Animal Instincts Ch. 04

Kenneth Adams had been struck dumb from the moment that James Wolseley had arrived unannounced on the doorstep to his office. He was not a stupid, nor an ignorant man by nature; he knew damn well who the younger man - or should that have been older man? -- was, which influential family he belonged to, which organisation he worked for. Hell if rumour was to be believed, then James was the current leader of that particular organisation.

At his own insistence, James had invited himself into Kenneth's sanctuary, instantly filling it with a thick, raging energy that pulsed around his muscular body. The energy itself left an acrid taste on Kenneth's tongue, until his entire mouth was so dry he could barely swallow, let alone think straight.

He swallowed hard enough that it left his entire frame shuddering with the hacking cough. With an unsteady hand, he reached for the water jug and tried to fill one of the glasses on the coffee table in front of him, splashing more on the table top than having managed to get into the glass. He clutched it between both of his large hands in an attempt to stop them shaking.

Kenneth wondered if he should risk making eye contact with the man sitting so peacefully in his broiling ball of energy. Taking a sip of water, he let the chilled fluid slowly coat his mouth and throat. Keeping his eyes firmly down, he took another, larger sip and painstakingly began to reinforce his shields. If James Wolseley could rattle him this badly with his shields already tightly in place, he never ever wanted to meet the man under different circumstances.

With each small mouthful Kenneth's shields grew and strengthened around his mind and body, until there was not one seam or crack to be found. Blinking slowly, he concentrated and focused on the calmness he now sat in, pulling more and more of himself out to put on display. It was only then with the confidence to keep James' burning energy tightly locked on the outside, that Kenneth met the other man's eyes.

James Wolseley's face held a nearly perfect blank gaze; only the vibrant emerald eyes belied the powerful emotions playing just under the surface of that calm exterior. Not for the first time since he had arrived, Kenneth wondered at the cause of such a display of power.

He knew from his business dealings as an information broker for various groups that the Wolseley's were an influential family, both in the mainstream community and amongst Others. It was not until this point that he realised just how lucky he had been to have never crossed paths with them, if James was anything to go by then he was certain that he never wanted to again either.

"Would I be correct in assuming that you have a connection to my daughter?"

As an Other himself he was a firm believer that words held essence - an element of power - all their own, and bandying them around carelessly under any circumstances could be very foolish indeed.

"You assume correct, Mister Adams."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Kenneth leaned forward to place his glass back on the table. It was still unclear exactly why James was in his office but at least now, he knew with certainty that his daughter was involved somehow.

"Please, call me Kenneth." He said calmly as he leaned back again in the chair.

"Alright. Kenneth."

Kenneth couldn't help but stiffen ever so slightly as James allowed his name roll off of his tongue, before continuing.

"I have no doubt that by now you are probably wondering how exactly your daughter and I are as you say, connected."

James' careful use of his own wording was not entirely lost on Kenneth, as he nodded his agreement to the statement.

James sat comfortably in his chair and faced off with Skye's father, he had been hoping to meet the man under better circumstances. However, there were far too many question marks hanging around Skye for her own good, and the fact that she was so obviously in the dark it was almost too painful to watch. He had sworn to himself that he would not leave until he had the answers to those questions, during the car ride over to her father's offices.

He was pleased to see that Kenneth had seemingly recovered from his initial panic, and now sat calmly across from him. Nothing in Kenneth's posture or features gave any inkling as to what he was thinking; and with that James allowed his mind to open to the room.

At first he assumed that the quiet static -- like muted white noise on a television screen -- to be his mind adjusting to all that surrounded him, until he realised with a sharp breath that he could hear nothing from the other man. Just like he had been unable to hear Skye, when he had first encountered her at the graduation ceremony!

Instantly Ka'tah, fully alert and agitated, urged caution through their bond.

James...

James ran a metaphysical hand through his beasts' soft fur, in an attempt to soothe some of their ratcheting tension.

Setting his jaw, James tentatively widened the range slightly. Immediately he picked up the inner thoughts of people in the numerous floors below and even a few of the neighbouring buildings. What he couldn't hear, of course, was the man sitting no more than five feet across from him. James hid his sudden unease behind a blink and a quick smile. What the hell was it with Skye and her family?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"So that's what's been happening the past few days. You haven't missed much."

Skye stared at the mug in front of her, the tea starkly black against the white china. She had asked Rachael how long she had been asleep, and the older woman had told her without any sugar-coating. Three days. Three long days! Gone just like that. Skye felt dizzy as her mind whirled with questions and after a long silence she decided that two, maybe three, were the most pressing.

