Pack Bonds, page 17
part #4 of Amarok Series
The car’s alarm blared in Rachel’s ears as claws raked across her face and she retaliated by slamming the blonde’s head against the windshield. “Always got to be stubborn,” she snarled, punctuating the sentence with another slam against the glass, this time cracking it.
“Can’t ever let shit go!” The air was forced out of her lungs a knee slammed into her abdomen, but she grabbed the leg and swung her around, putting a body-sized dent in the car and shutting off the alarm. She kicked her while she was down, sending her sliding over the asphalt.
“Fuck.” Clementine coughed as she pushed back to her feet, eyeing Rachel suspiciously. “Why are you this strong? You weren’t like this before.”
“A little Dean a day keeps the doctor away.” Blood dribbled onto her lip and she reflexively licked it off. She hissed as her animal half surged to the front of her mind and fur sprouted along her arms. “And too much Dean drives people nuts.”
“Your eyes are red.”
She saw it the moment before Clementine moved, a wildness in her eyes. Rachel reached out a hand, moving forward as she shouted, “Claw, don’t—”
The words came too late as the blonde turned on her heel and ran away in a blind panic. Rachel cursed, shedding the last of her clothes as she called on the animal.
She let out a gasp of surprise when instead of the pain she expected, a rush of warmth ran through her muscles. The gasp turned into a sigh of pleasure as her bones broke apart and her muscles tore themselves apart and reformed along her new skeleton. A part of her wished the transformation would last longer but faster than she ever had, she stood in her fur. After a quick shake to orientate herself, she took off.
Rachel could hear her prey’s labored breaths and pounding heartbeat. Despite her human half reminding the animal that this wasn’t going to end in a kill, adrenaline pumped through her system as the thrill of the chase overcame her.
Four feet outpaced two and Rachel steadily gained on her. It didn’t take long before the fleeing changer came into view.
Clementine turned, eyes wide with fear as she caught sight of her pursuer. She sped up but Rachel continued to close the distance.
Just when she was about to pounce, the blonde made a sharp left into an alley. Rachel skid on the sidewalk as she tried to slow down, slamming into a van parked on the curb in front of a lit convenience store. She moved immediately but there was no telling if anyone noticed her, their eyes drawn outside by the car’s blaring alarm.
She entered the alley to see Clementine hauling herself up the brick dead end. Sprinting forward, she leaped at the wall to the left, pushing off with her paws when she made contact and twisting as she neared the top of the wall. She cleared it by an inch, turning again to land on her feet and leaping forward again.
Clementine yelped as she was knocked to the ground. The blonde tried to fight but Rachel roared, the sound echoing through the streets. Clementine whined at the sound, covering her face with her arms as she curled into a fetal position.
Rachel stayed crouched over her, tensed as she waited for her next attempt to flee. The sound of soft sobbing finally convinced her that Clementine had given up. She pushed against the animal mentally, sighing as she changed back to human form.
“Hey.” The visual was heart-wrenching. Clementine shook as she cried, her skin covered in blood from her healing cuts and dirt from their chase. “Hey, Claw, come on. It’s okay.” Rachel grabbed her, dragging her backward so they were obscured by the shadows before wrapping her in a hug. She laid Clementine’s head on her shoulder while she shushed her. “You know I wouldn’t hurt you.”
She relaxed against the wall while she waited for Clementine to calm down. Eventually, the sobbing turned to hiccups and then to deep breaths. Rachel turned to look at her, but Clementine’s hand pressed against her chin, keeping her from looking down. “Don’t. I…don't look at me right now.”
“Alright. But I want you to tell me why you freaked out. Nothing’s going to change unless we work through this.”
The blonder stayed silent for several long moments. When she spoke, her voice was hesitant and soft. “I know you’ve heard about me from the chief.”
“Not much. Mama keeps all of the strays’ secrets. All she told me is that you ran away from a pack with an abusive alpha.”
Clementine flinched. “Alpha. Dominant. Submissive. The whole thing is…so twisted. That some of us are born at the mercy of others who are born with power, no matter what kind of person they are. That good people, competent leaders, are stepped on for evil people to rise to the top and no one blinks.”
“Changers are no different from people. There’s the good, the bad, and the ugly. But people won’t stay in a terrible place. A dominant that doesn’t take care of their people will find themselves alone.”
“Not all the time. Sometimes, an evil dominant brings out the evil in those that follow him.” Clementine took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “My father was a wolf alpha of a small pack. My mother was a feline changer passing through the territory. She stuck around when she found out she was pregnant.
“One day, a rogue came into the territory. Challenged my father. Killed him and took his place. That was it. No fuss. My mother and I grieved, along with his friends but everyone accepted it. The sickest part is I accepted it. Sure, I was sad, but I didn’t hate my father’s killer. Not until after.
