Alpha Ch. 12

"I, I heard you talking and I thought I could help."

Tanner frowned. His eyes roamed up and down the man's body and he leant back against the door.

"Help how?"

"You're both hungry. I can help. If you keep letting her feed and not feeding yourself then you're going to wither away. I could help you." The man said and Tanner's hand shot out and grabbed his throat.

He was smaller than Tanner, with dark hair and tanned skin. His eyes were a light brown and Tanner felt him swallow beneath his fingers.

"And why would you offer yourself up like that?" Tanner asked. He held the man's throat almost lazily but there was no doubt he was in complete control.

"Because you helped me once. Maybe now I could repay you."

"What's your name?" Tanner asked.

"Ronin." He answered without hesitation.

"Ronin." Tanner repeated. He held Ronin's throat tighter and brought him forward. Inhaling his scent Tanner stifled his groan at the smell of blood coursing through the man's veins. "A Shifter, it's been a long time since I've had one of you."

Ronin tilted his head to the side, baring his throat and Tanner gritted his teeth. Taking a stilted breath, he shoved the man away from him.

"You should know better than to offer yourself to a hungry Vampyre. So many things could go wrong."

Ronin stumbled backwards but his eyes never left Tanner's. "I just wanted to help. You helped me and I," Ronin was cut off as Tanner surged forwards.

"I don't know who you think I am but you've got the wrong guy. Now get out of here before you get hurt."

Ronin shrank back from Tanner's rage. The Vampyres eyes were a deep red and his lips were curled in a snarl. Ronin felt his skin prickling as his body readied itself for a fight.

"You don't remember me?" Ronin asked.

Tanner kept his face passive. Of course he remembered the man, not much older than a child, stood in front of him. He remembered the face of every person he had saved but the fact that Ronin was here now meant that Tanner had failed. Ronin had been dragged into his world and Tanner saving him in the past meant nothing.

"I've never seen you before." Tanner said coldly.

Ronin felt himself deflate. His stomach twisted and rolled and a painful tightness gripped his chest.

"You have to remember me, you have to. You saved my life. How do you not remember me?"

"Look kid, I'm real tired and don't have time to play your little game. You got the wrong person, happens to the best of us. Now get out of here before you make me do something I'll regret." Tanner stepped closer, closing the gap between him and Ronin and balling his hands into fists to stop himself reaching for the boy.

"You're lying. You do know me; I can see it." Ronin pushed.

Tanner snarled and again, his hand shot out and held his throat tightly. Spinning them Tanner slammed Ronin against the stone wall and brought his face close.

"Don't fucking push me. I am very close to breaking already, I don't need some delusional kid making things harder." Tanner paused. In the quiet he could hear Ronin's pulse thrumming under his skin. Tanner swallowed hard, his eyes closing as he moved closer to Ronin. He couldn't help himself. His need was too great and he dipped his head to the man's neck.

Ronin held himself still. He could feel Tanner shaking violently and the grip on his neck grew even tighter, cutting off his air and forcing his eyes to roll back in his head. He could feel Tanner's fangs scratching at his skin and let his head drop to the side to bare his throat.

"Goddammit." Tanner snarled and flung himself backwards. Shoving his fingers into his blonde hair he forced his breath to even out and waited for the consuming hunger in his gut to ease. "You need to get out of here. Now!"

The last word was a shout and Ronin jumped in fear. This time he listened and hurried away. Tanner stayed where he was, staring at the wall and trying to stop the trembling in his body.

Another presence made him lift his head and he turned to look into Lucius' green eyes. Immediately, Tanner's body was tense and his nails dug into his palms.

Lucius saw the change in the Vampyre and held his hands up in surrender.

"Calm down, I'm not here to do anything to you." Lucius shoved his hands into his pockets and jerked his head towards the door. "Just checking in."

Tanner frowned. His eyes were still distrustful and Lucius sighed. Leaning against the wall he looked at the floor and crossed one foot in front of the other.

"I don't blame you for what you did. I don't forgive you for it and I will hate you until the day I die for hurting her, taking her from me, but I understand why you did it. Most of us here have been kept prisoner, not knowing what was happening, waking up every day and wondering if it would be our last. You wanted to hurry things along, you wanted to get our attention and you did it. I understand what you were feeling and I should have done more to help you, all of you." Lucius let out another sigh and his eyes lifted to the Vampyres face.

