Chapter 24 – Repercussion

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                Sean felt the cold hands of reality intrude upon his sleep.  The baying sounds of battle jerked him awake, terror raking its sharp claws cross his heart.  The exhaustion of sleep left him aching while the cold steel at his ankle confused him.  Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he sat up and tried to move his aching body, forcing himself awake.  The clanking of the metal shackles on his leg doused him quickly from icy fear. 

                What the hell happened while he had been asleep?

                The sounds of growls and howls arrested his attention from beyond the walls.  He got up slowly, not sure he wanted to know the source and why the sound was all too familiar. 

                “!”

                Sean turned to the hall at the muffled curse followed immediately by lithe footsteps and a door slamming open down the hall.   Then another…  Then another...  Progressively getting closer even as the sound of grappling animals could be heard through the closed windows also rapidly getting nearer.           

                “No, no, no, no, no, no…” Fei rushed through the closed door, her compound bow lifted in attack position as she hurried to the window, throwing it open with one hand as she tracked the movement outside with her sharp eyes. 

                Sean followed her a far as the chain would allow -  and it was more than enough for him to take in the horrifying nightmare happening below.  He didn’t need to see the distinctive whites around the gray wolf’s collar and throat to know which of his brothers was fighting for his life. 

                “Come on, come on…” Fei muttered under her breath as she notched the arrow and tracked the moving target carefully.  “I just need one clear shot…” encouraging softly as she watched the action below with abided breath. 

                Wes kicked one hyena in the head and latched his strong jaws around the neck of another, fangs digging in hard until blood spurted from around his mouth, his attacker howling in rage and pain before he shook him off and Wes turned to confront the first hyena he had thrown wanting to turn his back.  But his friend needn’t worry; Fei had planted her arrow into the side of the enemy’s head, nailing the hyena to the ground, the minute she had a clear shot from the second story window.  She barely acknowledged Wes’ upturned face before she re-notched and shot a second arrow, this time aiming at the heart of the bleeding hyena three feet from Wes, who had been making one last effort to attack before he drew his last breath. 

                “DON’T LET THEM GET AROUND YOU!” Fei called out before she withdrew from her position and ran toward the door again.

                “Wait!” Sean caught her at the door and almost got an arrow to his face for his efforts.  “Unchain me.”

                Fei glanced at the shackles and shook her head, yanking her arm away.  “Sorry, I have my orders.  Besides, your friend Chun has the keys,” then ran out again without another word, notching another arrow as she went. 

                Confused and frustrated, Sean yanked at the chain to no avail and could only watch helplessly as his friends fought with everything they had. 

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                “Are you scared?” Pets asked quietly as she sat by the window, watching Ella and Emma sit face to face on the center rug in the living room.  The two seers had moved there after the initial moments and sat down with hands latched together, eyes closed in deep mediation… or observance of what might be taking place somewhere else.   Neither of them had said a word in almost half an hour. 

                Jing propped her rifle on her knees and watched the Alpha Guards pace the front area with impatience.   The Alpha Guards once consisted of some of the pack’s fiercest Betas, and their sole job was to protect the Alpha.  But the current Alpha had long ago decreed that he didn’t need the finest; their best should be in the field protecting the pack – the Alpha was more than capable for taking care of himself.  Still, the current squad weren’t anything to sneeze at either, they were more than capable and took their jobs seriously.  But it didn’t mean Jing was going to let down her guard either.  “I’d be an idiot if I wasn’t.  But I’m more afraid for the brother that is standing guard at the inn and the two that are racing toward it.”  She glanced briefly at Pets, “Aren’t you?”

                “No,” Pets answered honestly.  “I mean I am, sort of…”

                “But…?” urging her to continue.  Learning to speak her mind was the second step to learning to fit into the pack. 

                “Ella wouldn’t let anything happen to people she loves,” Pets said quietly, her eyes on the two silent and still seers.  These weeks have taught her much about the dynamics of this pack and she’s learned to reeducate herself to the girl Chun once and still loved.   “And I’d eat my weight in swamp mud if she’s fooling anyone but herself about how she feels about my brother.”

                Giving up a reluctant laugh, Jing silently agreed with her new friend and resumed her watch, unwilling to let herself think of all the possibilities she couldn’t anticipate. 

                Emma gasped, her eyes popping open with pained fear.  Ella shook her head, her eyes still shut and her hands tightening where they were joined with her sisters’.  “Not yet,” were the only words she said. 

