Chapter 10 – Loyalty   

--------------------------------

            Calvin’s first instinct upon reentering the room and meeting Kai’s less than friendly gaze was to turn around and run.  There was something so razor edge sharp about the man that made him wary under these less than ideal circumstances.  Of course one look at Emma’s drawn face and glassy eyes had him forgetting that particular plan of action.  Six looping steps brought him to the younger sister’s side.  “What happened?”

            “She’s bleeding again,” Jing grabbed the first aid kit from under the end table, knocking her weapon to the ground.  “I knew we should have taken her to the…”

            “I’m fine,” Emma crouched over the spot on her shirt.  “It’s not that bad.”

            “You’re still bleeding,” Kai muttered as he nudged Calvin to the side.  “We need to…”

            “I’m not going to Doc,” Emma stated firmly and loudly. 

            With a sigh, Kai took hold of her hand, which she surprisingly allowed.  “I know you don’t like him very much but…”   

            “HE doesn’t like ME!” she clarified and tightened her hand a moment before snatching it away.  “In fact, he pretty much would like never to see my face.  And his staff?  They’re terrified of me; not one of them could look me in the eye the last time I was in there for that ear infection.” 

            Jing winced.  “I’m sure that’s not true,” though she was pretty sure it was damn close.

            “Come on,” Emma slanted her a look, “We all know it.”

            Kai’s face was an unsightly shade of puce.  “I don’t care how the doc feels about you as long as he treats your wounds.  And if you’re still bleeding, we need to…”

            “Let me see it,” Calvin said quietly, coming between the agitated duo.  “I’ve got some decent first-aid training.”

            “We all have some first-aid training,” Kai snapped, “What she needs is someone with a medical degree.”

            “It’s a deep laceration,” Calvin replied with careful calmness, “It requires some kind of binding to keep the wound close while it heals; there’s nothing more someone with a medical degree can tell you beyond that.”  He looked at Emma’s pale face.  “If you don’t want to see a doctor, let me help.”

            Emma stared at him a moment, her face blanked of any emotions, before she nodded and shifted in her chair to let him at the bandages.  “I really want something for the pain, I’m starting to see spots.”

            “Ibuprofen would be your only option right now,” he replied as he unwound the long strips.  “Would you like some?”

            “Please?” Emma said, holding the chair arms with white-knuckle grips to keep from wincing.

            “I’ll get it,” Jing offered but Kai stopped her with a quick hand on her arm.

            “I’ll get it,” he stated quietly before turning to look at Jing, “You help her.”

            Jing stared after him a moment, questioning what she saw in his eyes.  Taking out fresh bandages from the kit, she casually commented to Emma, “Didn’t realize how upset he was.  Always thought he was kind of a cold bastard.”

            “He can’t stand the sight of blood,” Emma explained.  “Ironic, I know.”

            Smirking, Jing shook her head and laid out the disinfectants.  “I don’t think that’s it.”

            “How do you read it?” Calvin asked, making conversation to keep Emma’s mind off the ugly wound that looked painful. 

            “He doesn’t like to see you bleed,” Jing replied, looked at Emma rather pointedly.

            “What does that mean?” Emma asked, flinching as the wet pad was slowly peeled from her side.  She didn’t want to look… didn’t want to look… didn’t want to…. “Oh gross….”

            Jing handed over the canister of saline spray and sterile gauze.  “It means that Kai doesn’t like to see you hurt and watching you bleed makes him sick.”

            Emma made a dismissive sound then hissed with pain as Calvin spray the wound liberally with the cool cleaning solution.  She whimpered pathetically then simply gave up and cried soft tears – being brave really wasn’t in the cards for her tonight.  Besides, she’s used up all her emotional strength already for the day.

            “I’m sorry,” Calvin whispered softly as he continued to clean the raw wound.  “Just hang on a little longer.”

            Kai walked into the room with the pill bottle and water glass, took one look at the scene, and hurried to Emma’s side.  “Here, take this,” popping the pills into while he wiped her tears with the back of his sleeve then tipped the water into .  “Swallow,” he ordered and then simply set the glass aside and took her hand into his.  “Squeeze hard if it hurts.”

            Emma jerked her head up and down and cried like a child into Kai’s stomach as Calvin cleaned the mess that her wound had become. 

            “We need something better than bandage to keep that wound close,” Jing muttered as she mopped up more blood.  “She’s moving around too much for it to have any time to heal properly.”

            “She should be in bed and resting,” Calvin replied as he searched the kit. 

            “SHE is sitting RIGHT HERE!” Emma yelled at them.

            “She’s got quite a temper on her,” Jing commented with a grin.  “What are you looking for?” as Calvin started to look around the room.

            “Tool box,” he replied.  “Do you have superglue?” he asked Emma.

            “Third drawer on the right, under the silver,” Emma said through grit teeth. 

            “What’s the superglue for?” Kai asked, flinching as Emma’s grip tightened around his long fingers. 

            “We’re going to use it to close the wound,” Calvin explained as he found it.  “It’s not as good as stitches but it’s better than bandages.  It’ll keep the wound close without irritating it and will naturally dissolve after time.”  He looked at Emma for permission, “Trust me?”

            Nodding, because she really had very little choice now, Emma turned her head so she couldn’t see it.  Kai frowned but said nothing as he gently pressed Emma’s face into his stomach again, holding her hand tightly. 

            “Help me with this,” Calvin asked Jing, frowning at how intimately Kai was now holding the younger seers.  From what little interaction he’s seen so far, he couldn’t decide what to make of the two.  “Just hold the wound close, I’ll apply the adhesive.”  And he wasn’t sure he liked this slightly irrational anger he felt toward the beta. 

