Broken Chains

Chapter 3

I swung my eyes from side to side a frown appearing on my face in spite of what Carl had said about Derek avoiding areas the pack would check he couldn’t be here. I spun around slowly surveying the perfectly manicured lawns. The perfect pampered family hatchback cars parked in each driveway. All the little clone houses each concealing an identical little cereal box cloned family. Me and Carl had been strolling around the streets for several hours now. I didn’t have a scent trail to follow, so I kept wandering off in the wrong direction until my whatever it was that I was following kicked in and told me I was in the wrong place. At this point I just backtracked until I found that little prod in my mind which seemed to whisper to me that I was on the right track. Carl sensibly chose not to comment on the amount of backtracking I was doing. He didn’t understand what I was following any more than I did but he trusted me, he trusted in what I was doing so I maybe frowning at the neat little suburb I had led us to but Carl wasn’t looking at all fazed by it. I breathed out noisily as I looked around the cul de sac. There was nothing telling me to go back like I’d experienced before, but there was also nothing pulling me on I didn’t know where to go. The pull I had felt towards Derek whatever it was wasn’t like a scent it didn’t lay as a permanent path I could follow it was more a sense that he was over there somewhere. So this had meant we had wondered on a meandering sort of path. But this sense couldn’t seem to lead me to his side I had come as far as this suburb and I knew he was in there somewhere but that was as much as I could know from our bond whatever that was.

“Jess.” Carl said gently as I groaned and flopped down sitting on the pristine curb.

“I don’t know where to go.” I groaned rubbing my face roughly.

“It’s alright.” Carl said sitting down next to me. “It’s too exposed in there anyway. We’ll wait until dark and then we’ll go in and find him.” My backtracking and our meandering path as well as the fact that we both froze like frightened rabbits whenever a black four by four approached meant that the daytime was now rapidly becoming dusk. I snorted; Carl looked over at me simply his eyebrows raised quizzically.

“Lets face it we have no clue where the f**k he is? I’m guessing.”

“No.” Carl said turning to look at me, “I watched you today you were following something.”

“What, what the f**k could I have been following you said yourself you couldn’t smell him.”

“The bond between mates it’s more than scent.” Carl said softly.

“Who really knows that?” I said reasonably, “who in our pack was even mated to a natural. We can’t align ourselves with humans you of all people know that they aren’t like us. So being paired up with a mate who is like us it has this romantic illusion to it. “I shook my head “It’s not like that.” Carl reached out and stroked my cheek.

“I've been with you my whole life Jess and I saw the love between the two of you every time you looked at each other.” That was completely true he was only four months older than me “It was one the one reason I didn’t believe those stories were romantic fiction. When he thought he was dying he was calling out to you. He says your name in his sleep. You two are meant to be together. You were following something, I believe you.”

“but you can't smell him we have no scent trail you know that as well as I do and you know that if he was here if he had ever been here there would be something here some hint of him but I can't find anything.”

“He wasn’t necessarily right here.” Carl said “ this is suburbia people are noisy they’d notice if a pack of twenty year olds moved into number fifty three.” I smiled,

“Where did you get that from desperate housewives?” he smiled in return and my heart fluttered just a little.

“You forget Jess I maybe young but I am an enforcer I’ve spent a lot of time out in the world hunting. I’ve had to talk to these kinds of people before. Look.” he said casually jerking his head at the house opposite us where a pair of curtains was clearly twitching. Carl raised his hand and waved at the middle age woman who was squinting at us, he threw in one of his best smiles. She regarded him suspiciously but drew back. “Dean’s much better at this sort of thing than I am.” He said lightly “but really we should get out of here for a bit.” I nodded as he got up to his feet and leaned over extending his hand which I took and he pulled me to my feet.