                “But…” Emma argued.

                “No,” Ella replied firmly, giving her sister’s hands a quick shake, her eyes still closed in concentration.  “It’ll only make it worse.”

                Torn between her heart and her head, Emma looked completely shattered for a moment before she mustered up her courage, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes again to continue her vigil of what she cannot change.  And that was the worst part; being unable to change what she could already see – denying the very nature of being a seer hurt worse than the danger and isolation that came with the territory.

                “What do you think they see?” Pets asked, unable to keep herself from watching them, reacting to the slightest change in their silent observance. 

                Jing schooled her face to calm as she watched Ella flinched ever so slightly, unable to hide her own pains at what horrors she sees.  “Everything.”

                Ella stood suddenly, pulling Emma to her feet.  “We should go to the triage center,” grabbing her purse and keys from the table.

                “The Alpha,” Jing reminded her as she followed behind the girls. 

                “I’ll speak with him,” Ella replied soberly as she left her sister at the front door and headed into the back.  “Wait for me here.”

                “I’ll come with you,” Jing suggested, instructing Pets with a sideways glance to stay with Emma.

                Stopping Jing with one raised hand, Ella shook her head.  “It’d be better if I went alone,” glancing down the guard lined hallway with a sigh.  It wasn’t he Alpha she needed to see even if he could never shake that mantle.  “There’s something else I need to discuss with my parents as well.  Wait for me here; we should probably all go to the triage together.”

                Jing frown, uncomfortable with something she couldn’t play her finger on.  Most of the time Ella was an open book, willing to speak her mind; but when she tries to navigate the different worlds she has to live in, Ella becomes the mysterious seer the outside world expects her to, annoying evasive and frustratingly vague.  And Jing couldn’t shake the feeling that Ella was seeing so much more than she was saying now. 

                “She’s worried,” Emma explained her voice soft and small, her eyes seeing and not seeing at the same time.  “I’m worried.”

                “You’re scared,” Jing corrected at a glance.  “Anything I need to know about?”

                Emma frowned slightly before she nodded.  “They’re going to be fine.”

                “Who?” Pets asked sharply, not having the same discipline as Jing to not ask. 

                But the younger seer could only shake her head.  “Not yet.”
                Pets’ face twisted and she opened to argue before Jing stopped her with a quick elbow to her side.  “Don’t.”  Jing understood and she didn’t want to know.  “It’s not always good to know too much.  We find out when we find out.”

                “That’s kind of against human nature,” Pets replied annoyed but resigned; there was no gainsaying the seers.

                She couldn’t help smiling as Emma shook her head, “But we’re not really human, are we?”

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                Bernice slower her cross bow and reload the modified rapid firing pin.  The front gates were dotted with down bodies; thankfully none of their own.  “I’m not sure how long we can keep this up.”  The numbers were increasing and they had been forced into the fray as Fei could no longer keep up with the number of hyenas that’s made it across the wolves’ defenses. 

                “As long as we need to,” Emily answered from her corner of the porch, her eyes following the movements along the peripherals.   A long arrow came down on a suddenly approaching form that broke away from the shadows chased by a lanky brown wolf; the approaching hyena never made it to the wall. 

                Bass in his brown pelt gave a quick nod of thanks as he turned back and was almost immediately set up by three attacking dogs.  Another arrow hit one as he grappled with the other two, both sides becoming progressively more aggressive and bloody. 

                “,” Nicie jumped from the steps and ran toward the wall as another joined the attack, her bow tracking the movements for a clear shot.  She was forced to turn as another broke through the lines, taking them out before they made it to the wall. 

                “NICIE GET BACK!” Emily called out in vein even as she unloaded her weapon on another enemy that had gotten too close to the wall while Fei chased down yet another going the opposite direction from her position up top.  “Damn it,” she unloaded her second crossbow and vaulted over the rail as four more broke through the tree lines at them.  A big gray charged suddenly from the side and body slammed into two before the others even knew what was happening.  With no time to reload her cross, Emily watched in horror as the remaining two hyena leapt over the low wall onto Holy Ground as she went for her sidearm. 

                The instant transformation was horrifying to watch as the screams of agony was cut short by a bullet to the brain and heart and the two men dropped to the ground.

                “, , ...” Emily cursed even as she heard it being echoed by Fei and her sister.  “BREACH!” she screamed and Bass lifted his head and howled the warning into the air. 

