The Alphas & The Heiress

Syble (Magnolia)

The wolves lead us through the woods towards their house. The sun is almost completely set and Incandis is starting to have a hard time seeing, he keeps tripping over roots and rocks, cursing under his breath every time. My big brother is gifted with many talents but blindsight is not one of them. I reach for his hand, clasping it in mine to help him the last few yards until we reach a clearing that opens up to their main dwelling.

The clearing is expansive. There’s a large manor on our right, like a log cabin that had a baby with a mansion. It’s beautifully crafted with a large wrap around porch equipped with benches, lounge chairs, and patio swings - all wooden, all equally as intricate and beautiful. The outside of the house is well lit with soft glowing lanterns that line the porch, stairs, and walkway leading up to the manor.

In the dark I can faintly make out a large warehouse looking structure in the distance to my left, and several dozen more smaller homes opposite us by the forest’s west edge. Their territory is vast, I can’t imagine how many people they have living here. And it’s just here, out in the open. No fences, no shield, no natural protection against anything.

We’re approaching the porch steps when a young girl, I couldn’t tell you her age, comes bouncing out of the doors. She looks slightly younger than I do, but then again I’m almost a hundred and fifty. She’s extremely curious about our presence. The closer we get the wider her eyes become. Fear and anxiety are slowly replacing her curiosity.

“Kat, did you do as I asked?” Ro barks at her.

“Hmm? Oh right, yes, yup, mhmm, all set.” Smooth. I grin at how young she acts, reminds me of home when I’d train the fledglings. The girls are always so consumed by their own thoughts, daydreaming, ruminating. I love listening to their drama, it’s so trivial but to them it’s the end of the world. Makes for an entertaining class. I’ve had to ban the guardians from flying by, nothing gets done when the likes of Incandis and Xander show up. The girls puddle at their feet. Much like this Kat girl.

“Good.”

Ro dismisses his patrolmen leaving him, his look alike, and the hothead. They escort us into the manor and I’m immediately drawn to it’s smell of pine and cedar. The manor is massive. The main entryway and living space has two-story high vaulted ceilings with beautiful exposed wooden beams. The walls are beige and the lights are soft. To the left there’s an enormous natural stone fireplace, 6 feet wide and maybe 4 feet tall, with a large U shaped wrap around couch. A flat screen TV is mounted above the mantle. To the right there’s a sunken sitting space with a circular fire pit in the middle of the floor. Beyond that there are several pool tables, bar tables, and stools. Everything is so warm, so inviting – so opposite of our interaction in the woods.

We are led further down the hall to an office space, the lodge theme of the main area looks to be pervading every room of the house. All of it is decorated in creams, browns, and reds. This office has a smaller fireplace set between two floor to ceiling windows. In the middle are two couches that face each other. On each side of the room sits an oak desk in front of an entire wall of books.

“Runidar leave us.” Ro says to the man that tried to lunge at me in the woods. His lips set in a grim line before acquiescing, shutting the door behind him.

“Please have a seat.” He gestures to one of the couches, his eyes shooting down to where my hand is still clasped inside of Incandis’. I break from our hold and remove my blades, resting them against the side of the couch. I sit on the brown leather sofa next to Incandis. He gives me a warm smile and a small nudge. I resist putting my head on his shoulder. I’m overcome with a feeling of peace in this room. The couch is so comfortable, and this room smells more like the woods than the living room did, making me want to nest.

What the fuck am I saying? I sound like my fledgling girls, wistfully daydreaming. Gods, I have to take a break from training with them.

“When can we expect the Alphas?” Incandis asks.

“You’re looking at them.” A sinister grin spreads across Ro’s face like wildfire.

Fuck. We’re fucked. There’s no way they’re going to help us now. I threw my blades at them twice. I broke his jaw! I groan aloud.

“Alpha Rohanor Lasair, and this is my brother, my twin brother, Alpha Varian.” He surprises me by reaching out and shaking first my brother’s hand and then mine. His grip is strong, confident. A shiver runs down my spine at our contact, his hand feels too warm in mine. We both then shake hands with Varian, the chocolate eyed brother, and the same warmth spreads up my arm and into my chest when we make contact.

Ro and Varian take a seat on the couch across from us. “Pleasure to meet you, Alphas. I’m Incandis and this is Syble.” I simply nod in acknowledgment.

“Well, Incandis, this is your meeting. Evidently it couldn’t wait even until tomorrow. So what brings you to us?” Varian asks.

“We didn’t mean to cause alarm, we were familiarizing ourselves with the area and decided to camp out for the night.” Ro says.

They look to me as if I might offer my own apology but I hope they’re not holding their breath because they won’t get one.

“We came to ask for your assistance. A little over a month ago two members of our colony went missing, without a trace. We’ve exhausted our resources looking for them. We can’t see well into the woods from the skies, we’re not fast enough in human form, and we don’t…blend in well when shifted. Skies are easy to search because they’re empty, but on land wolves have a clear advantage. Hence our request to speak with you regarding aid in our search.”

