Makara Ch. 06

"She needs persistence. I know what I'm doing."

I locked my phone again as the message sent, catching a glimpse of my reflection in the dark screen. I looked closer, surprised that it was Rodan looking back at me. I brought my fingers up to prod at the flesh of my face, wondering how I could have become Rodan.

The instant I made contact I dropped my phone, the pain that rolled through my head and hands making it impossible to maintain my grip. The agony was so intense it sealed my eyes shut, and when I finally wrenched them open, I was sitting in my bed.

Although the pain was gone, my head dropped to my hands in memory of it and I tried to lick my dry lips. My tongue was spongy and sticky and there was not enough saliva in my mouth to go around.

Dragging myself out of bed, I went in search of a glass of water, quietly making my way to the kitchen.

"Yes, sir, everything's fine. I don't think even he's stupid enough to try it again."

It seemed weird that Bridger would be talking to Silas on the phone in the middle of the night, especially when he was in our suite, but who else would Bridger call sir?

I looked around the room for him. I could see easily that there was no one in Silas' room through the open door, and I didn't hear anything from his office, not even the mumbling of his side of the conversation.

"Yes, sir." Bridger hung up.

"Where's Silas?" I asked, my curiosity over his whereabouts outweighing my distaste for talking to Bridger.

"Out."

"Can you be more specific?"

"Out on business."

"What kind of business?"

"His business. Not yours."

It was easy to see I wasn't going to get any answers out of him, so I continued to get my glass of water.

"Go back to sleep. We've got the committee meeting in the morning," he spewed his order in my direction, as I walked past him back to my bedroom.

I threw him a look that told him what I thought of his demand, but quietly crawled back under the covers of my warm bed anyway.

•°~~****~~°•

Once again, I found myself in an area of the hotel I had never been. I knew the conference rooms were here, but had no reason to visit them until now. I sat in a large, comfy chair in an open lobby area, where each of the different conference rooms branched off of.

With my chin resting on my knees that I had drawn into my chest, I watched as familiar and unfamiliar faces filed through the wide open doors from the hallway. Bridger and Silas were greeting them, sending them into the correct room as they came in. So far I had mostly seen staff, professionally dressed in black pants and white dress shirts, and wolves from Silas' pack. There were a few I didn't recognize, and I assumed they had come with Amrita, though I had yet to see the Alpha herself.

Growing more and more nervous of who I would see, I tried to distract myself, unfocusing my eyes and allowing those in front of me to blend into a blurry sea of movement. I was gratingly aware of the conversation Cade and Bash were having directly behind me, although to attempt to follow along would have been far too much effort for my pounding head.

"Makara?" I jumped as Rodan spoke and immediately noticed the silence that fell over the two men behind me. "Can we talk for a minute?"

His gaze lifted from me to Cade and Bash, silently asking them to leave. Here in the hotel, in Silas' territory, was probably the only place they could get away with disobeying an Alpha, but thankfully, neither of them moved. The three of them waited for me to answer.

I couldn't decide. I longed to have a relationship with my brother, but I wasn't sure he was capable of what I wanted. He was selfish and impulsive and I didn't trust him.

"Boys! Makara," Silas called out grabbing our attention and saving me from responding to Rodan. Giving a quick nod he stalked into the conference room behind Bridger, and the last of the other guests.

We knew that was our cue to head inside. Rodan gave me a pleading expression, urging me to answer him before we went inside. I looked back at him awkwardly before Cade ushered me in front of him, placing himself between Rodan and I. He kept the barrier until we were inside the conference room.

Silas sat closest to the door, Bridger on his right and then Axis and the elders. There were three empty chairs to his left. He turned and motioned for me to take the one closest to him. I did so nervously, knowing that being directly beside the hosting Alpha was sure to draw some attention to me.

Movement in front of me caught my attention and I looked across the table to where Rodan was pulling out his chair, freezing when I saw the dark hair and bright eyes of the vampire who was seated beside him.

I looked to see if Cade had noticed. Surely seeing the vampire who had so easily pinned him against a building would warrant some kind of reaction, but he didn't seem concerned. He was tense, but unsurprised.

