I stared at the ceiling of my room unable to sleep. I was exhausted but I just couldn't fall asleep. I felt restless like my adrenaline was pumping. I threw off the blankets and left my room. 'Something wasn't right.' I walked right by Andrea's room I could tell she wasn't in there. The bond pulled me towards Raiza's office. I stopped briefly outsides as voice trailed out of the room. "We can't just let Azarias take Kye!" Corrigan said. "I don't like it any better than you do Corrigan, but we all know how dangerous Azarias is. It pains me to say this but agreeing with his request would be in the best interest of the pack." My dad said. "Kye is part of the pack it is our duty to protect her as well." Andrea said. I stepped away from the door. I shouldn't interrupt their conversation. I knew that if I went in there I would become a part of that conversation and I didn't want to, I had already made my choice and there was no turning back. They would eventually decide on the right path even without my input. I turned away from the door. I walked back to my room still jumpy, maybe the feeling was coming from Andrea. Bonds were slightly annoying when feelings came through them unconsciously because they felt like they belonged to you and not the other person. I collapsed on my bed and tried blocking out the emotions keeping me awake. It helped somewhat and I was able to fall into a light sleep.
Panic shoot through me and I jumped out of bed. My heart was racing and I was disoriented for a moment. I looked around the room blearily but nothing was wrong....here. I could feel the panic racing through the pack bond and My bond with Andrea. I didn't think about anything else once I realized that and tore out of my room. The shift came over me easily as I tore through the hallways of the meeting house. I broke through the doors and paused. I could feel where Andrea was and turned in that direction. Panic shoot through me again but this time it was my own. In the direction where Andrea was I could see smoke rising from the trees. Lots of smoke.
The forest was on fire and Andrea was in the middle of it.
The smoke grew thick as I made my way closer to the fire. Flames licked the trees and the smoke kissed the sky. My nose was useless as I made my way in deeper, it was a good thing I had the bond or I would never have been able to find Andrea's location in all the smoke. Before I reached her someone stumbled out of the trees I looked at who it was and my blood turned to ice in my veins. A pup no more than 8, covered in ash stumbled through the trees. This fire was set near he pups hideout. I raced towards the pup and when she saw me I felt her brief spark of relief. I stopped before her and lowered myself down so she could climb onto my back. Instead of finding Andrea I turned and race back to the compound clearing. I kept the bond wide open and searched for more pups as I made my way back to the clearing. I found another pup not far from where I found the first here had collapsed a ways behind the trail. I went over to him and stopped. The girl on my back quickly jumped off and grabbed him. She slung him over my back before she jumped back on. I could hear his faint heartbeat, glad he was still alive I took off once more heading for the infirmary. I didn't see another pup as I made my way through the forest and soon we reached fresher air. There was a group of older pups and older wolves by the infirmary. Someone grabbed the two pups from my back. I turned as soon as I knew they were safe and plunged back into the forest. As much as I wanted to I didn't look for Andrea once I was back in the forest. She could take care of herself I needed to find any pups still in the forest.
I made 5 more trips in and out of the forest each time I had two or three pups on my back. The fire was slowly dying. Closer to were it had started I knew wolves were there putting it out with our emergency water supply. By the time the fire station found out about the fire and could have made it here the fire would have already made it to the compound. Therefore we kept our own fire fighting equipment. Luckily we had a steady amount of water that we got from the rive and lake not far from the clearing. I went back into the trees a sixth time and this time I made it all the way to the center without finding and pups. The flames had all been put out now just the smoke hung in the a air blocking our sense of smell. A group of wolves were near the cave where the pups had made their den. On the trees lining the way to the mouth of the cave there was a five fold cross carved into each tree. Some of the trees were completely destroyed by the fire other were only half burned or scorched. Raiza stood in front of one tree that hadn't been touched at all by the fire, yet surrounding it all the other trees had been burnt to the ground. This tree held the same five fold cross but this carving was also painted with blood. Below the mark a note was nailed to the tree, how it stayed unharmed in the middle of a blazing fire I do not know. "Kye," Raiza called. I made my way over to her and bowed my head. "You are still injured. You could have died coming here." I stood up from the ground and shifted. "If you expected me to just roll over and go back to sleep than you have sorely misjudged me. All I knew when I woke up was panic not my own. That and Andrea was in trouble. Should I have sat idly by and done nothing?" I asked. Raiza turned to face me her eyes blazing. Her wolf was straining to break free of her human body. She wanted a fight, she needed to fight the one who endangered her pack and our pups. "Besides I might not know what that symbol means but I do know that this happened because of Azarais, and he is my responsibility." I told Raiza. A growl tore out of her throat and she advanced on me. "He is not your responsibility yet, Kye. Your only responsibility is Andrea. That was the choice you made." She told me. "But we all know what that choice means. It is even clearer now than before, or do you disagree? Was anyone killed who was an innocent?" I asked. Raiza backed away from me and tore the note on the tree free. She stuffed it into my hands and stalked away.
