CHAPTER 15
The door opened with a creak of old hinges sending goose bumps over her arms. Blinking her eyes from the sudden flood of light that drenched the little shack Carson squinted then looked away when she saw it was just Micah coming back again. He crossed the hard packed floor and squatted beside her, taking a canteen out and lifting it to her lips. “Drink,” he commanded. She pinched her lips tightly together and turned her face. He snarled and locked the fingers of one hand in the thick mass of curls on her head. “It's just water,” he growled then pressed the lip of the canteen against her mouth until she had to open to keep her lips from being cut by her teeth. The water was tepid but slated her thirst. Once he was sure she was done, he let her head go and capped the lid again.
“When are you going to let me go?” She asked.
He chuckled and looked through the window to the sky. “Oh not for a couple more hours; the sun is still up.”
Hope flared in her heart. “You're going to let me go when the sun goes down?”
He laughed, slapping his knee with one palm. “Well in a manner of speaking. I may be just a dumb ole Enforcer, but even I know that you have to be caught under the moon for an imprint to take. No, Princess, when I say let you go, it'll only be for the few minutes it takes for instinct to kick in. When I catch you, you'll be forced to submit and then you'll be mine. We'll go back to the pack and I'll be made beta as per the law. They will have to accept me, they have no choice. Even if Jeff takes it to the council, I happen to know they will uphold my claim. Nice and neat.”
Pulling out a small parcel from the bag hanging by the door, he opened it and the smell of meat tickled her nose. Her wolf roused drowsily sniffing and she began to drool. Her stomach growled loudly. “Hungry, Princess?” He walked over and squatted next to her. Tearing off a piece of the meat he held it to her lips. “Cooked it myself. Caught it too. Normally I just have my dinner still warm from the chase but I know you don't prescribe to the natural way of life... yet.”
Against her better judgment, she took a bite and the succulent flavor of rabbit washed over her tongue. Closing her eyes she almost moaned, it was so delicious and she was so hungry. Chewing carefully she swallowed only to find another piece waiting. When she had had her fill, she licked her lips and shook her head. He chuckled and opened the canteen for her again, letting her get a good drink. “See, I told you I will take care of you.”
With her hunger sated, the wolf inside began to growl and pace wanting to take over. Carson closed her eyes so that Micah wouldn't see the struggle going on inside. Her efforts were a waste when she felt another sting in her thigh. More serum. Her animal immediately stilled and slid into unconsciousness. Carson opened her eyes and sighed. “Was that necessary?”
“Let's just call that an insurance policy. You can't match me physically, but I don't know what a dreamer can do. Best to keep your hands tied and your wolf asleep for now.” He stood up again and tossed the empty syringe into a bucket.
She had long ago abandoned trying to escape the ropes that held her tight. Without her wolf's enhanced strength, all she was able to do was dig the bindings deeper into her wrists and ankles. Bowing her head, her eyes locked on the dirty stained rag that had once been her bonding dress. Tears pooled in her eyes when she thought about Chase and the life they should be sharing as bonded mates now. She gritted her teeth, determination burning in her soul. She would get back to him, some way, somehow.
.-~*~-.
The sun had sunk down until there was nothing left except a beautiful sunset painted across the sky. Dejectedly, Cayson dragged his feet through the dust of the compound, head down, eyes unfocused. Drawing a deep breath in, he let it out slowly, feeling like his heart was going to shatter. Even his wolf was quiet, exhausted, curled in a ball in the back of his mind – they had been running through the forest for the past four hours looking for any sign of his sister. He stopped when a wooden structure stood in his way. Looking up he recognized Zandria's little cottage. He didn't even question why he was there, but instead simply climbed the steps wearily and flopped down on the top step.
He smelled her before he heard her; she smelled of fresh homemade cinnamon bread and sunflowers. Even as tired as he was, he looked up as Zandria stopped beside him and patted the wood beside him. “Have a seat.”
