Sun and Earth Ch. 06

"I figured you were better off. I couldn't keep imposing on the Vrykolakas and Bob to stop their lives whenever a few Weres with a hard on rolled into town. Did any others come after I left?"

"Not from that pack, no. But as annoying as this is to admit it was sort of a good thing you had left. A pack from Jersey rolled into town the next month, they recognized me instantly and questioned me for leaving my pack. They called dad to ask what he wanted to do with me but guess who picked up. Eric! He covered for me and told the wolves I was on a mission or some bullshit story like that." The gleam in Chris' eyes was unmistakable.

"Why did they take the Eric's word? He doesn't have any clout in the pack; the twins are just a couple of mischief makers." My brother's never really cared to be on anyone's good side in the pack.

"They do now. They apparently were inspired by you and me making a run for it. So they applied to start their own pack."

"You're kidding." I gaped

"No our mischievous brothers now each head their own packs. In reality though it's just one large pack"

"Why haven't I read about this in one of the Were rags?" There were newspapers with gossip about Were packs across America. I was usually featured in the rag about once a month. I always laughed at how far off they were with where I was or what I was doing with my life.

"It wasn't advertised because it was an impromptu and unplanned Packing." Packing is literally the creation of a pack within Werewolf society.

"How did they get away with it?" I still couldn't believe my brother's were heads of their own pack.

"They formed alliances with sons and daughters of alphas across the country. There pack is a melting pot of misfits. It's the new era of wolf pack. Now that they are established and there have been babies born to some of the wolves with the new pack, the Council can't disband them. They are too formidable." I was shocked. It must have taken years of planning and forming alliances with wolves across the country to make this happen. If you had asked me 40 years ago if I thought my brothers were capable of that, I would have laughed at you and then punched you for being ridiculous.

"So how did the twins answer the call when they weren't home?" I questioned

"Whenever dad goes away he asks one of them to watch over the pack, which they do. They keep things pleasant with him because even though their new pack is a force to be reckoned with-"

"They know dad can still tear them to pieces." I snarled thinking of my father

"You nailed it." Chris shook his head, no doubt thoughts of his rocky relationship with our dad crossing his mind.

"Parker..." Micah whispered my name softly. He was clearly on the same wavelength as I was.

"I know..." I looked up at Chris and started to form the next stop on our journey. "Where is their pack located?" I asked

"North Carolina." Chris replied

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I smiled at Micah and he grinned back. Micah looked at Chris, his expression turning to business.

"Do you think your brother's pack would sympathize with our situation? Would they be the type of wolves to want the war to end?" Micah asked

"As long as they get to tease the shit out of Parker for mating, they'll do anything you need them to. There will probably be some wolves within the pack who want to fight but the twins will have the final decision, no doubt." Chris answered, his eyes acknowledging out plan.

"Do you know how many are in their pack?" I asked.

"Not counting the children...probably about 70 to 80 full grown wolves. Most of them are around our age or younger." Chris had obviously done his homework on our brother's pack.

"Not very large..." I murmured to myself.

"No but think about it, Parker. It's the children of the Alphas across the country. They must hold sway with their families in some way." Micah put his arm around me as he pressed the issue.

"True. That would take care of a wolf backing...we still need mage support though..."

"Well...you said the old mages in California would help." Micah reminded me.

"I'll call them tomorrow. But I don't know if they have the influence in the mage community that we need." Anyway I wanted young mages who could fight with us if necessary. I wanted this war to end and if Micah and I were the tools to do that then we would need an army of our own to back us up.

"I have a friend who I think would support us...he actually has a coven seat. He would be very helpful to our cause." Micah offered. I was curious because Micah never mentioned that he had friends, I had come to think of him as this nomad warrior/researcher not unlike myself.

"Great...so it's agreed. North Carolina and then to your friend in-"

"New York." Said Micah

"...That could cause a problem for us. Where in New York is he located?"

"Queens. Where are your pack lands?" Micah asked keeping our pace of planning a steady flow.

"We grew up in upstate New York but there are plenty of pack members who keep residences in the city." Being seen before the Truce meeting would be detrimental to the effect I wanted when we entered that meeting overflowing with power.

"We'll figure it out." Micah said. In other words he had no clue how to maneuver around the wolves at the moment but we'll figure it out later. I raised my eyebrows at him and snuggled into his warmth a bit further.