            Leaning in close, Jing helped to bind the wound and clean up the mess.  She was also close enough to comment almost silently, “I’m not sure that look in your eyes is appropriate.”

            Brows twitching with confusion, Calvin continued what he was doing, ignoring the softer whimpers from Emma.  “You can have one more pain reliever but that’s it.”

            Emma nodded and wiped her nose on Kai’s tee-shirt.  “Will it affect my aim if I take one more?

            “It shouldn’t,” frowning at her before handing her a tissue.  “But you should be resting.”

            “He’s right,” Kai agreed reluctantly.  “We can keep watch.”

            “I’ve got better aim,” she replied and looked at Jing.  “Want something a little more effective?” eyeing her single-shot weapon.

            “Yes please,” Jing answered with a beautiful smile.  “I’ve been cleared for a long range.”

            “We’ve got a scoop rifle,” she replied nodding toward the bookshelf.  “It’s Ella’s newest acquisition.”

            “Is she going to be okay with me playing with it first?” Jing asked as she grab hold of the bookshelf and swung it open to reveal an inlaid  weapon’s storage.  “Hallelujah, bless that crazy paranoid sister of yours.” 

            “Not paranoia if they’re really out to get you,” Emma winced again as Calvin tightened the bandage around her middle.  “Ammo is in the case at the bottom.  Be careful though, they’re pre-laced.”

            “Laced?” Calvin asked, carefully applying the bindings. 

            “Wolf’s bane,” Kai answered with a grim look.  “You have anything I can use that won’t kill me on contact?”

            “Secondary storage behind the grinder,” Emma turned to look at her ruined shirt.  “All the ammo there is fresh from the box.  There should be a few weapons there to choose from as well.  Ella wanted to keep a few clean… just in case.”

            “She’s always prepared, isn’t she?” Jing asked with a grin as she checked the scoop.  Sweeping it around the room to adjust for her comfort, she caught the new girl in her sight as she stepped through the doorway - looking back down the barrel very intimidated.  “You know,” lowering the weapon, “You’re going to have to get over it pretty fast if you want to survive around here.”

            Pets rallied and stepped into the room. “I’m just not use to having a gun pointed at me.”

            “It’s amazing you’ve survived this long,” Kai muttered and looked at Emma.  “You want to change?”

            “In a minute,” Emma answered and used the chair to lever herself up.  “Hand me the thirty-eight.”

            Jing gave her a concerned look but reached back and took the Smith and Wesson Special off the wall.  Flicking on the safety, she grabbed the barrel and presented it to her handle first.  “You sure about this?”

            “This is a big place,” Emma grabbed for it with her left hand, “Can’t rely solely on you and Kai’s lousy aim to protect us.”  Bracing her feet, she brought up the gun to shoulder length, struggling to steady it – the barrel shook visibly.  Wincing in pain, she lowered her weak arm back down to brace against her injured side and held off Kai’s protest with a sharp open hand.  Switching to her dominant hand, she raised the gun again.  This time, it held steady.  “Guess I’m going to be a one-gun girl tonight.”

            “Can you handle a 9mm?” Jing asked with a frown. 

            “I’m better with a .38,” Emma admitted.  “I’m usually within an inch of my mark.”

            “It scary that you need to be,” Calvin murmured and cleaned up the mess around him.  “How much time do we have to prepare for an attack?”

            “Didn’t say there would be one,” Emma replied.  “This is a precautionary thing.”

            “All that just because?” Pets whispered in awe as she peered into the weapon’s locker. 

            “Better safe than sorry,” Jing replied, nudging her aside.  “Don’t touch anything if you don’t know what you’re doing.  I don’t want to be hit with a stray bullet because you don’t know how to use a gun.”

            Pets agreed with a nod and backed away.

            “Besides,” Emma added, receiving a box of bullets, “We can’t always see everything coming our way so it’s always better to be prepared for anything.”  She was careful not to touch too much of the metal as she loaded the chambers.  “I’ll get changed and come back down,” handing the box to Jing again.  “Can you prep the reload cylinders for me?”

            “Sure,” Jing nodded, “You need help to your room?”

            “I can manage,” she replied and stopped long enough to accept the additional pain pill from Kai.  “Thanks.”

            “Check in on Ella on your way down?”

            “Of course,” she dry swallowed the pill and grimaced.  “Guess it’s going to be a long night.”

            “We can sleep when you’re safe.”

            “And when will that be?” Emma muttered as she left the room, not expecting or even wanting an answer.

            The silence she left behind was suffocating.

            After a few minutes of discomfort, Jing cleared softly.  “Let’s divide up the area for coverage.  I’ve got a better aim and I’m not wounded so I’ll take the back entrance from the woods.  It’s the more likely source of an attack.”

            “I’ll have Emma stand guard on the second floor over you,” Kai replied, pounding a fist on his knees in irritation.  “It’s better than nothing and it keeps her out of direct harm’s way.  I’ll take the front entrances.”  He glanced at Calvin, “How good are your eyes without your wolf?”

            “Better than my aim,” Calvin replied stoically.

            “You can take watch from the second floor, east side.”  He glanced at Pets.  “Can you and that brother of yours take west side?”

            Pets nodded.  “Holler if we see movements?”

            “Friend or foe,” he clarified before rubbing his face in frustration.  With his inner beast bound and the night sky darkening the room, a real sense of urgency cloaked the room with thickening anxiety.  “This is ridiculous,” he muttered under his breath, “She should just come home.”

