Chapter Seven

Sabine slammed the door closed and heard Alex crash into it. She locked it, leaning against the rough wood as he screamed and cursed them all. She blushed after one particularly creative torrent of curse words and glanced at the door over her shoulder. The guards that had been posted were gone, no doubt caught up in the fray that surrounded her.

“What’s wrong?”

Her brother’s deep voice drew her attention. He was striding down the hall with Mateo slightly behind him. Dante had changed out of the shirt he’d been wearing, the one that had Alex’s blood on it, and switched it for a clean, white button-down cotton shirt. The two men took up almost all of the space in the narrow walkway, their broad chests too wide for them to walk side by side.

She put on a quick smile. “Nothing.”

The door rattled behind her, and Alex’s voice echoed loudly in the hall.

Dante arched a brow. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at her without speaking. Sabine glanced at Mateo. The other man shook his head, the expression on his face speaking more than words could and it said not to push her brother. “Did he hurt you?” Dante asked.

“No, of course not.” She reached out to touch her brother’s arm. Touch always had a way of centering her. “He actually sent me out of the room before he lost control. He’s not taking the news of being Benandanti very well.”

“Can’t blame the poor bastard there,” Mateo said. “Humans don’t like to accept differences so much.”

Alex banged against the door again, and Dante rolled his eyes. “I don’t have time to deal with this right now.”

Sabine noticed the chaos around her. There was panic in the air. “What’s happened?”

“We were attacked. Again,” Mateo said.

“Twice in one night. They are getting bolder.”

She could sense her brother’s frustration and her heart broke for him. “Was anyone hurt?”

“We lost two sentinels.”

She gasped. “Who?”

“Antonio and Gianni.”

Sabine closed her eyes and said a prayer for the two fallen soldiers. “Gianni has a mate and two children. His eldest is just getting ready to begin training as a sentinel.”

“We will make arrangements for them.” Dante’s voice was sad, and Sabine knew he mourned not just the soldiers but the men themselves. They had both experienced the horrors of losing a father, and she was sure Dante would take special interest in Gianni’s eldest son. Dante grabbed her hand and gently pulled her away from the door. “Mateo, tell Luca to post two guards at the door.”

Sabine tried to pull away, but her brother’s grasp was steel. He pulled her down the hall toward the stronghold’s lift. “Where are you taking me?”

“I want you to go to your quarters and wait for me there.”

“What? Why?”

“We are being attacked, Sabine, and I don’t need to worry about you.”

“So don’t. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

“Just do what I say! Do I have to get rid of that man to get my sister back? I don’t have time to argue with you. I have every member of the clan coming to the compound. Please, this once, just do as I say without arguing about it.”

The wariness in his voice broke her heart. She knew her constant questioning of his dictates was wearing on his nerves. She was never like this. She was usually the first to do what he said without a second thought or complaint. She allowed him to lead her down the hall. “Was anyone hurt? Could I be of more use in the infirmary?”

“No. Just go to your room.”

Taking a deep breath, Sabine agreed to do as he asked. She hated the drawn look on her brother’s face, his red-rimmed eyes and the lines around his mouth. She hadn’t seen him this upset since the bitch betrayed him.

“Promise me you’ll send for me if I’m needed.”

“I will.”

“And, Dante, I’m begging you. Don’t go after Alex. He needs time to adjust.”

They stood there together in front of the elevator door that would take them to the living quarters. Her brother’s shoulder-length black hair was tousled as if he’d been running his hand through it. He silently watched his people scurry around him. Those he was charged with caring for rushed around, but every so often one of them paused to thank him for getting them into the compound so swiftly. Sabine never felt more pleased for him. “Father would be proud.”

He closed his eyes briefly. “Father would not have let two sentinels die.”

“Dante, you couldn’t have prevented that.”

“I should have doubled the guard. I should have called everyone in sooner. I did nothing and now there is a family with no father, and a potential mate has been lost. This would not have happened to Father.”

