33 comments/ 85849 views/ 57 favorites Bound By Pride By: whitesabretooth Author's note: All characters and companies mentioned in this story have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone or anything bearing the same name or names. Events portrayed in this story are pure invention and have not been based on any events that have happen in real life. All the characters involved in any sexual acts if their ages are not mentioned before hand; are over 18 years of age. Enjoy. Hi everyone, Here it is… the new story in my Were saga. For new people to my stories I suggest you go back and read the previous stories in the following sequence, Kiss of the Moon, Touch of the Wolf and Freedom of Flight before starting on this story as it will give you background on most of the characters and introduce you to the world I've created. To those who have been waiting and cursing me for the delay in getting this story out, I am sorry but it was unavoidable. On that note my current editor is having a hard time at the moment and no longer has the time to help me edit the chapters so I am looking for a new editor, if anyone is interested in taking the mantle just send me an email and we'll talk. So a big thankyou to PS my editor who has helped me through Touch of the Wolf, Terri and Becky, Freedom of Flight and the first chapter of Bound by Pride. May all your endeavours be fruitful. As usual all feed back is welcome and encouraged, and don't forget to vote. Have fun Note: this story starts off slow, so those of you only after sex this story isn't for you. Bound by Pride Ch. 02 Author's note: All characters and companies mentioned in this story have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone or anything bearing the same name or names. Events portrayed in this story are pure invention and have not been based on any events that have happen in real life. All the characters involved in any sexual acts if their ages are not mentioned before hand; are over 18 years of age. Enjoy. Hi everyone THANK YOU to all those kind people who put their hands up to become my new editor, it overwhelmed me with the response I received. SORRY if I didn't get around to emailing all those who were unsuccessful, there were just so many. I have found a new editor and we are in the process of editing chapter three. However, don't expect it to be out quickly, we are in the process of learning how each other works. Therefore, this is the last chapter edited by PS... A big thank you goes to her. As always all feedback is welcome and encouraged. If you would like to be kept abreast with what is going on in my life I am trying to keep my Bio up to date weekly. It also has story order and has answers to frequently asked questions. Also to the criminal justice major who left an Anonymous comment... PLEASE contact me. I want to pick your brain. Have fun and happy holidays, that is if I don't post chapter 3 before the madness of my family's Christmas celebrations drags me from my computer ... and I'm… sadly not kidding. :) Bound by Pride Ch. 02 She noticed that her charge was squinting so she quickly tore a strip off the blanket and slowly wrapped them around her eyes, trying not to scare her and tied it tightly behind her head. "Better?" Electra asked in a soothing voice. Two women walked in, one carrying a large first aid kit, the other held a few more blankets. They were followed by several men. "Men out." Electra demanded. "NOW." They nodded and quickly backed off. "What do you need?" The woman with the large first aid kit asked as she walked forward carefully. "Help. First I need photos of these, and then we need to get them off." She gestured to the collar and manacle. "I have some tools which will help… I'll just go get them." The other woman left. "Can you go to my partner, Dave, and tell him I want a bottle of water and my kit." "I'm Molly." The paramedic said. "Electra." She nodded her head in introduction. Molly returned moments later with a large bottle of water and a heavy black bag. Electra opened her bag and pulled out a camera. "Can you help her up?" Molly nodded and approached carefully, "Hi, I'm just going to help you up so that some pictures can be taken." Molly carefully unwrapped her and helped her to her feet, keeping a good grip on her to keep her up, which was hard to do as the woman could barely move so couldn't support her own weight… what there was of it, she thought to herself. Molly had been a little hesitant about getting close to a person who could snap at the smallest provocation but trusted Electra's knowledge in this matter. Just handling her made her realise that doing this now while the woman was still too weak to move and still a little in shock, would be less stressful on her. Electra was quick, taking note of the condition of the woman before her. "Turn her around." Electra ordered, keeping her voice gentle. Molly sat her down and turned her quickly, getting her back up to show the other side. "All done." Electra told her moments later. Molly sat the woman down and wrapped the blanket back around her. Molly took a deep breath as she opened her kit; it had taken all of her willpower not to cry as she held the woman up so that Electra could take her photos. "Is something wrong with her eyes? Does it look like there might be an infection?" She asked as she tried to focus on her job. Electra shook her head and answered, "No, her eyes are just light-sensitive." Electra could see Molly's struggle but didn't want to comment on it or react to it. She knew she was in even worse condition than this woman was when Angelo carried her from her cell. Electra sat beside her victim and grabbed the bottle of water, taking the lid off then wrapped an arm around her shoulders to help her remain upright. She pressed the bottle to her lips and gently tilted the bottle back, letting the water touch her lips. Her hands grabbed Electra's at the smell of water and drank greedily. Electra pulled the bottle away after a few mouthfuls. "Slowly… I'll give you some more in a short while." "A drip will hydrate her faster." Molly commented as she looked in her kit and wondered what to use first. Electra shook her head. "Not always… she's not as bad as I've known… I'll keep giving her little bits at a time and get a pack healer to look at her." "I've asked to do a Were first aid course… but they aren't holding it here." Molly said as she picked up Electra's soft tone of voice, trying to be soothing. The other woman walked forward and put her tools down. "We'll do her foot first." She said. "Hi, I'm Jessica and I'm just going to have a look at your foot." She said gently, and gently touched her as not to startle her. Electra wrapped her arms around the shaking woman as Jessica examined the manacle. She cut the lock and remaining chain from the manacle and tried to snap it off and after struggling for several moments; she finally got it free and tossed it away. "Fuck." Molly said gently as her eyes focused on the wound, which wrapped around the victims ankle: there was no skin present beneath the manacle, only raw flesh. Electra breathed in remembrance and grabbed her phone; she dialled for Jeff. "Jeff, does your pack healer know about immortal healing rates and needs?" "No… the four we have here don't know much about immortals." "Thanks." She hung up and called her mother. No one quite understood how Electra could call Amy mother, there were only three years difference between their ages but she had spent a considerable amount of time with Alanna and Sage who called her ma, and when Amy and Wolfgang adopted her, giving her the family and stability she craved, it was her way of honouring them. "Hi sweetie, what can I do for you?" Amy greeted after the first ring. "Nathanael… I need him here with everything he might need to work on a sick immortal." "How bad?" Amy asked gravely. "A little better than De Luca." Electra answered in a veiled way. "Are you going to be okay with this?" Amy asked, concerned for her daughter. "Yes." "Okay, I'll have him with you in a few minutes. Call me if you need me." Amy answered and hung up. Electra closed her phone and turned noticing that her charge was asleep against her chest. "Why do you keep saying immortal?" Molly asked as she did her best to clean the manacle wound. "Because she is immortal and we immortals deal with things differently. She looks bad to you; you wonder how she is even alive. Trust me when I say this… immortals can take a whole lot more damage than a normal Were before being knocked out. They can get sick… they just can't die from their sickness… it just keeps getting worst until the illness is corrected." Electra explained. Vivian and Nathanael appeared and Nathanael went straight to work after registering the scene before him. He pulled the blanket aside and sighed in regret, he had hoped he wouldn't have to work on someone this bad again. Not as bad as you were. He told her silently, gently tucking the blanket back around her. He had seen the photos Roberto had taken of the condition of everyone he rescued from that bloody pack. Electra had been starved for almost a full year by then. There had been nothing to her and no will to resist her captors. It was truly amazing how quickly she gained her weight back. A month after being free she had some flesh covering her bones and four months of being with Amy had her back to what should have been her physical peak. "Have you fed her?" He asked aloud. "Yes, the fore quarter of a cow while she was in tiger form." Electra nudged her and held the bottle to her lips; she drank but didn't bother to wake up. He nodded and opened one of his bags; he turned to Molly. "Just wrap that for now because it wont heal since her body has shut down." He pulled out a bag with white liquid in it but hesitated, not wanting to start treating her as she was. "We need to get her clean before I can work on her." Dave walked in but stayed in the doorway as he knew Electra wouldn't like him coming any closer to the victim since she had asked for only females to be in there. Nathanael just didn'tcount for he was a healer. "Electra, CSI want the scene." "A few more minutes. We want to get the collar off first." Jessica told him. She stood and with Vivian's help managed to get the collar off after working the pin free. Molly went pale at the sight before her. She thought her ankle looked bad, that was nothing compared to the wound that wrapped around her throat. Nathanael wrapped the wound loosely. "Okay, let's move her. I need her clean before I can take care of her wounds. Some of the boils need to be lanced and the cuts on her back are infected." "We'll take her to the bureau and get her clean and tended there." Electra conceded. Nathanael nodded and packed up his things. Vivian studied the collar and frowned, "An interesting metal combination…" she dropped the collar and dusted her hands against her pants. Electra picked the unknown woman up and carried her out of the house. An Enforcer raced over, "They won't let us check the men for signs of turning." He told her quickly. Electra handed her bundle to Vivian and gave Nathanael the keys. She took a deep breath and walked with the enforcer over to the squad cars, which held the two men. "These men needed to be check for signs of a forced turn." She informed several officers around the cars. She spoke with a tone that dared them to question her. "Too late." The man beside her said a moment before the car door flew off, clipping one officer and striking her. She was staggered by the blow but quickly recovered. Enforcers took positions as the fury filled Were exploded from the squad car. Nathanael raced forward as Electra gestured at the enforcers to stay back. Nathanael came to a stop next to her. She cast a globe of darkness around the newly turned Were so that they could create a plan of attack. He'll have no sophistication as rage colours everything he does and how he will react so guard your neck. His instinct will force him to go for the throat every time. Nathanael warned as he had more experience with force-turned Were who were in a full fury. Try and get him in a head lock, I'll take out his legs. The moment he's down, we muzzle him. Electra nodded and brought her beast forward, Nathanael copied and they both shifted into hybrid forms. She released her globe of darkness and gasps reached their ears. They had thought the furry filled Were was big but he was tiny compared to Electra and Nathanael; the tips of his ears didn't even reach the middle of their chests, the breath of his shoulders and chest seemed insignificant against the broad expanses that Electra and Nathanael had. There was one more thing, which separated them: he was thin and gangly, not having had the time to develop his form nor strengthen it with years of training like Nathanael and Electra who rippled with unmistakable power. He snarled and lunged at Electra who was before him. She, however, was faster as she was much more comfortable in this form and knew its strengths and weaknesses. She side stepped his lunge and trapped his head just as Nathanael took out his legs. All three crashed to the ground but Electra and Nathanael were prepared for the crash and managed to strengthen their holds. Enforcers raced forward and quickly shackled and muzzled him. Electra and Nathanael got off him and stepped away, letting the enforcers bundle him into a caged van. The watchers were surprised at his treatment but they couldn't say they weren't relieved to see him hog tied in chains and muzzled. A fury filled Were, who had been turned by accident but didn't follow the compulsion to go to a haven, had run rampant in a New York apartment block a few years back. He killed thirty and turned twelve, nine of those twelve were children under the age of thirteen, their parents losing their own lives to keep their children from being killed. No one here watching wanted to see that kind of mayhem again. They walked over to Dave. "Couldn't you have stripped before shifting? We didn't bring any spare clothes." He complained. Vivian rolled her eyes; she had already put her bundle in the car. "Hello… I'm here." She held out her arms and two bundles of clothes appeared with shoes and a pair of sunglasses for Electra. She flicked her head and two curtained boxes appeared one around Electra and one around Nathanael. She handed the bundles in. Minutes later Electra and Nathanael walked out clothed and the curtained boxes vanished. "Let's go." Electra told them. "Where are we going?" Dave asked as they approached their car. "The office." Electra answered. Dave frowned, "But I thought all injured and abused Were go to a Haven…?" "No… Ma had the procedures concerning abuse victims changed a few years ago. More so, for victims like her." Electra took a deep breath. "Trust after such an ordeal is hard to come by. When trust is established, the victim stays with the person they trust. If they are removed from that person before they are ready they can snap and have a complete mental break down." "So… what are we going to do with her?" Dave asked. "She stays with me." Electra told him. He made a silent 'oh' and nodded. He now knew what Electra had to do to get her to calm down and shift back. They climbed into the SUV. Electra gathered the woman up in her arms; she remembered the trip away from what had once been her home. Angelo had quickly handed her to a woman who held her tightly as they moved her. It had been a comfort to her and she knew it would be a comfort to the woman in her arms now. She mumbled and pressed her face to Electra's neck, breathing deeply as sleep claimed her. Vivian smiled as Dave pulled out and went to the office. Vivian handed a bottle of water to Electra. She took it and placed it to her charge's lips again. She drank and whimpered when Electra pulled the bottle away. "A little more won't hurt her, but not too much." Nathanael told her and Electra let her drink a little more. They didn't want to gorge her on food and drink as her body would just reject it, even the fore quarter of a cow, in tiger form, was a little too much but her beast had needed it in order to calm down. They pulled into an underground car park half an hour later. Vivian helped Nathanael with his things as Electra got out then picked the woman up. They walked in and a man they knew vaguely from around the Were and Other office spotted them, "Hey, the director is looking for you. He wants a report on this morning." The man warned as he went to leave the office. Electra turned to Dave and he smiled, "I got this… you take care of her." He walked off to give the director a brief rundown of what had happened. Electra took them through the building to the gyms and showers. Vivian made soft towels, a pair of cotton pajamas, slippers, a soft sponge, shampoo, conditioner and special antiseptic soap appear. "You hold her up, I'll scrub." Vivian offered as Nathanael removed the bandages. Electra nodded and walked into the showers. Vivian grabbed what she needed and raced in to join Electra. She turned on the water and made sure it wasn't too hot. Electra gently unwrapped the blanket and went to hold the wounded woman into the stream. The woman jerked, shocked as warm water washed over her body in a constant stream. She hadn't bathed in... She couldn't remember the last time she had a hot wash, she just remembered buckets of cold water but that was it. She relaxed, as the warm water was soothing to her, relaxing her as it pounded against her skin in a delightful way. Vivian made a shower stool appear and Electra sat her down. "Close you eyes and keep them close." Electra warned her as she removed the blindfold. Vivian started with her hair first, Electra just kept her up right. The woman closed her eyes in pleasure as Vivian's firm fingers massaged her scalp, making tingles race up and down her spine. She couldn't remember experiencing anything like this before and decided that she would have to have someone wash her hair again. She thought she should be scared or tense but nothing these people had done in her experience showed that they meant her harm. They were going out of their way to be gentle and comforting so she had decided that as long as she didn't feel threatened, she wasn't going to struggle against what they were doing. When Vivian was convinced her hair was spotless, after shampooing it several times to be safe, she turned the showerhead away and lathered her hair in conditioner, using a butterfly clip to keep it atop her head. She grabbed the sponge and liquid soap, gently lathering her skin. When she was completely covered from neck to toe in foamy lather, she brought the sponge to her face. "Hold your breath; I'm going to do your face now." Vivian said gently, and then lightly rubbed the soapy sponge over her face. She then pulled the clip free and moved the showerhead to wash away the soap. When the soap was gone, she repeated the whole process. Nathanael walked in after she was being rinsed off for the second time. "That should do it." He offered two large fluffy towels to Vivian. The first towel went around her head to keep her hair out of the way and dry it. The other was used to gently pat her down before the towel was wrapped around her. Electra picked her up and carried her back out. "Is there somewhere soft we can put her while I work on her?" Nathanael asked as he gently pressed gauze to her bleeding neck. "Yeah, the incident room I've been using has a couch." Electra went to lead the way. Vivian stopped her and slid a pair of dark sunglasses on her face. She then picked up the clothes she had summoned and followed with Nathanael. How are you coping with this? Nathanael asked silently. He knew Electra did her best to ignore her life before Amy took her under her wing. He also knew no one in the FBI knew the childhood she had lived and that this case was going to bring her past out as she would be forced to explain how she knew so much about being a slave. Okay… I think. She answered honestly. A few minutes later, they walked into her incident room. Jeff was there with what looked like half a restaurant of food spread over the table and a heap of bottled water. Electra sat her on the couch and Vivian took over holding her while Electra grabbed her camera to document her again. Nathanael lifted her chin, she whimpered as it stretched the wound. "Sorry, I need to see." He apologised soothingly. Vivian quickly braided her hair to get it out of the way. Dave and Director Johnston walked in. Johnston went pale as he saw the state the victim was in, she should not be here he thought to himself. She should be in a hospital, in the ICU, not here. "Why isn't she in a hospital?" Johnston demanded. "She doesn't need one." Nathanael told him with a soft voice, reminding him to speak quietly. "I'm going to be attaching a drip; it will not induce fury or hurt you I promise." Nathanael explained as he found a useable vein in her hand and inserted a needle to attach a drip. He then taped it down, attached the bag with a white fluid in it, and offered it to Electra who moved a coat rack and used a coat hanger to hang the bag. Vivian offered her more water, which she drank. "This will help your body heal. It won't take effect for at least two hours which will give me time to treat your wounds." He went to work, cleaning, wrapping, lancing and cauterizing the infected wounds on her back before he started to stitch a few of the cuts together others he left as the infection needed to be corrected before he could stitch. Electra and Vivian slid her into the loose cotton pyjamas when he was finished and laid her back, a blanket went over her "Electra… the other man… he was cleared by the enforcers, he popped up in the system…" Dave's voice drifted off, hinting. "You go…" Vivian told her. "I think she trusts me enough to be with me." Electra nodded and took the file Dave offered her. She took a deep breath. This was going to be hard; she could feel it. Bound by Pride Ch. 02 "Yes." He answered. His hands were cuffed to the table, which curbed his desire to run one of his hands through his shortly cropped brown hair; his brown eyes reflected his anxious energy. He was stocky with a black wife beater under an open plaid shirt and a pair of dark jeans. A tattoo of a snake ran up the left side of his neck. "And you are waving your right to an attorney?" She asked, flicking her pen around over her fingers. "Yes." "Why?" She inquired, curious. "No point in fighting it. You caught us in the act." He answered honestly. She was immediately on edge. Granted, he was a minor criminal but he had fought every charge thrown at him so why was he not fighting this? "Okay, what do you want?" She asked as the D.A walked in. They both knew he wanted a deal, for what he knew. "I want solitary. I'll tell you everything if you can promise me solitary and when I get out, a new identity." He said. He honestly didn't care about how long he stayed in jail; he knew he would be safer for the interim in jail until the people he had worked for joined him. Electra glanced to the DA who didn'teven hesitate. Most asked for reduced sentences but this person only wanted to be kept alive. "Done." He said as he sat. "Twenty five to life in solitary, parole after seventeen and a new identity when you get out, if you plead guilty to charges and tell us everything you know." Brian nodded. "Okay. Where were you taking her?" Electra started the first round of questions. She wanted to get this over with quickly as she didn't know how long her charge would last without her near. "I know her name, the guy we picked her up from called her Mayhem, 'be careful with her, she's willful. Don't feed her, she doesn't need it, every now and again throw in a bottle of water.' Those were our instructions." He told her. "Who owned her?" The DA asked. Brian went a little green but soldiered on, "Miguel Falcone. He's a big shot attorney over in Florida." The DA's knuckles went white. He had gone to law school with Miguel. He knew the man was a ruthless lawyer; they had even been on opposing sides many times. He never knew that he was evil, that he could do what he had done to another human, even if she was Were, that was not an excuse. "You've been in the house for a month. What happened this morning?" Dave asked cutting in, they had lain low for a month, only this morning there were gunshots. "Harry was getting… horny. He grabbed the gun and went down to take it out on her. We've been watching her for weeks and all she did was stay against the wall in a tight ball. He thought she would be an easy lay." He brought his head down to his hands to rub his face. "I'm a driver… that's what I do… I don't do rape and I don't watch it either so I went out for a smoke. I don't know what happened, there was a shout then gun shots. I ran in as he raced upstairs. He was bleeding badly. Before I had a chance to run or even help, cops were there and we couldn't flee. So I helped him get cleaned up then the police stormed, I surrendered but Harry… he was going mental." He told them solemnly. Dave walked over and undid his cuffs, letting him have his hands, as he didn't seem violent. He nodded his thanks to Dave as he rubbed his wrists. She nodded, "Okay, what were you doing with her?" "We were to hold her for the auctions." He answered and leant back in his chair. "A whole heap of Were have been abducted over the last three months, all are fresh meat for the auctions. The auctions are held once every five years, the last one was held shortly before Amy made all the Alphas more friendly towards each other. The auction is being held tonight. We were meant to hold her because a private buy was set up. An immortal-Were is considered a top-end buy, at the last auction she fetched seven and a half million. A woman who can take anything thrown at her… immortals fetch a high bid." "Is that why someone tried to snatch Alanna?" Electra asked with sudden insight, hoping that these two cases were actually one. Alanna's attempted abduction fit in with all the other abductions. He nodded. "An agreed price was organised for her. The men who were going to snatch her were going to split ten million for her." Electra's jaw dropped for a moment. Her sister was worth ten million to these people, she closed her mouth as she felt seething anger erupt within her but managed to keep that from her voice when she asked her next question. "How much were they getting for helping Markus get Sage?" "They were getting Alanna… that was their payment." "Okay, we have their names. They will be caught." Electra made a note, using that time to rein in her anger. She was going to get so many flags put on those men that they would be caught within a day. Dave watched her closely, just encase she snapped and attacked someone. He hesitated for a moment before adding, "They had a price on your head for awhile. Your sire had blabbed about you being immortal… but when the first attempt to get you failed, they backed off." She felt as if a bony hand had wrapped around her heart and squeezed it tightly, forcing it to stumble in its beats as she saw her mother's death in a completely new light. She had thought that Barry had meant to claim her, it was what everyone had assumed but no one had guessed that his motive was so sinister. "Barry… He killed my mother to try to get me. What was he offered?" She asked; her voice almost deadly silent as her mind seemed to go numb. "His gambling debts wiped clean and a couple of million extra." "Is that how he got in contact with the syndicate?" Dave asked, giving Electra time to come to terms with this. He carefully made his way to her, his hand reaching into his pocket where he kept a special Were stun gun. It wouldn't render her useless like it would other Were but it would smart like hell and hopefully snap her into a better frame of mind or at least still her until they could get control of her. "Yes." "What time does the auction start?" She asked as her mind quickly started to work again, her mind ticking faster and faster. All those people living the life she had been freed from. This is what she believed her destiny was. To keep people from the life she had been forced to live and to free those who were trapped. She wanted to get to work not just now but yesterday, to plan their rescue. "The bidding begins at seven thirty. The doors are locked at five past seven so everyone is in the building before the doors are locked. They can view what's up for auction and catch up. The expensive bids are done first, immortal and the youngest and newest go first, then the others follow." He explained. "Some were disappointed about the private sale of Mayhem but got excited when a new immortal was put on the docket." "New Immortal?" Dave asked; his head came up from observing Electra. He nodded, "A man. He'll go up first because, not only is he new, but he is immortal." "And everyone else follows?" Dave asked, wondering why the big bids were done first. "So that no one is waiting and everyone gets sold," Electra explained to Dave before turning back to Brian. "What happens to the people who don't get bought?" She asked. He tensed and his knuckles went white, eyes on the floor, knowing that this Were definitely did not want to hear this, fearing that she might finally snap when she did. "After auction entertainment, they get injected with some kind of drug that induces fury and are tossed into a pit. They fight until there is only one survivor and the survivor is then kept for other pit fights by whoever wants to patch them up." His eyes finally met Electra's. "I was forced to watch one of those fights once… never again… no one should have to go through that kind of agony. I would get out and hid somewhere when they happened… I know it doesn't absolve me, I was there and I didn't try to stop them…" His eyes met Electra's, "I got no thrill from watching that fight, it disgusted me." Electra felt sick to her core, memories started to bubble up, memories she had forced into the recesses of her mind where she thought they could not hurt her anymore. She took a deep breath, forcing everything back to focus on what was happening now but she realised that the only way she could stop it from overwhelming her here was to mention it. "I've been in one of those fights. That's when my sire learned I was immortal, I was fourteen." Electra stated matter-of-factly. Dave and the DA turned to her in shock. They, however, could not see her eyes, the dead look in them as she fought to remain in control and to keep herself from shaking. She glanced to her watch. "Interview suspended at ten fifteen." She got up and left the room, not caring about anything but getting away to push back her memories and lock them away where they would not trouble her. She crossed the hall and leant her head against the cold concrete wall. She took several slow deep breaths trying to force down memories she had worked so hard to repress. Dave gestured for the DA to leave him and Electra alone instead of just standing there staring at her as if he didn't know whether to console her or demand to know why she hadn't excused herself from the case. The DA went to step forward but Dave shook his head, sensing that it would be wrong to walk up to her while she was having such a fierce mental battle. He had been with Electra now for three and a half years. However only over the last few minutes, had he learnt more about the true her than he had since he met her? He now knew how she knew so much about what Mayhem was going through for she had gone through it herself and that left more than the physical scars he had noticed but had dismissed, as being a curse of common Were life. Dave gestured again for the DA to leave this to him and this time he headed Dave's advice. She gently knocked her head against the wall, trying to clear it. She shook her head but she couldn't force the memories down, the world around her faded as a memory sucked her in. The door was thrown open and a bright light flashed into her eyes, blinding her. A man walked into the cell and kicked her hard in the side. He unchained her and fisted his hand in her hair. He dragged her from her cell by her hair, her skin grazed against uneven stone, her silent screams merely tired whispers. He dragged her downstairs into a brightly lit room. Her eyes watered as he pulled her to her feet. He held her by her throat. 'You're not worth keeping.' Her father spat at her. Her eyes squinted in the bright light, teary and unable to focus. She felt a sting in her arm and was suddenly thrown down into a pit. She landed with a thud. She shuffled back until her back hit a wall. She heard others being tossed in. She started to pant as a heavy iron grill was lowered. Her skin felt like it was on fire. Her wolf was snarling and starting to foam at the mouth as madness set in: she wanted to rip, to kill. She felt her body tear as it was forced into a violent change. Before she had even finished her shift, she felt teeth tear into her side. She didn't think, didn't consider that what she was doing was wrong. She attacked the jaws that sunk into her side that had hurt her. A heavy body jumped and landed on hers, jaws wrapped around the back of her neck, trying to snap her spine. Another set of jaws latched onto her left shoulder. She snarled and snapped her jaws, shattering the bones beneath her teeth. She bucked, throwing the body off her back. Her claws tore at her attacker until they released her. Her jaw snapped and tore the wolves' throat out. She snarled at everyone, daring whoever was left to come and get her. Four wolves and one tiger summarily jumped her. She ignored the wounds they inflicted and quickly tore them to shreds. Even when they were dead, she kept on tearing and breaking. Finally, she felt a sting in her rump and snarled. Her eyes snapped open and she took a deep breath. She raced to the bathroom, which was just down the hall. She made it to a stall moments before she lost what little was in her stomach. Dave was there, he gently pulled her hair away as she dry retched. He rubbed her back gently, wanting to do more, to reach for her phone and call her mother, to tell the director to excuse her from this case. However, he did none of those things as he had learnt to trust her and her judgment. He would ask her if she was up for this before taking any action. She coughed and spat that last of it out. He offered her the bottle of water he had been sipping in the interrogation room. Electra rinsed her mouth, spitting it into the bowl. "You okay?" He asked gently. She raised her head from the bowl. She reached up and pressed the flush button, she took a few deep breaths and rested on her heals. "I didn't lie; I was thrown into a fight pit. It was how my sire learned I was immortal. Seven on one, six wolves; one tiger. He told me, it took me… three minutes in full fury to tear them to shreds. They had to sedate me to get me out of the pit and away from the mess. He taunted me that they had to use shovels to scoop them up. I was fourteen and I killed seven people who had done nothing to me, whose only crime was being in the wrong place at the wrong time." She paused for a moment. "I still have nightmares." She took a deep breath, feeling a little better about telling him this. He wrapped a comforting arm around her, offering her comfort. He wanted to say that he understood but he couldn't, he had lived a privileged life, he couldn't relate to her life before Amy came to be her mother. "Are you going to be able to cope with this?" He continued gently. "I have to." She told him solemnly. He nodded his acceptance, gaining a stronger respect for his partner's character, "The moment I think you're not coping, I'm pulling the plug." He warned her. She turned to him with accusing denial in her eyes and body language. "You…" He slipped in before she could protest, "You are my responsibility. I can't have you having a mental break down when I need you the most." She shook her head, "You don't understand…" "Then make me." He demanded gently. She moved and sat with her back against the cubical wall, he sat opposite her. "Did you know I had a twin? A brother?" He shook his head, he didn't. "Growing up I always knew that my sire despised me. I was a girl, insignificant to him, nothing more than a living punching bag. He treated my brother like a prince, everything he wanted he got while ma had to beg for money to clothe me. When I was nine, I was dragged from my mother's arms and thrown into a lightless cell. A week later the raping started. I never got to see them; my eyes became light sensitive very quickly in that cell. Some weren't content with merely raping me… they beat me. I, however, remember three truly nasty men. One liked to cut me, another liked to bite and the third like to break bones." He went pale with helpless fury; no child deserved the life she was pouring out. "I was twelve when I was collared and chained, dumb fool forgot to lock the door when he entered. I bashed his skull in and fled… tried to… I didn't know it was daytime, the moment I left the underground I couldn't move, I couldn't see. The collar was welded shut, a black smith did the work… you asked me once about the four wide scars that run across my back horizontally." He nodded, he didn'twant to speak, afraid that if he did she would stop pouring out her story and he would never learn her past, and in turn never know the true her and what made her tick. "When the collar was welded, my sire put a bar of steel in the forge. He then lifted it and rested it against my back, just before he touched it to my skin he said, 'scream and it'll last longer, move and I'll do it again'. The one near my shoulders… it was the last one, it was almost white… it was so hot, it rested against my skin until the metal cooled, I don't know how long it took, fifteen-twenty minutes of tormented agony and by that last one I had learned my lesson I didn't move, I didn't scream. I was then dragged back to my cell and chained up." She stopped talking. He didn't know what to say so he just waited. "I was twenty one when I next left that cell. Carried out by a man called Angelo. Roberto himself snapped the collar from my neck. I was free and I was back with my ma." She pulled her glasses away to wipe tears from her eyes. "You don't know the relief I went through when I finally realised that I was free, that I would never be in that cell again, that neither he nor those men could ever hurt me again." He suddenly knew why she was so adamant about being on this case now. She wanted, no needed to give those victims what was given back to her, her freedom. He stood and leant down to clap her on the shoulder. "We have work to do then if we are going to be ready to save them." He said and left to tell the DA to back off… that she had it handled and to assure the director that she would be fine and nothing would stop her from doing her job. She got to her feet and took a deep breath. She walked to the sink and washed her face. She took off her glasses and cleaned them. She then rubbed her face dry, she felt for some reason lighter, as if telling Dave about her past had a healing effect. She returned her glasses to her face, looked in the mirror, and saw herself, the woman she had become. She could do this… she would free those people. First things first… she had to talk to Mayhem. Divide and conquer. Dave would take the suspect while she would take the victim and together they would get everything they needed to know. Bound by Pride Ch. 03 Author's note: All characters and companies mentioned in this story have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone or anything bearing the same name or names. Events portrayed in this story are pure invention and have not been based on any events that have happen in real life. All the characters involved in any sexual acts if their ages are not mentioned before hand; are over 18 years of age. Enjoy. Hi everyone So sorry for the long wait for this chapter, I have another new editor and we have started editing chapter four. So I wont keep you. Enjoy. Bound by Pride Ch. 03 Nathanael turned to him to cut the legs out of this quickly as he knew Vivian could fry his brain if she actually decided to explain how or why an Ancient did what they did. "Ancient means complicated... so there really isn't any reason to question them or what they do or can do." Electra snorted in amusement at Nathanael's intervention. Spoilsport. Bound by Pride Ch. 03 "Yes, but they will accept it." Electra chuckled then took a deep breath, "She almost chucked a fit when I told her I was going to have to leave her for a while. I've been trying to