Chapter Three
1768 Words
The minion skipped excitedly out of the room and down the darkened hall, its pathway barely lit by the lights lining the walls. "Master will be happy, I will find his answers for him," he said. The small creature paused in his excitement, "What is, answers for life?" He murmured to himself. He put his small finger to his chin like he had seen Master Egan do when he was deep in thought. As he was thinking in the hallway another smaller minion came from one of the rooms, she looked at him puzzled.
"What are you doing?" she asked him.
"Master gave me a job!" he said excitedly, "But Tree doesn't know where to look," he said puzzled.
The female minion looked at him with a mixture of what could be described as pleasure and sadness, she wanted a job too. "Maybe, Wash can help?" she asked.
Tree looked at Wash, astounded, "How can Wash help, when Tree doesn't even know where to look?" he asked her.
"Well, what job did Master give Tree?" she asked plainly. He was an outside minion, so he only knows outside work, that was why he was named Tree. She, on the other hand, was an inside minion so she knew plenty about the inside of the house.
"He wants answers," Tree said in a tone that said, he was trying to impress Wash.
"Answers?" Wash said, "To what does master wants answers to?" she asked. She knew how to cook his favorite meal, she knew how to wash the clothes he would leave about the house. She knew how to clean, but he told her to stop much of that. Now, she stays in her small little corner, keeping it pristine. The way the whole house was before Master Egan was killed.
"He said, life," he said. When he said it, he was met with the same look that he had given Abigor.
"But, isn't that just breathing and eating and doing what the master has assigned you?" she asked, puzzled by Tree's response.
This is where Tree shrugged, "Maybe there are more answers?" he said. "But where to find them is the question," he said.
With that, the two went off in search of the answers their master wanted, though neither knew where they were going or even what they were looking for.
***********
Bardik was working outside, clearing up a few trees from a recent storm that had hit, when his father approached him. It was getting warmer out, with spring right around the corner. He had been working hard, and his t-shirt was getting soaked with sweat. His hair was longer, as he was letting grow back to a braid-able length.
While Chusi said she liked his shorter look, she encouraged him to grow his hair how he enjoyed it. He smiled at her exact words, "It's your hair, if you like it long, grow it out and keep it as you like. Besides, you looked more dangerous with it long," she winked at him over that.
"Bardik, son, there you are. I have been looking all over for you," Alexei said, warmly. Since retiring from the Alpha position, Alexei had visibly relaxed. The greying hair at his temples had slowed to a crawl, making his black hair look dashingly dangerous. Even at his age, he would kick some major ass, if needed. But, at this stage of the game, he was ready for grandbabies. This was why he was searching for his son.
"Papa," Bardik greeted, wiping his hands on his tight blue jeans, "What's up?" he asked. Since turning over the station to Justin and Lucius, he has been trying his best to keep busy with pack issues and taking over the family businesses. He would still keep in touch with them at the station, especially since they were now looking for replacement firefighters for not only Bardik but Freya and Abigor as well.
"I need to look into some matters for me, son," he said, looking around to see where the omegas were. He gave his son a look that said he needed to speak with him privately. He knew that some of the men were just as guilty of gossip as the ladies, sometimes more so.
Bardik and Alexei made their way to the office, where two glasses of iced tea waited for them. The droplets of water on the outside of the glasses making their way lazily down the sides. Bardik picked his up, grateful for the glass, he had worked up quite a thirst.
Alexei waited patiently for his son to quench his thirst before he began. Once Bardik placed the glass down and sat down he began, "Have you noticed anything different about your sister?" he asked, taking a sip of his own tea.
Bardik rubbed his neck over the spot where Chusi had marked him. To the naked eye, it looks like a unique tattoo of a dragon and wolf intertwined around a moon. But to any mythic, they know it's a mate mark, Chusi's is identical to his. He looked at his father, and asked, "Which one, I do have three, papa," he said.
Alexei gave him a gentle scowl, "I know that Bardik. But I am speaking of Alyona. She seems so distant anymore. She no longer has that beautiful glow she has always carried," he said voicing his concern over his eldest daughter.
