The Little Rose

Land vs Sea

“Orion?” 

“Such a sweet and melodic voice,” I thought as I floated in the blackness surrounding me.

“Orion?  Can you hear me?  Please wake up.”  That beautiful voice again, but something was marring its sweet tone, she was worried.  Why was she worried?  Something inside me pressed forward, pushing me to comforter her.  “Orion, please wake up… I… I need you.”

“What…. Happ-end.”  I managed to force the words out through my dry lips, wincing when pain radiated through my chest as I drew air into my lungs.  Something slammed into me before the sweetest scent I’d ever had the pleasure of taking in filled my sore and battered body, sparks erupting over my cheeks, forehead and lips as something incredibly soft trailed over my skin.

“Oh Orion, I’d thought I’d killed you with that blast!  Then you didn’t wake up and Adrella told me how to force the water out of your lungs and force air in and… and I’m just so glad you’re finally awake!”  A voice that sweet should never cry, but it was sobbing into my chest.  That intoxicating scent continued to assault my senses. That scent… I knew that scent.  Lavender and roses.  Gracie.  Wait, no… Roisin.  Memories came flooding back all at once and I wrapped my arms around her soft, cool body and jerked up, pulling her onto my lap and wrapping my self around her, burying my face into her hair.

“Roisin.”  I breathed her named against her ear, crushing her to me, I’d never let her go again if I had a choice.   “I thought I had lost you, I thought whatever that was had taken you from me.”

“No, I’m right here.  I thought I had lost you though, when I found you, you were just floating in the water, not breathing.  Thank the heavens for Adrella, Leeman, and Rinus, they helped me get you in the boat and to the shore.”  Her arms were wrapped around my midriff, and she was holding me every bit as tight as I was holding her.  Even knowing how strong the mate bond was having experienced it before, my human half was still in awe of how much we meant to each other having just truly met the day before.  Not even 24 hours and we were willing to give our lives for the other.

“Where are we?”  I asked her hoarsely, opening my eyes and glancing around at our surroundings.  We were on the edge of a sandy beach that backed up to a small grove of trees, my legs and hips were still in the water with the waves lapping gently at my legs and waist, our world was still dark with the moon high in the sky.  So, not too much time must have passed.  Looking down at Roisin I realized that she was still in her mermaid form, which made sense since we were still in the water.

“I don’t know, I just had Adrella, and the others help me push the boat to the closest beach, I didn’t want Nullar and the others to catch back up to us.  I’m not sure how fast Siren’s heal.”  Roisin mumbled, moving her face up to nuzzle into my neck, breathing my scent in as I was doing with hers.  “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Me too, Roisin, me too.”  I pulled back from her and pressed a kiss to her forehead.  “We need to move Roisin; we can’t stay out in the open or we risk you being seen by humans.”  I cupped her face in the palms of my hands and stared into her swirling purple and pink, red rimed eyes.  “Understand?”  She just nodded her head in understanding.  “I’m going to pick you up and move you to the cover of the trees, okay?  We can wait for you to dry and transform back there.”  Putting one arm around her back and the other under the bend in her tail I rose to my feet with a groan as pain radiated through my body.

Roisin’s concerned eyes searched my face as she chewed on her bottom lip.  “Are you okay Orion?”  Her voice was softly spoken, clearly still upset over everything that happened.

“I’m okay Roisin, just a little sore, I’ll heal soon and be just fine.”  I held in another groan as I turned and made my way unsteadily through the shifting sand, my body felt like I had been hit by a semi-truck, but I didn’t want her worrying about me, not after everything that had happened to both of us.  Which brought me back to what she’d said before.  “Who is Nullar?  Mermen were what dunked us and took you?”  I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, Roisin was one of them, of course they’d want to protect their own, just as wolves did for their packs.

“I don’t really know who they are, but they kept calling me by another name and kept saying that they knew me.”  She answered softly, laying her head on my shoulder with her arms around my neck.  “They kept saying they were my guard.”

“Your guard?”  I asked in surprise as we walked over the sand dunes and into the cover of the small grove of trees.  Why would she need a guard?  Did all female Siren’s get assigned guards for their protection?

“They kept calling me Princess Odette, I think they had the wrong person though.  I mean, if I was a princess, wouldn’t I remember that?”  Her big, beautiful eyes were staring up at me with questions glimmering there that I had no answers for.