leave her with Nathanael and Vivian, trying to get her to trust someone else." "If I remember correctly, you didn't start to trust me until after your mother's funeral." Amy pointed out. She nodded, "It was the words you wrote... so much insight into my mother's life yet you hardly knew her but you did. How could I not trust you?" Amy smiled and together they went to the incident room where Vivian and Nathanael were. Mayhem was eating slowly and sipping water, she was already beginning to improve. Electra sat next to her as Amy pulled up a chair. "Mayhem... I need you to go with my ma." She shook her head, "No... and you can't make me." Electra took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around Mayhem. I think there is more to what is going on then simple mistrust of anything new; she can't stop clinging to Electra as if she's afraid Electra will vanish on her. Vivian told Amy, she was good at watching people and reading into their body language. It's fear of the unknown. Amy told her silently. I don't think so... Vivian argued knowingly, but we'll see. "Do you trust me?" Electra asked gently. Mayhem nodded, Electra had freed her, had been everything she needed so far. Her tiger, however, had other ideas. She considered Electra as being hers; she feared being away from her and that fear compounded her human's fear of the unknown but she also knew Electra and trusted her and her judgement. "Trust me... I know how to keep you safe. I won't be able to protect as well as I would want to over the next twenty-four hours, I have to work. My ma, on the other hand, can keep you safe... and Nathanael will be there to keep tending to your wounds and making sure you're eating enough food as often as he wants." She encouraged gently. Mayhem shook her head, "No, I'm safer with you." She argued. Electra sighed, "Mayhem... my ma is an Alpha... I am merely an investigator and sometimes enforcer." Mayhem turned to Amy and looked her over; she didn't look big enough or strong enough to be an Alpha... or at least an Alpha who could protect her. She knew wolf Alpha's were different to tiger Alpha's where strength was the main defining quality. Amy grinned, "I know I don't look it, but I am much stronger than I look." Mayhem didn't believe her, "I will always be safer with an immortal." She said hoping that this point would win her the argument and keep her with Electra. Amy chuckled, "Okay... we're doing it that way. I'm going to introduce you to my beast." She didn't bother to strip knowing she would make the humans in the room embarrassed. She called her Sabre forward and let it have full rein in the shift and to grow to its full size. She had learnt that she could temper her change, make herself more in tune with Wolfgang's size than her true mammoth size. Her body started to grow and change, bones crunched and cracked as they reformed, she dropped to all fours as her clothes tore and fur erupted all over her body. Still she grew, becoming almost as tall as a horse at the shoulder but with a long body; her tail sprouted from her spine as her hands and feet morphed into massive paws with deadly claws. Her neck expanded to support her rapidly growing head. As her head finished growing, she opened her mouth as her names sake teeth grew in. Amy shook her body and stretched as she yawned. Mayhem stared in complete shock: never had she seen such a massive Were. The Were before her could easily weigh eight or nine hundred pounds, possibly more. She was also berating herself, she had assumed that since Electra was a wolf then her mother would also be a wolf as she had no experience with mixed packs or prides as her own pride had been purely tigers. Amy's diminutive size hid a wealth of strength and power that made people underestimate her or not even consider her a possibility and that was exactly what she had done. Mayhem couldn't help herself. She crawled out Electra's arms and was instantly a tiger. She approached Amy carefully, with the respect reserved for a much larger and unfamiliar predator. Amy leant down and rubbed her face against Mayhem. Mayhem tilted her head up to butt against Amy's, it had been years since she had been with another cat, it was why she couldn't help herself, she just had to rub against another tiger no matter how big she was. Amy gently pushed her down and started to groom her, letting the soothing repetitive motions have their effect on Mayhem's will to stay with Electra. Mayhem quickly started to purr, all her muscles went to mush. Being groomed by someone else was a truly pleasurable experience, something that made her entire body tingle, like someone with nails scratching your back in just the right way getting all of those places, which were hard to get at. Electra smiled, she could see Mayhem relaxing around her mother. She may not like it completely but she wouldn't mind too badly going with her if it meant more one on one time with Amy's beast. I can keep you safe. Better than anyone other than Electra. Amy told her confidently. You'll get to sleep in Electra's room, her scent all around you. Mayhem butted her head up and rubbed her face against Amy's then across her neck. Time to shift back; we're making the humans' edgy. Amy told her. Mayhem sighed and reluctantly slid back into her human form, Amy following suit. Vivian made screens appear around them to keep the human's from being embarrassed, she personally had no problem nudity, she was ancient who now spent a considerable amount of time with Were but humans had weird ideas when it came to nudity. She handed clothes into the screens and waited for them to change. They stepped out of screens, Amy in a pair of tailored pants and a blouse, Mayhem in a new set of pyjamas and dark glasses. Vivian handed Amy a pair of boots and Mayhem a pair of slippers. Amy slipped on socks then her new boots. Amy glanced to Vivian ready to get going but Vivian smiled, "I'm going to stick around and see what I can do? If your mother makes an appearance send her along, I feel that she will be useful." Amy nodded, "Okay, let's get out of here." She wrapped an arm around Mayhem and she tensed. "Where are we going?" She asked nervous. "Harrisburg Pennsylvania." Amy answered happily, "More than two thousand miles away." Amy didn't give her a chance to protest, as Mayhem opened her eyes from a blink her whole world had changed, gone was the drab grey walls of the FBI Building and in it's place was a warm room filled with natural light. Her eyes took in quickly the wall covered with bookshelves that were crammed with books, the heavy Jarrah desk and the soft couches. Her eyes then took in the sheer amount of people in the room. She quivered and tried to hide behind the much smaller Amy. Alanna took in Mayhem's body language and got to her feet. "Everyone not family out." The FBI started to filter out, she started pointing at the few lingering people, "That includes you, you, you and you... you're not needed go wait in the lobby." Everyone obeyed and soon the room was almost empty. "Thanks, Alanna." Amy stepped aside and wrapped an arm around Mayhem. Nathanael put his bag down and walked to the small kitchen Amy insisted in having as it saved her the hassle of ordering in food every two hours. He pulled out a bowl of fruit salad and walked back to Mayhem offering it to her, which she took. "Mayhem, this is Alanna and Sage. They are Electra's sisters and the man with the wings is Alanna's mate, Tarval." She introduced. Tarval didn't stand; he just stayed where he was and waved in greeting. He had seen her defensiveness and having coaxed that out of Alanna, he knew vaguely what had happened to her. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable with him so he would keep his distance. "Where is your father?" "Took the tiddly-peeks home." Sage answered and went to raid the small fridge. "Hmm... we will have to go to the manor." She urged Mayhem to sit in the soft chair before Tarval and went to Joe to clear her schedule. Just as she came back into the room Guinevere, Cleopatra and Boadicea appeared carrying bags, they all looked excited to be here. Rhiannon appeared sensing that something was up, "Hey, why wasn't I invited to the party?" She complained playfully but became serious when she sensed her daughter's dark mood. It was hard to place Rhiannon next to Amy and call them mother and daughter. For starters, Rhiannon didn't look old enough to be Amy's mother as she was perpetually stuck as she looked at age twenty-five and Amy herself was perpetually stuck as she looked at twenty-three... well almost. Amy had more defined muscles and the three jagged scars that lined her back had finally vanished altogether. Rhiannon's hair was chocolate brown while Amy's hair was midnight black, Rhiannon's eyes were dark while Amy's eyes were blue, and Rhiannon was tall while Amy was short. They were contradictions but they had both come to assume that Amy took more after her other mother in looks. A woman both wanted to meet and ask some serious questions to. However, both had resigned themselves to the wait, they would have to wait for the loop to seal before actively searching out this woman, a mystery that will elude them for nine hundred years. The loop had to be sealed first, Amy had made far too many alterations to the time line and one mistake like searching out this other woman could very well undo everything Amy had done. "Grandma asked me to send you along to her, she thinks you'll be useful there and she'll explain everything." Amy suggested. Rhiannon shrugged off Amy's dark mood and focused on her mother, when Amy was in alpha mode she had a tendency to be abrupt but having been with her for a couple of years she understood. "Okay. You three, in two hours there is a meeting with the Alphas' and you'll learn about what I would like you to do then." Amy explained, "Until then there is food in the fridge and plenty of room to relax." "I don't care what you ask of me but I want a duel with you... soon." Boadicea said as she sat on the plush carpet and lay back stretching; she loved napping on plush carpet as it reminded her of sleeping on fur, of her life before becoming Ancient. Cleopatra moved to the bookshelves and Guinevere flopped into a chair as she waited. She smiled at Tarval as he pulled Alanna into his lap. "I heard that congratulations are in order, Tarval." She said with a smile. He smiled, "I am the luckiest man in the world." He told her before turning his head into his mate's neck and gently biting. Guinevere turned to Mayhem, "and who are you?" Mayhem quickly chewed and swallowed the piece of melon she had put in her mouth, "Mayhem." "I'm Guinevere, the red head is Cleopatra and the one stretching out on Amy's carpet is Boadicea. Don't mind us... we're Ancient." She smiled and stretched out in her chair. Bound by Pride Ch. 04 Author's note: All characters and companies mentioned in this story have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone or anything bearing the same name or names. Events portrayed in this story are pure invention and have not been based on any events that have happen in real life. All the characters involved in any sexual acts if their ages are not mentioned before hand; are over 18 years of age. Enjoy. Hi everyone Here we go everyone a new chapter and much faster than the last one. I hope you enjoy this one and don't get grumpy with me at how this one ends. I enjoy all feedback both the good and the bad so don't be afraid to drop a line of support or ask a question, if you leave me an email address I'll get back to you. Have fun Chapter 4 Cleopatra, Boadicea, Guinevere and Amy waited as the last of the Alpha's hooked up to the video feed. Amy had spent the better part of three years setting up this network of communication for the Alphas; it had been such a hassle trying to get all the Alphas to get in a mass phone conference before August the 3rd. If something like that were to happen again, although those considered it unlikely, they would be much better prepared. Mayhem walked into Amy's office having gotten bored and a little annoyed with Sage; Alanna and Tarval were so involved in each other that they almost ignored her, which made her happy as she had little interest in getting to know Tarval right now even if he seemed decent. The three ancients unnerved her with their wise-beyond-years-looks. Amy stood and pushed Mayhem into her chair knowing the frail woman should be resting. "Everyone this is Mayhem, Mayhem this is everyone... well almost." She corrected at the last moment, her eyes flicking to the blank screen on the wall. Mayhem glanced around, many of the faces on the screens she recognised from her time before slavery, and a heap that she didn't who she guessed had come into power after her slavery. Mayhem nodded her head in greeting. Roberto studied her carefully, she was already improving but the thick bandage at her throat was evidence of her treatment. Shannon nudged him and rested her head on his shoulder, she wasn't the only Alpha female to be included in these talks, most Alpha's were taking their mates a lot more seriously since Amy, Shannon, Becky and Cass had come onto the scene. Treating their partner like a true equal when it came to the decisions of their pack and it was all down to those four as they were all strong women who were born leaders, they made sound choices that were reshaping their world and making it a better place to live. "I don't know some of you..." Mayhem asked, about to lead into a more detailed introduction. "Formal introductions I'm afraid will have to wait." Terri slid in with an apologetic smile. Terri's eyes, the very oddness of them, as one eye was green, and the other blue with a small patch of brown in the blue, captivated Mayhem. "Yes, sadly we have more important things to do, everyone meet Cleopatra, Boadicea and Guinevere." Amy pointed them out and they waved in greeting as they walked into the room, "I know that their reputations precede them but they aren't that bad." Everyone chuckled at Amy's attempt at humour. Cass sat forward, addressing the three Ancients, "Hi... I'm Cass; we would like your help with Mayhem's pride." "No... what will become her pride." Izmir corrected. "No... IS her pride... they are loyal to her not to Darrel. They put up with him for her." Becky slid in and got a confirming nod from many others. "On track people." Grey-Hawk reminded them. "We haven't got the time to bicker over trivial things. Shit's going to hit the fan tonight and we need to be prepared." No one could fault his reasoning. Amy turned to her... kin... she had always had trouble trying to explain how Ancients interacted; some couldn't stand being in the same room with each other for even short periods of time, while others got along like a house on fire. The best term she had come up with was kin; they were the closest thing she had to an extended family, to aunts and uncles that she could call her own. Although the three women before her were more like sisters than aunts, they shared an easy comradeship that could only be compared to the Merlins. "We need your help." Cass stated simply. "We gathered that..." Boadicea said sarcastically. Shannon grinned, amused that Boadicea was as feisty as her reputation had indicated; she could see her fitting in with the four close alpha females. "We need you to go and get those who are loyal to Mayhem and do your Ancient thing and move them instantly somewhere far away, them and their things." Many Alphas leant back in their chairs; they some times wondered why Amy included them at all when she, Shannon, Becky and Cass could take care of everything without them. They knew however that even if they didn't contribute to the conversation and the plans, they liked to know what was going on and have the chance to add something or ask something if they thought it was going to be neglected. "How do you want us to proceed?" Cleopatra asked, showing the calmness of years of ruling and making tactical decisions based on information, as well as the willingness of taking another's lead and going with it. Shia sat forward, "I've already got the ball rolling," He informed her, "Mayhem's second, Jesse, I called him and told him we had Mayhem and that the Alpha's had allowed the split but that we have to do it now, and secretly. He has passed word to those who are loyal to her and they are getting ready to flee. I also told him that some Ancients would be coming to make their departure instant and a lot safer." Mayhem was frowning, "Jesse... Jesse Mace. John Mace's son is my second?" She asked surprised, John was her father's second and Jesse was the only other immortal in her pride. A master enforcer, he was in charge of all of the enforcers and investigators but to Mayhem, he was the person who had given her piggyback rides and took care of her grazes while she was growing up. Shia nodded. "Yes, he has also been acting as spokesperson for your cause." "So basically you want us to be go betweens." Guinevere asked. Amy turned to her. "It's a bit more complicated then that, I don't have the time to get into it at the moment but simply, her father sold her into slavery to keep control of his pride, she was twelve, her pack had split; half siding with Mayhem the true alpha, the other half supported her father and his chosen alpha. He will attempt to stop them, attempt to take her out to keep in control, if we don't do it this way a war will break out and people will get hurt. This way we can get them away cleanly and keep them hidden until we are ready to prosecute Darrel for his crimes." Guinevere went very serious and nodded; this was not a merely go between mission to make an easy get away. If they drove, they could be tracked, that was also true if they flew or took any form of traditional transportation. This way they would simply disappear without a trace, keeping them safe. "When do we start?" Boadicea asked, starting to get the excited edginess of anticipation; she was looking forward to snatching these people out from under the nose of a tyrant. She just wished she could be a fly on the wall when he realised more than half his precious Ambush was gone without a trace, she could imagine the fury in his eyes, the murderous rage he would fly into. It sent a warm feeling throughout her body. "Jesse has organised staggered leaving, those who are away from the central Ambush first. He will be the last to leave as he is on duty until midnight, he has to be seen when the others don't, Amy has organised a phone for you, Jesse has the number, and he will call you with the locations and times of the pick ups." Shia explained. "Where are we taking them?" Cleopatra asked. "Nelsonville Ohio, just outside of our territory and in unclaimed land. There is enough land there for them to roam; Wolfgang owns some land including some of the near-by forest there, where they can set up their central pride." Amy informed them. They nodded as Amy handed Cleopatra the phone and a detailed map of the two areas. No sooner had they started to study the maps than the phone starting vibrating silently. She was quick to react and quickly read the screen. "We're up." She focused on the destination and all three vanished. "I'll get Joe to do a message drop when the dust settles." Amy told them effectively ending the conference. She turned to walk out and get Joe when the woman in question scurried in. She was a slight woman, even smaller then Amy, who was normally smiling and enjoying her work, at the moment she just looked terrified. "Are you okay Joe?" Amy asked as she grabbed the woman's shoulders. "There's... he's... there's a man out there and he's scary." She said trying to speak softly and wrap her mind around the man, she had just seen. Amy frowned and pulled Joe behind her. "Stay here." She walked out of the conference room, through her office, and out to her sitting room. A man stood with his back to her, a heavy leather jacket fit his body almost like skin. Heavy jeans with several tears encased powerful legs. His midnight black hair was slightly long with a slight curl, which made him look untidy. She could see why this man could unsettle her assistant for he was almost as big as Wolfgang who always put Joe on edge even though she had known him for years. Amy took several small steps until she was in the middle of the quant sitting room. She let her senses out, she could already smell that he was Were and a wolf but her senses were also saying that he was an alpha or that he had the power to be an alpha, however another sense told her that he was not as powerful as Wolfgang or herself. Just as she came to a stop, he felt her presence both as a person and as an alpha. He turned and bowed his head, like all Were he could sense the power of an alpha, and Amy's was the most powerful he had ever felt in his nearly five thousand years of life, she was an Alpha of Alpha's. He had been without a pack now for nearly five hundred years and he was tired of being alone, of having no one around him when he sang to the moon, to sing with him in homage to the beauty of the night. His golden eye's met Amy's for a moment before he pulled his eyes away, respecting that she was the greater alpha and deserved that consideration although he had long ago lost the conditioning of a lower ranked pack member. Amy grinned and gestured to a second door that leads to another room. He nodded and walked in, followed by her. "What can I do for you...?" She waited for him to fill the space as she sat and grabbed at the pad and pen, which were always on the table. "Ghan." The pen snapped between her fingers as her eyes jerked up to his. He smiled slowly as he realised where her startled look had come from. He had read Were and Other history volumes one and two a while back, they had brushed slightly over his existence except the books didn't brush over the fact that it had been he, more than two thousand year ago, who helped instigate the first Laws that all Were followed. It was also he, more than a thousand years ago, who had instigated the first ever-Alpha gathering. It had started simply enough, five neighbouring packs wanting to make arrangements to keep themselves from fighting each other and turn their eyes to the true threat, the rogue Were who sought to disrupt them. "Your pen is leaking." He said amused, he had been reading about Amy for years now and this would be a first for her, being utterly speechless in a situation. She blinked, her eyes glanced to the leaking pen and it vanished leaving no trace. He sat with a big smile, "Part Ancient, part something else." She frowned, "You're the first not to tack Were onto that sentence." He shrugged a broad shoulder. "I am considerably more informed then most." She sat back in her chair. "Of course you are, you're the oldest Were ever." He shook his head. "Sadly I am not the oldest... a friend of mine is... I'm sure you've heard of him, his name is Lupa and he is the oldest Were ever." She gave him a truly stunned look, "but... I thought Lupa was a myth, everything written about him is considered mere folk lore." He shook his head again. "Nope... honest to god..." he chuckled, "but since he's the son of Luna... he is technically a god..." She smiled at his humour. "He is real..." He continued getting serious all of a sudden. "We were meant to meet up here a few months ago; we were both going to approach you about getting out of our pack-less states. But he's just disappeared, I haven't been able to find him and he is always on time. He's a freak like that." He finished more to himself. "Three months ago..." She said to herself and sighed. "We'll find out where he is tomorrow when my daughter does what she has to do, if he's not where I think he is then we have other avenues in which to locate him." He nodded. "So... who do I have to petition to join?" She blinked as she tried to process his question. He chuckled. "Twice in less then half an hour I've rendered you speechless." She blinked and took a deep breath. "There are no packs at the moment that need an Alpha..." "I didn't say I wanted to be Alpha... I said I want to join your pack." He cut in then realised he shouldn't have when he watched her eyebrow arch up. "You are an Alpha." She stated. He sighed and rested his hands on the table. This was going to be hard for him to explain to her but he had to try. "I... I have the power of an alpha but not the will to be one, I never have, I did what I had to until someone could replace me then I was out of there." She slowly shook her head, "I... don't..." "Understand." He said with a nod, "Most don't... how can someone who has felt the power of being an alpha, the control, just leave all that behind. I can tell you why, because I am not a true alpha, I'm immortal so I'm big and powerful, my father was an alpha, my father died and I was expected to take over, I did what I had to, to keep my family safe but I was not born a true Alpha. You were... I can sense it, even now, as you try to mask it. You were born for this, I was born for a different reason, and being alpha is not that reason. I can be an alpha if I need to but know that that is the one thing I truly don't want to be. So who do I have to petition to join your pack?" "My mate." "Will you speak for me, in my favour?" He asked seriously, he would need at least one of the Alpha pair on his side to let him in. "Convince me as to why I should; what can you bring to my pack?" She pushed the pad away, linked her fingers in front of her, and rested them across her midriff. He thought about it for a while, "I'm strong, a good hunter..." "Not good enough." She told him. "I have strong men in my pack and plenty of good hunters." "What do you want to know? I can be an enforcer; I have enough experience doing that... I can be an investigator..." He stopped as he saw interest spark in her eyes, he felt a surge of renewed hope that this could work out. "So you can be a body guard," she surmised. Pack law was strict about which members were allowed to be bodyguards; they had to be both an investigator and an enforcer. It was rare for people to be trained as both, which was making it hard for her to find enough guards to protect those who needed it. "Yes... who needs to be protected?" He asked concerned. "My children. I am required by presidential decree to have my children protected. I don't like secret service so I've been looking for bodyguards for them. My children are covered at the moment, however Sienna and Gillian, our seconds, their daughter is not." "If I am accepted... I will guard her with my life." He promised. He didn't need to know why bodyguards were needed; all he needed was to know what he had to do. "Strange sentiment coming from an immortal." She mused with a small smile. "Yes... but you understood what I meant." He agreed. She took a deep breath. "I will do my best but he is the dominant Alpha, not me. If he says no I have no choice but to accept his decision even if I think it is wrong." He nodded, "I understand." "Okay, sadly you chose a really bad time to come to us seeking a place. We are going to be busy for a couple of days to a week." She explained. He nodded accepting that. "So I need to know where you are staying and a phone number so I can get in contact with you for when Wolfgang is ready to meet you." She told him. He nodded again and grabbed the pad, he wrote down his hotel and room number as well as the number for his mobile. He handed them to her and stood. "Thank you for your time and consideration. I will make sure not to leave my hotel room." "Harrisburg is neutral, you can wander and no one will care. Just stay out of trouble." "I will and thankyou again." He bowed his head before leaving to room. Leaving her to wonder what else was going to happen today. **** Electra felt nervous energy course through her as she watched Dave strap himself into his bullet-proof vest, she didn't like putting him in danger, not when she didn't know what awaited them. Rhiannon was stretching beside her mother, she wouldn't actually be storming the building, but she was going to be giving them a huge advantage. She was going to use a nifty trick she had picked up while watching her grandchildren, she had learnt to cement feet to the ground and stop any one from moving, mainly to keep Temperance in one place long enough to scold her. She was going to use that trick to cement everyone inside the building to the ground, to keep them from running, sadly she could do nothing about the weapons she knew they would have. "Are you sure she couldn't do something about any weapons in the building?" Someone asked Electra quietly. Rhiannon had done a little demonstration to show her skill, everyone had fallen, and some had even hurt themselves, though not badly, but after that everyone was a little in awe of her. Electra sighed, a little resigned to yet another explanation of something that was common knowledge to her. "Any kind of Ancient power takes will but the main factor that goes with Ancient abilities is how they think." She took a deep breath, "No two ancients think the same, and because of that no two Ancients can do the exact same thing, it can be similar but not the same. Ma can do something similar but it's more like she freezes people in place, you can move your head but nothing else." "So what were you saying about will." Dave asked as he checked his vest. "An Ancient's power lies in their will, ever heard the saying that if you want something hard enough you can will it into fruition." She asked. Dave nodded, as did several listening. "Well you know how my ma can be in one place one moment then somewhere else the next." She asked and got nods in response. "She wills herself elsewhere. It is the simplest of Ancient abilities and all of them can do it. Thais, Serenity and Temperance all have this ability and could do it as babies. It freaked the crap out of my Da, one moment Thais was in his arms, Anna dropped something and made a loud noise and poof, he was in ma's arms in the middle of a meeting with the President." Dave chuckled he could just picture that. "But I don't understand?" The other man asked. "Will power... it's hard to explain... but I can put it simply. My Ma is perhaps the most powerful Ancient ever because her will is the strongest. She was so powerful that before she even knew about her power she used it to make herself as close to being Were as possible, to make a beast explode within her. It is impossible for a Were to turn someone who isn't human, ma was Ancient she just never knew it. She willed her power into the form of a beast, but her power had its own ideas. Ma didn't say wolf when she focused her power, she said 'Shift', and her power, which was so great, her will, which was so powerful, exploded. It was so much that her body couldn't cope, and the beast literally tore her apart." Bound by Pride Ch. 04 Dave gave her a perplexed look. Electra sighed; she had never had to go into all this with him, and she knew her education had been completely different to his. While he was still learning his ABC's she was learning magical law and its effect on what was possible and what wasn't. "Magical law and Natural Law states that you can not fundamentally be what you are not. If you are born one way, you can't force yourself to be another. For example I was born gay, I've always known that my soul mate is a woman, I could never be straight, and I would be denying what I fundamentally was, if I tried." Dave nodded he was following. "Okay so Ma's will was so strong that she gained what she wasn't ever meant to have, become what she was never meant to become. She gained a beast and it is that beast which makes us Were, she can turn someone, make a Were, if she bites them but her scratch is harmless. The more powerful she gets the bigger her beast gets but she can control how big she wants to get. She did the impossible." "So how does this relate to why Rhiannon can't do anything about the guns?" A man she didn't know asked. "Grandma can't do it because she is bound by her beliefs of what she can and can't do. She believes she can't do both so she can't. If she has even a hint of doubt going into this she wouldn't be able to it, even if she had done it before. She knows she can stop everyone from running because she didn't even consider that she couldn't, then she proved she could. Doubt controls Ancient abilities, if they don't think they can do it... they can't even if they tried, eventually they could overcome this but we don't have the time for her to try to overcome it. Ma on the other hand can do anything because when you can do the impossible anything is possible... she never has doubts... how can she when she knows she defied nature, genetics and magical law all in one moment of pure thought and will." She finished on a note of pure admiration, her Ma had defied everything she had been taught and still defied it, and it's what made her such an awesome leader. "Why can't we get your Ma here then?" The man she didn't know asked. She shuddered as she thought about the political mine field her mother was about to navigate. "Because she is dealing with a problem that makes this one simple in comparison." "Bull shit..." he scoffed, "we are breaking up an organised crime ring. Nothing she is doing can compare to this." She shook her head slightly, "You don't understand, my Ma may not be breaking up a possible world wide syndicate, but what she is doing tonight is a thousand times more difficult and fraught with more danger than what we are about to do. She's working hard to keep a pride war from breaking out, no easy feat when it's a pride of tigers who have been split down the middle and then been forced to remain together because their Alpha wasn't old enough for them to break away. Who, when they learn what had happened to their alpha, will go into a rage and want nothing more then blood for retribution. She's stopping it from turning into a blood bath." "Doesn't seem so dangerous." he said unimpressed. She glared at him although with her glasses he would never know. Dave on the other hand, knew, she got a look about her when she was glaring, a look he was quickly beginning to recognise as being dangerous as she would lash out and break something if what was pissing her off wasn't removed. "And what do you know about Were? Did you know that a split in any pack was unheard of until eight years ago? That that pride has been on the constant edge of a blood bath ever since Mayhem was sold into this ring. That a Were feud is as dangerous as a race war. Only it will be Were fighting and since we're out in the open now we won't try to conceal it, it will be on the streets and it will be bloody. It takes a lot to down a fury filled Were and Mayhem's followers won't care if that person didn't know, that they weren't involved, guilty by association." She continued to glare as she spoke. "Not to mention the danger of revenge feud, anyone who lost a family member who was outside of this pride is allowed to call for the death of whoever they choose to blame, it will snow ball until it involves every Were family in the world. We can all trace our family lines back to each other; it will be as if there is a massive free for all battle. Ma is trying to prevent that." Rhiannon walked over and rested a calming hand on Electra's shoulder; Vivian joined her placing her hand on Electra's other shoulder. Electra felt the anger in her dissipate as the two Ancients worked on removing her anger, slowly letting it slide from her mind. She was no longer furious, with that man she didn't know, who was questioning her mother's dedication for doing the right thing. Amy was doing the right thing, she had done everything she could to make this raid a success just as she was doing everything in her power to starve off a possible Were war. Were wars were not uncommon... well... at least they weren't a thousand years ago when times were much, much darker. It was the possibility of another, in this time of understanding and reasoning, which was making everyone who knew about it on edge. She knew the Alpha's would have drawn the same conclusions she had, that letting this get to the point of bloodshed was not in the interests of them as a people, in fact it would be down right immoral to allow it. It was why they were putting a heap of space between the two halves, and why they would not allow them to see Mayhem, not until they knew they had Darrel taken care of to satisfy those who would be eager for blood. "Ignore him; he doesn't know everything like we do." Dave told her, telling everyone in the room to drop it now and that he was firmly on Electra's side. Her phone started to ring; she dug it out and flipped it open. "Hey Ma, what can I do for you?" "Just a heads up, I think Lupa might be in the auction pens..." She went still, "but I thought... he isn't real." "According to Ghan he is and he vanished about the same time everyone else did. He won't use his powers to free himself so you will have to free him." Electra nodded to herself, "How is Mayhem?" "She's asleep, we're going to move her in a moment and go back to the manor. It's a more defendable position than the town house." "Thanks for the heads up Ma." She hung up and turned to Rhiannon, "Lupa is real?" Rhiannon nodded, "I haven't met him though, and Noah has more experience with him. It was Lupa who helped him with gathering animals for the ark." Electra stared in surprise, "but... I thought those stories were just myths, they were only mentioned in Were and Other history Volume One, but not in any detail only as a myth." "Because the Merlins were asked not to put him in the histories, to keep him hidden and safe. However, we couldn't keep him from the myths and legends passed down, nor could we keep him out of your own folk lore. It would have been not only impossible but it would have been detrimental." Vivian explained. Dave frowned, "Who is Lupa?" Electra turned to him. "Lupa...? He is the strangest Were of all and possibly the oldest immortal." Dave waited for Electra to start explaining but when she stopped, he knew he had to prod her into a more extended answer, "We have the time you may as well tell me the story." She sighed, "You know all those books I gave you when we became partners?" He nodded; he had slogged through at least half of them. "I've read the book your Ma wrote, Were and Other history One and Two and that book by that woman..." he racked his brain for a moment. "Jacquelyn... something." he added. "You haven't started the small blue book, Myths and Legends." Electra asked. Dave shook his head. "Okay, I'll give you a run down but you really need to read the story." She took a deep breath. "Back when Were and man were just starting their different paths a magnificent wolf ran wild with his pack, his coat was silver and shone like moonlight in the night. He was strong, big, and different. For years, he ran as a wolf but one year he was hunting alone, just scouting around. A woman appeared in front of him from out of a beam of moonlight. He watched her, curious. She told him to come closer and told him his story. How she had craved to have a child but knew if she did the other, gods would twist her child into their own instrument. So she had decided to hide her child among her creatures, the wolves who sung to her and to keep him safe she had put his soul into the body of a wolf, but in time he would shed his wolven form for that of a man." She finished. Rhiannon turned to Dave, "There is more but that is the most important part, Were have always been men who turn into animals, Lupa is an animal who turns into a man." He frowned, "So his human side is his alter ego. Not the wolf." Electra shook her head. "Nope, he doesn't really have a wolf mind and a human mind he just has one mind, the mind of a human who has lived as a wolf." Dave gave her a confused look, before she could expand on her explanation he jumped in to stop her. "Let me read the story first then I'll ask questions. It's the little blue book with silver leaf right." She nodded. **** She waited in the van with half a dozen others, waiting for the right time to storm the building. Already they had hacked the security camera's surrounding the building. They now controlled what the cameras showed to the Security in the building. A couple of Elementals had done a breeze through, where they released their physical bodies and became nothing more than a wisp of wind, just to confirm what Mayhem had told them of the warehouse as well as to see if there were any goons doing patrols. There were none outside the building and only minimal security inside the building. They were acting