"We all made a mistake, we should all have to live with it. But not her," Lucius looked to the door, "not my Fiara. I just want to know she's OK."

"She's OK. She misses you." Tanner said, watching as his words brought a smile to Lucius's face.

"You take care of her and when she's ready, she knows where to find me."

Lucius pushed himself away from the wall and started down the corridor. Shouting back over his shoulder he spoke to Tanner again.

"You should eat something. You look like shit."

Tanner didn't answer. The pain in his stomach was almost too much to bear and his head was swimming. He stumbled back into the room and collapsed into the bed beside Oana. She instantly shuffled back against his body and he curled himself around her. He buried his face in her hair felt himself relax. As he drifted towards sleep faces danced in front of his eyes. Men, women, children. Ronin, Petra, Ealasaid. Finally, a pair of green eyes filled his vision, the same eyes that had plagued him for years.

*

Elena shot awake with a soft scream. She had dreamt of Jaylon, as she did every time she fell into a restless sleep. Her throat was tight and her chest ached and she looked across the bed for Ealasaid. As always, when she was scared or hurting, she looked for her Alpha but she wasn't there. Elena pushed herself into a sitting position and stared around the room.

At the foot of the bed was a pile of clothes. Slowly, she swung her legs out from the bed and picked up the items of clothing. Dressing in the underwear, jeans and t-shirt she ran her fingers through her long hair and left the room.

Her sensitive hearing picked up voices from downstairs. She followed them until she came to the kitchen. Slowly, she pushed open the door and looked at the faces that turned to her.

Ealasaid and the members of her Council were sat around a long wooden table. The surface was covered with food and the smells of bacon, sausage and coffee reached Elena's nose.

"Hi baby." Ealasaid said, her face lighting up at the sight of her Second.

Elena raised a hand, waving shyly. She glanced over the faces assembled in front of her landing on Lucius' green eyes. He flashed her a warm smile and beckoned her to the empty chair next to him. She sat beside him and he slid his hand around the back of her neck and dropped a kiss to her forehead.

"Looking good darlin'." He said.

Elena blushed, dropping her eyes to the floor. "Thanks."

"Luci pass the bacon." Corban called and they settled into a comfortable conversation.

Elena felt the nerves in her stomach lessen as she spent time with the Pack. They included her seamlessly, as though she had never left them. She ate ravenously. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten something hot, most of her meals had been small animals she had caught in the forest.

Lucius kept her plate full, every time he would add something to his own he would do the same with hers. Anton sat on the other side of her and made sure her cup was never empty. The warmth from their bodies filled her with a calm she hadn't experienced since Jaylon's death. As she listened to Ealasaid's soft voice talking with the members of the Council and the children, Elena felt her lips curving in a smile.

When the food was gone Ealasaid stood and began to load the plates onto her arm. Elena stood to help but Ealasaid waved her away.

"Not a chance girl. You're going to go and run and swim and lay in the sun. Luci," Ealasaid called and Lucius stood immediately, "make sure she doesn't burn and I don't want to hear about her lifting a finger, got it."

Lucius threw her a mock salute and draped his arm around Elena's shoulders. "Let's go darlin'. Last one out there has to muck out the Shifter pit for a week!"

The children shrieked and dashed out of the kitchen. The rest followed until only Ealasaid and Anton were left. He began to pile the plates up but she shook her head.

"No, go keep an eye on Elena. Today will be what saves her. I need you to make sure she's OK."

Anton nodded and took Ealasaid's chin between his thumb and forefinger and pressed a kiss to her forehead. As always when he was near her, the prickling sensation ran down his back as his wings tried to burst through his skin. Steadying himself, he let her go and followed the others outside.

Ealasaid set about cleaning the kitchen. She hummed to herself as she filled the sink with hot water and began to wash the plates and cups. She fell into the rhythm that felt familiar. She had always enjoyed the therapeutic nature of cleaning and her mind felt clear for the first time in months.

