Capture

“Neema, your mate told me about your siblings and I wondered if they would perhaps like some playmates. I have two sons and maybe they could help with the transition.” Neema’s head tilted to the side as she considered whether she was prepared to make friends with this woman beyond pleasantries.

If her siblings where to have playdates with Emmaline’s children then Neema would be stuck in her presence, she would be subjected to the continuous inquisition into her mating by this female. Neema was not sure if she liked the female enough to actually open up about Khan. How khan had treated her had remained trapped at the back of her mind where she planned on keeping it, even though Sahina was aware that Neema had been abused by her mate she had not mentioned it. Neema wasn’t sure if it was because the woman was too scared of Khan or because she respected Neema’s privacy, the little bit she had left.

“They may enjoy the company” she reluctantly conceded, knowing that her acquiescence to the playdate was more than just a play time for her siblings.

Nodding her head in conviction she began buttoning up her jumpsuit so she could get back to her siblings, the 30 minutes or so they had been separated felt like a century. If Neema felt the distance she could only imagine how they were coping.

A small slender hand grabbed her wrist and flipped her to face the front before she could step outside the door. The clear green eyes of the young doctor stared steadily into Neema’s as she searched for something in Neema’s brown orbs.

“Remain strong Neema, this too shall pass” she spoke earnestly, her fingers stroking stray hairs from Neema’s shoulder before she pulled open the door and ushered her out.

Neema stood on the opposite side of the threshold, the wooden door separating the two women as she mentally began rebuilding the walls around her mind that Emmaline had began deconstructing. Her composure slowly returning to her and her surroundings coming back into focus.

“Neema, Khan sent me to come and get you” came Sahina’s weary and slightly panicky voice, her eyes were wide and she nibbled on her lips in fear.

Neema automatically noted that something was not right with Sahina’s almost quiet presence, there was no shouting or babbling from Jana or clinging from Caillum. They were not here, and if Sahina was here and they were not then someone else was with them. Someone she did not know or trust had been left to take care of her family.

Gritting her teeth, she marched off in the way she had came, her feet burning as she forced her weak body to move as fast as it could. The light slaps of Sahina’s feet on the floor accompanied Neema’s heavy panting as the two women flew down the corridors. Skidding and sliding around corners in their urgency to return to the children.

The door swung open merely missing the wall by a few inches as she entered Khan’s office with an equally anxious Sahina trailing slightly behind her. The sight that greeted her would have been adorable if it had been anyone but Khan who sat with her siblings. Jana sat at the back of his chair twisting his hair into knots as she jabbered on as if she were a professional who had been paid to style Khans hair. Caillum sat on Khan’s lap as he leant over the table and observed Khan who seemed to be engrossed in writing something important on a piece of paper.

“slowly, slowly” he grumbled surly causing Jana to abruptly stop talking, her eyebrows furrowing as she gripped his hair tightly in her hands and her little lips wobbled.

“Hmm, you, mm, you hair soft” she grunted as she stroked the locks that were not clasped in her tight fist. Her mouth forming a small O as she stared in wonderment at the silky locks he had atop his head, the fine curls were soft and nourished unlike the brittle hair that Neema and her siblings naturally had.

Khan’s lips tilted upwards in a smirk as his eyes briefly flickered to look at Neema in acknowledgment, gloating as he showed her the accomplishments he had made in such a short time. Caillum sat on his lap engrossed in whatever Khan had been showing him and Jana was all but in love with the beast who had only shown Neema pain and humiliation.

“Mama back” she wailed, her hands yanking Khans head backwards as she tried to clamber from the back of the chair.

Caillum’s hazy blue eyes rose as he became aware of everything but what was on the paper before him, standing abruptly from Khan’s lap he ran across the room stopping half way before he returned back to the desk and grabbed the piece of paper he had been staring at.

His small hands thrust the piece of paper into her hands as he stared nervously at the floor, his eyes sporadically rising to meet hers before he faced the floor again in anxiousness. Neema tore her eyes away from her nervous brother and her still struggling sister who refused to be helped and looked down at the piece of paper in her hand.

On the paper stood a tall white man with dirty blonde hair and pale blue eyes, his pale skin standing out next to the ebony woman who stood beside him her dark black hair sitting around her head in a halo.

Slightly smaller than the woman and man stood two women, one with wild blonde hair and deep brown eyes and the other with equally brown eyes and brown hair, the two females looking almost identical in his childlike drawings. By their ankles stood two children one with blonde hair and the other with hair as dark as his mothers. To the far left of the page stood a man who towered over the whole family, his brown skin lighter than the ebony woman but darker than all the children on the page.

Caillum had drawn a picture of their family, the family he could still remember but along the page he had included someone else. He had included Khan as if he was their long lost brother or protector.

“It’s beautiful Caillum” she murmured, tilting his head upwards so he could see the sincerity in her eyes, and it was beautiful.

Barring Khan, it was beautifully heart-breaking to see that Caillum still remembered the family that they used to have. Half of the people on the page were no longer with them and Neema was not sure if they ever would be. It hurt her heart to think that her little brother was old enough to clearly remember the family they had but was too young to understand that the man he had added to their family was part of the reason he had no parents.

Caillum was too young to understand that this wolf would have taken Neema with or without her siblings, the only reason they stood before her was because she had fought tooth and nail for them. Yet here he was trying to leech his way into her unit. Divide and conquer was his plan but he would not win. He could befriend her siblings but he would never have her unless she chose him and she would never choose him.

Not when he manipulated the little innocence her siblings had left so he could slither his way into her family like a serpent, his forked tongue spoke lies and promises of a future. He would slide along the bed of her garden as if he was a vine, but when they least expected it he would strike. His camouflage would break and he would reveal that he was no plant but a viper who preyed on the clueless, on the weak.