We walked quite a distance in order to find somewhere to wait out the time till darkness properly fell. It was especially difficult as suburbia was a sprawling sort of rabbit warren with all the neat looking cul de sacs appearing the same. But eventually we found our way out and sat down in a near empty coffee shop with a few mugs of hot chocolate. We made sure to sit as far back from the walls as possible so to minimize our risk of being spotted though we knew Darius’ search efforts would include a sweep of all the coffee shops in a fifty mile radius we still felt it was smarter to stay back. We stayed there in silence deep in our own musings, Carl kept his eyes locked avidly on his cup as though an effigy of the Virgin Mary had appeared inside and was now mouthing instructions at him. I leaned back in my chair and read and reread the poster detailing the origins of their beans over and over as I casually twiddled the long chain I wore around my neck. Soon enough the mutinous glares of the staff at their only remaining customers convinced even patrons as self absorbed as us that they really wanted to close so we left our nearly untouched drinks and slipped out into the night. Darkness had now fallen around us completely. So we headed back to suburbia the streets now illuminated by the soft orange glow of the overhead streetlights. I shivered and pulled my jacket a little tighter around me.

“Are you cold?” Carl asked looking at me curiously. I shook my head and just zipped my jacket closed but I knew my shivers weren’t through cold. I had a growing sense of dread inside me which I didn’t like but I knew I had to be here what else could I do, I couldn’t just let Derek go and destroy everything inside him everything he was I loved him too damn much.

“Was it this way?” Carl asked with a vague gesture as we came to an intersection.

“Err?” I said blankly.

“I don’t think it is.” He said weakly, I just shrugged.

“Are you okay?” I shook my head

“He’s gone.”

“What?” Carl said blankly

“I don’t, nothing about this place seems to call out any more. I think he knew I was there.” Carl shook his head,

“How could he we didn’t know where he was.”

“He didn’t know that maybe he knew where I was the same way I knew where he was.” I said reasonably.

“Do you have anymore ideas on where he is?” Carl asked with out any trace of anger or even annoyance at this sudden change in direction. I shook my head frowning

“Sorry but not really.” Carl nodded solemnly.

“Okay so I guess we better go find where they were held up, it might give us some clues since we have nothing else to go on and they probably have a few hours head start on us. I nodded and Carl leaned over to kiss me on the cheek,

“Stay here.” He said gently “I’ll be right back I think we need to enhance our senses a little.”

“Carl.” I said weakly as he ducked into some foliage behind him. I sighed and shifted myself back into the shadows behind me fiddling with the cuffs of my jacket awkwardly. After a few seconds my enhanced ears became aware of the sounds of Carls shift away from the street I waited until these sounds that he was clearly trying to suppress. Being an enforcer Carl had to learn how to shift at will and how to shift quickly, the less the bodies instincts were fought the less it hurt to shift (although realigning all your muscles and breaking then resetting your entire skeleton in a twisted state hurt!) but the enforcers were able to breeze through the transitions with much more ease than others. I ducked into the trees and brushed the foliage away from my face as I shuffled my way back and settled down next to Carl who had already collapsed to the ground in full wolf form panting next to his neat pile of clothes.

“That was quick.” I muttered sitting down on the soil and buried my hand into the thick pelt of his shoulder. Carl swung his head around in what I knew was supposed to be a nod but it’s an awkward thing to do in wolf form. “You need a minute?” I asked gently. Carl tried to push himself up to standing but his legs wobbled and he collapsed back down. “Easy, give it a minute.” I said gently but Carl snapped at me in a way which made me flinch back slightly even though I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. Carl’s eyes widened slightly in what I could clearly see was a passive doe eyed sorry sort of gesture. “All right.” I said holding my hands up. “I’ll wait outside.” I scooped up his clothes and shuffled back out and hastily began pulling loose leaves from my clothes as I tried to stand on the pavement alone in the dark looking innocent holding a set of boys clothes. I shivered as cold heavy raindrops began to hit me. In the rain, great that made me look even more conspicuous. At least Carl had thought enough to conceal his weapons inside his bundle of clothes I may have brought my nine mil but I knew Carl was armed by a lot more than that. I turned my collar up and tried to shuffle a little further down inside my Jacket, It was hardly a surprise he’d reacted that way wolves didn’t appreciate any implications of weakness, enforcers especially after all they were the strength of the pack, without them we would be destroyed. Derek was different though despite the fact that he was an enforcer he was my mate that overruled his male pride, Carl though wasn’t my mate and clearly didn’t appreciate my concern. I sighed and pulled my chain out from inside my clothes awkwardly, it was the same one Derek had given me when I had turned eighteen well the pendant was the same anyway but for once I was less concerned with the amethyst I wrapped my fingers around the sparkling diamond ring. I had gone mad when the boys had arrived at the warehouse, they had found me in wolf form huddled into Jamie’s body, I was battered to the point that I was barely capable of walking (the cuts my sister had made to the backs of my ankles had all but healed now although my legs still twinged I guessed this was more from lack of use than injury). Darius had been the first to arrive in full wolf form which showed how serious this was as the Alpha didn’t go first into such situations and certainly not in wolf form it was vulnerable to weapons such as guns and particularly vulnerable around rogues who are most likely rogues since birth, since they never learn to shift at will so generally spend very little time in their alter forms. I had very rarely saw my father in full wolf form and even less time had I seen him as full Alpha even though he was my rescuer the overall effect was truly terrifying. Dean, Geoff and Carl had been next in human form With Andrews sweeping the perimeter. Connie and Kate had stayed back at the den with Lucas and Vivian and of course Roger was forced to stay behind in disgrace. Carl had been the first to reach my side.