Sabine grabbed his forearms tightly. “Do not let anyone hear you doubt yourself. You have nothing to regret. You’ve been an amazing alpha to us all, but more than that you are a good friend. You lead firmly, but not tyrannically. You’re respected and loved.”

“I can see that. No one dares ignore me.” He arched a brow.

She blushed. “I don’t know what has come over me.”

“I will chalk it up to your mark responding to the new male in the clan.”

Sabine smiled. “I just hope he can cope with all this.”

“As do I.”

Carissa ran down the hall, yelling out for Dante and dodging people as she did. The siblings stepped into the hall and waited. Sabine’s heart lodged in her throat. What more could happen tonight?

The alpha female took a moment to catch her breath. “You have to come now.”

“What’s happened?” Dante asked.

“It’s the pup.”

Sabine felt herself pale. “What’s wrong with Alex?”

“He’s changed.”

Dante only had to yell “move” once. All movement froze as Sabine and her brother ran through the corridor with Carissa hard on their heels. Sabine prayed for Alex as she ran, she couldn’t imagine what he must be going through.

They arrived at the door to find Luca and Mateo there. “What’s going on?” Dante asked.

Luca motioned to the door. “Carissa and I came to wait for the sentinels when we heard him scream in pain.” Luca shuddered. “Poor bastard, I can’t imagine what it feels like to go through the first change at his age.”

Carissa stepped in. “When we opened the door he was already in wolf form. He growled at us and pounced. Luca managed to dodge him and we both got out. He’s feral.”

“He’s scared,” Sabine said.

“Oh no, you don’t.” Dante pinned her with a hard gaze. “Do not even think of going in there.”

“Dante, Alex will not hurt me.”

“Do you really believe that?”

“Yes.”

“Did you come to that conclusion before or after you fled the room fifteen minutes ago?”

Sabine opened her mouth and then shut it without saying a word. She glanced at the others and stiffened her resolve. “Dante, he felt the Rise coming and didn’t know what he would do. He has to learn to control it. I can help him with that. He’s already changed, and if I need to defend myself, I can. Besides, you’ll be right here, how much more protection will I need?”

Dante grinned. “Oh, we’re going in with you. I won’t have even this door separating us, and if he even raises his nose to you in the wrong way, I will have his head on a platter.”

“You can be absolutely medieval sometimes, do you know that?”

“It’s what I do best.” His grin widened. “Luca, open the door. Let us see how our new friend is faring.”

Luca used his key to unlock the door. Sabine could hear Alex growling. She looked down at the floor and saw his massive shadow moving in and out of the light. Before Luca could push the door open, Sabine stopped him. “Allow me to be the first person he sees.”

Luca turned to Dante. Her brother searched her face, and for a moment Sabine thought he would disagree. To her surprise, he gave Luca one quick nod. Luca grasped the doorknob. “Be careful.”

She pushed little by little, waiting for him to jump, but nothing pressed back against the door. Feeling braver, she pushed the door open and stepped inside. The others would stay in the shadows until they were needed. The last thing they wanted was to spook the animal inside.

The first thing Sabine noticed was his scent. It called to her in a way that no other male ever had. She felt her posture soften, her heart began to beat faster and her breath hitched slightly. She examined the room. It was completely destroyed. The cot had been smashed, the linens ripped to shreds. The table was splintered and the chair lay in large pieces. On the floor in the center of the room was a large wet stain. She walked over to take a closer look and noticed there were pieces of meat and blood mixed in with the clear liquid. Her lip turned up in disgust and that was when she heard the low, rolling growl.

Sabine looked into a dark corner to her left, and a large black wolf stalked out as if he were formed from the darkness itself. She shuffled back slightly, wanting to keep her distance from any blood, but not trying to look as if she were running away. The last thing she wanted was to trigger his fight or flight reflexes and have him attack.

Large, white canines flashed as the wolf curled his lips back. Sabine exhaled. She needed to calm herself or he’d smell her fear, and if he wasn’t in control his animal would take over completely.

