Chapter 19 – Collision 

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            Sean tested the motorcycle’s speed and handling while Wes finished paying the shop owner and completed the legal title change.  Swinging the bike around, he looked over at the racks.  “Hey, do you have dirt tires?”

            The owner looked a little surprised.  “The all weather one on those will work fine on most dirt roads unless you’re planning on climbing sand dunes; and I wouldn’t recommend going on those things – those are made for speed.”

            Nodding, Sean glanced briefly at Wes and nodded.

            Wes shook hands with the shop owner, accepted the spare keys and helmets they had also purchased and followed Sean to their new vehicles.  “What’s up with the tires?”

            “I was thinking…”

            “Not always a good thing,” Wes smirked and adjusted the straps of his new helmet before lifting his side bags and buckling them into place.  “What do you have in mind?” when Sean didn’t immediately continue – in fact, he looked almost hesitant to speak.  “What is it?”

            Glancing around as he moved quickly to secure the rest of his stuff.  “How do you feel about taking a risk or two?”

            “Because that’s not what we’re doing now?” Wes looked at him, rather confused by Sean’s sudden inability to be straight with him.  “If you have an idea, spit it out.  We don’t have a lot of time to linger.  I’ll go with whatever you have planned.”

            “Wait until you hear me out first before you make a decision.  It’s not exactly the safest route,” Sean admitted, pulling out his paper map.  He glanced around quickly again, scenting the air around them to make sure they were still safe. 

            “I scouted the area already,” Wes said quietly, “We’re alone,” at least in the Shifter sense. 

            Nodding, “See here, and here, and then through this pass over here…” his hands were all over the map but following a criss-crossing trail over several ranges.  “We originally didn’t want to go through these areas because it was highly likely that these are marked territories,” pointing to the lesser towns that were dotted against the vast mountainous areas.  “Some of these paths wouldn’t be accessible via car and there aren’t a lot of places we can rest at.  But with the bikes and our being so behind…” his face twisted with frustration and concern.  “I’m thinking that we should just chance it and cut across this whole area and make a beeline for Calvin and the others.”  The end game was marked with a big red X.  “If we push hard – and I mean hard - and  don’t get waylaid, we can be there by the week’s end.”

            Wes stared at the map, brows furrowed with concern.  The pace would be grueling, traversing through unfamiliar terrain, and they risk exposure if they ran into hostiles in the middle of marked territory.  Of course those aren’t the ones trying to actively kill them.  Most Shifters aren’t violent in their territorial rights; they could be talked into allowing them safe passage… if they can catch them in the first place.  The toll on their bodies would be… but then again, separated from their family, the toll on their spirits right now…

            “Just consider it,” Sean said quickly, folding the map away.  “It’ll be another hundred miles before we can even need to make a…”

            “Let’s do it,” Wes said definitively.  The faster they get to their friends the safer they will be – physically and emotionally.  Exhaustion would be a concern but if it might lessen the chances of them having to shed more blood, to stain their souls, the better. 

            “They others aren’t going to be thrilled with us,” Sean warned as he tucked his helmet in place.  “I mean Jiro was all about…”

            “Then it’s best we not give too much information in our next chat with them.  We don’t know where they’re at, they don’t need to know where we’re headed into.”  He nodded to himself.  It was the right decision, even if it was the more dangerous one.

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            Calvin stopped in the hallway, staring.  “What are you doing?”

            Emma turned her head and returned the stare unblinkingly.  “Just taking a break.”

            “From?”

            “Life,” she replied with a resigned sigh and a shrug then went back to staring at the ceiling.

            Considering it for a long tired moment, Calvin sat down next to her and stared at the ceiling as well, comfortable in the silence.  The muffled sounds of the Betas that were steadily crowding the areas outside did little to disturb them.

            “What are you doing?” Xiu asked, coming upon the scene.

            “Taking a break,” Calvin answered, not bothering to turn his head.  There was exactly 12 stretches of 6 feet long crown moldings lining the hallway ceiling; one of them had a very noticeable nick in it that someone had very carefully painted over.  “Wanna join us?” patting the spot next to him.  Someone had taken great pains to make the inn a beautiful place for its two very important proprietress/prisoners. 

            “Lovely as that sounds, I’ve got other things to see to,” Xiu replied dryly with a frown for his youngest sister.  She looked tired, sad… defeated; and it hurt.  “Rest some rest, GuiGui.  Let’s talk when I get back.”

            “Take the main road,” Emma replied without moving, her eyes closed now.  “Mike will be bringing them back that way so they don’t run into the Green Hills Cougars.”

            Still surprised by her powers, Calvin turned to look at her then at Xiu.  “Jing and Pets?”

            He nodded, “They haven’t returned from the village yet.  I was going to go and…”

            “I’ll go get them,” Kai interrupted with a frown for his sister.  “What are you doing sitting there?”