on the premise that less is more, the less they drew attention to themselves the more chance they had of not drawing unwelcome attention. She was beginning to get annoyed with a man who was chewing noisily on gum. She wanted to snatch that gum out of his mouth and jam it up where the sun doesn't shine. Rhiannon shifted a little in the cramped space. "Please... please let me make us have some more space." She begged as soon she was going to need room to concentrate. "Make room?" the heavily armed man chewing gum asked. "Honey we're squeezed in like sardines." Vivian chuckled, "Do you watch TV?" He nodded with a bored expression, in his book only weirdos didn't watch TV. "Ever seen Doctor Who?" She asked calmly as her will started to alter the internal properties of the van. She knew what she was about to do was going to startle them but she didn't really want to start explaining every action she did, they would just have to get used to the fact that Ancients were never questioned and whose behaviour and actions were just shrugged off as being a part of what they were. He nodded again, "Not the old stuff but the new stuff." Vivian smiled, if he was a true Doctor Who follower she wouldn't have to say much. "Same principle as the inside of the Tardis." She said with a smile as she finished altering the internal proportions of the van and even what they were sitting on. Suddenly the inside of the van was transformed into a spacious room with enough room to cram a hundred people. "What the fuck?" A women swore as she jumped to her feet, even that was enough to startle her more as she could now stand to her full height without bashing her head against the roof. "What the fuck." She repeated as she glanced around. She was not the only one completely shocked at the transformation of the inside of the van; it had gone from dark and smelling of gas to being an honest to god waiting room. "Not a fan of the Doctor?" Vivian asked slightly amused by their reactions. "You did this?" She demanded. Vivian nodded. "Its quiet easy, even the triplets can do it and they aren't even five." Electra chuckled and stretched her cramped muscles as Rhiannon sat on the carpeted floor and got ready to go to work. Static crackled in their ears as their earwigs relayed important information, Five minutes from go, final checks. Everyone forgot about the changed dimensions of the van and checked their weapons and equipment making sure that everything was working and it's in place. Other's checked maps and blueprints of the building. Priorities were simple, the first was disarm and arrest everyone who wasn't already in chains or caged, the second was to cease all documents and phones not that any calls were going to get out. The brass had decided that because of the way Electra had handled Mayhem that she would be the only person to deal with the people they were about to rescue. Psychiatrists who had watched Mayhem go from catatonic to functioning in such a short frame of time were shocked and wanted to see if it was Electra's actions that had brought Mayhem around or if it had something to do with the mind of a Were. Electra closed her eyes and took a deep breath, calming herself down; her wolf was close to the surface, letting her senses expand even further. She opened an eye when she felt someone nudge her and growled a little in frustration as her glasses had slipped, she pushed on the bridge sliding them up further to block out the light. Vivian was before her and held a pair of space age wrap-a-rounds. "Rhun went to the future looking for a solution to your problem, he came back with a version of these, and he then made them metamorphic. One pair of glasses for the rest of time. They will keep you in constant darkness, letting in only the amount of light you need to see and no more." Vivian handed them over as she spoke. "He'll make another pair for Mayhem." Electra closed her eyes and pulled her sunglasses off, Vivian slid the new pair on, for a moment, they were loose on her face but quickly they contracted and formed to her to fit as if she was born wearing them, and unlikely to slip. She opened her eyes and glanced around. "Awesome." She could see even better with these on as they filtered out almost every bit of light leaving her in the perfect conditions for her to see. One minute, move into positions. Everyone clipped their chinstraps for their helmets into place, Vivian and Electra were the only two not covered in weapons and body armour. Electra moved to where the sliding door should be, she would be using her strength to bust down the main door and let them in, other Were enforcers would be doing the same at the other entry points. They couldn't feel the car move beneath their feet but they knew it would be moving into position. Ten seconds. Electra slid open the door and held on as the van came to a skidding stop. Go, go, go, go, go!!!! Bound by Pride Ch. 05 Author's note: All characters and companies mentioned in this story have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone or anything bearing the same name or names. Events portrayed in this story are pure invention and have not been based on any events that have happen in real life. All the characters involved in any sexual acts if their ages are not mentioned before hand; are over 18 years of age. Enjoy. Hi Everyone Thankfully no real big delay with this chapter. I hope you enjoy it. Always the biggest thanks goes out to my editor Kittyhawk555 for working tirelessly on getting me to get this right and to you the reader and fan. All feedback is welcome and if you have a burning question feel free to ask, I always answer. Have fun * Go, go, go, go, go!!!! Electra jumped out of the van and ran the few metres to the door as the others piled out of the vans, Vivian only a few paces behind her. She turned her body moments before it collided with the door putting her shoulder into it. The reinforced door didn't stand a chance and went flying, knocking down the two men who were guarding this door as they couldn't move to flee it. She ignored them and kept moving, knocking down anything in their way. The people following her would take care of disarming and cable tying them. She came to another door and threw her body into it, she stumbled a step as the door went flying before she righted herself. Everyone in the room turned to her as she came to a stop. "FBI YOU ARE ALL UNDER AREST." She yelled as more people came in and started to swarm the room. Several men in the room pulled out guns; they were torn from their hands and flew across the room. Others tried to stand and run only to find that their feet were fused to the ground. "ELECTRA GEPHALIM!" Vivian yelled she was behind the guns being suddenly yanked out of hands before shots could be fired. Electra turned her eyes quickly scanning the room, she spotted the Gephalim, all six of them, and the closest one to her had his wings open ready to take flight. She knew that Rhiannon wouldn't be able to keep him from moving for long as they could negate such magic, after a while. Electra ran at him and put her shoulder into his midriff just as his feet came free. They both went crashing to the ground. All Were take out the Gephalim NOW. She ordered silently into the minds of every Were in the near vicinity. Enforcers suddenly swarmed the six other Gephalim going for their legs and wings to keep them land bound. She pushed herself up and got her feet beneath her, the man beneath her reached up, wrapped his hands around her throat, and tried to squeeze the life out of her. She didn't struggle and try to free herself, she didn't need to breathe, it wasn't a requirement for an immortal, they could go indefinitely without oxygen, but it was strange not having one of their senses. She reached into his belt and freed one of his daggers. His eyes went wide when he watched his own dagger as it moved to touch his throat, then his eyes glanced up to see her face, she smiled at him and he went pale as he realised that she was immortal and that he was doing nothing to her except annoy her. He had only one choice, release her and try to get his dagger back before she killed him. He released her throat and tried to grab her arms. She lashed forward and slammed the dagger into his right shoulder; he suddenly had no control of his right arm, which meant she had severed the main nerve bundle in his shoulder. He roared in pain and tried to yank the dagger out with his left hand. She twisted her wrist snapping the blade off in his shoulder. He went to hit her with his good arm but it was suddenly restrained. The other Gephalim were in chains that Vivian had quickly made so the Were turned their sights to the one Electra was fighting. Normally they would have stood back and watched her dispose of him herself but this was no time for proper battle etiquette, she was needed elsewhere and they could easily deal with this man as she had already taken out his dominant arm. Others started to restrain him as Electra was helped up and pushed on her way. She glanced around but everyone in the room was tied up. She glanced around a little disorientated; this raid had gone without a hitch... so smooth in fact that it had also startled many other seasoned FBI agents. "Electra," Dave raced up to her. "They are through that hall; I have bolt cutters and what keys we've found." She nodded and glanced around taking note of the people who were tied up, taking a deep breath. "Find," her voice broke, she coughed to clear her voice, "Find me a female officer, men are to stay away from them for the moment." He nodded and raced off. Vivian approached, stepping over the bodies of those tied up. "I'll help, one endless supply of blankets coming up." Electra smiled, "Thanks." Dave returned with a woman, he handed her the bolt cutters and handed the keys to Electra. "This is Lisa." Electra turned to Lisa, she was dressed in black with FBI blazed across her chest, her head was covered with a helmet and her brown eyes were covered with goggles, her dark skin blended with her dark clothes. "You are going to see things that will appal you. You have to be strong for them, ignore what you see, focus on eyes, nothing else." Electra warned. Lisa nodded and took a deep breath steeling herself for what was about to come. "Ready?" Electra asked. Lisa shook her head. "Nope but it doesn't matter, I'll cope." "Vivian will be giving them blankets." Electra explained as they approached the back of the stage where the auctions had been going to take place. Lisa nodded and followed her as they pushed aside a drape and entered a dark series of halls, which hid the holding pens. People quivered and tried to make themselves smaller. "Everyone my name is Electra Luis, be calm, you're safe now, we are going to come around and free you. Please don't be scared, you all will be going back to your families." She turned to the first pen and walked in. "Lisa hand me the bolt cutters." Electra asked. Lisa cursed as she almost tripped, "Can I turn on my torch?" She held the bolt cutters out in the general direction of Electra's voice as she couldn't see anything, Electra took them. "No, most of their eyes will be light sensitive." Vivian told her already rendering several blankets into strips to be tied around eyes. The strips were tossed over her shoulder as more blankets appeared in her arms. She stepped into the pen to help. Electra had already freed three out of the five women in the pen. "Vivian here is going to blind fold you and wrap a blanket around your bodies." Electra said gently to the people around her. "I would rather not have my eyes covered; even light blindness is preferable to not seeing what's happening." A woman said firmly, she wasn't going anywhere blindfolded. Vivian sighed a little in annoyance. "Give me a few moments." She vanished. She reappeared with a sack only moments after leaving. "Asked Rhun to go back in time and make a couple of hundred of these," she pulled out a visor identical to Electra's, "these are different to yours, they will slowly reintroduce light to their eyes. He'll be by if we need more." She handed everyone a set including Lisa so that she could see. "Better?" She asked looking for the woman who had spoken. She nodded. "Sorry it's just..." Vivian shook her head, "Don't worry about it, as long as you stay calm everything will be alright." She handed out blankets. Electra moved on to the youngest in the room, she looked no older then thirteen and shivered violently when Electra approached. "Shush... little one." Electra said soothingly but the little girl just kept on shaking. Electra put the bolt cutters down and sat next to the girl before pulling her gently into her arms to hold her. "I won't hurt you." She told the little girl softly as she gently stroked her, hoping to calm her down. The little girl buried her head into Electra's neck and took a deep breath, smelling the Were in Electra's scent she relaxed as she knew that no Were were involved in this. Electra smiled as she stroked the little girl for several long minutes more before she gently released her. "We'll get you back to your family." She told the little girl confidently as she stood. She grabbed the bolt cutters and cut the chains from her small body being careful of the leg she could clearly see was broken. "Now some people from the nearest Haven are going to help you out and into a bus. That is where you are going to for now. They'll give you water and something to eat. When you get to Haven, any wounds will be taken care of once you've had a good long scrub. After a good sleep I'll be coming to take your names and pack names and anything you want to tell me, then we will be getting you back with your families." Electra explained. They nodded and two managed to get to their feet. "What happened to your leg?" Electra asked as she squatted down to be at eye terms with the little girl. "She kicked one of the buyers, hard." One of the women standing said, two others chuckled. Electra turned to them, "I can guess where. What did they use?" "A steel mallet, they hit her lower and upper leg with it, both times I heard it break." The same woman answered. "She didn't even cry out." She added. Several women walked in, Electra had talked to the people who were going to help get the victims to the Haven and care for them. She had given them strict orders, feed, clean, water, medical attention and sleep, nothing more, no asking questions just leave them alone. "The child will have to be carried and her leg splinted and seen to immediately." Electra told them. They nodded and walked in to get these people out. They had a little problem trying to get the girl out as she panicked a little and wouldn't let go of Electra. Electra took her time and coaxed the young girl to let go. They followed this same procedure repeatedly until they got to the cages where Were in full animal form were being kept. "Okay," Electra told the cages, "I can not let you out when you are in your animal forms. Please shift back, we mean you no harm, we want to free you and return you to your families." Several managed to shift back into their human forms, they were released and their eyes were covered with the visors before they were lead out. The others took more coaxing before they shifted back. She got to the last cage, which was actually a cell and held a Were who was definitely immortal. He was large only not as big as her father, his coat started as black at the root and paling to white at the tip. Some described the coat as being bathed in moon light and the actual coat name was Luna's touch. She didn't have to ask to know who this was. "Hello Lupa, come on, I need you in human form before I can release you." He growled which made Lisa quiver. "Can... can I go," she asked, afraid, and why wouldn't she be when she was confronted with a wolf that was almost the size of a pony. "He won't hurt you." Vivian said as she approached the bars, she had lived so closely with Were for so long that she had no fear of a growling wolf. He didn't trust them and was just being defensive, he wasn't out to attack if they could prove their friendship to him. His silver eyes focused on her, recognition sparked in his silver eyes and he studied her, he knew her although they had never met. His nostrils flared as he took a deep breath scenting the air around her. Her scent sparked a memory, but not one of his memories, one of those other memories. For the first thousand years of his long life his mind had always been confusing to him, he would come to a place and suddenly feel like he had been there before, smell something and suddenly remember an event which he knew he hadn't lived. The day his 'mother', Luna, came and explained that he was also a man, that he had lived before as a man had explained his confusing memories. She had called it bleeding, and had told him it was common for those who would not die to eventually remember everything from their previous lives as they had helped to shape his soul. So although he knew they hadn't met in this life he knew that they had met in that previous life, before he died and was reborn. He felt a need to shift to become a human even if he was far more comfortable in his wolf form; he needed to see if she remembered him as a man even though he knew he didn't look as he once did. He knew instinctively that this was his mate and he needed for her to see him, to recognise him. In moments he was in his human form, crouched on the floor, his hair was long and straight, going half way down his back and like the coat of his beast, each hair started as black but gradually became white. He stood slowly; his eyes like his hair were the same shade of silver when he was in his beast form and were locked on Vivian as he stood to his full height. He was surprised that he matched Vivian in height as he clearly remembered having to tilt his eyes and head up a little in order to meet her eyes, he even remembered having to pull her head down to bring their lips together but that was in those other memories. His skin was a pale alabaster that was pulled tightly over his lean body; faint scars were the only thing to mar the perfection of his skin. He panted gently as he lifted a hand to brush away the hair that was in his face. Vivian was holding out a set of visors for him, and then her breath caught as her eyes focused on a face, which looked familiar. She knew this person as surely as she knew herself, oh, he had changed a little, his hair was no longer brown and wavy, his eyes were no longer the chocolate brown that haunted her dreams but his face hadn't changed. She didn't know this man before her, had never seen him before but she knew him as surely as she knew day would become night. This was the man who had stolen her heart all those thousands of years ago, the man who gave her Rhiannon, the man who had gone off to battle and returned draped over his horse, pale with death and a clearly fatal wound. This was Wild-heart reborn, only it wasn't completely him, a completely different life had shaped this person, different memories but she hadn't fallen in love with the man, she had fallen in love with his soul, the soul she recognised within this man. How could Wild-heart also be Lupa when Lupa was born before Wild-heart? They were two different people, born at completely different times and lived completely different lives but are linked by the soul within them. Time means very little to a soul when it wasn't attached to a body of flesh. It wasn't confined by the regimental course of time constantly going forward; it can travel forward and backward in time to where ever it wanted to be, or needed to be in order to evolve and ready it's self for immortality. Memories she had long repressed as being too painful crept up on her, of the man she loved and how he had been torn from her before she had even had a chance to get used to the emotions running through her. Rhiannon walked in wondering if she would be needed, Vivian stepped back shaking her head in denial and stepped on Rhiannon. "Ma!" Rhiannon cried out in surprise and warning. Vivian was oblivious, the tightly locked box where she had put him and all those conflicting emotions popped open and dissolved, tears welled up in her eyes as the pain of her loss spilled out. He stepped up close to the bars and went to reach for her. She whispered, "Wild-heart," then vanished just as he went to touch her. She knew his name and that meant she recognised him, but why did she vanish, why wasn't she as pleased to see him as he was to see her. It must have something to do with his other name, from that other life. He wanted to hunt her down, to find her and find out why his presence had so obviously upset her. He was pleased and saddened by her reaction to him, she knew him, recognised him, but his appearance had obviously upset her. "Hey calm down." Electra told him trying to calm the situation; she wondered for a moment what had shaken Vivian so and made him so tense. Her great grandmother seemed like such a strong person but this man had made her flee. She suddenly remembered her whispered words the moment before she vanished. Fuck! she thought as she focused on the man before her, Lupa was Wild-heart reincarnated and she hadn't coped. She glanced back to her grand mother and wondered if she had made the connection yet and if she hadn't should she tell her. "What?" Rhiannon asked, she hadn't been able to see around Vivian and didn't know what was going on. Electra stepped back; Rhiannon studied the man in the cage for a moment wondering why her mother had whispered her father's name, why she had vanished. It took her a moment before she put two and two together, there stood her father reincarnated, as Lupa, the oldest immortal Were in history, although he didn't look a day over thirty. She stared drinking in the man before her; she had always wanted a father, something that had only strengthened as she watched Wolfgang interact with his children. "Is one of you going to let me out?" He growled starting to get frustrated at the head start the woman was getting on him. "You won't be able to find her without us." Electra told him. He turned to her, "You know her?" Electra chuckled, "Yes... she's my great grandma." She turned to Rhiannon and raised an eyebrow waiting for her grandma to kick her brain back into gear. Are you going to tell him or do I have to? She demanded trying to jolt a reaction out of Rhiannon. Rhiannon blinked. "Yes... " She said simply. "Yes I will or yes you will." Electra asked. "Let him out..." Rhiannon told her. Electra shrugged and cut the chain from the door. It slid open, and Lupa stepped out reaching a hand out to take the blanket from Lisa who had picked it up. He wrapped it around his hips rolling the top to make it secure. He tore a strip from the blanket to tie his long hair back. Electra bent down and picked up the visor Vivian dropped. "You're going to want to put these on; they will slowly introduce light to your eyes so as not to blind you." She told him, he took the visor from her and slid them on. "Can we get out of here?" he asked, he wanted to see the sky and his mother Luna, three months of being locked away from her glory and love pained him. Electra nodded and together they walked out. Forensics were going over the room with a fine toothcomb, others were waiting to go through the cells but were staying out until the last victim was out of the building. They walked him out; he walked away from the waiting bus and stood out in the open taking deep breaths as his eyes feasted on the night's sky. Rhiannon approached him taking a deep breath. "We need to talk Lupa..." He turned and studied her fully for the first time but for some reason he was oblivious to similarities between their faces, the way they stood even the way they held their heads. "You are her daughter..." She nodded. He frowned he didn't know how he wanted to react to that. "So she is married?" He asked fishing around for information. She shook her head, "No... my father died before I was born..." She watched a pleased glint come to his eyes. "You died before I was born..." She told him, not wanting to keep this from him but not knowing the right words to use. So using the bandaid method, she decided to just say it and get it over with. "You as Wild-heart died shortly after my conception." Shock, it was the only way to describe the way he stood in complete stillness, not even breathing. He stared at her and really looked at her, finally noticing what everyone else had, that she was almost an exact copy of all of his features once you got past his exotic colouring. He started to shake as his mind started to struggle with the knowledge. Bound by Pride Ch. 05 She reached forward and rested a hand on his shoulder. "I know..." He shook his head and cut her off as he stepped away. "How can you know what it's like? You can't." She grinned but it was one of melancholy, "Yes I can, a few years ago I was in your shoes." He glared at her, "You are a woman how can you not know about your own child?" "Because Fate chose and still chooses to keep me in the dark about her, I gave birth to her... I don't know where... I don't even know who the other woman is or how I came to be pregnant. But I have a grown daughter, grand children and if Tarval gets his way great grand children. I accept that I had no hand in her childhood and that all I can do is be there for her here and now." She explained, it had taken her years to reconcile this knowledge in her mind but she had done it and she knew that he too would be able to come to terms with this. "Did I hurt her?" He asked softly. "Is that why she fled?" She sighed, "It's not like that. Imagine finding the man you love, the one man who makes everything else seem pale and insignificant. Then imagine the wildest night she had ever experienced only to have it all snatched away before she even had a chance to come to terms with it all. Then while she grieved your loss, more shock, she's pregnant. She had to lock all that pain away, had to stop grieving and start living if only for me." "I didn't mean to leave her, I didn't mean to die," he admitted. She nodded, "I'm sure she knows that. Seeing you again has brought all that pain back. Give her time Da." She steered him back to the bus where Electra was waiting. He watched her surprised. "You... called me Da." He couldn't describe it, that warm protective feeling that coursed through his veins the moment she called him Da. "Would you rather I don't, I can do that if you want?" She asked hoping that she hadn't done something to upset him. "No... I mean yes, you can call me Da." He corrected himself quickly. She smiled, "Amy, my daughter, she found it hard to call me Ma to begin with, we both had troubles with it, I had just met her and she hadn't long ago lost her adopted parents. But now she calls me Ma, she doesn't exactly treat me as her children treat her but I don't mind." "I would like to meet her." He told her. She smiled; "I'm sure she would love to meet you as well." They made it to the bus and climbed in. Electra waited for them to get settled, and then nodded to the driver telling them they were good to go. Electra sat in the seat in front of them. Rhiannon smiled at turned to Lupa who was beside her, "Electra meet your great grandfather Lupa, Da... your great granddaughter Electra." Electra smiled and held out her hand, "Hi, welcome to the family." She told him pleasantly as he took her hand and gave it a firm shake. Bound by Pride Ch. 05 "How sad..." Amy said, truly sad for the loss, her mind however was ticking, looking at the problems this information would cause, "it will make more people angry." Electra sighed, "There's more, while she was captive she gave birth to a daughter... she's eleven-ish." "Do you need me to find a foster family? Or see if some kin will take her?" Amy asked trying to be helpful. "No, Madeline... she made me responsible for her child." Electra explained. "Ah." Amy responded knowingly. "I'll make sure the room across from yours is ready for her." "Ma... what do I do... she didn't even know her mother... her mother didn't even get a chance to name her." Electra rushed out beginning to fret over the situation she was now in, she wasn't like her Ma who seemed to instinctively know what to do in any situation. She knew the law, guns and battle, she hadn't even thought that she would become a mother and if she did, it would not be for a very, very long time. "Calm down. You can do this." Amy told her calmly. "How... I'm now responsible for two people Ma, how can I be useful to both of them." "I managed and so will you. Madeline chose you, trusted you with her greatest treasure. She did it because you cared enough to be there as she passed, comforted her in her darkest moment. You will be able to do this." Amy coached her out of her funk. "What do I tell her?" Electra asked. "Never lie to a child, they won't understand why you did it all they will know is that you did and you will need her to trust you, so be honest with her. Tell her what she will understand." Electra nodded, "Anything else?" There was silence as her mother thought, "Take her to the funeral, let her see the woman who gave birth to her, to reconcile her with the stranger who was her mother. What's Madeline's full name and pack; I'll see what I can get for her." Electra went to grab her biological mother's necklace, which was always around her neck and ran it through her fingers. It was the only thing she had from her, her treasure and something she never removed. However, she suddenly remembered that she had placed it around Mayhem's neck moments before Amy took her, as it was the only way to get Mayhem to release her. She had explained its importance to Mayhem, told her it was the only thing she had from her mother and that she was trusting Mayhem with it, that she would return to take it back. "Madeline Koravic of the Frostbite pride." "Rufus's pride, I'll see what I can do." She sighed, slightly aggravated, "Okay here." the phone was handed to someone. "Electra?" Mayhem asked. "Hey Mayhem, how did you sleep?" "Okay... kind of, Sage kept me company in cat form." She explained, "You?" "Didn't get to bed until late. Too much to do." Electra said as she glanced in to see how Madeline was doing. "I'll be away until the last person is returned to their family so I might be back by the end of the week. I've requested leave so I'll be home for a while." "Okay I'll let you go." Mayhem said reluctantly. "See you soon." Electra pulled away and hung up her phone. Bound by Pride Ch. 06 Author's note: All characters and companies mentioned in this story have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone or anything bearing the same name or names. Events portrayed in this story are pure invention and have not been based on any events that have happen in real life. All the characters involved in any sexual acts if their ages are not mentioned before hand; are over 18 years of age. Enjoy. Hi everyone, Here is the new chapter and I know I'm going to get pleased comments about this one... but I won't spoil it. As you know all feedback is welcomed. Also big thanks goes to my editor who has been working diligently to iron out the creases. Have fun Chapter 6 Madeline sat patiently as the healer checked her leg, making sure the cast was doing its job and that her leg hadn't swollen up in the night. When he finished he picked up a syringe, she flinched as syringes in her past often went with pain and fury she wanted nothing to do with it. "Nothing to worry about, this is just filled with all things your body is craving. This is going to sting but it won't make you sleepy nor will it make you angry. See." He injected himself first and they waited but when nothing happened, he grabbed a new syringe, filled it from the same vial and prepped her arm. She shook her head and leant back into Electra's body. Electra sighed. "Fill two." She told him and he nodded filling the two new syringes. "Pick one." She encouraged her charge who thought about it for several moments before pointing to the one furthest from her. The healer picked it up and moved, he injected Electra then sat back and waited. When after five minutes nothing had happened Electra smiled. "See... I'm normal... now it's your turn." Madeline took a deep breath, held out her arm and closed her eyes turning her head away so that she didn't have to watch. He was quick with the injection and put a novelty bandaid over the site. "All done now." He stood and went to leave the room. "Are you nearly done with the body?" Electra asked. He nodded, "just about to start wrapping her." "Can you take us to her?" Electra asked then lifted Madeline to her hip. He nodded and walked them out of the room and down the hall and through double doors into a pale white room with a silver table, upon the table was a body covered with a piece of undyed linen. He left them alone. Little Madeline turned inquisitive eyes to Electra. "You have to meet someone." Electra walked her up to the table and carefully pulled the linen back exposing the face of the woman beneath it. "This is the woman you're named after." Electra explained. Madeline jerked startled eyes to Electra then back to the stranger before her. When Electra told her that her name was Madeline, she also told her that she was named after the woman who gave birth to her. Several tears slid down her face as she saw the brand on the woman's face, the same brand she knew was in the small of her back. This woman had given birth to her and had died just as she was tasting freedom all these years later. "I want to tell you what I experienced when I met your mother. She was holding onto her life with every ounce of strength she could muster, the healers didn't know why she clung so fiercely. But I knew... I knew she clung for you. Just to know that you were safe, that you were free before she let the fates have their way." Madeline pressed her face to Electra's neck and cried for the loss of the woman who had given birth to her, had given her life. For the life, they could have had together but were denied. Electra felt her eyes tear up as she listened to her small charge's sobs, she could remember her own mother's death as if it was yesterday, she had managed to be strong after her mother's death but that night as she lay in the bed Amy had given her she had succumbed to her grief and cried. She had thought she had been quiet but Amy had found her, held her, giving her comfort, and had stayed with her for the entire night. "Cry all you want." Electra told her, the same words Amy had whispered into her ear when she had tried to stem her tears. She held Madeline firmly to her chest and stroked her back, as she leant down and pressed her face to Madeline's shoulder giving her all the comfort she could. Madeline cried until she had no more tears to shed. Electra gently stroked the tears from her face. When she was ready, Electra went to tell her more about her mother. "And when she knew you were here, after I told her you were safe, you could see the relief in her eyes... she entrusted you to me and she clung long enough to tell us who did this to you... who did this to her." Electra kissed her forehead. "She... she was a very special person. I want you to know that and know her, my ma is getting more information for you and what personal items she can for you." Electra replaced the piece of linen, covering Maddie's mother. "We have to leave now Maddie, they have to finish preparing her." Electra carried her from the room and outside. Rhiannon was sitting beneath a tree watching Lupa as he stretched in his wolf form then rolled around on his back. Electra sat Madeline down and sighed as Madeline looked wistfully at Lupa. Madeline knew her beast was within her, she had felt it for as long as she could remember, but she had never had a chance to let it out, to let it come to the surface. Just letting her eyes shift colour was enough to get her beaten to within an inch of her life. "Not yet, your leg has to heal." Electra told her. Lupa approached, he used a claw to cut through the cast, he had been itching to do this all day, and used his teeth to gently tear the cast off, he was so gentle that he barely jostled her. No one tried to stop him although some gave him disapproving looks. He opened his mouth wide and blew silver breath onto her healing limb. He moved his jaws up blowing more breath onto her healing bruises, scrapes and cuts. When he was done he washed her face, Come. He told her and he backed away. She turned to Electra who grinned and nodded, "go on." Madeline got up carefully and took a few steps testing her leg. She then tugged off her clothes as she felt her beast rushing forward egger for freedom, eager to taste the world and experience it for the first time all by itself and unburdened with it's human's frail sense of smell and hearing. "Probably not such a smart idea." Amy said as she stepped up to join them having just appeared to see how preparations were going. "Why?" Rhiannon asked. "Rufus will be here soon for the funeral and she will be weak when she shifts back." She explained. "Damn... didn't think of that, maybe Lupa will just use that mist thing he did before to heal her leg." Electra turned back to witness a little snow leopard stretching, her paws were large for her body indicating that she was still growing. Lupa played with her being gentle, as he knew she would be weak. Others soon joined them letting their beasts out for the first time in ages, some chose to just lay in the sun, others played, some were sniffing around, a few were digging, a lone bear was sniffing around for grubs and one was setting themself up in the branch of a tree. A man in a crisp suit walked up escorted by several enforcers who lost their gruffness as they watched the freed Were in their beast form enjoying the afternoon sun. His hair was white with age, which matched his well-trimmed beard. He was round around the middle and walked with a slight limp as his left knee had been reconstructed recently. Amy turned and frowned wondering what had brought him here, "Steven." He loosened his tie, "I really wish you had let me in, instead I get side swiped in a press conference." Amy sighed, she missed Bob, who had been a far better president who accepted everything she did because he knew she did it for a reason, but bad health meant that he had to stand down. Steven was his replacement and questioned everything she did or tried to do, untrusting of everything new. "We kept this entire thing quiet because four senators, one supreme court judge and several prominent business men, all of which you have intimate contact with, were caught in that raid." She faced him completely, "Not forgetting the police chief and many others picked up in the later raids. If we hadn't kept this quiet people would have slipped through the cracks." She turned back around, placed a hand on his shoulder, and pointed to Madeline. "The snow leopard, she's eleven-ish, she was born in captivity, this is the first time she's ever been allowed to let her beast out, to experience what most Were take for granted. Her mother is the woman we are going to burn soon. She lived just long enough to know her daughter was safe before dying from malnutrition and a serious infection." She explained. She turned to Electra, "She needs to shift back now; the funeral starts in a little while." "Who's keeping an eye on Mayhem?" Electra asked. "She's asleep with Serenity; Anna is keeping an eye on her." Amy answered. Electra nodded, "Madeline... come on you need to shift back for a little while." The little snow leopard turned and gave her pleading eyes to stay and play. "You need to be human for a little while then you can shift and play all you want." Madeline gave her a look of disappointment and dragged her paws as she approached, she didn't want to go back to being a human, but she knew Electra wouldn't be spoiling her fun if there wasn't a reason. **** Electra lifted her visor to rub tired eyes as she leant back in her seat the day after they had set Madeline's body on fire. Jeff popped his head in. "Electra one more." He told her. "You said that the last time," she whined. "I promise this one is the last one, sorry to push you but Joel is letting the enforcers arrive tomorrow to take their people home. Having all these preliminary interviews done now will make things easier for the other agents to get more details." He reminded her. "I'm just lucky I don't have to type them." She muttered to herself as Jeff went to get the last person. There was in fact a person behind the two-way mirror typing out