DARK DAYS

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The next morning, Micah rolled over and looked at the clock to see it reading five thirty, he groaned, knowing he had to get up and do rounds. “Call Dante.” She muttered keeping her eyes closed in a vain attempt to stay asleep. 

“What kind of leader would I be if I handed off all my responsibilities to my second in command?” he muttered, feeling her lay across his chest.

She laughed slowly, “The kind that gets to sleep in, with me.” 

Micah stretched thinking about it, considering it, “That would be good…” he sighed sitting up, “even if I called him, I would have to go home. I don’t want Dee finding me here.”

Ana pulled him back down, “Cold!” she complained, snuggling back up against him. When she felt him hesitating further, she reached for the table blindly, feeling her way along its surface until she got to the phone, “Make the call Micah.” She said tiredly, handing it to him. 

He did as he was told, knowing she was right, he’d debate it, she’d argue but in the end he would make the call… and they both knew he wasn’t going anywhere. He fell back to sleep. 

The next time they woke up it was at least at a more appropriate time, Ana glanced at the clock and sighed, laying back down. “Time?” Micah asked, absently as she fitted herself into the crook of his arm.

“Eleven, congratulations, you have officially slept in.” she joked.

Micah grunted, keeping his eyes closed. “No one’s home.” He commented, listening closely. Christiana shook her head; he kissed her forehead, “I’m hungry.” 

She smiled, “It’s your turn to cook, but lets do it at your place, your kitchen is nicer.” 

Micah rolled his eyes, and kissed her. “Come on, you can shower at my house while I cook.” Ana pulled him back down, “Don’t you want to eat?” he asked with a laugh.

Ana sighed, opening one eye to peer out at him, “You are always trying to get me to leave the warmth of bed… jeez you’d think there was a life beyond it or something.”

Micah laughed at her, getting out of bed, and grabbing his jeans. “I’ll meet you there.” 

Ana decided to shower at her own house, and arrived half an hour later to the smell of eggs and ham that made her mouth water. She walked in unannounced entranced by the aromas coming from the kitchen that she didn’t even notice Dante leaning against the counter beside Micah. When she finally did she paused, “Hey… should I come back?” 

Micah glanced over, he frowned, “No, it’s almost ready, dante was just filling me in on rounds. That’s my sweatshirt… how’d you get it?” he asked recognizing the green hoodie that almost went down to her knees.

Ana rocked back on her heels, “umm…” she stalled. 

Dante laughed, “You’re a little thief aren’t you?” he said grinning.

Ana made a face at him, “I was cold, and it was hanging there, and… shut up Dante!” She pouted. 

Micah rolled his eyes, “Children, sit.” He ordered, they both did without asking any more questions. After a few minutes of him watching them ignore each other, they were horrible at it, Micah asked, “so what’s the problem Dante?”

Ana tried to look uninterested, eating her breakfast, “There was a breach last night.” Dante started, “But I couldn’t pick up a scent for the life of me. It was so obviously a breach in territory though… I circled around for two hours trying to find anything that would tell me who or what it was and nothing.” 

Micah saw Christiana stop eating all of a sudden out of the corner of his eye, “No one leaves no scent Dante, you might of missed it but it’s there.”

Dante was shaking his head, “I’ll take you out there but…” 

Ana closed her eyes, “Ghost.” She whispered painfully.

“I doubt it’s a ghost.” Micah said with a laugh, as Dante murmured something but a straight jacket.

She ran a hand over her face, “No not a ghost… Ghost, is this guy. He’s a tracker, an enforcer… for my old pack.”

“A sentinel?” Dante corrected.

Ana laughed, “No, not a sentinel. He is the one you call in when you want someone found or dead, he’s the best at what he does.  There’s no name for someone like him anymore because he isn’t supposed to exist in the new pack system.” Ana got up taking her coffee with her to go sit by the window, “Nothing like a sentinel, he’s a bringer of death.... the hand of death.” 

Micah knew his history well, the old  term was extinct now, it belonged to the member of the pack who was the best at killing, who was a hired assassin of the pack. They were called the hands of death because everything they touched died. This Ghost person, he doubted was one of them, as a kid growing up it might be easy for her to think it with an active imagination and someone telling her old legends, but they hadn’t existed for centuries. “Is he on your side or Rics?” Micah asked carefully.

Ana shook her head again, “he has dual loyalties, I don’t know who he’ll side with. But if he’s looking for me, then it can’t be entirely good.” She finished her coffee, “I can trace him, if we go out to where the breach was.” She added before going outside.

Dante cleared his throat, “There was no scent Micah, I swear it.”