Mckayla
~
Being reunited with my pack, I hadn't expected it would be so emotional. The pressure from their hugs and the strength they held over me was surprisingly warm and wanted. I had missed them.
When in view of Kaylee, I could hear her ordering the pack to let her through.
I would need to work on her forceful personality when time gave room to settle. The pack moved allowing Kaylee to find me with only five feet of distance between us. When her eyes locked on mines I couldn't help but relinquish the tears from me as I quirked my lips into a vibrant smile.
Kaylee began crying as she ran fast over to me jumping into my arms as I lifted her up off the ground. She and I held each other, afraid to let go. "I've missed you so much," Kaylee cried in my ear.
"I'm sorry I put you through this." I meant that. It seemed for the last two major pack problems at the end of the day they all came from my own personal history with these rogues and fucking crazed Alpha leaders. "I'll make it up to you."
Kaylee lifted her head off my shoulder staring into my eyes before scrutinizing me with a look that told me that maybe she noticed the change in me.
Kaylee swiped her index over my high cheekbone where my tears slid down and lifted her finger for both of us to see.
Right away I noticed the crimson. Had I cried blood as tears?
Swallowing hard, my heart throbbed harshly yet slow against my chest as my eyes landed to Elena's. I needed confirmation and she nodded giving it to me. Yet another thing that could easily show the change in me.
"I can--"
Kaylee kissed my cheek. "It's alright mom. We can all smell the change in you and we don't care."
My face flushed and I turned to Nina who was beside me. She smiled faintly. So much for keeping it a secret.
Jace, Marie, and Rogue walked over to me patting me on the back as they welcomed me back to the other side of safety.
Cormic came out of nowhere, his arms extended out as he smirked. "Give me a hug," he asked in a fake begging tone.
I used my free hand shoving him away and watched as he pretended to be offended.
"Just don't go sticking your fangs into me if I get you mad," Cormic stated.
My mind and body frooze a moment taking what he said and looked around to see any fearful eyes on me. None welcomed that fearful gaze and I looked back to Cormic with a little less stress in my eyes and stance. I decided to play into his humor. "Then I guess you better be good and leave me alone."
A few laughed and the fear of the pack not accepting me dimmed dramatically.
My sister was walking back into the house with Sara, probably coming back from patrol and the urgency to see and hold her felt grave as if she had nearly died like before. The fear of ever losing her was too scary to think about.
"Rachel..."
She looked up as if hearing my voice put her in a momentary daze. A smile blew up on her face and she rushed over to me and as Kaylee hopped down from my arms, Rachel ran into them.
"I've fucking missed you," Rachel said weakly as I held her.
"I've missed you to...sis," I staggered out from her deathtrap embrace.
She laughed. "You better." Rachel pulled away examining. "You will always be my kickass big sister. Even more so now." I could hear the sincerity and I smiled.
"You've grown so much," I told her.
Rachel laughed. "I'm still nineteen going on twenty sis..."
I shook my head. "No...I mean. Who you are and that burning strength inside you has grown a lot." I cupped her cheek with my hand. "Just promise me...don't lose that smile and sense of joy inside you like I did."
Rachel gazed at me with warm loving eyes. "I can feel that light inside you sis. I did since the beginning. Don't doubt that."
I only nodded.
There was one other face that I hadn't seen and I used my sense of smell finding her scent quickly through all the other Weres and two vampires.
I patted Rachel on the back, walking toward the front door where I noticed Laurie standing against the wall a few feet from the door. Everyone that was inside the house stayed inside while the rest of the pack moved away after greeting me and gave us distance.
"I've missed you." I couldn't think of anything else to start off with but that.
Laurie gazed up to me, giving me a faint smile before turning back away.
I watched her for a moment as she played with the string on her sweater. "I'm sorry about your family. I'm sorry that I--"
"You didn't...kill my family." I froze from her words. "I've learned a little on using my sense of smell. The wolves--I mean Werewolves that killed them are dead now because of your pack."
Laurie's eyes never looked up to mines, so far into the ground I was sure she was digging holes in the wooden floor with them. "I know that man had you think you did it."
"Our pack," I corrected. Laurie looked up at me with confusion. "This is our pack."
Her smile swarmed her face as she blushed with embarrassment after. "Our pack," she said weakly.
I kissed her forehead and Rosalie walked out standing beside me.
