounts where humans have burned so brightly,
but it's possible the primitive parts of you, the ones that
remember what it was like to be watched over by our kind, hit upon
a way to call for help from us, while not admitting a problem to
your own kind."

He was being so vague that it took me several
seconds to follow the explanation to its logical conclusion. "So
you're saying that I was, am, so broken I glow so your people would
be able to pull me aside and fix me."