            “That’s their decision to make,” Calvin interjected firmly. 

            “This is pure foolishness,” Kai replied, much sharper than needed.  “She should have never been allowed to be left here to…”

            “And what would be the point of keeping them under lock and key?” Calvin asked in a low hiss, “Other than to slowly drive them insane.”  And he could see it… look how well it did for his own people, trapped in a place that had nothing to offer.  “God knows that’s exactly what would happen.  Why else would Ella have run off without her sister?”

            “And look what leaving brought her?” Kai shot back, “Nothing but heartache and trouble.  If she had just stayed like she was suppose to…”

            “I can’t decide if you’re trying to protect them or imprison them,” Calvin growled with mounting fury.  “ I can’t even decide if you even like either one of them much.  Or is it that they’re seers?  And any seer will do.”

            Kai moved so fast, no one had a chance to react until his fist had already connected with Calvin’s face.  The momentum carried both men to the floor, knocking over an end table and an upholstered armchair.  Pets rushed forward to help but Jing blocked her path with the of her rifle.  She looked both annoyed and amused, shaking her head at Pets with some exasperation.  Instead, Jing tucked the rifle under her arm, grabbed the still full teapot, carefully removing the delicate cap, and dump the rest of the hot tea onto the two outraged males on the ground. 

            “Are we done?” Jing asked rather mildly given she was practically spitting fire out of her eyes, her annoyance was so palatable.  “Because I can just march upstairs and wake Ella up and she can toss the two of you out of your asses.”  When neither men answered her, “Do you guys really think now is a good time to be having this weird …” and then stopped.  Taking a deep breath, she muttered something inaudible then shrugged with a , “screw it.”  Pointing at Kai, “You need to calm down and stop being all crazy.  I know you want to protect them, but Ella and Emma are very adept at taking care of themselves.  So stop taking out your frustration on everyone else!”  Pointing at Calvin, “And you!  You are determined to dislike Kai for reasons I’m pretty sure I’ve figured out.  And you are WAY off basis so stop trying to antagonize him.” 

            Jerking himself away, Calvin stood up wiping tea from his arm and back.  Kai, silent and seething, did the same.  Neither of them said a word.

            Pets raised her arm like she was in school and asked the obvious, “What do you mean he’s wrong?  What’s he wrong about?”

            “Kai,” Jing answered, checking her rifle.  She wasn’t above using it if either men decided to be stupid again.  She promised Xiu that she would protect the girls, and that’s what’s going to happen.  Then turned and looked at Calvin, “Do you even know who he is?”

            “Besides a jerk?” Calvin muttered, grabbing a tiny useless napkin from another table. 

            “We’re not debating that right now,” Jing answered.

            “Thanks a lot,” Kai glared at her before going to cupboards for a towel.  “But if you think for a second I’m just going to sit here and have some question my loyalty to the girls…”

            “Right,” Calvin interjected, “That’s why Emma cringes when you talk to her.”

            “Who the hell are you to…”

            “ENOUGH!” Jing wanted to hit them both in the face with something cold and hard.  “Oh my god, it’s like talking to three-year-olds.”  Pointing at Kai, “You, stop it and shut up for a second.  And you,” kicking the air in Calvin’s direction, “Didn’t I just ask you not the antagonize him?” she snapped.  “I told you have you’ve got the wrong idea.”

            “And exactly is it that you think I’m wrong about?” Calvin asked, impatient and pissed now.

            “You don’t know who Kai is,” Jing pointed out.  “In fact, you haven’t even tried to understand the situation.  You are acting completely off the basis that he’s angry at Emma because she got hurt and you don’t like seeing Emma scared.”

            Logic was infallible and Calvin had nothing to respond with. 

            Huffing with annoyance at having to play the intermediary, Jing stared at the two for a moment.  “Now… I’ll ask again: do you know who Kai is?”

            “Beta,” Calvin answered abruptly, not really that interested but unable to shake his polite upbringing to ignore Jing.  Plus he couldn’t help but remember Ella’s warning about missteps. 

            Pets looked confused and mused out loud,  “Why is he mad that Emma got hurt?” 

            “Not just Beta,” Jing corrected with a rather sourly grin, “one of the heads – as in someone that’s climbed to the head of the food chain.  And as such, Emma is right to be cautious of him – as would any sane person – because she’s not stupid,” then slanted Calvin a look of rather sardonic amusement, “And also because she has a healthy respect for her big brother.”

            It was so silent in the room for a moment that it felt almost surreal. 

            “I’m sorry,” Pets couldn’t help asking, “Did you say brother?”

            “Yup,” looking at Calvin instead with a grin that was somewhere between smug and annoyed.  “As in kin… blood… sibling… family?  Is any of this penetrating that thick skull of yours yet?” 

            Calvin flinched.

            Kai made a face as things finally connected, “What kind of creepy uous thoughts were you having?” and then punched Calvin in the shoulder roughly.

            He deserved it and he knew it.

            Blinking, Pets asked, “Does that mean you’re Ella’s brother too?”

            “That’s usually how family works,” Kai replied with disgust, then hit Calvin again for good measure.  “God, I’m so grossed out right now I could puke.”

            “Please don’t do it here,” Jing said, pulling out more ammunition from the bottom of the safe.  “I have a feeling that I’d be the one to have to clean it up if you do.  And I’m a terrible housekeeper.”

            “What happened in here?” Emma asked, staring at the overturned furniture.  “And why are you guys wet?”

