Talons

Chapter 73: The Connections

Rhea’s POV

The male who stopped us is holding a single rose in his hand, and he extends it to my mother while asking if he can speak to me. I fold my shoulders in, standing behind my mother, but the male shifts his body so that he can look at me.

“She is seventeen,” my mother says with authority, making the male’s eyes flash before he calms himself.

“You must be her mother, and from your tone, a luna.”

“I am, and if you are here to tell me that she is your mate, you need to get in line behind him.” My mother points to General, who is already making his way over to us, but my cousins keep 'accidentally' blocking his path.

“Mommy can we please leave?” I beg. We quickly make our way to Jovan, who has likely pulled a car out front, but the male with the flower follows us.

“Lady B,” he says sweetly; that is what my set is called. “Can I at least know your real name?” I ignore the male who follows us all the way to the car. “Please?” 

“Will you let us go if I tell you?” I can see that my mother isn’t happy, but the male has positioned himself in front of us again and he is clearly not worried about the council, which means he holds a high rank as well.

“I promise,” he says. I blurt out my first name and he steps to the side just as General makes his way out. “My name is Marcos, and I’ll be in touch.” 

Colton’s POV

Carter and Mandy have just confirmed that they are expecting their first pup, which has everyone except me excited. Don't get me wrong, I'm extremely happy for them, but every time a ranked member of the pack gets pregnant, or marks a mate, my father finds a way to force me alone with Jessica.

Once, he sent her into my suite so drunk that I had to call her parents to get her. Don't get me wrong, I still swing her a bone from time to time but that is only because the council ordered that nothing could change until I met my mate, if I have one.

It's not fun for me and it doesn't even feel good unless I'm fantasizing about someone else. Oddly enough that person is still B, who I'm told has left the country. 

I had visited the Claw territory to see how she was doing, but I was told she moved to Puerto Rico. The news hit me like a ton of bricks. I was kind of hoping she and I could become friends again, and maybe, eventually, if she was willing, we could try having s*x, but only if she was interested.

I wouldn't even be a jerk about it. I would do whatever she wanted to do; slow, fast, or anything in-between. I just really need to experience her body so I can get her out of my system and move on with my normal life.

Rhea's POV

Marcos showed up at the gym a day after the incident with General and he immediately sniffed out the scent he thought belonged to me. It turned out to be Fortunate he smelled; I borrow a lot of her clothes and she rarely comes to the bar since I relieved her of her post. It confused him into thinking he and I had a connection; we do not.

Fortunate was not thrilled to be fated to an alpha because it means she will have to leave home. To help, Marcos agreed to move slowly for her. He is devout, so there will be no rejection.

Titi Beautiful is wary, but happy for her daughter, who despite being half human, was accepted by her mate. Jovan is also beside himself because after Fortunate, he is the only suitable candidate to take over as alpha and he plans to train the pack to death with his fierce Luna.

My mother and I were just happy that we didn't have to kill Marcos, who seems like a sweet guy. He has spent most of the time we have seen him silently watching Fortunate, who tries her best to ignore him, but we can all tell that she is pleased with him.

Now, the only threat is General Newt, who hasn’t shown up, but may try. There is nothing he can really do unless he forces his mark on me, which I doubt he will.

However, because my mother is scared for my safety, she and I booked a flight back to the states, where forced markings are less common.

Many of my cousins are coming back with us, including Julee, Miracle and oddly enough, Geo. Julee said that my mother was her sign to leave, and after Miracle found out that my brother’s gamma was of Korean descent, she planned to move with us. She’s obsessed with Korean dramas, so she thinks she’s about to live out a dream.

We leave in a few days, and I can tell by the way Grace stares at me lately that she’s hurt. I wish I could take her, but I have a better surprise in store. She and I can two-word mind link, and I purposely pushed our flight out until after the full moon to try something.

With most of my cousins gone from the pack territory to shift and run around in the forested area far from where we are, I take Grace outside and lay her flat on the ground.

