Dominic Ch. 27

As the wide doors opened, he said, "This is the guard station. You'll become acquainted with the men very quickly. They will become your shadow, along with your betas, from now on."

The floor was rough under my feet as I tried to see the walls of the room that we were in. He nodded to some shifty looking guys with gun belts and a rack of big long scary blades on the wall. I nodded at them and followed Rousseau to a little electric car. He opened the door and helped me get in. He got in himself, and we roared down what I think was a tunnel. I couldn't see the walls, but it felt like driving in a tunnel. There was a narrow road painted on the ground that he followed. There were turn offs with colored diamonds on the ground, but Rousseau didn't take any.

"Thank you for finally making the choice. You don't know how hard we try to keep to the tradition. The initiation is a long standing one. The next few tests, you would have sailed through, I'm sure, but I didn't want you to be too tired to meet her," he said as he finally turned onto one of those other roads.

'Her.'

Rousseau let out a little chuckle, 'Jealous, are we? You should be. I mated her several times. Sired two alphas and a somewhat adequate secondary sire with her. But, you mustn't challenge her. She is well past her prime, and I would have to side with her.'

"Hmmm." 'So, how many women do you have?'

Sebastian looked at me, and the electric car stopped with a jolt, "You are the only one for me." It sounded horribly cliché.

I pulled the robe closer to my breasts and spoke, "I can't believe you."

He got out of the car without responding to me. I saw a dimly lit elevator a few feet away. We rode up the elevator and were greeted by some stoic guards. They seemed to recognize Rousseau as a non-threat, but kept their eyes on me. I tried not to feel self-conscious as I was led through a series of corridors to a very dim room with curtains all around the walls. It hurt my eyes to try to pick out furniture in the room. A movement in the corner caught my attention.

"So," a frail voice seemed to confirm that I was looking in the correct direction, "this is the one. A rather slow conquest, wasn't she? Come closer, kid. Let me see Miriam's handiwork."

I walked forward into the dark. There was something tickling at my nose. It seemed to stick harder as she got closer.

The old woman grumbled, "You should have at least put up a little fight, like he hadn't been there before. Honestly. I've seen better matings on cable. And that last bit, the howl. Give it a rest. It couldn't have been that good. From where I sat, Sebastian's got a problem with giving himself fully. I mean, talk about a cock tease!"

I wasn't sure if the lady was wanting me to respond or not. I just stood there looking at this very old woman. This foul mouthed, dirty old woman.

"You're right, Sebastian, she's beautiful. A bit timid, though. How is she supposed to help the situation?"

The situation. I felt , more than saw, the woman shift her weight.

Sebastian's voice was shockingly close. I'd thought he was still standing near the door. "You'll see, madam. You see, she's alive. There is only one other that lasted this long, save Lucy. The other, she was on a ventilator by now."

I felt his bulk behind me move to one side. I heard a click and the lights went up to reveal a chair turned away from me. I moved around to see a billowing dress that covered the old woman up. It took me a moment to figure out where her face should be. The woman was lounging to the side. I nearly threw up. Half of her face was missing. The rotting corpse looked right back at me and said, "She can see it, can't she? She wouldn't look so scared, if she didn't."

The corpse raised up and looked at Sebastian, "I bet, she's got the bite, too. That's why you were happy."

I focused on the layers of fabric that covered her shoes so that I didn't have to look into the fetid hole.

Sebastian said as he pressed his hand against the old woman's rotting cheek, "This is the taint. The rats cause this when they choose to feed from our line. There are a few who can see it. I was hoping that you would be one of the few, but by your reaction, it isn't just a ghost image. The lucky ones only see a shadow of the true face. The rats carry a disease which they choose to pass as they feed. This vermin chose to do this to my mate, because they were aware of my circumstances."

"Your circumstances?" I took that opportunity to cover my eyes with my hands, but my nose didn't let me forget that there was this dying woman in the room.

Sebastian looked away from me, "When I reached my majority, I had been prepared and taught about the traditions. I accomplished my goals and qualified as an alpha on my first run. There was only one problem. My designated mate did not survive. My bite...our bites are rather unique."

The old woman chuckled, "Yes, and that isn't the only unique thing, is it Sebastian? I believe I was try number 6 or 7? It took him a good 10 years to get up the courage to court me, but I had this feeling about him."

I tried to pay attention as he continued, "The Council of elders is very aware of my circumstance and allowed me to intercede on your behalf. There is a situation that has been building within the clans. The rats have positioned themselves in a way to make it hard to unseat them. As the last century closed, they literally bled the wolves dry. The borne wolves were seen as good pets. The mature in the pack are mostly made wolves. They know and care nothing of the culture they have entered. Their offspring is less useful to the cause."

The cause. The way that he spoke, I knew he would explain more, later. However, I was still dwelling on the fact that he didn't tell me I could have died.

A notch eared female came in with a tray of drinks and carefully placed a goblet into the rotting hand of the dowager queen, before offering us the other drinks.

"You have to understand why you are so important," the old woman sat up straight in the chair and took a generous sip of the wine.

"As a prime alpha, and Rousseau's mate, you are meant to be part of the council. The other groups may not be very happy about this. The vampires and the pack have been at war, yes. But, there are hybrids. I have a daughter who has risen far in the bat conclave. That does not mean that we are meant to coexist. You have shown your ability to see beyond the fade," the old woman smiled at me. "This is a trait that is not encouraged by the bats. It is not a natural trait of the pack, either. The Montrose line has kept to themselves for a reason."

Sebastian interjected, "My dear, she isn't ready ..."

"They've taken the sweet boy's mate. There is no better time," I saw the woman's empty eye narrow.

He seemed to acquiesce and moved to my side and took my hand. "You, my dear, are one of five surviving that we know of."

I asked sarcastically, "One of five?"

The old woman grumbled, "Michael Fortier is a hybrid, and therefore, you are a hybrid. As is your sister. Lucy was tested, years ago, when you were lost to us. ...and well. She did not see what you saw in me. I have been arranging unsanctioned matings between high ranking bitches and the Montrose for quite some time, in the hopes of finding a match for my Sebastian. It took quite a while to find just the right mating. You are the result of that mating."

I laughed nervously, "Yeah."

The woman snapped her fingers. "Understand this. It took me a good 70 years to find a line that was strong enough to take the necessary attentions. I had to do a great deal of research on genealogy, in order for you to exist. Imagine how angry I was when you disappeared."

The End... to be continued.