Nudging him, I motioned to the vampire with my head. Cade shook his head at me, indicating I should leave it alone. He must have already known the identity of the vampire ambassador, and didn't want me to say anything about the incident at the bar.

I huffed, wary of this particular ambassador after what happened, but I kept my mouth shut. I glanced back at him just in time to see him smirk, and look between Cade and I before directing his attention elsewhere.

Trying to keep my eyes off of the men in front of me, my gaze settled on the other Alpha in the room. She sat to Rodan's other side with a string of people I didn't recognize to her left. She had a strong presence to her, something that threatened to draw me in if I let it.

She looked fierce, not allowing the men she was surrounded by intimidate her. I caught myself briefly wondering what kind of kisser she would be, whether or not her lips would reflect the hard shell she seemed to portray. The thought was fleeting, but I wondered at it anyway. I had never been attracted to a woman before.

A part of me wanted to meet her, to really get to know this woman who thrived in a position most commonly reserved for a man. But deep down I was thankful she would be leaving after the meeting. Somehow, I knew being near her would just make me want her more, and I didn't need another person to crush on at the moment.

"Alright, shall we get started then?" Silas interrupted, standing to greet the room and drawing me out of my head. "I'd like to welcome everyone to my home and thank you all for coming. Although your stay here will be short, I assure you, you're all honoured guests so please let me know if there's anything I can do to make your visit more comfortable. But I'm sure we're all eager to get this going, so I won't waste any more time in turning things over to the Exalted." He nodded his head toward the elders sitting at the end of the table closest to me, the table just wide enough to fit the three wolves shoulder to shoulder.

What was so different about these elders to the elders from Silas' pack at the other end of the table, or the one sitting with Amrita's pack? And had he called them the Exalted?

The questions were written on my face as I turned to Cade, and he leaned to whisper quietly in my ear.

"The Exalted are no longer part of any pack, though each of them originally came from one of the three here. They were chosen by the elders of their respective packs to preside over these meetings, holding no bias and doing whatever's best for the species. They're highly respected and their position helps keep any one Alpha's greed and ambition in check."

I was surprised by his explanation. My father was an Alpha, I should have known that. It was just another thing Rune and probably Rodan had kept from me. I shook my head, wondering if the gaps in my knowledge of our world would ever be completely filled.

"Thank you, Silas," the middle of the three began. He held himself with dignity as he spoke, but you could see an underlying frailty in his movements, caused by age. "We all know each other here, so I'll skip the introductions and start by going over the agenda for today," he began, launching into a detailed list of topics. One in particular peaked my interest. Although it sounded like it wouldn't be until later in the day, before the meeting was over we would discuss the missing people, and attempt to work out a plan to find them, and prevent others from disappearing.

"Before we dive into anything, I'd like to address a few immediate concerns," he spoke again, the other two Exalted remaining eerily silent. "Silas, you seem to have a few more guests present than usual. Would you like to explain?"

"Of course. My son and nephew are here because I intend on passing on the title of Alpha to Cade within the next few years, and Bash is his intended Beta. Makara, on the other hand, has recently become a member of our pack and, due to her parentage, I thought the committee ought to know. I also expect her to hold a position of power one day, and I respect her input a great deal."

My face flushed as he complimented me.

"Is this true, Makara?"

"Umm..." I stuttered, surprised to have been called upon so early in the meeting. "Which part?" I nearly slammed my head against the table in embarrassment, my nerves calmed only slightly by the gentle smile the old wolf gave me.

"The part about you becoming a member of Silas' pack," he encouraged.

"Oh, well, I guess so." I flicked my eyes up to Rodan who watched me intently. I couldn't hold his stare for more than a moment, and quickly looked away, trying to focus my attention on the Exalted. "I moved here from the Estate a little while ago for...umm...personal...reasons, that I'd rather not discuss, if that's okay." He eyed me quizzically for a moment and I felt compelled to say more. "But I can assure you that the reasons were mine and mine alone. With Rodan taking over for my father, I don't see this move affecting anyone else."