“You have no memories at all Roisin, you could very well be who they say you are.”  Setting her down on the ground with her back resting against the base of a tree, I balanced back on my heels and pushed a strand of hair out of her face and behind her ear.  “You are beautiful enough to be a princess.”

“Mother gave us a mermaid princess with no memories as our mate?”  Odin’s voice drifted through my mind, his tone was so soft I knew he wasn’t back to full strength, not even close.

“We don’t know what happened, but I mean, are you surprised she’d take an opportunity to unite the Sea Kingdom and the Lycan kingdom through a marriage.  We are technically a Lycan King, it wouldn’t be terrible planning on her part.”  I answered him back, it was a strategic move on Selene’s part if that was what she’d had planned.

“You’re talking to Odin, aren’t you?”  Roisin asked, bring my mind out of it’s self and back to reality, and her. 

“Yes, he’s exhausted but he worries for you as I do.  Have you heard that voice in your head again?  The one you mentioned last night?” 

“No, she hasn’t come back.”  Roisin answered with a sigh, watching as I stood to my feet and stretched my back.  “Are you going to move the boat?”

“Yeah, I need to pull it up here and try and hide it and grab my bag.  It has my phone in it, once we get it charged, I can call my family and see about getting us some help.  Just really glad I have it in a waterproof bag.”  I muttered the last part to my self as I ran my fingers through my soaked and tangled hair.  I couldn’t believe how long it had grown in seven years, over halfway down my back, and honestly a giant pain in my ass to care for half the time.  It was so tangled now I couldn’t get my hands through it, instead twisting it and rolling it into a tight bun at the back of my head.  When I was done, I caught Roisin staring at me and blinked at her in surprise.  “What’s wrong?  My hair looks insane doesn’t it, I’m going to get it cut as soon as we get to Golden Crescent.”

“What?  No!”  Exclaimed Roisin a bit louder than it seemed she meant, throwing a hand over her mouth and giggling softly as her pale cheeks flushed pink.  I couldn’t help the smile that curved my lips at how adorable she looked.

“No what?”  I chuckled, crossing my arms over my chest as I watched her trying to get her own amusement under control.

“You can’t cut it…”  She said softly, looking at her fingers as they pulled and twisted in her lap, when she looked up at me from under her lashes, I felt my breath catch in my throat at how sexy she was, looking up at me from under those thick lashes of her.  “I like it, it’s sexy.”

“That’s it, you’re never cutting your hair again.”  Growled Odin in my mind, and though I wanted to roll my eyes at him for his perverted thoughts, I had to agree with him… I’d never cut my hair again if my Roisin continued to look at me like that.

“Yes ma’am.”  I told her, smirking at her as her blush deepened.

“Go get the boat wolf man.”  She groaned as she threw an arm over her eyes, to block her embarrassment from me I assumed, but little did she know the picture she presented was just as adorable.  I turned on my heel laughing as I made my way back to the beach and the boat.  It only took a few minutes to drag the boat up to the cover of the trees and throw a few palms leaves over it to help hide it from prying eyes.  I untied my bag from its securing rope and heard rustling behind me followed by Roisin’s cry of frustration.

“Damn it, why does this thing take so long to dry out?”  I turned in time to see her glaring at her tail, the end pulling up and slapping back down into the sand.

“Calm down Roisin, it hasn’t been that long, just give it time.”  I told her, trying to offer a calming smile, which she gifted with a glare and a huff.

“Don’t tell me to calm down, you aren’t the one sitting here, unable to move.”  Her arms crossed over  her chest in frustration, as I sat there blinking at her, unsure what I was supposed to do now.  Gracie had never gotten huffy that I could remember.

“Umm, I’m sorry you feel that way?”  Clearing my throat, I took the bag closer to her and sat beside her as I pulled my soaking wet clothes out, searching for the phone I knew was hiding somewhere inside.  “I’ll protect you though, so as you did me in the ocean.  The water is your territory, but the land is mine.”  I felt the coolness of her hand on my arm followed by the electricity of the sparks that always jumped when we touched.  My gaze found hers, tears swimming in her eyes, a contrast to the smile curving her lips.  “What’s wrong?  Why do you look like you’re going to cry?”