            “They tripped,” Jing answered and dared the guys to say otherwise with her eyes.  “I see you found a lost puppy,” nudging her chin to the looming male behind Emma. 

            Chun didn’t even blink.

            “Found him wondering the hallways,” she gave him a speculative look, “Thought it’d be better to bring him here.”

            “Arm up,” Jing advised, looking at the newcomers.  “You guys know how to shoot?”

            “No,” Chun answered stoically.  “But I can learn fast.”

            “I’ll bet,” nodding her agreement, Jing glanced at Kai.  “They’ll need non-laced stuff.  Can you get them?”

            “Do I have a choice?” Kai asked and left the room.  As he did, Pets pointed at his back and mouthed ‘brother’ to Chun.  “I heard that,” Kai said without turning around.  He glared at Chun as he passed him, annoyance flashing in his eyes. 

            “I don’t like him,” Pets pronounced when she was certain Kai couldn’t hear her anymore.  Then added very quickly, “No offense,” to Emma.

            Emma gave her a weak smile and shrugged.  “Very few people do.  But Kai is awfully effective at what he does.”

            Jing nodded with agreement and some reluctant admiration.  “He terminates with extreme prejudice anyone that threatens the pack.  You can’t ask for a better protector or ally when the going gets rough.”  She looked at Emma, “And he's especially dangerous when it comes to his family.”

            “I know he worries,” Emma replied grudgingly, “And I know he doesn’t like that we aren’t as militant about things as he is but I can’t live the way he wants me to.”

            “Under lock and key?” Calvin asked gently.

            “Something like that.”

            “Can you blame him?” Jing asked, handing her the reload cylinders.  “Especially after today?”  Emma flinched and became silent, checking her gun with hesitant hands.  Jing bit her lip and sighed, “I’m sorry.”

             Emma shook her head and smiled for Jing’s benefit.  “I get it.  I don’t like it but I get it.  Let’s set up for the night.  Where am I positioned?”

            “Up high.  Second floor, South.”

            “I should take bottom,” Emma suggested, “You’ve got the scoop.”

            “It’s safer up top.”

            “You’re more effective up there.”

            “I’d feel better if you were in a safer position.”

            “And I think we need to utilize our resources a little better.”

            “I promised Xiu that I’d keep you safe.”  Jing’s face reflected none of the emotions she was feeling.  “It’s important.”

            Emma’s face blanked out a second, “Jing…”

            “I already know,” Jing replied quietly, pulling the younger girl to the side, unwilling to share too much in front of the strangers.  “I’m not naïve or self delusional.  I’m well aware that I’m not a match for someone like him.  I’ve accepted that reality… in my head.”  She gave Emma a self deprecating smile.  “And I’m working on the rest of me.”

            Unable to restrain herself, Emma hugged her tightly.  “It should have been you,” she whispered with a pain voice, fighting back tears.  Life was terribly unfair.  “I would have chosen you for him.”

            “That’s sweet,” Jing said, genuinely touched by Emma’s heartfelt words.  “Wrong and rather inappropriate given what I just revealed right now but sweet nevertheless.”  She pulled back and smiled then lost that smile when she realized Emma’s eyes had gone unfocused. 

            “What’s wrong?” Calvin asked, reading Jing’s face correctly.

            “Give her a moment,” Jing advised quietly, holding still so not to disturb the young seer.

            Emma came back slowly, her eyes suddenly bright with intensity.  “Night of the full moon, stay indoors.  Be armed.”

            Accepting the advice, Jing nodded.  “Okay.”  Then had an afterthought, “Don’t tell Xiu.”

            “I can’t keep this from him,” Emma protested.

            Which meant it was serious.  Jing felt a shiver of fear but squashed it quickly.  “He’s got enough on his plate,” Jing replied, “And I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.”  She lifted the rifle to her hip and gently rested it there.  “Don’t worry, I’ll be okay.”

            “But…”

            “Promise you won’t tell him,” Jing asked gently, her eyes soft with pleading.  Of all things, she didn’t want to be a burden to him.  “Please.”

            Caught between emotions she didn’t want, Emma looked at Calvin a second for answers.  But the look in his eyes told her he felt the same way.  She had to honor the request.  “Okay.  I won’t tell Xiu.”

            Jing turned and pinned Calvin with a sharp look.  “You too.”

            He held up his arms in defenselessness and impartiality.  He wouldn’t be involved unless someone asked him to be; he’s already stepped on one too many landmines tonight.  One more and he might as well just put his head on the chopping block; Ella at least would probably do the honors after all the hard work she put in to gain access for his friends and what does he go and do?  Piss off and insult her brother.  Great…

            “Hey, what are you guys talking about?” Kai asked suspiciously.

            Emma turned and almost fell.  “Nothing.”

            He raised one quick brow at her.

            Jing shook her head.  “It’s nothing to do with any of this,” she explained calmly.  “No worries.”

             He looked a little skeptical but accepted her explanation with a shrug – he had bigger fish to fry tonight.  “The combo has been changed again.  I tried all the usual ones but none of them work.”

            “Ella reset it a few days ago, after the new shipment of ammo came in.  I didn’t recognize the sequence so I wrote it down,” Emma muttered as she riffled through the drawer on the end table.  “Here it is.”  She frowned at it.  “It’s 1-1-1-0.  Weird.”

            “What the hell…” Kai frowned again.  “What kind of stupid combo…”

            “It’s Calvin’s birthday,” Pets said quietly.

            Kai paused, glared at Calvin, then rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in defeat.  Walking out, he muttered under his breath about idiotic younger sisters and their crazy fits of insanity. 