            “Taking a break,” Calvin and Emma replied at the same time.

            “From what?”

            “Life,” was the answer from the duo on the floor.

            Baffled and impatient, Kai shook his head at the pair and looked at his brother again.  “Ella’s locked herself in her room, pissed at what happened with the Alphas today.  Go talk to her before she does anything stupid.”

            Xiu frowned, “Why don’t you go talk to her?”

            “You really think she and I can have a rational conversation right now?” Kai looked at him like he was stupid. 

            “Point taken,” Xiu pulled a face and rubbed his neck to ease some of the tension there.  He would give a lot for an hour or two of uninterrupted, dreamless sleep – but there was no time for that.  “Okay, I’ll talk to her when I get back.  I’m just going to…”          

            “I’ll go get the girls and make sure they get back here okay,” Kai replied and looked at Emma.  “You going to be okay, GuiGui?” unconsciously reverting back to that childhood nickname he himself had always hated. 

            “Sure, sure,” she answered with a shrug, “How can I not be?  After all, I’ve got all 5 clans watching me.  I mean, watching over me.” 

            Calvin turned to look at her, really looked at her.  Her tone was bland, one of complete disinterest; but it didn’t hide the bitterness in her words.  She looked utterly exhausted.  And so very young.  He looked up at the two brothers, “I’ll watch her.”

            Whether it was because they were too tired to argue or didn’t really have a lot of choices, both brothers nodded and headed out to do what they needed to, leaving the two sitting on the floor in silence again.  Calvin felt absolutely no need to move, no need to disturb the girl. They were perfectly fine sitting on the floor, watching the ceiling – life ought to be this simple.

            “They called me GuiGui like they weren’t even aware they’d done it,” she murmured softly after some time and felt the tightness in , threatening to choke her.  “They must be very, very, very worried about me.”  The tears came unbidden, like tiny crystals in her eyes that refused to drop, hovering just on the tips of her lashes, stubbornly refusing to let go. 

            He didn’t look at her, giving her some strange semblance of privacy.  “What does it mean?  GuiGui?  Who gave you that name?”

            “My father did,” she scraped a knuckle over her eyes, forcing herself to calm down.  “I was a brat, always up to no good.  He called me GuiGui as a joke one day.  Then Ella did it and it kind of stuck.”  She remembered being delighted with it, refusing to answer to anything else for a long time.  “Kai and Xiu hated it but it kind of became a habit until…”  She looked sadder suddenly.  “There was an incident at the lake.  They stopped calling me GuiGui after that.”  That was the day they stopped being just innocent boys and became all too aware of their dark world.  That was the day Emma stopped being a child but started to play pretend.  “But looks like to them, in their hearts and minds, I’m still little GuiGui.”

            “If you didn’t know that already, you’re blind as a bat,” Calvin said nonchalantly, “As well as being a huge idiot.”

            Emma laughed, soft and helplessly, and leaned against his shoulder.  “Yeah… sometimes I do wonder how they put up with me.”

            Calvin reached over with his opposite hand and patted her head gently, letting her lean on him.  She sniffled, closing her eyes to swallow her tears and let herself rely on someone for a change, allowing her mask to slip.  And with that mask gone, she was that frightened little girl again, drowning in a world that didn’t know what to do with the likes of her when all she wanted was to be a little girl. 

            “It’s going to be alright, you know,” Calvin said quietly. “You’ll be alright.”

            She nodded her head automatically, already rebuilding that mask.  “Of course,” and reluctantly got to her feet again, looking at the window.  “I better get the evening bread started.” 

            “Emma,” he reached for her hand and held it.  Her eyes went blank and she looked glassy for a moment then gasped with surprise.  When she opened to speak, he stopped her.  Shaking his head at her, “I don’t want to know.”

            She stared at him, long and hard before she nodded.  “Okay.”

            He thanked her with a quick smile. “Come on, I’ll help you with the bread.”

             “Okay…” she nodded and lead the way.  “But I’ve got warn you, I really at it.”

            Calvin choked on his laugh.

‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡

            Chun found Ella sitting on the floor of her bedroom, next to her doorframe.  She had looked tired coming back from her meeting with the Alphas; now she looked downright dead.  “You need anything?”

            “Is that a trick question?”   Eyes closed, heart heavy, Ella just wanted to sleep and not wake for a week.  Even through the last invasion, she’s never felt as drained of everything as she does right now.

            Keeping the door ajar, he slid down to sit beside her, offering his shoulder for support.  She accepted it without much protest.  “You should go to bed.”

            “No rest for the wicked,” she murmured with a bitter smile but didn’t move a muscle, letting all her weight rest against him.  She was too tired to fight the instinct, to fight her better judgment.  And with everything that was happening, did she really want to try?

            “More the reason you get to,” he replied, gently guiding her head to his shoulder, letting her rest.  “Don’t worry, the packs can take care of themselves for awhile while you sleep.  Let us take of it for a change.”

