Lucky turned and looked her in the eyes. He must have seen her desire to run. She felt trapped like a rat in a maze and he was the cat chasing her. She bit her lower lip and considered her options. His look was one of sincerity. He held out his hand. “You can trust me. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
His promise was the best one Rebecca had all day. She just hoped her instincts were right to believe him. She put on the helmet and hopped on the back of the bike. It wasn’t until he yelled “hold on” over the roar of the bike’s motor, and they were moving that she realized how dangerously sexy riding a bike with a man like him was. Their bodies melded together as the wind circled around them like a cocoon, leaving a path in their wake. The gentle breeze was cool, a reprise from the heat of the day.
They zipped through the evening traffic like the other cars were standing still and as they zigzagged she was forced to hold on tighter to the man in front of her. His body was a chiseled mass of lean muscle. His scent of Chai weaved an intoxicating spell around her senses. She felt the urge to investigate the rest of his body further; but even as the thought crossed her mind and a blush spread across her cheek the wolf in her mind snapped out in irritation. 'You need to focus on keeping your foolish human urges under control.'
'You’re right, I need to pull it together. But it is odd, don't you think? The serious level of attraction I feel towards him.'
'He is a nephilim. It is hard to fight off the attraction of an angel half breed. Most of them have high charisma.'
They pulled to a stop at what looked like a run down vacuum repair shop.
“Here? Really?” She couldn’t help but ask as she got off the bike and took the black helmet off. Rebecca ran her fingers through her blonde curls to make sure they were not too windblown. Mother always said they should try to look their best whenever they could. It was something that always stuck with Savannah, Hunter, and her.
“Looks can be deceiving Rebecca. Very few things in our world are what they seem.” Lucky laced his fingers in hers and pulled her toward the door. The feeling sent a tiny electrical current up her hand and forearm. She shivered and allowed him to lead the way.
"Okay, but this place looks like it’s one inspection away from being condemned." The windows were dark; one looked to be boarded up with wooden planks from the inside. Even the sidewalk outside was falling apart. There was nothing inviting about the tiny shop. It was definitely not what she expected a supernatural ‘Authority’ meeting location would be.
“Think of it this way, who takes their vacuum in to be repaired anymore? And for the few that do, they call to set up an appointment." He stood behind her, his voice warm on her wind kissed neck. “The entire cover is run with proficiency. There is a man at the counter during business hours. If appointments are needed to repair a vacuum, they have someone on call to make the necessary adjustments.” He flipped a dirty metallic wall cover up revealing a keypad. “And for added safety the meetings never take place during the day.”
Rebecca turned her head to give him an irritated glare and found herself inches from his lips. The level of attraction she felt for him at that moment couldn’t even begin to be put into words. But it was what a good girl feels for a bad boy, intrigue, mystery, and even a little bit of lust. Being the logical sister she knew it was important to put some space between the two of them. She took a few steps back. “In a strange way that makes a lot of sense.”
He took a step forward and Rebecca countered with one backwards. It was like a dance only the leader was a dangerous stranger that made her feel as uneasy as a piece of meat being eyed for dinner.
“You have no reason to be frightened, little wolf.” He smiled sincerely.
She stepped back. “What makes you think I’m frightened? I just like having my own space.” Another lie.
“I promised you I would not let anyone hurt you.” He took another step forward.
Step forward, “Your alpha. She has a vested interest in your survival. It really is an amazing symbiotic relationship you have entered into with your wolf.” He answered with a strange level of appreciation in his eyes.
'Yeah, because she has been doing an amazing job of protecting me so far.' Rebecca thought with irritation.
'You are the one who has shut me out.' The wolf answered with ice cold tones. ‘I had to show you how important it is to listen to me.’
Lucky's raspy voice broke into her thoughts again. "Besides, I’m a protector, it’s my job to serve and protect. You need to have faith in people."
Backwards another step. A Protector only got a quick mention during her orientation with Dianna. If Rebecca remembered right they were like police only they strictly served the 'Authority'. Serve and protect only mattered when it was in the best interest of the council. “Faith and trust are not things I give blindly.”
He took a step forward and grasped her arms in his hands, gently pulling her closer instead of letting her escape; effectively ending the dance but increasing the attraction. 'Keep your head Becca.' She reminded herself.
His voice pulled her away from her thoughts again. “Regardless, if you plan to survive this world you’ll need to learn to be open when someone lends you a helping hand, because they are few and far between.”
“Let go of me.” Rebecca snapped angrily through her teeth. She was getting tired of being lectured today. Her anger meter went from zero to a hundred in a few seconds. The emotional rollercoaster of thrill rides was putting her out of sorts. She wasn’t used to reacting to situations with so many emotional outbursts. She was convinced it had something to do with her wolf counterpart.
He released her like she burnt him, mumbling a quick apology. The action caused Rebecca to lose her balance for a moment, but she quickly recovered without losing her footing; it was a gentle reminder that wolves were very agile creatures and it appeared so was she now. As her balance re-centered so did her emotions. "Shall we go in?"
