CHAPTER SIX

Thankfully, it seemed the walk had been enough to allow the Pack to temporarily satisfy its curiosity, so Elise wasn't overwhelmed with customers who took forever to make up their minds about what to order, because they were there for an entirely different reason. Instead, she had her regulars, with a handful of individuals who had missed the females the day before and still hoped to catch a glimpse of them before the newness wore off.

"How are the little ones doing?" asked Ben.

"They're doing fine," Elise replied shortly. Ben was closer to her age and, as far as she was concerned, should know better than to sniff around females so young.

"And how are you doing with them?" Ben inquired further, ignoring her tone.

"Fine," she said, and topped off his cup of coffee.

In actuality, Elise had toyed with the idea of closing the café for a second day, then decided against it when she caught the females' moods that morning.

Brianna had come out of her room long enough to eat something, then retreated, claiming she was tired. Elise didn't have any trouble believing her; there had been something off about her scent all yesterday, and it had intensified this morning. She chalked it up to displacement syndrome, and decided to give it one more day before summoning the Pack's physician.

Kit had been a bag of nerves since the night before, and no wonder. When she'd taken so long to come back with the hot chocolate, Elise found her in the café's kitchen, hugging a vegetable peeler to her chest and shaking. It took one sniff for Elise to realize who had been there, and how her kitchen got to be such a mess.

She took the peeler from Kit's hand and escorted her back upstairs, erring on the side of caution on the off-chance that Gerik might still be around. She sat Kit at the table, and instructed Sarah to not let anyone else in until she returned. Then, she went back downstairs and cleaned up.

She placed a call to Alrik to complain about Gerik's behavior. It was so unlike him that it worried her, and she wanted Alrik to be forewarned in case it worsened and something had to be done. It didn't matter that Gerik was a well-liked and deeply respected member of the Pack, whereas Kit was still a relative stranger; the Law was the Law.

Alrik assured her that Gerik had informed him of what transpired himself, and currently was at the Alpha's house, keeping out of trouble. He promised Elise that Gerik would be staying away from the café for the time being, as he was just as disturbed by his own behavior.

Satisfied, Elise ended the call and fetched the hot chocolate, preparing herself for the next ordeal.

She had wanted to sit down with Sarah, the female who had avoided her the most, and get the measure of her. Spending one day cloistered and the majority of the next hanging back and ruffling everyone's feathers from a distance had put Elise on alert.

Niel had been reticent regarding Sarah Hollander. It had thrown Elise for a loop when he showed up with three Wolf Lake females instead of two, so she hadn't thought to drag more information out of him at the time. Now she wish she did; from everything Brianna and Kit said, it seemed Sarah wasn't much respected by them. At first, Elise thought it was just due to them being strong and her weak; those at their level frequently were short on patience for those so far beneath them.

But, as time went on, it became apparent that Sarah's reluctance to join them was less instinctive submission and more sullen resentment. Her behavior toward the werewolves who met them on their walk was downright rude, and Elise was starting to suspect the female's sense of importance far outstripped her actual talent. That her talent did outstripped her self-control was an additional worry; Sarah was heading for trouble, and she was either unable—or unwilling—to see it.

After she got Kit settled, Elise had cornered Sarah and politely, but in a tone indicating she would brook no dissent, demanded to know what had transpired during their walk. Sarah reluctantly divulged the progression of events, seemingly aware that somehow, she had done something wrong, but didn't understand how or at what point.

Elise wasn't entirely sure, either. Sarah hadn't lied to her; she'd be able to sniff that out faster than the younger female could think it up. In the end, it seemed to be just an unfortunate clashing of nerves all around. That Sarah hadn't been able to detect Brianna's agitation was troublesome, but it was something they could work on.

And that had been the ultimate reason for her conversation with Sarah—to see how much work the female needed before they let her roam about on her own. Nerves aside, Brianna and Kit seemed sharp enough to handle themselves and whatever situation they found themselves in. Kit in particular, if the events of the night before were to be any judge.

