The Art of Love and War
The guard post is about fifty meters away from the main pack house. The driveway is wide and lined with pine trees on both sides. About halfway through, a clearing appears, and you have a nice view of the huge impressive pack house. The main pack house itself is five-story high. It's a Federal Colonial style gray brick house with white trims. Tall columns stand on each side of grand curved steps that lead up to the main entrance. The garden is very well-tended.
One of the men signals us to stop in front of the main building. I don't see any kids running around in the front yard as usual. I don't see women tending to the kids and the garden or talking among themselves today. Today, the ground of the pack house is crawling with pack warriors.
If they're planning to intimidate us with their display of army, they're sadly failing. This is just fueling the hunger for battle in our lycans' basic instinct.
Our car is surrounded by big Shadow Geirolf Pack's fighters. Most are male, but I see a few female fighters as well.
Both Serena and Lazarus turn to look at us in the back seat. There's a look in Serena's beautiful face that I've never seen before. Her golden brown eyes are bright and threatening. She looks feral and dangerous.
I can feel our combined energy sizzles in the confine of the car.
Whatever is waiting for us outside of this car, we're ready for it. In fact, I think Caspian, Lazarus, and Constantine are excited to unleash their power and strength on these werewolf warriors. I can feel their excitement building. They are all looking deadly.
“Okay, before we go out. Promise me nobody has to die if they don't need to?” I look at them with hopeful eyes.
“If they don't need to,” agrees Constantine. His smile looks lethal with his canines already showing. He suddenly grabs the back of my head and slams his lips on mine in a quick, fierce, hungry kiss that leaves me panting for more.
Beta Stevens is standing at the bottom of the steps, flanked by a few pack warriors. Delta Walker and Gamma Brown are standing further behind him. Wise men. They must know that their army could do nothing to stop us if we decided to fight. They'd better be fast runners if the battle breaks out.
The car doors are opened for us, and as soon as I step outside, one of the warriors seizes my shoulders. I instinctively hiss and whip my head around growling at him only to find Constantine's hand already gripping his throat. Fierce growls can be heard around me, not only from my pack members but also from the pack warriors around us.
Beta Stevens come running ahead of his guards. “STOP!!!” he yells, with both hands extended in front of him. “Back off, boys!” he commands his men. He gives them a fierce glare when nobody moves immediately.
The men slowly take a few steps back. I can sense their collective feelings in my heightened sense state. Most of these warriors can feel the power that we radiate, and are secretly relieved to be out of our vicinity. There are still a few fools who would love to take us on though.
I touch Constantine's arm, and he releases his hold on the man with a warning growl.
“Ahhh.. .Beta Stevens.” Caspian smiles charmingly, stepping forward. He has that boyish charm and deceptively innocent smile. I can tell that, behind that smile, he's pissed and ready for a good fight.
“Your Highness,” acknowledges Beta Stevens with a little bow.
“I thought we're here to discuss things. Not for a battle?” his smile never falters, though his eyes narrow as he glances around pointedly.
“No, we invited Ms. Fairchild, and of course all of you, to talk, not to fight,” agrees Beta Stevens quickly.
I know Constantine isn't very pleased that he addressed me as Ms. Fairchild. I squeezed his hand gently to calm him down.
“Doesn't seem like that from where I'm standing,” remarks Constantine. “I've seen fewer warriors in a battle than this.”
“I'm sorry, Your Highness. Alpha's orders. He wanted to make sure that we're... uh, safe.”
“Safe?” scoffs Lazarus, eyeing the men around us. “Do you realize that you're not safe from us if we decide to battle, even with the size of army you've got right now?”
“Yes, I am aware of that,” answers Beta Stevens with a sigh. The man seems to have aged ten years from the last time I saw him, and that was just a few weeks ago during dinner with Alpha Carrington. “I'm also very sorry that one of our men lay a hand on Ms. Fairchild. That won't happen again.”
He turns to me and offers a small, tentative smile. “I'm very sorry for that, Genesis. He was acting out of order.”
I give him a little nod. Beta Stevens is Hunter's dad, and he looks so much like Hunter. He has the same brown eyes and dark hair. His face is a bit wider than Hunter's, and his hair is cut very short. Even their voices sound almost the same.
“This way, if you please,” he says. “The Council is waiting inside.”
We let Beta Stevens lead us. Constantine is holding my hand firmly in his. Caspian takes his position on my other side while Serena and Lazarus walk behind us.
I give our surrounding a cursory glance and make a mental note of the position of the warriors.