“Jessie, Jess what happened ?” he asked but I was too far gone at that point to even acknowledge my brother I just stayed protectively at Jamie’s side growling as any of them got to close.

“Jessica Emily Marie” Darius said appearing beside me .I shrank back from his gentle tone. “Derek?” he asked I nodded clumsily. Dean snarled savagely and Carl hung his head as Geoff stalked off hanging back. “Dean get her out of here.” Darius said softly, but I snarled as he even tried to approach I couldn’t leave here, Derek’s scent still lingered I was here with him somehow I seemed to me that if I left here I was somehow giving up on me and him. Dean sighed and dropped his hands walking away quietly.

“Jessie” Carl said gently burying his hand in the thick pelt of my shoulder I don't know why but I could take this contact from him. Maybe because I knew he was one who would feel this loss acutely. Dean appeared.

“Here.” He said holding his hand out open so I could see the contents of his palm a purple stone and a sparkling Diamond ring. “This what your after. Derek’s f*****g engagement ring.” He snarled tears sparkling in his eyes as he flung it down on the floor and storming out. Carl silently picked up both items and stowed them in his pocket.

“Come on.” Darius said gently reaching over and picking me up effortlessly despite my awkward form and carried me out to the waiting van. Carl and Geoff had taken me home and ‘secured’ me locking me up in the cage until I shifted back by this point the others had processed the scene so I was forced to relive the whole story to Darius. It was only after this when I was back to being tied up in my room that Carl returned my pendant on a newly acquired chain along with the ring. He hung the chain over my neck silently and assumed his bodyguard duties. Dean hadn’t liked it judging by the soft growl he emitted when he saw it but he hadn’t added anything else.

I was snapped from these musings by a soft forehead butting into the back of my hip. “Hey.” I said sliding my hand into the fur on his shoulder feeling his warm body so close soothed me a little. I sighed as Carl pushed himself into my leg. “No your fine it was my fault.” He rubbed his nose into my hand just a little. “Any ideas?” I asked Carl swung his head in an awkward attempt at saying no. I lifted my eyes and looked around biting my lip. I don’t know why but I closed my eyes and took a slow deep breath. “That way I think.” I said pointing ahead at the direction which too be honest had seemed the most familiar when I searched my memory. Carl trotted off in what I considered to be a trusting sort of way. “I’m not sure.” I said weakly Carl looked back over his shoulder snorted and then continued trotting on. “Alright” I said walking slowly behind him, just a girl walking her dog in the dark and rain with an armful of boy’s clothes. I stared at the bundle of clothing for a moment and then on inspiration I shoved the entire bundle up my t-shirt and rearranged them in a vague attempt to make them look vaguely like a baby bump. Carl looked over his shoulder at me and frowned well as well as a wolf can manage to frown. “I don’t need your opinion thank you. “ I said calmly “even pregnant people need to walk their dogs.” Carl snorted and buried his nose against the ground again seeking out his brother’s scent which I continued to seek in the air. His tail was still which I knew meant that he hadn’t found anything, but I had a vague belief that we were in fact heading in the right direction. We continued meandering up and down streets for a while until Carl stopped and pawed at the ground roughly. “Is it him?” I asked softly crouching down with a little difficulty because of my ‘bump’. Carl shook his head as I tried to analyse the light scent my human senses maybe less sophisticated but I knew who we were hunting better and anyway my senses were still much better than the average humans, I instantly knew why Carl had stopped and was continuing to scrape his paw across the tarmac as if he could dig up an answer. The lingering scent was faint but I knew it, it smelt like one of the pack just a little wrong because it was.

