Twin Flames (3 page)

"Tristan, please!" Theo entreated.
My temper flared hot and molten. My mark throbbed and oozed pus down my chest as I looked at the man I'd loved above all.
"You slept with a man, Theo!" I yelled in white, searing rage. "A man won't give you pups! You're a lying bastard!"
"No!" Theo protested, "he's my Flame too, Tristan. He might be yours as well. You have to believe me, the she-wolves are for pups, but the Lycan is my… our Flame!"
"Liar! Stop lying to me, Theo. You are foresworn! You broke your vows to me!
You broke your vows!
" My bellow turned into a howl of agony and shattered trust.

I regained consciousness lying on the cold council room floor. It was icy next to my fevered skin. I felt lightheaded and dizzy. The gallery had been cleared, leaving only the elders, the warriors, Theo, and me in the room. Ushna was holding me and the poison in my shoulder was burning through my body. The wound was abraded and raw. I was covered in cold sweat. I knew something had happened, I just couldn't recall what. Some grim knowledge told me I was dying.

The heavy chamber doors stood open, splitting the double helix snakes in two. I thought it was prophetic somehow. My elder brother, Nathan Janick, slipped into the chamber. He came straight to me, carrying his medical bag.

Nathan looked like me, only better. He was tall with the Lycan powerhouse build. He had the same brown hair and eyes, but on him they shined.

"Hey, kiddo. What kind of trouble have you been up to?" Nathan looked at my shoulder with shocked surprise. He pursed his lips. "We need to have this mark taken care of, Elder. I have to cut it and draw out the poison." Nathan forced a smile at me. Even though he tried to hide it, I saw the worry in his face. It was good that we had said what we needed to last night.