Their eyes get that cloudy, lost look again for a moment and I steal a glance at Incandis. I don’t have time for this.

Varian responds, “What makes you think they disappeared? How do you know they didn’t leave of their own volition?”

“They’re highly ranked in our colony, they are people of status and integrity. They would not abandon their people.” Incandis is able to keep his tone neutral which is why he does all the talking. If it were me they’d be on fire by now.

“You’ve been looking for a month? How much land have you covered? I can’t imagine fairies are able to fly very fast.” Says Ro not unkindly.

I laugh out loud, my hand holding my stomach as I throw my head back against the couch.

All three of them look at me bewildered by my reaction. Fairies, what a fucking joke.

I’m glad they can’t see me rolling my eyes at them. Fairies. Unbelievable. I stand up without warning and walk out of their office leaving the door open.

“Syble, what are you doing? Get back in here!” Incandis calls after me.

“Let’s go furballs!” I shout from the hallway. They’re going to eat their words.

A loud growl reverberates through the halls and I can hear footsteps following me, chasing me.

I pick up my pace ending in an all out sprint to the door. I burst through the main door and leap off the stairs into the air shifting into my dragon form effortlessly. I fly around the house once and land back in front of the stairs, still in flight form, where Ro, Varian, and Incandis are watching. Incandis runs his hands down his face in exasperation, he hates my “theatrics″ as he calls them. Ro’s and Varian’s jaws are on the floor as they take in my dragon.

I’m covered in dark purple scales with sky blue slashes down my neck, tail, and claws. My wings are like that of a bat, the bones wrapped in black, velvety skin, and the rest of my wings are semi-translucent purple and blue, like a mist. I huff defiantly at the wolves, showing off the span of my wings before tucking them in and shifting back.

Ro and Varian are still speechless, overcome with shock.

I walk up to them, pulling down my gaiter revealing the lower part of my face as I approach. “I’m not a fucking fairy,” I spit, slamming my shoulder into Varian’s as I march past them and back into the manor.

Incandis sighs, rolls his eyes at me, and gives Ro and Varian an apologetic shrug.

I’m standing in front of the large fireplace in the common area playing with the flames when they finally join me. I hear them seat themselves on the couch but I keep my back to them, staring into the flames

“Why don’t we start over?” Varian says cautiously.

“No need. You know what we’re asking. Can you help or not?” My responses are clipped.

“You’re complete strangers to us, on our land, in our home, asking us for a favor. We’re putting our entire pack at risk simply by having you here. We need some answers first.” Varian says.

“Fair enough. Fire away.” I smirk at my own joke.

“Who are you?” Ro asks.

“We’re guardians of the grove, our grove. I’m one of the head guards and Syble is our combat and mission specialist. She’s in charge of hand to hand and weapons combat, and heads any and all special missions such as the one we’re on right now.” Incandis explains.

Ro and Varian seem perplexed by this information and they chew it over slowly.

“Now I see what you meant when you said you don’t blend in well on land.” Varian smirks. “Not very subtle are you?”

I blush, suppressing a grin because I know Incandis isn’t happy about my earlier display. I don’t think he’s been happy with me since we landed in the woods, but in for a penny in for a pound.

“Sky searches have been fruitless, there are too many caves and forested areas that can only be searched on foot. As much as it pains me to admit it, wolves have a clear advantage. No one thinks twice about a wolf in the woods,” I say. “I’m told there are even stories about it.” Again, grinning at my own jokes.

“Why do you cover your eyes? You can obviously see.” Ro asks bluntly.

“I find the light down here oppressive.” I lie easily.

“The sun has set, and yet your blindfold remains.”

I’m trying to think now of what to say. I don’t want to antagonize them and make them press the matter further. I wear it for my safety and therefore theirs. But saying that will surely make them all the more curious, that or they’ll say to hell with us and refuse to help. He already said we’re an inherent danger to their pack.

I try going with a little honesty. “If it’s all the same to you, it’s just something I need to do.”

Their jaws tick in annoyance, it’s not the answer they wanted but they don’t push me for more.

“It’s getting late, why don’t we show you to your rooms and we can start mapping things out in the morning.” Varian offers.

Incandis looks towards me and I nod in agreement at their offer of hospitality. The brothers lead us up a curved staircase to the second floor. We pass by several doors, turning several corners before arriving at the end of a long hallway. There are three doors, two on either side of the hall facing each other, and one at the far end of the hallway.

“You will be staying in these adjacent rooms across from one another, if you need anything we are down at the end of the hall.” Varian says.

I open up one of the bedroom doors and motion for Incandis to follow me. I want to talk to him alone before we turn in for the night. As he and I walk in together I swear I can feel the brothers’ eyes on me, searing me with a smoldering look. I think I hear a faint growl as I close the door behind Incandis and me.