He punched a code in the keypad next to the door, a keypad that seemed oddly out of place on the run down building. The door locks released with a whooshing sound and they entered the store. The front of the store had shelves lined with dirty old vacuum cleaners. It made her think of a graveyard for broken down home cleaners. It was exactly what she expected it would look like from the outside. The lighting was dim; cobwebs took ownership of the four corners in the small store that resembled a toaster in an odd way. There were two aisles divided by three rows of dusty, dirty, dead vacuum cleaners. The floor smelled of dust and mildew, Rebecca feared she might sneeze as the scents assaulted her nose. If they were going for authenticity they achieved it.
Lucky motioned for her to go forward. The room was surprisingly tight and a part of her, an unknown part of her began to feel a little claustrophobic. With a little focus, Rebecca realized that part of her was the wolf. The feeling only got worse when the shop ended and Lucky and Rebecca found themselves squeezed together in a tiny space behind the register counter. Great! Not only did she have a wolf who kept secrets from her, but the wolf also gave her a new fear.
He punched in another code on another out of place key lock that was similar to the one on the door outside. Again she heard the locks release and a whooshing sound as a door opened, this time sliding up from the floor to the ceiling.
They were greeted with a darkened flight of stairs. There were torches lit on the side of the wall which created wicked looking shadows. They seemed oddly out of place after the keypad entry and the automatic doors. "Don't you think this 'Authority' group could've spent a little more on lighting?"
He chuckled, "I think they were going for the ambiance, but you are not the first one to comment on how out of place the torches are. I kind of like the eerie feeling they raise, don't you?"
"Not particularly. I have enough unsettling things going on in my life at the moment. Lucky for you I have good night vision." She wrinkled her nose as the sulfur from the fire lit torches mixed with the musky smell of the stairway cut from the earth.
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He grinned. This time the lights set off a wicked glint in his eyes. Rebecca was beginning to like the different types of smiles and facial expressions he had. "Good, then you won't need me to hold your hands down the stairs. Come on, I’ll lead the way."
And with that he was headed down the stairs leaving Rebecca to follow in his wake before he disappeared into the dark shadows. She found herself thankful as her night vision quickly adjusted making the downward trek more inviting. With a sigh and a prayer she headed down the stairs; stumbling over a few rocks embedded into the stone stairs. It was only a few minutes before she caught up with Lucky. They finished their trip downward rather quickly; running into a few rodents scurrying around their feet along the way. He turned towards her and Rebecca almost fell into his arms. Instinctively she pushed off his solid chest and rocked back on the last step.
"Are you ready to be amazed?" He asked.
Rebecca rolled her eyes, "Yeah, because tonight has been thrilling so far." As soon as she said it she realized it actually had been rather thrilling; a little dangerous, exciting, stimulating, and somewhat seductive.
The door opened to a large meeting room that resembled an auditorium with an equally large theater stage, the kind you would find on Broadway, not in Arizona. There were more people in the room than she could count. The key word was people; her wolf went on high alert as she realized that they were now surrounded by multiple supernatural beings; most of whom hid their identity in human form. She was drawn to the large conference table in the front of the room where twelve people sat.
The room was the size of at least two football fields. Apparently the Authority budgeted more funds for the meeting room than the décor in the hallway. “Oh, my! It’s interesting. How in the world did you get a room this size to fit into a basement?”
"Magic." He whispered with a grin.
“Ah our guest has arrived!” boomed a large voice from an equally large man in the front of the room. The man stood, but Rebecca’s focus was on another. Shock registered and curiosity sank in. The one person in the world she never expected to see in this room was starring at her with daggers. Her grandmother sat in one of the seats at the large table.
What in the world was she doing here? She glared at Lucky but the action was in vain, wondering if he set her up. Rebecca’s grandmother also recognized her which was apparent when she stood up. The rest of the group remained seated. “Are you Rebecca Elizabeth Winters from the Arizona wolf pack?”
“Yes.” Rebecca’s voice sounded weak against the large man’s strong one, so she cleared her throat and spoke louder. “Yes. I’m Becca.”
Chapter Seven
~“Eighty percent of all choices are based on fear. Most people don’t choose what they want; they choose what they think is safe."
~Phil McGraw
Rebecca
“Good. Well, you’re late, Becca. Please take your seat; we will worry about the formalities later.” The speaker of the room motioned towards an empty seat two spaces down from Rebecca’s grandmother. Rebecca wanted to tell them that she was not interested in being the Alpha wolf but decided this was not exactly the best place to have that conversation. Despite her growing fear that she was jumping into water far deeper than she could swim out of; she managed to find her seat and get comfortable.
On Rebecca’s left was a dragon who looked like she was from the Orient. Her wolf whispered the name “Windy”. Rebecca received knowledge from the wolf about all the others seated at the table as well. She didn’t know why, but she trusted the wolf. Perhaps the simple fact that she was part of her made giving the trust easier. Regardless, the information was important so Rebecca took note.
On Rebecca’s right sat a half-human half-demon necromancer; otherwise known as a guardian; guardian of the dead, her name was Echo.