When she was finished she settled herself at the long table and lit a cigarette. Bringing her feet up to rest on a chair she drew the smoke into her lungs leisurely and surveyed her handiwork.

Ealasaid jumped as soft music reached her ears. Sitting up she was still as she listened to the soft melody. It was coming from above her.

Stubbing her cigarette out she pushed herself to her feet and left the kitchen. She followed the music, through the corridors of the castle and climbed higher, drawn by the sound.

It wasn't until she reached the high tower of the castle that she saw the door. Her heart leapt. As she approached the door it swung inwards and the music grew louder. She didn't think twice and stepped through the door.

She stepped onto a cool stone floor. She was in a huge, cavernous room, the walls were made of heavy grey stone and the only light came from flickering candles. The air was cool and goosebumps erupted over her skin. The walls either side of her were lined with doors and on the far wall was a sweeping staircase. Tilting her head back, Ealasaid looked up. Her heart stuttered. The walls reached up, fading to blackness as they went further than her eyes could make out. The doors climbed up each wall, more than she could ever count.

Ealasaid wrapped her arms around herself. Something about the cold still of the air and the ominous nature of the closed doors sent chills through her and she found herself drawn to the stairs at the other end of the room. She stepped towards them and as she drew closer she saw six more doors. They stood apart from the others, a sinister pull took hold of her and she raised her hand. Before her fingers touched the surface of the door, she yanked it backwards and stumbled away. Something in the back of her mind was screaming at her to get away from the doors and for once, she was going to listen to her own advice.

Instead, she climbed the staircase. Her fingers trailing along the thick marble bannister as the music once again filled her head. She followed it through the corridors. None seemed to match with the other, every corner she turned lead to another long hallway. All were filled with flickering candles but with every step forwards she grew closer to the source of the music.

Finally, she came to two huge stone doors. They called to her and without hesitation, she placed her hand on the surface and pushed them open. She was in another high ceilinged room. The walls were lined with high windows, showing a black sky. As with the rest of the castle, the room was lit by hundreds of candles and an enormous chandelier hung from the middle of the ceiling.

The music had swelled as she entered the room and, though she couldn't see anyone, she could feel people around her. Brushing passed her as they danced and the soft caresses of their clothing. At the far end of the room were two mammoth glass doors that lead to an equally large stone balcony.

Ealasaid felt her heart beat faster. Her eyes flitted about the room, she couldn't keep them still as she looked from the windows, to the intricately painted ceiling to the polished stone floor. She only stopped when she bumped into the glass doors and turned to look out over the balcony.

Stepping out into the cool, still air, she approached the tall stone railing that edged the balcony and, climbing onto the step that ran around the bottom, leant over to stare out at the sprawling grounds beneath her. Trees scattered the ground and between the trunks Ealasaid could see soft blue lights. They dipped and weaved, moving almost playfully through the trunks and she rested her forearms on the stone wall and watched them with interest.

Baal stood in the shadows against the wall of the castle. His arms were folded and he leant against the wall watching her. Her profile was lit by the soft light coming from the ballroom and her eyes shone with wonder as she watched the lights dancing beneath her. One came towards her and she held her hand out without thinking. It brushed passed her fingers and he saw her smile grow at the warmth it brought to her skin.

He watched as she climbed onto the wall and settled with her legs hanging off the side. The lights instantly swelled upwards towards her, flitting around her, brushing her skin and lifting her hair. He couldn't tear his eyes from her. She wore a tight dress that hugged every curve in her small body, the deep blue beautiful against her pale skin and making her silver eyes shine even brighter.

Baal came closer. She was leaning further over the balcony, her bare feet kicking in the air and her hand reaching out to touch the soft blue lights that surrounded her. She was drawn to the lights, there was a warmth to them that felt so different to anywhere else in Hell and she chased it blindly. It wasn't until she felt a large hand on her waist, making her jump and come back to her senses, that she realised how close she was to tumbling from the balcony.

"Careful Anima, it's a long way down." He said quietly into her ear.

Baal rested his hands either side of her hips on the stone wall and followed her gaze out over the grounds sprawled beneath them. Ealasaid could feel his breath against her hair and glanced down at their hands. Their fingers were almost touching and she was desperate for even that tiny amount of contact with him. She needed to feel him against her again.