She hesitated a moment but then dropped to the step beside him. She pulled one knee up and wrapped her arms around it and propped her chin on it. Cayson stole a look at her and admitted to himself, for a human she was quite beautiful. Her elfin face with those strange pale blue eyes, button nose and cupid's bow lips still bore the reminder of her attack. She would most likely carry the faint line of white scars for the rest of her life. But instead of distracting from her beauty it made her look mysterious. He liked it. He also liked that she had luscious curves in all the right places. She possessed an hourglass figure that accented her full breasts and well rounded hips. The tips of her long straight golden blonde hair just brushed the place that marked the start of her delicious, drool-able rear. Inside his beast agreed. She was petite without being delicate and Nature had surely broken the mold on her.
The oversized tee shirt she wore barely brushed the waistband of the capri jeans she was wearing. The effect added to her allure and accentuated those curves. Barefoot, he saw she had painted her toenails a soft pale pink. He sighed again and thought about all the times she had pushed him away. But this time, she had sought him out on her own, so he waited for her to make the first move.
Staring out over the compound they sat together in silence, listening to the songs of the frogs and cicadas until finally she broke it. “Any luck,” she asked quietly.
The sound of her question was like silk to his ears, and her voice was just as beautiful as the rest of her. It was soft and musical, soothing the senses like a balm. He detected just a hint of an accent that he couldn't place. He turned his head and openly stared at her as she continued to look out over the compound. “So, you really can talk?” He teased her.
She giggled and nodded her head. “I can. I just prefer not to.”
For a moment he thought surely the angels were singing. Her voice was perfection and he wanted to sit right there and listen to her forever. She could read the instructions on assembling a desk and he would happily hang on every word. He sighed with a smile on his face. “Why don't you talk more? You have a beautiful voice.”
He watched the smile on her face dissolve. “So I've been told,” she mumbled. Releasing her leg, she pulled the other up and crossed them Indian style before changing the subject. “What about your sister? Is there any news?”
She was hiding something. But, not wanting to push her when she was finally talking to him, he decided to let the matter drop - for now. Instead, he reached down and grabbed a blade of grass. Pulling it through his rough fingers, he shredded it into thin strands. “Nothing yet“, he admitted dropping his shoulders gloomily. “We've been looking for almost twenty four hours now and nothing. It's like she's disappeared into thin air. I would still be out there looking but Father made me come in and rest. He says even wolves can't keep going indefinitely.” His voice dropped to a bare whisper, “I just want her back home.” He tossed the pieces of grass on the ground, staring at them for a few moments before continuing. “As bad as it is for the family, I can't begin to imagine how horrible it must be for Chase. He's barely holding on.”
There was a deep inhalation. He glanced over and saw indecision etched on her face as if she was warring with herself. She had something on her mind, but the question was what? Not wanting the spook her, he just sat there and gave her time to make her own decision. Finally she spoke and the sound was so soft, he almost missed it.
“I... “ she began then stopped.
He waited several minutes but whatever she was about to say wasn't forthcoming. Finally, he reached a hand out and gently tou
ched her arm. “What is it Zandria? Whatever it is you can tell me.”
“No, it's nothing,” she murmured and started to get up.
He stopped her. “It's not ‘nothing’. Something's on your mind, I can tell.” He hooked a finger under her chin and lifted her face up. He caught just the bare hint of the pale blue of her eyes focused on his chin before she looked away. “And why don't you ever look at me? Are you afraid of me?”
She shook her head but wouldn't meet his gaze “I... I have my reasons for that,” she whispered. Taking another deep breath she began to twist her fingers nervously. Then she took a huge breath, holding it for a moment then let it out slowly. “Could you... uh... “ she started then threw her hands into her lap, balling the fingers into fists. “Could you get your father to come here?” the words tumbled out. “Please?”
“He's awful busy right now with Carson and Micah and all. I don't think he'll come unless it's really important.”
She chewed her lip, her eyes down on the ground. “I... I think... I... um.” She fidgeted, using her toe to kick a pebble off the step. “I think I can help you find her.”
He jumped up and stared at her. She cringed and drew herself into a ball. “What do you mean? Do you know where she is?”
She shook her head. “No, but I may be able to help some.”
“How can you help?” He arched one eyebrow quizzically.
“I can't explain it. Please, do you want help or not?” she had become aggravated. “'Cause if not, I'll go back in the house and just forget it.”