Dear Raiza,
Sorry for the scare I just thought your deliberations should have a bit of a nudge with only a week left I wanted to make sure you reached a decision by than. Don't worry about the little ones they should all be safe, more or less. The fire was started after the cave had been vacated and the pups a good ways away. I'm sure you pack would have found and save any stragglers.
Your truly,
Azarias
***
I was collapsed on top of one of the desks in the Beta office. Corrigan sat behind her desk going over some paperwork or another. "I don't understand why she is being so controlling! I get she is the Sigma but why does she have to...hover?" I asked Corrigan. After the fire everyone was on edge but Andrea was being slightly impossible. "Kye, she feels responsible for you give her a break." Corrigan muttered half paying attention. "Was Raiza this bad when you made your vow to her?" I asked. "No, I wasn't her first Servari. She was use to the bond by then. Andrea doesn't have the same experience, you are her first." She explained. "But doesn't she feel responsible for all the wolves in the pack? Why is she being so...so clingy?" Corrigan put down whatever papers she had been going over and moved towards me. "She is responsible for every other wolf, those wolves however haven't pledged their life for hers, and she also doesn't need to decide whether or not to hand them over to a murderous vampire." Her hands rested on either side of my head and she leaned down closer to me, my breath hitched as she moved closer. I could feel the spike of my heart rate and the blush that crept up into my cheeks. "Now tell me Kye, why are you so agitated? That mark should be blocking most of the hormones, at least normally," her fingers trailed across the mating mark Azarias had made and I shivered under her touch or the thought of him, I wasn't sure. "I'm fine," I told her and tried to escape her arms, unsuccessfully. "I wonder if the reason you are still experiencing the hormones is because that mark was made by a male. Seeing as your gay your body is probably attuned only to females." She said all this in a half whisper more like she was talking to herself then to me. I rested my hands on her shoulders and pushed her away as I sat up. She moved away, slowly. "I told you I'm fine, if I needed... If I needed you I would have said something." I told her. The truth was that I could probably use Corrigan's help again but for some reason I just couldn't. She sighed and took another step back, she sat on the edge of her desk and faced me. "Alright, alright I was just making sure. Forgive me Kye, but I also worry about you. You understand how important and totally unfair this choice you were forced to make is, and the fact you choose what you did-" I kept of the desk and stood toe to toe with her. "I haven't made a choice. It is not my choice to make. I am Andrea's sworn Servari and my place is at her side, if she orders me to accept this mate proposal that is what I will do. Nothing more nothing less." I said. "It is more than that though, you may not want to admit it but when you swore yourself to Andrea you also knew what path lay ahead. You also made me promise not to tell another soul that your gay. Tell me why was that? Because both you and I know what it would mean. There is no way even Azarias would accept you accepting the bond when it could kill you." She told me. I looked into her eyes and saw the worry there. The bond wouldn't actually kill me but many wolves when bonded to someone who they didn't hold even a basic attraction too were drained of spirit and some lost the ability to shift. "It won't kill me and nothing bad will happen. I don't even know what will happen, Andrea hasn't said anything about her decision." I said. My father, Andrea, Raiza, and Corrigan had been meeting daily to speak about my predicament or to fix whatever trouble Azarais had thrown our way. "You know damn well what it will be. Hell everyone in this pack knows what it will be. Why do you think your father finally gave in to the urge to return? He knows that you will be mated to Azarias for the good of the pack and he isn't going to let you go through that alone." She told me.