                It was a term that meant no prisoners, no escape.  Now that the enemy has seen Holy Ground, they couldn’t be allowed to retreat. 

                “SAM!” Fei screamed from high up as Emily turned and watched the lithe white wolf disappeared under four stringy bodies of hyenas.   She moved to help, her short range sidearm already raised into position, before a high pitch shriek rendered the air and talons raked across the eyes of two of the hyenas, forcing them back as the white wolf scrambled out and used it’s hind legs to kick the enemies back, crimson streaking along his snowy flank where flesh and fur had been torn into.  Fei finished them off with extreme prejudice.

                The felon above them screeched and circled back, both talons lowered to deliver maximum damage as he made another drop into the fray of six hyenas verses two gray wolves, wrestling for control.  One of the hyenas broke away from the others, leapt for the bird, almost catching its tail except for the streak of yellow and black that body slammed into him so fast that it sent him tumbling head over heels across the way. 

                The furious cheetah was taking no prisoners as it roared its outrage and sped around the attacking enemies, bodily forcing them to stop and disrupting their attack formation, allowing the others to regroup and take their bearings.  He planted himself in front of the felon that was touching down in a clear spot, its light airborne body already shifting into another animal, a much bigger animal, before it even hit ground.  Feathers receded to fur, bones filled and elongated fast, beak shortened and soften to a snort even as talons widened and reformed into giant clawed paws.  The only thing that remained the same was his eerie electric blue eyes that spoke of what he was. 

                And the Pure was a pissed off grizzly that wasn’t interested in playing nice and roaring into the faces of the enemy let everyone within the 5 mile radius know it. 

                “Holy …” Nicie backed up from the wall, not willing to be anywhere near the fight when... yup, there went the first body with a nice size paw print where its neck used to be. 

                “Xiu,” Emily leaned into the stone wall as she fire into a group of hyenas, watched is the cheetah lost its spots and picked another big angry animal to morph into.  “They’ve breached the wall,” turning to look at the two very human bodies behind her. 

                A roar that was simultaneously a big cat and an angry black bear ripped through the air as the other wolves suddenly darted out from the woods on the attack.  Xiu lead the newly arrived betas as they took on the hyenas that had been forced into the open by the unexpected pack of red wolves. 

                Emily gasped in disbelief.

                Nicie ran to her sisters’ side, gaped open in disbelief.  “Oh my god, are those…”

                “Eastwalls Reds,” Emily whispered. 

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                Lily got into the car and slammed the door shut as the other girls scrambled in.  She didn’t give any indication of thoughts as she watched her usual guards shift into their pelts to follow. 

                “I’m still not sure this is a good idea,” Ella said as she got in beside her mother and traded quick looks with her sister as she passed her window to the next car, Jing close at her heels.  “We can handle…”

                “It’s better to have a constant authority presence there,” Lily murmured calmly and smoothed out the wrinkle on her skirt.  “You and Emma may bring a certain kind of power into play but your father and I still lead this pack on a daily basis.  It’s better that I go with you; the pack could use the morale boost.”

                With a reluctant nod, Ella looked at the window and met her father’s bright glowing blue eyes.  To anyone else, especially the Alpha Guards, he was a stoic figure – the most powerful Alpha this pack has seen in its long history; a Pure Alpha of unimaginable potential.  But in the eyes of his daughters, he was the worried father who couldn’t leave his duties to protect his family and hated himself for it.  She didn’t begrudged him; she understood more than anyone else the cost of her and Emma’s existence – they were the reason he became Alpha.  And she mouthed the words she didn’t say out loud for the sensitive wolf ears all around them: I’ll protect our family.  Simon answered her with a single nod before she mouthed the next words: I love you, daddy.

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                Sam stumbled as he shifted out of his wolf, out of breath and exhausted now that the battle was over – the long howling signal from deeper in the woods pronounced a stand down only minutes before.  He caught himself on the gate, forcing his legs straight so that he could walk not crawl to the inn, his frantic eyes searching even as he felt his insides suddenly constructed – he hated the way Holy Ground made him feel. 

                “Here,” Nicie pressed an icy can of soda into his hands as she ran pass him, her arms laden with the stuff.  “It’ll help.”  Then ran out the gate, giving out sodas to everyone within her reach.

                Cracking it open one-handed, he continued determinedly toward the house.  Half way across the lawn, the front door opened and Fei ran out toward him, her compound bow still notched and ready.  “Are you okay?” Sam asked immediately.