Her grin was very noticeable. "So are we gonna send that son of a bitch to his death or what?"
I frowned at her bluntness, pointing to Laurie for her to realize she did have a child near her.
She shrugged. "Ah am sure she's passed the 'ah don't know what is happening stage.'" My frown didn't dissipate. Rosalie's sigh came off weird and exaggeratedly knowing she couldn't collect air in her lungs even if she prayed on it for the next hundred years. "Me apologies."
"Rosalie...stop giving Mckayla a rough time." Elena stepped out directing Rosalie to leave.
I felt Elena's cold hands brush my arm and winced at the electrical current that ran through me. I didn't know what feeling that brought me and was afraid to find out. Some weird siring bond I suspected.
Elena observed me for some time and I watched her eyes drop to my mouth before gazing back up to my eyes.
"What...Elena?" I couldn't take more of her staring.
She turned away and then back at me, clearing her throat. "You have blood coming down from your mouth. You probably bit yourself not realizing it."
"Oh," was all I said. I wiped my mouth running my tongue over my teeth just noticing that my fangs were protruded. I hadn't known how long they been out.
"You should--"
"I just...fed," I forced out.
"Rosalie could never fill you up." I turned to Elena for meaning. "Only a vampire as strong as I and also as your sire, I can full you. Plus you should feed your wolf."
I nodded. "You never told me how old you are."
"And I wasn't planning on it any time soon."
I stared at her as she only smiled, our eyes locked for a long while and then her face became unreadable.
Nina walked out in that next second. She looked at Elena curiously and positioned herself between us. Elena only backed away and I could feel the tension in Elena's body as well as Nina's.
"We should deal with Sal before the night ends. I'm sure everyone has their own lives to leave off to after." Nina looked over at Elena after saying that.
I could only imagine how Nina would take it when she realized Elena would have to stay much longer than a few more days. There was so much I needed to learn from Elena; so much she had to teach me.
Elena only gazed at me for a few seconds before walking away.
I sighed turning to Nina. "You don't have to be rude to her."
"Then stop acting like I don't see the way she has been looking at you."
I was close to opening my mouth again but found myself staying quiet. I wasn't going to open up any argument right now, not when I wasn't sure myself about Elena's full intent on me either.
Nina was walking away as I stayed in my thoughts and I grabbed onto her arm pulling her back into me. Nina huffed caught off guard by my aggressive way of keeping her near me. She arched a brow. "I'm sorry." I hadn't known I used so much strength. I kept Nina embraced in my arms leaning to kiss her cheek. "I'm all yours. Elena is only here to help me." As I told her that I could see Elena's eyes focused on me. After I hugged Nina I kissed her lips forgetting who was around and leaned our foreheads together.
"Should we begin?" Bran asked.
I nodded and he looked over to Jerome and Sara. They headed back into the house and I ordered everyone to come outside.
My pack aligned outside about thirty feet from the house we had stayed in for the night with Elena and Rosalie standing on the side. I stood center of my pack as I watched Jerome and Sara dragging Sal out.
Sal snarled as the silver chained choked tight around his neck, scorching his flesh like he done me many times.
He looked over to his two kids Rogue and Cormic standing together as they watched.
"Will you both do nothing?" He yelled at them.
Cormic snorted as if insulted his father even asked such a question. "Sorry father...you fucked up and in Kayla's territory out of all places. Not even your closest friend could save you from this."
Sal spat on the ground as he was forcibly dragged to the center where I stood. My eyes was fixed on him and grimaced feeling myself riled up ready to feast from him. I wasn't sure if my wolf wanted to come out first or take a swallow of his blood first. I growled trying to hold back both urges as my eyes burned the new shade of gold and sapphire.
Sara kicked Sal to his knees and he scowled wincing from the pain.
"Let him go," I ordered Jerome and Sara.
They both looked at me incredulous. They knew he would try to run if they backed away but I didn't care. He wouldn't make it two steps.
Sal watched as they unraveled the chain from his neck stepping away and his eye darkened probably ccontemplating his next move.
Within a few seconds Sal lifted to his feet trying to take his first initiation in running off. In sudden vampiric speed I reached forward yanking him by his shirt back to the ground.
I noticed eyes widening surprised by my speed but ignored the wonders that had for me. I wasn't angry of what they was wondering. I had done the same for myself when I realized some of the abilities I picked up.