“Christian.” I hissed knowing my eyes had flashed golden as I saw Carl pull his lips back bearing his teeth as a growl emerged from deep within his throat. I spared him A single warning glance before I reached into my Jeans and slowly pulled out my gun as I slid back into the shadows, I knew if Carl could protest like all the boys he would protest that a group of rogues was a serious business and so I should use his gun, but I didn’t like guns as a rule so I was so much more comfortable with my little one than his monstrosity. I knew deep down that we had missed them Derek at least was gone but that didn’t mean we could drop our guard we knew what would happen in we bumped into the rogues unprepared and unaware. Carl watched until he was sure I had grasped the situation and was ready my keen eyes began dutifully scanning the silent street as Carl plugged his nose back to the ground pawing again trying to pick up Christian’s scent now his tail soon began wagging a little and he trotted down the street his nose fused to the concrete. I followed silently keeping into the shadows as much as I could the gun ready but shielded by my hands as much as possible as that being seen was the last thing we needed right now. Carl trotted forwards effortlessly obtaining a lot more stealth than I could manage in my clumsy fake pregnancy form. We reached a fork in the road Carl stopped his posture strained as he swung his eyes from the right to the left. He turned around and butted me back with my nose his gesture was clear stay here.

“For god’s sake act more like a dog.” I snapped he snorted at me and gave me another butt with his nose before turning and padding off across the road. I put my hands in my pocket to conceal my gun and shrunk back into the darkness of the wall behind me. Carl trotted across the empty road his nose glued to the tarmac. He roamed about randomly clearly seeking out any kind of trail to follow. His track zig zagged down to the left hand fork however his meandering path brought him back to the fork his tail clearly showing he had found nothing. He continued sniffing furiously at the tarmac, stopping periodically to scratch at the path, he growled in what I could tell was clearly exasperation. I walked out into the road next to Carl and sighed,

“Nothing?” I asked, Carl shook his head awkwardly and jerked his head down to right hand side. “who did you find?” I asked stupidly, as clearly he couldn’t answer, but really I knew who he must have found it was Christian or Derek. He had found the rest of the rogues scents from the warehouse of course but he knew Derek’s scent as well as I did and Christian well he was like our brother just a little bit wrong. I knew how this would look to any housewives looking out of the window but I didn’t care I pulled out my fake Baby bump and knelt on the floor I bent over to press my nose to the cold tarmac ,Next to me Carl growled .

“They’ll think I’m just tying my shoe.” I growled at Carl as I inhaled again and a hundred different scents swamped my senses. I twitched my nose and began trying to organize the scents shifting out something I knew. Suddenly lone scent hit me and I snarled loudly bearing my Teeth, there it was bold as Brass, Bethany. My sister’s trail was here she had walked down these streets a few days past, her trail was weak but it was definitely there. I couldn’t care where she was going the important thing was where they had come from.