the interviews as they happened, which was saving Electra a lot of time later. She sighed and sat back in her chair, Joel was giving a big concession to the other Alphas allowing their enforcers to come and collect their people. Back before the borders were made permanent it was the job of the enforcers not only to enforce the law but it was also their job to raid neighbouring packs and prides, to expand their Alpha's borders. That was the reason why enforcers were not allowed to enter another territory without either a guard or express permission and even then it was not for long. Joel wasn't going to put guards on the enforcers coming, they were not coming for any other reason other then to reclaim their members and take them home. The Alphas would have completely understood if he had but Joel knew that such action was unnecessary, as Amy would go mental if someone tried to take advantage of the situation, and no one wanted to see that side up close. Jeff gently guided a woman who moved stiffly into the room, he helped her sit and arrange the drip so that it was out of the way. He then left the room. Electra had sat up stunned; she had not expected to see a patient that only yesterday been in critical condition, walks into the room. "Lupa blew on me, he blew on the others, he sped up their healing but it will still be until tomorrow before they wake." She explained having correctly interpreted Electra's stunned look. Electra smiled, "I'm glad he's happy helping out." "Who is the girl shadowing him around?" She asked. "My fosterling, Maddie, she's not comfortable with many people but she seems okay with Lupa and I am trying to encourage that." Electra told her. "Okay... this is just a preliminary interview, I just would like to know your name, age, pack of origin, how long you have been captive, who has owned you. Everything else can come out when you are ready and can be told to the FBI case worker assigned to your pack or whatever." She nodded, "Pride." She informed Electra, "I am Sasha, Sasha Owen, I don't know how old I am, time just kind of blurred for me, I was born in 92, and was taken in 08. I've had only one owner, Tyson Sheppard. I am a member of Moon Thane pride." She paused. "How long... how long have I been caged?" Electra took a deep breath knowing the number would crush this woman but that she had the right to know, "Ten years, it's 2018." She was stunned; ten years... she had lost ten years. She rested her elbows on the table before covering her face. Electra reached across the table, took a hand from her face, and held it to offer her comfort. "Don't be sad, I lived that life as well for a little longer then yours, Maddie was born into that life and I interviewed a woman who lived that life for nearly twenty years. Don't think about the years that were stolen, trust me, it won't help you recover, just take a deep breath and look around, for you are free and your life as a free woman stretches before you." She watched Electra for long moments, "How... how can you just brush off that part of your life?" Electra sighed, "I'm immortal... I have no choice but to accept that my father thought of me as nothing more then a treat he could offer his loyal men, to do with what they pleased, to win bets when he threw me into a fight pit and pitted me against dozens of other Were. I wake constantly to the taste of blood in my mouth of all the poor people who died because men wanted to see how much damage I could take. If I don't let it go I'll go mad, I'll become like Ghost, and I don't want that." Sasha shivered, glad that she was not in Electra's shoes. Humans viewed immortality as the greatest of all treasures; it was desired and coveted. Were knew differently, immortality was not an easy path, in fact most immortals histories were plagued with disasters and personal tragedies, forever watching those they love die only to watch them be reborn with no knowledge of them, of building a new relationship only to have them die again. An endless cycle of getting close to people only to watch them die, it was why some refused to get to know people, to distance themselves from the constant cycle of pain. A cycle that would continue until all were immortal. Immortals quickly learnt to wire their brains differently; they wouldn't have been able to remain sane if they didn't. They learnt not to allow all their failures and the failures of the world around them weigh them down, they brushed it off and forged ahead, knowing they had to take the good times when they were there and do their best with the bad times. However, they had a reason to heed this wisdom, to take the good with the bad, not letting it affect them, and that reason was summed up in a single name, an immortal by the name of Ghost. He had come to the Americas back before they even were called the Americas, in a Viking long boat in the early tenth century. When he came here, he decided to leave his people, to stop being the pet monster of a deranged glory seeking Warlord. Therefore, when he fled he shed his name, Ulfr-gunnar, his name literally meaning Wolf warrior, shed his identity and wondered the land as both a man and a wolf. No one knew how long he wandered or how he came to be adopted into an Indian tribe and it was they who gave him his new name. Ghost, for his pale skin and silent ability to come and go as he wished. They quickly realised that he didn't age, on the day that he saw the passing of the chief, the same man who had brought him into the tribe and did not look a day older then he did when he joined them. When confronted he showed them what he was, instead of treating him like a freak they treated him with respect, they classed the wolf to be their brother and that Ghost had a wolf spirit he was as close as sacred to them. And so he lived with them, protecting them from other Indians and the occasional Viking raider. One day after fighting off Viking raiders, he was returning to the tribe when he heard a scream. He recognised the voice as a young woman called Snow, named after the snowstorm she was born in. A woman he admired and who his wolf was eager to mate. He tore off after her, another scream closer to him had him veering off, he took out the man who was trying to cart off with another young woman from his tribe. After he took that man out and raced off heading in the direction Snow's voice had come from. His muscles burned with exhaustion but he pushed on. Just as he broke out of the tree line, a man slid his sword though Snow's neck, her head falling free of her body. Ghost stopped as he watched his beloved Snow slump to the ground, rage like he had never felt before consumed him and he tore the men apart. When he was done, he lay beside her and stared off into space. He kept thinking over what he had done, if he had ignored the other scream he may have been able to save her, this thought kept going over and over in his head... if only. When dark came he carried the body back to the camp, the keening cries quickly went up and soon the camp was filled with anguish. He turned to Snow's father and knelt at his feet silently waiting for the condemnation he felt he deserved. Her father however rested a hand on his shoulder and said three words, 'not your fault.' As he went to shake his head, the chief came forward, 'you did your best Ghost, you saved many.' No one blamed him, no one got angry, and they just went on. His guilt and self-loathing eventually led him to leave the tribe, he starting trying to find ways to kill himself. Throwing his body off cliffs, tying a bolder around his body and levering it into a lake trying to drown himself, nothing worked. His depression grew and the only way he could deal with it was to shift and completely immerse himself in his beast as it felt no guilt, to stay away from all humans and Were... and he had been that way ever since. **** Electra watched as the last person was bundled into a car to be taken home early in the evening the day after she had interviewed them all. Rhiannon, Lupa, Maddie and Dave walked up. "That was the last one." Dave stated. Electra nodded. He sighed, pleased that he could go home and sleep in his own bed next to his girlfriend after being apart from her for a month. "I'll get your bags and take us home." Rhiannon offered. Dave jerked to her in surprise, "Are you going to..." he made a waving motion with his hand, "make us appear home?" He asked, he had never travelled by way of Ancient but had seen Electra appear out of thin air before him many times. Rhiannon's lipped twitched as she tried not to smile, "Physical teleportation, that's what we call it and yes, I don't like airports." Electra turned to Maddie, Maddie hadn't quite liked her name, for some reason not feeling worthy of her mother's name, and Rhiannon had come up with Maddie, as it was a good alternative. "Ready to go home?" Maddie frowned uncertain; she didn't know... she had only just gotten comfortable here... kind of. Electra hugged her and tilted her head up, "Once we get there that's it, no more moving around." She said trying to encourage her fosterling. Maddie perked up and nodded. "Alright." Rhiannon made their things appear. "Dave you first, picture your lounge room for me." He nodded and closed his eyes focusing on his lounge room. In moments, they were there. "Here we are." She told him, his eyes snapped open and glanced around, there was a crash as his girlfriend dropped the plate she had been holding. "Marissa." Dave moved to her and hugged her, kissing her deeply. Bound by Pride Ch. 06 "Lupa can't go to the manor, it's forbidden until the Alpha's allow him. Ghan is also waiting for an audience so we should put them together." Electra told Rhiannon. Rhiannon nodded and focused on Ghan as she had met him once in her past travels. They appeared before him in his room. He didn't even pause before reacting; he just smiled and hugged his friend. "I have us a meeting with the Alphas." Lupa chuckled, "I'm related to one of them." Ghan gave him a startled look, as far as he knew Lupa had no living family. "You're kidding me." Ghan exclaimed and Lupa shook his head. "I'll explain over dinner." Lupa explained. Rhiannon grinned and took them home. They appeared in the entrance hall, Bastion as if sensing they were coming was waiting. His eyes scanned over the group and stopped on Maddie. "Dinner is ready. Leave the bags and get going." He told them then turned and went to make a supplement smoothie for Maddie. Electra smiled and took Maddie's hand and walked her into the large dinning room. It was in its normal reassuring chaos that Electra had come to love. Maddie stepped to be behind Electra and shielded from the madness, taking it in, in small increments as she peered around Electra. Electra walked down the table until she found a couple of empty spots next to Mayhem. Mayhem jumped to her feet and hugged Electra tightly, rubbing her face against Electra's shoulder, letting her scent fill her nose. I've missed you. She confessed silently although she would never admit just how much, she had spent a chunk of her time in Electra's room wrapped in her clothes and blankets, with her scent all around her. Her body, her mind, her soul, needed that scent to remain calm although she knew she had never been left alone she had needed Electra's scent to keep from going mad. Electra smiled. "You need to meet my fosterling." Mayhem nodded and released her reluctantly. "Maddie this is Mayhem, Mayhem this is Maddie." Electra glanced back to see Maddie peering around her body. Mayhem held out her hand for Maddie to shake, Maddie decided however to be shy and hide behind Electra. Don't take it personally. Electra said silently. I won't, I was there when Amy told Rufus. I know her past. Mayhem answered. Electra smiled, I told you so... I told you that you would be safe here and look at you. Mayhem chuckled and sat, refusing to tell her that it was only recently that she had started to involve herself into this strange family and that it was mainly down to Serenity and Thais that she was here. She was almost sure those two cubs could worm their way into even the most troubled minds and bring them peace. Electra sat and started to serve Maddie before serving herself. Bastion put a novelty cup with a crazy straw in front of Maddie then walked further down the table where he sat and started to serve himself. Dinner quickly became a lively affair as people talked and laughed. Towards the end of the meal, Keira approached and smiled at Maddie. "Hi, I'm Keira." Maddie blinked in shock as the scent of a human washed over her. Keira glanced enquiringly at Electra who touched her lips saying silently that she didn't talk. Keira glanced back to Maddie, "I know... shock... yeah I'm human in a house full of Were." She said flippantly. "Want to go have a look at your room?" She asked excited, she had seen people working on the room across from Electra's and saw items similar to her own room only with a different colour scheme being moved in, but had yet to see the finished product. Maddie turned to Electra wanting to hear her say it was allowed. "Are you finished?" Electra asked. Maddie nodded. "Then you are free to leave the table, Keira can show you around." Electra told her. Maddie got up and followed Keira out of the room. "She handled that well." Amy commented. "I've been leaving her with other people while I work, Lupa has been taking her out for runs and playing, Rhiannon started teaching her to read. There were other youngsters so she spent time with them as well, she's not really sociable but that might just be because she's not used to it or because she is a snow leopard and isn't that way inclined." Electra explained. Amy nodded thoughtfully. "Still not talking?" She asked. Electra nodded, "yeah but I'm not going to force her, good food and a warm happy environment will help." Electra turned to Alanna, "So when does it become official." "Five days." She said with a smile as Tarval leant in and kissed her. Electra looked on wistfully; she wanted that, she wanted to know that there was going to be someone there for her when she got home from work. Someone she could go to sleep and wake up next to. **** Rhiannon, Lupa and Ghan appeared outside of Amy and Wolfgang's home, she had offered to go and pick the two men up for their interview two days after Electra's return home, Amy had wanted the house to settle a little before bringing in Ghan and Lupa. Ghan staggered a little not used to the Ancient way of travel, he was also shocked by the sudden change, he had expected lights or a feeling of nothingness instead he had gone from his hotel room to a lush green garden in the blink of an eye. "Where are we?" Lupa asked in surprise, his silver eyes darted around trying to take everything in. In two days, he had been transformed, with a fresh hair cut to take away the split ends and make his hair appear more tamed, and including that, he was beginning to put weight on so he didn't look so gaunt, people could see how Vivian had fallen in love so quickly with him. "The Manor where the central pack is located." She took Lupa's arm and dragged him into the house through one of the many doors that lead outside leaving Ghan to follow up behind them. She had decided against appearing in the entrance hall as Bastion was madly trying to get crayon off the hard wood floors and would probably order them from the entrance hall anyway. The culprit of the large doodle was safely out from underfoot in the naughty spot. Serenity was sitting quietly at a piano with Anna practising her scales, she had a great love for music and had pestered Anna to help her learn, they walked quietly by as not to disrupt the little girl. "Amy's daughter Serenity..." She said by way of introduction as she took them towards the entrance hall. "Come here you little brat." Keira ran out of a room following Temperance. Rhiannon frowned wondering how Temperance had managed to escape the naughty spot this time. Temperance dodged instinctively to avoid Rhiannon, Lupa and Ghan as she kept her eyes on her pursuer. Keira wasn't as graceful and bumped into Lupa as she tried to dodge around him. She came to a stop. "Fine... but I'm telling Aunt Amy you were in my room again." She turned and ran the other away. Lupa turned to Rhiannon, "Is it always a mad house." She nodded, "Isn't that the best kind of house, besides Temperance knows better than to fool around with Keira's things." She grabbed both men's hands and continued down the hall. Bastion walked out of a room. "Where is she?" He asked clearly displaying rage in his body language, he didn't need to mention names, the bane of his existence was known to everyone who frequented either house, the devil child, Temperance. "What has she done?" Rhiannon asked in a resigned tone. "I get the crayon off the floor only to have it on the walls in the second story grand hall." He said starting to go red. "Ran that way with one of Keira's books." She answered as she pointed the direction Temperance had run not wanting to tick him off further by vainly attempting to protect the wayward mischief-maker she called her granddaughter. He growled and stormed off to find Amy. Rhiannon winced, "and she definitely knows better then to piss off Bastion." Thais approached unseen, he grabbed his grandmother's hand and tugged on it, when she turned to him he tilted his head asking silently what was going on. Rhiannon wondered for how much longer Thais would remain silent, he spoke rarely, only when it was absolutely necessary, and he was perhaps one of the people Maddie liked the most after Electra and Lupa. "Your sister just pissed off Keira and Bastion." He sighed with an aged look that made him seem hundreds of years older then his four years of life. "She is not your responsibility Thais, you and your sisters all know what is right and wrong, her actions are her own." She told him firmly He nodded and peered around her to see Lupa and Ghan. "This is Lupa and Ghan; do you know where granny is?" Rhiannon asked knowing that they could search the house for a good hour before finding her, Thais for some reason could sense other Ancients where others like herself couldn't. He glanced off, extending his senses searching for his great grandmother; he nodded when he sensed her presence, "Forge." He said softly. "Thais, also Amy's," Rhiannon explained. "Serenity and Thais are calm cubs, Temperance, Serenity's identical sister is the complete opposite of her other siblings." Rhiannon then turned back to the small boy, "Can you tell me when she moves from the forge." Thais nodded and walked off. "Okay let's get to Amy before she goes mental at Temperance." Rhiannon said and willed them to her daughter. Amy jerked up from doing paper work, Wolfgang was perched on her desk playing with a loose lock of straight black hair; he turned to focus his attention on the two men. Electra was seated with Mayhem helping her with some paper work as Maddie played at Electra's feet. Maddie turned and smiled, "Lupa." She said as she jumped to her feet and raced to give him a hug. He hugged her tight and lifted her to sit her on his hip. Her arms went around his neck and she pressed her face to his neck taking a deep breath. He smiled and stroked her face. Amy smiled at him and Maddie. Wolfgang stood and looked at the two men who wanted to join his pack, both were strong Were but he could sense that they wished no harm on his pack by trying to disrupt it. "Welcome," He told them both, "Lupa you have a kin claim in my pack so you have no need to plead your case, you will always be a welcomed member of my pack." He turned to Ghan, "Amy has already pled your case Ghan, and I trust her judgement. You are welcome here but on a condition, you will serve as a body guard until your charge no longer needs you, if you can do this without serious mishap your loyalty will have been proven and a place will be guaranteed in the pack for as long as you want." Ghan bowed accepting the temporary condition of approval, even glad to be able to prove just how much he wanted this; he would be the best bodyguard they had on the payroll. He had heard of some Alphas who would take a new member on condition, and not even offer a permanent position if they completed that trial, that person would stay on trial for the rest of their lives and their position would always be in doubt. Keira ran into the room, "Aunt Amy, Temperance has one of my books and won't give it back." Amy sighed, "Okay, I'll get it for you in a moment." Amy turned to Ghan, "Ghan this is Keira, Keira this is Ghan. He is your body guard." Keira turned to Ghan as he turned to her. She held out her hand for him to shake. He took it and frowned as his senses said human. She smiled, "Sienna and Gillian are my foster parents... they are also Amy and Wolfgang's seconds." He grinned, "Just curious as to why a human needed a Were body guard." Keira frowned and turned to Amy, "Just one?" She knew the body guards worked in pairs. "Ghan is immortal, it was decided that one immortal body guard is equal to two mortal ones." Wolfgang explained. He turned to Ghan, "When we are at the manor or town estate you don't have to watch her as much unless there are strangers present, when you are out and about it is your duty to keep her safe." He said explaining Ghan's duties. "The hotel will bring your things here. Keira show Ghan around, I'll get your book." Amy said addressing the room. Rhiannon grabbed Lupa and followed Keira and Ghan out as Bastion stormed into the room. Lupa followed Rhiannon through the house and out the back to several work areas, one the forge. "TEMPERANCE." Amy's yell reached them from across the manor as they got to the forge. Vivian chuckled as she pulled out a twisted piece of metal she was going to turn into a new practise sword. She turned to her daughter and the man with her. Her breath hitched when her eyes focused on Lupa. Rhiannon backed away leaving them to it. Lupa shifted his weight to another foot, he didn't know how to precede, his basic instincts, the ones he had developed when he lived completely as a wolf, wanted to grab her, tear her clothes from her body and mate her. His higher instincts, those that reasoned and were learnt when he was taught how to be human, wanted to understand what had happened, his previous life memories were hazy, he wanted to make sure that he hadn't hurt Vivian back then. "We..." he hesitated. She put what she was doing down, the triplets' adult practise swords were not important yet. She was tense, she had felt strange when she saw him in that cell, it had been so long since she had last gazed into his eyes and ever since all she had wanted to do was, close the gap between them and wrap her body around his. However, at the same time she was afraid to do so, afraid he would vanish on her again leaving her a broken woman. He rubbed the back of his neck, "I remember you... from before... when I was a warrior." She waited, "You have a beautiful birthmark under your left breast that kind of looks like a dagger." He watched her reaction, he had thought long and hard about what he remembered of that previous life, he hoped that by saying what he had just said she would realise just how much he remembered. "I just want you to know that I remember and I'll do what ever you want." He held his breath and waited. "Did Rhiannon tell you?" She asked hesitantly. He nodded, "I'm her father." He approached slowly but she didn't back away, when he was close, enough he wrapped his arms around her. She melted into his body, she took a deep breath but even his earthy scent hadn't changed. "She's amazing." He told her before he pressed his face to her hair. She dug her head into his shoulder and started to cry, he held her gently against him as she opened up the vault of emotions she had always kept under tight lock and key. He moved and sat on an anvil arranging her on his lap to hold her more comfortably. After his death she had gone a little off the rails, she hadn't even had a chance to come to terms with the love she felt for him before he was suddenly torn from her life. It was only later when she learnt of her pregnancy that she pulled herself out of her depression to be there for the child, it had not been easy on her, to go through a pregnancy without help. When she gave birth to Rhiannon all that depression and anguish had come back as her daughter looked so much like her father. It was Cleopatra who had pulled her back to reality, back to her daughter and she swore that she would never cry for him again, would never let that depression come back. But here he was and she was crying. He gently stroked her hair waiting for her to calm down; when her tears and sobs finally stopped, he noticed that she had cried herself to sleep in his arms. Wolfgang approached quietly, he had gone for a walk to get out of Amy's way and had seen what was happening and he had waited to make sure that everything was okay as Vivian was an important member of his family. Is everything all right? Wolfgang asked silently. Yes. He answered. Come on I'll show you to her room. Wolfgang offered. Lupa nodded and scooped her up into his arms before standing; Wolfgang quickly smothered the coals and walked them back to the house. The part of the house he walked Lupa to was quiet except for a faint murmur of the voices of other Ancients who had permanent rooms here. Wolfgang opened the door to her room and closed it when Lupa had gone through. Lupa walked her to the bed and laid her down. He slipped from her arms and quickly took off her shoes and leather apron. He then kicked off his own shoes and joined her, wrapping her back up in his arms. He sighed as he breathed in her scent, it was the most delightful of scents to him, coal, metal, sweat and under it water, sweet mountain water and rain mixed together. He remembered the name he knew her by, the Lady of the lake... Vivian suits her better, he said to himself. He gently ran his lips against her hair, his heart started to beat faster, his blood singing through his body, racing to pool in his loins. He felt himself start to stiffen. She mumbled and rolled over to hold him, rubbing her face into his chest, she shifted pulling herself up so that her head could nuzzle against his throat. He groaned and squirmed a little beneath her. "Behave..." She told him gently and pulled away, his squirming had woken her. "I've missed you... but we've both changed since then." "Not much." He argued his other half, his true half was tense in his mind, he had his wants and he wanted her NOW. "It's been fifteen hundred years since that time when we were together... I have changed, you have changed." She tried to get out of his arms. He tightened his grip not letting her get away. "Okay... yes we've changed, but what is between us, what drew us together will never change." He used one hand to capture her chin; he leant forward and gently skimmed his lips against hers. She moaned, it had been so long since he had kissed her, had held her in his arms, she leant in to deepen the kiss. He broke the kiss after thoroughly tasting her, her taste was just as he remembered from his previous life. He panted gently. "I don't know how long I will have before my instincts take over, they are urging me to take you now, claim you. I am willing to wait but I already think of you as mine." She nodded as she appreciated that. "Can you tell me about our daughter?" He asked. "What do you want to know?" She asked as she rested her cheek against his chest, the strong beat of his heart was the most comforting thing that she had ever heard. "Everything." He demanded as his hand gently stroking her other cheek. She smiled, "Rhiannon Rae Wild-heart born..." **** Lupa smiled when he found Thais the next day. "Just the little man I was looking for." He said pleased, he knelt before Thais. Thais smiled at Lupa and waited, he was dressed in a pair of shorts, which were maybe a size too big for him and clinched to fit with a belt. A batman shirt was tucked into his shorts and little converse all stars covered his feet. His short black hair stood on end in spikes and his blue eyes danced. "So... I need your help." Lupa begun, "can you find Vivian for me?" He asked. Thais nodded and took Lupa's hand walking off to show him the way. "Do you ever talk?" Lupa asked amused. Thais paused and turned to him, "Sometimes." He answered before he started to move again. "I just don't see much of a point in it; it covers the music of life all around me." He told him seriously before taking a turn and pausing at a door. "Take an umbrella." He warned before he left. Lupa watched the little boy go with a perplexed look on his face; he shook it off and knocked before popping his head in. He smiled when he saw Vivian glance up from a sketchpad. "Hi." He said gently as he walked in. Vivian smiled, she was still a little uncomfortable around him but she was quickly beginning to trust Lupa. "Hello." He thrust his hands into the pockets of his form hugging jeans. "I went running last night after I left you and I found this beautiful secluded little place and I was wondering if you would like to go have a picnic lunch with me." He asked slightly nervous as she could say no and tell him to fuck off after all they had been apart for hundreds of years, and she had a new life now. Bound by Pride Ch. 06 "What's for lunch?" She asked suspiciously. He shrugged, "No idea, Anna and Maria are putting it together for me, Bastion got huffy when I started rummaging and they took over for me to keep him happy." She chuckled, "I honestly believe he's getting more anal by the minute." He shrugged; he didn't really know Bastion well enough to comment. She stood; she willed a bag into her hands and checked to make sure she had enough paper and charcoal sticks to draw. "Okay... let's go pick up the basket and go." He smiled pleased with the way things had gone so far. They left the room and went to the kitchen; a basket was just in the process of being packed with food and drink. Maria and Anna kept casting glances at a clearly annoyed Bastion. "Let me guess, it starts with a T and ends with an E." Vivian said amused. "No... he caught Thais trying to move that priceless vase in the up stairs library." Anna explained. Vivian frowned, "Thais normally doesn't destroy things... he must have been trying to move it for a reason. Maybe to keep Temperance from breaking it." "I'll move it as soon as can if I don't forget." Anna said to herself as she packed the last airtight container into the basket. Maria tucked a heavy rug on top before they closed it up and slid it over to Lupa. "Have a nice lunch." Anna said before she turned back to making lunch for the rest of the hungry horde. Lupa picked up the basket and together they ducked out of the house through the kitchen garden where Maria grew most of the herbs she used for cooking and even some of the vegetables. Lupa reached out and took Vivian's hand as they walked into forest surrounding Wolfgang's home. "So how long will it take to get to this place you found?" She asked amused at the almost youthful act of him taking her hand in his. "About an hour." He answered; they then fell into a comfortable silence for the rest of their trip. When they started to get close to their destination, he started to get excited, the night before he had stumbled across this place completely by accident and had instantly wanted to show it to Vivian. However, he had conceded that going and waking her in the middle of the night after the emotional upheaval she had gone through the other day would be rude. He had then come up with the idea of bringing her out her for a picnic lunch. He smiled at her as he moved a low hanging branch. "Here we are." He told her. She ducked under the branch and walked into the small clearing that was shaded by a massive willow. A small cascade hugged one side and filled a small crystal clear pool, which tapered off to a small brook. "Wow... it's beautiful." She said in awe. He grinned, "Not as beautiful as you." He said. She turned and gave him a look that clearly meant you cannot be serious. "Too corny?" He asked for which she nodded. "Corny or not I think it's true." He joined her in the clearing and set the rug up in the only patch of sunlight to filter through the sweeping branches of the willow. He sat and started to pull out what had been packed, spreading their lunch across the rug. She joined him on the rug and started to open containers, cold roast chicken, everything to make sandwiches including fresh bread. He also opened containers exposing potato salad, coleslaw and fruit salad. Plates, knives and forks were quickly pulled out and they started to eat and chat, learning more about each other. When they had eaten their full they packed up the leftovers and lay down on the rug staring up at the sky. "Vivian," He began when they came to a quiet spot in their chat. She hummed although she felt drowsy. "My memories are fractured of that time, could you... how did we meet?" He said changing the way he wanted to phrase his question; she was silent for several long moments. "If it's too painful..." "No... it's okay." She sighed. "I felt compelled to make a sword early in my life as an Ancient." "Excalibur." He surmised. She sat up and nodded. "Just as I finished the sword I added a protection to it, to keep the king's sword safe. It had to be taken from me, so that it couldn't be used by people who would use the sword for domination. Fate told me to give Excalibur to a medieval tribal king so that he could defeat his enemies and bring stability back to the land. So I went to give him the sword. I walked through his camp and up to him and offered Excalibur to him and told him that with it he would defeat his enemies." She rested her chin on her knees after she brought them up to her chest. "He asked how I could be so sure that this sword would guarantee his victory and I told him it was because Fate told me to make this sword, and Fate told me to give it to you. That Fate wanted him to win and was giving him what he needed to win." She glanced up at the sky. "You were there... I mean... well you get my point." She turned her eyes back to him. He rolled onto his side and watched her carefully not interrupting. "As I was leaving you grabbed me, and asked to walk with me. You wouldn't take no for an answer. A walk that leads to dinner, which led to a moonlit stroll. When I told you I didn't have somewhere to stay, you offered me your tent." She said with a smile. "I asked where you were going to sleep. You smiled and said 'my tent'." He chuckled as it sounded like something he would say. She grinned. "You then walked me into your tent and offered me the bed, before grabbing some blankets and curling up in a corner. In the morning, you took me for a walk and we spent the entire day together, you sweet-talking me. Then we spent that night together, making wild passionate love until the early morning. When I woke you were gone." Her voice broke. She took a deep breath and held out her hand, a crude ancient looking dagger appeared in her hand. "On the pillow was your dagger and a note that read..." "To protect you until I return." He said gently, he remembered that part vividly. She nodded, "But you never did." she glanced skywards to keep her tears at bay as his death was still a very painful thought to her, "I waited and when the men returned they returned with your shield and body tied to your horse, you were dead." She stroked the dagger turning her eyes to it. "I've kept this with me ever since." He sat up and cupped her jaw with his hand. She closed her eyes and leant into his hand, gently rubbing her cheek against his rough hand. "I didn't mean to leave you; I had every intention of returning and making you my wife. Of leaving war and settling down and raising animals." He took a deep breath, "I don't know what happened and I don't think I ever will, and don't think I will ever fully forgive myself for leaving you to face being a single mother." He leant forward and gently kissed her forehead, his hand snaking behind her neck as he moved his lips to hers. He kissed her gently, skimming his lips gently over hers. She leant forward to deepen the kiss and bring more contact between their lips just as it started to pour. They jumped to their feet, grabbed the rug, her bag and basket and raced beneath the willow, its branches were deep and sweeping, and it would take hours before the rain soaked through to them. He growled a little as he suddenly remembered what Thais said. "Damn it... I should have listened to Thais." She chuckled, "What did he say?" "Bring an umbrella." He said grumpily wishing that he had listened to that little boy. She smiled as she watched him sit and cuddled up to him, he wrapped the rug around them both to keep them warm. "Thais doesn't talk much... but when does people should take notice. He sees the future as clearly as I see you sitting here." "I wish I had known that before." She pressed her face to his chest and smiled. "Well even Wolfgang and Amy have trouble believing everything to come out of his mouth." He kissed her forehead. She shifted her body until her back rested against his chest; she opened her bag and pulled out her sketchpad and a stick of charcoal. She started to sketch the little area and wished she had packed something more then just charcoal to capture the beauty of this place. His hands rested on her hips gently sliding under her shirt to stroke her skin. He couldn't help himself; he needed to touch her skin. She took a deep breath as his roughened palm slid gently across her skin. Her nipples hardened as his hand gently explored her side and stomach. She took a deep breath as she felt desire course through her, she just couldn't help it, it was as if her body was tuned to react only to him, his touch his presence. She tried to focus on what she was drawing but knew it was a doomed battle. She groaned when she felt one of his fingertips trace a pattern on her skin. She arched her body back to bring more contact, his lips pressed against her neck as his other hand slid into her shirt. She took a deep breath and suddenly they were in her room, the basket was in the kitchen and the damp rug in the laundry. She grabbed his shirt and tugged it open, sending buttons flying; her lips fastened on his chest as she slid her hands up over his shoulders and pushed his shirt from his body. She moaned slightly as her tongue slid against his skin, damn it... she thought to herself, he even tastes the same. "I thought..." he began to say but quickly decided to shut up as her hands went to his belt. He held his hands out of the way as not to interfere with what she was doing. She pushed his jeans down and pulled his feet out of his shoes before divesting him of his jeans. He watched her every move with a little bit of wonder, he hadn't expected to get here so quickly. "Vivian?" He questioned as she stood. She ran her hands over his chest and ran her fingers through his chest hairs. She glanced up to his eyes, "I don't want to fight this." She told him, "I've lived for a very long time, and for far too long I have lived with a hole in my heart. A hole that was put there the moment you left my life." She moved one of her hands to cup his jaw, "being with you today, it reminded me of that day and how easy it was to love you. I don't want to fight what I know I need to be complete in the first time in ten thousand years." "But..." She smiled gently at him glad that he was willing to take this slowly, "We have the rest of forever to get to know each other. All I know is that I need you so much now." He lurched forward, his control gone, and attacked her lips, his hands caught the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, his lips only leaving hers for a few moments to get her shirt off. He tossed her shirt away and pulled her close, letting his hands roam over her skin and down to her jeans; he grabbed her bottom with both hands lifting her until her legs wrapped around him. He took two steps and together they toppled onto the bed. He growled gently against her lips as he tugged on her belt, snapping it with his strength. He broke from her lips and started to attack her neck with kisses and gentle nips. His hands found her bra and with no finesse, he tugged, snapping the fastenings and flung it away after another tug to snap the straps, his lips teasing the hollow behind her left ear. She moaned as his roughened hands moved to cup her aching breasts; she arched her back bringing more contact, needing more. She couldn't describe the need within her. She thought she would have to get to know this version