"Gregori Borchetta has been called," Elder Luis replied. "Do you know what Tristan has asked for?"
Nathan nodded his head once before looking down at me with assessing eyes as he unpacked his tools.
Elder Luis continued, "You may drain the poison after the Breaking. Drain it now and more poison will replace it. After the Breaking he'll be unconscious and beyond the reach of physical pain."
Nathan didn't agree with my decision. We'd argued about my choice last night with harsh words said on both sides. He thought I should stay. He wanted me to accept the judgment of the Council and work things out with Theo. I loved my brother, but I couldn't help wondering if he wanted me to stay because we, the Janicks, would no longer be in the alpha's inner circle.
Our family had been influential for centuries until our parents were killed in a car accident. Their deaths left the eldest, Nathan, as head of our house for which he was considered young. So he worked doubly hard to be heard by his older peers.
I had shared with my brother the secret that I was sleeping with the alpha. But on Theo's orders I had not even told Nathan of the bonding until last night. And though I'd wondered, I didn't truly believe Nathan would have me stay with Theo for political reasons. He just couldn't imagine leaving his Twin Flame. That, in his eyes, was a choice worse than death.
"You realize he cannot be alone until he stabilizes. Your family will have to make arrangements. The Breaking is rarely performed and the archives are vague on his chances of survival. And this one is far more lopsided than any I have found in the records," the elder said quietly to Nathan.
Theo struggled on the floor against the warriors who held him. His breath was coming in ragged sobs. I wasn't sure if it was from distress or exertion. "Please, please, please Tristan, please don't do this. Goddess knows I screwed up. You have to let me talk to you, let me explain."
If I could've plugged my ears, I would have. Even without looking at him, his voice was tearing me apart. Each word he spoke was like a little death.
"Control yourself, Alpha Sullivan!" Elder Luis snapped. "If you don't, I'll have you bound and gagged. Everything you say makes the poisoning worse. He'll die here if you don't shut up. If you didn't have to be here for the Breaking, I'd happily shove your ass in a cell until I am ready to deal with you." Elder Luis stood up and strolled over to Theo. "You'll bear witness to his pain. The pain you caused. You'll watch as his soul is torn apart because being bound to you any longer will kill him."
Theo went pale and silent at the elder's words. He said nothing aloud, but pleaded silently with those commanding eyes. I couldn't stand to look at him and turned my head away. It removed him from my sight but not my mind. My heart bled.
Tall and red-headed, the Lycan Magi Gregori Borchetta entered the chamber. He was a childhood friend and there was nothing about him that spoke to his training and power.
Gregori had hated it when the magic flared in him at puberty. He'd fought against it. He was the most powerful Magi born in the last five hundred years but he couldn't have cared less. His rebellion continued even now with something as insignificant as his attire. He walked in wearing jeans so worn they were almost paper thin, paired with a yellow T-shirt stained with car grease.
Though Gregori rebelled against the Magi institution with their sense of entitlement and archaic views, this didn't mean he wasn't knowledgeable. He looked at me with grave eyes, flashing Theo a look of intense hatred. The fact that Theo didn't explode at the glare demonstrated Gregori's skill and control.
I didn't want to rob Theo of his tribe, his family, or his life. I just wanted to be separated from him. I didn't want to cause problems. I didn't want people to feel they should take sides. What had gone unspoken was that Theo was a good alpha who truly cared about his tribe. But I wasn't naïve. Theo's infidelity would cause problems in the tribe and its hierarchy.
I was tired, so very tired. If I could hang on, I knew it would soon be over. Gregori knelt and ran his hands over me. I could almost feel him stroking my aura as he grinned boyishly at me.
"Nathan, who will be in charge of Tristan when the Breaking is complete?" Gregori asked.
"I will."
Everyone, even me, looked at Ushna. He didn't flinch under the stares. He was still and silent, his emerald eyes confident as he said, "Tristan won't fade in my care. I am his guardian."
Nathan broke the uncomfortable silence with a quick laugh. "Where in that statement was your request?" Ushna opened his mouth to reply but Nathan held up his hand. "I'll allow it, if it's what Tristan wants."
I had a small group of friends who'd grown up with me from when we were pups. Of all of them, only Gregori and Ushna remained. That was the way life was. Friends came and went.
Where Gregori was rebellious, Ushna was quiet and reserved. Something happened when we were kids that changed us all, but especially Ushna. At one time, he'd been a loud and boisterous boy. Overnight, he became quiet, never quite happy, sad. He was always on the edge of our small crowd. He watched, unwavering and unreadable.
Now he was asking to be my guardian. To allow him to come with me, because he knew without a word we wouldn't stay here. My friend was offering to drop everything in his life to take care of me. I didn't think anyone knew how long it would take me to heal from the Breaking. Yet he was offering to walk this nightmarish path with me so I wouldn't be alone.
It never occurred to me to say anything other than yes.
Nathan restrained my legs. Ushna straddled my chest and pinned my arms. With a grim face and determination in his eyes, Gregori took his place at my head. My view was limited to Ushna's stoic gaze and Gregori's inverted face, glowing with power.
I knew it was coming. I'd asked for this. Demanded it, and knew it would be awful. It would hurt, hurt like hell. Before the pain overwhelmed me, before the dark encroached on the edge of my vision, I realized the ragged screaming I was hearing… was me.

They meant it when they said it rains in Seattle. It wasn't a tropical downpour with big fat raindrops. It was a light rain, harder than a drizzle, and no matter what you did to cover up you got wet. I, of course, didn't put on extra clothes to protect myself from the rain. We were on a hunt. I needed to be able to move without clothing getting in the way.

My earpiece crackled. The tracker, Jasper Lewis, had spotted the target, Craig Stoiler, and was providing detailed information on his movements. Quickly I split the warriors into teams of two. I pinpointed their staging areas for deployment on the map before we started to roll out. The sooner we boxed the male in, the sooner I could get back to the hotel room and get warm.