"I would have to second that," Silas offered. "This works out rather well for everyone involved, there are no issues here."

His eyes fell on Rodan as he finished speaking. His tone, to anyone who didn't know the whole story, was pleasant and encouraging, but I heard the challenge in it. He was daring Rodan to bring up his trespassing, letting him know that as long as he stayed silent, Silas would as well.

My breath caught while we waited for Rodan to concur. If the Exalted thought this was causing any issues between the packs they might send me back. I almost expected Rodan to tell them everything, forcing his way back into my life since I wouldn't go home willingly. He might get in a bit of trouble, but so would Silas, and things would work out exactly the way he wanted them to in the end.

"I agree, there are no issues," he finally said, and I sighed in relief.

"Very well. Perhaps then, Rodan, you would care to explain why you have come to this meeting alone."

Alone? Looking around the table, I saw the truth in that statement. I had been so distracted by everything going on, I didn't even notice there was nobody else from my old pack. I wasn't sure how to feel about that.

"I have yet to decide on my Beta and Enforcer, and it's quite the distance from my pack to the hotel. I didn't think it was fair to drag any of the elders all the way out here, and none were particularly inclined to make the journey."

"It is inadvisable to attempt your Alpha reign on your own, Rodan. Even at this meeting, you will be at a

disadvantage without the input and advice of a good Beta, and the analyzing eyes of an Enforcer."

"I have every intention of filling those positions, but I'm taking my time to make sure I select the right candidates. In the meantime, I trust the committee and the Exalted to make decisions that will benefit everyone."

The old wolf didn't seem convinced, but he moved on anyway. I found it hard to follow. We had been talking for nearly three hours, my headache hadn't gone away, and most of the discussions were agonizingly boring.

Amrita's Beta was arguing about some incident with Axis when I noticed a human girl, that I had never seen before, place a cold drink in front of Rodan. I looked around. Not that I wanted to see her, but I thought Emery was supposed to be serving today, and for the first time, I noticed she wasn't there. It wasn't like her to miss sharing a room with all these powerful wolves.

"Where's Emery?" I leaned over to ask Cade. He looked around the room, shrugging when he couldn't find her either.

Leaning over the other way, I repeated my question to Silas, who didn't seem particularly involved in the current topic.

"How about we talk about it later?" He asked me and dropped his hand to my knee reassuringly, making tiny strokes with his fingers up and down my leg.

I gulped, taking a deep breath and tried to ignore his movements, worried that pushing his hand away would draw unwanted attention. My body didn't care how inappropriate the timing was and I could feel it reacting to his ministrations anyway.

Cade turned towards me and we made eye contact before he glanced down to Silas' hand. He settled there for a moment and then looked back at me with a blank stare. I tried to smile at him, let him know that everything was okay, but I didn't quite manage it. I was distracted and Cade knew it. Even after everything we had talked about, it was still embarrassing to have someone bear witness to my lack of control.

He brought his attention back to whoever was talking at the moment, I still couldn't pay attention. The pain in my head was getting worse, and now the proximity of Silas' hand to my core caused my body to heat and my breath to deepen.

I looked across the table, hoping nobody else would notice the effect Silas was having on me, quickly learning what an unrealistic expectation that had been. With a wolf's nose, everyone would always know, and I suspected Silas took a certain amount of pleasure in that.

Rodan made no attempt to hide his expression as he stared at me hungrily. He mouthed something to me. I couldn't quite make out what he said, but I shook my head anyway. It was no doubt, considering the situation, something vulgar, that I should never want to hear from my brother. Anger flashed over his face and I wondered absently if I had made a mistake.

Searching for something else, anything else, to concentrate on, I glanced to the vampire, finding the same needy eyes that I had first seen on Rodan looking back at me. Shifting to Amrita gave me the same results, her own desire clearly evident on her face. It sent a pulse through me to know I had elicited that reaction out of them.

My brain must be playing tricks on me, the fevered pain causing hallucinations. I squeezed my eyes shut, regretting it instantly as images of things I was trying not to think about flooded my mind. Amrita's lips on mine, her hands tangled in my hair. Silas' fingers tracing every curve of my body. Cade's chest, warm and hard under my fingertips. Rodan's tongue, dancing over my neck and ear, and finally, the vampire, who's name I had yet to learn, staring down at me as I perched on my knees in front of him.