I see curtains move discreetly on a few windows upstairs and smile at how foolish this is.
We will kill anybody who tries to harm us. However, we are not complete beasts when we choose to phase to protect ourselves. Those kids and innocent people will be spared. Those warriors? They don't stand a chance.
We are led through a foyer and into a room on our immediate right. There are more pack warriors stationed inside. Why am I not surprised?
It's a good-sized meeting room with a big, long table in the middle and chairs all around it. Tall windows on one side of the walls are now covered with heavy damask curtains, no doubt to muffle any sounds from being heard by sharp werewolves ears outside of this room.
Six men are sitting at a big long table. They immediately stand up as soon as we enter the room. I recognize them as the pack elders. Most of them I really don't know much about, except for one. Elder Faulkner, unfortunately. Younger werewolves don't like him. He's always loud and opinionated. My mom once called him an old fool. I always had a suspicion that Elder Faulkner had something to do with my dad being relegated to an omega.
Beta Stevens makes an introduction around the room and invites us to have our seats.
Alpha Carrington enters the meeting room in a wheelchair with Logan behind him before we begin. Two big strong guards are flanking them both. They're different guards from the last time, I note.
Logan's arms are already healing, it seems. I wonder if Alpha Carrington really needed that wheelchair. I wouldn't be surprised if he's using that to garner sympathy and gain support.
Alpha Carrington eyes me warily as he is being wheeled in. It really isn't me he should be worried about. Constantine isn't his biggest fan right now. I can feel his anger. I quietly slip my hand in his underneath the table, twining our fingers together.
“Since everybody is here. Let's get straight to the point,” he starts. “I don't want to drag things much further, except that I want a just punishment for what was done to me and my son. Just because she's mated to a royalty doesn't mean she can do all she wants to us werewolves,” he states. “I can't imagine the king would want to tarnish the palace's name like that.”
“So you would like the palace's involvement in this matter? Is that what you're saying?” Caspian raises his eyebrows and tips his chin up haughtily. He looks very much like a royalty right now.
“We can work out a settlement without the king's involvement if you'd prefer,” answers Alpha Carrington, smiling slyly. I can almost see greedy gears turning in his head.
“Alpha Carrington, are you blackmailing us?” Constantine asks playfully with a feral looking smile.
“Oh, certainly not, Your Highness. Merely negotiating our... conditions,” he denies.
“You are not in the position to negotiate anything with us. You know we have the upper hand,” states Constantine carelessly. “You are free to invite the palace's involvement in this matter if you so wished.”
“Or we can make use of all your warriors you've assembled today. We can wipe them all out then we can discuss what we can do with you if you're still breathing,” adds Caspian, clearly looking bored. I can sense that he's done with the whole conversation by now.
“How is it that you have the upper hand when you injured our alpha and future alpha?” asks Elder Faulkner looking alarmed at Caspian's threat.
It's obvious that these werewolves are not aware of so many things regarding the lycans. They must have been fooled by their youthful appearances to know that these three are older and much more cunning than they are.
I know Constantine is pissed off by the way Logan keeps glancing at me like a lovesick puppy the entire time since the moment he entered the room. I know our mate connection is severed, so that can't be blamed on mate connection anymore. I wonder if it has something to do with wanting something that you can't have.
I know that Constantine, Caspian, and Lazarus wouldn't mind a good fight. My lycan Ezra wants a good fight, but my human side is against it. Werewolves and lycans world is filled with violence despite our civilized appearance. I must have more of my parents' hippy peace-loving heart than I know.
I squeeze Constantine's hand and put my hand on Caspian's shoulder gently while giving Serena a look. I know she would be calming Lazarus.
I should make this quick if I don't want any bloodbath. My lycan friends are getting impatient. We should be out of here very soon or else there would be a brutal fight.
“Gentlemen,” I look around the room, then bring my eyes back to Alpha Carrington. “You are free to bring this up to the palace. However, I wonder what case are you going to bring up to them. Are you going to tell them that you are trying to force a mated lycan, one who's mated to the king's nephew, to abandon her mate and take your future alpha instead? Are you going to tell them that your alpha threatened my family's safety in order bend me to his will?”
“I-I did not,” stutters Alpha Carrington, while his men are staring at him wide-eyed. “I wouldn't threaten my own pack members.”
“It will be your word against mine, Alpha Carrington.” I smile at him challengingly. “As for your son, I saved his life when I broke his arm. He was about to attack my mate, a lycan. If I didn't stop him, he would be dead by now. And finally, do you really want me as your daughter-in-law?” I smile at him, baring my teeth. “Not to mention my blood is now poisonous to your son. I am a lycan. He will die if he as much as tried to mark me.”