            “The pack is not what I’m worried about,” she whispered softly, eyes still closed, unwilling to face reality yet. 

            “It doesn’t matter what it is,” he insisted quietly, unable to hide his concern – they push her and Emma so hard.  He couldn’t help but fear that one day they’d simply break.  “It can wait until you’ve rested.”

            For once she agreed.  There wasn’t anything she could do at the moment anyways; she could only wait and watch… and hope she had the strength for the tasks ahead.  All she had to do was hold on, make sure Emma was safe…

            He felt her drift off, her exhaustion finally getting the best of her, and gently eased her into his arms, holding the rest of the world at bay for her.  It wasn’t much but it was all he could do for now, so he simply did it.  Sitting there in her room with the sounds of the pack surrounding them, he stayed watching over her.  It was so simple, so easy, he couldn’t understand why it couldn’t always be like this. 

            Xiu found them there; the silent contemplative, the sleeping resting for a change, and decided not to play the overprotective brother for once and let them be. 

‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡

            “Damn it,” Benji muttered and toss the phone aside.

            “What’s wrong?” Aaron asked, poking his head toward the front seat of the spacious van.  The inside smelled strongly of disinfectant and Febreeze; evidence that they had tried to scrub the car free of the blood they had no doubt left in the seats during their last run in with the Browns.  He glanced over his shoulder at the sleeping Jiro, hoping not to wake him.

            “Sean and Wes still aren’t answering,” Benji muttered as he glanced at the map on the passenger seat.  They were taking an indirect route to their next spot, separated from David and George who are in the smaller, faster vehicle.  The sun was setting and they’ll need to fuel up before it gets to full night.  “We haven’t heard from them since before the full moon.”  He traded quick glances with Aaron in the rear view mirror. 

            “Should we be worried?” Aaron asked soberly. 

            “I don’t know,” Benji admitted with a frown.  There were only a few reason why the others wouldn’t check in, and none of them good.  “George was worried that you guys would lose focus if you knew how badly we were hurt before… that’s why we kept communications at a minimum.”  And the possibility of their being a liability had forced them away from their planned route. 

            “You think the Browns caught up to them?” Aaron whispered quietly into the darkening cabin.  Self delusion has never been Aaron’s strong suit. 

            “Let’s hope not,” he replied grimly.  “Neither Sean nor Wes have the kind of constitution to… to do the hard deeds,” he admitted.  Sending the two off together had been an error on their part, he should have had at least David accompany them – David’s world was black and white.  “But the Browns would have to catch them first.  Wes and Sean are the fastest together.  They may have simply abandoned their equipment.”

            “People change when the situation demands it,” Aaron pointed out after a minute of silence.  “I know I have.”

            Benji said nothing to that.  He’s seen what it’d done to George already and Aaron hasn’t had to face nearly as much.  He can’t imagine what that kind of darkness would do to sweet-natured Sean or gentle, soft-spoken Wes.  “It’s better if some of us remain untainted by this.”

            “How?” Aaron wanted to know.  “You think any of us didn’t already grown a dark spot in our hearts just living in that town?  Having to face the people that destroyed our lives?  Don’t be naïve Benji,” he admonished softly without any heat and offered up a bitter smile, “We stopped being innocent a long, long time ago.  Some of us are just better at hiding it than others.” 

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            “What are you doing up so early?” Kai asked quietly, trying but failing not to startled Jing.  She was stretching in the foyer and toppled over from the toe touch position at his voice. 

            Rubbing her posterior was irritation, she tilted her chin to the side door in silence. 

            Kai’s eyes followed her to the door just as Ella walked through it, patting the front of her shirt lightly to dislodge some of the fine white flour that clung to her clothes.  “Ready to go?” she asked without looking up then jumped when she realized Jing wasn’t alone.  “Jeeze, what the hell…”

            Narrowing his eyes as he looked at them, “What are you two up to?”

            “Nothing interesting,” Jing said with a smirk, “Nothing even remotely fun.”

            “We’re going to a run,” Ella replied with a frown and patted her legs again, sending up more flour dust.  “It’s been awhile and cardio is important, especially now.  Jing offered to come with me.”

            If anything, that only served to agitate Kai even more.  “You are not to…”

            “Ready to go?” Nick asked as he came through the front door.  He nodded his greeting to Kai.
            “Not you,” Jing told him in no uncertain terms.

            Nick merely crossed his arms and shook his head at her.  “You and Ella are not going running through the woods on your own.”

            “Find me another Beta,” Jing countered.

            “I’ll go,” Kai offered.

            “Not you,” Ella pronounced as she moved passed her brother toward Nick.  “Find someone else.  We don’t feel like running with our brothers today.”

            “Or any day,” Jing muttered under her breath not-so-subtly. 