My heart started to race, my emotions and thoughts a twisted mess. Sounds began accompanying the scenes that were playing out in my head, drowning out all other noise. I heard a scream and trickling water and everything was dark until my hands appeared before me, covered in blood. It felt so real, almost like a memory, but it wasn't mine.

I felt nauseous and warm, too warm. There was no safe action. My closed eyes revealed nothing but teasing, or torment. But my opened ones offered much the same, as I could feel their stares burning into me.

"Why don't we break for lunch?" I heard someone say, followed by the creaking of multiple chairs. Forcing my eyes open, I realized most people were standing, and I hadn't imagined the lunch declaration.

Immediately recognizing my way out of this torturous situation, I pushed my chair back, nearly tipping it over as I practically ran from the conference room. I knew others would follow behind me shortly, aiming to stretch their legs and perhaps relieve themselves of the coffee offered during the meeting.

Some cool water to splash on my face seemed perfect right about now and I turned in the direction of the closest bathroom before thinking twice. That's where most of the attendees would probably go, and I didn't want to be around people right now, I needed to be alone. I marched to the bathroom at the far end of the hall.

"She's an Omega." A voice that sounded conspicuously like Amrita's reverberated in my ears, as clearly as if she had shouted from right beside me. But that was impossible. I was already half way down the hall and, with a quick glance behind me, I knew Amrita was still in the conference room, much too far for me to be able to hear. I brushed it off as part of the chaos swirling in my mind.

Bursting through the door, I drank in the utter silence of the room, going straight to the sink to wet my hands and face. The cool water helped to bring my temperature down, and my nausea seemed to have disappeared. The images in my head stopped as well, and I took a moment to simply catch my breath.

My phone pinged.

"Are you okay?"

It was sweet of him to ask, but I didn't feel like chatting, so I typed out a short reply to Cade before putting my phone away.

"Yes."

It barely looked like a bathroom in here, its secret only revealed by the row of sinks and giant mirror. Each toilet was enclosed in its own room, behind a fully closing door, not like the half stalls I had seen at the bar. It seemed an odd thing to notice at a moment like this, but I was thankful for the completely uneventful distraction of neutral bathroom design.

My head still hurt, and my heart felt like it might pound right out of my chest, but I had control over my breathing, and my thoughts, and that was something.

A sudden noise pulled me out of my reverie and I turned towards the door just as Rodan came barging in. He looked angry, angrier than he had been in the conference room. His rage looked like it had multiplied tenfold since I had shaken my head at him.

He didn't stop or slow down as he saw me, instead moving towards me with purpose. It was an easy task to back me against the wall. Aside from the fact that I was now very aware of the difference in the training each of us had received, I couldn't recall a time in recent memory where Rodan had been this mad. I didn't know what he would do, he had already proven himself to be unpredictable.

Once again, he didn't touch me, but slammed both his hands on the wall to either side of me, trapping me there. He dropped his forehead against the wall beside me, breathing heavily, and leaving me to look over his shoulder into the brightness of the near sterile room.

I left my hands flat against the wall and worked on the rhythm of my own breathing. I knew that he was trying to maintain his control, and his anger was like a bomb with a hairpin trigger. I wondered with inexplicably detached interest if it would explode, or if he would manage to defuse it.

He stayed there, chest heaving, but unmoving. Maybe he really had been working on his temper.

The dreamy haze of my earlier thoughts flooded me again, Rodan's proximity acting as a beacon for any image with him as the subject, despite the obvious threat in his closeness.

Having him here, close enough to touch, in such a compromising position, was eating at me. I had to fight against every nerve in my body to resist the urge to reach out, knowing I should be protesting, but feeling unable to.

For every impulse I successfully pushed away, another, stronger, force would appear, and I felt the first slip of my resolve. My head turned towards his, almost imperceptibly. He caught the movement, stilling his breathing and we eyed each other through our peripherals.