Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Élancé could still feel the hand of the oddie wrapped tightly around her neck, trying to snap her neck to the side. She reached for the hand in her nightmare, just as she had in reality, but she found that the grip on her neck was even stronger. She could feel her throat getting crushed under the strength of the oddie’s hand and her airway was getting completely cut off. Élancé met eyes with the oddie and even though she wasn’t sure what the noises it was making meant, it sounded like it enjoyed trying to kill her, even more than all the other men. Hers was special. Élancé gave up finally, letting her hands slip to her sides. But just before her neck snapped, she felt a presence in the room which felt familiar. But by then her vision was already distorted.

The strange figure stood in front of her like a fierce and immovable wall, but as it got harder and harder to breathe, Élancé was convinced that the stranger had come a fee minutes too late—

Élancé jerked out of bed with a splitting headache. She hadn’t had a nightmare like that in a long time. She looked through the small opening between the two curtains. It was dark out.

“How long was I out?” She said to herself, but even speaking it seemed, her body was not yet ready for. The banging in her head got louder. She felt a dryness in her throat and she felt incredibly hungry. She realized that she had not fed for many hours. “Fuck,” she whispered to herself. Then, as she turned to the nightstand, she caught her reflection in the mirror; her throat wasn’t bruised even though she could still feel the oddie’s hands around it. She snapped herself out of it, then she reached for the glass of water by the nightstand.

After sipping half of the glass, her nightmare came back to her in flashes, and she realized that had happened. Someone had come to her, but who? Not Austin, she tried to convince herself even though she had woken up in one of the rooms in his mansion. Besides, the strangers frame was different from Austin’s; feline somehow.

The stranger’s back came to her mind again, as it stood before her. She wondered why it looked so familiar. Did Austin drive all the way down to her pack to come and save her? Even if he did, she thought she saw someone else. She decided she was going to find out herself, so she slipped from the bed. Just then, the door opened and a familiar face walked in with a big smile on his face.

“You’re awake,” Jazzy said, his deep brown eyes reflecting the warm amber of the room. “Gave me a scare there,” he added as he gently shut the door behind him.

“Jazzy?” Élancé said softly as she tried to wrap her head around the man he had become. “Oh my! Jazzy! It’s so wonderful to see you!”

Élancé was elated, filled with a sudden warm torrent of joy to see a familiar face. She moved towards him and he met her halfway with a warm smile on his face.

The last time Élancé had seen Jazzy was five years ago, before he left for culinary school. He was the son of Treynor, her nanny, but he was family—he was part of the pack. She pulled him in for a hug. He was a light in the darkness that swarmed her, even though she had not expected to see him. Especially in Austin’s mansion. They unclasped from the hug and she saw his new features. He had gotten taller, with skin taut and filled with slender muscles. Élancé could feel the power of his wolf; his scent was stronger. Even though he was still an omega, he would make a fine beta.

“Wait, what are you doing here? How did you get in?” Élancé asked with a questionable stare, like she knew Austin would never let an unknown omega into his mansion and into Élancé’s room.

“I uh…” Jazzy opened his mouth to speak but a twist of the door knob silenced his fresh bass voice.

He and Élancé turned around to see who was at the door, but Élancé already knew. She couldn’t tell whether it was from the way he audaciously opened doors or from his intoxicating scent which always made her wolf purr, but she just knew it was Austin. He opened the door wide and walked in with his eyes on Jazzy. Élancé could feel an immediate buildup of harsh tension in the room. There was awkward silence between the two men but it didn’t seem like they liked to be around each other very much.

Austin walked in without closing the door behind him, his eyes were still on Jazzy and Jazzy’s still on him. Jazzy turned around to face Austin completely. Élancé looked from Jazzy to Austin and Austin back to Jazzy and a prayer crossed her mind that they should not go at it. Even though Jazzy had gotten bigger and stronger, Austin was an alpha, by every look of it. Yet, Jazzy wasn’t intimidated. He held Austin’s gaze as Austin scanned him from head to toe.

Austin felt a calm rage inside him at the thought of Jazzy standing close to Élancé. Again, he hated to admit it, but he could feel the mate bond raising his primal nature to its peak. He had a territory, but Élancé was also his. He didn’t want anyone standing that close to her. Especially not Jazzy.

Élancé wondered what must have transpired between the two men before that moment. Did they know each other before that day? Did they have a bad first impression? Élancé could see and feel a part of Austin’s rage. Just like she had read in books, werewolves were very territorial when it came to their mates. And the higher the hierarchy, the more hostile they were to outsiders. Still, it seemed like it was more than that. Élancé broke the ice.

