Twin Flames (10 page)

The warriors had parked their vehicles at the Kendrick's vacant home and had made their way here on foot. From what I heard, they'd stayed out far enough to survey the house without drawing attention to themselves until MacCuill arrived. As the Magi had cast his spell to make sure those on the property wouldn't waken, the warriors had taken up formation alongside the house until MacCuill gave them the signal that had brought them inside.

I was reassured that no one on the property knew they were there, and no one had been hurt. I was responsible for the welfare and safety of everyone in my territory, and that included the humans.

The vehicles had been retrieved from Kendrick's place. The body of Caspian MacCuill, along with a message for Kevah Khortdad attached to the head of the dead Magi, was already loaded and hidden in one of the SUVs. Out of twenty warriors, six hadn't given me their oath, and I was waiting for them to leave. They were wrapping things up with Corey as I stood outside.

My living room was stained with the odor of cooked flesh. I had no idea how I was going to get the smell out. The snake that had killed MacCuill, had slowly constricted around the man's throat, burning through tissue and bone until the head was cleanly detached from the body. Everything was burnt and cauterized, but it had left a sickeningly sweet smell behind. Task completed, and threat eliminated, both snakes had slithered back into place on my body and merged once again into my skin, becoming a part of me. The snakes returning to their positions in my chest were just as nausea-inducing as their exit had been.

I had a couple of warriors help Gregori move Ushna to my room where Gregori could tend to him. Ushna had lost a lot of blood. He needed rest and food. Gregori expected him to be unconscious while his body recuperated and he promised to stay with Ushna while I handled the situation with the warriors.

I was exhausted from everything that had happened that morning. I couldn't feel the coil of power anymore and wondered if it was gone for good or if I was only completely drained. The healing Gregori gave me helped with my physical body and energy, but hadn't replenished the power, nor had it healed the tattooing on my back that had come with each Blood Oath. I hadn't attempted to figure out what it looked like. The whole thing had left me drained, stiff and sore, and it wasn't even eight o'clock in the morning.

Ushna. He was finally mine and already I was terrified he'd be taken from me. He was more important than my own life. I wasn't going to allow anyone to threaten or hurt him. The only way he'd leave my side was if he did so voluntarily. Desperately, I prayed I'd never give him a reason to.

I was standing on the front porch concentrating on breathing when my foreman, Randy, walked up beside me. His shoulder brushed mine as he crossed his arms. I didn't say anything. I wasn't sure what he'd heard or seen. What did you tell a human in a situation like this?
"Hey Randy, guess what! It seems that my family has lied to me all my life and I'm of royal blood. People I don't know tried to blackmail my friend, kidnap my lover, and kill me. But it's all good because I just killed them right back."