Sarah, on the other hand, appeared to need to be completely reeducated about what it meant to be a werewolf, with particular attention paid to what was required of her, personally. Elise wondered if she were going to be responsible for this, or if Alrik intended for someone else to shoulder the task. Though certainly experienced, she would prefer Niel handle it, and not just because he was the Pack's Keeper. He simply had more patience than most werewolves, so was best suited for showing them the error of their ways without resorting to pounding their heads against a wall. At least not right away.

Elise hoped Niel could straighten out Sarah quickly. She normally didn't mind hosting relocaters until they got their feet underneath them, but, even after such a short time, this lot was starting to get to her. They were too extreme in their abilities and personalities for her to get a handle on them. Hopefully, Kit and Brianna would be able to move on soon enough. That would leave Elise with just Sarah, a much more manageable situation.

Maybe she just was getting too old for this sort of thing. No matter what one thought of themselves, eventually, time caught up to them. Maybe it was just Nature's way of telling her to slow down.

Elise went into the kitchen to check up on a few things when she heard the crash from upstairs. Her head jerked up and she paused in her activities. There was another crash, followed by a dull thud. Damnit, what now?

She asked Ben to keep an eye on things, then hurried out the front door.

Ben sipped at his coffee, then reached for the sugar. He didn't know what it was about growing old, but he kept craving sweet things. For a while, he worried he was developing diabetes. The Pack physician tested him, and said he was fine; probably just changing taste buds. However, he promised to keep an eye on him.

Werewolves were stronger than humans and, if they were careful, lived a little bit longer on average. However, that didn't mean they weren't prone to many of the same diseases and complications. So, a prudent werewolf paid attention to his body. Ben had always been a prudent werewolf, and was hoping, in spite of the already long and fulfilling life that he'd led, he had a few more years in him.

Ideally, they would be with Elise. Werewolves, like their four-footed cousins, true wolves, were serial monogamists. Elise had lost her mate several years ago to lung cancer; Ben's died in a hunting accident when he was in his thirties. Either way, he decided enough time had gone by for the both of them to start living their lives again. He didn't think their mates would mind; it was, after all, their way. Perhaps even now, their mates were frolicking with one another in Heaven, waiting for Ben and Elise to join them.

Ben smiled to himself. There was a thought—Anna and Elise at the same time. Of course, he'd have to share with Jon, but that was okay. They'd shared plenty before both of them settled down.

His thoughts turned to the muffled crash he heard right before Elise ran out of the café. He hoped the young females would settle down enough to move out sooner rather than later. He had no doubt they were fine females who just need a little time to adjust, but they were putting a crimp in his plans. If nothing truly bad happened, he estimated having a few decades left, and he wanted to live every single minute of them.

*Ben, get the Alpha!* Elise's voice screeched across a mental thread, startling him enough that he dropped his cup, spilling coffee everywhere. Ignoring it, he jumped up and raced outside and around the building to the outside door leading to the apartment above the café. Halfway up the stairs, he paused as his brain reminded him of what Elise had asked him to do. Alrik first, then Elise.

He quickly shot off a telepathic message to his Alpha, then continued up the stairs. Emerging on the landing, Ben forced himself to stop and allow his senses to better evaluate the situation. His father always told him his propensity for rushing in first and asking questions later would get him killed, and he'd almost been right on a few occasions. Now was not the time to test the accuracy of that prediction again.

Deep, vicious snarls came from the kitchen. Something shattered on the floor. A female whimpered. The scent of blood was thick on the air. Two kinds of blood—one thin and salty, probably from a wound. The other was heavily laced with musk. Unusual energy whipped through the air. Wild Child. Oh. Everything made sense now. He mentally summoned the Pack's physician, as well, and suggested he bring along some heavy-duty painkillers, then stepped into the room.