“Because you said I protected you and that the ocean was my territory, you trust me to protect you in the water?” 

“Of course, my warrior mermaid princess.”  I responded with a grin, leaning in to take her lips in a soft kiss that only lasted a fraction of a second, I didn’t want to excite my perverted wolf.  “Alright, Zena, I’m going to go get you some clothes before the sun comes up and this beach is flooded with tourists.  We can take the phone somewhere nearby and charge it when you can go with me.”

“Zena?  Another new name?”  She asked with a tilt of her head.

“No,” I chuckled, rising to stand and brush the sand from my arms and clothes.  “It’s a movie is all, Zena Warrior Princess.”

“You really enjoy your movies huh?” 

“Yeah, my mom was a bit of a movie buff.”  Roisin tilted her head to the side again and I just chuckled before responding.  “Don’t ask, I’ll explain later.  Now, sit here and be quiet, please, humans don’t know about our existence and if they find you in this form, I hate to think of what they would do.  Promise me.”  My eyes bored into hers as I waited for her reply, I needed her to know how serious this was for her.

“I promise Orion, I won’t make a sound and I’ll stay right here.” Nodding my head at her response I turned and moved towards the road and lights up ahead.  “Orion.”  When her soft voice floated to me, I turned to meet her eyes again.  “Please hurry, it makes me uncomfortable to be away from you.”

“I understand that feeling one hundred percent.  I’ll hurry back, promise.”  I responded before turning and jogging towards the quiet street ahead. Nothing would be open yet, seeing as how it was before five am, so I’d have to break in somewhere.  I ran along the street, going from the beach on one side and beach houses on the other to stores slowly popping up before hitting the shopping district.  I saw several clothing boutiques, but they would have security systems that I didn’t want to contend with right now. 

Finally, a goodwill popped up and I thanked my lucky stars when I found the bens out front full of bags of clothes for donation.  Tearing into them I searched for a few moments looking for items for me and Roisin, when I had 3-4 outfits each, I closed the lids and turned to head back towards the beach, only to come face to face with a police cruiser pulling up with its blue and red lights flashing.

“Shit.”  I muttered under my breath as officers popped out of both sides of the car, one with his gun already drawn as if I were facing him with a weapon, though if you considered my powers and my wolf abilities, I guess I kind of was.

“Want me to take care of them?”  Odin growled through my head, snarling in my mind at the weapon pointed at us.

“No, we don’t harm innocent humans.”  I responded, trying to keep a cool head for the both of us.

“I’m not sure how innocent a man willing to shoot an unarmed citizen is.”  Odin grumbled, settling back to watch what was going to unfold, waiting to strike if necessary.

“Hands up and down on the ground!”  The one with the gun drawn on me hollered while his partner watched me with an intent stare.  I ignored the human with the gun pointed at me and looked closer at the other, smirking in amusement when his eyes flashed bright green for half a second.  A Wolf.

“Which is it?  You want my hands up or do you want me down on the ground?”  I asked him sarcastically.  I should not have said that…

“On the ground, now assh*le!”  The officer yelled back, clearly I’d pissed him off.

Turning my head from the human I caught the eyes of the wolf and flashed my own wolf irises for a moment, I knew the moment he registered the white glint I’d flashed him, because his eyes grew wide.  Only Lycan’s carried white eyes in wolf form.  He knew they were both in for a sh*t storm if this didn’t end quickly.

“Sorry for the confusion sir, have a good night.”  He stated, bending his head to the side slightly as a sign of submission to a wolf more powerful than himself.

“No problem,” I said back, trying to sound respectful though I wanted to tear into the human hot head who was now staring at his partner with his mouth hanging open in shock.  “Humans make mistakes, right?”

“What the f*uck Jerold!  He’s stealing!  What do you mean confusion?”  The human demanded, refusing to lower his weapon, his finger moved to the trigger and his eyes weren’t even on me, but on Jerold, who I could see from here had a muscle twitching in his jaw at being question by his partner in such a tense situation.

“Mason, drop it, it’s some donated clothes, clearly he needs it.”  Jerold muttered, waving at me as if to dismiss the fact that I was in fact stealing from the donation bens.  “What are you going to tell the Captain, Mason?  He took some donated clothes, so you shot him?  That’ll look nice on the news… overanxious cop shoots and kills homeless man who took a few clothes for his family.  Hope you can pick up and move, because with the state the countries in they’ll come for your head.”

