Hell Hounds

Chapter Fourteen

The next morning I woke up to a shrill beeping. Disoriented, I attempted to move. A weight over my waist held me down. Breathing, I smelled Michael.

My eyes snapped open and I was suddenly peering into a pair of dark brown hazel eyes. The beta grinned lightly but he made no move to get up or release me. “Greg is trying to cook.”

Memories of last night flooded into my mind. I remembered Greg’s drunken laugh, his meltdown, and his escape. “How hung over is he?”

“Shut the fuck up!” Greg’s furious voice boomed down the stairs. I listened as he moved around the floor above us. I could imagine him waving a kitchen dish towel above his head in hopes of breaking up the wave of smoke.

I would have laughed, but his rant clung to my mind. He looked so lost and confused. “You should talk with him.” I told Michael after a moment. “He needs someone who understands what he’s going through.”

“You fought as well.” Michael pushed himself up so he was sitting. Obviously he didn’t want to be having this conversation.

“Michael,” I warned. “He’s your son.”

When he didn’t say anything, I got up and left. I swear, the Durand’s need help. With the exception of Cassiel and Alexander, all the Durand’s had relationship problems. Seriously, if I had to lecture one more of those men about how to talk with their sons I was going to throw something at them. Nathaniel was enough. I didn’t feel like yelling at Michael too.

Just as I suspected, once I opened the door I saw Greg waving his arms around like a maniac. He looked more like a crazed fan at a concert than a cook. Calmly, I went over and flicked on the fan.

A few seconds later the beeping stopped.

“How,” Greg turned with his hand woven deep in his hair, but stopped when he saw me. “Thanks Elaine.” Dropping his hand, he turned his back to me and headed back towards the stove.

Watching him, I felt my heart drop, “What else do you need help with?”

“Nothing,” He shoulders slumped. Greg looked broken. “You want some eggs?”

I accepted his offer and a few minutes later we were sitting at the table in complete silence. His eggs weren’t bad. They weren’t runny or burnt, and I had yet to find a shell. That is a success, but looking at Greg I knew he didn’t think so. He looked like he’d been sucking on a lemon.

“You okay?” I asked, my voice sounded smaller than I’d planned.

He didn’t look at me. Greg simply pushed some of his eggs around on his plate. “I still have the taste of blood in my mouth.”

“That’s egg, Greg.” I told him sympathetically, “Just add salt.”

His fork fell to his plate in a clatter, “Elaine that’s not,”

“Greg,” I cut him off, “you did nothing wrong. You fought for your pack. You killed to survive. You killed to save your family. That’s admirable, not something to feel guilty about.”

His eyes were dark and downcast as he said, “It doesn’t feel admirable.”

“It is, Greg.” I told him firmly.

As we ate I heard Michael come upstairs. He didn’t say anything to us. I hadn’t expected him to so that was alright. He simply glanced at us and went out through the kitchen doors. Watching him leave, I wondered where he was going. I didn’t get a chance to think about him for long, though. A second later I heard Mom.

She touched my shoulder as she passed through the kitchen. Then, wordlessly she went downstairs.

“Go on El,” Greg read my mind, “I’ll be fine.”

I didn’t move at first. Part of me didn’t know if I should follow Mom or not. I wanted to. I wanted to be with her and help her as best I could. But what if she didn’t want me to stand by her side?

“Be with her, Elaine.” Greg told me again. “She needs you; now more than ever.”

After putting my plate in the sink, I followed my mom’s lead and went back downstairs. Throughout the night Dad had been on the verge of hysterics. He twitched, growled, howled, and was completely miserable. It tore up my insides to see him in such pain. Sometime during the night he’d finally changed into his human form.

I guessed Michael had given him some pants, seeing as he wasn’t naked.

Mom was sitting along the wall; where I had been previously.

She looked small, like a child, with her knees to her chest and her eyes large and full of questions. Sitting beside her, I made sure my arm brushed against hers to tell her that I was here. “He’ll get better, mom.” Wow, that sounded stupid even to my ears.

Shaking my head, I wished I could take that sentence back. I wished I’d just sat and kept my mouth shut. Those words were empty and useless. It didn’t matter what I told her, I wasn’t even sure if mom could hear me.

“I know.” I went rigid as Mom’s cracked, weak from lack of use, voice filtered into the room.

We sat there for a few minutes. I didn’t know what to say and refused to open my mouth in case something stupid came out.

I was floored when Mom was the one to start a conversation, “Elaine, I’m sorry.”