            Nick makes a face and turned to Kai for any further directions.  Kai merely sighed and shook his head.  They have to make concessions for the girls like they would anyone else, even if their instinct says otherwise.  Nick sighed and finally nodded in agreement.  “I’ll get Ming or Deng; they’re patrolling right now.”

            “Ming please,” Ella added with a smile.

            “I prefer Deng,” Jing said at the same time. 

            “Get them both,” Kai said and shook his head.  “And tell them to keep the circles small.  There’s too much activity in the woods right now.”

            “The other clans still have their people around,” Jing asked, having already spotted a few. 

            “For the foreseeable future,” Kai grumbled darkly.

            “We’ll take to the outer rim of Sanctuary,” Ella conceded with a sigh, “And stay away from the main entrances.  It’s a little less than ten miles on the back trails, we should be back just after seven.”

            Jing frowned at her.  “How fast do you plan on running?”

            Ella gave her a look and exited the front door.

            Kai frowned with concern.  “Watch her.”

            “Don’t I always?” Jing answered with a smirk.

            “Yes,” Kai replied unexpectedly.  “And thank you,” then turned around toward the kitchen in search of coffee.  It was too early in the morning to be dealing with his sister without caffeine.

            Shocked by the recognition, Jing just stood there like an idiot for a moment, gapping like a landed fish.  After a few seconds, she shook it off muttering, “First his mother and now him; something is definitely going around.  Probably a virus or something….”

‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡

            Rainie hung up the phone and frowned. 

            “What’s wrong?” Kristen said over her shoulder.  Selina and Kristen were taking turns driving now, allowing Rainie as much rest as she could both for the baby and for their own safety.  In the two days since the full moon, their only shifter was starting to look normal again. 

            “Is everything alright with Sean and Wes?” Selina asked sleepily, coming out of her nap looking not the least bit rested.  The dreams continue to haunt her. 

            “They said they’re fine,” Rainie muttered and glanced at the phone again. 

            “But you doubt it?”

            “They called form a payphone.”

            “What’s wrong with their cell phone?”

            “Apparently it got some water damage.”

            Selina blinked at her.  “What are you thinking?”

            “Sean is a terrible liar and Wes isn’t much better,” Rainie muttered thoughtfully, unable to shake the troubled feeling since her talk with Wes.  “The fact that they wanted me to relay to the boys that they’re fine and on the move tells me that they’re not fine.” 

            “Tail?” Kristen asked fearfully.

            “Maybe…”

            Selina frowned and turned in her seat.  “What’s your thoughts?”

            “Wes was calm, too calm for a direct danger,”  Rainie reasoned out carefully.  “He and Sean must be up to something they know we wouldn’t approve of.”  Her mind churned with possible scenarios.

            “They’re going to push through marked territories,” Kristen said out loud what they were all thinking.

            “That’s reckless,” Selina breathed helplessly. 

            “And maybe necessary,” Rainie countered with a frown.  “I don’t like this.  They’re either running from something or running to something.”

            “Calvin said they’re fine,” Kristen commented softly, “Unless they’re lying.”

            “No,” Selina shook her head slowly, “They’re probably doing exactly what we’ve all been doing: reassuring everyone else while downplaying the problems they might be facing.”

            “I’m not as worried about Calvin and the others, they’re at a Sanctuary and that offers some form of protection.  Wes and Sean on the other hand….”

          “If they’re pushing ahead, they’re either running from enemies or…” Selina frowned.  “Or from themselves.”

            “What do you mean?” Kristen asked her sister.

            “Shifters adrift from their pack can sometimes lose themselves to the wild,” Selina murmured softly from lessons and warning whispered in the dark.  “And if there’s a hint of darkness in their animal…” none of them wanted to complete the dangerous thought.  Losing any of them, whether to death or something else, would be devastating for them all. 

            Rainie rubbing her arms to warm herself from the sudden chill she felt.  “Feels like we’re on a collision course to something I can’t see yet.”

‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡

            Emma watched the cougars from her bedroom window high up, the setting sun reflecting on their tawny golden coats as much as from their unnaturally bright yellow eyes.  They’ve been taking turns guarding Sweet Apple Inn for five days now, since the Alphas deemed it necessary to protect the seers from the encroaching play by the outside.  Her home has officially become a prison.

            “You okay?” Pets asked from the doorway. 

            “Sure.”

            “How’s the hip?”

            She touched her side where the healing wounds had finally stopped bothering her.  “Fine.”

            Pets bit he lips.  “The guys wanted to know if you’d be joining us for dinner tonight.  You haven’t been down a few days now.”

            “Don’t really want to see the natives,” Emma replied evenly.

            Pets leaned a shoulder against the doorway and sighed.  She’s heard enough remarks in the last few days from Emma’s friends and frenemies to understand why she may not want to break bread at the table full of shifters that both feared and were fascinated by her.  “You want me to bring you something?”