She didn't stop there and continued to bulldoze over me metaphorically. "You keep acting like there has been no decision yet but everyone knows what it is and no one is saying a word. When you pledged yourself to Andrea you signed your own contract to become our pack's sacrificial lamb." Neither of us moved as she talked and I felt like I was being attacked. "You sound upset at my choice. Would you rather we tell Azarias to fuck off and let him slaughter the entire pack? Your right, when I choose Andrea I also choose him but what would you have had me do? What other choice was there? You told me the day we met that a Beta's job was to protect the pack, that's what I'm doing and your mad at me?" I shouted. "I'm not mad Kye...I'm sad in a weeks, a week! He is going to come back and I feel like when he does when you tell him your choice, I feel like I am going to loose you. You're pack, you're my subordinate, hell Kye you're my sister, I don't want you to have to suffer." She told me. I wrapped my arms around Corrigan and we stood there in her office for a long time. I was comforting her and she me. The strength of the pack ran through both of us and when we finally move apart I felt better, to a point.
Until I noticed that where Corrigan touched me my skin seemed to burn. Being so close to her for so long must have got the hormones running again. Before Corrigan noticed I told her I was going to go practice in the gym and fled the room. Corrigan had been right earlier the mate mark hadn't dulled the hormones at all, but I had found being physically exhausted seemed to help and the need disappeared for a while. I wasn't sure why I wasn't telling Corrigan, last time had helped a lot. It also didn't feel right, so for the most part I had just been avoiding it like it wasn't a problem which would have been easier if girls weren't so touchy feely. I made my way towards the school as fast as I could. Everyone I passed by had to stop me and say hi. A new development but I guess it went back to my conversation with Corrigan, everyone knew I was sacrificing myself for them and where some would avoid me like I had the plague, the pack instead wanted to embrace me and let me know how much they appreciated and respected me. It seemed weird to me but I wasn't complaining. I finally made it to the school and bolted up the stairs. When I had finally been allowed to leave my room the gym on the second floor of the school building had quickly become my hideout. No one was really here unless there was class and so I had free reign of the room. I entered the room and tore off my shirt, I was getting use to the lack of clothing and it was honestly more comfortable to walk around with little clothing on. I was halfway across the room when I noticed I wasn't alone. I turned startled and saw Aspen leaning against the side wall. She was watching me intently. "Uh, sorry I didn't know anyone was in here." I told her. "Why are you apologizing? This room is open for anyone, anytime." She said. "I know it's just..." I trailed off unsure what to say. I had seen Aspen a couple of times since the attack but I had never said anything to her. In a way I felt guilty about her being attacked. Aspen stood and made her way over to me. "Besides the only reason I am here is because I know you come here to be alone and I needed to talk to you in private." She told me. "About what?" I asked. I took a step back as she moved toward me. I was very much aware of the fact that my blood was still burning from my encounter with Corrigan and Aspen was stalking toward me like a predator who had just cornered her prey. "I wanted to thank you. That day when Azarias attacked, you begged him to let me go and I know just how much it cost for you, a beta, to have to beg." I took another step back. "It was nothing Aspen I would have done the same for any pack member." I told her. "I know but I have always been a bitch to you Kye. If I am being honest I don't like owing you my life, so will you let me settle this debt?" She asked. I swallowed as she continued to advance my back hit the wall and now I really was trapped. I wasn't sure why I was so nervous, if I was thinking clearly I would never have backed away from her and would have just ordered her to stop. I was more dominate than her she would have had to listen. I felt almost helpless as she made her way toward me...slowly. It was agonizing and her every step seemed to increase the hormones flowing through my system. "How?" I asked, "How do you want to settle your debt. A debt, let me just say, I don't think has reason to exist." She stoped right in front of me leaving just enough space so we weren't touching. "That day Azarias attacked I noticed something else, something I think no one else did. You