of the man she loved, she was wrong... oh so wrong. She had wondered once how Rhun could just grab his soul mate and become so entrenched in her life in a few short days, or in Taylor's case mere seconds and she was the one who jumped him. She knew now that she couldn't have helped herself, she needed to be with him no matter what and in the few short days that he had been in the manor he had managed to get exactly where he wanted to be. Under her skin and firmly entrenched in her heart, never to come free. "Lu-" She started to say but was cut off as his lips moved back to claim hers. She squirmed beneath him, needing him to join their bodies, needing his possession. She groaned as she felt him settle between her legs then growled at little in frustration that she was still clothed waist down. His hands went to get rid of her jeans. He was too slow and before he could even reach her jeans they were gone, she had willed them away. He broke the kiss and growled a little in anger, as he had wanted to remove them herself. "Viv......" He started but stilled as her long legs wrapped around him, her feet pressing at his bare behind, urging him forward. He slowly crushed their bodies together, trapping his throbbing erection between their bodies. He shivered for a moment at the sensation of her skin against his sensitive organ. His instincts were roaring at him, he had to close his eyes as he panted trying to rein in his control. She watched him trying to keep control. She stroked his face and raised her body up to bring her lips to his ear. "Claim me." She whispered gently into his ear. He growled as he felt his teeth shift, his instincts coming more to the front, his control slipping. She nipped at his throat, he suddenly jerked away leaving her confused until he grabbed her and flipped her onto her stomach. His hands grabbed her hips and held her firmly as he growled between pants, trying to rein in his desperate need. He jerked her hips up, pressing her face deeper into the mattress as her knees came to rest beside his. His throbbing shaft brushed against her warm heat as she pushed her upper body up to brace her body. He tried to keep his shift minimal but his instincts to claim her were just too strong. He slowly started to ease his throbbing shaft into her moist heat, his control loosening further, his head shifted and his body grew, a thin layer of fur grew on his body but that was where it stopped. She moaned as she felt every inch of him slide within her. When he was fully seated within her, he stilled, his knot was beginning to form but he couldn't stay still, he had to move. He rested his head near her neck as he started to thrust, he moaned into her ear as he felt his knot start to catch. Her eyes rolled up as she arched to meet his demanding thrusts, this was more intense than she remembered. She gasped and tried to pull away as something big tried to force its way within her. He reacted and his teeth were suddenly around her neck, with a growled warning for her not to fight this. He stopped thrusting and held himself tightly to her, slowly stretching her. She squirmed beneath him, trying to relieve the pressure, his teeth tightened, only a breath of pressure from breaking the skin. He moaned as he felt her start to give way to his knot. He kept his pressure firm, sliding millimetre by millimetre of his knot within her. He whined when his knot suddenly slipped within her, she gasped and felt herself clamp down on the intruder as she suddenly climaxed. She felt him rumble against her neck and his grip on her neck loosened then was gone entirely, he licked at her neck as he waited for her to calm down. When she stopped clutching at him, he started to move in short quick jabs, he shifted his arms hooking them around her hips, and he rested his body weight on her shoulders as his hips kept up their frantic rhythm. Her arms trembled as the weight was too much, she was strong enough to meld metal but not strong enough to support them both. Her arms folded and her face and shoulders were pressed into the mattress. Her change in position changed the angle of his thrusts, rubbing against new areas. "Fuck..." she swore as her thighs trembled, she turned her head into the pillow and cried out as she came again. He didn't stop this time to let her recover, in fact he sped his thrusts feeling his own moment of bliss approach. He turned his head searching out with his lips for the perfect place to bite her. To mar her skin with his teeth, claiming her body as his own. He found the junction where her shoulder met her neck and got his teeth in position for that all important bite. She was trapped between the need to stop his thrusts in her over sensitized body to wanting them with a vengeance, she tilted her head further aside, giving him more access to her neck. Her body tensed as she felt another climax building within her, he snorted as he felt his balls tingle. He bit down the moment she came and let fly with his climax. She cried out as he moaned, as her blood filled his mouth and his seed filled her womb, his knot acting as nature designed and keeping his seed firmly within her as it kept surging up his shaft. After several long minutes, he finally released his bite and licked at the wounds, cleaning and sealing them to prevent infection. He carefully moved them both onto their sides and let his body shift back into human form; his member however didn't it remained the same and remained firmly tied to her. He nibbled at her ear as his arms snaked around her. He smiled and gently entered her mind, Thankyou love of my life. He told her silently. For what? She asked sleepily. For letting me back into your life. He explained. Like I could leave you out of it. You are my life. She told him as she turned and kissed him. He smiled against her lips. How long will we be tied like this? She asked. He shrugged, Depends on whether or not I disengage or choose to keep making love. She went still, more, he had to be kidding. She thought to herself then moaned as she felt his hips flex and start to move again. He chuckled, More... honey... this is just the beginning of forever. He told her as he started to move more demandingly against her. **** Mayhem felt a little out of place in the gathering, she wasn't a member of the family or even a friend of the happy couple. Electra stood next to her, with Maddie holding her hand as she glanced around her eyes wide and her head tilted back so that she could look up at the Nephalim and S'ephalim who had come for Tarval and Alanna's wedding. Mather stood next to Michelle pleased and honoured that Tarval had invited him to the mating; he was hoping that now that Alanna and Tarval were bound, the future he had seen glimpses of would become more definite. He knew it was still some years off, that the real change would not happen until Alanna came to live in Sogol for a couple of hundred years, she would go to Sogol while she was pregnant with their first child. He could see that future more and more clearly, Santaurs and Da'Vaila as equals, with equal status and freedom. Moreover, it will all be because of Alanna, she was the instrument of that change and he was looking forward to it. Tarval waited impatiently for Alanna to come, afraid that she would change her mind and leave him there without her. He was dressed elegantly in his full dress armour. Dominic stood beside him with a big smile, Tarval had been his best man at his own wedding, and it had only been natural that he stand next to man who raised him for his own wedding. Michelle and her husband were seated next to other friends of Tarval's who had insisted in being here. Electra leant over to whisper in Mayhem's ear. "As long as you live with us you are classed as family." Mayhem felt a sudden surge of heat flood her body, her cat urging on her body's natural response. Electra's scent washed over her heightening the liquid heat racing through her body. Her cat was wriggling in her mind, wanting to rub its face all over her body, laying her scent down thick and staking her claim. She tensed slightly as she realised what her cat wanted, what it needed, it had found its mate and was tuning her body to react to everything that was Electra. "Why are you so tense... relax... all you have to do is watch." Electra had seen her tense but didn't know the reason behind it. It annoyed her a little that Electra hadn't noticed her scent, that she was completely unaware or if she was aware that she was completely ignoring her beast. Bound by Pride Ch. 06 Mayhem took a deep breath and tried to relax. Rhiannon glanced over and her eyes locked with Mayhem's. She tried to remember back to her lessons on Ancients and what they were capable of but nothing came to her. She watched as Rhiannon grinned but as others were all staring past her, she turned to see Alanna walk towards them. Amy stopped her at the beginning of the long walk as everyone stood. She nodded to Bastion who pressed play. Amy had wanted music for the walk something that summed up Alanna and Tarval, something that could be theirs as a couple. She had suddenly remembered the best song, a song that had come out while she was in college, the first time she played it, it sent shivers down her spine; the song was almost written for these two. A piano started to fill the air. "Remember those walls I built Well, baby they're tumbling down And they didn't even put up a fight They didn't even make a sound I found a way to let you in But I never really had a doubt Standing in the light of your halo I got my angel now," Tears filled Alanna's eyes as they words struck answering cords in her soul, Amy and Wolfgang each took an elbow and started to slowly walk her forward. "It's like I've been awakened Every rule I had you breakin' It's the risk that I'm takin' I ain't never gonna shut you out Everywhere I'm looking now I'm surrounded by your embrace Baby I can see your halo You know you're my saving grace You're everything I need and more It's written all over your face Baby I feel your halo Pray it won't fade away I can feel your Halo... halo..." Tarval was captivated as Alanna walked towards him, she was dressed simply in a black slip dress that hung from her right shoulder, leaving her left shoulder free and hugged her body in all the right places. She walked slowly down the small aisle made by the chairs flanked by her parents. Her eyes were focused completely on him. She silently thanked the fates for bringing him into her life everyday she woke and realised everything hadn't been a dream. Tarval was in awe, he thought she had looked magnificent in her armour, or even in the dress, she had worn at her birthday party but that was nothing compared to what he saw now. It was a simple black dress, nothing that would have been claimed as being too stunning, but on her... he couldn't describe it, he didn't know how to. All he knew was that he wanted to grab her and kiss her until time ended; he now understood the compulsion of some men who wanted to lock their women up in towers. That's what he wanted to do now, take her back to Sogol, build a tower just to keep her safe and away from others. Alanna finally made it to him just as the music stopped. He wrapped her up in his arms and kissed her. The elder standing before them cleared her throat as everyone chuckled. They broke apart. "You are meant to kiss at the end," she complained playfully. Wolfgang sat as Amy took her place next to Alanna acting as her maid of honour. Alanna took her place next to Tarval as he knelt. Amy watched carefully, she had yet to see a simple binding ceremony; she hadn't gone to Sienna and Gillian's ceremony, as she hadn't known about it, so she was fascinated. "We are here today to bind Alanna Sophia Luis to Tarval White Feather." The elder declared even though it was unnecessary since everyone knew why they were here. She removed the length of cloth that covered the two waist-lets and would be used to link the two items for the binding. Waist-lets were the Were version of wedding rings and were always matched pairs. One was a delicate rope chain made from white gold with pieces of onyx and small emeralds worked into the chain or hanging from it. Like her parents' it was designed as a lasso as to allow her shifted body, however there was no knot at the end, instead there was a cleverly crafted feather made from white gold and onyx. The other was wider, sturdier, made from gold without stones, and at the end of the lasso was a wolf's paw print. Tarval was helped from his armour, he hadn't understood the point in getting all dressed up only to have to strip down to his mail trousers but Amy had explained that was simply how they do it, she then countered that he could go naked if he wanted, as that too was acceptable, he had quickly declined. He was still not comfortable with Alanna stripping naked every time she wanted to shift but was getting over it as she had told him that nakedness wasn't something that Were thought about, it was simply apart of their lives unless they wanted to have to shop for clothes constantly. Alanna smiled at him as the elder connected a fine piece of cloth, torn from the cloth, which covered them, to both waist-lets. The female Elder lifted his and approached him. She reached around him, needed a hand, as her hands couldn't reach around his waist, and pulling the coil of gold to join just below his navel she clipped the loop closed just above the wolf paw and reached for a knife. She nicked his skin just over his collarbone letting one side of the blade be coated in his blood as she held it in the wound. She then touched the bloody dagger to the waist-let and it glowed gently as she whispered the spell to bind it to him. She picked up the other waist-let and wrapped it around Alanna's waist. She clipped the loop closed around the long length of chain, which would allow the chain to slide through when she shifted since she was immortal and was much bigger in her shifted form then when she was in human form. She then reached for the dagger. Like with Tarval she cut Alanna's collarbone, letting the unbloodied edge coat with her blood before touching it to her waist-let, again, it glowed as the elder bound it to Alanna. As an after thought, she lifted the dagger to the torque that Tarval gave her, and that Alanna always wore and pressed the very tip to it, letting the combined blood touch the gold, it glowed as she again whispered the binding spell. The hinging lock that Tarval had used to place the torque around her neck fused and the metal took on an almost magnetic quality towards Alanna's skin. The elder removed the dagger and smiled softly at her handy work for a moment before she lifted the cord that bound the two waist-lets together, "Mates till death as is our way." "We are mates." They chorused. Energy coursed down the cord, which she released before the two points of light touched. They both took deep breaths as they felt their minds being bound together more firmly than Alanna's bite had done. Tarval now knew her every thought, her every dream, her most recent and important one to them both was a miniature version of him, a child, their child, cradled in her arms. Amy was only slightly disappointed, there was nothing different between the simple and the Alpha ceremonies, the only thing that was lacking here were the challenges and public mating. However, she was pleased that her daughter who had chosen to lock herself away was now firmly tied to another, that she had found love. The elder stepped back and allowed Michelle to take her spot. Michelle smiled at them both but allowed them time to come to terms with their mental bond and everything it entailed. When their focus shifted from each other, Tarval stood and she began. "Tarval I need a feather." Tarval smiled, "I found the perfect one a few weeks ago." He opened his left wing and reached in, he had marked the feather with a piece of string; he found the right feather, took a deep breath and pulled it free. He winced but kept the cry of pain from leaving his throat and smiled when he realised he had managed to pull out only the one feather, a sign of luck and prosperity to their union, and even greater luck that it was the feather he had picked the moment he saw it. The core of the long feather was white with black sides and a white tip. Michelle smiled and waited for him to hand her the feather. Tarval took a deep breath, "with this feather I pledge my love, my heart, my soul and my sword to Alanna." He offered the feather to Michelle who smiled and turned to Alanna, she had explained the ceremony to Alanna last night. She didn't need to do or say anything, Tarval would pledge his love, his heart and soul to her as well as his sword. The sword was the important part of the pledge, it meant he pledged to protect her above all else, even if it meant disobeying an order. His life was pledged to his lord, if he had one, but his sword was always pledged to his mate. She stepped over to Alanna and braided his feather into her hair above her left ear, as she did this she whispered a spell that would bind the feather to her, Alanna had never noticed the feathers in other mated women's hair but then she rarely saw them with their hair out. Alanna gasped as she felt something enter her scalp, the feather had rooted itself into head. Michelle stepped back one hand on both Tarval's and Alanna's shoulder. "May your love be as strong in a thousand years as it is today." She stepped back releasing them. "Now you kiss." Tarval chuckled and wrapped her up in his arms. She smiled as she melted into his arms. He leant down and kissed her slowly, deeply stealing her breath away and making her entire body ache for him to claim her. Everyone stood and clapped. Sage rolled her eyes. "Can we eat now?" She complained, like anyone of her age she was completely uninterested in finding a mate and completely bored with those who had one already. Amy chuckled and approached the happy couple. They broke when they felt people press around them, he wrapping protective arms around her. She glanced up to him and he smiled. "You have made me the happiest man alive." he told her, she smiled and pressed her lips to his chest. "Come on everyone is hungry." Wolfgang coaxed as the smells from the cooking food had wafted over on the breeze before and during the ceremony, he could hear many rumbling tummies, his being one of them. They both sighed, as they knew their obligations, Amy made his discarded armour vanish as everyone walked towards the manor, chatting and laughing. Michelle stopped Alanna, and Amy paused with them. Michelle reached out and touched the feather; she traced it back to where it joined her body. "Fascinating, that happened when Brianna and Dominic were bound." She said to herself. "What?" Amy asked. "Tarval's feather has taken root in Alanna's body." Michelle explained. Amy reached up and felt where the feather had embedded itself in Alanna, when she was done feeling where the feather joined Alanna's skin she tucked the long wide feather behind her ear. "What does it mean?" Alanna asked. Michelle shrugged, "Nobody knows." Amy went inside. Alanna smiled and followed her in. Everyone had already taken their seats ready to eat but they waited for Alanna and Tarval to sit before they started. The elder had them sign their wedding certificate and told them that if they got a matching torque made for Tarval, to inform her and she would bind it to him, she then went to get some of the witnesses to add their own scribbles before she left to lodge the forms. "Hurry up you're going to need your strength." Sage teased. Alanna gave her the finger as she sat. Sage blew her a kiss. No one expected the newly weds to stick around for long and they didn't, spending only enough time to eat something. Tarval had her over his shoulder and out of that room in record time and back in their room in moments. He threw her down on the bed and grabbed her dress, he didn't care about the cost of the elegant dress, he needed her, and he pulled and tore it open. His mouth watered as his eyes focused on her naked sex; if he had known she was, naked beneath the dress he didn't think he would have been able to stand still long enough for the ceremony. He reached further up and tugged again exposing her chest to his hungry eyes, he leant down and sucked a hardened nipple into his mouth, and her fingers took root in his hair. His hands kept tugging at the cloth he wanted her naked... NOW. His teeth nibbled gently, she hadn't liked the feeling of his teeth near her nipples to begin with but she had quickly learnt to love and need his teeth playfully biting her. He pulled the last of the dress away and tossed it to the floor; he ran a hand gently down her body, marvelling at the fact that this tanned goddess was his. His eyes feasted on what was below him, firm handfuls of flesh that were her breasts, which lead to her flat stomach that hinted a six-pack; flaring hips, then down to her sex. His eyes didn't notice the scars that marred the perfection of her soft skin, they would fade with time, the only time he saw the scars was when he looked at her back, and he blamed himself for what had happened to her. She sat up and started to tug on the knots that held the mail trousers up; he stepped back from the bed to give her more room. She gave up on the knots for a moment and leant down to remove his boots. His eyes focused on her back, he noticeably shook, she glanced up, she sighed and sat up ignoring his shoes, she had managed to undo them now all he had to do was step out of them. "I thought we had gone over this... you are not at fault for someone else's actions." She stood and faced him waiting. "I know... it just makes me angry, that some one I know hurt you." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her gently, running his fingers through her silky hair. His fingers finding his feather in her hair, he broke his kiss and brought the handful of hair and his feather to his nose to breathe in her scent. She smiled and slid from his arms. She walked over to a drawer in a dresser and opened it, she removed a dagger and approached him, and he watched her carefully wondering what was going on in her head. He mentally slapped himself, he could reach into her mind now and find out what is going on, he reached for the link that bound them just as Alanna forced him back, his shoes flung off as he landed on the bed. Her actions disrupted his thought processes; he opened his eyes in time to see her gently run the dagger against his rock hard stomach before trailing it down to the knots he had used to hold his pants up. She sliced the knots open then tossed the dagger away; it landed with a resounding thud in dresser she had removed it from. She pushed his pants down exposing his loincloth; she removed the pants quickly then set to work with his loincloth removing it in near record time for her. He was already rock hard and weeping his desire. He panted as he watched her wondering about what she was going to do; she grabbed one of his feathers, with a tug she plucked it. "Shit..." He exclaimed, he had managed keep from crying out when he had plucked his own feather, but he had been prepared for it. "Do you know how much that hurts?" He glared at her as he waited for her to respond. "Almost as much as getting my bikini line waxed?" She asked innocently, "As much as giving birth?" She taunted. She licked the blood from the feathers root then gently ran the feather against his shaft. His eyes went wide as she did it again; she used the very tip to trace a vein as she worked her way up his shaft. She flicked the feather across the head of his shaft, his hips jerked and he swore. She smiled pleased with the reaction and went back down to the root before slowly working her way up, over and over again she used his own feather to tease his sensitive flesh. He swore and fisted the sheets as she ran the feather up the underside of him paying the most attention to place just behind the head of his shaft. "Ala..." He tried to warn her as he felt his seed boil up; he swelled further, his body jerked as she continued her assault with the feather. "Goddess," he breathed as he exploded. She smiled as she was sprayed with his seed, when he was finished she sat back pleased with herself, started to scoop up his seed with her fingers, and licked them clean. It took him several long moments to recover. He pushed himself up, "I will never look at a feather the same way." He breathed. She chuckled and swirled the feather over him. He groaned as he felt himself stiffen again, "Are you trying to kill me?" He asked. "With pleasure? I didn't think that was possible." She smiled and leant over, breathing her warm breath against him, he growled gently as she pulled away. "We could always try." She ran the feather up his thigh, the muscles shifted beneath the path of the feather. He couldn't take it any more. He reached forward and grabbed the wrist of the hand that held the feather, he plucked the feather from her fingers and tossed it away, he made a mental note to find it later and use it on her. He tried to pull her forward but she was easily a match for him physically. He frowned, she had never fought him before, "What do you want?" He asked, a huskiness to his voice, he hoped that she wanted to play some more as he had never seen her so playful in her bedroom antics. "I want..." She glanced up wondering what she wanted. Her wolf came forward and pictured him over her kneeling form, slamming his body into hers as he sunk his teeth into her shoulder. She blinked and turned to him. "I want you to take me as a wolf would take his mate." He frowned wondering what she meant, she rolled onto her hands and knees and waited and he understood. He got up and moved behind her, and she quivered when she felt him press against her. His eyes focused on the criss-cross pattern of scars that lined her back, he leant down and licked her spine from bottom to neck, and then he feathered kisses all over her shoulders and back. He used one hand to steady himself and the other to hold her hips. He nudged her legs further apart to ease his access to her, his questing fingers meeting her wet core, playing with him had made her hot and very wet. The hand he held her hip with hooked around her waist as he pressed against her; she moaned as he closed his eyes, he loved the noises she made when he made love to her. He lifted her a little as he thrust forward lodging the head of his shaft within her. "Don't hold back..." She panted; she wanted him to claim her, to take her strongly. He frowned feeling conflicted, he had always been gentle with her, not wanting to trigger bad memories yet here she was asking for his possession, begging for it. "Please... you won't hurt me." She begged. He growled and started to thrust demandingly into her body, she gasped and he almost faltered until he heard her moan. He breathed into her neck as he pounded into her willing flesh. Her moaning and panting egged him on. He felt her start to tense as her first climax racked through her body, he sunk his teeth into her shoulder as she cried out, he didn't stop he just kept going, her body pressing back against his every thrust. He released his bite and pressed his lips to her neck. She wished she could sink her teeth into him but she was content with the sensation of him moving within her. He felt his own release approaching, he held off as he continued to move, he had a sudden thought and used their link to allow them to experience each other's climaxes. Her eyes went wide as she felt what he was feeling; it was a strange mixture, feeling not only her own reactions but his as well. She reached down and started to stroke her self. He groaned as he felt the added sensation joined the mix. He felt like he was ready to explode but she wasn't ready just yet. After a few more minutes of frantic movements, they both cried out as they came powerfully. Her eyes opened wide as she felt the duel sensation of his seed filling her and him releasing into her, it was a pleasantly weird combination. She felt her arms and legs give out on her, he knew it was coming so he went down with her not wanting to slide free of her warm confines just yet. He panted and leant down to kiss and nibble at her neck. She sighed as he released the bond letting them become two again. He felt himself soften so he slid free and rolled her onto her back. He kissed her passionately then moved away to search out that feather. He scooped up the feather and approached. She was drifting in and out of sleep; he crawled up to her and rested beside her. Bound by Pride Ch. 06 He leant down to whisper in her ear, "Payback." he said softly as he circled her nipple with the feather. She gasped and her eyes snapped open. He smiled as the feather stroked down her body to tease the hairs of her curly delta, she quivered slightly wishing that she hadn't given him the idea but was also thrilled by it. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Foot note: the song mentioned in this chapter is by Beyonce and is called Halo. Bound by Pride Ch. 07 Author's note: All characters and companies mentioned in this story have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone or anything bearing the same name or names. Events portrayed in this story are pure invention and have not been based on any events that have happen in real life. All the characters involved in any sexual acts if their ages are not mentioned before hand; are over 18 years of age. Enjoy. Hi everyone, Yay new chapter and sorry about the delay, life does like to throw spanners. Sadly there are only two chapters to Bound by Pride left but don't worry, Guarded Hearts (Maria's story) is ready and awaiting editing. As normal all feedback is welcome and a big thankyou always goes to my editor, who manages to find the time to edit even if it means cutting into her sleep time. Have fun A week later Mayhem jerked awake and glanced around a little disorientated, Electra yawned and rolled onto her stomach, she shuffled until she was closer to her mate. When she was close enough she rested her face against Electra's shoulder and wrapped an arm around her body. She pressed her face to Electra's back and took a deep breath, letting her scent saturate her mind, calming both her mind and her cats'. "Bad dream?" Electra asked sleepily as she knew Mayhem was awake. "Yes." Electra nodded and stretched. "What time is it?" Mayhem glanced to the clock, "A little before midnight." Electra pushed herself up and grabbed her visor cramming it onto her face. "Come on, lets go for a run." Mayhem was up and right behind her, putting her own visor on before Electra opened the door and they left the room. They meet Bastion in the hallway. "Going for a run." Bastion asked. They both nodded. "Amy and Wolfgang are out there as is almost everyone else, Anna and I are staying back to watch the cubs." They smiled, Electra popped into Maddie's room, she was asleep on a mattress next to the door, the furthest she could be away from Electra when she tried to sleep. Electra gave her a gentle shake; she woke and yawned. "Want to go for a run?" Electra asked knowing that Maddie loved to spend, as much time as she could in her were form. Maddie yawned again and shook her head putting it back down to sleep. Electra kissed her temple and quietly left the room, partially closing the door behind her. "Didn't she want to run?" Mayhem asked. "No she's interested in sleep," Electra answered, "race you," she taunted and ran off with Mayhem following behind her as they raced down stairs and outside. They stripped, leaving their clothes in neat piles. Electra put her visor on top and took a deep breath. Her wolf surged forward filling her body as it shifted. Mayhem shifted beside her. Electra stretched as she finished shifting. Mayhem stretched for a moment then pounced on Electra, they wrestled for a few moments until Ghan joined them, nipping at their rumps to get them to move on. They broke apart and ran into the forest with Ghan hot on their heels. Mayhem felt joy, she couldn't remember running free anymore, yet here she was, free and safe and it was all because of the wolf beside her. She felt a body slam into her side; she turned and growled at Sage a paw ready to swipe at her. Sage lifted a paw playfully; she hadn't meant to startle Mayhem. Mayhem growled playfully and retracted her claws to bat at Sage. Sage sneezed in amusement before throwing herself at Mayhem in a playful tussle. Electra and Ghan watched their playful game with silent smiles. Amy and Wolfgang joined them, as did Shia in his panther form. Mayhem and Sage continued to wrestle playfully. Are we going to play or are we going to hunt. Wolfgang asked as he scratched at an itch. Mayhem and Sage came apart. Mayhem's ears went down as Wolfgang's power as an Alpha washed over her, it was so powerful it even managed to drown out her own power as an Alpha and made her want to cower before him. It had been so long since she had been in a pack or pride situation, she had forgotten everything she had been taught as a child but she remembered one thing, don't piss off the Alpha. In the pride she would have just tried to make herself get as low as possible to the ground, but packs were different they showed their belly in submission. She crouched down making herself as low to the ground as possible then on second thoughts she rolled over to show her belly and throat, hoping he wouldn't attack her like her father had a tendency to do at the drop of a hat. She quivered waiting for him to do something. Amy approached and rubbed her face against Mayhem's body trying to calm her down. You are scaring her Wolfgang turn it off. Amy demanded. Oops sorry. He apologised, he forgot that it was natural for him to exude his Alpha influence when he shifted and that it affected other Alphas more deeply than lower ranked Were. As an Alpha they had un-learnt the behaviours taught to them as children, they were confident and used to being in control, having that stripped away left them vulnerable and completely confused as to what they were meant to do. Amy purred as she rubbed her face against Mayhem's. Relax Mayhem, he would never attack you without a real cause and even then, it would be more of a cuff than actual harm. It's not in him to hurt a woman... unless it's Jessa... she deserves everything that happens to her. She ended with a growl. Everyone chuckled, no one understood why Jessa still had it out for Amy, she just did. Amy started to groom Mayhem until she calmed down; the rough repetitive actions of Amy's tongue quickly had her relaxed and purring. Let's just run, Amy suggested and everyone agreed. Mayhem got her feet beneath her and they ran off. Amy, Mayhem, Shia and Sage fell back, as Wolfgang, Alanna, Electra and Ghan surged forward, wolves could run for hours, days even; large cats however were not built for that; they could run quite fast but not for any long period of time. Amy looked up and climbed the nearest tree, Mayhem stopped to sharpen her claws on the nearest tree. Sage stretched her wings, which she loved but didn't get to do often, as she was likely to knock people out, unlike when she was with her kind, where they looked out for wings. Amy yawned as she rested her body on a sturdy branch. Mayhem found a nice patch of leaves and rolled onto her back as Sage found a nice flat rock and lay down. Shia found another sturdy branch in a different tree; he lay down and rubbed his face against the branch. Wolfgang walked into the little area they were in a few hours later, he panted and glanced around. Goddess of the moon you are a lazy bunch. Amy growled as he had woken her from a delightful nap, We are not wolves, we are cats... we hunt... we sleep... we groom... that's it. Besides, Mayhem joined in as she yawned, this IS my idea of a good night. She growled as she stretched her body to prove a point. Amen, Sage seconded her view as she stretched her front legs out and changed position. Electra joined them in the clearing having followed her father and flopped down next to Mayhem, she rested her head on Mayhem's body and sighed as it felt right to be with Mayhem like this. Alanna went and lay down next to Sage and rested her head across Sage's neck. Wolfgang wished he could roll his eyes in this form but he couldn't, he walked up to the tree Amy was in. Ghan was nowhere to be seen having decided to go off an explore on his own when Wolfgang decided it was time to find his mate. Get down here. He demanded playfully. Amy sighed and got up but instead of climbing down the tree, she jumped and landed on top of him. HEY... He started to protest but was suddenly cut off by her paw playfully swatting him across the face. He growled and lunged only to get another playful swat for his effort. Everyone laughed and Shia laughed so hard he nearly fell from the branch he was draped over, becoming the object of amusement as Sage jeered him for his un-gracefulness. He growled and went to pounce on her. They all jerked and went still as they heard the gentle fall of booted feet against leaf litter. They listened for long moments, trying to figure out what who the intruders were. Twenty... Amy enlightened them. Heavily armed too... Who on earth would be stupid enough to attack pack land. Shia asked. Better yet what are they after it's not like we have money here? Sage asked, everyone agreed with her. Amy thought, focusing on what she knew so far, heavily armed men, probably mercenaries who knew sweet fuck all about Were. Who had hired them, what they after were and if they were after a person it could be any one of them in the clearing. Let's head back and regroup. She suggested. Wolfgang howled loudly to call out to those who were still out playing in the night, his voice holding a note of warning as he gave the order to regroup at the manor. They all raced back to get back the manor in order to organise both an offence and defence before the intruders got too close. Within fifteen minutes, they were back at the manor. Lupa stood with Vivian, Guinevere, Cleopatra, Mryddin and Rhiannon waiting for them, Lupa having heard the howl and knowing what it meant had warned the others. People are approaching the manor, they are heavily armed. Lupa growled and shifted as Bastion put out a summons. Every Were close enough to the manor would front up for a fight. Electra shifted and squinted as she grabbed the phone; she dialled her boss and quickly informed him of what was happening. Ghan ran in followed by other bodyguards, they shifted into their hybrid forms and went to go and guard their charges. Anna grabbed Bastion's master keys. "I'll take the cubs to the box." She told them as she ran up the stairs with Ghan and several others following her. The cubs were waiting, Thais had Maddie's hand and Keira was holding Temperance with Serenity between the older girls. Amy cursed as she hissed and spat, she didn't like the thought of her children in danger. "Amy anyone in this room could be the focus of this." Rhiannon said as she buckled her sword to her waist, correctly guessing her daughter's anger. "They are going to be in for a rude shock. I think we should turn the lights off and pretend we've turned in for the night." Anna don't forget to put half the guards in the box and half outside. Amy reminded her. Okay this is what we're going to do... she started to explain her plan. **** Amy rolled her eyes at the intruders' stupidity. It was dawn by the time the men finally decided to attack, giving them over four hours to plan their own attack, and smuggle in the more than fifty Were - thirty of them enforcers - who had managed to reach the manor. Are these men crazy or stupid? Wolfgang asked Amy. Do they know we have six ancients in this house? He said, referring to the fact that no one could sneak up on Ancients. The moment Amy heard them was the moment both she and Vivian had sensed them, even if they had been silent in their approach, they would not have fooled Amy for long. Vivian's senses were pushed out to a comfortable range of three miles; Amy, because she was still 'young' in comparison to Vivian, had a range of one to two miles, but at that range, she could trust her ears just as much as she could trust her senses. They watched through darkened windows as the men approached carefully. They just cut the landlines, silly fools, we have satellite phones. Sage informed everyone. What do you see Sage? Amy asked, Sage had become their scout again, wheeling over their heads with Mryddin keeping her hidden with a simple illusion. Twenty-five men, heavily armed, A-K-47's