            “No need,” Ella said as she stepped around Pets with a tray.  “Can you let my brothers know that I’ll be eating up here with Emma tonight?  And tell the cats that they’re in charge of dishes tonight.  I agreed to let them stay here but doesn’t mean I’m running a free halfway house.  If I’m cooking, they’re cleaning.”

            Mouth twisting with amusement, Pets can’t wait to see their reactions.  “Sure, I’ll tell them.”

            “And tell Quan to be careful with my dishes.  He breaks them, he’s paying for them.”

            “How many does he break?”

            Emma gave a snort of laughter; she’s already seen the results.  “Six.”

            Rolling her eyes, Pets left the sisters and made her way downstairs.  The dining room was crowded again, people moving about chatting, discussing, making a nuisance of themselves.  “Hey, cougars are up on dish duty tonight.”

            “What?” a few of them looked distressed.

            “Anyone that don’t like it can go talk to Ella,” she informed them smugly, which in turn brought grimaces from a few along with reluctant nods.  “She says if you break’em, you buy’em.  Especially you, Quan.”  The lanky cougar made a ‘who me?’ gesture with his hands.  “She has you down for at least six plates already.”

            The others laughed as Quan shrugged helplessly.  His klutziness in the kitchen was legendary. 

            “So the girls abandoned us, huh?” Jing asked, spearing elbow noodles with her fork.  “Took them long enough.  Surprised Ella stuck it out for so long.”  She munched thoughtfully on her dinner and watched the guys with eyes that saw too much but revealed nothing.

            “Where’re our guys?” Pets asked, looking around at the now familiar faces of strangers.

            “Your brother and Calvin dragged Xiu and Kai off to living room and the others are doing patrols.”  She eyed the empty soup pot for a second.  “Good thing we’re getting more help soon.  These guys are like bottomless pits.” 

            “Help?” Pets asked curiously. 

            “Nicks says that they’re shifting people around at the Beta House.  And that one of the ‘Orphans’ is being sent here for awhile.”

            Pets’ heart caught in .  “Orphans?”

            “That’s what we call the kids that fell victim during the last territory raid, the Orphans.”  She looked out the window at the setting sun.  “Every pack has them.”

            “Yes,” Pets nodded, “We were the Orphans.”

            Jing didn’t apologize, didn’t offer any words of sympathy.  There was nothing to be said.  She patted Pets on the shoulder and went to get soda, she’s going to need the sugar in a few hours – midnight patrol for her. 

            Restless and tired at the same time, she went to look for her brother.

            “… if I leave now…”

            “The answer is no.”

            Pets stopped in her track. 

            “The kind of time and energy spent on this can be cut in half if I’m physically there to do the hardware linkup.  And the chances of there being a disruption to…”

            “The answer is still no,” Kai said very firmly. 

            Undeterred, Calvin presented his case again.  “Looks, if you want me to help effectively, you’re going to have to grant me a little more room on the lash.  I can’t help if I can’t…”

            “Emma will never allow it,” Xiu explained quietly.  “They won’t say why but the girls have made it clear that they want you close by so you’re not going anywhere.”

            Calvin closed his eyes and huffed with pleasure.  “You know, you sisters’ lack of communication is beginning to wear on my nerves.”

            “Welcome to our world,” Kai muttered dryly and tossed back the soda and crumpled up his napkin, tossing it carelessly into the wastebasket.  “The point is, until Ella or Emma say so, you’re staying put.”

            “It’s safer for you here anyways,” Xiu added with a frown.  “Have you forgotten that you’re the only one that doesn’t have official sanctioned approval to say in Sanctuary?  Until Kai can get it pass the tribunal, you need to keep a low profile.”

            “He’s right,” Chun murmured softly, “If you need eyes and ears on the outside, I can make the run for you.”

            “No,” all three in the room replied at once. 

            Kai frowned at them.  “You can tell Show and Allen what you need and they can…”

            Chun rolled his eyes.  “I have tentative approval, I can get in and out fast, and I’m use to Calvin’s techno jargon… kind of.”

            “You’re a technology idiot,” Calvin said not-unkindly.  “As are you little minions on the outside.”  He made a disgusted face.  The ten minute conversation with Allen and Show had told him all he needed to know about their tech no-how’s.  As far as Calvin was concerned, none of them have even the basic knowledge to hack a system and he didn’t want to tip off their opponent. 

            “Can you Skype them?” Xiu asked, torn between wants. 

            “This isn’t that kind of project,” Calvin pouted and glanced at his watch.  “I can’t walk them through time and touch sensitive applications; it doesn’t work that way.”

            “Then it won’t get done,” Kai said firmly. 

            “This is stupid,” Calvin muttered in frustration then sat up suddenly.  “Who’s there?”

