Wolf Lake Ch. 04

In the common area the woman and Sam both screamed. Nafarius rushed forward only to find himself stopped by some invisible power. It wasn't physical but he could no more move past it then he could have walked through the walls of this mountain.

Oblivious to what was happening around her Sam continued to move forward. It was dark and cold but she realized that she had reached a place inside the woman no one else had gone. This was a place each person had within him or her, where one came for peace and quiet and where lycanthropes found his or her animals.

Sam had found her animal but unlike the woman it wasn't asleep. Her animal paced, caged and clearly looking to break free. Sensing Sam it turned and regarded her through black eyes. There was fear, panic and rage in those eyes.

Recognizing her as almost equal in stature Sam neither submitted nor tried to dominate. Instead she sought to reassure the animal through her thoughts and actions. There was no verbal language here, only animal instinct and Sam knew she didn't belong. She tried coaxing, tried to urge the animal to follower communicating that the way out was with her. All without success.

Sam felt herself slipping, her energy draining away and she knew that there would be no repeat of this. Not only would she be too tired but by then the woman's instincts would have compensated and breaking through those earlier barriers would be impossible. Finally, without warning she lunged, felt her hands wrapped fur and pulled dragging the animal with her.

Nafarius stood and stared as the woman's animal literally burst through her skin. Sam lay panting beside the woman now in wolf form covered in blood and other things. The wolf lay stunned, panting just as hard her fur slick and wet. At the low growl of warning Nafarius stepped forward and attempted to draw Sam away.

"No, I'm alright. I'm the only one she'll recognize." Sam sat up slowly pushing her soaking wet hair back from her face. "You're alright. We won't hurt you, I promise. One of our members found you injured and unconscious. You suffered a blow to the head and internal injuries, the only way to heal was in animal form unfortunately you were unable to change." Sam continued to explain, her voice low and almost monotone. The young woman listened her eyes never leaving Sam's face until she had finished her story. The only indication that she heard or understood was the slow blink of her eyes.

All throughout Sam's explanation Roland had been slowly moving forward. He didn't want to startle her yet he needed to know for himself that both the woman and his mistress were alright. Sam looked the worse of the two, her clothes and hair soaking wet and her face streaked with grime. She needed a bath but what's more her eyes held something that went beyond exhaustion.

Catching his scent the wounded wolf turned her head and whimpered. It was a sign of recognition. Somewhere in her memory she had marked his scent. She knew that he was safe, that he brought warmth and comfort and an end to the pain.

Roland eased down beside her and gathered her into his arms. Murmuring softly he held her close as her eyes moved back to Sam. "Thhhhank youuuu." With that her eyes closed and she was asleep.

Sam turned to Nafarius and tried to say something, unfortunately she passed out before she could get it out. Nafarius was by her side, picking her up and sending for Maddie before she ever hit the ground. He issued orders to have the common area cleaned and the rest of the pack allowed back inside. The guards were to be on the lookout, whoever this woman was she belonged to someone and they might come looking for her. Together, Nafarius and Maddie saw Sam cleaned up and changed. The two of them climbed in to bed with her, one on either side giving her their warmth, comfort and their energy.

Both women slept late into the day. When Sam woke she found herself alone. Rising she pulled a sundress over her head and went to join the rest of the pack. She could hear several of them whispering wondering whom the strange woman was and what had happened last night to cause her to change. Sam ignored their questioning stares and sought out Maddie. The young woman glanced down the corridor leading to Roland's private alcove and Sam turned in that direction.

There was no need to announce her presence. Both Roland and the woman picked up on her scent before she reached the door. A white bear hide covered the entrance. Roland had once shared the story of how he had come by the animal skin. He had been young, foolishly so and wandered away from the pack in unfamiliar territory when he was attacked. Luck and strength had been on his side and he'd managed to kill the bear, barely. He had sustained severe injuries during the fight and it was several days later before he regained consciousness. When he finally woke he found the bear skin covering him and his father by his side. It was one of the last things his father gave him before his death, having been killed by a neighboring pack.

