Feral Ch. 04

Tianna's mind was reeling when she set the phone back in its cradle. Her father knew. He knew and he was in on it. He wanted her to stay at Greystone manor with this bunch of psychopaths.

She roughly smoothed her still damp hair back from her face, fighting the panic that threatened to rattle her. Dominic didn't dictate to her often and he rarely gave her reason to disobey him but this time she had no intention of following orders.

Fuck it. Shaking her head she moved across the room and shoved open the large picture window overlooking the stone patio two stories down and with no hesitation she jumped, landing in a crouch. The impact reverberated though her body, jarring her aching muscles. She straightened slowly and rolled her shoulders. Ouch. She had definitely overdone it yesterday. She shook her head, mentally berating herself for not considering her body's necessary healing time.

A slow deliberate clapping caused her to jerk her head in the direction of the house. The French doors off the breakfast room were flung open opening onto the patio. A table full of staring men--she counted six--had stopped, obviously mid-motion with forks halfway to their mouths and stared at her.

Ethan had stopped clapping and lifted a coffee cup in mock salute. "Nice entrance, darlin'. How about some coffee?"

Tianna glared at him. Of course, nothing was going to be easy.

A chair scraped and a tall red haired werewolf who looked eerily like Trent stood and gestured for her to have a seat. Not knowing what else to do, she hesitantly stepped into the breakfast room and took a seat to Ethan's right. The moment she sat conversation resumed and everyone began eating once more hardly paying her any mind, with the exception of Ethan.

Ethan piled the plate in front of her high with pancakes, bacon and eggs. "Eat."

Tianna glared at him. "I'm not hungry," she growled.

Ethan leaned towards her, his clear blue gaze piercing her. "Bullshit. Don't be such a whiny, little girl. It won't help you."

Tianna stared at him hard. "Where's Aaron?"

Ethan leaned back in his seat and looked t her solemnly. "Eat, and then we can talk."

Tianna glanced down at her plate. She considered pushing the plate away from her but stomach growled in response. "Fine."

A real smile graced Ethan's face

Tianna was ravenous. While listening to the others she learned that the other three weres had only arrived last night. The redheaded werewolf, Caleb, was indeed related to Trent. He was not his older brother as Tianna had assumed but his father. There were two other unfamiliar werewolves, twins, Conner and Isaac. They looked to be in their late twenties meaning they were probably almost old enough to be her father. They had dark hair falling past their shoulders pulled back into queues. Werewolves aged slowly, retaining their unnaturally good looks and impressive physiques late into their lives which could span over a hundred years. But this pack was incredibly young and significantly smaller than the packs of the past.

Before Aaron had taken power, the history of the pack had been dominated by strife and violence. Only pureblood werewolves could be members of the pack which ruled over the North American territory. Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa had their own respective packs also made up of purebloods. Thus leaving mutts with no territories of their own and ever subject to the pack laws. It was only in the last 30 years in which this had changed, much in part to Aaron Thorne.

Dominic Moore had told his daughter about the most recent sixty years of bloodshed that plagued his kind. The pack system which had been in place for centuries was challenged. The mutts had gathered and united under a shadowy leader, Drake, to challenge the packs everywhere. What had ensued was bloody. Drake and his followers had specifically targeted the pack elders and positions of power using means outside the realm of traditional loup garu combat. The mutts had resorted to assassinations, car bombs, and ambushed pack members in their human forms. It was unheard of and the pack had been completely unprepared to handle it. In a few short years, the number of pack elders had dwindled to fewer than twenty. It had been the younger generations members of the pack who acted--Dominic, Caleb, Isaac, and Aaron among them--that had taken up the mutts challenge and never failed to make a gruesome and resounding example of the insurrectionists. Modern warfare was expensive, and the mutts did not have to funds, often resorting to thievery in order to meet their demands. But they could not compete with the centuries of wealth the pack had accumulated.

Aaron and Dominic had taken to capturing mutts. The mutts were then forced to fight for their lives in the old way and they rarely succeeded. Were the mutts to survive ( a rarity to be sure) they would be maimed and sent back as a warning to their fellow mutts. Under the swift and brutal guidance of the younger generation of the pack Drake and the mutts were suppressed within a few short years. But the pack losses had been great and their hierarchy of the pack undone. The elders were few and the leaders of packs had been annihilated. The fight between pack brothers for power and rule no longer seemed of any benefit when so much blood had been shed. And so the more democratic pack was born.