                Fei didn’t stop until she had her arms around him for a long minute before she pulled back and asked, “Are you okay?” running her hand carefully along his bloody side.

                Wincing, Sam looked down at himself with almost a detached fascination.  He had forgotten the wound sustained during the fight; other matters took precedence in his mind.  The laceration went from rib to hip, deep enough that he hadn’t healed yet and was still losing blood.  “I’ll be okay,” not wanting her to worry then quickly gulp down the sugary drink in his hand. 

                “You need to see someone about this,” Fei argued, her eyes dark with concern. 

                “I heal fast, remember?” he reminded her with a smile that barely touched his face.  “I’ll be fine in a few hours; I just need to rest.”  He squeezed her arm gently and watched the gathering betas at the gates, some of whom were staying on the other side to accelerate the healing process in their shifter shapes.  Most of them wore signs of the last few hours and the landscape littered with the evidence.  “I’d feel a lot better if you weren’t sitting in the middle of a warzone,” though he certainly wasn’t going to risk taking her away from here by himself. 

                Fei gave him a reluctant smile.  “I haven’t been given the okay to leave.”

                “You’ve got your answer, right?” Sam asked, his eyes flickering to where a gray wolf was making its way to the gate, limping from  one leg. 

                She was moving forward without realizing it, watching him shift from wolf to man.  “You are hurt,” catching him by the arm. 

                Wes stopped short of the gate, a little startled by Fei’s suddenly  appearance.  The multiple gashes from hip to knee felt worse than it looked but he wasn’t interested in sharing that particular information with anyone.  “I’m fine,” he glanced at the inn.  “Did anyone make it pass you?”

                “No; and yes your friend is awake and fine,” Fei answered as she shoved him back and forth, unabashedly checked the rest of him for more wounds.  There was fresh blood across his back but she couldn’t see if it was from him.  “I’ll get the first aid kit.  Where else are you hurt?”

                He stopped her with one hand, “I’ll be alright,” and looked around the yard.  There were more than a few shifters that weren’t in great shape and wondered how they usually handled such massive casualties.  “Have you seen Chun?”

                She nodded behind him at the big gray that trotted up to them.  Chun hadn’t shifted out of his pelt, his side a mangled mess that wouldn’t be pretty in his human form – but it was rapidly healing in his pelt.  He shook himself hard, conveying to them that he’d be fine and that it was all superficial. 

                Kai stumbled to a stop next to Chun, his left side covered in drying blood and a few nasty looking wounds.  “Can you guys hold the line here?  I’ll leave some of the betas behind but Xiu and I have to report back and check on triage for the wounded.”  He looked at Chun’s side.  “Do you need a healer?”

                Chun shook his head at them, shrugging off the wounds like it was nothing. 

                “Triage?” Wes asked.

                “It’s where we send the wounded.  It’s staffed by our own,” Fei explained quickly. 

                “Is it bad?” Sam asked, coming up to the little group.  He was going to have to shift again to allow his body time to heal. 

                Not willing or unable to say, Kai looked at Wes. “Remember what my sister said about your friend inside.”

                Wes nodded and looked at Chun.  “We’ll make sure this place stays standing.”

                Xiu shifted as he approached them, tripping on his two feet as he took deep breaths to get his voice back.  His face was lined with concern.  “Jaguars are pretty certain there were no strays but Eastwall thinks that there might have been one or two that got pass their sweep inwards.  I got three cougars that reported in; they took some loss towards the north, won’t be back to guard the inn while they reassess.”

                “We’ll have to make do,” Kai replied grimly and rubbed his wounded side.  “I’ll head to triage.”

                “I’ll report back to the Alpha,” Xiu replied and glanced at Emily as she approached reloading her guns.  “You guys okay for a few hours?”

                Emily nodded, her eyes softened with concern at the wounds along Xiu’s legs.  “You going to be okay?”

                Glancing at the multiple gashes along his body, Xiu merely nodded.  He didn’t really have a choice right now.  Looking at Kai, “I’ll catch up with you  once I’ve reported in.  I’m disinclined but should I bring the girls to triage with me?”

                “You’re assuming they’re not already there,” Kai commented dryly and made a face.

                With a sigh, Xiu nodded.  “Okay.  I’ll see you shortly,” then turned and shifted so fluidly into his black wolf that it was eerie.   Three of the wolves waiting joined him as he slipped back into the woods again. 

