Behind The Alpha Book 5 Deacon

Chapter 28

(Chapter song ‘How Soon Is Now' by Love Spit Love)
JENNY

I scream and slam myself against the blank white walls.  My cheeks are soaked and I can’t think.  The only thing I feel is absolute terror. 
“Let me out!”  I hitch a breath.  “Please!”  I cry. 
I walk around the clouds in my mind, sobbing and holding myself.  I just want to go home.  All I want to do is go home. 
The white void gives me nothing.  I have no idea where I am. 
‘Don’t be scared.’  The voice sounds like mine and is very distant.  It echoes through the void.
I choke the lump in my throat.  “Please.  I want to see Deacon.  I want my store.  I want to go home.”  I fall to my knees and cover my eyes.  I feel so weak and defeated.  Without, Deacon with me, I can't fight this. 
‘I won’t hurt you.  Far from it.  I’ve searched for you for a long time.’ 
I sniff and wipe my cheeks.  “W-What do you mean?’ 
‘All will be revealed.  There's something we must do first.  Please, Jenny.  Trust that we know what’s best.’
I look around the space with confusion.  “How could you possibly…”
‘I can’t tell you that yet.  I will when we set our plan to motion.  I can give you a window to the outside world if you like, but I want to reassure you, what you see, is not the truth.  Please.  Don’t panic.’ 
“O-Okay.”  I stand on my feet as the wall opens and a screen is revealed. 
My legs are hit and jump with a yelp.  I look behind me as a stone bench rises out of the low hanging fog. 
‘Sit…Watch.’ 
I sit with hesitation and the screen lights up.  The scrambled picture straightens out and I see my store. 
“Oh!”  I sit up and reach out.  “No!  My store…”  I start to cry and slump in my seat as my eyes take in the destruction.
‘Your store isn’t a priority.’
I sniff back my new tears and a bit of anger fills me.  “It may not be to you, but that was my life!”
‘It will be fixed.  I told you to trust.’
“So far I haven’t been given a good reason!”  I cross my arms and legs.  I bounce my sneaker as I watch the screen. 
The vision starts to shake and drown in white light.  I uncross my legs and sit up.  “Wha…What's happening?  What's going on?” 
‘I’m keeping us safe.’
“Safe from what?”  I fix my glasses and stare at the chaos ensuing on the giant projection.  Light
‘The shape shifter.’
“Shape shifter?  What?”  My brain hurts so much right now. 
The entirety of the void slams around like it got side swiped and I feel like I had just been hit with a violent earthquake. I let out a little scream and hold onto the bench tight.
“What was that?!!”  I look around.
‘It seems you got your wish.’  The logical sounding voice says as I look to the screen.
My mouth falls and I slowly get up.  I watch the vision stumble out of the door to my shop.  A tear falls as I see familiar building and roads. 
“I’m home.”  I squeak as the vision looks around the town I was born and raised in. 
It walks out onto main street.  It’s night and everyone is tucked safely on their homes, but I’m sure from what I see, they aren’t asleep now.  The vision turns around and backs up. 
Now, I really feel scared and confused.  The building slammed into main street?  “My dad’s going to shit!”  I say as I walk up to get a closer look. 
