The Alpha's Desire 5 (4 page)

“I assumed as much,” I said, hoping to soothe, reaching across the table to add my hand to the many that already had Catherine’s. I offered my support as well. “But, Daniel didn’t think to just ask. He let his anger overrule his common sense. He went for revenge immediately.”

“It is that I don’t get,” Catherine got out, putting a stop to her tears as anger began to deepen her voice, and her hands curled into fists under all the hands piled up on top of them. “Royal or not, we have made it a personal mission to remain approachable. Always. We are known for helping, so why on this earth did he not think to ask us for help? We would have given it. We had no reason at all to hold back. In fact, in my mind, helping them to alleviate their curse would have been helping paranormals, which is our job in a way too. We may not have brought them to the island, but a training academy of sorts in the states could have easily been built. Other sorcerers could have been trained to learn to turn them. We could have all worked together.”

This time, Edward had let Catherine go on. He figured, as we all did, that she needed it. Sometimes ranting can be helpful, so we all listened, agreed, not to appease or even to humor her but in true agreement to each and every word she said. We all knew they would have helped. The frustration laid in the fact that Daniel had not been able to figure out the same.

“We have been talking about how to best approach the wolves these last months, to let us know we are willing to help those who want to escape their curse. We just hadn’t figured out how best to begin the talks with all that has happened. Daniel has made us out to be the bad guys. With all quiet, I suppose it was our mistake, being overcautious, not wanting to put anyone else in jeopardy that we took our time in coming up with our plan. Now, we have this to deal with again. Worse than the first time as innocents have become involved. We are still his targets, but he is using the deaths of others to get our attention this time. We are sorry to rattle on. We are so beside ourselves with this news.”

“We understand,” I said. “You talk all you need to. Rest assured that we will go. We will join in the fight.”

I looked at Lex for his agreement, though I knew I didn’t have to. The idea he would stand beside me no matter what warmed my heart, gave me the first sense of strength since I’d walked into this room and heard the dreadful news that would change my life once again. I’d wanted to go back to visit the states, but had put it off at the same time. Now, I would have to, but not for the reasons I’d wanted to.

I’d been trained for six months to use my magic, and a month now as a wolf. I needed to use these blessing I’d been given to help those who had helped me. I would, without question, as I had Lex when Daniel had taken him, but I wouldn’t go fearless into battle. Not this time at least, if one ever could. The whole idea of it turned my stomach, even just thinking of it. Fighting wasn’t exactly in my nature. To take a life, just the mere notion of it alone made me nauseous. I’d seen that first hand last time I’d come face to face with Daniel and let him go. So, this fight was on me.

If I’d found it in myself to kill that man who had come so close to killing the man I loved, none of us would be facing this mess. I couldn’t even handle letting myself think of the innocent lives lost because I couldn’t kill a man. Sadly, I couldn’t reconcile either side, the guilt or being able to make another decision. Now, if given a second chance to take his life, I’d have no choice, would just need to deal with the way it would make me feel. I selfishly hoped that decision didn’t come down to me, and that made me feel even worse. The whole circular with no upside train wreck of thought wasn’t getting me anywhere, but I had the plane ride back to the States to figure it out, I guessed. I had to change the direction of my thoughts for a moment before I hyperventilated.

Luckily the room filled with all these raging emotions made mine blend in.. I couldn’t put any of the way I felt into words just yet anyway, and I didn’t want them to see me as weak, not as I entered my first battle as a werewolf. They’d turned me, and so I needed to live up to my end of the bargain, find my spine no matter what it cost me, for Lex, for the Royals, for Nira and the vampires, for the innocents yet to be terrorized, not to mention the families of those already lost.

I latched onto the thought of Nira to change the direction of the whirlwind in my brain that had already begun to restrict my veins, to make it tense and ache. It would be good to see my new friend again. Sad we never saw each other during times of peace. I’d promised to come visit. I’d intended to. Lex and I had spoken of a vacation back to the states. I’d wanted to just be able to chill out at the vampire loft, really get to know them as you could in times of peace. Sure, true character showed in times of war. I already knew what upstanding, amazing individuals the vampires were. What I wanted to know was more of their history, more of who they were as humans, walking dead ones.

What had held me back at first had been turning and then training as a werewolf. After that, I’d put off going back just to delay having to see Chloe again. In my heart, I feared it would be a final visit. Even if I could make Chloe see how great Lex was, given I could only tell her a fourth of the truth about him. What would it gain my friend and I since Lex and I had chosen to live out the remainder of our lives on the island, going back to the States only when needed like now?

Knowing Lex stared at me, I turned to him, unable to wipe the worry from my face. His hand came under the table to grab onto the ones I still gripped tightly together once I’d taken them back. I’d let the pads of my fingers create white rings on my well-tanned skin to the point of pain, giving me some focus on the here and now. The Royals all sat together, alone in our thoughts, yet still connected. That connection alone brought comfort. I figured there was no rush to pack. No one had mentioned travel arrangements yet, but I knew they were in the works as fast as could be managed.

“Of course we will go,” Lex spoke up, merely talking out loud, but no one minded, everyone understood here. “Christina has been well trained in our time here. This is her first official battle not only as a werewolf, but knowing what to do with her magic, and definitely as a true Royal brought under the care of your family which I know personally makes such a difference in the connection, but still, I will be right there beside her as I couldn’t in the first one. And, I know Nira won’t leave her alone as evidenced before. We will be fine. We are ready to face him again. This needs to end once and for all.”