A petite platinum blonde had wedged herself into the space between the refrigerator and the row of cabinets. She was growling at everyone, her eyes glowing, and Ben could see her sharp canines whenever she curled her lips. Elise was in the middle of the room, trying to calm her down as well as inch forward so she could yank her out of the space. Every time she took a step, the blonde's growl upped in volume, and she had to back off.

Another of the females, this one with shoulder-length reddish blonde hair, tried to help the third, a brunette, who lay curled up in a ball across the room from the first. The thinner blood smell came from her, and the thicker scent from the little blonde, as Ben had suspected. The brunette whimpered and cringed away from the helping hands of the strawberry blonde.

"Brianna, please, I just want to help you," Elise begged, and tried to reach for her. The blonde's snarl ripped through the air as she lashed out at Elise. Ben jumped forward and pulled Elise back. "I don't know what's wrong with her," she said, her voice cracking on unshed tears.

"Leave her be," Ben advised. "The Alpha and Michael will be here soon."

"Michael? Why's he coming?"

Ben briefly glanced at Elise in surprise before switching his attention back to the Wild Child.

"She's in pain," he explained. "Can't you smell it? It's her annual."

"Her annual?"

"Any other female, I'd call it a 'monthly,' but with this one . . ." he trailed off. Elise gaped at him.

"She has her period?"

Ben blinked at her; Elise normally wasn't this dense.

"Yeah," he said. "She's weak and bleeding, probably got some nasty cramps. She's feeling vulnerable and scared, which is causing her to overreact. Michael will give her something, and she'll be right as rain."

"Ben, this can't be cured with a few Midol," Elise growled, glaring at him.

"I figured," he retorted impatiently. "That's why I told him to bring the big guns. Be a little sympathetic to the poor thing; you remember what it was like, and you got it spaced out over twelve months. This is a full year's worth, all in one go. That'd be enough to drive anyone up a wall."

By the time Alrik arrived at the apartment, Michael, the Pack's physician, was already there and not faring any better than Elise had.

Brianna was still crammed into the small space, and Michael was crouched about four feet away from her. Two little white pills and a glass of water sat on the floor between them. Broken glass littered the floor; the table and chairs had been pushed against the wall to give everyone room to maneuver. That, combined with the rich scent of blood in the air, told him what was going on.

Ben and Elise were attempting to help Michael convince Brianna to come out of her hole and take the pills. Kit was on the floor with Sarah, trying to help her, and not succeeding.

When Alrik walked into the kitchen, everyone stopped to look at him. Even Sarah ignored her own misery long enough to peer at him cautiously through her hair.

Elise started to speak, but Alrik silenced her with a wave of his hand. First things first, they had to clear the room. Brianna was never going to come out with all those people there; right now, she was convinced they were threats, and felt safer where she was.

"Kit, take Sarah to her room," he ordered.

"I've been trying," the female retorted, clearly exhausted. She had a gash across her forehead that was already scabbed over, and her face was drawn.

Alrik forced himself to ignore the disrespect in her voice. Brianna's distress was contagious, and he had to fight against his own rising anxiety and the urge to lash out. He strode across the room, reached under Kit and dragged Sarah up by the back of her shirt.

"Quiet," he snapped and shook her like a puppy when she cried out. Still carrying her, he walked back out of the kitchen, picked the first bedroom he came to and tossed her in, not bothering to see where or how she landed. He shut the door behind him, returned to the kitchen, and gestured for everyone except Michael to get out. They obeyed, though stopped in the hallway near enough to keep watch.

Next, Alrik stepped back into the kitchen and motioned for Michael to back up. Michael scooted until he bumped into the cabinets. Alrik crouched down directly behind the little tableau of medicine, keeping Brianna in his line of sight, though ignoring her growls.

"What is this?" he asked, keeping his tone even, as he picked up one of the pills.

"Vicodin," Michael replied. "She's got cramps."

"I know what she has. She won't take them?"

"She accused me of trying to drug her."

"You are."

"She meant poison," Michael clarified testily. "She's in a great deal of pain, and it's confusing her. She thinks we want to hurt her."