“Great my sister.” I hissed standing up. “Come on.” I said firmly determined to be decisive I was pretty certain my sister had gone but the fact of possibly finding them of being able to confront her that most certainly drove me on. Carl followed my intent strides after a few seconds; this street had a large green open space to one side which was backed by a large stone wall. On the opposite side were several large bungalows each bordered by large gardens. Carl trotted down the path his nose still pressed into the road he passed three bungalows before he turned and slowly tentatively moved up the driveway. I froze in the dark shadow of a large sycamore tree until Carl stopped in the darkness of the garage’s shadow his tail wagging ferociously. I shoved his clothes back inside my t-shirt and scrambled up the driveway slipping from shadow to shadow, though the house was clearly empty we still had to be careful just in case. I pulled my gun from my pocket and flicked the safety off holding it ready firmly I slipped after Carl who padded around to the back gate. I leaned over and flicked the catch. Carl ran through onto the lawn scampering from shadow to shadow his tail wagging as his nose was locked onto the grass. I slinked around next to the house and slipped around towards the back door. As Carl swept around to the alternative side of the house. I looked out into the back garden clearly an old person’s garden, wonderfully organized flowerbeds, a wooden set of tables and chairs, and a discarded floral set of gardening gloves and a trowel. Yet there was something else here a hint of a previous life a single child’s swing set which swung gently in the breeze, there was something ominous about it. I reached the back door, peeking through the glass it was clear the kitchen at least was deserted. I reached out and grasped the handle I gave it a gentle tentative twist and frowned as the door was open, that wasn’t a good sign. Then the door slowly swung open and an even worse sign hit me as the scents of inside hit my nostrils. Derek, Derek’s scent was heavy so heavy in the air. Mingled with the aging scents that were Eric, my lost brother Christian and of course my newly acquired brother Daniel, and my beloved evil Twin Bethany. I walked slowly into the Kitchen my nose twitching as my other senses went into hyper drive tense seeking out any movement and noise anything from the house but there was nothing. It only took seconds to confirm to me that the building was completely empty it had to be , if there was anyone here human, shape shifter or other I would feel it even if my senses didn’t pick it up I would still have known people in a house give it a pulse, it breathes. I sighed and allowed my gun arm to relax slightly but as Carl padded to my side I tensed the gun again the boys wouldn’t tolerate me letting my guard down if the place was deserted or not. We silently made a sweep through the rooms; the living room was a mess, clearly an elderly person’s home which had been usurped by teenagers. Beer bottles and full ashtrays littered every surface. Half eaten pizzas and burgers were littered around similarly. The small television in the corner had a smashed screen; clearly a foot or hand had shattered the screen. I walked over slowly and gently touched the screen where there were several small smears of blood I raised my blood tinged fingers to my nose and inhaled, Derek’s scent flooded into me. I clenched my hand tightly feeling anger flood into me. I snarled at nobody in particular and closed my eyes breathing deeply and slowly trying desperately to calm myself as I felt a shift threatening. I ignored this and turned back to the room Carl was up on his hind legs sniffing the general furniture most likely trying to determine if there were any other members of their group i didn’t think so but that was probably as there was a funny smell lingering in here probably from one of the burgers or something. Nose twitching I left the living room and made my way through the rest of the house two bedrooms and the bathroom I found and dismissed in short order as a quick glance confirmed that they had been similarly usurped and carelessly treated but there was nothing else of interest. It was in the last room that I stopped dead as soon as I entered, a deep growl slipping out of my throat the large bedroom was empty but the scent of Derek, Bethany and s*x flooded the large room. I snarled and strode into the room my logic had fled I simply grabbed the edge of the mattress and flung it across the room. The resounding crash caused Carl to pad to the doorway. He obviously understood from the scent what I was upset about but we had to be quiet. He butted my hand with his nose gently. I couldn’t take his clumsy attempt at comfort; I sighed and just waked away over to the patio doors. i leaned my head on the cool glass my face twitching as I tried to get control of myself my breath caused a light fogging on the glass I absently watched the mist spreading across the glass. I lifted my head as I noticed the handprint on the glass I realised out and placed my hand on top and felt a tear slide down my cheek it was Derek’s handprint I could tell as it fitted around my hand as Perfectly as ever.

“Jessie.” Carl said gently from the doorway his body still naked coated in sweat he was clearly in the post shift state, I must have been here a lot longer than I realised. I pulled my hand off the glass. I flung Carl’s bundle of clothes at him and averted my eyes as he dressed, my eyes slowly locked on a white t.shirt that was heavily stained with what looked like blood. Curious I reached out and picked up the fabric. I ran my fingers across the stain the crusty texture confirming it was indeed blood, I lifted the t-shirt to my nose and slowly inhaled the shirt was saturated with Derek’s scent. The blood was dried in and overlaid by Derek’s scent so I just licked the blood and shuddered, Christian’s I didn’t know if that made it better or worse. From the look of the shirt though Christian had bled more than just a little, this was from more than a nosebleed. Disregarding the blood I closed my eyes and drew the T-shirt to my nose and inhaled deeply taking in as much of his scent as I physically could.

“Jess.” Carl said again. I pulled the shift away from my nose and turned to face him though I kept the fabric clutched to my chest as though it was a bulletproof vest against the weapons of the house all around me. “Jess.” He said his voice softening significantly as he saw the shirt I was holding clutched to my heart.