‘We cannot worry about that now.  They’re coming.’ 
I turn around and look into the void.  “Who?  Who’s coming?”
‘Just trust that we will not die.’
I whip around.  “What?!” 
As the vision walks out of town and down the highway, I have to squint, but I see red dots heading my way.  I walk closer and realize those dots are eyes.
“No…No!  Turn around!!  Run!!”  I panic as I realize the eyes belong to a pack if rogue wolves.  I pound the screen.  “RUN!  WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!” 
‘Hush!  I told you.  We have to do this.’
I close my mouth and watch.
I see my hand rise in front as the wolves come into full view.  “Shift!”  A barely visible pulse explodes from my hand and shoots across the road over the rogues. 
My jaw drops.  “Excuse me?” 
The rogues stop and shift.  Dirty men and women stand with a distance between us.
“My name…is Seline Edwin!  I seek the one known as Helos!  Where is he?” 
One of the scruffy dirty men steps forward.  He’s broken and looks sick.  He scratches his arm and I can see damage from what looks like needles, up and down it. 
“We don’t know no Helos.  We want the blade!”  He growls. 
“The blade?  You mean this?”  The vision goes to a bag and my hand pulls out a large, black knife. 
I hold it up to them and they start to get excited.  Their eyes glow and they start to growl loud.
“I don’t like this.  What is that?”  I say as I back up.
‘Shush.’
The man steps closer.  “Give it to me.”  He demands. 
“I will in time.  Take me to Helos.” 
His infected face twists to anger.  “I told you!  We don’t know no Helos!  The Reaper, now!”  He holds out his hand. 
I place the blade in my hands and look it over.  With a flick of my wrist, the blade disappears. 
They get excited and confused then more anger grows. 
“Where is it?!”  He yells. 
“I’ll tell you after I see Helos!” 
“You won’t live to see him!”  He shifts and leaps into the air.
I raise a hand and a red light ball fires from it.  It hits the rogue and he flies backwards, bowling over a chunk of the group covering the road.  He shifts on the pavement.  Ones around him, help him to his feet. 
“If you can’t give me Helos.  Take me to your Alpha.  Maybe he will be more helpful.” 
A woman steps forward.  “How can we trust you?”
“If I was a threat to you, he and you would all be dead.”  I raise my hand and a green light ball appears.  “You can continue to test me or take me to your Alpha.” 
The woman glares at me.  “Follow us.” 
They all shift and I feel myself shift too.  My wolf is full of apprehensions as the rogues surround me.  I feel her fear.
“Are you insane?!  You have to be insane!!  Don’t go with them!”  I feel like clawing my way out and running as fast as I can, but I know that wouldn’t even be possible.
‘I must.  This is for us.’
“WHY?!  WHAT DOES ANY OF THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ME?!”  I yell to the screen.
‘In time.  Just know, I don’t do this out of hatred, I do this out of care and responsibility.  You’ll see.’
I’m so confused.  “Responsibility to what?!”
‘Just pay attention.  It will be clear soon.’
I slam myself down on the bench.  “I’ve landed in Oz.  This the only thing that makes sense!”  My mouth goes small as I blink behind my glasses. 