            “I’ll help you,” Emma volunteered, chasing her brother out the room holding her side. 

            Jing shook her head, “What the hell is she playing at?” not sure which sister she’s referring to. 

            Calvin groaned and rubbed his face.  “I’m beginning to suspect I’m not going to survive this town.”

‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡

            Benji glanced briefly around and felt the unseen eyes on him as he unabashedly striped out of his clothes, tossing them back through the open doorway behind him.  If there were any females out there, they can get an eyeful of something that they weren’t ever going to get.  And the males… they can watch with envy.  Shutting the door, he turned and dropped to the ground, allowing his wolf to emerge – and it was a sight to behold.  That graceful athletic body twisted and disappeared beneath the powerful gray wolf with eyes that gleamed like polished brass. 

            Opening his jaw, he howled loud and clear at the waning gibbous moon, attracting the attention of every shifter within a three miles radius.  As the last sounds echoed off, he took to the forest at a run that was difficult to keep an eye on much less follow.  But those unseen eyes attempted anyways, dashing out indiscreetly from shrubs and brushes where they had been hiding, racing after the gray streak that quickly faded into the night. 

            “Well that was quite impressive,” Sean commented, letting the curtain fall back into place.  “I do have to say that Benji may have the true makings of an Alpha.”
            “Except for the fact that he has no interest in leading,” Wes pointed out as he started to strip out of his clothes. 

            “Yeah, except that,” Sean grinned and pulled his shirt over his head one-handedly and grabbed the phone with the other.  Hitting redial, he waited for the other end to pick up.  “Benji took off.”

            “Yeah,” George replied rolling his eyes.  “We heard him.”

            “The next town heard him,” David commented from across the room where he was keeping watch through the window.  “Show off.”

            “It was effective,” Wes replied as he stepped to the door, gently parting the curtain on the little window to check the area again.  “He managed to pull pretty much all the spies around this area.  We should be able to take off without anyone noticing.”

            “Make sure before you make a run for it,” George warned as he glanced at David again.  “How about this side?”

            “A few of them moved off toward Benji but I can still see at least six beady little eyes watching the house,” David sneered. 

            “Just enough for us to set them up,” George commented as he grinned at his cousin who gave him a thumbs up before he started to shed his clothes.  “Wes, Sean, get ready to move.”

            “Remember,” Wes cautioned, “Don’t do anything rash.  And if it turns sour…”

            “Don’t worry about us,” David interrupted as he came closer to the phone.  “We’ll give you guys plenty of time to get out before we circle back on Benji.  These guys won’t even know what had happened before it’s over.”

            “Run fast and run hard,” George said as he too stepped out of his clothes.  He was ready to give it all to this family, even if it meant he and David play bait for the rest of the pack that’s determined to wipe out the reminder of the North Thumberland gray wolves.  “And don’t look back.  Stick to the plan, find the others.”

            “You guys be careful okay?” Sean replied, the tension obvious in his voice.  “Don’t get caught and don’t do anything that might…”

            “Anyone ever tell you guys that you worry too much?” David grumbled with a sincere lump in his throat.  He knew what they were saying and he understood it was out of loyalty to their little family and… “Don’t worry about us.  The reason we’re going to be the last ones to run is because we’re the fastest.  We’re going to be fine once we know the rest of you are safely on the move.”

           Wes nodded, fighting back the panicky tears as the time to leave drew near – there was no guarantees now.  “We’ll be back on the radar just after midnight.  If anything goes wrong…”

            “We won’t be calling,” George replied solemnly.  The final five had agreed; it was going to be up to them and it would be a scorch earth battle.  They would be the ones to hold the lines and made sure the others made it out, even if it meant giving their lives.  “And neither will you.”

            “Good luck my brothers,” Sean said quietly, forcing back his fears.  “We’ll wait for your signal.”

            “Will do,” David gave George a thumbs up and slipped out into the night.  They weren’t going to run together, not tonight; it would be the first time in weeks they’ve not done so.  Exuding arrogance as per his usual mode, he dropped on all fours and shifted almost instantly.  *Let’s play!*  The darkness of his gray wolf blended almost with the dimmed light of night and he flashed his observers a pearly white canine grin before he raised his muzzle and howled long and clear, letting Benji and the rest of the pack know that he was on the move. 

            “And he called Benji a show off,” George muttered as he watched the responses from the window.  The final spies that were watching his house took off after David, trying desperately to keep up with his long looping strides – not that any of them were eager or ready to face David if they caught up to him, he outweighed them by a few stones.  “Okay, I’m in the clear.”

            “Good luck,” Sean said, tossing the last of his clothes onto a chair.  It would be one of the few remaining pieces he was leaving behind. 

            “Stay safe,” George said and hung up the phone.  Slipping out into the darkness, he shifted right out of the remainder of his clothes and took off running in the opposite direction his cousin had taken.  It was almost a mile away when he stopped, watched the shifting shadow around the town library and grinned with amusement.  Lifting his face to the moon, he howled long and hard, letting all the pent up anger and rage he’s carried for years into it.  Then took off like lightning into the woods.  *Come and get me guys.  Tonight, the North Thumberland grays are going to show you what we’re made of.*

            ‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡

            Kristen shivered, feeling icy fingers dance up her spine. 

            “What’s wrong?” Selina asked, glancing at her sister in the passenger seat.  It had been decided that they would sit up front, a slight diversion for anyone that might be looking at a lone traveler carrying two hidden passengers.  “Are you cold?  Do you want to turn up the heat?” glancing at the unfamiliar dashboard. 

