"I won't do it!"
Kiera and Kiara winced when Blaze's shrill voice sounded through the ceiling of the Peltier house. Charisma who was standing outside the upstairs bedroom where she was confined grimaced at the painful sound and gave Sabine a pointed look. It blatantly said: I told you she would be like this.
"Blaze you can't fight with us!" Sabine called back through the door, her voice was soothing and Charisma noticed with a grin that she only ever used that voice with her baby sister. Then again they all seemed to have endless patience with Blaze as the baby of the family.
"How can you do this to me? Chrissy?" Charisma gave a silent groan, she'd wondered how long it would take before Blaze appealed to her, and there she was thinking she was going to get out of this one …
"Blaze, your barely a century old, your powers aren't developed enough to fight with us yet," Charisma called back and heard her sister splutter indignantly. Sabine seemed to have an aversion to reprimanding or telling the harsh truth to Blaze. "And not to mention that your powers would not be of use, you're the Goddess of Healing and protection, it would cause a rupture in your powers balance for you to use them for destruction so early in your life. They aren't well honed enough."
"This isn't fair! What about Odette? Her powers are practically useless, far more then mine and you've called her to fight with you!" Blaze said her voice thick with tears, Sabine looked stricken and Charisma gave her a hard look to tell her to either stick to her guns or go downstairs. Sabine nodded and put her fingers in her ears, Charisma felt bad to, if Blaze's anger was simply a childish tantrum of not wanting to be left behind then it would be easy to do so and Charisma knew that if that were the case she'd probably taunt her while she was stuck behind the magically locked door. But the fact was Blaze was in this state because she feared for her family's safety, she wanted to be with them and help them, she hated feeling useless. Hated feeling others were risking their lives while she wasn't.
"Blaze be reasonable, your fighting skills aren't developed enough yet and as for Odette, she's older then you. She has the obligatory God powers that your to young to have."
Blaze sniffed behind the door and then there was a noise of the springs on the bed being sat on and Charisma nodded as if Blaze could see her and tugged on Sabine's arm. Sabine had her face screwed up and her fingers still in her ears until they were at the bottom of the stairs, she dropped her arms and looked guiltily back up them. Before she could say anything or change her mind Charisma cut through her thoughts.
"Its for the best, Sabine, she could be seriously hurt," Charisma said in a grave voice, Sabine turned her eyes on Charisma.
"So could you," and she gave a pointed look towards Charisma's stomach, Charisma laid her hand protectively over her abdomen and sighed. She had confidence in her skills and her powers but still the life of her unborn baby laid heavy on her mind, she desperately wanted to flee back to the safety of Fury's arms but she knew the destruction the Atribos caused. She had seen with her own eyes how her home had been torn asunder by their furious hatred and their insatiable lust for wreckage and destruction.
She refused to see it happen again, not to this world, not to her mate.
"Don't think I don't know that," Charisma snapped when Sabine went to open her mouth once more, Charisma sighed again. "The choice was not an easy one. But it's the only one I can live with."
Sabine's face grew cool and she inclined her head and she swept down the hallway where she met Nicolette Peltier and her family in a parlour of sorts, Charisma straightened her shoulders and joined her there.
"She must not be allowed to leave the safety of her room until we, that is to say all her family have left the premises," Sabine was instructing the female bear. Nicolette was a formidable looking woman, a beautiful blond in her early forties she exuded an air of power and authority yet there was something in her animal senses that caused her to instantly respect the two women stood before her. "Once we have left you may free her, I have put a very strong enchantment around your house and bar, she will not be able to escape in any way and it will hide her scent from those hunting us."
"What of the other lodgers here?" Nicolette inquired, her eyes moving constantly back to Charisma who stood wearing a regal expression she got whenever she was preparing herself for a battle.
"They will be unaffected by the enchantment, it is only connected to Blaze."