"A natural assumption, given that she's technically wounded right now."

"I know that. She just needs to take the pills, and she'll be able to calm down enough to realize that we just want to help her."

Alrik sighed. Michael was correct, of course; he was just overreacting in response to a member of his Pack's fear.

"Is this it?" he asked in a gentler tone.

"There's a whole bottle on the counter," Michael answered. "I brought enough to last five days, if she needs it that long."

Alrik stood and backed up to the bottle of pills, glass crunching under his booted feet. He never took his gaze off Brianna, who unflinchingly returned his stare, her glazed eyes hostile. He picked up the bottle of pills and slipped it into his pocked, then returned to his position on the floor. The glass of water and two pills were placed out of the way, but close enough to be at hand.

*When I say so, give her the pills,* he ordered Michael. This needed to be done quickly, and to accomplish that, he needed to lull Brianna into a sense of security. He sat cross-legged in front of her and made himself relax. He let his head fall forward just a little bit, his eyes focusing on her feet rather than her face, his hands resting loosely in his lap.

After about ten minutes where no one moved so much as a muscle, her growls lessened in intensity. Alrik waited, covertly watching her from underneath his lashes. One foot slid forward a few inches as her leg muscles began to ease. Alrik waited. Her arms uncurled from her chest, one falling to her lap, the other slumping down next to her.

Alrik waited fifteen more minutes, then attacked.

Before she could react, he lunged at her, grabbed a leg and arm in each hand, and yanked her out of the space. Brianna tried to rake him with her nails, but he let go of her leg and grabbed her wrist. He spun her around in his embrace and pinned her arms to her sides. She writhed and kicked against him, guttural snarls ripping from her chest. Alrik dropped to the floor on his back and tangled her legs with his own.

"Now!" he yelled at Michael. The physician rushed forward, sweeping up the pills as he came. He pried Brianna's mouth open, and she snapped at him. "Ignore it!" Alrik commanded, and Michael crammed the pills down her throat, clamped her jaw shut, and then pinched her nostrils. Brianna tried to jerk her head out of his grasp, but with Alrik holding her so tightly, she didn't have enough room to move. Eventually, she swallowed, and Michael released her nose. Still holding her jaw shut, he shifted his hand to her throat, which he gently massaged, encouraging her to keep swallowing on the off-chance she might have faked taking the pills. After several minutes, he let her go and backed away.

"This is what we're going to do." Alrik paused as he readjusted his grip on the still-struggling Brianna. "Everyone needs to get out of the way right now. Ben, you hold her ankles while I stand up, and then let go. I'll carry her downstairs. My jeep is outside. Michael, I'm going to need you to drive the two of us back to my house."

"Do you think that's wise?" Elise asked. "She might get away from you."

"We have to risk it," Alrik told her. "She needs to get as far away from everyone as possible. She won't like being alone with me, but it's better than being surrounded by potential enemies."

Elise nodded and pulled Kit into a side room. Ben stepped forward and grabbed Brianna's ankles. She tried to kick him, but he held fast. Alrik unwrapped his legs from around hers and planted his feet against the floor. Ben moved up to her calves.

This was the trickiest part. Readjusting his grip so only one arm pinned her to his chest, Alrik braced the other against the floor and pushed himself upright. His back bent under the strain, but he quickly shifted his balance and managed to get standing. He reached out to grab her legs, and that was when everything went wrong.

Ben let go too soon, which was the opening Brianna must have been waiting for. She planted both feet firmly against his chest and shoved him to the floor. Faster than Alrik predicted, her legs swung up and back and nailed him right in the groin. Pain exploded throughout his body, and he let go of her and dropped. Michael reached out to grab her, but she raked him with her nails, ripping his arm open. She jumped over Ben, ran out into the hallway, and leapt over the railing. Alrik heard her land on the stairs, then the door to the outside slammed against the wall.