mainly, handguns and shotguns, they have grenades... Grenades... why grenades... I hate grenades, Wolfgang whined, he had grown a big dislike for the weapon on August the 3rd. Bastion's growl was low and deadly, If so much as one of those things go off in this house I will murder the lot of them. Amy snorted in amusement; she pressed her paw over her snout to keep the sound quiet. Can I finish? Sage demanded, everyone went silent. All are humans and they are wearing Kevlar and what appears to be chain mail of some sort. They have split into two groups, one is scaling the walls, they will enter through the up stairs library. The others are coming through the front door. Come back now Sage. Wolfgang demanded, Or you'll miss the fun. He added with a slightly evil edge to his voice. Mayhem quivered next to Electra, Electra turned and licked her face, Just stick with me, I won't let them hurt you or take you. Mayhem rubbed her face against Electra's, she was truly frightened, this place was meant to be safe but now there was danger. Rhiannon, Tarval, Vivian, Guinevere, Cleopatra, it's your job to keep a few of them alive for questioning. Amy informed them. Now everyone remember, they are intruding, under the law we have the right to kill. If you scratch, kill them we don't need them coming at us in full fury. Everyone agreed with her sentiment, Bastion especially as a fury crazed Were could wreak havoc on the house, it would take him weeks to right that kind of damage! Amy turned as the window creaked open near her, she padded silently into position. Get ready... here it comes. * Amy shifted back into human form, she wiped the blood from her face and spat, the men had put up little resistance and what they did was little more than a nuisance that will piss Bastion off. The priceless vase that had survived the cubs; including Temperance's repeated attempts of destruction, had been shot to pieces in the first hail of bullets. She was a little miffed when she remembered that Thais had been caught trying to move it but had not warned them of the attack. She walked out of the room leaving the bodies where they had fallen. Sound off. She demanded, within moments she learned that Mayhem was missing. Sage, Tarval, in the air now, find her. She was obeyed at once. She raced out of the room, Wolfgang sniffing around to pick up Mayhem's scent. "Everyone stand still." Vivian ordered, she then sat and focused, stretching her senses out to their full range. Her mind brushed Sage and Tarval who were sweeping in a grid pattern to ensure nothing was missed. She opened her eyes and they went to Electra. "She's in a cave about a mile and a half from here." Vivian told them. "I know where, I'll go." Electra raced down the stairs just as her boss walked into the grand entrance hall. He blushed as she ran pass him naked. His eyes jerked up stairs but that was no better a view, with almost twenty naked men and women up the stairs. He jerked his head to the wall and waited for them to get dressed. * Electra panted as she approached the cave. She pushed her snout to the leaf litter and picked up Mayhem's scent. She approached the small cave and heard a throaty warning growl. She whimpered and got down until her body was on the ground; she crept forward, knowing she had to take this very slowly. Mayhem's growl got louder and more menacing, she was going to attack whoever was encroaching on her hiding place. She wasn't thinking rationally, when the attack came she snapped, she couldn't... wouldn't go back to being a slave. She ran but since she wasn't all that fit her mad dash away had resulted in only getting to this cave, she crawled in and waited, resolved to fight now that she was backed into a corner. Electra paused and waited, hoping her scent would wash over Mayhem and she would know that she wasn't out to hurt her. Mayhem's growl didn't abate; she was too wound up to think coherently. Electra whined, she wanted to comfort Mayhem, but she also didn't want to make her worse. Mayhem... it's me Electra; she tried to reason with her. Mayhem came from nowhere, all fangs, claws and fury. She bowled Electra over and went for the kill. Electra shifted back into her human form moments before Mayhem's teeth found her flesh, she waited for the bite, the sick crunching of teeth against living bone. She tried to keep the cry of pain from escaping her lips but failed as Mayhem's teeth tore through her right shoulder, she felt her wolf wanting to strike back but Electra shoved her back, Mayhem didn't need a brawl, she needed comfort. Mayhem shook her head tearing Electra open further and breaking more bones in the process. Her claws dug deep into the soft body beneath her, the weight of her body from simply placing her paws were breaking more bones. Amy and Wolfgang ran up to them, they paused for a moment to digest what they were witnessing. Wolfgang went to tear Mayhem from his daughter. Amy stilled him and shook her head, hoping that Mayhem would calm down now that she had sunk her teeth into something. She sent a mental command to get Nathanael back to the manor and to get the box ready. Electra lifted her arms and wrapped them around Mayhem pulling her closer, into a hug. Mayhem snarled and released her shoulder and went for Electra's neck. Wolfgang glanced to Amy, begging silently with his eyes, for her to let him break this up. Again, she shook her head; Electra didn't want them to interfere just yet. Both winced as they watched Mayhem's teeth wrap around Electra's neck and sink in. Mayhem went to shake just a moment after Electra locked her arms and legs around her. The sickening snap of Electra's neck echoed in everyone's ears. Wolfgang gave Amy an imploring look, tears streaming down his face in complete unison with his wife's, like her he couldn't stand to see any of his children getting hurt, could he stop her now. Amy nodded, what Electra had tried to do had failed. He sighed in relief and they both approached quickly. He grabbed Mayhem's scruff and pulled her head away, Amy used her hands to pry Mayhem's teeth loose using as little force as possible; she was strong enough to shatter Mayhem's jaw if she wasn't careful. Others had come by this time, Tarval and Alanna helped Wolfgang restrain Mayhem. Nathanael knelt and was fumbling in his bag, he pulled out a monster syringe and filled it with a sedative, before he approached and stabbed the needle into Mayhem's neck, emptying it into her before pulling it free. He pulled away and went to Electra, her eyes locked with his, it was all she could do, she couldn't breathe because her neck was broken therefore she couldn't speak aloud. Amy tore off the long sleeves of her blouse and used one to steam the flow of Electra's thigh wound, she sighed and pulled the rest of her blouse off and screwed it up using it to help with the pressure. Sage helped slide a spinal board under Electra's body. "I need to get her back to the clinic; I have to set her bones before they heal wrong. If they heal wrong I have to re-break them causing her more pain." He explained quickly as Electra was tied to the spinal board. Amy and Sage lifted her up and carried her back to the manor and into the clinic. Amy wiped her bloody hands on her jeans then sighed as she realised she had ruined yet another pair of jeans. She went to a sink and washed her hands knowing Nathanael would need her help on the bones which had already set. Director Farrington went pale as he walked into the room and watched Amy carefully re-break the neck fracture; Nathanael's hands took over for Amy as he used his gift to make sure he positioned the head and neck right. When he was happy Amy slid a collar onto her then used a strap to fix her head in place to the board. They ignored her bleeding wounds, they were irrelevant, it wasn't as if she could bleed to death, setting her bones was the priority. They worked methodically, re-breaking bones which were fusing wrong, Electra was happy she couldn't move anything below her neck, it meant she couldn't feel them breaking her bones, she could only hear them being broken and the grinding noises as they were moved back into place. Bound by Pride Ch. 07 No one understood much about immortal healing rates; it varied so much depending on the situation. If Electra was still fighting her body would have fixed her neck, letting her to continue to fight even if her bones were broken. However, since she wasn't fighting then her body waited for the damage to stop, and then it would heal. One thing however was known, they had set her neck first but her body had not yet repaired the damage, it was waiting for something. When the last bone was set, they moved to her other wounds. Wolfgang raced in, it had taken twelve people to move Mayhem and get her into the box. "What can I do?" he panted as he raced to the sink to wash his hands. "Look at her thigh and see if the artery has ascended." Nathanael ordered. Wolfgang nodded and started to fumble the knots. Sage pushed his fumbling fingers aside and cut the bloody sleeve from her leg wound. She used the scalpel to slice the wound open further. She had extensive emergency medic training, a prerequisite for anyone who made war their life. "My hands are smaller, I'll look... you assist." She told him as she dug her hand into the wound searching for the severed artery; she focused for several moments, before her questing fingers caught what she was looking for. "Got it." She declared and carefully pulled it back, Wolfgang quickly clamping it to keep it from going back when she released it. I'm glad I can't feel this. Electra told everyone who was working on her. Sage snorted as her fingers went the other way searching for the other part of the artery. "Nathanael I have both parts of the artery, but my stitches aren't fine enough for this." She said as she pulled the other half of the artery out with Wolfgang again quickly clamping it. He nodded and moved to her leaving Amy to finish stitching Electra's neck back together before resetting the collar. Sage moved on to tend to other deep claw marks, she was careful to flush all grit from the wounds before she stitched. * Two hours later, they walked out of the clinic. Dave was pacing outside the clinic, his clothes had been haphazardly thrown on the moment he found out Electra had been hurt. He ran frustrated fingers through his short hair. His boss had called and told him what happened to Electra before a different call had taken him away. "I can't leave her alone for more than a week and she gets into trouble." He ranted as he paced. "She'll be fine... in three days." Nathanael told the room as others were waiting to hear about Electra. "Now, I'm going to steal a room. NO ONE wake me." He pointed and glared around the room when he said the last bit. Sage clapped Dave on the back, "Come on I'll show you a room, no point getting all worked up over..." The floor shook beneath them. "The sedative wore off." She turned to her parents, "can the box take immortal rage." Amy and Wolfgang turned to each other and shrugged. Amy sighed, "I will go and attempt to reason with her." She walked down the stairs into the basement. She walked along the hallway and to the steel reinforced door that led to the box. Just as she was approaching, the door there was a hollow thump and the door shuddered. Amy closed her eyes and focused, she would have to force her to shift back, to slap one of the other minds into the front. She reached into Mayhem's chaotic thoughts, grabbed her human side, and yanked her forward. She listened carefully for the snap and crunches of a shift. When Amy heard nothing but the laboured panting of an exhausted human, she opened the locks and walked into the room, struggling with the door for a moment as it had warped a little. Mayhem was looking around the partially destroyed room and at her blood coated body, she glanced nervously to Amy. "Who..." Amy shook her head, "You didn't hurt anyone who won't recover and who wasn't already Were." Mayhem sighed, relieved but she still wanted to know who had been hurt, "who?" "E..." Mayhem started to panic, there was only one person Amy could mean, Electra, she had hurt Electra and by the look of her body she hadn't fought back or even tried to stop her. "Control yourself..." Amy waited for Mayhem to calm down, when she did she continued, "She's fine... in three days all her bones will be fixed and we can let her go from the clinic." Mayhem curled up into a ball and started to rock. Amy crawled over to her and wrapped Mayhem up in her arms. "She's already forgiven you." Amy whispered into her ear. "How..." tears filled her eyes, "after everything she has done for me." Mayhem sobbed, Amy held her and let her cry. "Electra snapped shortly after she was freed, she attacked her own mother, who was just trying to help, she knew the moment you went to attack that she couldn't fight back, better for you to take out your fear and anger on her then anyone else." She explained when Mayhem had calmed a little. "How bad?" Mayhem wanted to know. "Mayhem, she's immortal she can't just die and she'll heal from everything you gave her." "But I hurt her." "Better her than some innocent human." Amy reasoned. Mayhem didn't know if that was right, Electra was just as innocent as any human was. Amy's hand reached up and touched her temple, "Sleep." Amy commanded, normally she wouldn't do this but Mayhem was tired and emotional, she needed to rest. Mayhem suddenly couldn't keep her eyes open and in moments, she was asleep. Wolfgang leant against the wall, Amy tossed him the keys, lock us in please. Amy she is not your charge. He complained. She is Electra's, how will she react if we left Mayhem in the box all by herself with the guilt of what she has done. He conceded to that. You know I don't like to sleep without you. She sighed she knew, Get the cubs to crawl into bed with you. He nodded and closed the door, cursing a little, as it wouldn't close properly without a little kick before throwing the external locks home, the lights went off throwing the room into darkness. **** Wolfgang hovered as Electra walked slowly out of the clinic three days later, her body still ached but it was healed enough for her to move back to her own bed. "I wish you would just let me carry you." He complained. "I can walk." She growled as she got to the stairs, sighing as she looked up she had enough trouble moving on a flat surface. "I can walk but stairs are beyond me." He smiled and scooped her up to carry her up the stairs. "Where's Mayhem, I haven't seen her in days?" She asked as he started up the stairs. He didn't answer at first, he paused on the stairs. "She refused to leave the box when she recovered her senses." He turned them around and walked back down, knowing she would want to go to her charge. He walked around to the stairs that led to the basement, in minutes he was out side the box, its damaged door was open but Mayhem refused to leave. He put Electra back on her feet. She walked slowly into the room and over to Mayhem. She sat carefully and pulled Mayhem into her arms. Mayhem was stiff in her arms, Electra didn't care she just stroked her back and waited. "I'm..." "Stop..." Electra cut in. "You have nothing to apologise for." "But I..." "You were scared and no one will hold what happened against you, not after everything you've been through." Electra told her as she rubbed a tense muscle. "I will." "Why... what good will it do to beat yourself up over something you had no control over." Electra asked. "It would make me feel better." She tried to pull out of Electra's arm. Electra tightened her grip. "No it won't, trust me... it will eat at you and eat at you just like Ghost. It will destroy you just like it did him." She kissed Mayhem's white hair. "Don't let something you had no control over destroy your life now that you finally have a chance to live it." Mayhem knew who Electra was talking about, his story was as infamous and well known as Lupa's, an Immortal who refused to live a normal were life. "I don't want to be like him." She said softly. "Then forgive yourself, I have." Electra moved her head to rub her face against Mayhem's hair. "But how could I not have recognised you, attack you, and nearly kill you." Electra chuckled, "Nearly... Mayhem if it weren't for the fact that I am immortal I would be dead." Mayhem tensed. Electra brushed her lips against Mayhem's jaw. "But I am immortal so it doesn't matter." Mayhem closed her eyes in pleasure as Electra ran her nose against her jaw, she wondered if Electra was doing it deliberately to calm her or if it was just subconscious comfort that Electra was offering. "Come on, my room is more comfortable and I want my bed." Mayhem nodded and slowly pulled away from Electra. She helped Electra to her feet and from the room. **** Amy walked into Electra's room to check on things, they had left them alone for the afternoon and evening to let Electra work on Mayhem's guilt, Amy's eyes shifted so that she wouldn't have to turn on a light and disturb their sleep. Electra and Mayhem were curled up around each other; Electra's lips were almost fused to Mayhem's bare shoulder. She watched them carefully, tasting the emotions, which surrounded the sleeping pair, she could sense love and affection even a little desire. She snorted and left the room, closing the door quietly; she walked along the hallway and scooped up Thais. "What are you doing up and about? You should have been in bed half an hour ago." She gently chastised him. He smiled innocently at his mother. "Blue moon." She smiled, "Blue moon or not, you should be in bed." She opened the door to his room and walked him to his bed. She tucked him in and sat on his bed next to him, she knew that the moment she turned in he would be outside, normally snagging someone to go with him. "Okay compromise, stay in bed." She told him and went to the heavy drapes, flinging them open exposing the night's sky and the second full moon of the month. Thais sighed and rolled onto his side to watch the sky. "Remember, you have a busy day tomorrow..." He nodded. "Pre-school interview." She smiled and kissed his temple then left the room. Strong arms wrapped around her and lips pressed against her neck. Trying to escape again? Wolfgang asked, Thais had a bad habit of escaping out into the forest to watch the night's sky, normally they didn't mind so much as he normally grabbed someone to go with him but tomorrow was a big day for the triplets, they had an interview at a mixed preschool Amy wanted them to attend. So he had to stay in bed. Yep, tonight's a blue moon. He chuckled and scooped her up, whisking her away to their love nest. He gently placed her upon the bed and watched her for several moments. I've missed you; our bed seems big and empty without you. He crawled on top of her and attacked her neck with gentle bites and kisses. She groaned, Checked on Mayhem and Electra after I popped my head in on Maddie, she told him as she tugged his shirt off. He growled gently as her nails gently ran against his skin, grazing his nipples as she went. It took him a moment to respond. And? He started to attack the buttons of her blouse his lips feasting on her neck. And... sooner or later they are going to become mates. He paused in surprise; he pushed himself up to watch her face. How? Vivian's been showing me how to tap into residual emotional climates. He groaned, wasn't it bad enough she could read minds and sense emotions as they happened but residual emotions, now he would never be able to keep something from her. Okay... but why do you think they'll be mates; Mayhem has only just come out of a really bad situation... She chuckled and rubbed her face against his chest hairs. For the same reason you knew we were destined. He growled gently and gave up the pretences of removing her clothes, he tore her blouse open scattering her buttons in all directions, he remembered what had made him know they were meant to be, that intense connection, the attraction and the lust. He undid the front clasp of her bra ignoring her blouse and buried his head into her chest, his hands then moved to her jeans. He wanted her naked now, or at least naked enough for him to make love to her. He pulled away from her for a moment to shuck her out of her jeans, her panties quickly followed. In a bit of a hurry. She asked. Four nights of sex to catch up on, he told her as he undid his jeans and pushed them and his boxers down. She chuckled and wormed her way to the middle of the king sized bed, I don't think I've ever seen you quite so frantic. He growled at her as he pounced, he landed on top of her and pinned her to the bed, anchoring her wrists with one of his hands. She arched her head back offering her throat to him, the ultimate act of submission to a wolf. So... where are the handcuffs. She asked, humour colouring her voice. He paused for a moment, trying to remember what she was going on about. Suddenly he remembered, the day he tried to turn her he promised to return to the idea of tying her up and taking her willing body. He pressed his face to her neck and growled suggestively, wanting badly to control the sudden throbbing in his loins. He had fantasies of tying her up spread eagle on her belly, pinning her beneath his weight with her unable to do anything but take his demanding thrusts and moan. I gave up on handcuffs years ago, silk ties... that's what I want to use to tie you up. Get naked I'll be right back. He jumped to his feet and crawled under the bed, reaching for something. She grinned and took off what remained of her clothes. She took off her engagement and wedding ring, clipping them onto the hidden loop on the figure of eight at the end of her collar. Her fingers ran over the waist-let and the hearts attached to it. He pulled out a heavily locked box and ran his fingers over it, opening it as it would only open for him. He grabbed a hand full of black silk strips from the box, inside were other things, like a blind fold and several toys, he had been prepared for anything when she became his, not knowing how long their love lives would be so hot and heavy. He would never get enough of her but he understood that spice would help keep things interesting, not that they needed it. He stood and smiled at the love of his existence. In the middle on your stomach. He demanded, she arched a beautifully sculptured eyebrow but complied with his demand. He tied her wrists to the headboard then pulled her down to give her no room to move. He tied her ankles to posts, spreading her legs wide open and smiled at his handy work, he had several strips left over but he was content and didn't want to push her too far too soon, the other things he wanted to do could wait for later. He crawled up between her legs and licked her firmly, tasting her arousal. He groaned, she still tasted as sweet to him today as the first time he had tasted her. She was dripping in readiness; he gently pressed his weight to her body, pressing her deeply into the mattress. He growled in her ear, who do you belong to, he asked as he slammed forward, staking claim to her body. YOU. She cried out at the sudden intrusion, it wasn't painful; it was delightful pleasure as if he was coming home. She panted and waited. "I didn't hear you?" He whispered into her ear. "You, I belong to you, now and forever." She said humouring him; he knew they belonged to each other he just wanted to hear her say it in the throws of sex. He smiled and started to pump into her, drawing cries and moans from her, which was music to his ears. His teeth sunk into her shoulder hard enough to draw blood. She moaned in frustration, she wanted to move to add to their pleasure but this prone position prevented that, all she could do was feel his staff slide in and out of her striking all bar one of her pleasure spots. "Please..." She begged wanting more, needing more then the delightful friction caused by his staff entering and withdrawing from her body. Her fists clinched and she went to pull on the silk to snap it, she could easily do it. "If you do that I will use the manacles and the loops I had set into the floor." He threatened gently into her ear before he bit it. She relaxed her arms, "Please... I need..." He chuckled and started to pump harder, breaking her train of thought and causing her to moan. He groaned as she rippled around him, she was paying him back by flexing and releasing her pelvic muscles. He growled and moved one of his hands to cup her sex. His fingers finding her pleasure button and applying the gentlest of touches, teasing her with a hint of what she wanted but never actually giving it to her. "You tease." She panted, a fine layer of sweat appearing on her skin. Her markings pulsed almost erratically, over the years he had noticed that her markings sometimes reflected her emotions, or at least when she was feeling something intensely, like at the moment, sexual desire and need. She felt her beast claw it's way to the surface, she tried to hold it back but her cat was having none of that, she chastised her human for getting caught in this predicament, helpless and at the whim of her mate. Her skin tingled as the shift began. He growled as the silk ties snapped, freeing her. He shifted with her, his teeth gripping her shoulder as his knot started to form. He growled and forced it in causing her to yowl, her claws dug into the mattress; she bared her teeth as the last of her changes took place. She growled and forced herself back against him, his clawed hands grabbed her hips so that he could pull her against him as he thrust. He felt his climax building and he groaned, he didn't want this to end so soon but he knew it was inevitable with her moist heat gripping him like a vice. She growled, her tail twitching as her climax built to the point of no return. Her growl quickly turned to a roar as her body exploded in climax. He felt her ripple around him and howled as his seed surged out of him and into his mate. He held her tightly to his body as his seed surged up into her. He panted against her back as he waited for his body and mind to come back together. A few minutes later, they moved to a different section of the bed and curled up together. Wow... maybe we should try celibacy every now and again if that is the result. She suggested. Maybe... but I still prefer making love to you for hours... He licked at her neck and jaw as neither had changed back into their human forms. She started to purr as his hands stroked her body. He nibbled at her neck as he started to move again. Round two. He told her as he rolled them over so that she was beneath him. She groaned, as his thrusts grew stronger. Bastion is going to kill me. She commented as she dug her claws into the mattress beneath her. He chuckled in her mind before he focused completely on making his mate incredibly happy. **** Dave followed his boss into the manor, he was not impressed about being dragged in while he was on leave but his boss had given him no choice, Amy and Wolfgang had yet to release the surviving men who had attacked the manor in their custody. He had returned home when he had assured himself that Electra was recovering and not in danger. Bastion intercepted them. "Can I help you?" "Yes, Electra, where is she?" Director Farrington asked. "She is resting." Bastion explained. "Get her please..." Dave stepped forward, "I'll go, I know where her room is." Bastion stopped him. "Not a recommended action, go in there and you could very well end up on a slab." Bastion walked off shaking his head; he honestly wondered how Electra worked with Dave. He got to their door and unlocked it. He opened the door and paused, Electra and Mayhem were softly kissing as if experimenting. He cleared his throat; they broke apart and turned to him. Electra... Bound by Pride Ch. 07 She started it. She defended. She just got out of a really bad situation, do not mistake the hero worship she has for you to be real sexual attraction. He cautioned. She smells too good... I... Bastion rolled his eyes. So... she's your mate but take it slow. "Dave and your Director are here and your Director looks pissed." Electra groaned and got out of bed, she dressed quickly and threw her visor on before following Bastion out. She moved carefully as her body complained slightly. She stopped before her boss and partner. "Yes?" "We need you to talk your parents into handing over the surviving men." Director Farrington explained. Electra sighed, "I can't make any promises, under the law they are under no obligation to hand them over to you." She walked down a hall gesturing them to follow. She walked into the greater library, Amy and Wolfgang were sitting at their desks taking care of business whether it be pack, company or political she didn't know. They glanced up and stopped what they were doing. Electra shrugged apologetically, "The men ma... where are they?" "In the cells." She answered. "Why haven't you handed them over to the FBI?" Electra asked as she sat. "Because we don't have to..." "Senator..." Director Farrington stepped forward. "I know you don't have to but if we are to help you get to the bottom of this we need to talk to them." Amy grinned a little in amusement, "I never said you couldn't talk to them, I told you I would not release them into your custody." Electra snorted as she quickly came to understand what her mother meant. "Boss, you are free to talk to them, print them and do what ever you want... but she won't let you take them from pack land." "Why not?" He demanded. "They trespassed with intent to attack... while they are on pack land they are classed as hostile... we can do what ever we need to get information from them." Electra answered. It took Director Farrington several moments to comprehend but eventually he did. "If they try to escape or someone attempts to free them we can kill those trying to aid them... they are better off here than in some prison." Amy added, she stood and gestured for them to follow. "We haven't questioned them yet, we had Nathanael tend to their wounds and we've been feeding them but we've been leaving them alone, except for the occasional howling out side their cells." Her phone rang, she leant over her desk and hit the speaker, "Amy speaking and you're on speaker." "Amy its Tye, Darrel's gone, he has vanished into thin air. We went to pick him up after we heard about the attack on your home but he wasn't there." He explained. "Find him... if he was behind the attack on my home, he and his heir will lose their precious Ambush." Wolfgang grabbed her before she could slam the headset down and break the phone. "Let's go and ask some questions..." Wolfgang told her as he replaced the receiver. He then turned to Electra, "Go back to bed." Electra nodded. "Do you want me to tell Mayhem?" Amy sighed, "Either way she needs to know, it might be easier if you tell her. Alanna..." Alanna stood as did Tarval, "Can you call Jesse and tell him what happened also call Shia and Langdon and see if they will help us out." Alanna nodded and went to her mother's desk and pulled the rolodex and phone to her. She started to flick through the names and numbers of everyone in a position of power in the world. Her mother was well connected which meant she could smooth over bad relations and problems easily. "Amy..." Tarval said as he stepped forward, "I am versed in the art of getting information, would you like some help. Amy nodded. "Although personally all I think they need is an up close and personal with my teeth." Dave chuckled, he could imagine the fear these men would go through if they saw her teeth up close, it had frightened the crap out of him the first time he had met Electra in her hybrid form up close. It still gave him the chills but he knew better now, she wouldn't hurt him unless he was out to hurt her. But they wouldn't know that. **** Electra checked on Maddie first before going back to sleep, Nathanael had told her to rest for three days after he released her from the clinic. Rhiannon was with Maddie teaching her to read and write, she seemed to gobble her lessons up learning something once she was shown it. Rhiannon had taken it upon herself to teach Maddie and bring her up to the same stage her year mates were at. Maddie glanced up and smiled. "Just seeing how you're going before I go back to bed." Rhiannon smiled, Electra hadn't thought she would be a mother so soon but she had taken to it well almost as if, it was second nature to her. "Okay, great grandma is taking me through Were and other history volume one." Maddie said her voice was soft, hesitant, she had only started talking recently and even then, she didn't say much. "Good, if you need something you know where to find me." Electra told her. Maddie nodded and turned back to the book before her. Electra went back to her room and crawled into bed. She tried to pull her pillow out of Mayhem's clutching arms. She complained but released the pillow; she opened her eyes and moved closer to Electra. What was that about? She asked silently as she yawned. "My boss wanted to talk to the men who survived the attack." She explained. "And he thought by using you he would be able to get through your mother." She surmised. "Yep..." Mayhem moved even closer, resting her head on Electra's chest. She finally felt content, her beast was content, it knew this woman was her mate but it also knew that they had to grow into their relationship, although it was Mayhem who had started kissing Electra this morning she knew that mating her would be a while off. "I also need to tell you something." Electra added. Mayhem moved her head to watch Electra's face. "Some of the Alpha's went to arrest your father a few hours ago but he wasn't there." Mayhem tensed. "That's not all; when the Alpha's learnt of the attack and that the men responsible were mercenaries they reasoned it was because Darrel wanted you out of the way and no were was mad enough to go after someone protected by Amy and Wolfgang." Mayhem went to pull away; Electra tightened her arms and pulled her back. "You are safe here, ma's upped security and the Alpha's are hunting him down, if he is behind this he will be killed, if his 'false' heir was aware of it he too will lose his life." "What will happen to the Ambush?" Mayhem asked. "I don't know." **** Tarval grabbed a few things that he would need as Lupa dragged the team leader from his cell. It had been pure luck that Sage hadn't killed him during the attack, the fool had tried to plug her full of bullets but she had kept coming as most of his bullets missed her moving form and in his fear he bolted. She knocked his legs out from under him; he fell to the ground and knocked himself out. Tarval paused before the door and took off his shirt exposing his well-built body. He quickly wrapped a bandage around one hand making sure it was thickest over his knuckles. He grabbed the other bandage and walked in. The man jumped slightly in shock as he watched Tarval walk into the light. Tarval slowly started to put the bandage on his other hand. His eyes didn't meet the man's; he just slowly wound the bandage on. "Okay, here's how it is." he said softly adding just the right amount of malice in his voice to make the man shiver. He glanced up and noticed that Lupa had done as he had asked and tied the man's hands behind his back and anchored his wrists to the loop in the floor. "I'm going to ask you a question," Tarval continued as he started to finish off wrapping his hand tucking the tail into the bandage. "and you better answer honestly." He cracked his knuckles and formed his large hands into large fists, making his meaning clear, wrong answer or no answer meant that he would get an intimate introduction to those large fists. "Who sent you?" Tarval asked straight away, not bothering with pleasantries. He shook his head, not answering. Tarval chuckled with sinister intent, "I've been wanting to do this all day." He stepped forward and clinched his fist before cocking his arm back, he had not liked his beloved being in danger and now he got a chance to let that frustration work to their benefit. He then let his arm fly; the man flinched turning his head away from the blow he knew was coming to his face. Tarval changed the angle of his swing at the last moment, bringing his fist down to connect just above the man's knee. Tarval would never use a face hit, he would knock the man out and then would never get information they needed. The man tried to stifle his yell of pain but it still escaped between his teeth. It had felt like a sledgehammer had been used against his body not this man's fist. Tarval wrapped his hand around his leg digging his thumb into the already abused flesh and squeezed. The man cried out and tried to buck away but Tarval's grip was like iron. He loosened his grip slightly, "Who sent you?" He asked before slowly increasing the pressure. He personally was getting no joy from this; he was not like his heartless kind who tortured their own men just to make them stronger. He was pretending to enjoy himself to bluff the man into talking before he resorted to the more... painful methods of torture he knew. This man didn't know it but Tarval was actually going easy on him. The man cried out as the pressure became unbearable. Tarval decided to add to what he was doing by regaling this man as to what Gephalim were famous for. "I doubt that you've heard of my kind, I'm Gephalim, a war monger, we live for fighting, and have made inflicting pain onto others an art form." He released his grip and stepped back. "I know all kinds of things, all different ways to make you talk, see I could use the pa'lat method, which some of my kind have made into a true art. See what I'll do is I'll use pain to begin with, make you hurt in ways you never knew your body could hurt. Then I will give you pleasure, unbearable pleasure, over and over again I will bring you to the brink only to deny you. Until it becomes so painful, you will tell me anything I wish to know, even the things I don't. Just to make it stop." He rubbed his knuckles and smiled coldly at the man who quivered in fear. "Who... sent... you..." he asked slowly drawing each word out, "Give me a reason to turn my kind's abilities onto you, to listen to you scream, I know a man who could work so well that the people he worked on screamed the sweetest of melodies I had ever heard." He felt his stomach start to rebel, he hoped that he wouldn't have to back up any of his threats. "Who sent you?" He asked and readied his next blow. "Gunner... Darrel Gunner, I swear." he said quickly, there was no amount of money in the world that he would accept to be the plaything of this man. "What were your orders?" Tarval asked calmly, knowing this man was broken and would answer every question he posed without hesitation or lying. "Storm the house and take out a white tiger." He explained, "He told us it would be easy money, bring him the head and we would get four million to spilt. He didn't tell us the house would be full of immortals, and not once did we see a white tiger, the closest we got was that winged snow leopard." "Was there anyone else in on this?" Tarval asked. "Yes a young man, didn't catch his name." Tarval nodded and started taking off his bandages. "Just so you know... I wasn't actually going to do any of those things to you. Also, you can try to bring charges against me but you'll fail as you were on pack land, you attacked pack land so that leaves you without a leg to stand on. The FBI are going to take you and you will be charged for what ever they see fit to charge you with." He turned and left the room. He closed the door behind him and paused for a moment before he turned to Amy, guilt clearly on his face. "Now I have to go and explain all that to Alanna." "She'll understand." Amy told him. "Besides you didn't do much, you basically scared the man into telling us what we needed to know." He frowned, "Still while I was explaining about what my people are... I have never wished so hard that I wasn't Gephalim." He went to walk off. Amy grabbed his arm and turned him back, "But then you wouldn't be the man she fell in love with. I'm sure she understands what you did here was necessary and I'm sure she knows that you didn't enjoy that. Give her credit Tarval we all do things we wish we hadn't but did because it was for a good reason." He nodded and picked up his shirt before leaving. Bound by Pride Ch. 08 Author's note: All characters and companies mentioned in this story have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone or anything bearing the same name or names. Events portrayed in this story are pure invention and have not