I stand up, and the rest of the lycans follow suit.
“How can you know that? I am an alpha. I have an alpha blood in me,” announces Logan arrogantly.
Constantine growls, and I squeeze his hand.
Looking at Logan now, I realize something. I realize how spoiled he is. He goes to school driving expensive cars, does whatever he pleases. He is used to getting what he wants. Partly it's his father's fault that he is the way he is.
“Alpha Carrington,” I take a few steps towards him but stop when he cringes away. Who could blame him, yesterday I was on top of him, hell-bent on ripping his heart right out of his chest.
“Bring this up to the palace, we don't care,” I finally say. I'm done talking.
He tips his chin up without saying a word; his eyes are hostile. His hand is gripping the armrest of the wheelchair very hard; the metal part is twisting. I can see how much he wishes to get off that chair and give me a good beating. I tip my head up and whirl around. We both know that's not possible.
“Where is your loyalty to your pack?” yells Elder Faulkner on our retreating backs.
Oh, I'm very loyal to my pack. My lycan pack.
“I don't trust that alpha. Not one bit,” murmurs Serena as we make our way across the lobby. This is the first time I heard her say anything since we got here.
None of the werewolf warriors make any attempt to stop us as we make our way to the car.
Everybody is quiet, but I can sense so much pent-up energy in the car on our drive back home. Our natural hunger for a fight and bloodshed was fueled by the sight of so many warriors and hostile energy back at the pack house. I can almost hear my own blood pumping in my veins. So much aggression that needs a release.
“We're going for a run,” says Serena as soon as we arrive home. Her hand is firmly clasped in Lazarus's.
“Great. I'm going for some training,” Caspian announces. His eyes flash dangerously. “Where are you guys going?”
“Painting session,” answers Constantine as he grabs my waist and throws me over his shoulder.
Crazy bunnies!
As soon as we reach our room, he kicks the door closed. He sets me on my feet, and his intense, smoldering gray eyes zero in on me. He moves in closer and pushes me up against the door and instantly his ravenous mouth is on me. Devouring me like I'm his favorite dessert. An explosion of electricity and heat spread like wildfire from the points where our bodies meet throughout my whole body. I return his kiss with all the pent-up aggression and energy. Our tongues are clashing and dueling with each other. I bite his lower lip and taste blood. His mouth moves to my neck and starts kissing and licking and sucking. I tug at his silky dark hair.
Oh, goddess... I want more.
I push him up roughly against the wall beside us. When he tries to move, I shove and pin his shoulders harder against it. I smile menacingly up at him and, in a swift movement, ripped his expensive shirt off. He laughs darkly. His silver-gray eyes are watchful and intent on me. I place my mouth on his neck and start kissing and licking and sucking and nibbling. My hands are tracing the ridges of his hard body. For a minute, he let me do what I want, moving from his neck down to his chest and abdomen. His moans and groans under my hands and my mouth only fuel my hunger. The expression on his beautiful face is full of ecstasy and torment.
Then he takes over again, pinning me with his hard body against the wall, attacking me with passion with his hands and mouth. We battle for dominance. We make love like we're fighting. Gnashing teeth and warring tongues. We touch, push and tug each other with wild abandon. I vaguely hear things falling, breaking and cracking around us. I don't hold back on my moaning and screaming. It's rough, raw, and wild and I love it.
***
My brain takes a while to start working in the morning. I thought being a lycan could fix that. I guess I was wrong. There's no cure for that. There's no hope for me. It's a disease I will have to carry to my grave.
Constantine's arm is lying across my hips. I sit up quietly and look around the room uncomprehendingly.
Furniture lying broken on the floor. Our big mirror is broken. The bathroom door is no more. Floor lamp, picture frames, night stands, table lamps—all in pieces all over the floor. Why is our room destroyed?
Cuddly bunny and fuzzy slippers! Did somebody come and destroy our room while we're sleeping? Then the event from yesterday flashes across my mind. Well, at least the bed is still standing. Thank goddess!
“Thank goddess! You're alive!!! You're still alive!!!! I love you, bed.” I kiss my pillow and the bed over and over again. “I love you!”
I guess you learn to appreciate things more when you come close to losing them.
The mattress around me starts shaking. Constantine grabs a pillow beside him and covers his face with it. I can hear muffled laughter coming from underneath the pillow.