Bardik had to think for a few minutes, he had been wrapped up in all the recent changes that he didn't notice his sister's change in demeanor. He looked at his father guiltily.
"No, papa, I didn't," he said, his head down. He felt bad that he hadn't noticed his own sister's change. What could have happened he wondered.
"Well, we need to figure it out," Alexei said, "You know that there is one thing that will always come first. Family," he said.
"I'll go right now, and check on her," Bardik assured his father. He was going over that past couple of months in his head, trying to think of when she began to change.
They left the office and as they were leaving Alexei looked at Bardik, "I know you said you would go right away. But, might I suggest a shower first?"
Bardik looked at his father. Alexei grinned, "You could use one!" he said.
"Right," he said and made his way to his room. He opened the door and saw Chusi, his heart melted at the sight of her. She was engrossed in her drawing and didn't notice him when he walked into the room. Her hair was pulled up, giving him a clear view of the studious look on her face. She biting her lip as she was drawing, trying to capture whatever it was in her mind's eye perfectly.
He cleared his throat softly, alerting her to his presence, she jumped slightly at his sound, "Oh, Bardik, love, I wasn't expecting you back so soon!" she said, hurrying to hide what she was drawing. She was working on a gift for him and wanted it to be a surprise.
"Yes, well, papa pulled me aside. Have you spent any time with Ally lately?" he asked her.
Chusi shook her head, "No, why?" she asked, her brow furrowing in concern.
"Well, he said that she seems to not be herself lately and I was going to go check on her," he explained.
His statement took Chusi by surprise, "I'll come with you," she said without hesitation. Alyona was the first one to make her feel welcome, she loved all the girls dearly, but Ally certainly held a special place for her.
"Okay, I'm going to shower first, then we can go find her," he said. Once he finished his shower and threw on some sweats, he and Chusi left their room in search of Ally. After a few quick words with some of the omegas, they found her.
They found her outside in the training fields again, pummeling the dummy within an inch of its seams. This time as her wolf, Svet, the anger flowing from the wolf noticeable even from where they were.
Chusi had never seen Alyona's wolf and had never imagined it to be so beautiful or white. After all, Bardik's wolf was a deep brown, almost black in his fur. To see Alyona's wolf so different almost shocked her. Svet's white fur had a golden hue on the tips while her paws and ears held the same golden tone. She looked like her name. Light.
Svet could feel someone behind her, she turned, growling in a warning. The sound low in her throat, she would protect Ally at all costs. Nothing would happen to her again. Her mind is a haze of anger and frustration, she snapped at the visitors, not recognizing they were friends, not foes.
Quickly, Bardik shifted into his wolf and stepped in front of Chusi. While Chusi stood there and remained calm. She knew this kind of anger and she wasn't afraid. She laid a gentle hand on Bardik, assuring him that she was safe with both Svet and Ally.
She leaned down and whispered into her mate's ear, "I think this a woman to woman thing. Maybe let me try to speak with her," she said, her voice calm yet full of knowledge.
Topor looked at Chusi, his eyes telling her to call him through the mate bond if she needed him. He turned and walked away, looking back a few times at his sister and mate.
Chusi waited until she knew Bardik and Topor were both gone, blocking him from trying to listen in on the conversation she would try to have with Ally.
Chusi sat down on the cool ground and waited, she said nothing, she didn't move. She wanted Ally to come to her. Svet shifted and let Ally out, she dressed quickly, hiding her nakedness and marks she had on her body where she tried to scrub away the memories. Chusi saw them, but said nothing, she just sat there silently.
Ally came over to her, "Sorry about Svet," she apologized. "She was surprised to be interrupted," she tried to explain.
"There's no need to apologize," Chusi said calmly. She laid back to look at the sky, "It's amazing isn't it?"
Ally joined her on the ground, laying down and looking up, she wanted to see what was so amazing. "What is?"
"That something so peaceful looking can carry such a terrible storm inside," she said knowingly.
Ally just looked at her and said nothing.
- Writer