been based on any events that have happen in real life. All the characters involved in any sexual acts if their ages are not mentioned before hand; are over 18 years of age. Enjoy. Hi New chapter, yay, the next one might not be as fast coming, as the last chapter of Bound by Pride it is a long one but the next story, Guarded Hearts, is just waiting to be edited so there shouldn't be too much of a delay. I hope you enjoy this chapter, remember all feedback is welcome. Thaks goes to all the people who have sent feedback or messages and if I haven't gotten back to you I am sorry. Also big thanks goes out to my editor... again she has been neglecting her sleep to get this chapter out. Have fun Bound by Pride Ch. 08 Sage bowed her head, "No fighting in any form." She answered. He glared at them, "And the reason for that rule?" He prompted. "To protect Keira." Sage answered again. "I started it." Mayhem said trying to take the heat off Sage. Sage's head jerked up and she glared at Mayhem. "No she didn't I started it." Wolfgang turned to Sage, he didn't believe that Mayhem had started the fight, she just wasn't strong enough at the moment, it would have been something Sage would have done. "Why?" Sage went red as she remembered why she had attacked Mayhem. She had been stretching her legs and wings and had seen Mayhem and Electra in the clearing, had seen Mayhem use her will to try to force her sister. "Sage..." Wolfgang growled beginning to lose his patience. "I went for a run and..." She glanced to her mother for a moment then back to her father. I saw Mayhem using Alpha influence on Electra to force her to mate. She continued silently and for his mind only. Wolfgang tensed a little and nodded to her. "Go get dressed and clean this mess up." He told her then grabbed Mayhem's upper arm, we need to talk. He marched off and she was forced to follow. While that was happening Amy and Ghan had used their belts to constrict the flow of blood from the deep gashes on Keira's arms, keeping her arms held high to reduce blood loss. Bastion picked her up using his mind, letting her hover in the air. They walked briskly towards the clinic. "Thais call Nathanael. Tell him it's an emergency." Amy told him. "Already done, did it ten minutes ago when I saw it happen." He said as he trotted after them to keep up. "If you saw it ten minutes ago why didn't you stop this from happening?" Amy asked, Thais's visions were getting stronger as he got older, he was already more powerful than Becky was and she had been considered to be the strongest seer in over six hundred years. He was considered stronger because unlike Becky or the other seers who had to let the visions come to them, he could focus and see what ever he wished. "The fates didn't give me the option to change the event, either way she is meant to be Were, but they would prefer her being Were this way." He explained which was probably the longest anyone had heard him talk at once in some time. "What do you mean?" Amy asked as she glanced back. Thais shrugged he didn't know. "Who struck first, Mayhem or Sage?" Ghan asked as they got Keira into the clinic and onto the table. "Looked to me like they struck at the same time. Even odds as to what she'll be, Snow Leopard or White Tiger." Amy answered casting a quick glance at her son who just gave her his adorable 'innocent' look. Thais knew the answer but he wasn't going to tell them, they wouldn't believe him until they saw it for themselves. He went and got an IV stand then sat back and waited for Nathanael to come in. Nathanael walked in moments later grabbing the stand and moving it over to the table. "What happened?" Nathanael asked as he took off his coat and tossed it into Thais's open arms. "Mayhem and Sage were fighting, Keira walked into the middle of it." Amy explained. "Who did this?" He asked as he carefully removed the shirt, which was covering one of the wounds. "They both did... I think Sage got her left arm and Mayhem got her right." Amy answered. He hummed as he studied the deep gashes quickly, "Not a lot of blood loss..." he mused to himself. "We got to her moments after it happened." Ghan answered. Nathanael nodded, "So... how long ago." "Five minutes." Ghan answered again. Nathanael thought for several moments. "Long enough for the antibodies in her blood to start changing." He raced over to a cupboard and pulled out a kit and a syringe. He returned quickly and prepped a site on her leg, as the blood was further from the wounds so would give him a more accurate result. He drew the blood and quickly preformed a test, which would tell him what type of blood he had to give her. Were had the same blood types, A, B, AB, ABO and O as humans did but had different types of antibodies which prevented them from getting blood from humans and vice-versa as their bodies would instantly reject the blood and go into shock. The presence of those same antibodies in Were blood also depended on the species of were as each species had their own series of antibodies. A tiger's blood for example could not be given to any other species but to other tigers. However, it could be transfused as a last resort to another of the cat species. It made transfusing Were blood a lot more difficult than it was to transfuse humans. Sienna and Gillian raced into the room and to their foster-daughter, Sienna racing straight to Keira and cradled Keira's head in her hands. "Shit." Nathanael cursed. "What?" Amy asked. "There are no clear Were antibodies yet, I don't know what to transfuse her with," he explained to Amy. "So you can't replace the cells or the plasma without causing her body to react." Amy concluded. He nodded. "We can't wait until her blood changes, we have to start working and hope she doesn't lose too much blood in the process." He started to work quickly on her right arm making sure that the wounds were flushed and that none of the veins in her arm were damaged, stitching if they were, before he started to stitch the gashes closed. Her right arm was easy to fix, the blow had been glancing and not very deep, the damage minimal. Her left arm wasn't so lucky, the wounds were deep, and down to the bone in many places, tendons, muscles, nerves and veins, all needed some form of repair. Nathanael tried to work as fast as he could on her left arm but as he needed to see where the veins were nicked to stitch them they had to loosen the constriction to clean the blood away to see where the blood was coming from before stitching. Normally he would rely on his power but her body was currently going through a drastic change, which was all his power was picking up. However, her blood was flowing far too fast for him to stem all the damaged blood vessels before the blood loss, if it continued, would kill her. Amy tightened the belt at Nathanael's look before Keira lost too much blood. "Try typing her again." She told him. He quickly washed his hands and redid the type test. It took a couple of moments but he finally had a result. "She has Maddie's blood type, I don't have any of that on hand so I'm going to have to get Maddie in here." "Can't you substitute some one else's blood, Maddie isn't strong enough to lose blood in a transfusion." Amy asked. He frowned as he thought about it. "She's got a rare antigen and she's got AB neg blood, I can't give her any other blood types." "We have AB neg in the fridge is having that exact antigen so important." Amy asked. "Yes. Her body is already going through one change she doesn't need her body reacting to a transfusion." Nathanael turned to Thais, "Go get Maddie here quickly." "Ren..." He responded. "Serenity is too young." Nathanael answered although he had to admit that both Serenity and Temperance were also both matches but he wouldn't use them unless all other options were exhausted. Serenity also was a better choice as she didn't have an irrational fear of needles like Temperance did. "But she is healthier than Maddie; her blood is stronger than Maddie's." Thais countered with a stubborn look. Nathanael rolled his eyes. "Fine get your sister in here." He conceded, he knew that Thais had obviously seen something and knew something that he didn't. The fact he changed his comment to stronger reminded him that Maddie was still recovering and would be for a while, she was even less suitable for a transfusion then Serenity was. Serenity suddenly appeared next to Nathanael completely calm, as she knew what was needed. Gillian picked her up as Nathanael went about getting the tools he needed and sat her down on a table that he pushed closer. "Gillian I am going to have limited time so I am going to need you to monitor this and do exactly what I want you to." Gillian nodded and prepared himself for what was about to happen. Bound by Pride Ch. 08 Mayhem rolled to her hands and knees and crawled carefully off the bed it took her several moments once she was off the bed to completely ignore her naked mate and her need for her. They searched but could find no exposed wires or anything that would have shocked Electra. Mayhem walked into Electra's arms and tilted her head up, as Electra was slightly taller than she was, bringing their lips to meet was. As the passion grew Electra jerked away, again as she was shocked but this time it had come from Mayhem's lips. Electra studied Mayhem for a moment then gently reached out with her index finger to Mayhem's lip. A small bolt of electricity shot from Mayhem's lip to Electra's finger moments before her finger touched her. She jerked her finger back and Mayhem covered her mouth. "We know your ability now, now turn it off so we can get back to what we were doing." Electra told her. Mayhem blushed and closed her eyes, in her mind she saw a switch, which was in the on position, she flicked it off then opened her eyes and reached out to touch Electra. No electricity sparked from her hand to Electra's body. Electra reached out and pulled her close, kissing her deeply as they tumbled back onto the bed. Electra took her time, building Mayhem's passion, finding again the spots she had found before and exploiting them. Her fingers ran down Mayhem's legs then back up again finding a ticklish spot behind her knee. Mayhem zapped her in warning and Electra left the spot alone. Her lips made a slow descent down Mayhem's body to her curly delta. Mayhem was panting and wiggling her hips, her hands starting to push Electra to where she wanted her. Electra blew on her folds, causing Mayhem's thighs to quiver. She then leant in and sucked on the outer lips. Mayhem groaned and let her legs slide as far open as they would go, parting herself for her soon to be mate. Soon Electra's tongue was tracing the contours of her sex, exploring what made Mayhem wild. Her tongue flicked Mayhem's clit and her hips jerked in reaction. "Please," Mayhem begged, she didn't want to be teased any further. Electra smiled pleased with herself as she drank in her mates' juices, it was addictive to her, having the scent and taste of her soul mate all around her. She swirled her tongue around the hard numb before she wrapped her tongue around it. She slid a hand up and found Mayhem's opening, she probed it gently just in case Mayhem didn't want that just yet. There was no complaint so Electra slid her finger into the warm welcoming depths. Mayhem's back arched off the bed and she yowled as her body clamped down on that finger, refusing to release it from its depths. She came powerfully almost drowning Electra with her juices. Electra didn't waste a single drop licking it all up; when she was done, she finally managed to draw her finger from Mayhem's depths. She rested her chin on Mayhem's pelvis and watched as Mayhem shivered and panted, a small smile touched her lips. She hadn't thought that making love could be so easy, so instinctual to someone like her who had been used. She also didn't think she would have been so good at it. Mayhem tangled a hand in Electra's hair and tugged on it feebly, wanting to cuddle and kiss her. Electra obliged and crawled up her mate kissing a path as she went. Mayhem kissed Electra greedily when Electra finally made it back; licking her own juices from Electra's face, she wondered what Electra would taste like. She hooked one hand around Electra's neck to keep her still, her other hand found her hip then traced the muscles as her hand slid between Electra's legs. Dripping heat met her questing fingers, quickly coating them, she pulled her hand away and Electra groaned into Mayhem's mouth. Mayhem broke the kiss and sucked the coated fingers into her mouth; her eyes closed in pleasure as her mate's taste exploded on her tongue making her crave more of the juices and more sex, much more sex. Her fingers left the confines of her mouth with a sucking noise. "Do you have a surrogate?" Mayhem asked seriously. Electra quivered as she nodded. "Since we're doing this lets do it properly." She explained. "But... you don't have a surrogate." Electra said a quiver of desire clearly in her throat. "I'll get Jesse on it in the morning." Mayhem told her, "I want to be bound to you, I don't care how." Electra took a big shaky breath and got off Mayhem and the bed. She walked over to her wardrobe and pulled a locked box from the top shelf. She walked back to the bed and ran her fingers across the locks opening them as she sat. She lifted the lid and pulled out the wrapped surrogate. "Nervous." Mayhem asked as she rested her hand on Electra's back. "Yes and no." She hadn't looked at it since she received it, she carefully unwrapped it to expose the large device as it had been made to be used when she was shifted, the external shaft was a foot long soft and she knew it would get longer once it was erect. "Do you want a hand?" Mayhem asked. Electra nodded, Mayhem moved, she studied the device, she had seen a few before she was made into a slave and wondered at it's shape, she also wondered where the barbs were for a moment before she remembered that this was a Wolf surrogate not a Cat surrogate. She helped to insert the device into Electra, it went in without resistance. "Now what?" Mayhem asked. Electra shrugged, she had no idea what to do now but she knew it was meant to swell up, she tugged on the surrogate and it started to swell both within her body and outside. She felt a little uncomfortable as the surrogate lodged itself within her but she soon ignored it as Mayhem's hand slid over the surrogate causing Electra to jerk her hips and groan. Electra pushed Mayhem back onto the bed and covered her. Her lips attacked Mayhem's with passion and need. Mayhem broke the kiss, "Don't you want me on my hands and knees?" "No, like this, I want you to bite me as I bite you." She buried her head into Mayhem's neck and her teeth shifted and nipped her for added effect. Mayhem groaned and opened her legs to let Electra settle between them not even wondering whether the massive piece of flesh Electra now sported would fit within just knowing that she needed it. Bound by Pride Ch. 09 Author's note: All characters and companies mentioned in this story have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone or anything bearing the same name or names. Events portrayed in this story are pure invention and have not been based on any events that have happen in real life. All the characters involved in any sexual acts if their ages are not mentioned before hand; are over 18 years of age. Enjoy. Hi Here it is, the last chapter of Bound by Pride, I'm sorry it took so long but I did warn you that it might take some time as it is eighteen pages long. Don't get confused with how this ends as the next story Guarded Hearts takes up where Bound by Pride finishes. So I hope you enjoy this chapter, as always a big thanks goes out to my editor who manages some how to squeeze editing in to her busy life. As normal all feedback is welcome. Have fun * A day later Electra was reading pack reports quietly in her room, Mayhem was off doing her own reading, trying to catch up on everything that she had missed during her enslavement. Most of the documents Electra was reading were compiled by Sienna for Amy, with Amy being so busy she had little time to deal with the normal duties of the Alpha female, Sienna had stepped forward and took on most of those duties and no one begrudged her as no one wanted that job. Nevertheless, Amy had to be kept up to date with the goings on of the pack so Sienna complied daily reports on almost everything from births, deaths and everything in between. Electra's personal phone rung, she sighed and put down the report outlining a new disobedience from Jessa and suggesting sending Jessa to an aunt in a different pack for a while. She picked up her phone and frowned at the caller id; she flicked it open and brought it to her ear. "Jeff?" She said a little confused and surprised. She was also mentally cursing herself, she had spent a month with Jeff in Vegas chasing leads about both her sisters 'attempted' abduction and his own sister Haley's abduction. She considered him a friend and she had completely forgotten him. She hadn't called to see how he was or how his sister was coping. "Electra..." Jeff said pleased to have gotten her. "I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye, everything happened so quickly." She said as she sat forward in her chair. "I know... my mother is glaring at me... she wants me to thank you for finding my sister." He said hesitantly. "Tell her I was doing my job and I'm glad she got her daughter back." Electra said with a smile, it broadened when she heard Jeff relay her message. "Um... that is the reason I am calling, Haley isn't coping. Far from it in fact, she hasn't left her room since coming home. We are afraid for her." He explained, clearly conflicted but he didn't know what else to do. "Was she raped?" She asked. "We think so..." He answered. "What I can do to help?" she offered. "I was kind of hoping you could work your magic on her..." He said hesitantly, he still couldn't believe how quickly Mayhem had come back to herself and he hoped that Electra could do the same for his sister. "I don't know Jeff... Haley doesn't know me... I haven't built any trust with her." She answered. "Can you try...?" He begged. She stood and started to leave her room. "I will need permission to bring her here, maybe all she needs is to get away, to go to a new place that is different and doesn't relate to her abduction." She walked down stairs and started to move to her mother's office. "Maybe I just don't know." He replied, pacing slowly in the background. Electra knocked on her mother's office door, waited several moments before popping her head in. Sienna and Amy turned to her; they were poised over some paper work. "Jessa?" Electra questioned and got confirming nods. "I have a favour to ask for a friend." She said holding the phone to her chest to muffle her voice. Amy pushed herself up and stretched. "Okay... shoot." "Jeff, the investigator who helped shut down the slave ring, his sister was a victim and she isn't coping. He was hoping to send her away, new place and such. Hoping it will help her recover." Electra explained. Amy clicked her fingers and gestured for the phone, which Electra handed over. "Hi, Jeff right? This is Amy." "Alpha." He said stiffly. "Where would you like your sister to go, here as in the manor or to our central Haven?" Amy asked. "I'm not sure; I just can't bear to see her waste away like she is." He told her. "None of us can." He added. Amy nodded, "Okay... bring her here and we'll see what we can do, if that doesn't work we'll see what we can do next." She said gently. "Me?" He said a little surprised. "Yes... it might ease her transition if you or someone from your family brings her here." She explained. He nodded, "we will be there in a few days." "And we look forward to your visit." Amy added before she hung up. She glanced to her daughter, "was she raped?" Electra nodded, "they think so... she doesn't talk about it." Amy nodded, "we'll see what a change of scene does and I'll put her in Anna and Maria's care, see how they fare before bringing in the big guns." Electra gave her mother a puzzled look. "Big guns?" Amy nodded, "yes, big guns." She said choosing not to elaborate as she handed her daughter her phone back. Electra paused before leaving. "Yes." Amy said as she moved back to her desk. "Something's been bugging me," Electra said. Amy nodded and waited for Electra's question. "Maddie... I thought only mated pairs could breed." Electra said seeking an explanation to the existence of her fosterling. Amy nodded, "I asked Nathanael about that, he believes that the reason mated pairs are more likely to breed is because they are together when one goes into heat, they know when their mate is ready to conceive. However, it happens between unmated pairs and Madeline was young, the body reacts and in order to protect itself it sped up her maturity and conception in the vain hope of protecting itself." Electra frowned, "I still don't..." Amy nodded, "Okay... Vivian also has a theory... Fate wanted her born regardless of the situation. So she was born, Fate knew that Madeline would get taken and that this life would kill her but that Maddie needed to live so ensured that she did. That she is important, in some way she will do something great regardless of how she started her life." Electra nodded, "don't question... just accept it." Amy nodded, "many things happen when they shouldn't but when they do it happens for a reason." * Jesse found Mayhem, with Thais's help, in one of the lesser libraries. A woman who dragged a large wheeled case behind her followed him. Thais released Jesse's hand and left the room leaving them to their business. Mayhem stood and ran her fingers through her hair, she was just getting used to having short hair. Amy had taken her to a stylist yesterday, the stylist had suggested short, and spiky for a new hair do, he explained that it would get rid of all the split ends and damaged strands, letting only healthy new hair grow in its place if she didn't like the style. Jesse studied her for a moment then smiled, "that looks really good on you." He complimented, the way he said it made her believe that he was telling the truth. "Thanks, the stylist wanted to add colours and streaks... I said no and Amy agreed. She said later when I am more confident with my identity and know what I want completely." She approached looking at the new woman wondering why Jesse had brought her here. "I'm Mira, I make surrogates." She said introducing herself. "Mayhem," she replied as she offered her hand to Mira, living with a group of people who didn't stand much on formality had rubbed off on her and to be honest she loved being treated just like any normal person. Mira blinked for a moment surprised, her hazel eyes wary as she knew Mayhem's status as an Alpha but she took Mayhem's hand and shook it firmly as she tucked her shoulder length brown hair behind her ear. She was dressed simply in a pair of faded hip hugger jeans with a tight black t-shirt with Magic Happens across her bust. When Mira released Mayhem's hand, Mayhem jammed both her hands into the pockets of her tight jeans. Mira smiled, "Okay so Jesse told me you are a white tiger, so I brought only tiger surrogates. I will however have to see you in shifted form." She moved to lay the case down; as she knelt next to the case, her tight shirt rode up a little to expose part of a complicated tattoo on her lower back that involved a wolf and a Celtic knot. She turned and smiled as Mayhem's eyes shot away. "I am an Elemental, my mate is a Wolf." She explained. Mayhem rubbed the back of her neck, "Sorry." Mira smiled, "Don't worry about it." She turned back to the case and opened it. Mayhem undid her belt and kicked her shoes off. Mira finished getting ready and turned to watch Mayhem change. Mayhem took off her shirt and tossed it onto a chair, her bra, jeans, panties and socks joined her shirt. Mira suddenly jerked her eyes away, she had seen many naked Were but she hadn't meet anyone who bore the scars of abuse like the ones Mayhem had. Mayhem guessed what had made Mira jerk her eyes away, "Mira... don't worry about it." Mira's eyes returned to Mayhem's, "they're just scars." Mayhem said with a shrug she then pulled her cat forward and shifted. Moments later she was stretching her long body being careful not to extend her claws, having heard Bastion tear strips from Amy for destroying yet another mattress with her claws, she didn't want that to happen to her. She sat and started to groom herself. Mira stared in surprise, she knew what Mayhem was, she didn't need to ask how or why Mayhem was so big... she was immortal. "Umm... I don't have a surrogate that big with me." She said with a slight quiver to her voice. Immortal Were were an intimidating bunch, she had helped her mother make the surrogate for Electra and had meet Amy in her were form when she came to deliver it, scared the crap out of her. Electra walked in having come from Amy's office and smiled, "Hi Mira." Mira smiled and turned back to Mayhem. "Okay so what I'm going to do is let my magic wash over you, it'll help me get an idea on how big your surrogate needs to be. Try not to move." She walked forward holding her hands out. She took a deep breath as she closed her eyes, she let her power surge up her body from that hidden place within, she let it build until she condensed it in her chest before letting it flow to her hands and over to Mayhem. All this took moments, Mayhem twitched as she felt Mira's power creep over her. She hoped this would be over soon as having magic creep over her body was unsettling. She felt the power leave her and return to Mira who kept her eyes closed committing what her magic told her to memory. She opened her eyes and smiled, "Give me a couple of days to get this made." She told Mayhem. Mayhem nodded her head then approached Electra; she knocked her down and pressed her nose to Electra's crotch, breathing deeply. Electra tried to push Mayhem away from her but Mayhem was just too big. Amy walked into the room, having finished pack business she wanted to sit with an Anne Rice novel and read. She chuckled for a moment before going serious. "Electra, Mayhem... go to your room to fool around, the cubs are around." Electra turned to her mother, "since when did that stop you... cut it Mayhem." She tacked on when Mayhem's tongue found a gap between Electra's jeans and her stomach, her tongue snaking in and wriggling around scraping against sensitive skin. Amy chuckled, "I at least lock the library when Wolfgang jumps me." Electra had to concede that her parents had tamed their antics as the cubs got older, but they could still be found in compromising positions all the time. Amy turned to Mira, "are you done with her?" Mira nodded. Amy smiled and willed the two women back to their bedroom. Electra managed to get free, and started removing her clothing, as Mayhem glanced around surprised. Mayhem was instantly human again and her eyes hungrily devoured her mate as she stripped. The moment the last piece of clothing was dropped to the floor Mayhem pounced and landed on Electra sending them both crashing onto the bed. Electra didn't have a chance to complain as Mayhem's lips covered hers. Electra groaned as her hands sought out Mayhem's breasts, they weren't big only large enough to fill her hands but they were something she felt drawn to, she needed to touch them and Mayhem's response only encouraged her. Mayhem tore her lips from Electra's and groaned as Electra started to pinch and tweak her sensitive nipples. She pushed herself up higher and offered one of her breasts to Electra who didn't waste time and started to lavish attention on that soft pink bud with her tongue. Mayhem groaned and started to hump her hips against Electra's stomach. Electra noticed and slid a hand down between their bodies. Two of her fingers quickly made their way within Mayhem and her thumb started to stroke her hardened clit. Mayhem's groan grew louder as she started to hump the fingers within her, getting faster and faster as her need to cum increased. Electra gently bit down on the nipple between her teeth and curled the fingers inside Mayhem. Mayhem yowled as her climax was suddenly upon her, and then she cried out as Electra started to rub her fingers against her g-spot, trying to build her mate's climax even further. Mayhem tensed as her body arched, then suddenly her climax exploded causing her body to shudder violently, still Electra rubbed that spot not letting Mayhem recover from her climax and pushing her to another more intense one. Mayhem's body started to grind herself against Electra even as her body continued to shudder. Electra released the nipple so that she could speak, "Come on, cum for me again." She said with a soft seductive growl. Mayhem's breath hitched at Electra's pillow talk. Mayhem felt her body tense again as she came only minutes after her last one. Electra kept thrusting, sending the already sensitised girl into yet another climax. She couldn't cum anymore and tried to pull away but Electra's fingers followed her. "Stop... please..." Mayhem pleaded as her hands grabbed Electra's wrist and tried to pull it away. Electra stopped and pulled her hand from Mayhem's womanhood, and brought her fingers to her mouth to suck Mayhem's juices from her fingers. Mayhem collapsed on top of Electra and took a deep breath as Electra started to stroke her back. Mayhem started to purr and fall asleep; she tried to get up as Electra had yet to experience bliss. Electra tightened her arms, "Sh... sleep... I don't mind." Mayhem sighed and started to drift asleep on top of her mate. Electra just kept gently stroking Mayhem's back, finding the places, which caused her purring to get louder or for her to arch her back to increase the touch. She smiled when she found a ticklish spot; Mayhem squirmed for a moment then relaxed as Electra moved her fingers away. Electra took a deep breath and started to drift all the while she stroked her mate's back. * Electra took a deep breath and groaned as sweet waves of desire and need washed over her. She groaned but she didn't wake from her delightful dream where she was laying on a rock, naked with a playful breeze and a warm sun. The tingles of need started to spread out from her womanhood. She opened her eyes slowly and glanced down her body, Mayhem was between her legs gently lapping at her sex. Electra slid a hand down and fisted her hand in Mayhem's hair. Mayhem smiled and shifted her tongue slightly making it rougher. She licked the entire length and Electra nearly jumped off the bed as she came powerfully at that one motion. Mayhem growled and shifted her tongue back to lick up every drop of her mate's juices. "Fuck Mayhem that wasn't fair." She panted as her body finally started to relax. Mayhem removed her mouth from between Electra's legs, "who said I was meant to be fair?" She said with a sexy drawl to her voice. Electra chuckled and released Mayhem's hair, "that is one hell of a way to wake up." She breathed. Mayhem crawled up her body gently rubbing her face against Electra's skin as she went. When she was at Electra's chest, she laid down nuzzling her face into Electra's chest. Her lips sought out a light brown nipple and when she found one, she sucked it into her mouth. Electra took a deep breath. There was a heavy knock on their door. They jerked apart and turned to the door as it clicked open, Anna popped her head in. "I know you're new mates but Mayhem isn't allowed to skip meals and dinner is almost ready." She told them before ducking back out of the room and closing the door. They both sighed and got out of bed, dressing quickly so that they would be at the table in time and less likely to be teased for their tardy manner. They raced out of the room and into the dining room, almost everyone was there but as food had yet to be served, they weren't late. They made their way down the table towards Jesse who had two vacant seats next to him. Mayhem sat next to him keeping herself between him and her mate. He smiled at her and offered her his comb to try to get rid of her tousled look. Mayhem blushed and quickly ran it through her short locks before handing it to Electra who also quickly ran it through her hair before passing the comb back to Jesse. "So, tomorrow..." Jesse said reminding the two women that tomorrow Mayhem would face her pride and as Electra was Mayhem's mate it was her duty to be there for her. He couldn't say he was pleased with Mayhem and Electra mating, but he was coming to terms with it and what he saw when it came to Electra was that she truly cared for Mayhem and treated her with the love and respect he believed she deserved. "Yes... tomorrow..." Mayhem suddenly felt queasy. Tomorrow she would present herself to her pride and they would either accept her or denounce her. She felt a hand grip hers as food started to be passed, she turned to Electra as Electra squeezed her hand tighter for a moment, silently telling her that she would be there for her and that no matter what she loved her. Electra released her hand to take the plate piled high with slices of thickly cut roast beef as it was being passed around the table. She used a fork to spear several of the juicy slices and transferred them to Mayhem's plate before transferring several more to her own. Jesse watched amused as Electra continued to pile food on Mayhem's plate before serving herself. Jesse turned and watched as Mayhem ate. "Don't be nervous." He told her quietly, "they put up with so much to be in your pride, they will not turn from you... not now that they are free of your father." "But I'm not strong... I can't fight." She told him. Electra rested a hand on her thigh as she swallowed her mouthful, "they will understand... they probably already know why they haven't been able to see you, they'll know you've just been freed and that you must recover. Soon you'll be strong and soon you'll learn to fight." Mayhem gave Electra a concerned look. Jesse tapped her other arm and she turned to him, "they chose you when you were still a child, they won't care and I agree with Electra, they probably know what happened and will give you the time you need to become the Alpha you were born to be." Everyone turned their heads towards the front doors a moment after the doorbell went off, as they weren't expecting anyone. Bastion stood to answer the door his eyes on Amy, she had asked him to set two extra places and now he knew why. He also noticed the secretive smile she sported. Bound by Pride Ch. 09 Everyone went back to eating and their separate conversations. Bastion walked back in with two women, one was Boadicea, and the other was a tall woman who was unknown to all of them except Jesse and Mayhem. Mayhem stumbled trying to get out of her seat, her legs weren't responding as fast as her body was trying to move, Jesse steadied her for a moment so she could get her feet beneath her. Once she was standing, she raced to her mother. Gale took several steps to meet her daughter; they wrapped their arms around each other as soon as they were within reach, and held each other tightly. Gale rested her head on top of her daughter's as she was much taller at six foot two compared to Mayhem's five foot five. Gale's pale blonde hair brushed her shoulders and her blue eyes were closed in pleasure, Mayhem was her world and finally she had a chance to hold her daughter who she hadn't seen or held in over ten years and not fear a savage beating for doing so. She was long and lean and dressed simply in a pair of jeans and shirt. Gale finally released her and pulled away to let her eyes run over her daughter, she noticed the scars from the collar which had circled her daughter's neck, and carefully tilted her head up to see them better. Mayhem pushed her head down obscuring the scars. "They'll fade." She told her mother. Gale nodded then glanced around as she could feel the silent scrutiny of those in the room. Amy cleared her throat reminding everyone they were being rude and everyone quickly turned their attention back to their plates. Electra stood and made her way forward, Maddie moving to stand behind her. Mayhem glanced back and smiled at Electra before turning back to Gale. "Electra this is my ma Gale. Ma this is Electra... my mate." Electra stepped forward and held out her hand. Gale glanced quickly at Mayhem then straight back to Electra to study her as she took Electra's offered hand. "How long have you been mated?" She asked trying to understand what was going on, how her daughter could even think about taking a mate after everything that had happened to her. "Only a few days." Electra answered as she released Gale's hand, she then reached back and grabbed Maddie to bring her forward. "And this is our fosterling, Maddie." Mayhem said as Maddie came to stand between them. Gale watched Maddie for a moment, fosterling was a term used for a child who was a good as adopted, which meant that she had a granddaughter. She smiled and offered her hand to Maddie. Maddie took her hand to shake it; Gale tugged her into her arms and hugged her tightly. Maddie was tense for a moment but relaxed as she could sense that Gale just wanted to greet her. Gale rubbed her face against Maddie's for a few moments before she released her. "Come... eat some dinner." Electra gestured to the table. Jesse had already moved letting Gale sit next to Mayhem and Electra. Maddie went back to her seat next to Keira who was trying to ignore the temptation and true desire to scratch at her healing wounds. Her arms were a few more days off being healed completely but as of yet she hadn't felt her beast stir but she wasn't concerned, no one who was scratched or bitten failed to turn. They talked lightly over dinner leaving the more important conversations until they were in a less public forum. When dinner was over Mayhem, Electra, Gale and Jesse went to one of the small libraries. Gale wandered around the room for several moments as Electra quickly went to get coffee and biscuits. When Electra returned they all sat cradling their mugs. "How... how did you get free?" Gale asked. Mayhem glanced to Electra and smiled, "it's a long story..." Mayhem started before taking a deep breath and launching into a condensed version of her story. Gale's hands gripped the arms of her chair with white knuckles. When Mayhem finished Gale put her head in her hands and cried. Mayhem jumped to her feet and raced to her mother resting consoling hands on her mother's shoulders. "Don't be sad." She said softly. Gale shook her head. "You don't understand..." "I do..." Mayhem interrupted, "You did nothing wrong." She said trying to console her mother. "You're wrong..." Gale told her, "I could have gotten us both out... before your birth I wasn't watched as closely, I could have gotten us both out and into another pride, I could have plead amnesty for both of us. None of this would have happened if I had just taken that chance and fled." She pulled away from her daughter. "But I didn't leave... I stayed even when everything in my body told me to flee." "Ma..." Mayhem said trying to cut through her mother's guilt. "You did the best you could with what you had." "But..." Gale started. "No..." Mayhem said firmly. "I don't blame you for the way my life turned out. If I must blame someone I will blame my father as he was the one who sold me." Gale shook her head slowly, "Darrel isn't your father." She said softly. Jesse closed his eyes and sighed, "I thought as much", prompting Mayhem to turn to him, "more so when I first saw her after so long, as a child she looked much like you but as an adult she looks a lot more like James." Gale nodded, agreeing with him. Mayhem turned back to her mother wanting answers, needing them. "James was your father; he was also my first mate and Alpha of the Ambush. We had been mated for several years and I had yet to fall pregnant. Darrel and several men ambushed your father and his second and killed them." Gale paused as James' death pained her to this day. "Darrel then dragged me, still grieving, into a mating ring and took me to cement his place as Alpha." "Did he know that I wasn't his?" Mayhem asked determined that she would not run her pride like that, but not commenting on her mother's treatment as that was how that particular Ambush had been run for generations. Gale shrugged, "he may have guessed, I was pregnant directly after him taking me and when you were born you were the daughter who should have been a son. He allowed me to have you until you were weaned then pushed you out of the house and into another away from me. That was when he put guards