“Alright, what’s going on?” she asked, right before she heard the distant ringing in her head. She ignored it, in hopes that it would fade. She still felt the invisible hand around her throat from time to time, but she ignored it, hoping the sensation would go away in time; the traumatic event that she had witnessed some hours before.

“Do you two know each other?” Élancé asked, turning from one to the other. But the friction in the room was still very much cutthroat. The ringing in her head came again, this time louder and louder, until she felt her consciousness failing her again. Élancé felt dizzy, like her body was telling her to let go of everything. Then, she felt her knees giving way. Élancé tried to fight it, but she couldn’t. She let her knees buck and she fell over.

Jazzy used his body as a cushion for Élancé as he caught Élancé’s arm and saved her from crashing into the floor.

Austin gritted his teeth and clenched his fist as Jazzy caught Élancé. He had noticed her losing her consciousness and had readied himself to reach for her, but Jazzy was closer. He couldn’t say exactly why, but the sight of Élancé in Jazzy’s arm sent fire down into his bones. Austin felt a sharp annoyance prick inside his body and it felt even worse that he couldn’t pinpoint the very fact that he was feeling the way he was. Maybe he did, but he chose to ignore it. He chose to block out that fact. His body wanted to leap for Jazzy, push him aside and hold Élancé to himself, but he stopped himself from causing a scene.

Soon after, Élancé regained control of her legs and Jazzy helped her stand, even though he was still supporting her. He could see that she was not okay and he wanted to find out exactly what was happening. He had found out bits and pieces but he needed a clear picture. He turned to Austin.

“I want to speak with Élancé,” Jazzy said, and even Élancé, with her head spinning, was surprised by the audacity. “In private,” he added.

Austin felt like Jazzy’s words pierced his ego. Now more than ever, he wanted to bash Jazzy’s face in with his fists. Not enough to kill him, but just enough to teach him a lesson. Jazzy didn’t care though, he kept looking at Austin, waiting for him to leave the room.

“You will not come into my home, as a guest…,” Austin started advancing towards Jazzy with killer’s intent surrounding his voice. His eyes shown, signaling that he was giving way for his powers to occupy more room in his body. “…and ask me to leave a room. I do not give a fuck…who you are. I would be careful with my words if I were you. I’m not a very forgiving person.”

Jazzy moved forward to counter Austin’s cold blooded threat, but Élancé held Jazzy’s arm. “Don’t,” she said, and Jazzy chewed his teeth, but he listened to Élancé.

She summoned what was left of her consciousness and turned to Austin.

“You’re right,” she said to Austin softly. “My apologies. Jazzy’s just looking out for me, as your men would look out for you. I’m sure he means no harm. We just have a lot to discuss.”

Austin heard Élancé’s voice and he was convinced she must have some sort of power over him, because he really did start to get calm. Even though his wolf wanted to follow through with his threat, he hesitantly left the room and slammed the door behind him.

“What happened?” Jazzy asked with a concerned look.

Élancé unclasped herself from Jazzy’s support, feeling better. She reached for the bed and took a seat. Jazzy dragged the seat by the end of the room closer to her and Élancé took a deep breath. It was hard to say, partly because Élancé would be reliving the experience and also because she knew that Jazzy would not take it well. He had left for five years only to come and find out that he had no pack. Élancé unconsciously rubbed her neck and released a very deep and long sigh.

“There was an attack,” Élancé started. And she felt the words building up like thick rocks in her throat, but she swallowed them and continued. “We didn’t stand a chance. All the men fell limp when the oddies came. It was a slaughter, Jazzy. My father…he...he took one in the arm and it isn’t healing up as it should. I believe they’re after my family. My pack.”

Jazzy stood from his seat, trying hard to fathom what Élancé was saying. He paced around the room as he listened to the detailed explanation Élancé was giving.

“But oddies don’t attack unless—”

“I know.” Élancé answered.

“Then why—?”

“I have my theories, but I’m going to find out.” Looking at Jazzy, Élancé was glad he was not around at the time of the attack. He would have been among the many bodies which haunted her still.

“Fuck,” Jazzy exclaimed, before running his hands through his hair.

“And the alpha?” Jazzy asked, hoping to find some stability in his already spinning world. His mind had gone to his mother, but a part of him was too afraid to ask. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle the news if it came down to it.

“He’s fighting for his life,” Élancé said. She knew she had to go see him after her discussion with Jazzy.

“My mother?” Jazzy finally let the words slip from his mouth and he felt his heart quake as well as Élancé’s heart.

“Jazz—”

“Don’t say it.” Jazzy’s voice began to croak, like it was getting harder to speak. His eyes began to burn from holding back the tears.

“I’m sorry,” Élancé said, feeling a pain of her own for dishing out bad news. “She didn’t make it. I’m really sorry, Jazz.”