carried Corrigan's sent on your skin, in your skin. I didn't really understand at first why it even registered as odd. I mean we are wolves it happens. However it would almost never would it happen between a newly shifted wolf and the second of the pack." Aspen moved closer and her hand trailed down the side of my face. The light touch leaving a burning path on my skin. "There had to be a reason other than just lust, and I finally figured it out. She did it to save you. Save you from the hormones." Aspen said. I couldn't deny anything she had said. "So? What are you trying to get at? " I asked. "Simple, I have been watching you since the attack. At first I just wanted to thank you but then I noticed something else and I realized a way I could settle my debt with you." She said. I didn't get a chance to ask her before her lips found mine. 'How many times was it now that another girl had cut me off with a kiss?' I wanted to resist but my body betrayed me. I had been putting it off for so long, too long. Aspen pressed the advantage, pulling me towards her. My bare skin pressed up against her fully clothed body. The hormones raged with approval and I grew weaker the longer she held me. I needed this, I wanted this...but I didn't want her. The thought flashed through me so fast I was so startled I was able to push Aspen away. "Stop!" I told her. She back away from me just a bit but not enough. A smile lurked at the edges of her lips. "Why? You haven't done anything with anyone since that day with Corrigan, you obviously need it. Otherwise you never would have given in to me. So why are you pushing me away?" She asked. Coming just a bit closer. "Because...because I want someone else." I said. I'm not sure why I said it but the truth spilled from my mouth. "Who?" She asked. "It doesn't matter and it is none of your business." I told her. She didn't seem happy with my response and moved closer on of her hands rested lightly on my shoulder the other at the small of my back. "I said to stop." I told her. "Yes, but you also haven't told me who it is I am stopping because of. I do have the right to know, Kye. It is stated in pack law that if you turn me down after I have already claimed you than I have the right to know why and by why that means who." She looked me straight in the eyes. "Tell me Kye, who is it you want or this time I won't stop." She said leaning in close. In a voice weaker than a whisper a name escaped my lips. Aspen paused. "I didn't hear that what was the name?" She asked. I turned away from her and choked out the name a little louder this time. "Andrea." Aspen took a step away from me and I glanced at her a wide smile was stretched over her lips. "That was harder than I expected." She said. "What?" I asked. She didn't answer and instead pointed to something behind me. I turned to see what she was pointing at.
Andrea was standing in the hidden stairway that lead up to the beta's hideaway. I felt my blood as the hormones came back full force and a blush crept up over my face. "I told you I noticed something when I was watching you, and now we're even." Aspen whispered in my ear before she disappeared down the the other set of stairs. I watched Andrea as she stepped out of the hidden staircase. "Was that the truth?" Andrea asked. I didn't know what to say as Andrea moved closer, my blood was pounding and I felt like I was about to pass out. "Kye?" She asked softly. I couldn't get the words out instead I just nodded. I wasn't sure what I expected after I answered her, but what I didn't expect was her to pull me towards her. I stood a hairs breath away from her, I could feel her heart beat and her breath that caressed my cheek. We stood like that for minutes the silence echoed around us. Andrea didn't move, she didn't say a word. She stood there watching me. I wondered what thoughts were running behind her sharp grey eyes. When I could no longer take it, I finally moved and closed the space that lay between us.
***
I turned over on the hard wooden ground and pulled the warmth next to me closer. I felt so happy and content. I opened my eyes and saw Andrea's sleeping face half covered by her long black hair. Gently I moved the silky strands back behind her ear. "Mmhmm," Andrea muttered. I froze, wondering if I woke her up. "Morning," she muttered sleepily. "Morning," I said. I moved my hand from her face while she snuggled in closer to me. "Your warm," she said. A laugh escaped. "Thanks?" I asked. Andrea was about to say something else but froze. We both heard the sound of someone approaching. "Damn!" I said and regretfully I sat up. I moved from my spot on the floor next to Andrea and hurriedly started picking up our clothing. Unlike the time with Corrigan luckily the clothes survived.