I felt as if I should feel offended at the homeless man comments, but he was trying to get us out of this situation without his partner being injured, or worse.  If I had to shift to protect my self and Mason saw, we’d have to kill him to keep the secrets of our race hidden from the general public’s knowledge.

“So we just let him go and what?  What happens if the next crime is breaking into someone’s home?”  Mason demanded, turned his head back to me, the gun still aimed at my chest.  I raised an eyebrow at him adjusting the clothes in my hands to free a hand in case I had to call on our powers to stop a bullet.  Mason’s eyes watched my movements cautiously, growing wide and anxious.  “Hey!  Stop that!  Put your hands up!”

“Oh, so we’re back to that?  Okay.”  I raised my free hand, keeping the other tight on the clothes.  “If you don’t mind, I’d rather these not get dirty.”  Nodding my head to the clothes in my arm as Mason continued to glare at me down the barrel of his weapon.

“F*ck, Mason, I’m your superior officer, put the damned gun away!  Now!”  Jerold growled at his partner, causing Mason to blink at his partner in surprise before frowning at him and slipping the gun back in his holster.  “Thank you, now get in the damned car.”  Grumbled Jerold as he walked around the car and towards me with purposeful strides.  Once he got a few feet in front of me he stopped and flashed his wolf eyes again before turning his head to the side, baring his neck in submission again, this time under the cover of looking back at his partner.  When his gaze came back to meet mine, he let out a heavy sigh.  “I’m sorry your highness, my partner is a little- “

“Bit of a d*ck?”  I offered him with a raised brow.

He chuckled and slipped his hat from his head, running his fingers through his tousled dark brown hair before putting it back on.  “I was going to say hotheaded, but yes, he’s that as well.  I’m sorry for all of this, is there anything else I can help you with?  My pack is near by and can offer help if need be?”

Eyeing him for a minute I nodded to his chest cam.  “Isn’t all of this recorded?  Should we talk so freely?”

“It’s fine, my captain and almost every other member of my precinct is a wolf, we find it’s easier to coexist if we have the power to sweep incidents such as rogue attacks and territory wars under the rug.”  Made perfect sense, werewolves would also have many other advantages over human criminals.  “Would you like me to contact my Alpha?”  Jerold offered again, but I just shook my head.

“No, I left my mate on the beach a few miles down the road, we needed clothes to travel back to my sisters pack.” 

“Do you have a car?  To get there that is.  Alpha Vespian’s pack, Golden Crescent, is in Tennessee, that’s quite a walk, unless you plan on shifting and running?”  He had a point, I could carry Roisin on my back the entire way, but what if it rained and she shifted?  Not to mention I wasn’t sure I fully trusted Odin to give control back to me.  A car would come in quite handy.

“Actually yes, I could use a car.  Your pack has the resources to lend me one?” 

“Yes, specially for our King.”  Mason said with reverence, I didn’t like being called King, I had done nothing for any of the wolves I was supposed to watch over, I’d ran away and hid, trying to hide from my past.

“I am not your King, my sister is your queen, I’m just… Orion Slade.”  I muttered shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other.  “I need to get back to my mate.”

“Oh, yes of course.  You can get in the car, we’ll give you a ride.”  Jerold said, motioning back to the cop cruiser, as much as I didn’t want to get in a vehicle with the human, Mason, it was the fastest way back to Roisin.

“Okay, but keep your friend quiet, his mouth pisses Odin off.”  I muttered as we started towards the car, from the corner of my eye I noticed Jerold pale slightly and take a gulping breath, Odin’s reputation always preceded him.

“Yes, your highness, of course.” Muttered Jerold with a bow of his head, when we made it to the car Mason was standing beside his door.

“We’re taking him in after all huh?” He said with a smirk, one that quickly fell from his face with I narrowed my eyes, glaring down at him, I was 6’4, and he couldn’t be any more then 5’10.  He tried to glare back, but I was an apex predator, at the top of the food chain, with an Alpha Lycan spirit who tolerated disrespect from no one.

“Say another f*cking word Mason and I’ll make sure you’re suspended without pay.”  Jerold growled from across the car.