The team for the expedition consisted of six warriors and three trackers: Jasper, Ushna, and me. I was the head tracker. Ushna could've taken the spot since he had the Scent of Ki, what we called Sniffer, but leading wasn't Ushna's style. It normally wasn't mine either, but I wanted this murdering bastard. He had come through western Oklahoma and killed a family in my territory. Not just any family either, but good friends of mine.

Stoiler, the Lycan rogue turned serial killer, was murdering his way across the country. He had gone from one town to the next until he'd come to mine; Clearwater, Oklahoma. John and Sandra Kendrick had been my friends for almost four years. They'd been our closest neighbors and the first to welcome Ushna and me to Clearwater when we bought the Rocking Rs Ranch. They had two precious four-year-old twin girls, with pigtails and dirty knees. The sheriff said John was tied to a chair and his family sliced up in front of him before John was slowly killed.

Two weeks ago we'd noticed the emergency lights down at Kendrick's spread. Concerned, we went to see if we could lend a hand. The smell of blood was the first thing that hit me as I got out of the pick-up truck. Sheriff Stephanie Marckell came out to move us along when I scented the Lycan.

I looked over at Ushna who had his nose slightly lifted in the air as he drew in a deep breath and shuddered. He looked at me with rage-filled eyes, confirming what we both knew. There was nothing more we could do for the Kendricks except track and catch the bastard who did this. I was able to get a few details from the sheriff before we left.

As I drove back to the ranch, Ushna called in a report of lethal Lycan activity to the Council. We volunteered to track him. The trail was fresh and we were the closest. The Council agreed, even though we were supposed to be on forced vacation.

Craig Stoiler was a slippery bastard. Always one step ahead, ghosting in and out of locations without being spotted. Regardless, we stayed hot on his trail. Even though he was always one step ahead of us, we were close enough he didn't have time to kill again. Tonight, Stoiler had been sloppy and we turned it to our advantage.

We crouched in the shadowed entrance to an alley off the main street two blocks from where Jasper last reported spotting our killer. Stoiler had been born in Atlanta, Georgia, in the Uras Tribe. He was thirty-five years old, although he looked to be in his mid-twenties. As Lycans, we lived about fifty years longer than the average human. This made us appear to young longer compared to humans of the same age.

Stoiler had started his killing spree almost a year ago. The Council thought they could attribute at least thirty known deaths to him. No one knew what had started this, or why. I didn't give a flying fuck. All I knew was precious lives were being cut short. People I cared about had been cruelly played with, tortured, and then murdered. Their lives snuffed out by Stoiler's blood lust.

A group of young women was walking up the street under large colorful umbrellas. They were laughing in that carefree way people had when life was treating them well. They were attractively dressed for a night out on the town, ignorant of the shadow following them.