“Mortimar Russo.” She shivered. “Sadistic bastard who thinks being an alpha means he can do whatever he wants. The weaker members of the pack basically became his slaves. He let the stronger members treat them any way they wanted so they didn’t try to challenge him and worked together to make sure no one escaped. My mother. Felines were rare in the area, so he wanted her for himself. And she was fine with that!”
Clementine sat up, staring into Rachel’s eyes as she grabbed the other girl by the shoulders. “You don’t understand it. Mortimar was different. Every dominant has a charisma that draws in those weaker than them, but he was different. It was almost like…like he could wield it. He could make people do things they would never do. He warped them until they became as twisted as he was. And anyone who fought against his control…”
Taking another deep breath, she turned, presenting her back as she stepped closer to the edge of the alley so the light struck her. Rachel sucked in a deep breath. Dozens of thin lines crossed each other down her back. Only one thing could scar changers. “Silver?”
“Strands braided into a whip. A beta who served under my father did this to me.” She turned back around but refused to meet Rachel’s gaze. “Do you get it? Dean…she reminds me of him. If she gets in charge, who knows what she will—”
“No!”
Clementine flinched as Rachel jumped to her feet, the redhead grabbing her arm before she could think to move away. “And not just no, hell no. Don’t compare Dean to that crazy bastard. She’d never do something like that.”
“How do you know?” Clementine howled. “How long have you known her? You’ve never seen her when she has power over people. That kind of power changes someone.”
“I don’t believe this.” Rachel pulled the blonde to her feet, holding her face in her hands. “She already has that kind of power. You’re flipping out because you think she’s going to kill my mother and take over the city. She could have done that weeks ago. She could have done that this morning and everyone knows it. But that didn’t happen. Do you know why?”
Clementine shook her head slowly.
“Because she’s thinking about everyone. She’s struggling with her instincts and trying not to hurt the people she cares about. Does that sound like someone who could do the things you’re talking about?”
“No—”
“No, it doesn’t. How long have you known me? Do you think I’d let her, or anyone else for that matter, do something like that?”
“N—”
“Damn right I wouldn’t! And what about Vikky, huh?”
“She was with Frank—”
“She was ready to kill that man herself and you know it.” Rachel brought their foreheads together, ignoring the way Clementine tried to flinch away. “You don’t have to be afraid, idiot. We all want to protect you, but you’ve got to give us the chance. Please?”
The two of them stood in silence for several long moments. Even when a car rolled past the alley and their naked bodies were briefly lit by its headlights. They stayed that way until Clementine carefully pulled away, the frantic panic in her eyes replaced by mild embarrassment. “Fine. I get it.”
“…Sure?”
“Yeah. Gods, enough already. Let’s go home.”
“If you promise to do one thing for me.”
“What?”
“Talk to Dean. See who she is. Then if she’s the kind of person you think she is, I’ll walk you out of the city myself.”
Clementine didn’t answer but Rachel knew she’d listen. Nodding to herself, she called the animal back, pleasantly surprised when the rapid change didn’t hurt. Turning around, she noticed her head now came up to Clementine’s upper chest, nearly her shoulders. Was she always this big?
The look on the blonde’s face made her think that she wasn’t imagining things. She tilted her head in a curious gesture and huffed.
“You look different. Your eyes are…and your fur’s kind of…never mind. A mirror could explain it better than I could.” Clementine sunk to her hands and knees. Her back arched as tawny fur sprouted along her spine. A few minutes later, a cougar shook itself off, licking its chops.
Sticking close to the walls, the two felines ran back to their vehicle.
-
Dean juggled the stack of folders in her hands while she managed the front door. She breathed a sigh of relief when she smelled food, hoping someone had saved her some. One of the things she missed most about her home was that food had been readily available. Ironically, the convenience of grocery stores and delivery stymied her more than butchering home-grown meat.
The Salvatore family was grouped in the living room. Dean’s eyes widened as she saw the focus of their attention.
Her nose told her she knew the large tiger in the room but the animal in front of her looked unfamiliar. For one, it was a good deal bigger. Its reddish-orange fur appeared lighter than normal while the stripes seemed darker. Thick white fur starting behind its ears wrapped down its neck. Most telling of all was when the tiger turned its head and red eyes looked at Dean.
Viktoriya looked up with her hands buried in Rachel’s fur. “I like the makeover you did.”
“Can’t claim credit for it.” Dean put her burden down on one of the tables holding printers and came over. She ran her fingers along Rachel’s pelt. The new white fur was coarse compared to the coat. Dean pushed her fingers into Rachel’s mouth, tracing the dangerous canines exposed when her mate opened her jaws. “This is what my blood does?”
“It’s quite remarkable,” Viktoriya muttered, scratching Rachel behind the ears before standing up. “Gets me thinking…”
She paused, stepping back as the tiger’s visage rippled. In a blur of fur and rapid contractions, Rachel stood up in her human form, stretching languidly. “Gods, I could get used to that. Dean, you never told me that your transformations feel so good.”