The wolf informed her that the man with purple spiked hair in between her grandmother and Echo was “Rudy, the troll leader”. “Violet, the vampire queen,” sat next to Windy, looking regal and deadly. The redheaded leprechaun dressed in green named “Amelia” sat next to Violet. The black haired, pale skinned vampire queen looked icy and even whiter next to the freckled, peachy skinned leprechaun. “Serendipity, the fairy queen,” reminded Rebecca of autumn. Her amber hair, brown toned clothes, and sun kissed skin screamed fall. “Gregory, the head dream weavers,” sat next to her. His shock of black hair and steely blue eyes contrasted against his light sun-starved skin. The “banshee” that sat next to him was perhaps the scariest creature of all. Her silver hair fell straight past the seat of her chair. There were two streaks of black that framed her tiny face. Her body was long and lithe; her eyes were cold and empty. “Her name is Britain”. “Jericho” sat next to her, his silver white hair similar yet different because his hair looked alive, along with the rest of him. The golden hue to his skin and twinkle in his eyes proved that fact. The only things that gave away his identity as an elf were his silver eyes and his pointy ears. “Mystery” sat between Jericho and the head of the counsel, Francesco. She was a “siren” and the wolf warned Rebecca to “avoid her songs. Those melodies were as black as her oil-colored hair and as deadly as her violet eyes.”
The hours rolled on as Rebecca sat through multiple supernatural beings stating their grievances. Some looked as human as she was only days ago and others had a harder time hiding their supernatural DNA. It seemed the more innocent the supernatural being was the harder it was for them to blend in. The more deadly, the easier they could pass for human; guess that was an example of the “survival of the fittest” theory.
The vampire Rebecca saved from the compound smiled wickedly at her from the audience. A red glow seemed to radiate from behind her eyes. If the childlike vampire’s entourage and confidence were any indication she was high up in the power chain. She was also a member of the species that happened to be Rebecca’s biggest enemy, something she would do well not to forget. When their eyes locked Rebecca’s inner wolf snarled, ‘Katarina’. Outwardly, there was no indication of the intense emotions the girl vampire sparked in Rebecca’s body. Becca smiled, grateful the girl was okay and terrified of what she would do to Rebecca and perhaps what she may have already done to her pack.
Rebecca would not give the young looking vampire the pleasure of knowing she upset or made her nervous, however, smart animals know when to be wary around people they perceive as enemies and her wolf knew who the vampire was.
‘Killer, Killer, Killer’ Rebecca heard the wolf echo in her mind over and over again “Evil witch deserves to die!” If the wolf was standing in front of her, Rebecca would have slapped her back to her senses.
Rebecca didn’t want to be the first to look away but she wanted the wolf to stop chanting. She refocused her attention on the beaver, standing in front of the Authority, worrying his baseball cap in his hands as he told the story of how blood brokers were moving into his quiet suburb. Apparently one human teenager was killed from an overdose of the blood pills and now everyone he knew was frightened. He made a request for extra protectors in his neighborhood to move the undesired dealers out.
A woman dressed in golden armor over a white dress tilted her head at the beaver man and smiled politely when she stood from her seat in the front row of the auditorium. There was a level of compassion in her eyes that Rebecca had not seen from other members of the Authority yet. In fact, she seemed genuinely interested and concerned for the beaver man and his family. The more Rebecca focused on the woman the more she learned. “Nephilim” spoke the inner voice, “Josephine, head of the protectors”. Rebecca knew, instantly, Josephine was a good person and immediately decided she would be someone Becca would seek out to befriend.
“My generals will assign additional patrols to your neighborhood for a while to see if we can eliminate the new blood brokers. And on a personal note, I’m very sorry to hear about your son.”
The man that resembled a beaver burst into tears and told Josephine he was eternally grateful for her help. He walked b
ackwards to his seat, bowing over and over again in the process. Rebecca didn't know what happened to his son, but she assumed it was a similar fate as the human teenager. Those giving grievances to the Authority seemed to point out how the issues they were bringing up affected the humans; as though supernatural beings were second class citizens. Dianna had once told Rebecca for every one supernatural there were ten humans. They outnumbered the supernatural beings which was why they were all tasked to do whatever they could to avoid hurting humans. Again, power in numbers. Rebecca had a sneaking suspicion the supernaturals wanted to avoid things like the witch trials from happening in modern day. The reality of what Dianna said began to hit home.
As Rebecca continued to sit through a few more complaints she realized this wasn’t any different than what Savannah did on the student government at school. She would have thrived in this world. As an alpha, her leadership skills would be a great help in this situation; only this time Rebecca had to do it on her own. It wasn’t like she could ask her sister how to handle pack issues. She had to rely on herself, her instinct, and her new companion, the wolf.
Personally, Rebecca would rather continue to drown her sorrows and grief while shredding her guitar in her room singing whatever new dark lyrics she had written this week in her diary. It was the only coping mechanism the counselor gave her that she could adapt to make work for her. While the songs were dark, they were necessary to keep the monsters in her soul under control.