"I would like to request I come along for this little journey." Mina was silhouetted against the evening sky and her skin had an effect that reminded me of water.

"Mina...you can't be around the mages."

"I know the risks...I will take measures to prevent them from inhaling my deliciously intoxicating pheromones. I know mages have shitty restraint." Mina didn't have much respect for mages and I'm sure the fact that I had formed an unbreakable bond with one was tweaking her in all the wrong ways. So I couldn't understand why she would want to be around us longer than she had to.

"Why do you want to come?" I asked wondering what there was in for her.

"Well...Chris will need someone to slake his thirst while he is frolicking with his siblings across the country." Mina shrugged. I used to think her constant shrugging was endearing, now it was getting on my nerves.

"We're not frolicking...we are trying to stop this stupid war. A war that has nothing to do with your race, need I remind you." There had to be an ulterior motive for her. Mina was a Vrykolakas before Chris' friend and my former lover. They were always thinking of some way to take a situation and turn it to their advantage.

"Can't I want to help my friend?" she asked innocently

"What's in it for you?" I countered giving her a calculating stare.

"Nothing...I assure you dear Parker. There is no angle here...I merely wish to help you and your new...mate." Mina eyes roamed over Micah's body and I felt him shudder slightly. Mina, like myself, also had no hang ups on gender.

"We're goin to need a bigger car to carry us all." We all looked over to the house and saw Bob leaning against the wall fanning himself with his cowboy hat. I had planned on asking Bob to come with us anyway but his show of support without my having to ask made the journey ahead of us a little less daunting.

"Oh please...you do not think I'm going to drive halfway across this stinking country with a mage, two Weres and a Therianthrope. No we're taking my jet." Mina flicked her fingers through her short spiky hair and began walking away with a definite swish to her hips.

"Who will run the club while you're gone?" Chris asked as we walked to catch up with her.

"As Bob has capable employees to run his little shack I have those under me I trust to run the club. If they do a poor job i̱ alepoú will kill them." She shrugged yet again. "Staying alive is good incentive to perform above average in the upkeep of the club." So much for Vryks being kind and compassionate like they used to be.

"When can your jet be ready?" I asked hoping it was sooner rather than later.

"Before sunrise. They are used to being ready to make way on short notice as I'm sure you'll remember." I frowned at Mina's not so subtle reminder of when we used to fly off for weekend getaways. I felt Micah's hand tense in mine but he didn't let go, I was worried with continued prodding from Mina the ugly jealousy monster might get the better of him.

"I never agreed to go, Parker." We all stopped in our tracks and looked back at Chris who had fallen behind while we were discussing our mode of transportation.

"Everyone, give Chris and I a minute please?" Micah placed a kiss on my shoulder and then followed Mina and Bob out to the front of the property. Chris and I stared at each other for a few moments trying to feel the air for what the other was feeling.

"Do you not want to help me?" I asked breaking the silence.

"Why should I?" he asked. I knew I probably deserved this after pretty much deserting him. I could tell myself all different kinds of excuses of why I never came back but in reality I was just being a coward. He could blame me for the rest of our lives and I wouldn't be able to hold it against him.

"Because I'm your sister and somewhere in that bitter heart of yours you care about me?"

"Will you include me on your plans, Parker? Will you tell me when you are in trouble? Will you trust me enough to take care of myself if there is danger? I won't be treated like a child...or one of your devout worshippers. You are my sister...not my savior." Chris took a few steps toward me his hands hanging loosely at his side.

"I know...I never expected you to be a worshiper. You must have known this all along, no matter where we ended up." I moved closer to him as well.

"OK. Can you lay off my case about the Vryk blood?" he held out his hand as if to shake on a deal.

"I never want to see you drinking it, understand? And if I think that any of the side effects are getting in the way of stopping this war then I will kick you to the curb, get it?" I held my hand out to him as well but waited for him to cross the distance.

"Ever the understanding lady." Chris smiled grimly at me and took my hand in his.

"Damn straight."

It wasn't a complete reconciliation, far from it actually. But for now it would have to do.

Micah, Bob and I drove to the small airfield to meet Mina and Chris at her jet. I was reluctant to leave my car, I half wanted to suggest Micah and I meet them in North Carolina and drive there. Things were starting to pick up pace and I knew that Micah and I were going to have less and less time to ourselves. I kept telling myself that we had eternity to spend with each other but after being alone with this man for pretty much a week, I was having trouble adjusting to having companions.