"Is there anything wrong with me? I mean you checked me out didn't you?"

"As far as I can tell there is nothing wrong. More like a case of exhaustion rather than anything more serious." Rachael explained.

Skye let the words sink in, frowning slightly at Rachael's suggestion that she was simply exhausted. Sure, she had been busy with the graduation, planning for the start of her career and her big move with Natalie and Sydney on top of everything else. But surely, all that hadn't been enough to wear her out so completely?

"So what now?" Rachael gave her answer in the form of a perplexed look; as if she hadn't understood the question. "I mean I've been relatively unconscious for the last three days-"

Even to her own ears it sounded like she had been on the wrong end of a date rape drug experience. Skye gripped her mug tighter between her palms, allowing its warmth to warm her slightly as she fought back a shudder.

"Have either you or James happened to contact my friends, Natalie and Sydney? They were at the club with me. I'm sure they will be freaking out thinking I've been kidnapped or murdered by now."

"You don't need to worry. James has taken care of everything regarding your friends. I must admit from what I heard of the phone call, your friend Natalie was quite vocal in her demands that you, and I quote 'be returned the exact same way he bloody well found you'." Rachael smiled soothingly before standing to refill her tea. "Would you like a top up? You look like you could use the warmth."

Skye's eyes followed the older woman as she made her way to the stove top and put the kettle on to boil. The end to her previous statement had sounded very much like something Natalie would say. Especially to some guy, however good looking he may be, he was a stranger nonetheless.

"Yea I will, thanks. You don't happen to know how long James might be out for? Not that I don't appreciate everything you've both done already, it's just that-"

"You'd like to get out of here?" Rachael smiled as she finished the sentence for her.

"Well yea. I mean I'd love a bath and some other clothes. And maybe just sleep in my own little bed for a change." Skye returned the smile as she handed her mug across the counter top.

With a quick flick of honey-brown eyes to her watch, "He's already been gone for a while, so he shouldn't be more than an hour or two. Why don't you look around while you wait? I'm sure you'll find plenty to fill the time."

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"May I call you James?" Kenneth waited for James' permission before continuing, "My daughter is something rather special, James, as I'm no doubt sure you understand." Kenneth watched as the other man took a sip from his water glass, his eyes and face perfectly blank of any betraying emotion.

"That she is, Kenneth, that she is." James offered by way of a small secretive smile.

Kenneth sighed; with that expression alone he knew instinctively that James Wolseley was not in his office merely to exchange pleasantries about his daughter. He also knew that before him sat a man who felt utterly comfortable in his own abilities - the extent of James' shielding skill alone was frightening.

Let alone that he had displayed enough residual power to cause Kenneth's own composure to wobble when confronted with the sheer weight of it. Seeing no other options, Kenneth reached up to loosen his tie before standing and walking toward the cleverly concealed wet bar in the side wall.

"Fancy something a little stronger? I fear that what you wish to know may or may not be what you wish to hear." James' eyebrows rose at the comment, even as he nodded, Kenneth shrugged.

Oh Skye what have you gotten us into?

"What I mean to say is that not everything that you are asking, is going to be simple to explain; and although I will try my best, in the end I fear you are not going to like everything you hear. Skye is very important to me, James. I hope you realise that and understand that everything that I reveal to you has been done in order to protect her and keep her safe."

Kenneth handed a glass of scotch to James, and settled himself into the leather chair once more. Taking a mouthful of his 'Dutch courage' he began his explanation.

"How well do you know Skye?"

James paused to consider the question, it was true that he had really only met Skye a week ago, and she had been sleeping for most of the time since. But Ka'tah, had already laid down his claim to the sensual woman who was currently sleeping soundly in his bed, it was only a minor technicality that he had not already marked her as his.

"If I said that I recognised her as my soul mate, my perfect other half. Would that answer your question sufficiently?"

"Yes, I understand your meaning." Kenneth took another sip of his drink, he had assumed that there was a powerful connection between the man in front of him and his daughter, but he had only been guessing when he thought it may have been a mating pull. Now that he was enlightened to that fact, and that Skye's future mate was a man as powerful as James so obviously was, his initial fears for her safety were lessened slightly. He was certain that there was no way that James would allow any harm to come to her.

"What has she told you of her past?" Kenneth sat back cradling his glass, watching the carefully closed expression of the man in front of him.

"Skye hasn't told me anything, although I suspect some great tragedy concerning her mother."