The remaining elders gathered themselves and removed themselves from their respective packs to form one far-reaching governing body leaving the packs to choose their own leaders in whatever manner they wished. Aaron was the first pack leader to ever be elected by his own pack rather fighting for the title. Aaron was a diplomat above all else. He saw the danger of the pack's current system. The pack's treatment of the mutts had caused the rebellion to begin with. To simply continue the old system was simply going to cause further tensions and fighting in the future. So Aaron granted the mutts the Midwestern territories and encouraged the other packs to do the same, granting the mutts in their regions their own small territories. The mutts were placated and seemed to understand that they had been granted some of that which they had been fighting for. But Aaron had realized the merit in granting them their own land as well. The mutts had no sense of hierarchy or any inclinations of what to do with the land they had been given. As Aaron had known they would, the mutts began to fight amongst themselves to hold the most land, and the pack had a more complete knowledge of mutt whereabouts. No longer was the mutt merely a unaffiliated werewolf on Pack land roaming aimlessly about, but confined by the very land that had been gifted to them.

Yes, Aaron Thorne was ever the diplomat. But he always worked in the interest of the pack even if his actions were questionable to others. He was self possessed. But it would be a mistake to underestimate the ever present cool façade. He would be swift and ruthless when necessary. It was his cold reserve and endlessly calculating nature that served the pack well.

Tianna grimaced. Aaron Thorne was not a man to be crossed. It would make getting around him that much harder. That, and his right hand, the blonde werewolf --his enforcer—sitting next to her.

Tianna put her fork down and stared at Ethan. "I want to talk to Aaron."

Ethan glanced at her plate and nodded. The sound of his chair scraping drew the looks of the other men at the table. It was silent as Tianna stood with Ethan and followed him into the study.

Aaron was sitting behind a large mahogany desk, papers scattered around him. He was wearing the same clothes he'd been wearing the night before and dark stubble shadowed his cheeks. His dark gaze was hooded.

Tianna gritted her teeth at the sight of her captor but sat when he motioned for her to sit in one of the chairs across from the desk. Ethan seated himself next to her.

Aaron leaned back in the large leather armchair and regarded her calmly. He made a small shrug of his shoulders at the look of hostility in her dark gaze. "Your father and I are in agreement, Tianna, that the best place for you at the moment is here at Greystone," he said smoothly.

"So it would seem," Tianna returned.

One of Aaron's dark brows winged upwards. "Are you going to obey his wishes or are we going to have to maintain your company by other means?"

Tianna flinched inwardly at the word 'obey'. Her fingers curled around the arms of the chair. Her father rarely if ever attempted to command the course her life or undermine her freedom. That he'd chosen this particular instance to do so irritated her to no end. As much as she'd like to tear the study apart, she decided that diplomacy most likely in her best interest.

Tianna met Aaron's gaze squarely. "Dominic doesn't even attempt to tell me what to do very often, so I'm assuming he has one hell of a reason for trying it now." She lifted her chin. "So I'll stay on two conditions."

Aaron cocked his head, waiting.

Tianna drew a deep breath. "I want to go back to town for a couple days." She caught sight of Ethan forming a protest and rushed on. "It's a small town, okay. I have friends there, neighbors. If I just disappear people will worry. And I want to grab some of my things." She glanced down at her scuffed leathers. "I mean, I can't wear these everyday. I just want to grab some of my things, like clothes, my car..."

Aaron eyed her with a bemused expression. "Anything else?"

"Yeah," Tianna crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "I want to know what the fuck is going on. And I want it understood that this is temporary. I'm not pack and I'm only here because my father seems to think it's important.

A wry smile tugged at Aaron's lips. "Fine."

Tianna stared at him. "Fine?"

Aaron shrugged. "Fine. Of course, I have some conditions of my own."

Tianna nodded. She'd assumed there would be conditions.

"You can return to Shendaken. You have two days, and Ethan goes with you." He watched her mouth open to protest and held up a hand to halt her. "You're either going with Ethan or you're not going at all. Secondly, I'll have one of the others pick up your car if it means so much to you. And I'll tell you everything I know when you return."