"I loved you like you were my own--"
"That line has been abused by you too many times," I stated, cutting him off. "You are not sorry for what you did? You killed many of my pack and held and tortured me and our new allies of vampires." I stepped in closer to him. "You are going to die tonight." I said that with absurdity.
I looked up to the pack that was waiting for my next actions. Their eyes were full of bitterness towards the lost Weres we lost in our pack and they were also filled with hunger for blood and watching him die.
"There are many ways of tradition when it comes to executing a Were." I held everyone's attention. "Tonight we will practice one my grandmother told me about when I was a cub." Sal's eyes widen, frantic of what that could be. "I hate that we are faced with choices like this. That killing another is the only way to create balance. There is no order to keeping Weres like you off our packs except through death. Maybe later we can come up with something better."
Sal tried to crawl out of reach and I walked over causally as if I was taking a normal stroll down a path and slid my fingers around the back of his neck, gripping him tight. My wolfish claws protruded out as my wolf half announced it self, piercing through the flesh of his neck. Sal screeched, cringing under my death grip and I knelt beside him.
Keeping my eyes focused on my pack I continued to talk. "I could eat him or drink him whole." There was no point in me lying to my pack about the change in me. Elena had called me a hybrid. She said it was a very rare breed; half vampire; half Werewolf and that's what I was now. "But...tonight is not my time to seek revenge. I deserved many of what I experienced."
I watched as the pack stared confused, Nina especially.
Elena only watched not making any sudden reactions like the rest.
"I had a responsibility years ago to kill you and I didn't. I use to be a killer...so what you did to me was my punishment." I looked over to Rogue. "Let this be a lesson to the rest of you. We do whats right for the pack; not just for yourselves." I dug my claws into his neck tighter, smelling the blood that trickled all around his neck. The hunger began to grow and I knew I had to distance myself from him soon. He scent of his blood my my stomach twist in knots as if starvation had grown to a week without a meal.
I sucked in a breath as I refocused on the pack. "Shift."
Everyone did as they were told, stripping away their clothes as their shift began.
I shoved him out of my grip doing my best to ignore his blood on my hand. My mouth watered by the mere thought of tasting his blood. I clenched my mouth jar shut trying to hide the fangs that were nearly noticeable to my pack. "He's free for you all to do whatever you please."
Sal eyes widen. "What--no?"
Nina didn't shift and I knew she wouldn't be a part of what was about to transpire. I stood a distance backing away as Sal tried scrabbling to his feet.
My pack circled in around him; all my dominant wolves old enough to hunt for themselves.
I kept my eyes up afraid to look down at my hands, knowing if I did I would be sucking on my fingers painted with Sal's blood. I walked over to Cormic and Rogue who watched as my pack attacked Sal. I wasn't satisfied by his screams. The old rogue part of me would have been selfish in killing him without the pack laying one finger on him.
"I wish--this should have been avoided years ago."
"You don't have to explain yourself," Rogue said. "I was blind for so long and had everyone telling me how lost my father was." Rogue looked one last to her father before looking to Cormic. "If you will forgive us...we need to be alone. A lot we have to sort through." Rogue shuddered a breath hearing her father cry out her name and I saw a tear slip her eye. No matter how crude her father got, he was still her father and she loved him dearly. Rather she wanted to help him or not, she knew she could never do so. Pack law states in every pack; never to cause harm against a pack, especially the Alpha or death.
"Take however long you need." I caressed Rogues cheek leaning in to brush my lips over her forehead. "You will always be important to me."
Cormic came over to give me a hug.
"I hope to see you both again soon."
"Of course," Cormic said.
Nina walked over to Cormic first and then Rogue giving her a hug. I wasn't surprised by her gesture. I knew eventually Nina would accept Rogue. "Anytime you need a friend."
"You will see me again soon enough."
Nina smiled and stood beside me watching them shift and run off.
I couldn't help but stare until I could no longer see them. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to find Elena beside me. She held a bow of water in her hand and extended it out to me. "You should clean that blood off your fingers."
She had noticed my struggle. I had to stay headstrong in fighting my urges.
Nina reached over taking the bowl out of Elena's hand. "Thank you. I got it from here."
Elena nodded but didn't walk away like Nina expected. I dipped my hand into the warm bowl of water cleaning off Sal's blood. "I commend you for restraining yourself. It took me a lot longer to control that urge."