            Pets winced and slunk into the room, wiggling her fingers at them.  Embarrassed to have been caught eavesdropping, she blushed mightily when the four men just turned to her in silence, waiting for her to talk.  “Um… Ella said she’s having dinner upstairs with Emma tonight and that the cougars were to do the dishes.  I told them already.”

            “How is she?” Chun and Xiu both asked.

            “Which one?” Kai and Pets both replied.

            Calvin slapped a hand over his eyes in exasperation and groaned out loud before surging to his feet.  “Lovely as this circus is, I’ve got worms to track, food to ignore, and phone call or two to make.  I’ll see you all later,” then offered them a grin of forced humor and pain before slipping out of the room with a quick wave. 

            “He’s kind of a pain, isn’t he?” Xiu murmured and looked at Pets.  “How’s my sisters?”

            Pets smiled reassuringly, “They’re fine.  A little tired and annoyed, feeling cooped up but they’re dealing with it okay.  Might want to keep the cougars away from Emma though; they seem to be pissing her off more and more.”

            “Can you bring something up to them and keep them company?” Xiu asked quietly.  “I don’t want them isolated from the rest of the pack even if they feel they need to keep some distance.”

            “Sure,” Pets nodded, feeling suddenly warm by the request.  They were starting to rely on her now, having her stand between the seers and the other packs that freely roam the area.  Her usefulness and contribution made her feel like part of a family again. 

            “For god sakes,” Kai muttered walking out, “get on with it already…” and left to deal with the cougars. 

            Pets looked startled, forgetting herself a second, then simply blushed and scrambled out of the room.  She had seen all the guys in their shifter pelt; she knew what she was dealing with. 

            Xiu just looked confused.

            Chun shook his head.  “You and my sister really need to have that talk.”

            “What talk?”

            “The Talk… the… um…”  It took a moment for Chun to realize that he really had no idea.  “Well… that’s…. um….”  It didn’t get more awkward than this.

           “What?” Xiu asked again, not for the first time feeling like he’s being kept in the dark about something vital.  “Look, I can’t make informed decisions to protect this pack if people are keeping secrets from me.”

            “This isn’t about that,” Chun replied, obviously ill at ease with this whole conversation.  “This is totally something that I cannot to talking to you about.”

            “What the hell does that mean?” Xiu said irritated and embarrassed for reasons even he couldn’t say.  “Can someone please just be straight with me for a change?”

            Chun winced, “Seriously, you need to talk to Pets.  She should be the one to tell you.”

            Pushing wasn’t going to get him answers and Xiu really didn’t want to deal with whatever this is – there’s too much at stake right now for him to be distracted by a mystery that didn’t involve the safety of the pack.  Shaking his head, he headed out the door, he’ll deal with it later.  Something was in the wind, something that didn’t involve his sisters for a change, and he could feel himself rushing toward an impasse.  He will get to the bottom of it.

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            “Ella?” Pets said softly, twisting her body so she could see her face.  Ella had gone completely stock still for a minute already, her hands still buried in the dough she had been kneading for some special bread she wanted to try out.  “Ella?” she called again softly, wondering if she should get someone, this is still way too new to her.

            “Just let her be,” Jing said from her other side, still engrossed in pounding the hell out of the tough rye bread Emma had wanted feed to the cougars – they had pissed her off today.  “She’ll come out of it soon enough.”

             “Come out of what?” Emma asked, coming into the kitchen with her arms loaded with supplies.  They were behind on the orders for the resorts and she’s been manning the phones all morning trying to calm some panicked managers. 

            “Ella’s having a looks-see,” Jing explained and flipped the dough over on the flour covered work station. 

            Emma was watching her sister with curious eyes.  It was rare for them to have the same vision, but most people didn’t understand that concept.  It was one of the reasons they share with each other so much; you never know when you might see part or the same thing but from different points of view. 

            Coming out of her vision, Ella blinked confusedly and looked at the three girls a minute before she sighed and made some quick decisions.  “Company’s coming.”

          Jing nodded and kept working on the bread, “Fei is due in today.  The Orphans are bring her this afternoon.”

            “I’m not talking about Fei,” Ella made a face and turned to Pets.  “Can you make up room 206 and 208 with fresh sheets?  We’re going to need the rooms.” 

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            “You will call us if something happens,” Matthew said firmly as he marched four feet ahead of Fei, carefully surveying the area, “or if you need something.  You understand?”

            Fei nodded stoically before she realized he couldn’t see him.  “Yes,” and continued to follow at a much slower pace than her usual quick steps. 

            “It’s going to be okay,” Wayne assured her as he took her hand, his eyes searching her withdrawn face.  He was starting to regret agreeing to this whole thing.  Fei’s been progressively quieter in the five days since they told her about breaking up their little home.  They had put off moving for as long as they could, especially given the sudden chaos in town; but word from the Beta House had come the day before demanding they make their appearance immediately; they were out of time.  “We’re literally going to be just a phone call away.”