Tianna scowled. "Fine."

"So go," Aaron said easily. "Make your excuses to your friends but give them no reason to suspect anything...suspicious."

Tianna snorted. "Suspicious that I've been kidnapped by sociopathic werewolves?" She smiled a tight smile, her dark eyes hard. "Sure, no problem."

Aaron glanced at Ethan before switching his gaze back to Tianna. "Should you try to run, Ethan has both my and Dominic's permission to use whatever means necessary to bring you back."

Ethan grinned. Tianna's face flushed with anger.

"Other than that," Aaron smiled, "You can be on your way."

Tianna held back an outburst and gave Ethan a mockingly sweet smile. "Shall we?"

Ethan's flaxen brows lifted. "By all means."

***

The car ride back to Shendaken was silent. Tianna sat staring out the window at the trees whirring by as the Range Rover sped towards town.

Ethan glanced at her as he drove. "You shouldn't give Aaron such a tough time," he offered and was met with silence. "He's only doing what he thinks is best for you. We all are."

Tianna turned her narrowed dark chocolate eyes on him. Her tone was dry. "Excuse me if I'm a little skeptical. Broken bones and kidnapping must have clouded my senses."

Ethan sighed and shook his head.

Tianna wasn't surprised when Ethan pulled into her driveway without and direction from her. Of course, he knew exactly where she lived.

The home was a navy blue cape cod with a red door and white trim. It was small and cute, two bedroom, one and a half bathroom but it suited her needs perfectly.

Ethan was at her side when she stepped onto the porch, keys in hand. "Wait," Ethan grabbed her wrist when she moved to unlock the house.

"Ethan what--"

Ethan reached out and pushed the door open. He growled low in his throat. "Did you leave your door unlocked?"

Tianna shook her head mutely. No.

Ethan stepped forward into the foyer. His voice was low. "Stay close to me. If I tell you to run, you run, understand?"

Tianna nodded, eyes wide. She had no real intention to run away if some asshole had broken into her home.

Ethan reached back and grabbed her hand firmly in his and pulled her after him as he moved silently through the living room and dining room and kitchen.

Tianna inhaled deeply. There was no scent of a strange unfamiliar wolf, but someone had definitely been in her house. An unfamiliar human scent lingered in the air. Everything appeared untouched, however, until they mounted the stairs to her bedroom.

Her anger faltered and Ethan felt her fingers tighten around his. He glanced back at her and saw genuine fear and uncertainty flicker in her dark gaze as she gazed around her bedroom in dismay.

The drawers had been wrenched from her dresser and lay shattered on the floor. They'd obviously been thrown against the wall. Her clothes were strewn across the floor. The closet door of her walk-in closet was open, its contents in similar disarray.

The covers had been ripped off her bed. The oil paintings had been ripped down from the walls. The photographs of friends and family were still in their frames, the glass smashed and scattered about the floor. Her boots crunched as she stepped into the room behind Ethan. There was something decidedly violent about the way her bedroom has been torn apart. The scent of the unfamiliar human was strong here, permeating her space.

"Ethan," she breathed, "what is going on?"

"Shhh!" Ethan hissed, his body suddenly going rigid. He released her hand and took a swift step towards the door. And then she heard it too; the footsteps creaking on the hardwood downstairs.

"Tianna?!" she heard her name being called, immediately recognizing the voice.

She made a grab for Ethan but it was too late. Ethan was already barreling down the stairs toward the intruder.

"Ethan, NO!" she shouted tearing after him. She skidded to a stop in the living room to find Ethan straddling Sean, his forearm pressed against Sean's throat, his teeth bared. "Ethan stop it!" She shoved at Ethan but to no avail.

Ethan eased up a bit on Sean and switched his cobalt blue gaze to her. "You know this guy?"

Tianna crossed her arms and glared at him. "Yes! And you know that! Now let him go."

Ethan shrugged and reluctantly released her friend, taking a step back.

"Oh my God. Are you okay?" Tianna demanded helping Sean to his feet.

Sean shook her off angrily, his hands curling into fists. He glared at Ethan. "What the fuck? What the fuck do you think you're doing?" He took a menacing step towards the tall blonde who had just tackled him moments before, only to have Tianna step between them and place a restraining hand on his chest.