He grabbed her hand. “No, no. We want any help we get. Come on, I'll take you to him.”
She pulled away and rubbed her palm on her jean's leg as if it were burned. “No. It's a... a secret. Please, go get him and bring him here; just your father and nobody else. Please? I can't explain it, but don't tell anyone else.”
“Um, if you are sure?”
She nodded.
Cayson shook his head in disbelief. “Well okay. I'll be right back.”
By the time they had returned, the first stars began to peek thru the indigo canopy overhead. Zandria couldn't see the stars or the mist that had started to wriggle through the trees, but she clearly heard the two wolves leap up the steps and knew immediately who they were.
“My son says you may know where Carson is.”
She swallowed and grimaced. “It's not really that, but I may be able to tell you how to find her.” She looked him in the face without flinching.
He looked at her, doubt clear on his face. “How do you know? Zandria, a lot of really strange things have been happening since you were found. What do you have to do with it?”
She blanched. “No, sir, I swear to you I don't have anything to do with it. I just want to help. You have all been so nice to me, getting me fixed up and letting me stay. Carson has been really sweet and even Cayson...” she stopped and colored brightly. “I mean, I just want to do what I can.”
“Very well. What can you do?” Jeff asked incredulously.
She seemed to shrink into herself. “It's not really easy. I... well...“ She almost looked at Cayson but quickly let her eyes slide down his body to stare at the porch floor.
Jeff grabbed her arms, “If you can help, then tell me how. I have too much going on to play games!”
“Father,” the tone was low and unmistakable. Cayson's wolf had risen near the surface and was watching him through Cayson's eyes. Jeff dropped his hands and nodded, taking a deep breath and calming himself.
She licked her lips then raised her gaze to the alpha again. “I'm going to try and sing her.”
The two men looked at each other and then to her. “Sing to her,” Cayson asked incredulously. “What does that mean?”
She licked her lips and nodded. “I can do things, with my voice. Give people comfort, help them heal, call to them from afar...”
“Push them away?” A light had come on in Cayson's eyes. “That's what you did to me the other day when I came to visit.”
She nodded and kept her face down, a curtain of blond slipping from the headband she was wearing and concealing her face. He was just about to ask her why when Jeff interrupted. “I've never heard of this so please excuse my ignorance. What do you need from us? At this point, I would give anything a chance.”
She raised her head and tucked the hair back into the headband. Again she refused to look Cayson in the eyes and now he knew it was intentional. He would get to the bottom of it but right now they had more important things to deal with.
“I need you to take me to the last place she was seen.” She reached a hand out and placed it lightly on Jeff's arm. “But outside.”
He put a hand on hers and led her down the steps and across the compound until they stopped just outside his house, at the bottom of the porch steps. She let go of his arm and murmured, “please give me a little room”
Cayson and Jeff took a step back. The door opened and Miriah came out followed by Councilors Gretchen and Maggie. Jeff put his finger to his lips and they stood just outside the door watching.
Zandria took a deep breath, her face down, her palms pressed together as if in prayer. She opened her lips and what spilled forth almost knocked them down. It was a song, beautiful, haunting, and longing, it pulled at their hearts and teased at their minds. Each of them took a step forward as if the melody was examining them and found them wanting. There were tears in their eyes as the sound continued to swim around them in gentle tendrils.
“Fatavoce,” Gretchen whispered awestruck. “By the grace of Luna, a real Song Maiden!”
“What is a fatavoce?” Miriah leaned in whispering so as not to interrupt her.
“Exceedingly rare. The archives have mentioned them, but more like a myth.” Gretchen's eyes never left Zandria.
Maggie crossed her arms. “She doesn't look like a myth to me.”
Gretchen motioned for them to be quiet as Zandria continued to sing. “Later,” she murmured.