Ushna quietly reported the sighting, "The mark is headed northbound at the corner of…"
As I watched, Stoiler slowed and came to a dead stop. He was no longer interested in the women. He'd once been a Warrior of Anat, but you couldn't tell by the way he looked now. He was unnaturally thin with hunched bony shoulders, long stringy honey-colored hair, and a sickly sallow complexion. If he weren't a Lycan, I would've assumed he was afflicted with some kind of illness. Lycans were hardy. We were blessed with good health by the Goddess, but Stoiler didn't appear to be a normal Lycan. It was as if the blood lust had taken a physical toll on his body.
I tensed in the shadows. Cold rain dripped down my face as Stoiler look up and down the street. He was searching for something. Had one of the teams given themselves away? Ushna was whispering a command in the mike to bring the teams closer in when Stoiler looked straight at me. I held my breath as our eyes locked. I didn't know how he'd spotted me in the inky darkness. A cruel smile twisted his pale, thin lips before Stoiler promptly stepped back into the shadows and disappeared.
I cussed under my breath. Immediately I left my hiding place and took off across the street. I dodged cars as I ran to where I'd last seen Stoiler. I didn't know how he'd made us, but he had. I knew if I didn't hurry I'd lose him, and then we would have to start all over again.
The place where I'd last seen Stoiler was at the head of a two-foot gap between the buildings. I had to turn slightly sideways before I could traverse the long corridor to another dark alley, this one behind the business. The pelting of the rain let up as I paused at the end of the corridor. I wasn't sure which way Stoiler had gone. Suddenly hands snaked out of the dark and grabbed me by my coat lapels. I was tossed like a sack of potatoes into the brick wall across the alley.
I fell onto my hands and knees in the dirty water. My mind screamed for me to, "Move! Move! Move!" but my body wasn't cooperating. That fucking hurt!
A steel-toed boot connected solidly with my midsection, forcing the air out of my body. I retched and coughed. I couldn't catch my breath. I suddenly wondered if this was it. I'd walked into dangerous situations hundreds of times over the last several years. Not once had I worried I'd die. Now, detachedly, I wondered if I was going to be beaten to death by a serial killer in a dark alley. With a clarity I hadn't had in years, I was shocked to realize I wanted to live.
I caught the boot that was meant for my face and pushed back with all my strength. Lycans were stronger than humans, but I was just average, and he seemed manically strong. I had to be careful or else I could be overpowered on a hunt. Sort of like I was now. Still coughing, I launched myself at Stoiler before he could recover from the shove. I caught him in the stomach, propelling him back into the opposite wall, one of my hands caught between him and the unforgiving brick. I ignored the pain. I'd take care of it later, if there was a later.
I tried kneeing Stoiler in the nuts and was blocked just as he landed a solid uppercut to my chin. Damn if I didn't see stars. He pressed his advantage and started to beat the shit out of me. I'd never come across such strength or ferocity before. In the back of my mind, I wondered if Stoiler was Gift Blessed. The thought did nothing to help me.
I was quick with my defense and worked on blocking his blows. He still managed to get in the occasional solid hit. I couldn't keep this up and I couldn't get a good shot in either. I knew if I didn't do something quickly, he'd wear me down and then kill me. A meaty fist struck me solidly in the cheek. I staggered and fell on my ass in a puddle of icy water.
A roar sounded as Stoiler was plowed into from the side. I didn't pass out, but for several long, slow seconds my sight went black and my head spun. Damn, he'd clocked me a good one. All the while, I listened to hairraising growls and snarls. The sounds made my heart stutter for a moment. Ushna's scent came to me on the wind and I tried without success to get to my feet. I had to help him. He didn't know about Stoiler's strength and I didn't want him to get hurt. A hysterical laugh left my lips before I could stop it. Who was I kidding? I couldn't get my ass off the ground and I was going to help Ushna?
I tried to get up again and suddenly, a man grabbed my arm and helped me to my feet. Looking around, I saw all six warriors were here. I couldn't understand why in the hell they weren't assisting Ushna. Temper quickly rising, I jerked my arm away from the guy who'd helped me up. I turned to give Ushna a hand when I finally noticed what the others had been seeing all along.