I could feel the tension coming off of him and I waited for him to say something.
"Everyone… every single ranch hand seems to have overslept this morning. Mason and Troy arrived about a half hour ago and woke them up."
"Is everyone okay? Is anyone sick?" Some of the tension left Randy with my question. I worried that MacCuill had lied and harmed the humans just to get a rise out of me.
"They seemed to be okay, just extra tired. My men have never…" Randy clamped his jaws together and slowly ground his teeth together.
"Maybe they're coming down with something," I said offering up a simple explanation, but I knew he didn't buy it when he shot me an incredulous look.
"I don't think that's it. I noticed headlights pulling up to the Kendrick's place and went to check it out. I should've called the sheriff but thought it was just a bunch of kids looking for a place to party. By the time I got there, the vehicles had been abandoned on the other side of the house and no one was around."
I pressed my lips together to hold back the curse that tried to slip through and held my breath. The warriors had said they weren't seen.
"Two dozen men went into the pasture and then split up. I tried to follow the tracks but there wasn't enough light so I was waiting for the sun to come up to see if I could track the trespassers when I heard a gunshot come from this direction. By the time I made it back to the car, and then here, Mason and Troy had arrived and were waking up those who'd overslept." Randy flexed his hands into fists a couple of times. "Was there trouble here? No one seems to know, and they didn't hear anything."
I could tell Randy nothing had happened, and he wouldn't have any reason not to believe me, but lying to him didn't sit well with me. There was too much going on, and I was sure I didn't know half of it. Keeping Randy in the dark wouldn't accomplish anything other than to break Randy's trust. I couldn't tell him the whole truth but I could tell him enough.
"There was a problem this morning with a visitor and a gun was discharged. The person who fired the gun won't be back," I said cautiously.
Randy hesitated before he asked, "Anyone hurt?"
"Ushna was, but it's nothing some rest won't cure." I rubbed my tired eyes.
"Is there trouble coming?"
I looked at Randy as his eyes scanned the road. "Possibly. Have the guys report anything out of the ordinary or if they see strangers on the property." I paused while Randy nodded. There wasn't a good way to say this. "Things may get strange around here for a while. It can't be helped and I may not be able to even explain it. Anyone who spooks easily, you may want to let them go now because I don't want rumors running rampant in town about what is going on out here. I'll pay two months' salary and give a written reference to those you let go."
Randy didn't say anything for a while. "My men are good men. They won't spread tales to folks. Should I make sure the boys are carrying?"
"That'd be a good idea. We may have a wolf problem. They are to show no mercy. If the wolf is on the property, shoot to kill. Have them bring the carcass up to the house. I'm afraid we're going to have more than our fair share of predators soon." I needed to make sure everyone knew not to shift on the property until other arrangements could be made. The front screen door opened and warriors filed out of the house. Randy stiffened as he watched them come toward me. They looked at me with the same reverence that Corey Bahar did and though it made me uncomfortable, I knew they honored me. Well, not me, but the fact that there was once again a royal Lycan for the warriors to serve. And yet, they were leaving and I didn't understand why.
Zafar, followed by the other five, stepped up to me and they all bowed low. I wanted to bop them on top of the head for doing this in front of Randy. I'd told them inside not to address me differently in front of the humans but hopefully I'd be able to explain their strange behavior.
"Xenres," Zafar said just under his breath, and then louder, "Sir, we would like to request… I know you told us not to come back without permission and permission is what we now ask."
"If you want to come back then why are you leaving?" I inquired.
His pitch black hair was cropped chin length but bent as he was it became a curtain that shielded his face. His hawk nose parted the shield of hair and Zafar looked up at me with hazel eyes that were startling against his deep bronze skin. "Today we have dishonored ourselves in your eyes, and we would strive to gain back our honor before we ask admittance."
Into your tribe
was implied even if he didn't say it.
I motioned for Zafar and the others to rise and my gaze paused on each face, looking into their eyes full of devotion. "I would give you my forgiveness now if you but ask me. Is that what you need to hear?"
"Xen… sir, you are too generous. Please, let us earn your regard. We would prove ourselves worthy of your trust, not through a forced oath," Zafar pleaded. I had already told them that they could leave but they acted as if I could demand that they stay and they would have no choice but obey.
I held out my hand to Zafar, "Then I'll wish you safe journey. May the path your feet travel find their way back home."
Zafar and the others gave me blinding smiles as the tension left their bodies. They each took my hand and allowed me to pull them in close for a one-armed hug. I whispered words of encouragement to each before releasing them, and then without another word they climbed into the SUVs.
Randy stood next to me, arms crossed as he watched the SUVs drive away. I waited for him to say something about the odd behavior of the men who were leaving. Out of the corner of my eye I caught him smirking, trying to hide a smile behind a fist.
"There is a dead rabbit on the back porch," Randy said. "Looks like a dog or coyote left it." Did I hear a hint of laughter in his voice? Nah.
I closed my eyes briefly. I'd forgotten my little gift for Ushna last night. Huh. Last night seemed like days ago. "We should bury the thing," I replied.
"I see you have guests. Is it a family reunion?"
I gave an ugly snort, relaxing into easy banter with Randy. "I guess you could say that and more are on the way. Is there room in the bunk house for," I had to count, "fourteen men?"
"Don't you have any women in your family?" Randy asked. Yes, there was definitely laughter in his voice.
"Yeah, Neesie will be here in a week or so," I said.
"One in fifteen is great odds for a woman, if you're not related," he mused.
"Or a gay man's wet dream," I deadpanned.
This time Randy did laugh. "That too."
"At least they can pull their own weight and help you out." There was a creak on the roof overhead, but I didn't look. I could feel the warrior perched there.
"Are they able to follow instructions or are all of them going to be as weird as the fella on the roof behind us?" It appeared the warriors were going to have to work on their stealth if a human could pinpoint them.
"I never said they were normal, Randy."
"Just saying, bad help causes more work."
I glanced at Randy out of the corner of my eye. He was having way too much fun. "I hear what you're saying. They'll be fine."
"I'll open up the second bunk house. It will need some work but since we have extra hands around, they can help."
"Sounds like a plan," I said. "I'm going to saddle Socks and find a quiet place to have my mental breakdown, so I can come back and act as if everything is okay."