She held her hand out, palm down, and waited. Alex snapped at her hand. Sabine turned to the door and held her hand up to stop them. Turning back to him she spoke softly. “Alex, it’s me, Sabine. You know me. You won’t hurt me.”

The wolf calmed, his ears perked up and his head tilted a fraction, giving Sabine some hope. “That’s right, you know me. Everything is going to be okay. I’m going to help you and no one is going to hurt you.”

The wolf stepped forward but stopped. His ears went flat against his head and he began to bark and growl more ferociously than before. Sabine noticed he wasn’t directing it at her and cursed as she turned to her brother. “Stop!”

Mateo and Dante froze in the doorway. “We couldn’t see what he was doing from the hall,” her brother explained.

Sabine reached out and touched the great black wolf on its neck. His head snapped around but he didn’t try to bite her. She took it as a good sign and dug her fingers into the silky fur. Her heartbeat slowed. Her breath steady as she caressed the massive animal. “Alex, we’re all going to take care of you. You are part of our family now.” He pushed his head against her hand, seeking comfort with a baleful whine. Sabine’s heart broke for him. She continued to give him comfort with her voice and hands. “This must all be so strange for you, the new smells and sounds. Even your eyesight is different, isn’t it? You will get used to this, Alex, I promise you.” He whined again and lay beside her with his head in her lap.

Sabine turned to her brother. “Go, do what you must to get everyone into the compound. I’ll be fine here.”

“Luca, stay here and come for me if she needs anything.”

* * * *

Three men stood silently on the top of the hill overlooking the compound. The smile on the face of their leader showed his satisfaction. The three were similar in look and build. They were made that way so as to be hard to distinguish in the shadows, but one clear look and you could easily see the differences between them. The leader was slightly taller, his hair cut to the nape of his neck but still long as was the custom for their species. The two men behind him were his top two warriors. Though not as clearly defined as the hierarchy the Benandanti held on to, these men that the Malandanti called Alterrans had an order of their own.

One of the men behind him said, “We should have burned the homes.”

“No, Garrett, a fire would alert the authorities. The last thing we need right now are humans poking into our business.”

“Covell, you’re certain they know it’s us?” the second man asked.

“Oh, I am sure of it, Marko. Dante Luna is no fool, and by now the need to have my head severed from my body is as strong as the need I have for his.”

Garrett turned to the other men, the moon highlighting his copper-hued skin. “What are we waiting for? Look at them running around, they’re defenseless. We should strike now.”

Covell shook his head. “No. I want them even more frightened. I want them doubting their leader. When that’s done we can begin the destruction from the inside. Our contact will begin the ruination from within the ranks of Luna’s own men. When it comes time to fight he will find himself alone and I’ll have him at my mercy.”

The quick staccato sound of one person clapping echoed around them. The air beside Marko began to shimmer and the wind intensified. Marko, his waist-length black hair dancing in the wind, stepped back and out of the way.

Covell crossed his arms over his chest. He could do without the theatrics, but it made their maker feel powerful and it kept the rest of the men in check. He let out an annoyed breath, soon the Alterrans would dispose of their maker. They had no use for his magick, not when they had strength on their side, but first things first, they had the Benandanti to take care of.

The air shifted and formed the shape of a man. Silver eyes glowed brightly in the night. His long gray hair was held back in a queue. He stepped forward, solidifying as he did. “Well, this is a beautiful sight.”

The three men bowed their heads as Covell spoke. “Many greetings, Benural of the Lupa.”

“Greetings, Covell, what can you tell me of our victory this night? How many dead?”

“Two dead, two injured.”

Benural’s expression was flat. “Just two dead?”

“Two sentinels, sire,” Covell explained. “We are instilling panic as you suggested.”

The old man grinned proudly as he looked down at the chaos his men had created. “Yes. Soon the spawn of that traitor will come to fight, and I will bathe in his blood.”

Covell smiled, showing long canine incisors. “This is only the beginning.”