Title: Pending
Author: Ice-Eagle Y'Siri
Summary: Leah is mostly known as the Marrok's mate, selfish, and cruel to her pack. What people don't know is her side of the story...and why she gave up everything. For him. The Marrok. Marie will tell the tale. Sometimes it's better to be hated by all than just by one.
(Marie's POV)
Hurtshurtshurtswheresprettywolfprotectoralphawhereisshehurtshurtshurtsdon'tletthemtakeherawayhurtshurtshurts--
"SHUT UP YOU DAMN WOLF!" My keening cut off abruptly and I cringed for the blow that slammed me against the side of my silver/iron metal cage. My slowly healing wounds burned even more and I barely suppressed the urge to howl. Where was ...Leah? Where'd she go? She was one of the newest ones, and the only one that tried to help me.
Darkdarkdarkwheresprettywolfgottafindhergottafindherhelpherhelpme
A soft whuff echoed through the dark basement. Through the darkness, I could just barely see her beside me in another cage. Being careful not to yelp in glee, I stood carefully and wagged my tail at Leah. Though it must've been agony for her, she pressed her muzzle through the bars and touched my nose, licking the tip. With that reassurance, we settled nearby each other (separated by the bars) and kept an eye out for our captors.
I had been here for a nameless time...once you're here in the dark for too long, you lose track of the days. Once I Turned at the first full moon, my family dumped me into the local pack's care, who then lost me on a bet to one of the packs controlled by The Outfit in Chicago. I had been here ever since. Leah was brought in only a few days ago and looked even worse than I, which is a feat in and of itself. Whatever she was, she was a dominant by her stature, and tried to protect the younger wolves here. In this case, me. The results are the long cuts and obvious swellings all over her body. There were more of us, but they took one of us away day by day, and we didn't dare Change. We didn't see them again.
Leah and I were the only ones left.
They would come for one of us soon. I'm still in the dark as to why they kept me alive for so long.
Scaredscaredscareddon'tknowwhattodogonnadiegonnadiethey'regonnakillherandmebothmyfaultherfaultourfaultsoconfusedsoscaredgonnadie
I knew why Leah was here. She was the Marrok's mate--or so I heard from the men who hauled her down--and was quite a catch. They trapped her while she was apparently on a shopping spree in Chicago. Her personality, from what I understood, was most repellent and cruel, and they were sure that no one would miss her.
I thought differently. She's the Marrok's mate and wife, for God's sake. How stupid were they? Her personality may suck, but what she had done to help me raised her in my eyes.
Just as one of the men came down again (they never spoke unless we made a vocal noise) we heard a CRASH from above, and both of us muzzily raised our heads. The blood loss was getting to both of us, and unless whoever was raising hell up there was an ally, we were both going to die very soon from our injuries. I prayed to heaven that it was one of Leah's pack.
Evidently, it was. Leah picked herself up and yipped at me to do the same. I had a harder time, as my shoulder was broken somewhere and it was hard to stand properly. As the nameless man opened both our doors, the door to upstairs banged open and our captor went down in less then a second and both he and the wolf were rolling on the floor. Leah then bolted out of her cage and helped me out of mine, then we backed ourselves into a corner. Though Leah looked like she was crazed for a fight, we both knew better than to try to join.
A blond, short-ish man came down the stairs, a dark Middle-Eastern man behind him.
"Charles," the blond man said, "finish it. I would have Leah do it, but she looks preoccupied and too injured."
I sat down on the ground and looked over Leah's body as they both approached. 'The blond must be Bran, Leah's mate. Thank God.'
Both Bran and the dark man approached slowly and cautiously, but Leah snarled viciously at them. One look at her eyes told us that she was very close to losing it completely. I was about the same, actually. Bran looked slightly taken aback at her growl.
"Leah, it's Bran, your mate. We're here to help you and your-," he looked over her at me and changed his word, "-our packmate. We'll see to you and her, don't worry."
Her ears slowly rose and her posture began to relax. Both of us had been on the edge for so long that we didn't recognize those who was trustworthy at this point. Bran kept looking at me, but I didn't lower my eyes as required. His eyes had turned wolf when he first saw Leah, but at this point, I was too exhausted to care and just blinked at him. I slowly crept up to Leah's shoulder and licked her jaw. Peering at me, she returned the gesture and nosed me forward towards the dark man.
Keeping my head down, I looked back at Leah, who nodded her head at me to keep going. All I remembered after that was a "ssshhhh, querida" and a swooping blackness took me far away.
(Leah's POV)
By the saints and God almighty, I hurt in places I didn't even know I could hurt. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. At least Marie was safe, thank heaven.
This registered in my head in about three seconds and I turned my eyes back towards Bran, my mate. I was very close to unleashing my wolf, and my control was at the moment similar to a fraying thread. I was surprised that he had come for me, actually. I thought he'd leave me for dead. He wouldn't care. Bran would just find someone else like me and claim them as his mate. My death would be an, "unfortunate accident", but no one would actually notice.
I was easily replaced, so I was shocked that he was here at all.
Tired, I sat down and my head began to droop, but my ears pricked up at Bran's voice.
"Leah," his voice was gentle, "You should Change. It'll help with your wounds."
My snort conveyed my impression with that idea. Hello? Clothes? Woman covered in blood walking out of a house? Hell freaking no. And I felt safer in wolf form, anyway. I just needed some food. Maybe I could eat my and Marie's former captor. He smelled good. That rancid meat they fed Marie and I tasted awful.
Soverytiredwhattododon'twannaChangenotsafenotsafeBranminesodisappointedallmyfaultBranheremaybesafe?Mineminemine
"Leah?"
I very slowly moved towards my mate and he helped close the distance by approaching me. With a tired whine, I butted his hand and just blinked up at him. The pain was making it hard to think.
"Leah? Please?"
That was what undid me. When he actually said 'please' I got a guilt trip and couldn't refuse.
Though I had been practicing before I went on that damned shopping trip, the Change was only a little less painful, but much smoother. I came out of it sitting on my butt on the cold concrete. In an instant Bran picked me up and nuzzled my neck; I guess his wolf needed serious reassurance. Sighing, I did the same and relaxed, then turned to Asil. The Moor had Marie cradled carefully in his arms and I sighed again. Then, no surprise to anyone, I began to cry quietly. I hurt like there was no tomorrow.
"Why'd you come?" I murmured and Bran stiffened slightly.
"You're my mate, Leah. Of course I'd come."
I smiled softly as I began to relax, "What a generic answer, Bran."
I don't remember passing out.
Hello! I was so excited to find a Mercedes Thompson fanfic category!
Please let review and tell me what you think. No flames; I'll use them for baking otherwise.
Regards,
Ice-Eagle Y'siri