"Thank you."
"So will you be leaving tonight?"
"Nina," I sneered out. Her hostility toward Elena was becoming very clear.
Elena thought for a moment and then turned to walk off. She walked a few feet away and then turned back around.
"Can I speak with you privately?"
I thought she was talking to me but her eyes were on Nina.
I narrowed my eyes and Elena arched hers at me. "Shouldn't you be going off to shift and hunt?"
What did she want to say to Nina privately? I frowned and Nina nodded for me to leave.
Without argument which was hard and unbelievable for me to do, being I never let anyone dismiss me, I left.
Maybe Nina would tell me what Elena said. Knowing Elena well enough this far, I knew I could never ask her. I sighed walking toward the house as I called Kaylee and Laurie to come run with me. I would take this moment to spend time with both of them. They were both mines to take care of. One through a bite and the other through birth; both my girls.
~~~
Nina
~
"I finally have you truly to myself," Elena teased.
I noticed my pack finished with the new rebooted execution ritual and Bran shift back human skin. I nodded and he took control of the pack noticing Mckayla wasn't near to make any demands.
No one cared to stick around to see Sal die. He was a near pointless existence; only made in this world to bring in two excellent werewolves.
Elena noticed my distraction. "You dislike me for turning Mckayla into what she is now." She was blunt and I winced only due to the mere dominance in her tone.
I was still submissive no matter what breed of species I faced.
"My apologies..."
"Stop apologizing," I told her. I looked away. "She told me...why you turned her into what she is now. You had no choice...right?" I looked at her when I said that.
"Sal had been starving me and at the end of the day...I had no choice."
"There is always a--"
"Until you are put in a position like mines...or even Mckayla's--you have noticed she changed a young girl into a Were...right? You hate her for that?" Before I could speak Elena continued. "What I did--how I did it...I wish it could have happened another way. You should be proud of who she is. Sadly...I don't regret it now."
"I. Am. Proud." I yelled out those words a bit louder than expected.
Elena only glared at me with incredulous eyes. "I will never question your love for her. I do question the truthfulness of your last statement."
I was ready to argue but paused. I knew I was lying to myself. I loved Mckayla, yet this new version of her did scare me a little. I wasn't worried she would hurt. It was just...too new.
"Let's get to why I wanted to really talk to you privately," Elena said. I arched a brow. "I am not trying to invade your relationship...but as her Sire...I need to be around. She needs to know and understand who she is now."
"You said but..." I pointed out.
"Excuse me?" She looked honestly confused.
"You said but. Implying you aren't trying to get in between Mckayla and I but you won't back away either. You will end up making trouble."
Elena regarded my challenging approach on her intentions and pursed her lips. "I have been a vampire for many years. Too many for you to count on your fingers...or this entire packs set of fingers. And through those many years I have come across few who had made me curious of them. Mckayla is different. And that intrigues me. At the end; however you look at this she is only my progeny."
"But I know that look you give her. I've seen it on other faces and felt it on mines many times for Mckayla."
"Nina...why push this topic?" Elena now looked extremely bored with this conversation. "If you have your true mate...then me being around won't matter."
I was bombarded by her exact usage of words. If I had my true mate. What was she implying?
"Nina...did Mckayla tell you what she wanted us to do next?"
I looked over to Bran and by the look in his eyes he could tell there was something off between Elena and I. I knew Bran was to respectful and sincere to eavesdrop on our conversation.
"No," I said.
"She did speak of the pack staying here another night. Something about your other home needing to be remodeled."
I turned to her frustrated she already knew Mckayla's next move before me.
She noticed my built on anger and took a step back."I will keep my distance...if that makes you feel better for the rest of the night."
It didn't make me feel better. Honestly, I wasn't sure how I felt.
Right now I needed to focus my attention on more important matters. I had Mckayla back and already I felt threatened by another woman's presense. Maybe it was the new connection someone else had with Mckayla. I had been waiting for our mating bite for far too long and someone else had already had the pleasure of biting and bonding with her. Yes, it was a different bond, but one that somehow effected me. I hated this jealous feeling and if I kept this up I could easily hand Mckayla over to Elena.
This vampire wouldn't admit any hidden attraction she felt for Mckayla but who cared? At the end of this all, I had Mckayla. She was my mate and we would get through this again. Our love was strong enough to concur all.