Remembering My Voice (Book Three of the Kingston Series)

Chapter Ten: House Rules

Chapter Ten: House Rules
"Hello everyone. I'm Jasmine Ryder, as you probably know-"
"I thought your name was Jasmine Kingston?" I hear the voice from one of the many in the crowd. It belongs to a woman with a pixie cut, and a long agile body.
"No, she isn't married to one of the Kingston brothers is she?" A man from the other side of the crowd questions loudly. Kaden and Kol snicker from behind me and I throw them a look. We need these people to shut up and listen.
"Listen up, everyone here today has a request for me. I'm the Alpha here, which means that as long as you want to be part of this pack, you go through me. As part of the requirements to join you'll all be given a test. If you pass, great. You'll get assigned a job and lots of opportunities here with us. If you don't pass you will be escorted from this house and you won't get another chance to take my test." That shut them up. I stand at the balcony on the second floor overlooking the lobby where everyone is spread. Every pair of eyes in the room is on me.
"You have 5 minutes to get into a single file line at the bottom of the steps." With that, I make my way to my office door. Sebastian, Christian, Kaden, Keith, Kol, and Killian follow me as closely as they can. Once I open my door I glance back at Killian and Kol.
"Can you go help everyone get prepared?"
"Yes of course, babydoll, but what the fuck is this test you're on about?"
"I have five minutes to figure it out." I answer as my mind goes quickly over what I want to know from every one of them.
"Honey, why say there's a test if there isn't?" Kol asks with furrowed brows. I pace the room as I answer.
"For one reason any of those people could be an enemy. For another, I don't want just anyone in our pack. I want to test them all and make sure they have the same ethics as I do. It will also help keep things fair. Have Michael and James take the test too." That way everyone's been tested to see if we can trust them even though they've been part of the pack for a week now. "Kol and Killian, you're in charge of managing the crowd. Sebastian and Christian, you guys need to set up in the room three doors down to test strays one at a time. Kaden and Keith, you guys can set up two doors down to do the same."
"Yes, Alpha." Six voices agree in unison.
"Kol, Killian start handing out papers and pens for the strays to put down their name, age, and reason for joining. That's the first part of the test."
"Yes, Alpha."
"Yes, Alpha."
I walk over to the door and close it and then very quietly I tell them what the test is.

Kiara
My palms sweat and I nervously tap my right foot on the ground. All around me everyone's talking about the test.
What if I don't pass?
I can't think like that. I look up as two tall guys walk together from down the hall. One of the guys is taller than the other and has black hair. It's longer than the other guys. His face is hard with sharp angles but his dark blue eyes are warm and determined. I recognize the guy next to him immediately. He's one of the Kingston brothers. He has a lip piercing and blue eyes that seem to be green at the same time. They get to the top of the steps and my heart skips a beat. Oh no. I hate tests, I hated them when I was in school, and I hate them now.
Truth is, I'm not very good under pressure. I hope that's not part of the test.
You don't think I'll find you, Kiara? I will find you no matter how far you run. You're mine to kill.
His words run through my mind again. He couldn't even dream of going against Alpha Jasmine and her pack. I'd be safe here with them. I have to get in first though.
"Okay ladies and gentlemen. We have some papers and pens here for you to write down your name, your age, your previous pack and location, and why you're here. Don't write to join," The Kingston brother smiles and his perfect teeth are on show. I flinch at the sight of them. The Kingston brothers are known for their wolf forms. They have the biggest hide anyone had ever seen. Plus, they've been around forever. I blink and focus on his words again. "If you have any questions you can ask me or Killian Kingston. I'm Kol Kingston by the way and I look forward to meeting you all one on one."
I'm the third person in line, only because I was standing on this side to begin with. The guy in front of me looks to be in his late twenties and he has a large scar down the right side of his face. He was handsome and he had tried to talk to me when we first started lining up. I politely shut him down. He left me alone after that.
We'd all come from Washington's pack. Most of us, at least. We'd picked up a few dozen strays along the way who'd also heard of the all knowing and indomitable queen Jasmine Kingston. Though, now I know her real name.
Kol Kingston handed a stack of papers to Sarah who was first in line. She took one piece of paper and passed the test back. The guy in front of me handed me the stack.
I took a piece of paper and a pen was handed to me with a serious look from Kol Kingston. I tried to match his look and his changed to one of amusement. As he moved I noticed just how tall he was.
I got to work writing and resolved to lean against the wall which prompted most people to do that or to dig in their bags for a book or hard surface to write on. Kol Kingston and Killian Kingston exchanged several looks and glanced up at the second floor balcony often.
"Come with me." The voice came out of seemingly nowhere but I flipped around and looked to my left. There stood someone who sent a chill through me.
Vampire.
"I'm Christian and this is Sebastian. You'll be taking your test with us." Sebastian holds out a hand and I blink and hand him my paper have finished.
He has jet black hair and looked exactly like the vampire that you would see on any teen drama. He was good looking in a way that I avoided looking at. Christian was cute in a much more natural way with brown hair.
"Okay." I held my bag close to my chest as I faced the stairs. The walk for the last two miles from where we got off at a bus stop was tough along with weeks of sleepless nights. I tried to keep pace with them and managed pretty well considering they both seemed to be looking at my writing.
"So you're from the Wala Wala pack in North Carolina? That's almost 200 miles away."
"Yeah it took me a few days to get here by bus, but over half of our pack should be here."
"Yeah we're aware." They share a look.
"Why are you here?" Christian asks this with full eye contact. His face is so raw and serious I catch my breath.
"W-what?" He doesn't repeat himself. His eyes glow intensely and Sebastian opens a door to his right and uses his speed to close it quickly. He grins at me. I find a cold chill has spread through me starting from my toes and extending through my body to the top of my head. He motions inside the dark room and his eyes flash a bright, glowing, terrifying red at me. I swallow and prepare myself to tell the entire truth. Everyone knows not to fuck with vampires.
~~~
"Fifty pack members?" I want to swear and I want to complain. I want to complain that it's too much. That I can't do it. Instead I look around. Sebastian is perched on my desk flush against my left side arm to arm. On my right, Keith leans back with his arms crossed and a stern look on his face. His entire body language echoes dominance and I wonder when he gained that confidence. Christian stands across from me with Kol next to him. Killian had left to grab a new shirt as he'd ruined the first beating up a werewolf. He didn't explain himself and I was waiting to corner him alone later.
"Well everyone's been vetted and interrogated." Kol said. He shoved his tongue against his lip piercing and his blue green eyes looked me over appreciatively. His eyes met mine after their languid perusal. I resisted the urge to smile or react.
"It's 3 fucking AM, babydoll." Killian's voice was loud and reverberated off the walls as he burst through the door. Sebastian glances at me with an inquisitive look.
"We should sleep?" Christian asked and this had me looking over at him. Maybe we should all hole up to sleep.
"I have some news." Keith's voice, almost identical to Kol and Kaden's, sounded odd aloud. I jumped and reached out to him immediately. His hand met mine with the same speed halfway on its journey to his arm, he grabs it and redirects it to link with his. "There's been some changes with the moon goddess..."