Part 8 (1/2)
”Not all of the others are evil. Many have villages, children, education facilities, the works, set up throughout these lands, but even those places are not safe for straight humans. The others have taken to attacking their own kind if they believe them to be sympathizers with the day creatures. That's what they call us, you know. They can't very well call us human. We're not all the same, so they came up with that. Though, Stegian, the leader of one of the largest packs of the others refers to us as Shamenians. Why he seems to be the only one who understands is not a question I require an answer to.” ”I get the sense that you're holding back on me,” Sevan said, watching Nina carefully.
”I am. The Janelles carry the gene of a werepanther in us. Our grandmother fell in love with one of the werepanthers upon their arrival and together they had a child, our father. My grandfather was killed by his own kind for loving a local, a day creature. My grandmother was forced to marry her original chosen mate, and he aided in the raising of my father. This was much to the dislike of the community, but necessary all the same. My grandmother's second husband was the only grandfather we knew. He treated us well enough while he was alive. Though I do not think he liked my father much.”
”Where's your father now?”
”Dead.”
”I'm sorry.”
Nina stopped walking and gave him a serious look. ”Don't be. Lorelei killed him and I helped her.”
”Why the h.e.l.l would you kill your own father?”
”You've seen Jacquelyn.”
The realization of what she was saying sunk in and he felt sick to his stomach. Heat flared through him and he had to stop a moment to keep from vomiting. ”What kind of sick b.a.s.t.a.r.d does that to his own daughter?”
”The kind that is being controlled by Stegian while in full s.h.i.+fted form.”
”Nina?” A small voice called out from the darkness.
Nina froze and Sevan followed suit. She tipped her head to the side and seemed to sniff the air.
”Nina?” The voice spoke again. It sounded a h.e.l.l of a lot like Lorelei to him so he started in the direction the voice was coming from.
”No,” Nina said, slamming her hand back into his chest. The wind was knocked out of him and he was left coughing to regain control of himself. She packed a h.e.l.l of a punch, that much was clear.
”Stegian, has used tricks to lure us into traps before and he's famous for mimicking our voices. It's how he lured Jacquelyn away so easily. He used my voice to call her to him and then he....”
”Nina?” The voice was there again, this time weaker sounding than before. There was a shuffle in the brush off to their left and they swung around with weapons drawn.
”To h.e.l.l with this,” Sevan said, pus.h.i.+ng past Nina and rus.h.i.+ng towards the sound of Lorelei's voice. When he broke through the dense brush, he found her lying on the ground, her leg covered in blood, her face pale and her eyes locked on him.
She blinked. ”Sevan?”
His heart slammed in his chest as the beast within him fought to be free. His skin tingled and his neck tightened.
That was his wife lying there, hurt and scared. Yet, he was too afraid to go to her and touch her.
Nina pushed past him and he snarled, sounding so much like an animal that it shocked even him. She stilled and began backing slowly towards Lorelei. As she reached for her side, Sevan knew what she was about to do-shoot him with a tranquilizer.
Lorelei's eyes widened. ”No, Nina, don't!”
”Sevan knows that he can't control the beast his first s.h.i.+ft out, sister.”
As much as he hated to admit it, it was true. Hot, searing pain tore through his hands and he watched as claws erected from them. Shaking his head, Sevan couldn't comprehend all that was happening. His entire life he'd lived with the knowledge that somewhere deep within him lay a lion. A beast with no remorse and little concern for anything beyond itself. Now, as it began to take shape it was almost too much for him to comprehend.
A sharp pinp.r.i.c.k hit his neck and he knew then that Nina had decided to shoot him with the tranquilizer. It was then that he also realized they were not alone. Darkness swallowed him before he could shout out a warning.
Lorelei watched in horror as her own sister shot Sevan. ”Why?” Nina glanced down at her and offered a small smile. ”Lorelei, he agreed ahead of time. He told me to shoot him between the eyes if needed. At least I used a tranquilizer and not a real bullet. Christian and Jordan will be along soon. They'll carry....”
Something was horribly wrong. The feeling of evil seemed to close in on them. Lorelei struggled to her feet, grabbing hold of Nina's arm for help. ”They've found me.”
”I know.” Nina glanced towards Sevan's lifeless body, looking as though she regretted her decision of knocking him out.
The smell of a werewolf and something else, something familiar, threatening and close. Lorelei drew in a sharp breath. ”Samson.”
Nina lunged for Sevan and Lorelei grabbed hold of her, afraid that she was going to try to finish what she started.
”No.”
”Let go! He can't defend himself.”
”Oh, I thought....” She stopped not wanting to accuse her own flesh and blood of trying something so heinous.
”Lorelei,” Nina said, softly. ”Do you love Sevan?”
”Yes.”
”He says that he won't leave, Lorelei. That he'll stay and stand by his family's side.”
Lorelei held tight to her sister as she drew on the power of the earth, the Shamenian spirits of long ago and of the werepanther within her. Power surged through her veins, harder and faster than it ever had before. Her breathing quickened and her heart raced. ”By G.o.ds, I think the baby is powerful as well.”
Nina nodded. ”Of course, she's a Janelle.”
”She?”
”Just being hopeful. We have enough boys in the family.”
Not wanting to think of her brothers that had been forced off the planet long ago, Lorelei simply smiled, feeling invigorated and up to the task of fighting even the greatest of Stegian's warriors. Even if that meant fighting the man she used to love.
A dark ma.s.s leaped out from the tree line and something swooshed past them quickly. The moment Lorelei saw the silver dipped arrow sticking out of a now dead werecougar''s chest, she knew Christian and back-up had arrived.
Nina wasted no time. She let her claws erect and her eyes swirl to light blue. She took off, running straight ahead, clearly sensing something. Before Lorelei could comment, Jordan appeared next to her.
He glanced at Sevan and his brow furrowed. ”He's not....”
”No,” Lorelei said quickly. ”He's just sedated. He started to s.h.i.+ft and Nina shot him with a tranquilizer gun.”
”In the middle of a battle? Is the woman mad?” He put his hand through his hair and then gritted his teeth. ”Of course she is.”
”In her defense, she shot him before the enemy arrived.”
He tossed his hands in the air. ”Well then, that makes it all better.” He looked around frantically. ”Where the h.e.l.l did she go? Is she trying to get herself killed?”