Pushing the fur aside, Sam stepped into the alcove and let it fall back into place. Roland and the woman sat on a pile of blankets. They were both silent, neither one objecting when Sam knelt down beside them. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better, thank you." Her voice was deep, husky and sent shivers up and down Sam's spine.

"I'm Sam, Nafarius' mate."

"I know who you are." At Sam's raised brow she went on to explain. "Roland was kind enough to fill me in. When I woke this morning I was only able to remember bits and pieces of last night. He said you saved me, that somehow you were able to help me change so that I could heal."

Sam nodded. "I'm sorry for the invasion but you were unconscious from a head wound with internal injuries. We were worried that in human form you wouldn't be able to change in time."

"There is no need to apologize. I must admit it was an...uncomfortable experience but one I am grateful for." She set aside the cup of coffee she had been drinking. "My name is Natasha, it is a pleasure to meet you."

Sam smiled both at Natasha and Roland who had been sitting quietly throughout the brief exchange. "Natasha, would you mind coming with me? Nafarius has a few questions for you and as I'm sure you can understand his is anxious for some answers."

Roland frowned at her. "Sam, Natasha is still weak and tired from her ordeal. I'm sure you can understand that she needs some time to recover.

As far as things went it was the first time Roland had ever contradicted his mistress, the fact that he did so in front of an outsider didn't go unnoticed. Sam looked at him a growled; there was a distinct warning in her voice said, "She has had plenty of time to rest and a few questions will not overexert her."

Sam stood and Natasha, obviously wiser than Roland, followed. Roland having remembered his place looked contrite. "May I join you?"

"No." Sam didn't spare him another look as she led Natasha past the bearskin and down the corridor. Under normal circumstances she would have allowed Roland to accompany them. However, exclusion was the price he would pay for the insult.

Several pack members watched quietly as the two women passed through the common area. The similarities between the two of them didn't go unnoticed to anyone but the two women themselves. Nafarius was waiting for them outside; he was holding court upon his throne settling disputes that had risen between the pack members over the past month. Most were settled as the occurred without any issue but occasionally there were those things that required a more formal arrangement. Therefore, once a month Nafarius sat and listened to both parties to a complaint. His word was law and often times he metered out harsh sentences when the complaints were minor or groundless. Such a system encouraged compromise and insured that only the worse cases were brought before him.

He had decided to question Natasha in a formal setting for several reasons. One, he knew that his pack would want to be present and he saw no reason to keep things from them, especially when it could mean danger. Two, a formal setting was likely to appease her own pack if and when they came looking for her. He didn't want any accusations that he had harmed or encouraged Natasha in anyway. After finishing with the last case of the day he turned to Sam. "Where is Roland?"

"He will not be joining us."

Nafarius raised and eyebrow at the note of anger he heard in her voice but refrained from asking. If Sam saw a reason to forbid Roland's presence then he would support her in that. "Very well, but someone should be present to speak on the woman's behalf."

"I believe she is capable of speaking for herself, however, I will speak for her should the need arise." Sam stepped forward, placing herself on Natasha's left and directly across from her husband.

Nafarius wasn't surprised. Sam's stance was not a show of disloyalty to him but instead a way of telling the pack that at that moment Natasha had her support and anyone in the pack that stood against Natasha also stood against Sam. It was a powerful move, one the almost ensured Natasha's acceptance into the pack, if that's what it came to.

Natasha also saw the powerful ally she had just acquired and she vowed not to disappoint Sam. She had already spoken with Roland and explained her situation in hopes that he would speak on her behalf with his leader. She couldn't believe her luck upon learning that he was second-in-command; the only one more influential over the pack's leader was his mate and she now stood beside her.

"I am honored by your mate's show of loyalty as well as grateful for all she has done for me. I know that without her I would not be here today. It was with great risk to herself that she saved me from certain death. I owe her my life and my loyalty." Natasha wasn't surprised to note that the clearing had filled with over a hundred pack members. Originally draw out of simple curiosity the full meaning of her words held them. "I would also give my loyalty to you as leader of this pack and ask that I might seek shelter -- and sanctuary -- among you."

