Ariella
It’s nine AM and my Grandparents, Aunts, and Uncles, have all just returned. I heard their cars arrive out the front of the main house, and I can smell their scents. I felt them coming from five miles away; my range is definitely longer since last night.
I sit beside Davonyé on the bed and look down at him. I swear his scent is maturing... I feel like I can not only smell the ware in him now, but I can also smell the strength on him, and that excites the hell out of me.
Hell, I've heard enough werewolf stories down at the holds to know how the men throw around their women in the bedroom, and I want that shit.
All of it.
And he’s a dominant…
He’s gonna Fuck. Me. Up...
His chest is definitely a little broader already, but I ain’t tryna sneak peeks right now. I'm waitin’ to get hit with the full package when he wakes up.
I inhale deeply as I lean down to rest a kiss on his forehead. I know Mom will check in on him while I'm gone, but I still don't wanna leave him…
“I'll be back soon. Gotta go deal with some ware business. I love you.”
I know he can’t hear me, but I’m still gonna tell him that shit.
I join everyone but Mom, gathered in the back yard. I look up at the sky because it’s gonna start raining in six minutes... I greet everyone and then go to take a seat, but Mom appears at the door with Amarey in her arms.
“Don't bring him out here, Mom. It's gonna rain in five minutes.”
Everyone looks at me, but I decide to be playful with it this time cuz I’m in a good mood. I take a bow. “Your own personal weather woman, at your service.”
They laugh but soon get up to go inside. We gather in the living room because it can seat all of us.
“So, the plan for today is to visit each of the holds in turn. Account for everyone and then find the informer.” Dad looks at me and I nod. “This is the only way. All communicational signals will be blocked in and around the holds so that we have the element of surprise, and in case there is one in each hold. Abriya will be going with you. I'll be staying here with my son.”
Shit… Mom’s going…
Mom passes Amarey to dad and then turns to face us.
“Between Ariella and I, we'll be able to sense who's hiding something. We also know they won't be expecting to see me so soon after the birth of Amarey, so this will throw them off. I'm hoping we find someone willing to talk. We’ve recently learned that Maximus is currently moving through Alaska with his pack, to the east. Ariella’s mate, Davonyé, has two sisters that live there who are also wares. We’re hoping to speak to them once Davonyé wakes up.”
Everyone agrees, and I sense their surprise at mom going. I’m surprised, too, but I know they’ve made the right decision. Mom’s skills at sniffing out traitors are hella good.
***
Mom drives her yellow Escalade to the first hold with me, Junia and Grandad. She looks good in all black. She looks ready for business. I can sense she’s uneasy, though, not just because of what we might find, but because she misses my brother.
“You miss him, don't you, Mom?”
She nods. “Badly, but I need to be the one who does this. I'm good at sniffing out subordinate wares.”
“She really is,” Junia says, from the back seat.
“I heard. Dad told me about the airfield and when you sniffed out an informer there.”
She smiles at the road. “Yep. Besides, it gives us a chance to spend some time together, too.”
“It’s cool. We still have hunting. We'll be quick, Mom.”
“We kinda need to be. I couldn’t express much milk…” She suddenly begins to worry as she touches her breasts.
I rest a hand on her shoulder. “Don't worry about that. I have my ways.”
She gives me a quick glance as she frowns. “Like what?”
“Just wait and see, Mom.”
***
We get to Hold One. The smallest of the three. I ignore the smell as we jump inside to follow behind mom as she walks down the stark white corridor. Beau soon approaches mom and bows her head. “Sire.”
“Is everyone gathered?” Mom asks her, not even breaking stride.
Beau rushes to catch up with her. “Yes, Sire.”
We reach the main hall to see a sea of wares in front of us. They swiftly kneel, but I sense and see their looks of surprise at seeing mom here.
“Sovereign,” they all say, in unison.
Mom hates being called sovereign, and much prefers Sire, but wares love her and always wanna show her the proper respect.
“You may rise,” Mom tells them.
They all get to their feet, many of them congratulating her as they do.
Mom holds up her hand briefly and they all fall silent. “Thank you, all. Clarence and I have welcomed a son into our family, born two days ago. He is beautiful and healthy, and we have named him Amarey Victorio James.”
There is a huge round of applause, and I’m in awe.
Damn...
They really love my parents.
Mom's smile soon slips, though. “However, as you are all most likely aware, there is someone that wishes to disrupt the peace that we have become to know the past twenty years, and for that, I need your help. If any of you have any information in relation to Maximus, or his intentions, please, approach me now. Otherwise, you are free to go.”
I see my family discretely move to block all exits except the one behind us. Beau appears with a residents list and then we begin to mark off each ware, one by one.
We spend a good hour making our way through the list, with mom seeing if she feels a way about anyone, and me seeing if I can sense any unusual or uncomfortable feelings from anyone.
All is good, until only a handful remain.
Mom turns to look at me and I know the one on the end of the line is bait.
The woman shifts from foot to foot, looking uncomfortable as hell.
And she feels it.
She tucks some of her curly hair behind her ear and looks anywhere but at us.
Mom suddenly looks thoughtful and I know she's speaking to dad. She motions to Uncle Quis and he arrives at her side. “Take this woman to a holding cell. Search her room and then prepare her to travel to hold three.”
The woman’s fear suddenly skyrockets. “Wait, please!” Mom turns away from her, but the woman continues to scream. “He has my children!”
“It’s times like these when I wish I still had my ring,” she mutters. She turns back to the woman. “What’s your name?”
“Lara, Sovereign,” she rushes to say.
“Tell me what you know.”
“He took my kids two months ago…” She begins to cry hysterically. “He told me to infiltrate one of your holds and then return back to him when you had given birth. Please, I swear, I didn't want to do it!”
Mom remains emotionless, but I know it has taken her many years to practice that face. Cuz unlike dad, Mom reigns with her heart. “Where is he?”
“I don't know. I marked my son so that I could find my way back to him, but yesterday I stopped feeling the connection. I swear.”
Moms quiet again. “Take her.”
“Please!”
Mom ignores her cries and looks at Uncle Quis. “Meet us at Hold Three after you’re done.”
“I will.”
The woman screams as I follow mom out. I know her and dad are talking about this. We soon enter a soundproofed room and I feel everyone’s anger at the situation.
“If there’s one here and this is the smallest hold,” Aunt Asha says, “then God knows how many more there could be.”
“He’s using the same tactics as Samson; grabbing family members,” Grandad Victorio says. “This all feels like history repeating itself.”
“Well, he is supposedly related to him,” Mom comments. “Clarence wants us to gather any informants at Hold Three, and then he will interrogate them all. We should hurry to get to the rest.”
I suddenly see the memory of the woman marking her son and Maximus ordering her to the holds. Oh, shit… That must mean that if we find anyone else, I’ll see their memories, too, whether they wanna talk or not.
I look at mom but don’t say anything yet. I wanna make sure before I tell her. This is what Aura must have meant when she said I learned the history of all those that were important to me but wouldn’t see their faces and memories until I needed them.
Wow…
“I’ll stay with Quis,” Aunt Asha says. “We’ll be quick. I promise.”
Mom nods. “Alright.” She turns to face me. “Ready to do that all over again?”
I nod. “Yep. Let’s go.”