The song continued to weave and curl around them, then slowly it expanded, slipping into the breeze and was flung over the compound. Slowly, she swayed from side to side then rocked to and fro as if the song was a wave and she was caught helplessly in it. She raised her arms shoulder level and pushed the song further away, her back arching gracefully, her head falling backwards to spill a waterfall of pale gold down her back. Rising up on her tiptoes, she pushed the song forward again, her arms cupping in that direction, her head falling to the front again. The song slipped from her lips, tempo turning urgent, and no matter how hard they strained to understand the words, the meaning slipped from their consciousness like sand through fingers. The song continued for several moments and then she held one note, pure as crystal, as lovely as the breaking of dawn, her body trembled and then abruptly it was gone. She collapsed to her knees, gasping great breaths of air as if she were drowning. Cayson let out a strangled cry and fell to his knees beside her, his hands gently supporting her trembling body. Raising her right hand straight forward, she gritted her teeth. “That way, about five miles, that's where her resonance is.” She dropped her arm as it if weighed a thousand pounds.
Jeff took off at a lope, calling for wolves to join him as they phased and ran into the woods. Back at the compound, Cayson's concerned face looked over Zandria.
“Hey? Are you okay?” he asked, worry making his voice thicken. He cupped her chin and raised her face up.
For the first time, she didn't shy away, didn't close her eyes or look aside. This time, she faced him straight on.
Thunder sounded in his head and he reeled backwards slightly. His mouth flew open as those beautiful pale blue depths reached out and snagged him, pulling him headlong into them where he drowned in her soul.
Our mate!
His wolf howled in joy, dancing and strutting back and forth with excitement. She was h
is mate; the one that was created specifically for him. Slowly he was aware of a burning sensation just over his heart. Even without looking he knew what it was. He had seen mating marks on other couples before including his sister and Chase. He knew there would be a mark, dark red and pale white, resembling a fingerprint with whirls and lines, pulsing over his heart. A mark that he knew was a perfect counter to one that now graced Zandria's fair skin in the exact same spot. A mark that would never be duplicated - it was as unique as the fingerprints it so resembled.
“You... you knew, didn't you. That's why you wouldn't look at me, would never let me see your eyes,” he whispered. “It's because it takes the eye to eye contact of two wolves to create the link between life mates.” He frowned. “But you're human. I thought only wolves could be life mates.”
She smiled weakly, “I knew it and I fought it for so long. There's so much you don't know about me. I felt your song.” She frowned slightly. “Cayson, I'm not exactly just a human.” She swallowed and whispered, “so tired. Please, it takes too much out of me to do that for such a long distance. Please, we'll talk about this later.” The pale blue orbs closed slowly and she fell against him, too exhausted to fight it any longer. He sat in the dirt at the foot of the porch and cradled her body against his, rocking gently.
“I thought I had seen it all,” Gretchen mumbled softly. “A dreamer, an empath and a fatavoce all in the same generation.” She shook her head slowly.
Miriah's eyes never left her son's form. She could almost hear his wolf humming happily as he cradled her. “You never told us what that is. What's a fatavoce?”
“Fatavoce is a word from the old country; it means 'song maiden' because those that were blessed with the gift are always women, without exception. They are considered a myth, a legend. According to the stories, these women possess incredible power and can manipulate people and nature through the use of their voices. You know a bit about the stream that dreamers use? It's basically the essence of life that flows through every living thing. A dreamer can move up and down that stream from present to past to future but are only allowed to view a small portion of it. However, the flow is not just visual, it's also audible.” She nodded towards the couple. “For lack of a better way of putting it, Fatavoce are super dreamers, but they don't have to touch to enter the stream, and not only can they detect the stream, they can manipulate it and use it.”
Miriah looked at the girl, “I wonder why she didn't tell anyone,” she whispered in awe.
Gretchen licked her lips and curled her arms around her midsection. “I imagine she didn't tell anyone because she's in hiding and the more she spoke, the more apt that someone could figure it out. When I say they are powerful, I mean exceedingly powerful. That girl could literally change someone's life or even the lives of several people – a whole pack. It's happened in the past, or so they say. According to legends, it was a fatavoce that destroyed the vampire race. It almost destroyed our race as well.”
Maggie drew in a deep breath. “And we never knew. A most remarkable human.”
Gretchen chuckled. “Fatavoce aren't human. She's a wolf, a very special, very unusual, very different kind of one, but definitely a wolf.”