“I came to check on my niece.”
It was the last thing Jacques expected Stefan to say. “Excuse me? Why?” He knew he sounded baffled, but Stefan had managed to surprise him.
“I was told Zina is back, and though I don’t give a flying monkey’s butt about my twin, I do worry about my niece. You’ve kept her in the dark and, if Zina does get her, Laylah will believe the lies Zina will feed her.”
“You don’t know Laylah. She’s a good kid with a head on her shoulders. She wouldn’t fall for Zina’s lies.”
“It is you who don’t have a clue about her. Did you know, Jacques, that Laylah gets bullied every day at school? That, on Wednesday, she was flat on her back in the middle of the cafeteria with an older girl’s stiletto heel pressed into her chest, inches away from Laylah’s heart? Did you know that she gets slammed into lockers, knocked down constantly and daily made fun of by her peers? And, did you know, and this is the kicker, that Laylah has only one, count them, one friend?”
Jacques simply stared at the irate Stefan. How did he know all that about Laylah? For one crazy moment, Jacques wished that Laylah was Stefan’s daughter. Stefan, at least, would have showered Laylah with love and attention.
“We...I didn’t know, Stefan. Laylah doesn’t talk about school and I don’t pry.”
“It’s not that you don’t pry, Jacques. It’s easier to ignore the misery of one child to appease your boss. You used to fight for the weak and those that suffered. What happened to that Jacques? Where is that man?”
“He grew up when one of his best friends tried to kill him and take away everything that mattered.” Jacques’ fury was mounting.
“We could sit here all day exchanging words and insults, but that’s not why I’m here. The Council has asked me to lead their army in an attack against Zina. I know they’re going to send their General and Captains tomorrow to discuss strategy and I want you there as well.”
“Me? Why?”
“Stop being so suspicious, Jacques. I need you because you don’t take crap from people. And because you know the Were political scene better than I. I’ve been a lone wolf too long. I don’t know which families are gone, who is feuding with whom, and the like. You know, the usual BS.”
“How come we’ve not heard anything from the Council about this?” Jacques tensed, prepared for treachery. It would be his luck to have bad things happen in succession.
Stefan shrugged. “How should I know? Maybe because they know Henry would have a cow if he heard about my appointment. Maybe they’re afraid of leaks. Regardless, I need to know that you’ll be there at the Heyendo Pub and Eatery at noon tomorrow.”
The two men studied each other for several tense moments.
“Fine. I’ll come, but only to get the lay of the land,” Jacques grudgingly agreed.
“Thank you, Jacques. And don’t worry; you’ll still have your job with Henry. He won’t go against the Council.”
Jacques wasn’t so sure that Stefan was right, but wisely said nothing. He waited until Stefan changed to wolf and took off through the trees before Jacques did the same and headed back to the mansion.
Chapter 28
Laylah was silent for most of the drive home. She was amused by Kattcha’s strange music tastes. The sounds were interesting. Nothing like the stuff they heard in school.
“It’s called rock and roll. It was popular on Earth several centuries ago,” Kattcha explained. “If you don’t like it, I can change it.”
“No, no, it’s fine. I like it.” Laylah hummed along. Her thoughts were on the kiss she and Donil had shared. She felt her face heating up and, nervously, she dropped her head and tugged on her braid.
“You should wear your hair down.”
“What?” Laylah turned to look at Kattcha.
“I said you should wear your hair down. It’s too pretty to be kept in a braid all the time.”
“Oh, uh…I’m not allowed to cut it or wear it loose. Father pitched a fit a few years ago when Naiya suggested we cut my hair. It was so long and I was burning up from the heat. Father said no, and that was the end of that. She asked if I could wear it loose then and the answer was the same. Naiya taught me how to braid it in one plait and that’s the way it’s been ever since.”
“Pity. A shorter cut would frame your face better. Something to keep in mind,” Kattcha suggested.
“Yes, Kattcha.”
“And maybe some makeup. A woman feels sexier when she wears makeup.”
“They do? I don’t feel like that. I feel uncomfortable. Like everyone is staring at me or something.”
