The Alpha's Assassin

Chapter 2 - His Twin, His Mate

It was silent for a few moments. Both twins didn't quite know how to process this new revelation and Xander, well he was just incredibly confused. He knew a lot about his Beta, more than most did, he is his best friend, but this interaction was confusing him. Isaac was never really open about his emotions, most of his life being hidden from most of the pack, but the pure emotion that had swept through him meant that this person, his mate, whoever she was was important to him. 

"How is this possible? How did you get out?" The pained whisper from Isaac broke Xander out of his trance as he returned his attention to the two other people, one on either side of the bars. 

A soft bitter laugh escaped Kyia's lips as she shook her head. "Get out, no, taken is probably the better way to put it." 

"Taken?" Isaac sounded pained as if the notion hurt him more then anything.

"Yes, they wanted a warrior, a female warrior, and I was the best contestant." She turned away from them, walking to the back of the room soundlessly. "I knew you were alive. You always had that uncanny luck of being in the right place at the right time." She tilted her head back so that she was looking at the roof, her eyes closed as memories she would rather forget flashed before her eyes. 

"They?" It was Xander who asked this time, confusion lacing his voice. He didn't get an answer as she turned back Isaac.

"I came to find you as soon as I escaped. Though I shouldn't stay long, they will be looking for me."

"You're not going anywhere!" Both males shouted at the same time, both being surprised by the other.

"Why not?" Kyia had walked back up to them and was now resting against the bars of the cell. "It wouldn't take much for me just to unlock the door and leave." She extended one claw from her nail bed and flicked open the lock as the door swung inwards. 

"Because I can't lose you again little sister." There was desperation behind Issac's voice. "Please, I can't lose you again."

Kyia seemed to consider it for a moment. "I will only bring danger to the pack. Our pack was destroyed because of me, I won't allow another one to be." 

"We are the strongest pack around here. I doubt that anything will be able to get past our borders without us knowing." 

She seemed to consider him for a moment. "You are not going to allow me to leave are you?"

Xander shook his head. "I've finally found you, I'm not going to let you leave."

"Not even for the safety of your pack?" Kyia asked.

Isaac cut in at this point. "Now I don't know what's going on between you two," his gaze darted from his Alpha to his sister a few times, "but I do know that you are still the best warrior I have ever known. You could protect the pack single-handedly if you wanted to. Please, I need some proper hot chocolate, no one can make it properly around here."

"Hot chocolate?" Xander asked.

"She makes the best hot chocolate out anyone I have ever met." Isaac shrugged. "And what is going on between you two?"

"She's my mate," Xander said, "and she is going to stay here where it is safe."

Isaac chuckled. "Good luck with that, she is the best warrior our pack has ever known. If she wants to do something you aren't stopping her."

Xander growled slightly. His mate was going to be safe even if it was the death of him. Neither of them noticed Kyia tensing at the noise.

He was knocked out of his thoughts when she spoke. "How about you two cool your jets?"

The men turned around to see her leaning against the wall opposite them, a single eyebrow raised at them looking very unimpressed. It was at that moment that Isaac noticed something weird. There was a mark on her collar bone that wasn't there before. Walking up to her, he pushed down the neckline of the tank top he had given her, ignoring the warning rumble Xander gave him. There, printed permanently into her skin was a brand that looked like it had been done crudely by a hot poker. Project 2441. 

The growl that erupted from him was so threatening that Xander nocked him off Kyia, his wolf not quite think straight with another male leaning over his mate making that noise. At least that was until he felt a hand on his arm, the small calloused palm unknown and yet so achingly familiar to him. 

"It's ok," Kyia whispered, knowing that Xander's wolf was in control. Almost immediately the growl lessened to a soft rumble as he looked into his mates eyes, her touch shooting through him like electricity. Xander tugged her to him, burying his nose into her hair and allowing her scent to calm his wolf. As soon as Kyia deemed his wolf calm enough she extracted herself from his hold, her arms wrapping around herself like she was trying to protect herself from something.

"They hurt you. They hurt you enough for you to be afraid of touch. They branded you like a piece of property. They used you like a piece of property." The soft word from her brother made Kyia curl into herself more, the flickering light highlighting the silvery scars along her arms. 

Before anyone could say anything on the subject another scent wafted towards them. It was Kyia's but it had a sharp tang of metal. Their eyes roved over Kyia's body stopping on her left side where the fabric of her shirt, just above her hip bone where a large red stain was growing despite her hand trying to cover the evidence.

Kyia removed her hand from the place on her shirt, her palm and fingers stained with her own blood. Her eyes met each of theirs once more before they fluttered closed, her body swaying slightly as she collapsed to the floor.