Blood Matters (Pack Matters, Book 1)

Chapter 1: Rosa

I woke up and looked at my surroundings. I was in some kind of cell. No handcuffs or another form of restraints. It was dark, but enough light for me to see my other occupants. Did they put me here? Where are my kids? I tried not to panic, but my fight response was kicking into high gear. Whoever they were they were still unconscious as I was. What happen?

The odors and scents of the cell came to me. With each odor, I was able to identify details. For instance, I somehow knew that the three men in the cell with me were not strangers. In fact two of them I knew intimately.  My heartbeat sped up as I ran to them. I checked the pulse of the taller and stockier one. I was right. 

He was my little brother, Cassius. We grew up together, not in the same house. His mother and my mother were both smitten with our father. He was a rolling stone. Cassius and I were close but his being incarcerated kind of drove a wedge between us. I would check in with him from time to time. His pulse was steady and I figured he should be waking up anytime now. I touched the side of his face and smiled. At least neither of us was alone. 

I went to the second scent that was familiar to me. He was only a couple of feet from Cassius. When I checked the pulse I realized that it was my older brother, Martin. Unlike Cassius, Martin grew up not knowing us. Until recently he was always a myth to us. A story we started to think dad told us to be cruel. Martin grew up with his mom who left our dad.  He was thinner than Cassius but more toned.  

I didn't realize that our captors took our shirts. All of us were only pants. I had a bra that wasn't mine on. No scars or signs of physical damage. I wonder if someone was going to experiment on us. 

I went to the third man, whose scent was similar to Cassius and Martins, but not that familiar to me. His pulse was the same as the others. His face looked like Cassius and Martin, but where Cassius had more of a chunky and Martin's being angular, this man had a strong jawline. No denying it though, this was our recently discovered older brother Malcolm. We all had the same eyes, nose, and lips of our dad. 

Malcolm and I didn't hit it off when I tried reaching out to him. He cursed me out. I cursed him out. When I told Cassius, he wanted to escape jail to fight Malcolm. Martin was calm about it and said Malcolm needed time.  Time for what? we were his family, whether he liked it or not. Shit, we didn't need a DNA test to prove he was our brother. He looked almost like all of us. Only our mother's features made us different. 

I tried to wake them all up by shaking hard, but gently at the same time. Somebody went through a lot of trouble to capture us. Cassius being in jail. Martin lived in Jersey. Malcolm whereabouts before now is up in the air. 

"Where are we?" Martin asked his voice deep and articulate. There was still a hint of a country accent in there. He sounded confused and stood up turning towards me. "Rosa?"

"Hey Martin," I said. 

"Oh my god are you okay?" he hugged me and held me away from him. He started to check me for signs of abuse. 

"I'm fine. Cassius and Malcolm are here too, wherever here is." I looked into his eyes and could see fear. He tried to cover it, but it was there. He always seemed to be more timid to me or our two other brothers.

Both Malcolm and Cassius began to stir. They also stood up and looked at Martin and I.  Cassius looked at us, smiled, and came over to hug us together.

"Rosie, Marty? What's going on?" 

"We don't know. Someone decided to mess with the wrong family." I said. 

"Is that, Malcolm?" Martin asked. This was the first time the two of them met. 

"I'm not in your family," Malcolm said. Rubbing the back of his head and walking away from us towards the cell door. He began to examine the lock.

"You look just like us," I said, trying to stay calm. Martin grabbed my wrists and shook his head.  

"I don't care," he said without turning to face me. I was about to approach him from behind, but Cassius beat me to it.

"Hey, don't talk to her that way."  

Malcolm turned to face Cassius. Both them squaring up with another. Standing nose to nose. Tempers flaring. Martin stood behind me, studying our brothers. 

"I talk to who I want, how I want." Malcolm jabbed his index finger into Cassius chest. Cassius swatted it away and raised his fist. 

"This isn't going to solve anything," Martin said out loud. I could hear some of his nervousness but was impressed he said anything at all. Cassius looked back at the two of us, nodded, and stepped away from Malcolm. 

"What are these chains?" Cassius asked. I didn't notice before, but we all had a silver chain around our wrist.  Mine had numbers embroidered on it.  

"They look like dog collars." Martin tried to take his off, but it wouldn't budge. The others tried too. 

"Why would they put dog collars on u?" Cassius stopped trying and continued to glare at Malcolm. 

"To tag us," Malcolm said. 

"We have to get out of here," I said. "I need to know if they kidnapped my kids."

"I'm sure they are fine," Cassius said.

"No, she has a point, it's possible this could be extortion of some kind. " Cassius gave Martin a look that could only mean "shut up". 

"Why would they extort any of you?" Malcolm folded his arms. "None of you have any money."

"You don't know what we have," Cassius responded.

"I know you all better not be connected to this, or else I'm bringing you all down with whoever captured me."

"Us," I said.

"Excuse me?" 

"You said to me, but we are all here."

Martin stepped between us. "I wondered if dad is the link?" 

"That is all we have in common right now," I said. Trying to stay strong for everyone and keep my emotions in check. 

"Your dad isn't my dad," Malcolm said. Agitated he went back and punched the door. 

The door opened and I couldn't believe what we were looking at.  Three figures stood at the entrance. One huge Frankenstein male.  A female who looked liked a fish, and another male who was dressed as a mummy.  Malcolm tried to get closer, but some force knocked him backward into us. 

The Frankenstein male knelt on the ground. His eyes focused on us. "The Packs, please excuse us for the sudden attacks."

"Let us go and all will be forgiven," I said.

"Sorry, it's not my call. You see we brought you all here because of your father."

"He isn't my father." Malcolm exploded. Throwing his hands in the air. 

"Regardless of what you think, he is your father. You are all from the same special bloodline he is. You are all the last descendants of Talbain. One of the strongest bloodlines amongst werewolves. In fact, one of the strongest bloodlines of Yokai." 

"Victor that's enough talking to them. "  The fish lady said. 

"You're right, of course, Ariel." 

"Malcolm Pack, Martin Pack, Rosa Pack, and Cassius Pack. By orders of the Yokai Federation. You are to assist us in finding your father, Fredreick."

"My last name isn't Pack." Malcolm said. 

"To us, it is. Your father is an alpha werewolf. We suspect that he is behind the recent murders of the Talbain pack."

"and you want us to help you?" I said laughing. I may not get along with my dad, but I love him to death. I would never give him up. 

"How can we help with that?" Martin asked.

"Did anybody not here him say werewolf?"  Malcolm asked.

"We can explain that all later." Victor stood up, his menacing frame towring over all of us. 

"And if we say no?"I asked.

"Well, then, the answer is simple. If you don't help us find your father. You die."