Kattcha chuckled. “Laylah, you have no idea how beautiful you really are, do you?”
“Me? Beautiful? Ha, ha. Good one. That’s funny.” Laylah scrunched down in the seat. “I’m not all that good looking. If I was, wouldn’t people be nicer to me? I see the beautiful people at school. No one treats me like they treat them.”
“Laylah, people see only what they want. Sometimes, they do see your true worth, but are threatened by it. Don’t let them put you in a box filled with their ideals about who you are. You’re how old?”
“I’m 17.”
“Okay, that means you’re almost an adult. Don’t you think you should take the high road and worry about yourself and your future, instead of what your narrow-minded classmates think?”
“I suppose, Kattcha. Britta is the only one who doesn’t treat me like that. She likes me the way I am.”
“I can tell. You smiled when you said her name. True friends are rare so make sure you don’t lose her.”
“Turn here, please.” Laylah pointed at the gates.
“My, my. This place sure has changed,” Kattcha muttered.
“Did you say something?” Laylah turned from her window to look at the older woman.
“No, Dear. Reminding myself about the errands I have to run and the patients I have to visit.”
“What kind of doctor are you exactly? I know you fixed my ankle.”
“I’m a Were doctor. I specialize in Were physiology and ailments.”
“Oh!” Laylah gaped at Kattcha. She started to ask another question, but was distracted by the welcoming committee waiting outside on the marble steps. She slouched down. “Oh, God! The whole staff is outside. This is mortifying!”
Kattcha chuckled. “Why? Because they’re showing that they care? Sit up, child. Be thankful they worried about your safety.” She parked the truck and got out to get the crutches.
“Easy for you to say,” Laylah mumbled. She was grateful that Kattcha kept everyone from swarming the vehicle. She locked eyes with Kattcha and refused to look anywhere else as she was helped from the truck. Laylah got her crutches situated and felt the silence that had fallen over everyone. She knew her face was pink and the feeling of being exposed persisted. “Please, I want to get to my room,” she whispered to Kattcha.
“Whatever you want, my dear.”
Laylah managed to take a few steps, but halted when she heard her father’s voice.
“Well, look what the cat dragged in.”
Laylah’s head snapped up and she cringed at her father’s enraged expression.
“Henry Le Croix, a pleasure as always to see you.” Kattcha’s reply was pleasant, but Laylah heard an undertone in the woman’s voice.
“I was not aware that you had found her. That is unwelcome news.”
“Father!” Laylah hobbled forward, putting herself in front of Kattcha. She missed the speculative look Jacques gave her and the stunned looks of everyone else. Never had she stood up to her father in front of so many people. Laylah’s heart was beating so hard she was afraid it would explode. “Don’t speak to her that way. She treated my injuries, fed me and kept me safe. She doesn’t need your anger!”
Kattcha touched Laylah’s shoulder. “It’s all right. I got you home. Jacques will take care of you. No more runs into the forest at night for you, okay?”
Laylah turned her back to her father and hugged Ka
ttcha. “No more runs, I promise.”
“And stay off that ankle today and tomorrow. You should be okay on Monday and the cast needs to be checked by your family doctor in a week.”
“I won’t forget. Thank you.” Laylah’s eyes were filling with tears.
“Hey now, my dear, no tears. Happy thoughts. I’ll see you again.” Kattcha hugged her once more and then stepped back. Kattcha nodded to Jacques, gave Henry an inscrutable look, got in her truck and drove off.
Laylah watched her go and felt alone. True, she was home, but the chill from her father’s gaze made her shiver. She didn’t want to turn around and face him. She felt a hand on her arm and she looked sideways at Jacques.
“Jacques, you look awful!” She clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide. “I’m sorry, that was rude of me,” she whispered.
“Hey kid, it’s the truth. I’m going to carry you inside. When Kattcha gives medical instructions, it’s always a good idea to follow them.”
Jacques picked Laylah up and handed the crutches to Byron. He walked up the steps and went by her father, not giving him a chance to say anything to Laylah.