                Kai took a breath, letting himself rest a second before taking up his tasks – it was a long day with more ahead.  “Sam, you’re with me.”

                Startled, Sam looked at Fei a moment.  “But I…”

                “Now!” Kai ordered sharply as he turned toward the waiting Betas. 

                Torn and frustrated, Sam hesitated before Fei shoved him through the gate.  “Go.  Don’t keep him waiting.  I’ll be fine,” she whispered harshly, well aware of his reasons.

                Nodding, Sam shifted before he caught up to Kai.  The Lead Beta was giving the last of his orders to the waiting wolves.  Some moved toward the inn holding defensive positions while others moved toward the woods in scouting pairs.  Only a few stood ready to move on Kai’s command. 

                Strangely, Kai walked towards the woods on human feet until he was far enough away before he turned to Sam’s white wolf unexpectedly.  He paused again, glancing at the inn before he spoke.  “I didn’t think Fei needed to know yet since we still don’t know his condition but Matthew took a bad hit in the woods – he was one of the first to engage.  Wayne took him to triage.” 

                Sam froze, not certain he heard correctly. 

                Kai  continued to walk, his gait getting shorter as he started to shift into his animal, “He was still moving on his own so it probably wasn’t as bad as we think but caution should be used here.  And there’s no need to worry your sister unnecessarily.”  He gave Sam a quick glance.  “A lot of people were sent to triage so don’t be surprised by what you see.  Stay calm and let the healers do their jobs.  You did fine today, Sam,” was the last spoke words Kai gave before he dropped to all fours and took off running for the glen.

                It wasn’t until later, much later when he could think coherently again, that Sam realized that Kai isn’t what he expected.  And he finally understood the kind of loyalty Kai inspired that came not from just being pack and a strong beta, but from being a leader. 

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                Ella went through the door of triage, caught sight of someone, and immediately turned around.  She grabbed Jing’s arm as she went and motioned her mother to pass.  Lily Chen gave them a raised brow look before moving pass them into the emergency mobile medical center, “the triage,” setup for the wounded Betas. 

                “What?” Jing asked when Ella finally stopped.

                She paused, choosing her words.  “You need to not react when you go in.”

                “What does that mean?” Jing asked, glancing at Pets who had elected to stay outside with them. 

                “It won’t help and will only worry him,” Ella said quietly.

                Jing closed   slowly and clinched her jaw.  Icy fear wound its way up her spine but she forced her feet to stay.  “Who is it?”

                Because she respected her as more than just an ally and pack, Ella won’t lie to her.  “It’s Nick.”

                Pets reached over and held Jing’s hand, her own fear rising the hairs on her arm.  She couldn’t even imagine what was going through her mentor’s mind at the moment. 

                Nodding her head firmly to Ella and giving Pets’ hand a quick squeeze, Jing took a breath and calmly walked into the triage and faced the chaos head on.  She spotted her brothers almost immediately, her eyes unerringly going to them.  The fact that Nick was in his bipedal form on the bed gave her some comfort but her heart still skipped a beat.  Bass got up and went to her as soon as he spotted her. 

                “He’ll be fine,” Bass assured her when he reached her, holding her by the biceps for a moment; it was both to assure himself and to assure her.  “Couple of hyenas jumped him from behind and he took a few nasty bites but the healers are confident that he’ll be up and about by morning if he rests.  They’re going to send him home soon.”

                “They probably need the bed,” Jing commented lightly as she gave her brother a reassuring smile and moved around him.  She didn’t say anything when she stood by Nick’s bedside for a moment and made a quick assessment of his injuries.  Besides the minor cuts and bruises on his neck and shoulder, Nick didn’t look too worse for wear.  Of course, she knew that the starched sterile blanket probably hide most the worse parts from her scrutiny. 

                “Hey,” Nick greeted with a smile that was pure charm.

                She reached for the hand he held to her.  “Did you at least get them?”

                “Didn’t have to,” Nick grinned.  “Kai took care of it for me.  He was pretty pissed off.”

                Mickey and Bass both made faces.  “Holy Ground was breached.”

                Jing winced.  “Geeze…”

                “And Eastwall reds showed up.”

                “So they did come,” she mused as she finally allowed herself to look around the busy tent.  The number of Gamma mates and human spouses were increasing as family rushed to be by the downed Betas’ side.  There were tears and fears to be spread around as various people looked desperately around for their family and a number of them were pleading for answers.