            “No, no,” Kristen shook her head and rubbed her arms quickly.  “Just had one of those weird feelings.  You know, like someone had walked over your grave?”

            Slanting her sister a look of disapproval at her choice of words, Selina glanced over her shoulder at the sleeping figure curled up on the back seat.  The frown between Rainie’s brow gave evidence to the deep seated concern and exhaustion she had been hiding from the sisters.  “We’re less than three days from a full moon.”

            “And no safe haven in sight,” Kristen murmured softly, watching the bright moon overhead. 

            “You and I may be on our own if it turns into a problem.”

            “Rainie is mated,” Kristen pointed out, “She should have significantly more control over…”

            “Yes but I don’t want her to,” Selina said into the darkness.  “It’s easier on the body to let nature take its course.  The full moon should mean that she reconnect fully with her wolf; strengthens the bode between human and animal.  We need her strong in the coming days; which means she needs to be able to control her wolf when she needs it.”

              Agreeing with a nod, Kristen pulled out the paper map and flashlight they’ve been using to navigate the unfamiliar terrain.  “We should head further East into the Towa Forest.  It’s dense and extends for hundreds of miles.  It should be a good place for Rainie to run and should only be a day and a half off our path,” measuring the distance with her hand. 

            “That’d push our rendezvous date with the rest of the guys by another three days,” Selina murmured.  “We should probably discuss it with them first.”

            “But the turn off is in another… forty miles?” Kristen frowned and put her flashlight closer, following the lines on the map.  “If we miss that road, it’d be another two hundred miles and we’d have to double back by a lot.”  She glanced at her sister,  “We’re going to have to make the call.”

            “Take the turn off,” Rainie answered from the back seat.  “We were going to have to push back the meet-up date anyways.  This will give me a safe location to run for a bit.”  She hadn’t done a full shift since the fight at the bar. 

            “Assuming Towa Forest isn’t pack territory,” Selina pointed out.  “Anything in Calvin and Chun’s notes?”  Chun had kept detail notes on Calvin’s travels and paid special attention to any place he had gone through that were marked as claimed regions. 

            “Calvin didn’t come through this way,” Kristen answered after a minute of double checking her notes.  “We’re sending the guys through the areas Calvin documented remember?  So that we know it’s safe.”  Pack members were less likely to attack females, mated or not, that stumble onto their area. 

            “We don’t have a lot of choices right now,” Rainie admitted, turning onto her side.  “It’s fly by the seat of our pants at this point so I’m making the call; take the turn off.  Selina is right, I need to be able to make a full shift and it’s safer if I’m away from you guys.  The forest will give me cover and room.  I may have you guys continue on without me and I’ll circle around and catch up later.  You guys need to stay on the move the night of the full moon, got it?  You’re sitting ducks if you’re stationary and we run into another pack.” 

            “What about you?” Selina asked.

            “I can handle myself,” she turned to face the moon through the backseat window.  “Besides, Jiro is on his way to me.”

            Kristen turned in her seat a second then quickly turn back, remembering to keep to the illusion of only 2 passengers.  “How do you know he’s coming?”

            “I can feel it,” Rainie answered with a smile.  “We’re not just married, we’re bonded.  Mates have a connection that is very different.  I will always know where Jiro is; just as he will forever know where to find me.”

            Smiling, Kristen opened the passenger side overhead mirror to look at Rainie in the reflection, “Sounds romantic.”

            “Sounds useful,” Selina replied, her practical streak rearing its head.  Despite her ridiculous feminine appearance, Selina was also fanatically sensible in life.  You had to be when you were the sole caretaker of a younger sibling after a devastating war.  And despite the loyalty the Orphan Pack had shown one another, she understood that it was her job to protect Kristen.  “So is that our game plan?”

            “For now,” Rainie replied and reached for her phone.  “I’ll let my mom know.  We’ll set up another meet up in three days, North of the Towa Forest.  Exact location to be determined.”

            “Sounds like a vague enough plan,” Kristen said and shivered, feeling the goose bumps raise on her arm.

            “What’s wrong?” Selina asked again. 

            Starting at the moon, Kristen kind of intuitively understood.  “I think the boys are on the move.”  She glanced at her sister again, “It’s do or die time.”

‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡

            *We’ve got a tail,* Wes said as his feet kicked up dirt and grass.  His long lean body stretching over ground at a much faster pace than his friend. 

            *Keep moving,* Sean ordered and veered off a split second later, disappearing into the darkness, a ghostly pale streak. 

            With no recourse, Wes continued on, changing directions so as not to lead their enemy directly to their hidden getaway vehicle.

            The sudden howl almost made him pause, almost stopped him in his track, but the sharp warning Sean had given him before they started this journey burst into his mind’s eye.  “Don’t you dare stop for anything.  Just keep going, no matter what.  I’ll be right behind you.”  Swallowing his uncertainty, he continued on, refusing to look back. 

            Fear manifested in strength and Wes ran harder, making his legs move with a synchronized rhythmic pace that no one, not even a shifter, should be able to keep up with.  Weaving in and out of shadows, around trees and boulders, creating an out of the way path toward their original destination.  He wasn’t going to make it easy for them to be follow but he had to get to where he was going.  And if Sean was behind him…

            *No,* he refused to believe that his best friend wasn’t fast behind him.  He couldn’t think like that.  Sean knew where they were headed to.  Even with this indirect route, he should be able to find his way and catch up in…

            *Where the hell were you going?* Sean asked as he suddenly appear to Wes’ left flank.  *You’re going the wrong way!*

            Changing directions again, he almost sighed with relief and to ask where he’s been.   But Wes didn’t have to ask, he could smell the death that clung to Sean’s matted coat, darkening his fine silver gray fur.  Knowing that his friend killed to protect him and to guarantee their exit, it humbled and saddened him.  *How many?*

            *Just the one,* Sean replied, lowering his nose to rub against the inside of his leg, clearing his sense of smell.  He had hung back a little longer than he had intended to make sure there weren’t any more. 