A beast covered in short black hair, wearing an overstretched T-shirt and pants, was hovering over the unconscious body of Craig Stoiler. Its hands were wider across than mine. The fingers were shorter, ending in sharp, thick, black nails. Enormous shoulders bunched and pulled the dark cloth of the T-shirt to the very limit as the wickedly sharp claws dug easily into the concrete on either side of Stoiler.
The brute used its bare feet to effortlessly scoop the pavement, kicking it backward. The massive strength of the animal made the act appear no harder than if it were digging and tossing soft sand. The pulverized concrete dust clung to the wet pant legs that looked to be on the verge of splitting over tight, muscled thighs.
The monster roared loud and long in Stoiler's unconscious face. The sound was terrifying, causing me to take an involuntary step back. Never in all my hunts had I seen anything like the creature in front of us.
I didn't know what grabbed its attention but bloodred eyes turned toward us. I stilled, holding my breath, fighting the fear that was trying to take over my body. Uncontrolled fury twisted its face, giving it the appearance of something just this side of horrific.
I clenched my jaw as my heart constricted with sorrow. I wanted to deny what I was seeing. Despite the twisted facial features, blood-colored eyes, and a mouth full of sharp pointed teeth, I recognized Ushna.
My best friend had gone Lupe. All Lycans could shift into wolves at will. It was an ability passed down from our ancestors, Enkidu and Gilgamesh. The Lupe was a third shape, a cross between man and wolf, that could be achieved only by those born to the Order of Anat and somehow he'd transformed into the legendary warrior half form. He looked down at the man at his feet, giving a chilling snarl. His lips lifted, and baring his razor-edged teeth, he snapped them in the face of the prone figure. With a casual backhanded slap, the body skidded and rolled fifteen to twenty feet down the alley.
Ushna arched his back and released a bloodcurdling roar. He kicked the nearest steel dumpster. The metal container shot down the alley, barely missing Stoiler's motionless form. The canister would've shot out into the street if it hadn't angled into the last building. Ushna was moving toward Stoiler even before the dumpster had crumpled in on itself, pulverizing the brick on impact.
The Lupe was the battle form of the Lycans, and assumed centuries before in the service of Shamash, the God of Justice. Only those of us who were identified as the Warriors of Anat at birth were capable of the Lupe form. After several hundred years without being called to battle, coupled with the loss of our king, we'd forgotten how to call and control our Lupe.
In extreme cases, the Lupe emerged in defense of spouse or family. Only those whom the Lupe protected could approach the creature without threat of injury. Technically, I was neither to Ushna, but I had to try. I hoped growing up and living together these last several years meant we had a family bond.
In a couple of bounds, Ushna made it to the unmoving form before I could get up the courage to call out. A harrowing growl made its way down the alley as Ushna casually grabbed Stoiler by the neck. The Lupe lifted the limp body into the air, shaking it as if willing him to move.
"Ushna!" I called, my voice clear and commanding. The Lupe stopped and raised his head to sniff the air. With a confidence I didn't feel, I slowly approached the Lupe. Red eyes full of rage turned and glared at me. I had to fight the urge to back away and run. That would be so bad. Lupes were the ultimate predator. If I ran, it would hunt and kill me regardless of what Ushna wanted.
Magic rolled off him, washing over me, tugging at my core. I reached out and placed my hand on his back. The muscles jumped and shivered at my touch as I gazed into those ruby eyes. "That's enough, Ushna. It is done." I gently stroked him while I studied his form. I'd never seen a Lupe in person. I'd read accounts of the great battles with the Ottomans and the Huns, that prepared me for what I saw.
Ushna was a beautiful Lycan with blue-black hair and emerald-colored eyes. In wolf form, he was large, dark, soft, and still gorgeous. I didn't know if it was because he was Lupe or if it was the physical power. Maybe it was his countenance, twisted with raw rage. Whatever it was, I realized for the first time, I was afraid of my best friend. Even as I thought it, I tried not to let my face show it.
I strained to control my trembling. The Lupe looked at me. I had a moment of sheer and utter panic. Didn't he recognize me? Had I just put myself within arm's reach of a creature that could kill me with a swipe of its paw? My fear spiked and the Lupe growled in response.
I clamped my teeth together as I concentrated on breathing. I had to get myself under control before the beast mistook me for prey.
I petted Ushna with smooth, soothing strokes. My hand trembled only slightly. "Come away with me, Ushna. We're done here." Surprisingly my voice came out low and calm.
