The True Luna's Kiss

Chapter 6

Gabriel couldn't settle. He paced around his suite so much Marco found himself worrying for the carpet. But the look on his Alpha's face told him that disturbing him was not an option. So Marco watched him pace, trying to find the right time to query the display of agitation.

Finally, Gabriel paused. Marco, seeing his chance, broke the silence. "So you want to tell me what has got you all riled up?" He grinned at the glaring male. "Or am I supposed to ignore it and order them a new carpet?" Gabriel scowled. Then, after a heartbeat of consideration, he spoke.

"There is something strange about this pack," he said, through the mind link. Gabriel wasn't about to take any chances on this foreign turf. You never knew who was listening in. "Orchids are not native to this area, are they?"

Marco's eyebrows raised in surprise. That was certainly not a question he expected from his Alpha's behaviour.

"Erm, no," he linked back, "They are mainly in warmer areas."

Gabriel didn't respond, causing Marco to delve further.

"Planning to become a florist are we?" Marco let his boyish teasing shimmer through in the mind link. "Or just improvements for the pack house?"

Gabriel threw him a whithering glare. making Marco grin impishly.

"There was a scent," Gabriel finally admitted. "Just for a brief moment, at the bottom of the stairs. Orchids, beautiful."

Marco's jaw dropped. "Do you think....? I mean there are no orchid's in the pack house that we saw. A perfume maybe?"

Gabriel shook his head. "It was too pure, too ... " He couldn't finish his thought. The scent of the orchid's was dancing around his tongue. His wolf, Shadow was pacing intensely in his mind. Shadow normally acted like his name, but this pacing was causing Gabriel's heart to thunder. Something was definitely going on.

Alice stood in the corridor and listened. There was no conversation coming from Alpha Gabriel's room. Not surprising, he was a smart man.

"They must be using the mind link," Alice thought, using her own connection with Kira. "They don't want to risk being overheard."

"Considering we are the one's eavesdropping," Kira grumbled. "I'm not surprised they are being careful." She clearly didn't approve of being disrespectful to a visiting pack's Alpha. But Alice ignored her. She couldn't help it. Even though neither of these men were here mate, the Beta was even marked already, there was something about them. Something that called to her, to her very soul. She couldn't ignore it.

"We need to go," Kira urged her. "We need to prepare for the arrival of the other packs!"

Alice hesitated. She knew she had a lot to do. The absence of her mother meant that a lot of responsibility rested on her shoulders. But she couldn't bring herself to move. Something was holding her in place, keeping her close to the Ebony Glade pack leaders. Kira whined, urging her to move away. Slowly, Alice managed to twist her body away and take a few steps. As she moved further down the corridor, she felt her entire body become lighter. It was as if a weighter cloud had been encasing her body, and as she put more distance between her and the closed door. Thoughts flooded her mind of all the tasks she had to do and her heart started pounding. What was she doing wasting time here? She had so much to get done. Alice began to increase her pace and took a deep breath into her lungs, trying to stop the anxiety that had flooded in to her chest. The result left her dizzy and light headed. Combined with her hurried pace, Alice found herself off balance and reached out her hand to steady herself. It collided with a glass vase on a side table, which fell to the floor and shattered. Alice fumbled, trying to grab the vase before it hit the floor, but in doing so, she lost her balance entirely and landed onto the shards of glass. They pierced through her hands and knees. Alice whimpered feeling the blood swell and flow out of her wounds.

Within seconds she was surrounded. Alpha Gabriel and Beta Marcus had come running out of their room at the sound. Alpha Lucas came running up the stairs. Voices and words became mixed and she found herself being picked up by strong arms.

"She needs to be taken to the hospital!" Alice heard Alpha Gabriel's gruff voice behind her, and realised he was the one who had picked her up out of the glass. "The shards need to be removed so she can heal!"

"No!" Alpha Lucas said, "take her to the dun..." He didn't finish the sentence, but gave a pointed look to the guards that had surrounded Alice. They knew where to take her. Alpha Gabriel raised his eyebrows. "Do you not have a hospital here, Alpha Lucas?" Lucas didn't answer, his eyes followed his daughter as she was led down the stairs.