We boarded the plane and would be in North Carolina in three hours. I was exhausted, my body was still not up to par after the mage attack and the scar on my chest seemed to have a life of its own. Every now and then when my heart rate would go up, the scar itself seemed to pound and an echo of the scorching silver would shiver across my chest.

Micah and I were sitting next to each other in the plush white leather seats Mina had furnished the jet with. He had his arm around my shoulders and I was leaning on his chest.

"Go to sleep, you might as well catch up on some rest while you can." Micah told me softly and kissed the top of my head.

"I'm too jittery." I said

"Why?" Micah asked, the hand draped over my shoulders was slowly caressing my arm. I took pleasure in the small reassuring gesture.

"I feel like we're finally getting something done, you know? We are actually taking a step to putting all this behind us." I sighed and cuddled in closer to him. I willed myself to sleep and eventually my body caught up with my mind. Before I nodded off I caught sight of Mina out of the corner of my eye watching Micah and I with a curious expression on her face.

About half an hour before the plane landed Micah shook me away.

"Are we there yet?" I mumbled. There seemed to be an air of tension layering the small jet. I looked around and saw Mina sitting on a chair with her head in her hands. One of her hands held her cell phone. "What happened?" I asked

"We may have an issue..." Mina spoke without moving

"What?" I asked again.

"I have history with the Vrykolakas Lord of North Carolina so I figured I could just call and let him know of our arrival but...he wishes us to ask permission to walk his lands in person." She looked over at Chris and they exchanged similar grimaces.

"OK, we'll stop there first...no problem. Is it a problem, Mina?" Micah asked Mina.

"He usually asks a price of those who wish to walk his lands in safety." Chris commented, his head now going into his hands.

"Well how much do you think it will be?" I didn't think money would be an issue for someone who owned a freaking jet.

"It is not money that is the payment." Mina told me glancing over at Micah as well.

"Who is he Mina?" I asked having a bad feeling about the answer I was going to get.

"Árchontas ti̱s epithymías ti̱s kólasi̱s." her slick Greek tongue slid across the small space

"What does that mean?" Micah asked. If we were going to be dealing with Vryks on a regular basis I would have to teach him Greek.

"The Lord of Hell's desire, epithymías for short . He is a crazy Vrykolakas who loves getting his rocks off by having his guests perform shows." I grumbled leaning back into Micah.

"Shows? I'm assumin you don't mean happy go lucky musicals" Bob asked. He had been so uncharacteristically quiet in the corner on a love seat that I had temporarily forgotten he was even here.

"Well..." Chris began. "He came to Texas once and as a gift to our lord he brought one of his 'shows'. Now, i̱ alepoú is by no means an overtly sexual being but he likes to go wild every now and then so he allowed the show to be performed. It was three male Weres and a female Vryk. They fucked her every which way you could imagine and then proceeded to bite her whenever she had an orgasm." I saw goose-bumps on Chris' arm. For the pack Carnifex who has done some pretty gruesome things to guilty wolves to be unnerved by the type of pleasure this Vryk loved, definitely told me it was something to worry about.

"Well biting isn't the worst that could happen." Micah commented as he carefully avoided talking about the possibility that we might have to have sex with someone else.

"I don't mean a pleasurable bite." Chris went on. "I mean they ripped chunks of her flesh off until they were basically gnawing on her bones." Chris and Mina both shivered at the same time. Mina was a cunning bitch but by no means was she a violent person. So it wasn't a surprise that this affected her so.

"So he's going to ask us to do that?" Micah asked pulling me closer against his chest.

"It won't be anything as brutal but he will want a show if we are going to walk his lands." Chris confirmed

"Under no condition can I touch my jet down in North Carolina without going to see him." Mina began fervently answering the next question that we have would ask. "It would be an intense insult on my part and therefore reflect badly on my lord. There will already be Vryks waiting to escort us to Árchontas ti̱s epithymías ti̱s kólasi̱s domain at the airport."

"We have no choice?" I asked

"It seems that way." Mina conceded, her cool demeanor back in place.

"We should have just taken the car..." I mumbled more to myself than anyone else.