****

SELINE

We ran for days.  An entire pack of dark wolves with my blonde wolf in its center. 
Using my magic, I kept up my stamina so I was able to run with them non stop.  I don’t know what drives them exactly, but where most wolves would fall from exhaustion, degradation of physical power doesn’t seem to be a problem for them. 
I erected a personal protection shield around my wolf.  It saved me from being attacked and block the stink of decay which comes from them. 
One thing I notice is a lot seem rather young.  Late teens, early twenties.  Children by my standards.  It seems unbelievable that so many would be become so lost that they would ruin their lives.  The shifter world has changed a lot since I walked among it. 
We barrel through the trees like a tidal wave.  Hundreds of wolves run around me and the trunks.  The forest comes alive with paws thundering through them.  If I wasn’t on a personal mission, I would be able to enjoy this more.  I would really love to see how this unlikely army works. 
Someone howls from the front and we break from the trees. 
It opens to a large property and a tall white farm house.
A majority of the wolves run past and continue on.  The few that stay behind, shift. 
I shift and walk with them to the porch.  As I approach, a tall, muscular man with brown hair and one green/yellow eye, comes out the front door.  He stands at the top step with his arms crossed. 
He lifts his chin.  “What is this?”  He looks me over and turns to a man on my right. 
“We found her outside the town.  She had the blade.”  He looks at me. 
“Had?”  The man’s strange eyes meet mine.
I step forward.  “I have the blade.  If you want it, you’ll listen.” 
He looks me over and smirks.  “Come in.”  he turns around and walks into the house. 
I’m lead to the sitting room where a few others stand.  Someone brings a red slip dress to put on.  I take it and cover myself. 
For sick individuals, they seem almost…normal. 
‘Who is that?  What are you doing?’
“Jenny, your questions are starting to annoy.  Just sit and remain calm.” 
She protests further and I block her out.
The Alpha enters the room and I stand.  I look him over with folded arms.  I chew my cheek as I assess the situation.
He looks to another woman.  “Have you found Ezra?”
“No.  There’s still no sign of her.”  She answers. 
“Keep looking.  I want her found.  She knows too much.”  He growls.
“Yes, Alpha.”  She turns and takes the men in the room with her. 
He rolls his head to me.  “Now.  The Reaper.”  He holds out his hand. 
I get my back up and smirk.  “It’s cute that you think you can just demand the blade.  You haven’t heard what I want yet.”
He walks up to me and there’s only a few inches between us.  He locks his eyes with mine.  “I really couldn’t give a rats ass what you want.  I want the blade.  Produce it or I kill you.” 
“You really are adorable.”  I snort. 
He grabs my throat and I grab his arm.  He pulls me to his face.  “I could end you right now, you know that.” 
I pull his hand off and snarl at him while I rub my skin.  “You could, but then you wouldn’t get what you want.”  I straighten up and look at him with the same seductive look I gave Deacon. 
He moves closer.  “Give me the blade.”
“I’ve hidden it where only I know.  You tell me what I want to know and maybe I give it you.”
“Tell me and maybe I let you live.”  He floats his face around mine as his eyes turn to slits. 
I furrow my brow and tilt my head.  I sense a struggle.  One that involves the mark embedded in his shoulder.  He feels like he’s going against nature.  Curious.
The corner of my lip ticks up.  “Michael.  We both know you won’t do that.  Tell me where Helos is and maybe I give up the Reapers location.”
He studies my face.  “What do you want with him?” 
“Let’s just say, I have a little payback to deliver.  So, tell me where the Shaman is and you’ll get your blade.”  I say quietly. 
His eyes float around this body.  I can see in his sly smirk that this will not be that easy of a negation, but if I’m to find Helos, this body will have to serve as a means to get to him.
He moves closer to my lips.  “He’s not here.  He'll be back soon.  We could…occupy ourselves in the meantime.”
“We could.”  I give a sultry smile as the girl screams in my head. 
Michael steps back and holds out his hand.  I take it and he leads me upstairs to a bedroom.  I walk in and he shuts the door behind him. 
He pulls off his t shirt and I eye his cut muscles.  “Mmm…impressive.”  I smile. 
“There’s even more to be impressed with.”  He drawls. 
He walks up to me, grabs my hair on the back of my head and kisses me hard. 
I moan on his lips as his tongue explores my mouth.  It was a wonderful act.  My lips glow pink and his powerful kiss starts to fade.  I hold his cheeks to make sure my spell is complete.  He loses his knees and falls. 
I break the kiss and smile.
“Wha…Wh…”  He stammers.
“What did I do?”  I lean to his ear.  “I kept you from breaking your Fated vow.  She doesn’t deserve that.”  I whisper. 
I pull back and his tired face is full of shock. 
I look into his eyes as they close.  “Good night.” 
I let go and he falls to the floor.  He’ll be out for a good 24 hours.  I look to the door.  Time to wait for my real person of interest. 
I walk out, close the door and charm the lock.  Just in case.  I walk downstairs, stand in the middle of the room and raise my hand to the ceiling. 
A column of red, white light shoots from my hand and through the ceiling.  My shield of protection surrounds the two story farmhouse so none of those sick wolves can get in.  If Helos is the Shaman I remember, he'll see the gap in the shield meant only for him.
And I’ll be waiting.