“Come on Jana we have to be somewhere now, climb down monkey” prompted Neema as she grasped Caillum’s hand, placing the family portrait into Sahina’s care.

Jana pouted fiercely as if she was tempted to stay but then changed her mind as she clambered the rest of the way off of the chair and ran across the room. Her arms roused in the air as she demanded to be carried, for a two-year-old she was a bossy little madam.

“Where are you going?” Khans clear voice was hard as he demanded a response, his forehead knitted in disbelief as if Neema needed his permission to move freely.

Neema’s brow rose skyward in a disgruntled frown, she wanted to ignore Khan’s questions, his demands to know her every move but she had no energy to argue over petty things.

“’Gonna find the young girl who took care of my siblings” her eyes rolling as she waited for him to try and stop her, she would not be stopped this time. Neema felt strongly about locating the young girl, she had helped her in a time of need and Neema wanted to repay her.

“Do you know where she resides?” he asked, his finger subconsciously thumbing at his lower lip in thought.

“No but spose you do?” Khans lips rose into a Cheshire cat grin as he regarded Neema with the smugness of knowing information and having the ability to withhold it.

“I suppose I do, I’ll tell you if you do me a favour.”

Neema knew not to agree straight out, there was nothing worse than agreeing to anything a person wanted especially when it came to a wolf like khan.

“Don’t need to tell me, I have Carson” she grinned as she turned her back towards him and made her way towards the door, prompting Caillum through first and following him out the door without turning to look at the furious face of Khan.

Neema met Carson outside the Nursery where the blonde haired male stood staring off into space, his fingers twiddling with impatience. As soon as he noticed she was there his face rose into a grin, though it was slightly reserved. Neema could tell that he was unsure how to react towards her especially as Khan had shown his displeasure about their friendship at the dinner.

“Umm hey Neema, should we go then?” his voice squeaked as his nodded in the direction they should head in.

The group headed down the winding corridors in an awkward silence, that left Neema doubting Carson and her acquaintance, if he was easily intimidated by Khan then perhaps he was not the best person to have around. Especially as they were brothers, there had to be some sort of allegiance there. She could not trust that there was no ulterior motive for him hanging around her. Today would be fine because she was using him in the same way she was sure he was using her.

So they continued walking in absolute silence, even her siblings caught onto the awkward vibe emitting from Carson. The corridors were a maze that Neema was sure she would never understand, they all looked the same, there was not one thing that distinguished one corridor from the other and yet these wolves could navigate them with no problem. It was disconcerting that she would always have to depend on someone to help her move around the large compound, her independence was slowly being stripped away from her beneath these walls.

“So it’s umm just in here” he murmured quietly, his hand waving towards the tall iron doors.

Her eyes shot wide as she saw how they imprisoned the young females behind iron doors that they were definitely too weak to open. There was a small screen that had a few buttons attached to it, Carson lent forwards and pressed the largest one causing the screen to flash white.

“It is for their protection, we keep them away from their mates and a lot of wolves do not appreciate that” his voice grumbling as he answered the thoughts that slithered through Neema’s mind.

The iron doors creaked as a large female yanked the door open fro them, her body was thick and sturdy like a tree trunk. Perhaps a few inches smaller than Khan but the width of her body was nearly double his and he was the largest male she had ever seen. The woman’s face was stern as she eyeballed the people before her, her eyes lingering on Carson before allowing them entrance into the large area.

The room was decked out in a pale beige colour that soothed any residual anger Neema felt when first entering the living space, the neutral colour spoke of calmness and tranquillity. It was odd that such a bland colour could garner such an emotional reaction but it did. Neema felt the air leaving her lips in a deep sigh as all her tension disappeared from her shoulders.

The large room was lined with sofas that sat along the walls, the material was a golden colour stitched with red and green paisley patterns. A few red pillows sat along the sofas of the communal area, the walls were framed with wooden fixtures that had scalloped hems with little lamps, candles and incense sticks sitting in small jars. The room had an old rustic vibe that encouraged meditation and communication. The layout was open, with a large floor space in between the sofas. A small wooden table sat in the centre of the room with a number of magazines and what appeared to be a few tablets. On either side of the room there was a long corridor that headed towards where Neema supposed all the bedrooms and bathrooms were

The room was quiet from any people but Neema could see that some girls were lingering in the outside area that sat at the back of their sitting area. The glass doors were wide and slightly open allowing the cool breeze of the outside air to waft into the room.

“the girls are outside. He should be able to show you where she is.” Growled the lady in a surprisingly high tone that completely contradicted her appearance.

Her eyes flickered at a bashful Carson before she turned on her heels and marched out of the room.

Carson’s shaky hands ran through his hair as he smiled timorously and led them through the large doors.

Her blonde hair was the first thing Neema saw, her hair flew over her slumped shoulders as she sat by a wide oak tree staring off into space.

“Her name is Vanya, it means butterfly” he smiled before clearing his throat and heading towards the female who sat alone.

Neema placed the grumpy Jana down and motioned her off towards her brother who was sitting on the grass plucking at the plants. Making sure they were okay, she headed off towards Vanya who was already engaged in a stilted conversation with Carson who looked beyond awkward.

“Vanya” Her voice carried in the breeze and met the ears of the young girl, her eyes shooting up until they rested on Neema. The clear blue colour hazing over as she flittered over towards Neema like her namesake and flung her small arms around Neema’s shoulders. Her tears dampening Neema’s neck as she sighed in relief.

“So glad you came” she sighed out, her words catching in her throat as her shoulders shook in her joy and the release of her obvious fear of being abandoned.

“Didn’t wanna be alone” she murmured as her red rimmed eyes met Neema’s watery brown.