"Whats a little sex among friends...hhhmm?" Mina's grin was a little unnerving. If I didn't know any better it looked as though she was actually anticipating the coming event with excitement.

Sure enough when we landed a limo was awaiting our arrival. We had discussed it on the plane and felt it appropriate that Bob did not come with us to meet the Vrykolakas. Mina said the excuse of having him go ahead and check us into our hotel would be sufficient. In reality we just wanted to have someone on the outside to contact my brothers if things went down the shitter.

The limos pulled up to a large mansion that was just dripping with southern charm. There were guards standing outside the compound and with blood dripping down from their cheeks. These pota had obviously just had their evening fix. The doors open and a Vrykolakas who stood at 6 feet tall with blonde hair that curled and billowed down his back. He was intensely muscular as were all the guards that surrounded us. He wore black leather pants and no shirt. His pure white skin almost glowed in the light of the sun.

"Chairetismoús Mina ti̱s alepoús." He spoke a greeting to Mina alone. This told the rest of us that we were not worthy of greeting until presented to the Vryk Lord. "Kýrié mou ti̱n epithymía ti̱s kólasi̱s kai sas periménei sti̱n kýria aíthousa, parakaló̱ akolouthí̱ste me." He then beckoned us into the house telling us to follow him to his Lord's main chamber. You could instantly tell the difference in reign between this lord and the alepoús of Texas. Texas was all about joining the preternatural community together and bonds. This Lord was obsessed with his personal pleasure and comfort.

Árchontas ti̱s epithymías ti̱s kólasi̱s was a man who looked no older than 25 but the reek of power that washed over us as we entered his receiving chamber was so thick and dense I wouldn't have been surprised if this man came from Ancient Greece himself. His skin was slightly darker than a normal Vrykolakas, not tan by any means but not Caucasian either. His curly hair was cut short which was odd for someone of his age and power. He wore a clean cut black suit but with no shirt on underneath. His chest was fit and lined with hard muscles. All in all the Lord of Hell's Desire was not bad to look at...until you met his eyes. They were blood red.

"Mina! It has been so long since I have seen you." He spoke in Greek letting his voice settle over us like a heavy fog.

"Yes epithymías." Mina was apparently familiar enough with the man to use the shortened version of his name. "Nearly a century now hasn't it?" Mina went before Hell's Desire and pushed her hair back to expose her skin. The Vryk moved in and rested his unusually long fangs against her skin, he then bit down gently bringing a gasp from Mina. He licked her neck clean of the little blood he had let and turned her to face the rest of us.

"You still taste delicious...who are your companions..." The Vryk looked over Chris and I with disinterest but stopped when he hit Micah. I then noticed his gaze flick between Micah and I. No doubt he was 'seeing' the connection between our auras. "It's interesting you feel we are close enough to bring a mage into my compound without repercussions Mina." He tightened his hold on her shoulders and squeezed. I could have sworn I heard a bone pop.

"Please my lord, I present Parker and Chris Solis." She grunted through the pain. "Along with them is Micah-"

"A mage! I do not accept mages in my territory, Mina." She let out a small squeal and as he tightened his grip on her arms even further.

"Please, my lord!" I stepped forward and bent down on one knee. "Micah is my mate, we did not have a choice but to bring him."

"Yes I see he is your mate...I have not seen a power connection such as the one flowing between you two in over 500 years. Your bond is strong but it does not change the fact that Mina has knowingly endangered my people by bringing a mage into my court." The Vryk Lord had switched to English so we all could understand.

"Please, lord." Micah joined me on the floor. "I am immune to the pheromones that Vrykolakas produce that entice my race. I am no threat to you."

"That, mage, was never the problem." The Vryk Lord's red eyes left Micah and lingered on me. I tried not to stare into them but I was fascinated. I felt a stirring in my body from the dark corner where my wolf tends to lay down to rest. With her keen senses she knew there was a creature that posed us a threat. I felt him dissecting my girl and I with his gaze alone and it made me want to cringe away. My girl made a cautionary swipe at me to make me stay strong. A show of fear was shameful and not an option for her. But I was suddenly terrified. Sweat dewed on my skin and I felt as though my girl was being ripped from my body all over again. Thankfully the Vryk made a non descript noise and turned back to Mina. I sagged a little further onto the floor and realized I was gasping for breath.