"From what do seek sanctuary?" Nafarius asked.

"Not from what but from whom." Natasha took a deep breath and steeled herself. "I wish sanctuary from my mate, Nicholas."

There was a collective gasp among the members; Nafarius was up and off us his throne and striding towards the woman before the last of her words had died. "Get out! Take your lies and whatever else you came here with and go!"

"Nafarius!" Sam watched in horror as Nafarius grabbed Natasha by the upper arms and shoved her backwards. She didn't know what but something the woman had said obviously upset him. She had never seen him so angry and there had been plenty of times when his temper had flared. But it had been nothing like the white-hot rage that threatened to boil out from him.

Natasha landed hard on her backside. The pack members had moved back and there was nothing there to stop her from falling. "Please! I understand why you wouldn't want me here but please listen to me!"

"No! There is nothing you can say or do to convince me that you're here for any reason other than to cause harm." Suddenly, Nafarius realized just how dangerous her presence could be. "Get her up!" Two men stepped forward and pulled Natasha to her feet. "I want her secured in the back room. No one is to enter and I want two guards outside at all times."

"Nafarius, what is this about?" Sam stood watching as the young woman was dragged away. Turning to her mate she asked, "Who is Nicholas?"

Still red with rage Nafarius forced himself to take several deep breaths before turning to his mate. Sam stood there silently, watching and waiting for him to calm down. Consciously, he uncurled his hands and shook himself hoping to loosen his muscles. "Nicholas is the leader of one of our neighboring packs."

Sam waited but it quickly became clear that he wasn't going to offer any more information. "There is more to it than that. Why does the mention if his name anger you so?"

"Nicholas was also my brother." Nafarius didn't wait for her to respond but turned and walked away. Sam turned and went to find Roland. She had no intention of asking him to explain her Nafarius' reaction but she did want to know when Roland had learned of Natasha's identity.

There was a small alcove built into the very back of the mountain. Because of its remoteness to the other areas as well as the lack of light it was left unoccupied. However, those same properties made it an ideal place to isolate undisciplined pack members. It was here that Nafarius had ordered Natasha be taken and it was here that Sam found Roland. He was arguing with the guards who per Nafarius' orders were refusing anyone entrance.

"Roland, I'd like to speak with you."

"Unless you can get me in to see Natasha I have nothing to say to you." Roland shrugged off the restraining hand Sam had placed on his shoulder and glared at the guards. Both men, despite serving under Roland in Nafarius' absence were not at all impressed.

Sam sighed. "Roland, you're not helping matters. Please, come with me so that we may talk."

Roland turned and looked at her. "Why didn't you speak up for her? You refused to allow me to accompany you then sat back and did nothing."

"I was fully prepared to speak for her but neither of you thought to warn me what I was up against. I'm still not sure what this is all about." Sam crossed her arms over her chest. "If you had warned me we could have approached this a different way but instead you let me walk into this blind."

"I'm sorry; I tried to stall. I knew Nafarius would be upset when he learned who she was but I truly believe that she is here for no other reason than to seek shelter. I only hoped to secure enough time to come up with a better way to approach him." Roland still stood outside the alcove but his stance had relaxed. "Truthfully, I don't know if it would have made any difference. Nafarius was bound to react exactly like he did no matter how the news was delivered."

"I would suggest that you avoid him for the next few hours. I'm not sure he realizes that you were aware of her connection to his brother but if he finds out he may very well do something that we'll all regret later."

"So, you know that Nicholas is Nafarius' brother?"

"Yes, he told me that much but no more. I'm hoping he'll have calmed down enough for me to find out exactly what happened." Sam turned and started back down the corridor. "It's obvious something happened between the two of them."

"That's an understatement."

"Oh, and Roland."

"Yes?"