"Or do you often punish your family for an accident?" Gabriel took a step forward, deliberately crushing the glass under his feet into the carpet. His moves were precise and considered. He knew he had heard the word Alpha Lucas had almost mentioned. Why would he take his injured daughter to the dungeons?

Alpha Lucas raised his chin to look at his visitor in the eye. Gabriel noticed how his muscles tensed and his eyes flickered at being questioned. His nostrils flared as he fought his wolf for control.

"May I remind you, Alpha Ballad, that you are a guest here," Lucas said quietly, but not weakly. "How I deal with members of my own pack are my business. I appreciate your help with my daughter, but your involvement is no longer required." And with that he turned away, following the path his daughter took.

Gabriel stood stock still, stunned into silence for a moment. He had to respect Lucas for his response - he would have responded in the same way. He didn't show any fear or weakness. Just commanded his pack and didn't back down. One thing was certain. He needed to find away into that dungeon!

Sirona sat in silence after her shadow puppet story had finished. They all ended in the same way. The dragon was always stuck, unable to escape or to befriend the villagers. She grew old in her situation and eventually died. Briar whimpered, her head on her paws, knowing the pain that radiated through the shadows was a reflection on her own position. Sirona was going to die in this cell. She would never get out, never have a different life. This was her life. This would be all she knew. Sirona let herself dip down, eyes on the floor, lost inside herself.

What could only be described as a panic cry outside the door, snapped Sirona out of her trance. She immediately moved towards the wall, the back of the cell and prepared herself for the warriors coming in. Almost immediately the door slammed open and four warriors came in, with a beautiful young girl. The warriors brought the girl straight to Sirona, not bothering to secure her hands in the shackles that hung there. Their eyes didn't leave the girl they carried.

"She must be someone important," Briar commented, her eyes shining like the surface of water as she took in the young girl and her injuries. Glass was sticking out of her knees and hands, blood running down her pale skin.

"Your gonna be OK, Alice," one of the warriors whispered, stroking the girl's hair in a soothing motion. Alice whimpered and gritted her teeth.

Slowly Sirona lowered her hands and reached out to Alice. The Warrior's stiffened, one even let out a low growl. Sirona took a deep breath and placed her hands gently on the girl's arm and leg, avoiding the glass wounds. She closed her eyes, and willed the pain and wounds out of the girl. She felt down inside herself and let the light that sat there build up, flowing into Alice and healing her wounds. The sound of glass hitting the floor, combined with the gasps of the warriors as they watched the healing. Sirona had braced herself to feel the pain in her hands and legs, but no pain came. She felt no wetness, no blood running down her body. Just the warmth of the light inside her.

Flickering her eyes open, feeling tired and drained, Sirona looked down at Alice. Her wounds were completely healed. Alice's eyes were wide, glittering with unshed tears.

"Thank you," Alice whispered. Sirona's eyes widened. She couldn't speak to respond, but she nodded her head slightly. No one had spoke to her before, or thanked her. They had used her and left. Alice was one of the first to actually speak to her, recognising her as a person and not a tool to be used.

Sirona stayed still, not moving from her spot on the floor and watched as the Warriors helped Alice to her feet and led her out of the cell. At the door, Alice turned her head back to Sirona and gave her a small smile. Sirona smiled back. And then they were gone.

"That was new!" Sirona said to Briar when they were once again alone in the dull room.

"I know," Briar replied. "She actually spoke to us."

Sirona smiled. "No, not that. Although that was unusual." She explained. "Healing her didn't hurt." Sirona looked down at her hands and knees. The skin was smooth, no cuts or blood stains, no healing wounds. Nothing.

"Maybe because the healing wasn't forced." Briar considered. "You placed your hands on her, the wounded wasn't forced on you when you were chained. Your probably stronger because you wanted to heal her."

Sirona thought about the words of her wolf. It made sense. Normally she wasn't allowed to use her hands, they would be restrained. Was that where her power truly came from? She stared down at her hands. Was she meant for a different destiny? Could her path be different?