                “No one is left behind,” Nick whispered quietly as he too watched the scene around them, “Kai promised that he’d make sure.”

                Jing nodded knowing her brothers understood where her thoughts had gone.  “I’m going to check on…” then trailed off as she watched Ella and Emma walked along the lines of makeshift stations. 

                The difference in reaction to the two sisters couldn’t have been more polar opposites.  Mothers, wives, companions swarmed around Ella begging for reassures and promises, any word or sign that might help them prepare for the worse or relieve their inner most fears.  But Emma walked alone, those around her scrambling away, averting their gaze, hoping to ward off impending death as the younger seer moved from bed to bed, watching the wounded with steady eyes, body braced for visions to hit at any moment. 

                Pets followed behind Emma at a steady pace, always within reach but always just behind her.  She was giving everyone the stink eye; her distaste for their treatment of the girl written clearly on her face.  Her fuming anger rising with every step she took. 

                Emma stopped next to a frantic surgeon with his hands inside the body cavity of a big black wolf.  She wasn’t watching the doctor, she was seeing the wolf.

                “Come on… Where the hell is it?” Joe the surgeon muttered under his breath as he moved around the intestines.  He was a doctor by trade and one of the few non-combatant Betas.  His battlefield was always in the triage after the bloodshed.  “I need more suction; can’t see a damn thing here.”   Two nurse aids immediately moved to help, bring more light and suction into the massive incision on the shifter’s side.  The monitor next to them continued to beep unsteadily, the wolf was battling consciousness.  “Where the hell is the bleeder?”

                “It’s not in the stomach,” Emma answered calmly, “It’s in his left leg.  You don’t find it until the autopsy.”   She was still watching the wolf for another minute while those around her shook themselves out of their startled stupor and got back to work quickly before she stepped away and moved on.  Though not before letting the patient’s young, pregnant wife know, “He’ll be fine.”

                Pets gave the young woman a sideways look before following Emma; her face again reflected all her thoughts. 

                “Sometimes it takes an outsider…” Nick murmured softly. 

                The commotion at the door arrested everyone attention as a fresh batch of shifters arrived; some wounded, some carrying wounded.  And shortly thereafter, Kai walked through the door, barely restraining an almost panicked Sam.  He had the younger shifter in a tight grip, whispering harshly into his ear as he kept the boy at the door and away from the fresh chaos that had proceeded them.  Only when Sam looked like he was actually listening, calming down did Kai cautiously turned and guided him through the packed room. 

                Sam broke away the minute he saw his brothers. 

                Wayne stood up and rushed to Sam first, holding him back a little.  “It looks worse than it actually is but he’ll be fine,” Wayne assured him quickly then shoved him back a little harder when Sam tried to go around him.  “He’s resting and the doctors have cleared him of any immediate danger.”  He gave Sam a quick shake.  “He’s fine.  Don’t freak out, okay?”

                Taking a breath and nodding his head, Sam slowly down and finally was allowed by his fallen brother’s side.  Matthew had taken a beating; there was deep cuts and tears along his neck and down his back.  The sheets covered the rest of him but the blood from the wounds had seeped through it, creating red patches here and there where the wounds were the worse. 

                “Why isn’t he still shifted?”

                “He couldn’t stay conscious enough to stay in that form,” Wayne admitted with a sigh as he took his seat again.  The long deep gash from his shoulder to elbow had been hastily sewn shut to help him heal but it didn’t mean it didn’t hurt like hell and he wasn’t exhausted.   “The doctor said that it looks worse than it is; they managed to stop the bleeding in most of the more serious wounds.  He just needs time to rest.”

                Nodding his head, letting him know that he heard, Sam got up and walked over to Emma with a grime look.  He waited patiently while she watched another emergency operation a moment before turning away, started a little to find him standing so close.   He didn’t apologize, didn’t blink from her probing gaze.  “Can you tell me if Matt’s going to be okay?”

                Emma’s eyes focused on him then on Matt before turning back to him and unfocused for a moment.  And then her lithe body slipped to the ground, hitting the floor before Sam even realized what was happening. 

                “What did you do?” Kai hissed at Sam as he picked up his kid sister.  She was limp like a rag doll. 

                “Nothing,” Sam replied quickly, following them to a nearby bed, hastily emptied for them.  “I just asked her if Matt was going to be okay?”