Andrea and I had just enough time to pull on our last piece of clothing when Aspen entered the room. "Your still in here? Damn you both know its noon right? As in you have been here since 4 o'clock. Both of you missed dinner and breakfast and now lunch. The whole pack is in a mood because of it. There would have been a search party for you both if Raiza hadn't said something." Aspen said. She was leaned against the doorway watching us. "Raiza said something? What did she say? Why did she say something? What does she know?" Andrea demanded. A smile broke out on Aspen's face. "She said that you were both fine just...preoccupied with something." Aspen answered her. A blush crept over Andrea's face and I could feel her tense. When two wolves were preoccupied everyone knew that meant they were off alone somewhere 'getting to know each other.' "Did she really say that?" Andrea asked. "No," Aspen answered. "She said you were working on something for her. Kye was accompanying you because she is still getting used to the Servari bond, and is uncomfortable when she isn't near you." I saw the tension leave Andrea's body and relaxed a little myself. The part about the bond was true I found that out after a couple of hours being far away from Andrea was very uncomfortable, hell not being able to see her would cause me some panic. "Raiza, has decided though it is time for you guys to make at least one appearance for the day and sent me to come fetch you." Aspen said. "But you both might want to take a shower first." With that she ducked out of the room. I realized as I watched her leave she never answered Andrea's other questions about what Raiza knew.
"There's a shower here we can use" I said in the silence. "I'll...I'll let you use this one. I'll head back to my room and shower there." Andrea said. She briskly walked out of the room leaving me alone. I headed towards the staircase Andrea had hidden in last night and started on my way up. The empty room took away the last of the content feeling I had when I woke up this morning, or rather afternoon. I had the feeling that when Andrea walked out of the gym that everything would go back to the way it was before. The fact she all but ran from the room seemed to prove that. I stepped into the bathroom and turned the shower on. Steam soon filled the entire room and I started to undress. Caught up in my thoughts I didn't notice anyone approaching. When a cold blast of air shook me from my thoughts and I turned to see Andrea in the doorway. She was quietly watching me, her eyes seemed to note every inch of me. A blush crawled over my skin as I stood before her piercing gaze. "I forgot to knock." She stated as she looked me over. "Yeah." I said pointlessly. Andrea stepped into the room and shut the door behind her blocking the colder air. "I was on my way out when I remembered something and came back." She told me. "What did you remember?" I asked as she moved closer to me. "I forgot." She said breathlessly.
***
I fell back against the couch utterly exhausted. "Done already?" Mitch asked. He was grinning down at me. We had just spent a good 3 hours running and fighting. Mitch decided he wanted to see what kind of Beta I was. That's what he said at least but really he was trying to distract me. There were only 2 days until Azarais returned and when I wasn't with Andrea someone was trying to keep me from dwelling on it. I wasn't sure how well the distractions worked but I know I wanted to spend time with everyone and plus Mitch always gave good workouts. Sadly I was righter about that then I wanted to be. "How much stamina do you have? We have been at it for three hours!" I said. "Ha, that's just a warm up, pup!" He said merrily. "You should remember this next time you call me old." I sat up on the couch. We were in the rec. room, which was mainly empty because all the pups were at school. "You are old, old man. I never once said you weren't in shape though, just old." I said to him.
The door to the rec. room opened and I turned to see Andrea. She had been in a meeting with Raiza all day. One that I had been invited to like all the previous meetings but like the others I had declined. "Kye, can you come with me?" Andrea asked. The merry and relaxed mood faded. I nodded and stiffly stood up from my spot on the couch making my way towards her. The smile on Mitch's face had disappeared, we both could tell what it was Andrea needed to talk to me about. Andrea didn't say another word as she lead me to the Meeting house and up to Raiza's office. Raiza was seated behind her desk, Corrigan stood at her right shoulder, and my dad was pacing across the room. He stopped when came in and moved to stand by me. Andrea shut the door behind us locking the five of us into a very tense room. "Kye, thank you for coming." Raiza said. She stood from behind her desk, restless. "Not like I could refuse," I said, "have you reached a decision?" Raiza nodded. For the last few days the four of them had locked themselves in a room and debated their response to Azarias. At first I know that a few of them argued against letting me accept the bond, but that was before the fire broke out and almost killed a few of the pups. "First, before we tell you what we decided, we would like to hear your thoughts." Raiza said. "I made my decision the day Azarias proposed. I pledged myself to Andrea. That remains my decision and always will." I told Raiza. "Very well, in that case, Andrea if you would." Raiza said. Andrea moved to the center of the room and turned to face me. I could see the sadness in her eyes but also her resolve. "Kylie Hudson, beta of the Nightshade pack and my sworn Servari. I order you to accept Azarias de Rege's proposal ." Andrea ordered.
I felt the weight of Andrea's command settle around me and I bowed, acknowledging her and accepting her command.