Sean narrowed his emerald gaze at her in bewilderment. The man standing across from him was one of the guys who'd chased her out of the bar last night and now she was defending him?

"Sean, please," Tianna pleaded. "It was an accident."

Sean scowled at her. "An accident? Tackling me in your living room is an accident?"

The blond man leaned against the door frame, his arms crossed, glaring at him. Sean pointedly ignored him and glanced down at Tianna.

"An accident, yes," she said looking up at him. She signed. "Look, someone broke into my house and he just assumed you were an intruder when we heard you downstairs." She glanced back at the blonde werewolf. "Right, Ethan?"

Ethan gave a noncommittal shrug, his face remaining impassive. Tianna rolled her eyes at the thought of expecting any sort of valid response from him.

Seans' face lost some of its fury and he gently took hold of her shoulders. "Jesus, Tia," he cursed, looking her over and taking in her scuffed leathers. "What the fuck happened to you? Where's your bike?"

Glancing over her should at Ethan, Tianna grabbed Sean's hand and pulled him towards the stairs. Ethan glared at her and made to halt her when Tianna shot him a warning look. "Ethan, just give me a moment okay?" Ethan frowned but didn't follow as she led Sean upstairs. She tugged Sean into her bedroom and closed the door though it wouldn't really make a difference. Ethan could hear every word regardless.

"Shit, Tia," Sean cursed as he looked over her bedroom. He turned to face her. "What the hell is going on? Who the fuck is that guy down there?"

Tianna ran a rough hand over her hair and drew a deep breath. Her heart constricted at the idea of lying to him but the truth was dangerous. Werewolves had a history of dispensing with anyone who were too close to discovering their existence.

"His name is Ethan," Tianna told him, meeting his gaze. "And he's a friend of the family."

Sean frowned. "Bullshit, Tia. If he's just some family friend then why were he and his buddy all over you in the bar last night?"

Tianna flushed, remembering the way she had been pressed between Ethan and Nick as their hands roamed over her and they sinuously moved against her.

"And why did he and a bunch of guys chase you out of the bar last night?" he demanded taking a step towards her.

Tianna winced and took a step backwards. "Look Sean, it's complicated, okay?"

"Obviously," he crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his piercing gaze at her.

Tianna shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny. "There's one more thing," she offered hesitantly. "I'm going to be out of town for a little bit."

Sean's scowl deepened. "Tia..."

Tianna shrugged. "Someone broke into my house, Sean. I'm staying with them for a little bit."

"Them? Where? What are you talking about?"

Tianna sighed. "The old gated manor outside of town. Like I said, they're old family friends."

"Christ, Tianna." He reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her against his chest and looping an arm around her waist.

"Sean—"

"Is he making you go with him?" he demanded.

Yes. No. Tianna shook her head vehemently." No."

"C'mon, Tia. Stay with me if you're freaked out. But don't go with this guy. He's bad news."

'You have no idea,' she thought darkly. She looked up into Sean's handsome finely sculpted face. The look of concern and apprehension in his gaze made her breath hitch.

"Sean, I talked to my dad and I promised him that I would stay with them. I promised." She wanted nothing more than to accept his offer but Aaron's promise of using "whatever means necessary" to bring her back was not an idle threat.

Sean's dark brows drew together. "Are you in some kind of trouble? You can tell me."

Tianna inhaled deeply. "It's not like that."

"Because I can help," Sean continued on. "Or I'll find someone who can. Stay with me, Tia," he said again, taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger. "You don't have to go with him."

"I'm sorry, Sean," she said firmly, pulling out of his grasp. "But I'll call you and let you know whenever I'm back in town for whatever."

Sean shook his head. "Right, which is why I came over last night but you weren't here." He withdrew her cell phone from his pocket and handed it to her. "It must have fallen out of your jacket last night."

Tianna glanced at her phone. Eleven missed calls, all from her mother.

Sean shoved his hands in his pockets. "I guess your mom is pretty worried."

"Yeah," Tianna murmured absently, staring at her phone. She shook her head as if clearing her thoughts and offered him a stiff smile. "I'll walk you to your car okay?"

"Tianna—"

She grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door. She ignored Ethan on the couch watching ESPN in the living room although she heard him switch off the television when she led Sean past him and out the door.