                “You really have no idea how this works, do you?”  Kai mumbled as he pulled a thin blanket over Emma’s legs.  “They don’t just ‘see’ things, they have to live it.  And every vision costs them a little something, whether it be physical or emotional.” 

                Sam stopped and stared at Emma’s pale face.  He hadn’t noticed it before, how ashen she had become.  “I didn’t know.”

                “Most don’t,” Kai replied, his hand resting gently on Emma’s brows; she felt clammy to the touch – she’s been pushing herself hard. “Most don’t want to.” 

                “What happened?” Ella asked as she calmly walked up to the bed.

                “God, you look like hell,” Kai replied and patting the edge of the bed for her to sit.  Ella was pale and looked about close to passing out as Emma did a minute ago.  “Can you get them some water?” turning to Pets, who was hovering nearby.  She nodded quickly and ran off.  “We need to get you guys out of here.” 

                “Not yet,” Ella said quietly, her eyes scanning the room.  Most of the others were too preoccupied or too scared to come closer.  “We need to stay a little longer.”

                “You need to not push yourself to the brink,” Kai replied soberly.  “You are not going to…”          

                “What happened?” Lily Chen asked, her eyes making a quick scan of her children.  “Is everyone alright?”

                “Just needed a break,” Ella replied firmly.

                “You need a nap,” Lily said with a snap as she grabbed Ella by the chin and examined her wane face.  “You’re pushing yourselves again and that’s stupid.”

                “Is it?” Emma murmured as she stirred with a sigh.  “How can we expect less of ourselves when you think of why they were out there in the first place.”  Her head and body hurt but not nearly as much as her heart.  She’s seen too much already and she new it wasn’t nearly enough.  She turned her head and stared at Sam a moment, “He’ll be fine but it’ll be awhile; be patient.”

                He thanked her with a quick nod, new appreciation in his eyes.  “You didn’t ask for any of this,” Sam said quietly, his eyes steady on the younger seer’s.  “Don’t blame yourself.”

                Taken aback, Emma merely lied there and stared a moment until Sam nodded his head to Kai and left to be with his brothers. 

                Lily smiled, “From the mouth of babes,” then glanced at the still stunned Emma, “You should listen for a change.”

                “Xiu!”

                The name caught the rest of their attention as Pets put the two water glasses down by the bed and rushed off toward the door.  Jing was there first.

                “What the hell happened?” Jing asked as she caught an unsteady Xiu by the arm. She staggered as he leaned a great deal of his weight on her. 

                Catching the other arm, Pets helped him through the door as he limped painfully toward a medical bed. “Are you okay?”

                “I’m fine,” Xiu said tiredly as Kai came up.  Exchanging a quick nod of greeting, he got right down to business.  “I’ve reported in.  Alpha’s calling the other council members to discuss this latest.  If Emma and Ella are up to it, they’re presence is requested.”

                “Request denied,” Kai grounded out as he caught Xiu’s shoulder and turned him around.  The cut across his lower back bled into the gouges along his leg, all were still an angry red.  “You haven’t stopped bleeding.” 

                “It’s nothing,” Xiu answered weakly.  He’d lost too much blood and he knew it but he needed to make sure his sisters were secure before he would allow himself to rest.  “What’s the plan here and where are we at with the…”

                “You’re an idiot,” Pets snapped as she shoved him back onto the bed and grabbed the nearest towel to help stop the wound.  “Can I get some help here?” she called toward the section of white wearing nurses that were fussing around a supply station.

                “Let me,” Ella said firmly as she made her way over, grabbing supplies as she weaved around carts, tables, beds and other wounded Betas.  She exchanged quick glances with Kai before turning to give their brother her full attention.  “Go small, I can put in a few stitches to help you heal faster.”

                But Xiu wasn’t paying her any attention.  His eyes were across the room where their mother still hadn’t moved from another medical bed.  “Gui Gui.”

                “She’s fine, just exhausted,” Pets informed him and refused to let him get up.  “And definitely in better condition than you.”   When he resisted, she put her weight into shoving him down.  “What is up with your family?  Do you all like to work yourselves into an early grave?  Don’t be an .  You’re not made of steel and you don’t have to do this alone.  That’s what a pack is for.” 