on me, to keep me from you, to keep me put. Then when you vanished, his guards doubled and he made veiled threats. I thought he had killed you at first until Jesse told me you couldn't be dead, because he still felt beholden to you." "Even if he guessed you weren't his, he wouldn't have killed you because there was still that chance that you were." Jesse added, "That's what he told my father the night we split, he was hoping someone else would have killed you and that your blood would not be on his hands." Mayhem thought for long moments, she hadn't moved from between her mother's legs. "How did you get away?" Gale went pale, "It was scary that morning... when Darrel realised more than three quarters of the Ambush had vanished without a trace. He was in such a rage, when he finally calmed down he called some people and set up a hit on you to have you killed. He thought that those who left, their loyalty would revert back to him... doubtful after everything he'd done by that stage, but he was power crazy." She took a deep breath. "He also knew the Alpha's would have known what had happened by now and would be getting ready to arrest him and charge him for his crimes. So he told what was left that he was leaving the Ambush and that Jackson was taking over. But before he left he told several of his most loyal men to lock me up for a few weeks then make me disappear, to keep me from warning the Alphas." "Then what happened?" Electra asked. Gale smiled, "most amazing thing I've ever seen, they walked me into the forest to a pre-dug grave this morning and went to kill me, then from nowhere came this feral battle cry and Boadicea was there hacking those men away from me. She then grabbed me and we were in England. She got me cleaned up, new clothes and then brought me here." **** Mayhem watched the passing countryside out of the window of the car the next day. Her stomach twisted into knots as she thought of the number of people who now looked to her as their Alpha, three thousand tigers, a mere fraction of those who followed Amy and Wolfgang but still a big number for someone who had never run a pride before. Maddie sat next to her holding her hand with Electra on the other side; she had finally managed to cast aside her visor as her eyes no longer needed to be protected from light. Her steel grey eyes watched everything that went passed the windows with boredom, the only reason she was here was because like Mayhem had said last night, when Electra and Mayhem mated it made her their fosterling. She didn't mind as it was another person who could keep her safe and to talk to. Gale sat in the passenger seat next to Jesse, they chatted lightly, him telling her about the estate they were building for the central pride. They pulled onto a dirt track that led to a large field, which was crammed full of people. He pulled over and they got out. Noise was loud as people talked and laughed. Jesse gestured to the small raised platform that stood before the mass. Mayhem gulped nervously and approached with Electra and Maddie one-step behind, Jesse, and Gale following them. Mayhem walked onto the platform with the others following. Jesse grabbed the microphone and cleared his throat loudly to get the crowds attention. The field fell silent instantly and all eyes turned to them. "Thankyou all for coming, I'll hand you over to our Alpha." He handed the microphone to Mayhem with an encouraging smile as her people clapped, cheered and whistled as she went to take the microphone. Breathe Mayhem. Electra told her silently. What ever happens today doesn't matter. I will love you regardless. Mayhem turned to her and offered her a small smile before taking the microphone from Jesse and stepping forward she waited a few moments but her pride were reluctant to stop their cheering. She gestured for silence and got it a few moments later. "Hello everyone and I thank you for your patience and your faith in me." She began "Where to begin..." she mused to herself for a moment before deciding to cut the legs out of one particular sentiment carried by her pride. "Darrel... I know some of you want to call a blood feud on those who sided with Darrel and for everything he did to you during my... absence." There was mass agreement with her on calling for a blood feud. "But I will not call for one." She said cutting over the voices. "Darrel will be dealt with by the Alphas for his crimes against me and you, if Jackson is proven to be just as culpable he too will be dealt with but not by us. I will not see a Were war come because we cannot let the Alphas deal with Darrel and they will deal with him. Amy in particular can't wait to get her hands on him for what he did to her and if you haven't heard he ordered an attack on her home, threatened her young cubs and family, to try to get to me." Silence met her as her entire pride had gained a healthy respect for Amy after everything she had done for them as a race and a pride. It was also becoming common knowledge that a stupid fool was one who pissed off Amy Luis. Mayhem let them think on it for several moments, "I will not see my pride ruined after everything you had to put up with just because some want vengeance." "PRIDE?" Some one called out. "Yes... pride... we will no longer be an Ambush." She explained. "We are a new pride; we will make our own new ways, our own new traditions." "WHAT ABOUT THE OLD WAYS?" An Elder called out. Mayhem turned to the elder, "some of the old ways will be kept, some of them won't." Many nodded with her sentiment. "Too long we have clung to those old ways and look at what happened to us, the first ever split in all Were history. If we are to be a strong group, we must look to the future and be with the times. I will be discussing these changes with the elders and you will all be informed in due time, there is however one tradition I am doing away with right now... the mating ring... gone... never again will a woman be dragged into a mating against their will." There was a cheer of approval, most had not been pleased with what Darrel had done to Gale but they had no power to stop it or to denounce it as the law had been on his side. Mayhem waited for them to quieten, "I guess that is all I want to say at the moment." She told the crowd. "YOU CALL US A PRIDE. WHO IS OUR NON TIGER MEMBER?" Someone called out. Mayhem glanced to Electra, they had talked last night about what Electra would do her loyalty, she had decided, would be spilt between both groups and as long as they didn't have a conflict, which she doubted would ever happen, and she wouldn't have a problem. "The first non-tiger members are my mate... Electra Luis... and her fosterling Maddie." She waited... hoping that this information would not lead to a mass exodus. She heard the murmurs... Luis... one of Amy's daughters... our alpha has tied us to one of the most influential packs in the world. After about thirty seconds people started to clap and cheer. Happy that their Alpha had not only given them security in the form of a bond alliance with the most influential pack in the world but had also found love, which some if not most considered more important than the alliance. Mayhem cleared her throat to call for silence, "I am Mayhem Collins daughter of James Collins, Alpha of the New Hope pride..." The field was suddenly filled with pops and cracks as people shifted to roar their happiness. Mayhem stripped and shifted into her tiger form, the field went quiet... waiting... waiting to hear their Alpha roar. Mayhem glanced back to see that Electra had stripped and shifted as had Jesse, Gale and Maddie. Mayhem took a deep breath and roared. Electra stood up beside her and as Mayhem went to roar again she howled. Everyone roared in chorus to Mayhem. Jesse nudged Maddie as he noticed that she hadn't roared. Come on, roar little one. Maddie chuckled mentally, I can't roar. She told him amusement colouring her voice. Of course you can, this is as much your pride as it is theirs. He told her. She snorted, no I mean... I literally can't roar... when I am in full snow leopard form I have no voice box... no voice box... no roaring... or growling... or snarling... I can't even purr in this form but I can do all those things in human and hybrid form. Jesse dropped his head in embarrassment, coming from a pure tiger pride he knew little about the other cat races and even less about any of the other races and it made him feel like an arse for making such a wrong assumption. WE ARE PRIDE. Mayhem shouted out as loud as she could. BOUND BY PRIDE. Was thrown back at her by everyone. **** Mayhem yawned as she again watched the countryside zoom pass the car's windows. She rested her head against Electra's shoulder and sighed, today had gone better than she had ever imagined. After the pride's declaration of being bound she had wandered amongst her people for several hours just letting them know she was there for them until Jesse reminded her that there was currently nowhere for her or her family to sleep just yet and it was time to return to the manor. Electra stroked her hair causing her to purr. See... you're a natural. She told her silently. Mayhem grinned for a moment before closing her eyes to take a nap on the way home. Electra continued to stroke Mayhem's hair gently as she too closed her eyes to take a short nap. Jesse watched them in the rear view mirror and shook his head he glanced at the fuel gauge, which was getting too close to empty for his liking, then back at the road his eyes searching for the first gas station. The car pulling over caused the girls to wake up and glance around to see if they were home yet. Mayhem yawned and stretched before pushing Electra out the door, when the car came to a stop beside a pump, so that she could get out. Maddie got out and went to Electra. "Can I get something to eat I'm starving." She begged. Electra checked her watch, they still had a good few hours before dinner so she nodded and handed Maddie some cash, before returning her wallet to her back pocket. Mayhem reached around Electra and slid her hands into Electra's back pockets, kissing her as she tugged Electra's wallet out, she broke the kiss with a cheeky smile and followed Maddie into the small diner to get something to eat. "Some times I feel like a walking cash machine." Electra said slightly annoyed to Gale who smiled in reaction. "Jesse, want something to eat?" Electra asked as Gale came to stand next to her. Jesse gave them a wistful look, "Burger, fries and a soda." He said before turning his attention back to the pump in his hand. Electra and Gale turned to the diner and joined Maddie and Mayhem at the counter, where they were reading the menu. "Jesse wants a burger, fries and a soda." Gale told them before glancing up and frowning as the menu listed almost twelve different types of burger. "Only which burger?" Electra chuckled and deftly tugged her wallet out of Mayhem's hands. She turned to Maddie, "Know what you want yet?" Maddie nodded enthusiastically, she could already taste the food on her tongue. "I'll have the cheese burger, fries and a vanilla milkshake." She said confidently. Electra studied her for a moment, "you better be able to eat something at dinner or Bastion will be put out." Maddie thought about it carefully, "Okay I'll skip the milk shake and have a soda." She conceded. "Go tell Jesse we'll be eating here." Electra told Maddie who nodded and raced off. A waitress walked over, "What can I get you?" She asked pleasantly. Electra glanced up, "We'll have a cheese burger, fries and a cola, a big man steak burger, fries and a lemonade, and I'll have the house special burger, fries and a cola." She finished before turning to Mayhem. Mayhem smiled at the waitress. "I'll have a double beef and cheese burger, fries and a chocolate shake." She said with a smile and turned to Gale. Gale smiled, "I'll have the surf and turf burger, fries and coffee." The waitress glanced at them when Gale finished. "Will that be all?" She asked. They nodded as Jesse and Maddie joined them in the diner. They moved over to a booth and sat. "So what did you get me?" Jesse asked as he read the menu. "Big man steak burger." Electra told him. He smiled pleased. "So what now?" Mayhem asked suddenly. "We eat?" Gale queried not quite getting her daughter's question. "No... I mean what do I do now, the house won't be finished for a month so we won't be able to move in for at least six weeks." Mayhem said expanding on her question. Jesse smiled as the drinks were put down. "Simple... at the moment the pride is still settling in, so maybe you should start working on getting your body into shape... that's if Nathanael clears you for it." He corrected himself as he knew Nathanael would throttle him for side stepping in his field, if he didn't want Mayhem to start training then she wasn't allowed to. Gale smiled, "You also have a mating to affirm, since technically you mated before Mayhem officially took over her pride you don't have to have a gathering and I think the alpha's will understand that you just don't have the facilities to handle a gathering." Maddie bounced as the waitress reappeared with their food. "Okay cheese burger." Maddie held up her hand and her plate was passed to her, "Big man," she said putting the plate down before Jesse. "House special," she put a plate down before Electra, "double beef and cheese," she put a plate down before Mayhem, "and the surf and turf," she put the last plate down before Gale. She put the check on the table beneath the saltshaker and went to serve some more customers. They all started to eat as they had missed lunch. Bound by Pride Ch. 09 "Hey..." a woman cried out in alarm. Electra turned as did the others as two men started to fight. Electra sighed and stood. She approached the two men as one grabbed a knife. "Stop." Electra said loudly as she pushed her way between the two struggling men. The knife slid into her chest as the man wielding it threw a wild swing hoping to slash his opponent. Both men turned shocked to Electra who looked down at the handle sticking out of her chest. "Great... just great... I liked this shirt." She said angrily. She reached into her front pocket and pulled out her badge. "Sit." She ordered the two men after letting them study her badge. The waitress who had served them watched her surprised; she blinked for several moments before reacting. "Mike call an ambulance." "No Mike don't bother." Electra told him, "Call your sheriff though." She looked down at her chest again. She grabbed the handle and yanked it free, pressing a towel to the bleeding wound, she put the bloody knife on the table. She glanced a movement out of the corner of her eye, she turned and saw Mayhem sneakily stealing her fries, "Stop stealing my fries." she protested, she heard movement and turned back to the two men. "Sit down." She ordered the one who had stood. "Do you know what the penalty for attacking a federal agent with a deadly weapon is?" Both men shook their heads. "Yeah well you're just lucky I'm immortal, anyone else would have died from that wound." She told them. She waited no more than ten minutes before the sheriff walked in. He walked over to the waitress. "Afternoon Kim, you called." She nodded and quickly explained as she walked him over to Electra. He glanced around, his eyes spotting the bloody knife and became concerned. "Why hasn't an ambulance been called?" He demanded as he started to check the two men over. "Because one isn't needed." Electra told him firmly. He turned to her. "Agent Luis FBI." She showed him her badge and he finally noticed the towel she was holding to her chest. Electra removed the towel and peeked down her shirt, "See it's sealed," she showed him the pink scar, "by tomorrow I won't even have a scar." "Do you know what they were fighting about?" He asked. "Nope... just came over to stop it." She turned and went to return to her meal, frowning when she noticed her plate was gone, "Not funny... where's my food?" She asked. "Getting reheated." Gale told her. Electra smiled and sat a few moments later her plate was put down. She ate as swiftly as she could as the others had finished. The sheriff walked over. "Do you want them charged with assault?" he asked holding the bloody knife in a tube. "Nope... no point, it was an accident, no harm no foul." She told him. "Only a Were would say something like that after getting stabbed in the chest." He said slightly amused. "Only an immortal Were," Gale corrected, which caused the Sheriff to stare at them with a dumbfounded look on his face. Electra smiled as she drank the last of her drink, she stood and the others copied her, she dug into her back pocket and pulled out her wallet, looking at the cost of their food and put down two bills, which would cover it and a tip before returning her wallet to her pocket as they left. * Mayhem and Electra yawned as they entered their room, today had been a big day and they could barely wait to crawl into bed and cuddle. Mayhem was the first to spot the heavy box waiting for them on the bed; she grabbed the note on top as Electra wrapped her arms around her and nuzzled at her neck. 'Mira dropped this off while you were out.' She read in Bastion's flowing script. She trembled as her tiger rushed forward; it knew it was time to claim her mate. "What has you shaking?" Electra asked once she removed her lips from Mayhem's skin. "My surrogate is here." Electra smiled and started to tug Mayhem out of her clothes, when she was naked she cupped Mayhem's breasts from behind and gently started to fondle them as she licked and nipped at left side of her neck. Mayhem's knees went rubbery at the attentions of her mate. She groaned when Electra took her earlobe between her teeth and gently bit down. Electra released the earlobe, "so... are you going to make me yours now." She whispered seductively into Mayhem's ear before biting it again. Mayhem growled, she turned around and forced Electra onto the bed. She took off her visor, as this room was dark enough for them to go without the device. Her eyes, which were normally blue, had changed to yellow, her beast was close. "Strip." She growled sexily at Electra. Electra fumbled for a moment but quickly complied, sliding her visor off her dark brown eyes shifting to copper as she let her beast come forward. So far Electra and Mayhem had kept their beasts out of their sex lives and their beasts had understood, they would come forward when it was Mayhem's turn to claim until then they let their human sides come to terms with their relationship. Electra rolled onto her side as she went to see what was inside the long box. Mayhem crawled on top of her and started to nibble and lick at Electra's neck, Mayhem's hands stroking Electra body. Electra flicked the catches and opened the box. She gulped in surprise, as she had never seen a cat surrogate before, it was a cross between a human penis and that of a cats. It was long with a cone shaped head and covering almost the entire length were backward facing barbs that made her sex clench in anticipation. Mayhem pulled her shoulder back to the bed so they could kiss; their tongues ran across each other's and across their sharpened teeth. Their bodies shifted as their beasts grew impatient with foreplay, when they had completed their shifts they were both in hybrid form. Mayhem growled gently as she ran her nose down Electra's body. She stopped when she got to the object of her desire, pressing her nose to Electra's sex, took a deep breath, and scrunched her face up showing her teeth and sticking out her tongue as the juices flowing from her mate's body triggered her mating instincts. She pushed herself up and started to roll Electra over and into a position in which she could take her. Electra moved with her needing Mayhem's possession as much as Mayhem wanted to possess her. Mayhem growled as she saw her mate before her waiting for her to claim her. Mayhem quickly remembered that she hadn't put her surrogate on. She reached for the device, her big paws handling the device easily, and inserted part of it into her body. It quickly swelled and locked its self inside her. She nudged Electra further onto to bed. Shouldn't we do this on the ground? Electra asked as she moved to the centre of her bed. No. Mayhem told her and moved up behind her, she knelt behind Electra and sat on her thighs. She used her paws to push Electra's backside down. Electra let Mayhem push her into position; Mayhem pressed her nose to the base of Electra's spine and ran her tongue up her mate's body as her arms locked around Electra's waist. Her licking path lead to Electra's neck, she pushed her head and chest down to the mattress before she wrapped her mouth around Electra's neck to keep her in place as she went to join their bodies. Her beast didn't know how Electra's beast would react to the barbs on her surrogate, tigers on the receiving end of mating would attack those mating them when they withdrew or thrust, her teeth bit a little harder, a warning to her mate and to protect herself. She didn't want that to happen so she made sure she had a good grip of her mate's neck and hips before bringing their bodies together. She was crouched over Electra as she moved her hips, looking for her mate's opening, she kept missing, striking Electra's clit and lips but not what she wanted. She growled as Electra moved and tightened her grip, Electra was not going to get away from her; Electra ignored her and let her body lower further hoping that this would help. Mayhem realised what she had done when she finally found her mark. She relaxed her bite a little and thrust forward, sinking more than half of her length inside her mate, she growling gently, seductively against Electra's neck as her moist heat enveloped her, echoing Electra's low whine of pleasure. Mayhem tightened her bite as she went to pull out to sink her full length within her mate. Electra growled and tried to get out from under Mayhem as barbs on her surrogate pulled painfully on her love channel. Mayhem growled a warning and bit deeper, her teeth breaking the skin as her grip on her mate tightened. She thrust, sinking her entire length within her mate. Electra growled as Mayhem started to jerk her hips in small movements, letting the barbs move in small motions; Electra's claws dug into the mattress beneath her and bared her teeth, as she wanted out. Mayhem ignored her; she knew Electra would adjust if she just gave it a little time. Her thrusts slowly started to bring pleasure to her mate, she knew the moment this happened as Electra started to push back against her thrusts and her claws pulled back from the mattress. Mayhem started to make a deep thrumming noise in the back of her throat as she felt Electra's sheath squeeze her making her thrusts harder to make. Electra started to quiver as the barbs rubbed against her g-spot pushing her quickly to that point where nothing mattered but the delicious friction and the pleasure it would bring. Mayhem growled as she felt herself cum, shooting her own desire into her mate's body. Electra growled in frustration, she was so close. Mayhem shifted her body knowing Electra was pissed at her but knowing that she would soon forgive her. She placed her paws on Electra's rump and in one fluid movement, with a growl she released her bite and pushed her body away from her mate, tearing her member forcefully from Electra's body. The friction of Mayhem's body leaving Electra's triggered her orgasm. Electra growled as her body violently climaxed leaving her quivering in a heap on the bed. Mayhem lay down for several moments to come down from her own high. She quickly got control of her body, went back to her mate, and started to lick at Electra's thighs, slowly making her way to her mate's centre. Her paws kneaded her mate's backside with her large paws; she started to purr as she lapped at Electra's core, tasting both her mate and her juices. She kept licking for several moments before she moved to cover Electra again, needing to take her again. Electra growled as she felt Mayhem grip her hips again and take a hold of her neck, she felt Mayhem start her movements again and knew they were both in for a long night but she didn't care. * There was a bash on Electra and Mayhem's door, which flung open, Electra and Mayhem jerked awake and turned to the door. Sage bounced into the room, "Guess what?" She said excitedly ignoring their sleepy looks. "You're an annoying brat." Electra growled as she squinted to keep the light out of her eyes. She grabbed a pillow and lobbed it at Sage. "Get out." Sage dodged the pillow. "Nah... not it... come on guess." Mayhem glared at Sage through slitted eyes, "You have three seconds to get out before I electrocute you." She warned. "One..." Sage backed away as she knew Mayhem had just figured out her ability and that she could use it well. "Darrel was caught trying to flee the country." She said as she ducked out of the room. "WAIT GET BACK HERE." Mayhem yelled she pushed herself to her feet and scrambled off the bed; she threw on some clothes and glanced around for her visor. "Annoying... little..." She mumbled as she scooped up her visor, cramming it on and racing from the room. "SHUT THE DOOR." Electra ordered as Mayhem raced out of the room. Mayhem raced back, "Sorry." She shut the door and raced after Sage to throttle her to get all that she knew. She saw Sage a set of stairs down from her, Sage poked her tongue out. That made Mayhem see red, she jumped the banister and flung herself at Sage. She crashed into Sage and they both slammed into the wall. Keira watched them wrestle with wide eyes; Ghan stepped before her to protect her from the two wrestling women. Sage cursed as her muscles seized as electricity surged through her body. Bastion appeared from nowhere, he seemed to have a sixth sense about mischief in HIS house. Both women were suddenly apart and hovering mid air. "How many times do I have to tell you Sage... no fighting in the house?" He growled. "She started it." Sage said with innocent denial over the accusation. "You did you little brat... you don't just drop a bombshell then run." Mayhem growled as she reached to try to throttle her. Bastion put them further apart. She pointed and threw a bolt of lightning at Sage. Sage sighed as the bolt went wide and struck a light fitting blowing the globe. "No..." Bastion growled... "You..." he glared at Mayhem. "Don't use your powers until you can control them." He didn't know when Amy appeared and he didn't care, he was in charge of this house. He growled as he heard something crash and break, "Temperance." He growled he was torn between the trouble he could see and the mischief he knew Temperance would be up to. He glanced back to Amy. "You deal with this." He said as he unceremoniously dumped both women on their back sides and raced from the landing muttering that Temperance was the spawn of a daemon and more hassle than Wolfgang and Gillian combined when they were cubs. Amy chuckled and thought that at least Temperance was keeping him on his toes. "Okay... you two." She said to Mayhem and Sage. "Sage you should not have gone and barged in on you sister and her mate. I was going to tell them the moment they left their room. Mayhem... until you have full control of your power please don't use it in the house." She turned back to Sage. "Fix the light and clean this mess." Sage pulled a face, "But I didn't..." Amy glared playfully at Sage, "I know but clean it up. I need to speak to Mayhem." Sage pushed herself to her feet muttering about the unfairness of it all. Mayhem got to her feet, racing down to join Amy they walked away from Sage's venting. "How was he caught?" she asked tugging up her pants which had slid precariously down her hips, only just realising that she had pulled on Electra's pants and Electra was much more voluptuous than she was. Amy sighed and gestured to enter the library/office that she had claimed as her own. "He was trying to get into South America where it would have been almost impossible for anyone but me to find him. However, Kris and Jack had their enforcers ranging over the border and picked him up. He will be brought here for judgement." "Did he say anything?" Mayhem asked. Amy went red, "no... Kris was the one, who stopped him, she... well let's just say for what remains of his life he will be eating through a straw." Mayhem snorted to keep from laughing; it took her a moment to compose herself before she asked, "What did she do?" Amy grinned, "she said he was attempting to evade capture, and that she was forced to stop him with a crow bar to his face... twice." Mayhem chuckled as she could picture that. "Will he be able to talk at his hearing?" Mayhem asked. Amy thought about it. "Probably not... her pride healer had to wire his jaw shut in nine places so that it could heal." Mayhem gave her a confused look, "she had his wounds treated?" Amy nodded, "no choice in the matter, she had to have him seen to as if she didn't it would make us no better than him." Nathanael chose this moment to enter the room. "Just the person I was looking for." He said and walked up to Mayhem. Mayhem gave him a guilty look even though to the best of her knowledge she hadn't done anything wrong. "Why are you giving me a guilty look? What have you done?" He demanded to know. Mayhem thrust her hands into her pockets, which made the jeans she had pulled on fall down a little, forcing her to again pull them back up. "I picked a fight with Sage." She told him. He hummed for a moment but shrugged, "doesn't matter, I came to tell you that you can start training. I'm sure someone will help but don't ask Electra... her body type and training is wrong for your body type. I'm guessing that Rhiannon or Guinevere would be a better match for you." He smiled, "Maddie can also start training, I hear Ghan is teaching Keira, Maddie should join her if Ghan doesn't mind." He said before he left the room. "Wow... I get to work on my body now." Mayhem said pleased and bounced a little remembering to keep a hold of her pants to keep them up, she didn't know why she bothered to keep tugging them up as she wasn't modest. Amy smiled, "I'll get Guinevere in here, Rhiannon's spending her time teaching Maddie, bringing her to her age mates' levels and won't have the same amount of time to help you get fit and build your body up. Guinevere however has time in spades." Amy sent the request along, one also for Ghan and Rhiannon to come and see her. All three walked in several minutes later. Amy smiled at them, "Guinevere, would you like something to do while you're here?" She gave a relieved sigh, "yes please... books although fun can bore me." "Mayhem has been cleared to train; Nathanael thinks you're a better match for than her mate." Amy explained. "We can start as soon as you're ready." Guinevere told Mayhem as they left together. "Maddie has also been cleared and Nathanael was hoping that you could train her as well as Keira." Amy told Ghan. He nodded, "I'll take the cubs as well. Maybe some discipline and tiring play will keep Temperance from driving Bastion to a crime of passion." "Serenity, Thais and Maddie have lessons in the morning, Boadicea said she was willing to take Temperance, teach her to play chess or something." Rhiannon informed both of them. "That's okay I only teach Keira in the afternoons anyway, in the morning she spends her time reading Were law and meditating." Ghan said. "Good the cubs are covered and hopefully this will keep Bastion from blowing a gasket." Amy said relieved. "Now if only I could get Sage out from underfoot..." Wolfgang had walked in at the beginning of Amy's sentence, "I have that covered." He said as he joined them. "She's going to go into enforcer training, she's old enough now to start her training and I have three others who are ready." "She only has a month until she goes back to school." Amy reminded him. He nodded, "I know, the others in the group are her age, they go to high school as well but show all the promise of being good enforcers. It's not the full time training adults go through but part time, like a cadetship." He explained. Amy nodded, "sounds good to me." Bastion stormed into the room holding Temperance in a firm grip, he was red in the face and looked seconds away from a complete mental snap. He released her and gave her a nudge forward. Amy took a deep breath and waited for Bastion to calm down before he started to tell her about his latest grievance with the little girl. He took a deep breath and released it, "If I see her in my kitchen this side of her nineteenth birthday I will seriously hurt her." He warned before he turned and stormed out leaving Amy to find out what Temperance had recently done to warrant such drastic action. Amy crossed her arms and waited for Temperance to admit what she had done. Just as Temperance opened her mouth, Amy's phone rang. Amy sighed held up a finger to stall her daughter as she picked up her phone. Elsewhere in the house, Electra's work phone rang... Bound By Pride After another thoughtful pause, he slowly nodded his head again, finally persuaded. "Okay, I'll find someone… maybe an investigator might want to step up." He now could see why the FBI had come to him, seeing their poster girl, the first Were agent, floundering in one territory then efficient in another, had shown them how important it was to keep them in an environment they knew. They could still cross boarders and follow cases but they worked their best in their own territory. Electra sighed, really wishing she could just go to bed but knew she had several things to do first. She kneaded the back of her neck as she rotated it. "I don't know where I am staying until I sign in so who do I inform when I know?" "Just tell Jeff and he'll inform me." He told her with a jerk of his head which clearly meant she was free to leave his presence. Jeff nodded. "I can fill you in along the way." They left the office and picked up Dave who was staring at a Vampire as he fed from a more than willing victim. Dave shook his head to rid that image from his mind as he got behind the wheel. Electra was forbidden to drive at night because headlights left her blind. He retraced his route and from there, knew the way to the FBI office. While Dave drove, Electra and Jeff filled him in on what Joel had told her and the two separate cases he had given them. Jeff then went on to explain what they had so far: his little sister had been the eighteen year-old victim. She had been driving home from her job when she was stopped and taken. They had managed to find three sets of unknown prints and his sister's in her car. "I'll get these into print analysis. Do you still have the car?" She asked, turning her head to look at Jeff in the back of the SUV. "Yes, we have a few forensic guys they have kept the chain of custody." He answered. "Can they hand it over to the FBI forensics and everything they've found or taken photos of?" He nodded and quickly made the call. They parked and together went in. Jeff signed in along with Electra and Dave and they went up to the Were and other department, the Nevada branch was in a new building so the Were and Other department had a lot more space then Electra and Dave were used to. They walked pass the empty offices towards the director's office. He met them halfway. "I expected you here an hour ago, De Luca." He stated reproachfully. Electra took a deep breath and reminded herself that each branch of the Were and Other department had different directors who did things differently. Director Johnston was tall, thin, his dark suit was immaculate and he was much younger then her own director. He also seemed anal and not at all like her own laid-back boss. "Sorry, sir. Had to go to the scene first so that the ME could move the body. Then we had to report in to the Alpha." She explained slowly, sensing that the explanation would not please him. Proving the accuracy of her instincts, he glared at her. "You should have reported here before reporting to some stupid Alpha." Jeff kept his face neutral, wanting to see how Electra responded. "Sir… granted I'm FBI, but it's just a badge. At the end of the day, I'm Were. It colours everything I do, how I act and how I react." She told him calmly. Her phone buzzed, she pulled it out of her pocket and saw her mother's number. She didn't answer, just holding it in her hand to answer later. The director saw red at her gall, confounded by the interruption even if she decided not to answer. He grabbed the phone, flicked it open and yelled, "she's busy!" Electra winced as he hung up on her mother. "Sir…" "What?!" He barked. "That was Senator Luis that you just hung up on." She told him quickly as she didn't know any other way to break the fact that he had just hung up on a very influential Senator. His face, which had been red only moments ago, quickly turned white and visibly blanched when her phone started to ring again. He held the phone out to her carefully and she took it. She flicked it open. "Sorry, about that." She told her mother. "Put that man back on the phone." Amy said gently, almost silently, making the hair on the back of Electra's neck stand on end. "Please... don't be mad with him. He's had a very stressful day." She said, trying to get her mother to realise that he didn't mean to bark at her. "Put him on." Amy pressed on, as she really wanted to talk to that man. "I promise I won't tear him a new one." Electra was doubtful but handed the director the phone anyway. He cast Electra a panicked look then put it to his ear to face the inevitable. "Hi." Amy said pleasantly, without any anger or malice in her voice, surprising even herself as she was actually a little pissed at being spoken to like that. However, she got angry at the smallest things since her daughters had been taken and was trying to keep a tight leash on it. "Can you chew her ears later? I'm afraid she has a bigger problem to deal with at the moment. Over the last couple of months, a total of twenty seven under-aged Were have been taken from almost every pack and pride in the country." Amy told him with as little emotion as she could muster. "Almost?" he asked, a little concerned and not sure how to react as he had been expecting to be torn a new one for yelling at her. "Yes, none have been taken from my pack besides my own daughters but they are safe and I believe separate from this matter. In about half an hour I will be faxing every piece of information gathered by the investigators." She informed him then continued on, "Electra has been granted free run of every territory to find these missing children so every investigator and enforcer in the country are going to be working under her. She's going to need your help to coordinate." "I understand." He told her, his mind already at work on how to organise these people. "Can you put Electra back on I want to explain what's going on to her?" Amy asked nicely. "Of course." He said, he sighed in relief as he handed Electra her phone back. He was glad that the Senator had appeared to forgive him for barking at her, she was definitely not someone to cross. "Hello." Electra greeted, a little cautiously, it had looked to be going well but looks could be deceiving. "Hi, sweetie," Amy greeted pleasantly. "Look… I'm sending you some… fuck it; I'll be there in a moment." Amy appeared with several boxes. "Here, every piece of information gathered. I'll explain to your brothers and sisters why you won't be making an appearance at your father's birthday party." "Thanks, ma." Electra said, accepting the boxes and a moment later Amy was gone. "Your… she's your mother?" He asked in shock. Electra nodded. "Electra Louisa Luis-De Luca. They adopted me the same day they adopted Alanna. It's also the reason why I have her on speed dial." She sighed as reached under her glasses to rub her tired eyes. "It's too late to go over these today. Can we have an incident room where we can put these?" She asked tiredly. She had been on her feet literally since early that morning, she was aching to have a hot shower and wash today from her skin. However, the work was never done and on the contrary, it seemed to be piling up on her. He nodded and pointed to a large office. They carried the boxes into a large room and put them on the table. "Now, let's go to the hotel and don't you dare wake me before eight." She threatened Dave who was beside her. Dave chuckled at her expression. "What... need your beauty sleep?" He teased. She glared at him, "Ever heard the saying 'let sleeping dogs lie'?" He nodded. "Yeah, well here's a new one for you. 'Let sleeping wolves lie or prepare to die." Dave chuckled at that.