Kenneth nodded sadly, "you are correct in your suspicions. Her mother, Anne-Marie died some years ago now, when Skye was just seventeen. She was lead to believe that Anne-Marie fought valiently but ultimately lost her battle with breast cancer. Skye was left heart broken and balancing on a the very cusp of an emotional abyss. It is what is so many experts commonly mistake as clinical depression."

"I take it that her mother was Other?"

James watched as silent tears spilt down Kenneth's cheek, talking about his loss was obviously still very painful.

"Yes, we both are."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nyx sat looking over the glossy pages of the magazine in front of her, the colourful pictures of designer leather handbags, fashionable women's clothing and sleek high heels interspersed with adverts about luxury holiday destinations, fast cars and other must-have essentials.

"I don't know why you waste your time reading that drivel."

Locke thumped into the living room; there really was no better way to describe his gait. He was a living, breathing goliath; a promise of danger barely contained within the broadness of his shoulders and the heavy solid muscle of his body.

Nyx ran her fingers through her bobbed hair, smoothing it expertly with a sigh, "It's pointless explaining it to you Locke, because you wouldn't understand."

She rolled her eyes at Locke's age-old complaint routine; almost every moment she stopped whatever she was doing he would grumble and groan. He was so set in his beliefs that men - the great providers, protectors and producers; what she so often referred to as the Triple P threat -- that they were supposed to be, and then there were women, nothing more than pretty little baubles to be kept around in order to cook, clean and produce strong children.

Sighing inwardly she fought to control her tongue. It would be so easy to remind him why exactly she no longer fell into his outdated category of women's roles; too easy. Instead she glanced at the delicate silver clock hanging from the silver chain around her neck, it was 6pm almost time before they had to set out for the night. Not more than an hour or two earlier she had felt a reverberation in their network, and she had chomping at the bit to check it out ever since.

"Where is Mort? We need to start preparing." Her tone was clipped, business-like, as she stood and stretched life back into her limbs.

She could sense that Locke was watching her, with that greedy look in his eyes as the gentle swell of her breasts strained against the protesting fabric of her clothes. As she extended her arms high above her head, her t-shirt rose up to reveal a sneak peak of the tattoos adorning the smooth planes of her sides and stomach.

Lowering her arms with a roll of her shoulders and a tilt of her slender neck, Nyx allowed her body to open up to embrace the flow of magic that was her constant companion. It flowed into her every pore, bringing a soft sigh from her pouty lips as she tested, weighed and measured its course through her veins.

"Wish you wouldn't do that" Locke shuddered as he sank into his heavy leather coat, meaty hands unconsciously rubbing the goose bumps on his arms.

"Well if you cease staring at her like the lecherous fool that you are then I'm sure Nyx would be more obliging to your request Locke."

Locked flicked his eyes between Mort and Nyx, only to realise he'd been caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar. Despite his own unhappiness with her comfortable use of magic, Nyx never failed to arouse his growing hunger when she used her skills.

At Mort's entrance, Nyx felt the magic flare sharply before fanning out from her. The first time she had encountered such thing she had been younger and much more naïve, easily mistaking the hunger brought on by the sensations to mean something like love. She had been quickly corrected of her mistake, but the price she paid for it had cost her dearly.

Her magic had spread outwards into a large crescent in front and around her. Nyx felt more than saw Mort flash his casual lopsided grin, as his own magic flared like an answering beacon. So close, so temptingly close. With a silent shudder she began engulfing those last few feet separating them. She was barely an inch from him when he smashed his shields in place, cutting her off from her goal.

Instantly her eyes snapped open; turbulent turquoise pools flecked with silver and gold, locked on to her target.

How dare he tease her!

How dare he deny her!

The two men's eyes never left her face, Locke was wise enough to show caution and wariness, Mort was ignorant to show her arrogance and indifference.

Nyx, appeared like the calm before the storm, her magic giving her usually creamy skin an otherworldly luminescent shine, her sleek black hair reflecting a vibrant blue-green sheen under the halogen lighting. With a hiss of anger her moment of perfect clarity shattered and she struck out.

How dare he!

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Before anyone starts to get annoyed at me, let me just say that yes I realise that this is a shorter chapter.

That being said I felt that I needed to set a line between this chapter and the next, and honestly I just couldn't figure out any other way to do that and keep the story flowing correctly.

I hope you all enjoyed chapter 4 and I am happy to say that chapter 5 is not far away.

Don't forget to comment and vote!