                Xiu paused, his bright turquoise eyes turned to Pets for a moment, reading her angry worried face, before he let her push him all the way back onto the med-bed.  Taking a breath, he started to morph and for a second it looked like he was going to go to his black wolf.  But he kept shrinking and his black fur turned softer and softer to the touch until only a blue-green eyed black cat laid on the bed, an ugly cut running from its side to its back leg.  He mewed softly. 

                Pets was openly staring, as were many of those that had never seen a Pure shift into anything but their usual wolves, even some of the Betas were gap-mouthed and stunned.  Fantastical aside, Xiu shifted with a kind of grace that was hardly seen, without any stops and starts, no jerky movements or awkward limbs; he was simply transformed. 

                “Can you help me hold him?” Ella asked quickly as she threaded the needle with medical thread.  Pets nodded and made an apologetic sound as she applied firm pressure to his neck and hind leg.  “Talk to him, keep him conscious so he’ll keep his shape.”

                Nodding again, Pets leaned down onto her elbow to get close… and to not watch Ella stitch flesh together with steady hands.  “I’ve only ever seen my brother shift before I came here,” Pets admitted as she watched those familiar glowing eyes, now sharp with a predatory gaze.  “I’ve never even knew such things as Pures before I came here.  This is kind of a whole new learning experience for me.”

                Xiu turned his head and her on the inside of her wrist then meowed and laid his head down again. 

                Ella said nothing as she watched the two then snipped off the thread binding the wounds together.  “Stay with him until the bleeding eases and the wound starts to close,” pressing a bandage to the sutures.  “I’ll be back,” then left them with Pets still whispering confessions and thoughts to the tiny cat among the wolves.

                “How is he?” Kai asked quietly when Ella joined them at Emma’s bedside.

                “He’s going to be down for at least a day or two,” she confessed with a frown.  “He was running around with a bleeding wound for too long; lost too much blood in the process.  He’ll need time to rest and regenerate.”  She wasn’t going to ask how they could have let it happened; she knew her brother too well.  “I’m afraid you’re going to be spread pretty thin for the next few days.”

                “More than that,” Kai frowned and stared across the room.  “With Nick down as well, and Bass in no condition to help, I only have Deng and Ming as capable heads to lash the rest of the Betas.  And that’s not counting on how many Betas will have to be down tonight if they’re going to be of any use tomorrow.  We’re operating at a minimum.”

                “I’ll call Alpha House,” Lily offered softly, her mother’s eyes on her wounded son, “And pull the guards.  They’re really not needed and the town needs to be protected.  That should give you a few more men.”

                “Are there any Gammas you can pull in temporary for lesser duties?”

                “I’m not comfortable with that given the dangers,”  Kai admitted with a frown, then remembered that there were a few that were in the middle of the testing process.  “But I’ll talk to them.”  He looked at both his sisters, wane under the stress of their own problems.  “Once I get things situated here, I’ll take you back to the Alpha House – it’s still the most secure place around here.  I want you guys in town tonight while the Cleaners sweep the woods.”

                Ella stopped her sister with a quick hand and nodded in agreement.  “Go, handle what you need to.  We’ll wait for you here.”

                Mother and son exchanged quick looks before nodding their concession and moving off to handle their respective ends of the situation.  Emma waited until they were both far enough away and the noise of the room would drown out whatever else might be overheard to ask, “Don’t you think we should go back to the Holy Ground?”  the visions were getting worse. 

                “It’ll force Kai to spread the men even thinner and he’s got enough on his plate right now.  Besides, I want to keep him and a few others off Holy Ground tonight.”

                Surprised, Emma looked at her with speculation.  “What are you planning?”

                Eyes following first one then the other of her brothers, Ella sighed determinedly and swept the rest of the room with a quick look.   “There’s too much at stake and we’re certainly not out of danger yet.  With this many down, we can use much help as we can get and all the advantages that we have.  But things are progressing far slower than I’d like.  Maybe fate could use a little push.”

                “You want to play god?” delight brightening her eyes a moment.

                Ella smirked as she watched Pets slowly the soft fur behind Xiu’s neck in his cat form, as Jing caught up to Kai as he made the pronouncement to some of the Betas, and at her mother’s speculative eyes as she watched her sons.  “Yeah, let’s play god.”  

To be continued….

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Author’s Note:  An Update!  It’s a miracle.  Sorry, the last few months have been extremely busy for me and I’m just now trying to catch up on writing.  Hope everyone had a good summer and did lots of fun things.  Okay… onwards and forwards!