            “I’ve asked to be transferred to the Sanctuary,” Sam informed her quietly, his eyes never stopped scanning the area as they escorted Fei to Holy Ground.  They’ve been warned of uncommon activities in the area lately and to take extra precautions.  “Nick says he’ll put in the request but can’t guarantee anything.”

            “When did you do that?” Matt turned, surprised written all over his face.  Despite his teasing bravado, Matthew had been the one most concern about the separation from Fei – he didn’t want to break up their family. 

            “Three days ago,” Sam answered stoically.  Sam has been as he’s always been; letting his actions speak for him.  Although he incited all the changes in their lives, he has been most proactive in reassuring Fei, negotiating her safety and comfort, always thinking ahead.  “I should know by tomorrow.”

            “I wish you’d told us,” Wayne complained, frowning at him.  “I would have asked too.”

            “I wasn’t sure what kind of response I’d get,” Sam said slanting him a quick glance.  He wasn’t sure how much trouble he would have gotten into to make such an audacious request on his first time as Beta.  A Sanctuary position was usually reserve for the senior Betas, ones that have proven their worth, loyalty, and have earned the trust of the heads of their units.  Sanctuary meant seers; protecting the seers was a grave responsibility that every Beta took with deadly seriousness. 

            “You should have discussed it with us,” Matt reprimanded, the panic creeping into his voice.  If Sam were to be accepted into the Sanctuary Guards….

            “We can discuss this later,” Wayne advised calmly, glancing sideways at the silent Fei.  He didn’t like the tension on her face.  “Let’s get Fei to the safety of Holy Ground first and…”

            “Shh…” Sam turned and faced the coming winds.  The rustling leaves greeting the suddenly tense  foursome as they stretched their senses to what had alerted Sam. 

            Fei slowly lifted her crossbow from its housing at her hip, silently fitting a wolf’s bane tipped arrow to the weapon.  She didn’t watch the woods, she watched Sam’s face – his attention would tell her where to aim.  “What is it?”

            The wind blew again, dancing across their skins.  This time, Sam and Matthew lifted their faces and scented the air.  “Hyenas.”

            “Wayne,” Sam said as pulled his shirt off in one go.

            “I got her,” Wayne said and pulled Fei’s arm as they headed in the opposite direction. 

            “Wait...” Fei started to say as she watched Matt shed his clothes as well and followed Sam toward the wind.  “What about…”

            “Come on,” Wayne ordered, his voice tense with an unfamiliar no-nonsense tone.  His first priority is Fei’s safety, it was as simple as that.  “We need to get you to Holy Ground,” and picked up his pace, forcing her to jog behind him to keep up. 

            “What about the others?”

            “They’ll buy us time,” he told her grimly. 

            Fei pulled her arm back and lifted her weapon.  “I’ll find my own way to Holy Ground, you go help them.”

            “That’s not how this works,” Wayne told her in no uncertain term.  His face wasn’t that of her friend, brother, and protector.  It was the face of a Beta that knew his first duty was to insure the survival of the pack; and that meant getting an unmated female pack member to safety – it wouldn’t have mattered who she was.  “Now let’s go.”

            Eyes reflecting her concerns, she followed quickly for a few silent moments until the sudden dark howl sounded behind them immediately followed by another then another.  She turned instinctively, wondering if…

            “,” Wayne bit out before yanking at his clothes.  “Fei, you need to run,” he faced her with eyes the color of burnt gold.  “Don’t turn back, just keep going until you get to the inn.  Remember your training,”  his face was already starting to morph.  “I’ll be right behind you.”

            It was a lie, one that she didn’t have time to question.  She ran, exactly as she was taught.  “Head down, keep going, don’t be a liability,” she murmured the motto under her breath as she sprinted across the soft ground.  “Head down, keep going, don’t be a liability.  Head down, keep going, don’t be a liability.  Head down, keep going, don’t be a…” The terrifying howls sounded behind her and she picked up speed, gripping her weapon with white knuckles. 

            There was nothing but death out here if she’s caught.  But if they catch her, it mean the boys weren’t able to stop them.  And they would die rather than let anything….

            Fei shook her head, stopping that train of thought fast.  She didn’t have time for such doubt, she had to get to the inn.  “Don’t be a liability.  Don’t be a liability.  Don’t be a….” 

            The mad scramble of feet on mushy leaves pushed Fei’s mind into overdrive.  With her heart pounding madly in her ear, she raced across the woods, zigzagging around the larger clusters of overgrown brushes.  The sickening feeling of fear continued to rise as the sound of pounding feet grew closer.  She didn’t have to turn and look to know they weren’t friendlies and she was about to run out of options. 

            A flash of brown appeared in her peripheral and Fei turned to fired her crossbow at the moving target.  She was moving too fast to get a good aim but it still came within inches of hitting its mark.  The bold act seem to motivate her pursuers and they darted forward faster as she reloaded her weapon with practiced hands even knowing she was going to be too late.