“Seriously dude? What the- “

“What part of another word don’t you understand?”  Jerold snapped; his tone offered no argument.  Mason looked as if he was sucking on a lemon with the sour face he was making, but he shut his mouth and climbed into the passenger side, Jerold sliding into the driver’s seat and looking back at me expectantly, scrunched up into the back seat, clothes in hand.  “Where to your high- “  He snapped his mouth closed and cleared his throat before continuing.  “Where we are we going Sir?”

“East, out of town, a little past the beach homes.”  I told him, sitting back and trying to get comfortable on the plastic seat.  “And hurry.”  I muttered, already uneasy at how long I had left Roisin on her own.

Jerold nodded his head in understanding and flipped on his lights, flying through town and reaching the grove of trees much faster than I would have on foot.  I had to wait for Jerold to open the door for me to climb out and told him to wait by the car while I grabbed Roisin and jogged across the dunes towards the trees where I’d left her. 

Only as I got closer, I heard a voice other than my mate’s and rushed towards the arguing voices, coming upon them I growled when my eyes took in the scene.  A naked man so dark he almost blended into the night except for his shockingly white hair in tiny braids down his back, a major contrast to his mocha skin tone, standing there, his hand around my mate’s wrist, attempting to pull her towards the water. 

“Get away from her!  Now!”  I growled lunging forward to punch him in the jaw with enough force to knock him on his ass, taking ahold of Roisin as she began to go down with him and pull her behind me, backing away for the man now pushing him self off the ground, one hand rubbing his jaw.

“You mutts are always so brutal, straight to violence, no need to talk if you can just fight your way out, right?”  The man was saying, his startlingly white eyes focused on me as he dusted the sand from his body.

“Says the naked man attempting to kidnap my mate.”  I growled at him, trying to keep Odin forced down, he was tearing through my mind, demanding to be let out and take care of the male who dared to touch his mate.

“Nullar, you dumped us into the ocean and were going to allow Orion to drown, I wouldn’t exactly say you’re perfect.”  Roisin’s sweet voice scoffed from behind me, drawing Nullar’s eyes towards her and a growl from my throat as he attempted to once again look on what was mine.

“Go back to the water, Nullar, you aren’t needed here.”  I snarled at him.

“I am not leaving my fiancé in the hands of a brutish wolf, no thank you.  I’ll be going with you until we can find out what happened to my Odette’s memories.”  Nullar fired back, his words making me throw my head back and laugh.

“I don’t think so, she’s my mate, mate beats fiancée, we’re fated.”  Smirking at him I dared him to argue.

“Regardless, she was my fiancé before she was your mate, so I will be traveling with you, I don’t care if you approve.  Unless you want a war between land and sea?”  Crossing his arms over his chest, Nullar arched a white brow in challenge.

“We have to let him go.”  Odin growled, clearly not happy about his decision.

“What?  Why?”  I demanded, wanting to punch the smug look off Nullar’s face again as he waited for me to come to a decision.

“We must protect our people, even if we don’t want the title of King.  We can’t bring a war to them, not when they are just free to come out of the shadows these last few years.”  Odin grumbled, trying his best to bring his anger under control.

“Fine.”  I snapped at Odin before narrowing my eyes on Nullar dangerously.  “Fine, you can come, but you don’t touch her, and you stay the hell out of my way, got it?”

“Sure mutt, I’ll just sit back and watch you paw at my intended.”  Nullar fired back sarcastically, another growl began vibrating in my chest as a warning.  “Fine, I won’t touch her.  But at least respect the fact that your mate is in my loves body and keep to yourself as well.”

“Doubtful.”  I smirked, taking a pair of shorts I’d grabbed my self and a black t-shirt, and throwing them at his face, unfortunately his hand reached out and snagged them from the air.  “Get dressed, I got us a ride to a pack near by who has resources we can use.

“More wolves?”  Roisin asked excitedly, taking the blue sundress I handed her and hugging it to her.

“Great… more flea bitten mongrels.”  Muttered Nullar under his breath.

“Keep it up flounder, and I’ll toss you on a fire and roast you for my next meal.” 

Roisin huffed and threw her hands up, glaring at the two of us.  “Stop it, both of you!”

“He started it…”  Nullar started, earning another glare from Roisin.

“Consider this me finishing it.”  My feisty little mate growled, and I never found my self more attracted to a pissed off woman in my life…