"This might hurt," I say, even though I'm not sure it will even work. 

I take several steps back and mustering every ounce of authority within me I order my cousin to shift. Her body starts to spasm, and when I see that she is fighting the command Sylvia pushes forward.

"I SAID SHIFT!" I practically shout, and my cousin's bones start to crack and break, making me regret my actions as she screams in pain.

Grace's screams are loud enough for anyone close by to hear, but before my mother and aunt can get to us, my cousin has fully shifted, and her wolf is staggering to its feet.

"What are you two doing?" My aunt shouts, pushing me harshly to the ground, and my cousin growls at her. I scramble to my feet and hold my arms out in front of my aunt, who I know would rather die than to fight her daughter.

"Grace, it's me, Rhea; smell me," I say and her wolf charges, knocking me down and burying its snout into my neck, making me giggle. My aunt is just staring at us and when she tries to approach, Grace starts growling again. 

I reel in her attention and tell her to use her nose. She does, and realization hits her. She whimpers while crawling to her mother, who she nearly attacked. 

My aunt cries as she hugs her daughter, telling her that she didn't know. She said that she expected Grace to shift after her eighteenth birthday, but when nothing happened, she gave up on the idea, especially after being warned that her daughter may have an unstable wolf.

I don't want to be unsympathetic, but I quickly tell my aunt that she should shift as well. Joining a pack as a wolf is easier because all you have to do is submit to an alpha, and be packless of course.

My aunt sees where I'm going, and she shifts into her wolf then stands over Grace's wolf, who has rolled onto her back. I stand back as they start howling at the sky, then bolt around the courtyard.

I don't know if Grace will be able to shift at will, but her wolf tired easily, so she laid down, and automatically shifted back to her human form. We quickly covered her with the blanket I brought and put her back into her chair. She just lazily smiled.

Lissette's POV

Mavis and I ran out to a truly frightening sight. Grace rolled on the ground until her body shifted, and I violently pushed my niece out of the way, thinking that something terrible might happen.

I'm shocked when my own blood growls at me, and even more shocked when she welcomes my niece. I stare at my sister, who looks away.

Mavis and I were just discussing Gordita. I told her that Grace's muscle spasms stop whenever the girl touches her. I told Mavis that Gordita is able to calm Grace's fits by singing. I even told her how terrifying her daughter is when she fights, but Mavis insisted that it’s nothing.

For a while now, I have felt threatened by Gordita. It’s not violence that scares me, but I do believe she is dangerous; kind and sweet, but dangerous. I’ve warned my sister, who seems to think I’m overreacting, but I’m not.

I have seen the way my niece behaves around her mother, and I can understand why Mavis would never see her sweet little girl in a negative light, but my sister must have forgotten who she used to be, because the Mavis I once knew would have noticed her daughter is not ordinary.

Don't get me wrong I love my niece, she is amazing toward everyone, even those she doesn't really like, and whatever she did with Grace has given me the ability to mind link my daughter, so I will forever be grateful, but I'm glad my sister came to get her.

Rhea's POV

It was an emotional set of goodbyes, especially for Jovan, who said that I gave him the courage to ask Priscilla to bear his mark and uncle Jonathan who did not want me or Julee to leave.

My mother assured her brother that Julee would be safe at Claw, but I wouldn't lie. I told him that she would live among other omegas, and while I know he wasn't happy, he appreciated my honesty. I also told him that I would make sure to visit her often, and I would call him the second I sensed trouble.

My uncle knows what I'm capable of without the ability to shift, so he has no doubts that I would tear someone apart if they tried anything. Besides, Julee is in the medical field, it doesn't matter her rank, she will be respected by all.

While on the plane, my mother tells me that I shouldn't come back to Claw’s territory yet. She is still worried about General, and so am I. The dorms haven't opened, but coach Jim has already been asking when I'm coming back, so I can probably get in early.

I can just stay with Raven while I wait for his approval.