She lay quietly in Jacques’ arms too afraid to say anything lest she draw her father’s anger down on her. She didn’t speak until they got to her room. “Thank you, Jacques.”
“Laylah, that was a very foolish thing to do. Challenging your father like that. What were you thinking?”
“What was I thinking? You know what? I’m tired of people asking me that! You act like I can’t make decisions or think things through. Father was being rude, Jacques. Rude to a person who provided aid. What kind of impression is that going to leave on Kattcha? Father is always going on about appearances and the proper way to behave in public, yet I watched him break all the rules he’s constantly lecturing me on! I’m tired of it! I have feelings too and no one cares about them!” Laylah didn’t realize she was screaming until she noticed Jacques’ grim scowl.
“Number one, you will not raise your voice at me again, Laylah. Number two, we all know you can make decisions and reason out things. Number three, we do care about your feelings. As far as your father is concerned, he is your parent and you need to respect his authority. You don’t necessarily have to like it, but you will obey it. Is that clear, Laylah?”
Laylah glared at him, but he wasn’t budging. Finally she snapped, “Yes, Jacques.”
“Now that we settled that, you rest. Naiya will check on you in a bit.” He went to the door and turned around. “Kattcha wasn’t the one who found you, was she?”
“I told you on the phone, Jacques. Her son, Donil, found me and saved me from the Weres.”
“Just making sure.” Jacques left, closing the door behind him.
Laylah smacked a pillow off the bed in frustration. Once again she was being ignored and treated like a child. Would it ever end? Groaning, she rolled over and went to sleep.
Chapter 29
Laylah looked around and gave a surprised laugh. She was in her dream room again. She noticed that some of the animals who had once filled the room were missing. Also absent were both of the wolves who had previously graced her side. What had happened? Why were they all leaving her?
Panicked, she looked about and shivered. The air suddenly felt heavy, oppressive and evil. The few remaining animals clustered around her. The female lioness in the front and center, yowled a challenge.
Laylah’s fear escalated. Something was coming, something that meant harm to all she loved and held dear. Her eyes were glued to the door that was violently shaking.
“We have to get out of here!” she yelled to the animals, but she couldn’t get her body to move. Terror had her rooted to the silk cushions. The hair was standing up on her body and she squeezed her eyes closed, not wanting to see death coming to her.
“It’s all right, I’m here.”
The man from her earlier dream! Her eyes flew open and there he was, standing in front of her with a saber in his right hand and a whip in his left.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded and found herself suddenly able to move. She jumped to her feet and grabbed his left arm. “We have to get out of here, now!”
“No, we can’t. This is my domain, my arena and I will not be upstaged in it by amateurs intent on feeding off your fears.”
“What are you talking about?” Her gaze went to the door which was starting to buckle outward. “Oh, that’s so not good!” she yelled and pointed.
“You must confront the fear or else be terrorized for the rest of your life. Stand with me, Beautiful. Let’s take them on.”
Wait a minute. Only one person called her Beautiful. Hope filled her heart. She tugged on his arm. “Look at me…please.”
When he turned, his features were blurred for a moment before they solidified into Donil’s handsome face.
“You! You’ve been in my dreams! But how? I don’t understand.” Laylah was too elated to be angry over his intrusion into the privacy of her mind.
“I’ll explain it to you one day, just not right now. You’re about to have an unwanted guest.”
“Donil, what do I have to do?”
“Be the warrior you secretly wish to be. In our dreams, everything and anything is possible. You have to shape it to your will.”
“I’m not a warrior. I mean I’m not a fighter. I get my butt kicked all the time at school! How am I supposed to fight?”
“The instincts are there. They are a part of you. Call on them, Laylah, because here comes trouble!”
She yelped as the door exploded and a monstrous thing entered. Laylah’s eyes hurt as she tried to get a sense of what it was. It looked like someone had taken every imaginary monster and slammed it into one creature.
“Get behind me, Laylah!” Donil stood proud and ready. Laylah looked at all the animals who had formed a protective circle around her and Donil. The lioness was in the front facing off against the intruder.