Quicker than my eye could track, Ushna dropped the body and lunged at me. He dropped to his knees and buried his face in my stomach, his arms snaking around my bruised waist like steel bands. I held utterly still, afraid if I made any move, this creature of wild magic would eviscerate me with one snap of his powerful jaws and wickedly sharp teeth.
When nothing happened for a couple of minutes, I called forth the warriors to remove Stoiler. I was proud at how steady my voice was even as my hands shook with excess adrenaline. Sure, that's what it was… adrenaline. I was so fucking relieved my best friend wasn't going to kill me, I almost laughed aloud.
Hopefully, once Ushna was away from Stoiler, his rage would subside and allow the Lupe to recede so Ushna could resurface.
Ushna, nose pressed to my stomach, watched the warriors with his blood-red eyes peering just over his arm. He gave a growl of warning when a warrior ventured too close to us, but otherwise showed no other aggression. I stroked Ushna's head with a trembling hand. I liked the feel of his hair against my skin and realized we'd hardly touched in the years we'd been together.
Under my hand, the Lupe faded away, leaving Ushna the man clutching at me. I continued to stroke him as Stoiler was rolled and cuffed. I could feel Ushna's fine shivers as I stroked up and down the back of his dark head to between his shoulder blades.
"Be careful," I cautioned Jasper and the warriors. "I think he's Gift Blessed with strength."
The warriors nodded. Jasper came over to me, his appraising gaze taking in Ushna still clutched around me. "I'll have to report this to the Council."
Tension formed in my shoulders as Jasper continued to look at Ushna. I didn't like the way he was eyeing Ushna. My friend was vulnerable right now. I couldn't help but feel protective of him. That calculating look caused something within me to shift. It moved out from my core until it pushed at my skin. I was full to bursting with a power that caressed my body's boundaries, looking for a weak point to escape from.
I didn't know what kept me calm. Maybe it was a subconscious knowledge or pure instinct. All I know was I immediately sought my center, that quiet place I had learned to achieve through a lifetime of tai-chi. Once centered, the power hovered beneath my skin, waiting for a command. Some buried knowledge whispered this to me, but as much as I wanted to, needed to, figure out what was wrong with me, my first priority was protecting Ushna.
Ushna and I had worked with Jasper for the last couple of years. I considered him a friend. At this moment, I didn't see him as my friend but as a rival and a threat. I didn't understand why I felt like this. Jasper had never given me reason to believe he was duplicitous in nature. I had hunted with him. I had watched his back. I had even killed alongside of him and never once had I seen the look in his eye that I saw now.
He was weighing and measuring Ushna. Some kind of calculation was going on in his head. Right or wrong, I assumed Jasper meant me and mine harm. I shifted my stance so I could put myself between Jasper and Ushna if I needed to. Ushna must have felt my tension, because he went absolutely still under my hands.
"Would you like me to come and stay with you?" Jasper didn't even look at me as he made the offer.
Logically, I knew why he asked. I was rooming with a Lycan who'd gone Lupe. His stability wouldn't be established until Ushna was removed from the stressful environment for a couple of days. Again, logically, I knew the more Lycans surrounding Ushna, touching and calming him, the better it would be for him.
I knew all this and yet I could barely keep from barking at Jasper when I said, "I'll take care of him. We'll be fine."
Jasper's eyes snapped up to mine with a purposeful challenge. Reflexively, the hand I rested on Ushna's head twisted in his hair. Ushna went limp like a pup in a mother's protecting grip. With a speed and strength I didn't know I possessed, I moved between him and Jasper.
I had never needed to assert my dominance. I had never cared about the power plays between Lycans. Then again, I had been invisible most of my life. I wasn't intimidating. I was bland, indistinguishable, and normally boring, but it was as if the power trapped under my skin had unbound something long dormant in me. Abruptly, I was a predator and took Jasper's stare as a direct challenge to my authority.
Jasper realized this at the same time as I did. He immediately dropped his eyes and bared his neck in submission. A primal part of me rejoiced at this small victory, and I fought not to bare my teeth at him.
I struggled to pull myself back together. Maybe tonight had affected me more than I'd realized. I drew in a steadying breath, aware that Jasper was now examining every move I made, every breath I took. Ushna's hand slid up my calf to my knee. Somehow it grounded and pulled me back, the predator alert for attack.