            The snarling sounds of attacking hyenas was suddenly drowned out by the unexpected roar of a rived engine.  She turned to follow the sound but not before it moved blindingly fast pass her and she collided with an outstretched arm that knocked the scream from her lungs and the weapon from her hand.  Fei suddenly found herself thrown across the back of a motorcycle and pressed tightly one-handed to a leather jacket covered chest.  There was no part of her overtaxed brain that knew what to do.

            “You okay?” was the shouted question over the sound of engine, wind, and the barking hyenas tracking them.

            She nodded frantically, not trusting her voice yet. 

            “Not your pack I take it?” was the quick question as the helmet moved to look at the rear mirrors by the handles.  The hyenas weren’t remotely discouraged and were in fact speeding up. 

            Fei shook her head, finally coming to the conclusion that this guy was trying to save her.

            “Can you drive?” he asked using one hand to guide hers to the handlebars.

            She shook her head again but grabbed the handles tightly anyways. 

            The soft ground was difficult to navigate even with the wide rimmed tires of the touring motorcycle raking up dirt but was making little headway in escaping the chase.  “Damn it,” the driver muttered; the hill ahead was certainly going to be an issue.  “Plan B it is,” as he turned the bike over and raced suddenly downhill, pass the snapping jaws of their pursuers who reared around and gave chase again.

            When he gained enough distance, he dropped to a stop and hopped off, moving away from her quickly.  “If you can ride, ride.  If you can’t, stay behind me,” ping his jacket and unbuckling his helmet in one go as four hyenas appeared around a collection of trees.  Tossing both over his shoulder along with his tee-shirt, “Let’s play,” he dropped to all fours and leapt out of his jeans, his body twisting and shifting in mid-air before the silver gray wolf went into a defense position in front of her. 

            Fei held her breath as the hyenas converged upon the wolf, jaws snapping dangerous at him.  The wolf, twice the size as his attackers, didn’t seem the least bit phased as he snapped back, kicking hard and vicious as one got too close and took both hind legs to the side of the head.  He attacked and flung another away by the throat as the hyena made to an attempt to get pass him at Fei.  His pale body went low to the ground, in attack position as he growl deep and long, warning them off. 

            The multiple bawling sounds from others not too far away arrested their attention.  The four hyenas howled back and turned and ran but not before all four snapped their elongated jaws at the gray wolf.  Too afraid to move, Fei stood braced against the side of the motorcycle and didn’t move as the wolf braced his legs again suddenly as half a dozen hyenas bearing various wounds suddenly ran pass them, their glittering yellow eyes flashing by as they bolted away from the sounds of a dozen barking wolves that were giving chase…. Three of which stopped suddenly and went low into attack stance. 

            The gray growled back, carefully putting himself between Fei and the other wolves. 

            “Stop, stop, stop,” Fei jumped at her own voice, broken and high pitched in a panic.  She stumbled as she finally moved, her knees feeling like jelly, pulling herself forward to get next to the gray.  “He saved me!”

            The two golden eyed black wolves stopped growling and eased their bearing at once but the white didn’t… he was still ready to attack at any provocation.  The big silver gray still stood at the ready, his eyes watching the other three with sharp attention.  When no one moved, Fei finally let out a helpless whimper and dropped to her knees, allowing her fears to get the better of her. 

            Wayne moved so fast to her side, she didn’t even see him shift out of his black pelt.  “Are you okay?  Are you hurt?” running his hands quickly over her to check for wounds. 

            The gray snapped at Wayne’s hand, almost taking a bite.

            “He’s pack,” Fei got out before she fell into her brother’s arms and cried into his shoulder.  Her whole body shook with fear and she had one very awful moment where she thought she was going to simply die.  She gave herself a whole minute to feel sorry for herself then stopped, just stopped.  Wiping hands over her messy face, she looked up to find Matt sitting next to her, patting her head – he looked close to a panic attack, never dealing with her tears well.  Sam stayed in his wolf form to stand guard but had come closer to assure himself that she wasn’t physically hurt. 

            Her rescuer had obviously figured out that she was safe and was currently putting his clothes back on.  She got to her feet awkwardly.  “Um…  tha… thank you for saving me and for…” her disjointed thoughts were lost when he pulled his shirt over his head and turned to face her. 

            The gray wolf had a human face like that of a fallen angel; all smooth planes, cheek bones that could cut glass, and a full cupid’s bow mouth.  A face so striking it was perfect.  So ridiculously beautiful that it took Fei’s breath away. 

            Especially since it wasn’t an unfamiliar face.

To be continued….

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Author’s Note:  Time to bring all the players into sight.  Hope people are still enjoying this.  With the holidays around the corner, the updates will probably slow down but there’s so much actions going on now that I’m not actually sure I can.  J  Let me know what you guys think so far!