Failing to breathe, I started, “Mom,”

“No, just let me talk.” She shook her head as she cut me off. I fell silent. A moment passed before she continued, “I’ve been talking with Alex a lot. I’m,” She paused in thought before saying, “I’m sorry for pushing you away. I just didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to handle anything.” She turned and I found myself trapped in her gaze. Her eyes told me just how desperately she needed for me to understand her words. “You have to understand. Elaine, I have been with your father for most of my life. I’ve known him for centuries. I’ve lived beside him, with him. When he was gone I didn’t know what to do anymore.” She sighed, “I know that sounds weak, but it’s true. When you have a mate that’s how things work.”

Frozen, I didn’t know what to say to that. It made sense. It made so much sense to me it hurt. There were times when I felt the same dread, the same emptiness that Mom was explaining. My eyes fell to the floor as I contemplated. I remembered when I thought I’d lost Michael. When he fell into the glass. When he fought in war. I was always so lost.

“I’m sorry.” The tears in my mom’s voice were what broke me out of my thoughts.

Inwardly shaking myself, I wrapped my arms around Mom’s shoulders and pulled her against me. We didn’t move from that position for a while.

HH

It was around four when I heard a car pull up to the house. My heart lurched as I remembered the last time I saw the other born female werewolf. She was gorgeous, funny, amazing, and so confident. Her accent wasn’t the only thing that made her stand out. Her hair and eyes were both silver, though her hair was dyed.

She didn’t bother to knock. Instead, she came right in and met us in the foyer.

“Dorothea,” Alex greeted her first.

“Sasha,” She dropped her bag off by the door and immediately put her arms around Sasha in a comfortable and familiar embrace. “I forgot how cold it gets over here.” Her smile was large and true, and it shone in her sparkling silver eyes as she found me, “Hey Darlin’.”

“Hi,” I matched her smile and was surprised when she pulled me in for an equally comfortable embrace.

As she stepped back and looked around, I could see the wheels of her mind turning. “Let me just take a smoke and get some coffee. Then we can start.” She glanced at Alex for confirmation, but I had a feeling that she had been telling and not asking.

Dorothea freshened up fast. I was under the impression that she was used to travel, because all she needed after that long flight was a cig and cup of coffee. That required experience. Jetlag was not usually that kind.

Once Dorothea’s bags were in a guest room and we all had coffee in our hands, we began.

In a matter of minutes, we all teamed up and filled in the blanks for Dorothea. The amount she already knew surprised me. I wondered if she had contacts in the European packs, kind of like how Vlad was our contact in the U.S. But I didn’t ask.

“I’m so sorry about all of this, Sasha.” Dorothea finished her coffee and put the cup on the edge of the end table. Her eyes were sad, “I should have put an end to this sooner.”

“No, Dorothea,”

“Sasha,” Her tone grew firm and I was stunned that my Alpha actually listened. He closed his mouth and sat back. “I can’t keep running from this.”

Alex’s expression grew dark, “You had a reason to run. Don’t forget that.”

“There hasn’t been a single moment when I haven’t remembered, thank you.” She told him quickly and with a trace of bitterness. After a breath her tone regained its usual composure. “I should have stepped in as soon as he revealed himself and his intentions.”

I wondered if I was the only one lost in all of this.

Dorothea caught my expression and laughed. “Allow me to explain.” She paused, “Well, I suppose introductions would be a simpler way to begin. My name was, long ago, Catalina.”

The room froze as well did my heart and breath.

Catalina was the wife of Vladimir the Impaler. Catalina was the great-grandmother to Mircea. Catalina was a powerful born female wolf.

She was who Mircea wanted me to become.

“Yes, it’s quite shocking isn’t it?” Dorothea laughed. I watched her hand go to her cigarettes that she kept in her pocket. But she stopped herself before grabbing one. Her lips pursed for a moment but then she seemed to overcome the need to smoke. Turning back to me, she continued, “It was a long time ago, mind you. I am much older than I appear.”

That was putting it delicately. Vladimir the Impaler ruled with her at his side, or rather in his possession, in the 1400’s.

“When I was around your age,” Her expression grew thoughtful. She added, “Or at least looked it. I ran away. Vladimir had been out and I fled. His guards weren’t hard to fool, but surviving on my own was harder than I thought it would be. I came from a royal family and never had to do things on my own. That’s when Casimir found me.” She paused, “You met him at the meeting, I remember. He’s the United States Alpha.”

I nodded to show her that I remembered him.

“There wasn’t a new world yet, so he was still over here in the old country.” She continued. Her accent was getting stronger with every word. “He took me under his wing and protected me. He became my father and took me to America with him when he decided to start fresh over there.”