            *I’m sorry,* knowing that sweet-natured Sean would never willingly…

            *I’m not.*  He wasn’t going to apologize for it, wasn’t even sorry he had to do it.  Life was a very dangerous game out here – it was kill or be killed.  And he knew where he’s loyalties stood.  There would be no regrets.  *We better hurry.  Feels like we’re approaching midnight.*       

‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡

            “Coffee?” Calvin offered quietly so not to startle the watchful girl with the sniper rifle. 

            “Please,” Jing replied all twinkle-eyes smiles and cheerful calm as she took the mug with her right hand and kept her dominant left on the weapon.  “Thanks, I could really use this.”  The snippy weather wasn’t exactly friendly. 

            “How are you holding up?” Calvin asked, taking a seat next to her on the narrow bench. 

            “I’m tired but fine,” she sipped the black coffee slowly, savoring the rich taste.  She didn’t dare wear gloves to keep her hands warm, fearing that it would interfere with her gripe.  “Did Emma make this?”

            “Yeah, she’s in the kitchen pulling some snacks together.”

            “Worried that their hospitality is lacking?” 

            Calvin laughed.  “Something like that.  Plus I think she’s tired and bored.”

            “Sounds like her,” Jing replied with a grin as she swept the perimeter with her eyes again.  The gentle breeze and occasional chirps of the night birds gave her lulling comfort. 

            “You sound like you’ve known her a long time.”

            “Yup.  I’ve known the family for as long as she’s been alive.”  Jing looked a Calvin a moment, “What do you want to know?” 

            “Excuse me?”

            She chuckled.  “You obviously came out here with questions, so ask.  I’ll answer the best I can… at my own discretion of course.”  Her eyes swept the woods again, always carefully watching. 

            He nodded, “Of course,” then considered the questions that’s been dancing around in his head. 

            Jing, taking pity on him and finding his concern to be endearing, asked, “Want to know how Emma managed to survive this long?”

            Well, it was a start.  Nodding, he leaned against the doorframe and out of her line of sight as she swept the area with her eyes again, her finger never leaving the trigger. 

            “The only reason Emma has lived as long as she has is through sheer will power, dumb luck, and unquestioning loyalty of those that love her the most.”  Jing sipped the coffee again and stared at the tree line beyond the yard.  “You have to understand something first, Ella was considered an anomaly and a miracle.”

            “I’ll bet.”

            “No, not the way you think,” she slanted him a quick look.  “Ella and Emma’s parents aren’t True Mates.”

            “Excuse me?”  It had never been heard of.  “How is that even possible?”

            “Their parents had both lost their respective True Mates in the last territory war.  It had been devastating.  The West Mountain grizzlies tried to expand their territory and the first ones they hit was the Five Lake wolves.  Through the old alliance, the five clans were able to push the invasion back, but not before we lost a good number.

            “Losing your True Mate is said to do terrible things to a person’s mind.  They said that Ella came about because her parents took comfort in one another after the attacks.  There’s no law against it and it certainly no known rules either, and since they had both been mated before…”  She shrugged, not really wanting to go into the details.  “It also helped that they were both Pures; there’s so few of them left that a child of their blood was guaranteed to be a Pure.  And thus, nobody made too much of a fuss when Ella was born.  That she showed signs of being a seer so early on silenced whatever opposition might be left.”

            Calvin understood.  “Then Emma came along.”

            Jing nodded, hiked her rifle higher on her hip and swept the woods again.  “Ella’s parents were married by common law and they were a happy little family, no one outside the clan wouldn’t have known they weren’t True Mates.  Her mom kept Emma’s existence a secret for as long as possible.  And by the time the Elders found out, it was simply too late to do anything about it.”

            “They would have forced an abortion?”

            “Wouldn’t you if you thought a second child might bring doom?”  Jing made a face of disgust, letting him know exactly what she thought of the idea even if she understood it.  “Emma was under a microscope from the moment she was born.  Her being a girl didn’t help; evoked all sorts of whispers of Sister Seers rumors.”

            “Not really a rumor though.”

            “No,” Jing remembered those days.  “But she was a happy child, very different from the quick-witted, graceful Ella.  And Emma’s clumsy disposition and general oblivion helped.  She was five when they finally figured it out.” 

            He didn’t want to ask.

            But Jing told him anyways.  “She was six when someone tried to drown her in the lake.”

            It truly was worse than he thought.  “How did… Who…”

            “She couldn’t say and neither would Ella.  Kai got there in time to breathe life back into her but… he didn’t see who.  And the rain that day obscured any trace of her attacker.”  Speculation ran rampant but neither Emma nor Ella could or would point fingers; even back then, the sisters navigated the dangerous world of pack politics like seasoned pros.  “But from that point on, Emma was escorted to and from school, up to when she was in middle school when she insisted that it was stopped.”

            “That’s not very smart of her.”

            “Yes… and she learned it the hard way.”

            It was hard to imagine anything worse than knowing someone in her own pack tried to kill her.  “What happened?”