Laylah threw her hands over her eyes and cowered. This was not happening! When she peeked between her fingers, she saw that Donil, the lioness and two other large felines were taking turns attacking the creature. When the thing’s claws injured the cheetah, something in Laylah snapped.
She was tired of hiding! If Donil believed she could be a fighter, then she knew it had to be true. She felt a tingling along her body. Laylah glanced down. Her clothes had changed. She was in some kind of Grecian dress, but in her hand was a bow and a quiver full of arrows. She grinned.
When she was younger, Jacques had insisted Laylah take some sort of weapons training. She’d been failing at nearly everything put in front of her until a bow had been given her. In that moment, Laylah knew that was the weapon for her. For five years she’d practiced and even won a few competitions here and there. Father had found out, flew into a rage and smashed her bow and arrows. He'd forbidden her from archery. Laylah remembered the feel of the bow and how strong she felt using it.
“No one harms my friends!” She fired off an arrow and watched as it changed into a burning missile that struck the monster in the chest. The creature let out a bloodcurdling shriek and exploded, showering the room with its bloody pieces.
“Ew! Gross! That was nasty!” Disgusted, Laylah brushed off bits from her shoulders and pulled some out of her hair.
Donil laughed. “You know, you’re cute when you’re angry.”
“You owe me an explanation, Donil! You shouldn’t be able to be in people’s dreams. It’s not possible.”
“Yeah well, about that…I’ll explain it fully when I see you again in person. You need to wake up. I have to go.”
“Donil! Not fair!” Laylah pouted.
“I know. I promise, I’ll explain. Now wake up. You’ve been asleep long enough, Lazybones.”
“Lazybones! I’ll show you lazy!” She chased after him through the door and then she was falling….
~***~
Isabella sat up with gasp, her body soaked in sweat. Flinging back the sheets,
she slid from the bed and walked over to her dresser. She looked in the mirror and smoothed her hair back.
“My lady? Did it go as planned?” Drayden stepped up behind her, his eyes looking her over longingly.
“Yes, although with a surprise or two.”
Isabella picked up her fan and tried to cool her body down. “How long has Donil Silentshadow been an Alpha?”
“He took over when his mother relinquished her right to lead three years ago. He doesn’t play politics like the others and he tends to stick to his ancestral lands and territories.”
“Hmm, interesting. Who administered the Alpha test?”
“I believe my Uncle Javier and Lord Dayid Yon of the Jaksenville Wolf Clan did. Why? Is there a problem?”
“No, at least not yet. I need to see the results from Silentshadow’s Alpha testing. I want it here in five minutes.”
“Yes, my lady.” Drayden bowed and quickly left the room.
Isabella stood and admired her nude body in the mirror. As a rule, her kind generated lots of body heat as bears and in human form. She preferred being naked. She donned a simple dress and pulled her hair back into a bun. Isabella sat at her dresser and waited for Drayden to return with the information she had requested.
Each Alpha, in addition to the Alpha shield, a telekinetic body armor of sorts, had a secondary power. Any type of dream ability was rare. Isabella’s secondary talent lay in creating nightmarish creatures and feeding off the fear they generated. Now, however, it appeared that Donil Silentshadow had a dream ability, too. What it was, she wasn’t certain yet. She only knew that he had been in the dream with Laylah Le Croix and had inspired the normally scared teenager to fight back.
“My lady, here is the data crystal.” Drayden held it out to her.
Isabella placed it in the reader and spent the next two hours watching the testing. She paid particular attention to the comments made by the testers. It was Lord Yon’s final statement that caught her interest.
“…I believe that Donil Silentshadow was holding back, that he was not giving us his full power. But since he passed the test with flying colors, there is no reason to prevent his acceptance into the ranks of the Alphas.”
“How right you were, Lord Yon. How right you were,” Isabella murmured. Donil was a wild card and needed to be watched very, very carefully. “Drayden, I want you to assign a tracker to follow Alpha Donil Silentshadow. Let me know when, and if, he makes contact with Laylah Le Croix.”