Murmurs of agreement went around the table like a low, sad war cry, getting louder as it progressed, taking on the deep tone of bravery. People sat up straighter, let their pride in their heritage beget bravery. Battle faces commenced. Heads nodded.

“Good, we shall all prepare to leave then on the private jet in an hour,” Edward said, speaking to the whole group. “We must force ourselves to eat, to partake of this wonderful meal to fuel our bodies. I know that none of us feel like food, so chew and swallow each bite for those we will go to protect. We owe it to them to be at our best, and that takes the nutrients the earth provides us so generously here. After we will go, get ready, and fly over the ocean. We have only us to offer, as the wolves already out in the field as protectors can’t join us once we get there. There has been a rash of incidents, seemingly unrelated, but we believe differently, and have them each working and needed where they are.”

“I think you should stay here,” Lex added, his tone demanding attention, showing how serious his words were, though he showed no disrespect. “I will attempt to speak for us all in saying that we appreciate you, Catherine and Edward, just not sending us out there, that you feel this battle is yours to fight too. But, this Daniel is a real head case. And now that he has a sorcerer forcibly working for him I suppose, plus these other wild cards of true werewolves, he is dangerous, a true threat. If the worst happens, you two must survive to continue to replenish the bloodline. You are the last of the pure descendants. In time, that will no longer be the case. All of your offspring has to marry outside of the pact, either spelled wolves or humans. We should protect the true line as long as we can since that is the case.”

“I don’t know,” Edward said. “You have a logical point, a worthwhile one to bring up certainly, but we can’t just send you out there to let you do our work.”

“We know you are not the type to do that, but this has always been the argument before when the stakes were not as high, to protect you, to protect the purity of the bloodline as long as we can. To change that when the stakes are higher, well it makes sense that you would want to help, that you are just those sort of honorable people that doesn’t sit back, send others out to do your work, but on the same note, talking obligations, the same one stands, for the bloodline. Sorry, I hope that made sense. It did in my head. Forgive me for being a little frazzled. I know you trained me better, but I’ve never had so much at stake.”

“No, we get it. All too well. You are leading a loved one into battle for the first time. It is hard, and that is our point in a way.  This Daniel, he killed our Vivian, not to mention Riker, one of our wolves. We feel we need to be a part of this not only for us, but also as you said, to not stand down from a fight, especially not one with the stakes so high.”

“I know, but forgive me for sounding like a broken record, but think of the importance of maintaining the pure bloodline as long as you can. It has always been the way. And, in a way, as I said, you have an obligation to that as well, to future generations.”

“I suppose we do,” Edward agreed, though half-heartedly, his face fallen, his eyes having gone dark with worry. “I don’t like it though. It goes against my nature in a way. I am an honorable man though, and that is what makes doing the right thing so hard, to see which is the true right way.”

“I guess we should stay. I will hate it. I hated being here last time, though no one saw that one coming in time for us to get there. To be here worrying again, about all of you,” Catherine said, the few lines on her face deepening. “I can feel it, but I must ask anyway, to hear it. You are all in agreement with what Lex said?”

Each Royal sitting there in his or her own way gave their full consent to agreement with Lex’s argument. I could see how this taxed both Edward and Catherine, and felt the need to weigh in myself, to help where I could when I could. This assignment was nothing compared to what would be asked of me in the near future.

“It is just as rough a job,” I spoke up. “I know from experience what it was like to be separated from Lex, to feel him in pain and suffering, while I had to wait out going to save him, being limited in my abilities at the same time. The standing back is just as hard, but sometimes just as important. In my case, I couldn’t risk Lex’s life by going off and running into battle. Different than your situation, but I gave into what was best for the majority, fought every instinct I had to take off after him on a passionate whim that would have only endangered him. So, I know what it is to hold back, to wait, to do the right thing by doing nothing. It will be hard. Just as hard as fighting, which I think may be the easier position.”

“Thank you dear,” Catherine said. “You are a blessing to this family. It has been an honor to train you. You are ready for this, even if you are worried about leaving your teachers this first time out.  It is natural.  We wanted to be there for you too. Another reason we’d wanted to go. But, we will stay, as Lex suggested, as you all want, knowing you will do well to end this battle on your own, each of you so skilled, such amazing people in your own ways You will work as a unit to bring an end to this man and his crusade. When it is over, if any of you find a way, please let our plans to help these true wolves be known.”

Each of us agreed, and the topic of conversation changed to those plans, a more positive note. Edward and Catherine explained their plans for a training center, promising to obtain the land the minute we left for the states. Many volunteered to be trainers there, but the whole idea of having an olive branch to extend once this battle was over to the true werewolves gave the whole battle a better feel, a better spin. To have hope, any light at the end of what would surely be a dark and bloody tunnel helped.

“Once we get to the property, we will meet again with our sorcerer now, well Edward’s grandfather,” Catherine said, pushing food around on her plate with a fork as the rest of us methodically chewed and swallowed at a slow pace.

“While I am next in line to be the sorcerer,” Edward said, “with grandfather’s ailing health that has him bedridden, I still have been spending as much time possible, as you know, gaining every last bit of wisdom from him that I can before we lose him. He has had good ideas as to this process of not only breaking the true werewolf curse, but on just what we need to change of our own werewolf spell to make it work on them.”

Talk continued this way a while longer. I managed to chew and swallow half of my fish sandwich along with a few bites of fruit salad as I listened, eating for the cause, hoping to keep it down at the same time. Lex kept giving me encouraging looks the whole time, though I could tell each bite was work for him as well.