"What is this place?" She asked. Her voice was breathless and Baal smiled at the sound.

"There was never a garden here before, I built it for them. They deserve to be somewhere beautiful." He raised his eyes to the lights and watched as they danced through the air in front of them.

"What are they?"

"Innocent souls."

Ealasaid frowned. "Innocent?" She asked and turned her head to look at him. "Then why are they here?"

"They got lost. Most of them are children, after they died they couldn't find their way and were stuck in Purgatory. They would go mad up there, so, I brought them here."

"Children?" She asked and turned back to look at the lights. "They don't have anyone to help them?"

"I can't go passed Purgatory and no Angel would come that far down so they have no one to guide them. I made this place so they would have somewhere safe and light. Purgatory can drive anyone mad. I've seen it happen." There was a dark tone in his voice but Ealasaid knew not to push him.

"They're happy here?" She asked instead.

"I think so. It's hard to tell, they don't speak but they've never tried to leave."

"That's good." Ealasaid nodded in satisfaction and Baal couldn't hold back any longer.

Taking hold of her hips, he twisted her around and pushed her hair back from her shoulder. Dipping his head, he kissed her neck and drank in her sweet scent. Ealasaid sighed, dropping her head to her shoulder to bare her throat to him and her hands ran up his forearms to his chest.

"I've dreamt of you here." He said, kissing along her collarbone and up her neck to behind her ear. "Every time I sleep; this is where I see you."

Ealasaid smiled and pushed his chest until he stepped back. She slid from the wall and tucked her hair behind her ear. Looking up at him coyly though her long lashes the corner of her mouth curved upwards and she held out one hand.

"Dance with me." It was more of an order than a request.

Baal obeyed instantly. He took her hand in one of his and the other spread across her lower back. He pulled her against him and her free hand rested on his bicep. She could feel the muscles, hard as stone, under her fingers and craned her neck to look into his eyes. The music grew louder as he began to move her effortlessly across the balcony and he revelled in the closeness of her curved body to his.

Everything else faded from her mind. His strong hands on her skin, the warmth of his body through their clothes and the shock that ran through her as he looked at her were the only things she could think of. She stretched onto her toes, tilting her face up to his and he heeded her silent request, bending his head to kiss her.

"This is normally the moment you disappear." He said against her lips. He touched his forehead to hers and let out a tired laugh.

Their movements slowed to a gentle swaying in place and Baal focussed on the hitch in her breathing and her quiet moans as his hands travelled down her body, over the dip in her back and around her waist. She pulled herself higher but it still wasn't where she needed him to be.

With an impatient growl, she leapt up and wrapped her legs around his waist. Baal laughed, catching her without a thought and holding her up with his hands on her thighs. Ealasaid's hands linked behind his neck and she pulled his head down to kiss him desperately. Baal slid his hand over her thigh and teased her through her dress.

"Wait." She managed to force out and immediately he stopped. Their eyes opened and burned at one another. "Not in front of them."

Her gaze flickered to the dancing lights and he raised an eyebrow.

"Them?"

"You said most of them are children." She said in way of an explanation.

Baal let out a snort of laughter but shrugged one shoulder. "As you wish my sweet girl."

A black mist rose around them, bringing a cold breeze that caressed her skin and pressed on her chest. She kept her eyes trained on Baal's face. His heated gaze kept her grounded in reality until the crushing sensation became too much and she buried her face in his strong neck. Again, his wild scent filled her head and, unbidden, her teeth sharpened into fangs as her hunger grew.

When the mist cleared they were stood in Baal's study. He spun and dropped her onto the back sofa then knelt in front of her. Staring up her body he ran his hands up her calves, under her knees and to her thighs. Her small pink tongue came out to wet her plump lips as she waited to see what he would do.

"You always look so beautiful in blue." He said quietly, turning his head to kiss her inner thigh. "Whenever I thought about you here, you were always wearing blue."

Ealasaid couldn't find her words. Her body was frozen, heat coursing through her as he kissed her again, higher on her thigh and he slowly spread her legs. His smile grew frightful and she took a shaking breath.