"You might as well return to your quarters. You will not be allowed to see her until I speak with Nafarius." Sam rounded the corner and was out of sight.

Roland sighed and returned to his alcove. Sam was exceptional at finding ways to punish a person without ever raising a finger. Often times the mental or emotional anguish she put them through far outweighed anything physical she could have done.

Sam picked up Nafarius' scent and trailed him for several minutes until she came to the small, secluded spot next to the waterfall. Sitting down beside him she waiting, giving him the chance to raise the subject they both knew she had come to discuss.

Nafarius sighed; he should have known that she would seek him out. In some ways he didn't mind. It let him know how much she cared but in this particular situation he would rather not have to explain things. "I know you've realized by now that there are two types of lycanthropes. There are those that are born and those that are made. Nicholas and I are twins, both of us born into the pack. Our father was leader and back then we still practiced a sort of inheritance. By default the position as leader was handed down from father to son unless the son was challenged and proven unfit to lead."

Nafarius stared out across the water his eyes distant, seeing a past that had reached out to touch the here and now. "Nicholas is older then me by three minutes and by right he should be leader."

Sam sensed he was reluctant to say more. "Then why isn't he?"

"Succession takes place when the leader dies, Nicholas couldn't wait to let nature or our enemies take its course so he killed our father." Sam felt her gut wrench at the pain and sadness she heard in his voice. "At first there was no proof though most of the pack, including me and my mother suspected. I never wanted to be leader and any challenge I made if successful would result in me taking his place. I didn't want that so I tried to find evidence of what he had done. In the mean time Nicholas was proving himself to be an ineffective leader. Worse, he was a danger to us all. He destroyed alliances our father had spent a lifetime building and turned allies into enemies. Our people were at risk, men and women dying needlessly in senseless battles all while I searched in vain. Finally, I had enough. I stopped trying to discredit him and instead challenged him."

Sam knew that the challenge for position as leader was to the death. "You obviously won so why is he still alive?"

"I couldn't bear to kill my own brother no matter how much I despised him. I banished him. Eventually he started his own pack, they live several miles to the north and most of the time we exist in peace, but every once in a while something happens. It's never a direct assault but someone might go missing or our hunting grounds are raided and everything that's killed is left to rot. When that happens I know it's Nicholas just as I know it is he that sent that woman."

"You don't think she is his mate?"

"Whether she is or not he'd have no qualms at using her, against her will if need be." Nafarius turned to look at her for the first time since starting his story. "He cannot see me in peace. I have no doubt that the news of our mating has reached him and he seeks to disturb whatever life we would create. I will not stand by this time."

"What do you plan to do?" Sam was a little shaken by the rage she heard in his voice.

"I don't know but I'll start by questioning the woman." Nafarius rose and offered Sam his hand. After helping her to her feet, the two of them walked back home holding hands. They were both quiet; Sam kept thinking about the story Nafarius had told her. She could only imagine the pain and anguish he must have felt. The loss of his father followed by the betrayal of his brother helped to explain his reaction to learning Natasha's identity.

Sam was also concerned. She worried that Nafarius might do something to make matters worse either by lashing out at Natasha or going on the offensive with his brother. However, she was still new here and she decided that the best thing to do would be to sit back and let her mate handle things. She was free to voice her opinions and objections and would do just that if she saw things getting out of hand.

The pack was busy back at the mountain. There were several men running through training drills while the women went about tending to the gardens. Sam couldn't help but notice that everyone stayed close to home and that the children were being kept inside. She understood that Nafarius was concerned but at the same time she feared making everyone into prisoners.

Inside, the quiet murmur continued as different families tended to their alcoves and those that slept in the common area cleaned away the clutter. Maddie, who still slept with Sam and Nafarius, was busy helping with the evening meal. She watched as the two of them crossed over the common area and headed towards the back of the mountain. Two different guards stood watch and Roland was nowhere to be found.

Nafarius stepped into the alcove and held the curtain back for Sam. Once inside she leaned back against the wall and tried to become an unobtrusive observer.