Randy slapped me on the back and my vision went white for a moment as my body processed the pain. Randy noticed and grabbed an elbow.
"You're bleeding, you idiot," Randy accused.
"Yeah, I kind of figured." I was a little out of breath with the pain.
"You should have someone look at that." Randy suggested.
"Nope, I'm fine." I pulled until he released me. "I've a date with mental health, remember?"
"Would you like some company?" Randy offered.
"No, I shouldn't be long." I didn't add that I thought a warrior or two would come along anyway. "Corey!" I called and the man appeared around the corner of the house. "This is the foreman, Randy Aikman. He's going to show you where the men can stay. Everyone is going to have to pull their weight around the ranch, so please make sure they do what Randy tells them. Randy, make a list of supplies you need and we'll make a run to town later. I'm going for a ride."
I didn't wait for a reply from either man. I felt like I was slowly unraveling and I had to get away soon. I didn't want or need any obvious witnesses to the meltdown I could feel coming. Making quick work of saddling Socks, I rode her out of the barn and across the pasture to the river.
I needed just one hour of solitude so I could sort out what had happened. The action I wanted to take involved me, Ushna, and plane tickets to somewhere unknown and obscure. Unfortunately I'd flushed the option down the toilet when I revealed my blood line. I needed figure how to keep Ushna and Gregori safe. I had a feeling that in order to accomplish this I'd have to grab my heritage by the horns and force my will on it. That was going to be hard for me to accept, so much had happened so fast.
I'd always been average. There was nothing special about me and I liked it that way. I was content. I was finally moving forward, reclaiming my life, making, and planning a future with Ushna. And now, someone was pissing on my parade.
Why the fuck now? That bugged the hell out of me. Some part of me knew there wasn't a logical answer to the question, but it didn't keep me from looking for one. I'd used the Alpha Bond today. I now understood that was what had started developing in Seattle. But it didn't make sense because abilities the Alpha controlled should've begun to develop at puberty. I should've been next in line to run the Enkidu Tribe after Alpha Rory retired, not Theodore Sullivan. Instead, I grew up as a middling Lycan, someone of no stature or power. Rather than gaining alpha standing at puberty, it had developed in a back alley of Seattle. Not just any alpha status either. I was the ultimate Alpha of the Lycans, a royal Xenres of the Siamak line, the ruling family of all my people.
The royals of the Lycans had always had the ability to anchor and command the Lupe battle form, allowing the man to be able to control the beast. It was after Ushna went Lupe that this power had awakened. It was a logical explanation, except for one thing: the power had been contained, or bound was a better word, trapped in the core of my body. I remembered the first time the power came alive, and when it was done, when the danger had passed, it had retreated into confinement.
The most pressing issue of the moment was my royal heritage. Never had this come up in any family discussions. Why would Nate not tell me, especially after our parents died? Why had he keep a secret like that from me? Was there a reason why our father hadn't claimed his heritage? Was there danger to the family I didn't know about? Nathan had a lot of explaining to do when he got here. He was the eldest and should have been the king to our race and yet he wasn't doing anything about it, and I didn't understand why.
Socks clip-clopped along, oblivious to my frantic thoughts. A cloud passed over us, momentarily blocking the hot sun. The shade was nice but didn't last long.
The Magi were looking for leverage to use against Gregori. I wondered what they'd asked of him, because he'd obviously refused for them to go to these lengths to bring him under control. If it was just control of Gregori they wanted, they could've used anybody Gregori cared about. But they'd chosen Ushna. Why him? There had to be something I'd missed.
Socks's ears flicked out, she picked up her pace a little, blowing and shaking her head as another cloud passed overhead.
My shirt was sticking to the blood on my back, reminding me of the Blood Oaths. I'd bound myself to fourteen warriors. I was responsible for sixteen souls now. I didn't know how this was going to impact my life. Were they going to stay on the ranch with me? Did they have families? I wasn't equipped to run a full tribe.
For so long it had been just Ushna and me, tribe of two, his beta to my alpha. We'd been self-sufficient. I had to figure out how I was going to come up with money to pay the tribe members not employed outside. Normally, this would be the point where I'd approach the Council for guidance and help. Right. That wasn't happening any time soon.
Socks started an eager trot upon seeing the woods ahead that marked the river, anticipating a cool drink of water. The day was going to be a scorcher. Sweat covered my brow. I wouldn't mind taking a dunk in the water myself.
There was another question for my already scrambled brain. Why had Ushna become my royal consort? Why not Theo? I hadn't claimed or bonded with Ushna for him to become consort. I had never claimed Theo either, so what was the difference? And how was it that I claimed him as consort? Was it a conscious or unconscious act? Well, whatever the reason, I wasn't giving him back. Ushna was mine and I'd do anything to keep him. With firm resolve, I silently vowed I'd take up the reins of my heritage. Whether or not my brother wanted to announce our birthright, our race needed us. I wouldn't shy away from the responsibility. With Ushna by my side as my consort, lover, and partner, we would do what we could until Nathan was ready to claim the Seat of the Zeev, the Wolf Throne. We wouldn't hide from our people.
I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. I twisted in the saddle, looking back over the tall grasses of the landscape. A large copse of trees was in front of me, which followed the small river that dissected my property. This close to the water, the grass in the fallow field was knee high or taller. The land was dissected with deep runs from erosion, where the rain water wasn't absorbed into the red soil and flowed toward the river. A wolf darted across the trail and slipped into the green cover but I didn't see anyone else. I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched… stalked. I knew a couple of warriors were shadowing me in their wolf form, using the grass and gullies for cover, but this feeling wasn't caused by their presence.
I tensed with sudden realization as my eyes scanned the
cloudless
sky. A large shadow fell over Socks and me, blocking the sun, and that's when I felt it: the
wind
.
I didn't have to give any commands because Socks instinctively went from a trot to a full-out run toward the trees to escape the threat from above. I leaned over her neck trying to make myself as small of a target as possible. This time when the sky over me darkened, the wind was harder, more forceful, and for the briefest of seconds something dragged across my back from left to right followed by an earsplitting screech of a very, very large raptor. Three galloping strides later, we made the shelter of the trees.