Dean growled, grabbing Rachel by the arm and dragging her out of the room into the kitchen. Once they were there, Rachel pulled out of the tight grip with a scowl. “What’s wrong with you?”
“You need to control yourself,” Dean snapped, her eyes hard. “Don’t get lost in the transformation.”
“…You’re seriously worried about something,” Rachel said hesitantly when Dean’s expression didn’t give an inch.
“This is serious. Blood wolf transformations don’t hurt but it has its drawbacks. Some changers become addicted to the feeling. They lose control and spend every waking moment fluctuating between forms. The energy burn leaves them weak and the constant flood of endorphins puts them in a delusional state that can make them dangerous.”
She took a step forward, squaring her shoulders. “I won’t let that happen to you.”
“Alright, alright.” Rachel reached up, running her hands down Dean’s neck before resting them on her shoulders. “Thanks for the warning. Now that I know what can happen, I’ll be prepared for it. You don’t have to worry.”
“I want to teach you a few exercises. My teacher taught me them to prevent addiction.”
“No problem. I’d be glad to.” Rachel grinned. “You didn’t have to drag me away to tell me this.”
“I’m used to guarding the secrets of my people,” she grumbled. “Besides that, how do you feel? Are you alright?”
“I feel fantastic.”
A knocking made them look up to see Viktoriya leaning in the doorway. “Hope it was okay I heard that.”
“Of course it is.” Dean held out a hand and Viktoriya came over, pressing against Dean’s side. “I saw your work. You’ve made progress?”
“A bit. Tell you mine if you tell me yours. What’ve you been up to with Tobias for the last couple days? Made any progress?”
“A bit. I’m looking forward to showing off the results.” Dean’s eyes narrowed and she grabbed Viktoriya’s wrist, holding it up. Tiny flakes of blood were trapped under her nails and when she sniffed them, she recognized it as belonging to Rachel. “Argument that got out of hand?”
“Yes, but not with me. Red duked it out with Claw.”
“That’s it.” Dean pulled away from them.
“Hold it, hold it, hold it!” Rachel grabbed the back of Dean’s pants and pulled her back, turning her around. “No more fighting. We already settled everything. Right now, she needs a friend.”
“A friend? Red, that is your blood.”
“Trust me, she was a lot worse off than I was.”
“…Really?” She relaxed when Rachel nodded quickly. “How much worse?”
“Destroyed.” Rachel grinned as Dean rumbled with satisfaction. “That’s right. Now it’s time to balm the wounds. Dean, she thinks you’re here to kill her family.”
“That’s ridiculous! I’m having all these problems because I’m trying not to hurt anyone.”
“That’s what I told her, but she needs to be told by you.” She cautiously let go of Dean, making sure the taller girl wasn’t going to run off before she jumped onto the kitchen island. “Long story short? Her father was killed by an invading alpha and not a very nice one.”
“What does not very nice mean?”
“Scars. Silver scars.”
Dean frowned. “I’ll take care of it.”
She exited the kitchen. Everyone in the room turned to see her as she walked in. Dean pointed to Clementine and hooked a thumb over her shoulder before walking through the house and out the backdoor.
The backyard wasn’t spacious and the neighbors could easily look into it from their windows, but night gave it an illusion of privacy. Dean turned when she heard the backdoor slam shut. Clementine leaned against it, one hand clutching her opposite arm defensively.
“I heard that you and Red had a little discussion earlier.”
“This is the part where you slam my head into the ground right?” the blonde snapped, baring her teeth. “Go for it.”
“If you want me to. What I want to do is talk to you. This only gets physical if you start acting out again.”
“Don’t talk to me like a child.”
Dean sat down cross-legged, patting the packed earth in front of her. “Take a seat, cat. Let’s have a heart to heart.” She forced down a growl as the other girl watched her with cool eyes. “Look, you want the truth? I would rather strangle you, throw you outside this city on your ass and be done with it. I’m sitting out here instead of going to bed with my mates because Red thinks of you as family. Keep wasting my time and I’m going back to Plan A.”
“All you alphas are the same. Soon as you don’t get what you want, the threats come out.” Nevertheless, she walked forward, sitting outside of Dean’s arm-reach.
“Damn right. Alphas are stubborn and selfish. That’s why we rise to the top because we refuse to be anywhere else.”
“Is this supposed to be you comforting me? Because you suck.”
Dean chuckled. “Viktoriya told me the same thing once. Now, I’m going to tell you something someone else told me. Dominants are not easy people to be around, especially when you are going against them. Yet, changers are drawn to them. They seek out those stronger than them, like most pack animals in nature.”
“So, that’s it? I accept my place beneath the alphas of the world and content myself to serve them. Be a good little follower.”
“What’s wrong with being a follower?” Dean growled. “Without followers, there are no leaders. With no leaders, there is no organization or discipline. You had a bad experience with one dominant—”
