Taking Back His Life

Chapter 3

Khall hated talking out of turn. “This is really for Hron to explain.”

“Maybe so, but I’d rather hear it from you.” Deld replied.

“A few months ago, a raven shifter came to your fathers’ ancient home. He told us about how Chantal had killed Caliph Tamale and taken over his clutch. Your fathers sent myself and a few of the ancient guards to come here and check out what was going on. When we got here we were almost immediately attacked. We killed Chantal and his inner circle and your fathers assigned Hron to be the new Caliph. When we got here we found that Chantal had been terrorizing the people that lived here. He did horrible things to so many. Taking all their food, credits, and anything else he felt he deserved.”

“Son of a bitch.” Deld said, with a breathy tone.

Khall thought about the clutch when he first arrived, and got lost in his memories, “Everyone was so scared of us. No one would talk to me, or even Hron when he arrived. We tried to show them we were no threat, but they had been so traumatized. Then Nug, that small Nakaka you just insulted, worked up the courage to come to us and say that we might get further if we let the prisoners go free. We didn’t know anything about the prisoners. Chad, the raven shifter hadn’t told us about them… at least, not before I had left from the ancients’ home.”

“So you rescued the prisoners and everyone started talking?” Deld asked.

Shaking his head, Khall said, “If only it had been that easy. No, we went down to the cells and we found many of the Nakaka locked up inside. Jory… he was one of them. Then Hron started insisting we needed to keep going. So, we followed our Caliph and that’s when we found six men down in the dungeons. Abe, Spencer, Mason, Bryant, Elijah and Petree. Abe, Bryant, and Spencer are shifters, but Mason and Elijah are both human.”

“And Petree is Nakaka?” Deld asked, when Khall stopped talking.

Khall was seeing his mate looking at him through the cell door, appearing filthy and scared to death. The smell of dried blood and body odor had Khall ready to vomit, but it was those terrified ocean-blue eyes looking into his pale yellow shocked ones. It was that very second that he had felt the flicker. A flicker to the Nakaka was just like the special scent that a shifter had when they found their mate. Except for the Nakaka… their eyes met and a spark hit them right in the heart, spreading throughout their body like fireworks on the Fourth of July. It rolled through the Nakaka’s body like a ball of sizzling sparks, until it rested in their balls and they couldn’t stop themselves from ejaculating right then and there. It was that response which had Elijah freaking out, and Mason threatening to cut off Khall’s nuts if he even thought of coming near them. Khall was so shocked that he had flickered, since no Nakaka had done such a thing in over two hundred years, that he hadn’t spoken at first. Then scenting their fear, Khall shook off his shock and quickly explained who he was and that they were getting them out of there. Elijah and Mason told him to go and help Petree, then come back.

Khall felt pride hit him that his Viata would think of someone other than himself at such a time.

It spoke of the true bravery the man had within his heart. Khall told them that Hron and the others were freeing Petree right then, and they carefully slid past Khall. That’s when the other scent hit Khall like a baseball bat to his face… another had touched his Viata. From the look of his shredded clothing, Khall knew it had not been consensual, and from the way his Viata clung to the man in the cell with him, he knew it had not been the touch of that one.

“Earth to Khall. Come in Khall.” Deld said loudly.

Still in his own world, Khall spoke words he had never said out loud, “He was raped.”

“What? Who was raped?” Deld asked, with wide eyes and complete shock.

“My Elijah. He was raped in front of his brother. His sadness is so deep. He tries to pretend that he’s fine, but I can see his torment. I can hear his torment and I have no idea how to help him.”

Khall whispered, then looked at Deld, “That’s why we need you, Deld. I know you think that we use you, but this isn’t about your feelings for Hron, your brothers, or even your fathers. This is about people… Nakaka, shifter, paranormal, and human. Chantal took over this clutch, because he was in on a plan that we don’t fully understand. We know that there are people here that are trying to continue what Chantal started, and we need your help to find them.” Khall rasped, saying, “You need to help me find them, so I can kill them and make my Viata feel safe once again. It is all I have to offer him.”

“Me? How can I help you? I don’t understand what it is you even want.” Deld insisted.

Khall looked up and saw movement. Hron stepped forward with Groth, saying, “We need you to help us figure out who here are traitors to our people.”

“But my gift doesn’t work that way, Hron. You know this.” Deld insisted.

“Deld, you find lost things. It is a gift that has helped so many throughout your two hundred and forty years. Please come with me and I’ll explain everything.” Hron said, turning to leave.