"Shit," he gasped, and rolled over onto his hands and knees. He took a deep, shuddering breath, willing himself not to vomit. When the pain ebbed from screaming to merely furious, he slowly climbed to his feet. Michael helped Ben off the floor, who reached out to steady himself against the wall.

"Well, at least we tried," Ben observed lightly. Alrik barked a laugh.

"This isn't funny," Michael said sourly. "She's completely out of control. Anyone who comes across her path will be seen as a threat and attacked."

"I doubt that," Alrik replied and started to pace around the room, trying to walk off the rest of the pain.

"What do you think happened to that one?" Michael asked, jerking his head toward the room where Alrik had tossed Sarah.

"I have no doubt she got in Brianna's way," Alrik stated, "but I wouldn't be surprised if it had more to do with her own ignorance than Brianna actively going after her. Best guess, Brianna will want to get as far away from people as possible, so she's not going to head into the middle of town. Anyone she does come across who didn't sense her coming first will get hurt, but she's not going to hang around to finish the job. She'll strike to disable them long enough to get away. Unless they do something stupid, it's unlikely any wound they receive will be fatal. Either way, I'll call you to let you know if anyone needs immediate attention and can't get to you themselves."

"What are you going to be doing?" Michael asked. Alrik stared at him blankly before answering.

"Tracking her," he stated. "You think I'm going to let a Wild Child that strong run amok on my island, doing God-knows-what kind of damage to herself and others?"

Shaking his head, he walked out.

Brianna ran as fast as her two feet would carry her, which wasn't all that fast. As soon as she put enough distance between herself and the town, she tried to flip, but the pain was so excruciating that she stopped. It was because of the other pain. She couldn't do anything while she was in all this pain. Couldn't flip, couldn't run, couldn't even think. She tripped over a root and took a header into the dirt. More pain shattered through her body, immobilizing her.

When she could move again, she slowly stood up. Her muscles screamed in agony, and she sobbed. Anyone who found her in this state would kill her immediately. She was broken and weak. A broken, weak female was a danger to the Pack. She needed to get away from everyone until the pain went away and she stopped bleeding.

Unbidden, a picture flashed in her mind of waves crashing against a cliff. Somehow, she knew there was a sliver of beach at the bottom of the cliffs. Just enough for her to walk along toward the northern end, where there was a cave. In her mind's eye, she could see the cave's black, wet walls covered in seaweed. As she traveled deeper into the cave, the seaweed disappeared, and the blackness faded into a dark grey.

A safe place, she thought. Somewhere no one would find her, because they wouldn't be able to reach her when the tide was in.

Brianna turned toward the shore.

Elise rubbed a cool salve into Ben's chest, and he rumbled happily as it began to numb his skin. The Wild Child kicked like a mule; he was going to be bruised for several days.

"She could have cracked your sternum," Elise grumbled in response to his smile.

"But she didn't," Ben replied. He was going to have to send the Wild Child a thank you card. If she hadn't hurt him, then he wouldn't get to experience the pleasure of Elise's hands on his skin.

"Old fool," Elise muttered, though she couldn't keep the affection entirely out of her voice. Ben's smile widened. In his youth, he would have pulled Elise into his lap and kissed her for that tone. Now, he had learned to be patient in courtship. Elise might be ministering to his wounds now, but later, once he'd healed, he'd try something a little more forward. And she would remember his naked chest and how he hadn't let himself go to fat, like so many other males his age.

The sound of heavy boots hitting the stairs prompted Ben to grab Elise's wrist and hold her still while he listened. Niel. He relaxed and let go.

Niel entered the kitchen and quickly scanned the room. Michael and Kit only glanced at him before resuming cleaning up the debris. Ben beamed up at him from his chair and waved, ignoring Niel shaking his head in disbelief. The young were always so dramatic, he thought blithely.

"Where is she?" Niel asked shortly.

"Who?" Elise asked as she washed salve off her hands.

"Sarah."

"Still in her room," Elise replied.