The whole room was just as riveted as I was as she told her tale. Her voice was smooth and compelled one to listen.

“Vladimir searched endlessly for me until he, until he came to his end.” She stammered over that line. She obviously meant he was murdered. I wondered if she said it subtly for anyone’s benefit or just because it was hard for her to talk about. “I’ve lived in the United States for years. I watched his relations, especially the males. I saw the signs. I just didn’t act.” After a moment she sighed, “I was afraid to come out of hiding. I know he’d dead, but still…”

“I will not allow you to blame yourself, Dorothea.” Alex finally said. “It is not your fault nor is it your sole responsibility to watch over who your capture left behind.”

Dorothea relinquished her place on the floor and suddenly all the guys started talking shop. They discussed plans, times, and the why’s and how’s of dozens of attack scenarios. Truthfully, I tuned them out after a few minutes.

Instead I pondered over Dorothea. She’d been through so much in her life.

I only looked up when I saw Dorothea stand. Her eyes locked on mine instantly. Smiling, she offered, “Let’s go for a walk, shall we?”

Without hesitating I got off the couch and followed her. I was safe with her. At that moment I truly didn’t think there was anyone in the world that could hurt me or my pack with Dorothea here.

Once we got on the back deck, Dorothea said, “I wanted to talk with you a bit.” After a pause she pulled out her cigs, “I also needed a smoke. Being in a room full of dominants does that to me.” She grins secretively.

“I know exactly what you mean.” I told her, though I didn’t smoke. But I did understand the tension that built up between various dominant males. There wasn’t a feeling like it.

As if it were second nature she whipped out her lighter, fired up, and took a drag. The action was elegant when she did it. Then she started walking, and I followed. We weren’t headed anywhere in particular. We were just walking.

After a bit, Dorothea instructed, “Tell me what you know about dominants.”

I wasn’t confused. I trusted that Dorothea was going somewhere with this. So, I answered without pausing, “They’re driven to protect the pack.”

“And what about submissives?” She asked while taking a drag of her cig. Smoke filed out of her lips and formed a donut. She smiled at it than at me.

I said, “They are the ones settle conflict.”

Dorothea nodded at my answer, “What about males?”

“They’re idiots.”

She laughed hard before continuing, “And females?”

“They’re…” I drew a blank. What did she want me to say?

When I didn’t move to continue, Dorothea grinned as she took another drag of her cig and then said, “Females are the ones who know where things are, know when to ask for directions, and can follow instructions. Werewolves, especially males, are aggressive. They need to fight to stay sane. Females are calm, for the most part, and can deliver reason to a stressful situation. That’s what we do Elaine. As born female werewolves, we have the ability to stay calm and then calm the wolves around us.”

“I can be as violent as the males.”

“You’re young.” Dorothea smiles as if remembering something, “Stability comes later. But, seeing you with your pack I guarantee that you’re already subconsciously figuring out your abilities.”

As we walk, I think about what she just told me. People have often told me that I calm them down. Sebastian has called me before just wanting to talk because he’s afraid of losing control. Greg does the same thing… though in person.

“It gets easier.” Dorothea said after a moment. I smiled and wondered if she could read minds. Maybe she was like Alex, and completely all knowing.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.” She was completely serious.

“Why did my pack keep all this from me?”

“Alex told me, when you were born, that he’d keep this a secret until you were of adult age. He didn’t want you plagued with a responsibility of keeping the pack in line at such a young age. Personally, I still think you’re too young for this burden.” Her eyes once again turned said. I watched her and realized that she was remembering something. I wondered how young she was when she was forced to play the mediator. But I didn’t dare ask.

She hooked her arm though mine and I felt like we were best girl friends. I matched her smile, and we round the side of the pack house.

“Let’s go back in the warmth. I need coffee.” We laughed and headed back inside.

HH

It was late before any of us even considered turning in for the night. Dorothea had millions of stories, all hilarious and as adventurous as I imagined her to be. I didn’t want to be parted from her. Even Mom laughed with us.

There was something about Dorothea that made everything seem perfect. When I was with her I felt like I used to before all the crap happened.

But something happened to make the fun stop.

Suddenly Dorothea froze. She’d been pouring herself another cup of coffee, but now she wasn’t. Slowly her eyes turned towards the direction of the front door. “Sasha,”

Alex was suddenly on his feet. So was Michael. They rushed through the house to the foyer.

I got to my feet, but didn’t move farther than that. I kept close to Mom to ensure that I could keep her safe.

“It’s Mircea.” Dorothea’s statement was low and soft, but not scared.