            “About seven, maybe eight years ago, before Ella had herself and Emma moved to Holy Ground, bunch of coyotes snuck into town and made off with Emma.”  Jing remembered that day vividly.  “I was with Ella that day.  She saw it about five minutes before it happened while we were still across town.  By the time we got there, it was too late.”  She’ll never forget Ella’s terror, nor Xiu’s steely-eyed determination.  “Because it was Emma, the others clans refused to help; said it was an internal problem.” 

            “Oh you’ve got to be kidding me.”

            “And the Council wasn’t exactly tripping over themselves to chase after her.”

            Calvin felt sick.  If you couldn’t relay on your own pack to protect you…

          “Xiu and Kai don’t agree on a lot of things but the one thing they’ve always stood together on was the girls.”  Jing swept the area again, frowned at the quietness of the woods – the night birds had stopped chirping.  “When the Betas weren’t moving fast enough for their liking, the two of them took a couple of their friends and tracked the coyotes for three days over two mountain ranges.  One of the reasons that Emma fears Kai is because she watched him kill right before her eyes.”

            “Oh god…”

            “Xiu said that Kai lost all control when he saw what they had done to Emma.  Went full grizzly and rip them literally limb from limb.”

            “Grizzly?”

            “He’s Pure,” Jing explained matter-of-factly.  “Eight wet behind the ear boys, wolves and pures, took on twenty-two weathered coyote-shifters.”  She had been there to receive them when they returned.  Those weren’t boys that came back; one could see it in their eyes.  “It’s little wonder that they were elevated to Betas shortly after.”

            “What about Emma?”

            “Traumatized, as you’d expect; couldn’t speak for almost three months.”  That had been hard to watch; bright sunny Emma had been reduced to a shell.  “Ella punished everyone by refusing to speak of anything she saw.  But she made damn sure they knew she saw stuff.”  She smirked; remembering the snickering glee Xiu and Kai had shared over it.  “When the Elders and other Alphas from the clans came by, she’d always give them the same answer: it’s their own internal problem.  She wasn’t interested in helping.” 

            A tiny smile crossed Calvin’s lips.  “Turnabout is fair play.”

            “She definitely thought so,” Jing couldn’t have agreed with her more.  “Took awhile for Xiu to talk her around, and she couldn’t really stay out of it when Emma started to tell them things.”  She scanned the woods again, even the crickets have stopped. 

            “Kai and Xiu don’t get along?”

            “They’re like fire and ice; though at times it’s hard to tell which one is which.”

            “Xiu is pretty close to the girls?”  Why else would he risk life and limb to save Emma?

            Jing glanced at him, “You can say that.”

            “How come?”

            She gave him a funny look then went back to scanning the woods again.  “For the same reason Kai is: because he shares a common parent with the girls.”

            Calvin blinked.  “Wait… he’s their brother?”

            “Half-brother,” she corrected with a grin.  “You really have some funny idea about…”  The silent woods were getting to her.  It shouldn’t be this silent.  “Do you hear something?”

Calvin sat still for a moment.  “Nothing.”

            “Exactly,” she brought the rifle up, bracing it against her shoulder.  “Go get the others.  I think there’s…” she stopped and flipped the safety off the gun.  Multiple shadows extracted themselves from the woods, golden eyes bright against the darkness, stopping just beyond the wall. 

‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡

            «The heavy humid air made breathing difficult but she ignored it as she ran.  The soft crunch of leaves underfoot told her she wasn’t running nearly fast enough.  He was going to be on top of her at any moment…  The impact on her back caught her by surprise despite expecting it.  She went down at a roll, staying clear of the heavy warm body she could feel at her side. 

            To his credit, he tried to catch her.  But she moved too quickly for him to gain a hold in his wolf form.  They both went down rolling through the thick overgrowth, stopping only when they were no longer able to avoid the trees in their path. They would be sore in the morning but right now, adrenaline masked whatever pains might be there.

            “You’re an idiot,” she spat out as she gained her feet and made a dash for it again.

            His wolf gave her a two second head start then crashed into her again, pinning her to the ground this time.  He growled deep in his throat, warning her that he wasn’t in the mood for her antics and he will bite if she tried his patience.  Golden eyes blinked twice and his fur started to receded into his body, the bent form elongating into the human body.

            “I don’t have time for this,” she warned him, fascinated and annoyed by his shifting body.  “I’ve got to get back.”

            “We need to talk,” he said with broken vocal cords. 

            “Now is really not the time…”

            “You think you can avoid this forever?” he asked her incredulously.  “How long are you going to run from me?”

            “As long as it takes to keep you alive,” she admitted, watching his eyes as the rest of him shifted back to human.  “You can’t fight the Moon,” she reminded him.  “And the Moon is silent when it comes to you and I.”

            The glow of his eyes which had started to receded, suddenly flashed with energy.  “I can’t accept that.  My heart won’t let me,” the started to shift to wolf again.»

            She woke with a start, a jolt of fear jerking her limbs. 

            The dream hadn’t felt normal… of course she didn’t have normal dreams to begin with.  But still… it left like something she’s seen before, a shadowy image from something forgotten.  Or something that hasn’t happened yet. 

            Whatever it was, it  wouldn’t serve any purpose in pursuing it.  Besides, there were too few clues to tell her if the dream had been a dream… or something else.  And if it was something else, it wasn’t a good omen for what’s to come.

To be continued…

------------------------------------------------

Author’s Note:  I know I need more forward moving chapters but I’m getting there.  Hope everyone is still enjoying this.  Let me know what you think.

Thanks as always.