Niel disappeared, then came back dragging Sarah with him. He dropped her into a chair, then stood in the doorway, hands fisted on his hips.

"Alrik told me to take care of this while he looks for Brianna," he stated. "So, what happened?"

No one said anything at first, then Kit sighed and took a step forward.

"Brianna had been feeling poorly yesterday," she began. "I just kept out of her way. This morning, she went to get a cup of coffee, and Sarah was between her and the machine. I don't know what exactly happened. I think Sarah said something, and Brianna just snapped. She knocked her to the floor and started hitting her. I tried to pull her off Sarah, and she pushed me against the table. I cut my head," she touched the gash in her forehead, then continued. "The next thing I knew, Elise was here."

"She took a swipe at me and holed herself up there—" Elise pointed to the space between the fridge and the counter. "I called for Ben to send for Alrik, and he figured out what was happening, so sent word to Michael."

Ben took up the story at this point and quickly relayed what happened. Niel nodded, staring thoughtfully at the floor.

"I don't understand," Kit said when Ben finished. "She was just menstruating. What's the big deal?"

"Brianna's a Wild Child," Niel explained. "They only menstruate once a year. As a result, it lasts longer and is more stressful on them, physically and emotionally. If she'd let Elise know she was near her time, this could have been avoided."

"So why didn't she?" Elise wondered.

"Good question," Niel posited, and looked at Kit and Sarah in turn. Kit shrugged, confused. "Sarah?" he pressed. She hunched in on herself.

"Sarah, if you know something about this, you need to tell them," Kit commanded. When Sarah refused to say anything, Kit sighed. "Sarah told me that it was widely known in Wolf Lake that Brianna was different somehow, and that her parents would lock her up for losing her temper. Sarah called them 'episodes.' I didn't know about it before yesterday."

Poor little thing, Ben thought to himself. No wonder she hadn't wanted to ask for help, if that's how she was treated by her own family. She probably thought she could handle it herself, and when she couldn't . . .

"And you didn't think to tell any of us this?" Niel growled. Kit flinched.

"She's had her own problems to deal with," Elise said, giving Niel a telling glance.

"Sarah?" Niel turned back to the other female. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"She's just a freak!" Sarah burst out angrily. "I just bumped into her, and she went crazy. She should be destroyed."

Ben was taken aback by the vehemence of her words. The female hadn't handled the situation very well, but who could blame her? It was a mistake, and one that Alrik would make sure never happened again, but it didn't mean she needed to be destroyed.

"A Wild Child is not a freak," Niel growled. "And if you said anything like that to her, when you knew better not to, then you got what you deserved."

"She's—"

"You will not interrupt me!" Niel roared, making them all jump. "However the Wolf Lake Pack treated all of you no longer matters. As long as you reside here on Changer Island, you will mind your place. And that means you will be obedient and courteous to anyone who outranks you. That includes Brianna Young."

When he reached the edge of town, Alrik stopped. He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing, extending his consciousness throughout the entire island. The land sang to him, and he caressed it with his power. He was aware of his Pack ceasing their activities and turning toward him, waiting for his direction. He reassured them that matters were well in hand, but cautioned them to stay where they were for the time being. He offered no explanation, and none asked for one. It was enough that their Alpha had made the request; they would obey without question.

His Pack taken care of, Alrik returned his attention to the task at hand. Brianna, he whispered to the land, letting the feel of her sink into the ground and rise up into the sky.

Brianna, the land sang back, and the feel of her ran back up his legs, into his torso, filling his arms, and finally his head. The land tugged at his feet, and he followed where it led.

To the cliffs on the eastern shore of the island. Down the narrow, steep path to the strip of beach. Across the sand, the waves drawing nearer to his feet. At the north end, a wide dark hole gaped in the side of the cliffs. Brianna, the land sang again, and let him go.

Alrik checked his watch, and mentally counted back the time. The Vicodin should have kicked by now. Brianna might still be conscious, but she wouldn't have enough energy to fight him. Alrik stepped into the cave.