Nicolette nodded. "She is …" Charisma cast around for the right word. "Tenacious. She will not give up easily and if by any chance she does find a way of escaping before we come to retrieve her, you must do all you can to keep her here or get a message to us and one of us will come."
Nicolette nodded again and Charisma felt her patience wearing thin, obviously this woman did not know the danger she was placing herself and her family in, it was best she know.
"I don't think you understand, Mrs Peltier, how important this is." The bear raised an arrogant yet elegant eyebrow at being addressed so formerly and behind her a few of her sons exchanged humorous glances. "The people that hunt us are not of this world, ergo they do not adhere to the laws of your sanctuary. The are without compassion or mercy, you and your family will be in grave danger should they suspect that you hide one of our kin here. Please, think hard about what you are committing to. For if you get cold feet and attempt to throw our sister out we will hunt you down."
Charisma's gaze pierced all in its presence and one of Nicolette's sons shifted uneasily behind her but she said nothing so Charisma carried on, Sabine's lips twitched.
"If all goes the way we hope and anticipate you have been a will be afforded the highest protections that can be given by our kind, you will be considered a friend of our family and we will fight for you as such."
"Unless, of course, we're friends of your enemies," Sabine added rather insidiously.
"Of course," Nicolette agreed and Charisma shrugged.
"I'll stand guard at her door if you like, Maman?" One of Nicolette's quads spoke up, his curly blond hair left open to fall down his back, he wore a tight black t-shirt and a pair of black leather pants and biker boots that were rather scuffed and dusty. Charisma raised an eyebrow, this guy was so not her sisters type.
Nicolette turned to look at her son, her harsh gaze softening and she patted his cheek when he stepped forward.
"Good boy, Remi, always so thoughtful," she said lovingly while behind them there was a series of hasty coughs that Charisma knew hid snorts of derision and disbelief.
Charisma let out a long breath and walked through the bar - ignoring the looks from the various were-hunters - and stepped outside into the gentle morning sunlight. She was trying her hardest not to think about Fury, at least until all this trouble was over but it was so hard, she had spent a lot of last night trying not to cry, she blamed in on pregnancy hormones. But when she heard his howl so plaintive and lonely, she physically ached. And when she woke this morning her pillow was still damp from weeping in her sleep. It wasn't the way of her people to be away from their soul mate for long durations and she now understood the damage it could cause if you were not strong enough to combat the depression.
Charisma leant back against the brick wall and waited for Sabine, she felt tired, perhaps it was an effect of pregnancy though she hadn't gotten any real sleep last night. She blinked, then blinked again and every time her eyes stayed closed for longer, until she stood upright against the wall in a state of such drowsiness that she did not realise someone was watching her from opposite the street. They walked across the road and mounted the pavement in a jump and were in front of her, their shadow causing her forehead to crease wondering where the sun had gone on such a cloudless morning.
They seized her upper arms hard and her eyes flew open, she was unable to utter a scream when soft but firm lips crushed on her own, taking her cry of alarm into his own mouth.
"F-fury!" she gasped once he had allowed her to breathe. Instead of answering her Fury hauled her in to his arms and held her tightly to his chest inhaling the scent of her pretty neck that he licked and kissed. She was so shocked that she couldn't raise her arms to hold him to her, she had wondered whether or not he was still mad at her this obviously answered her question. Suddenly she stiffened, her body clenching with fear, what if the Atribos were near? What if they saw Fury and realised?
Fury had never felt such relief in his entire life, with her finally in his arms again it felt as if someone had taken a vice off that had been squeezing painfully at his heart for the last few days. Then she stiffened. He pulled back and gazed at her face, praying she still wanted him, she looked a little frightened and a surge of guilt so strong burned viciously inside him, he wouldn't have been surprised if it physically singed the sides of his heart. He resisted the urge to rub his hand over his chest to try and ease the pain. Had he made her this frightened of him?
"Charisma, I -" he broke off when she struggled to remove his arms from around her, but he tightened them in response. "Listen to me, stop trying to run away from me! I'm sorry!"
She stopped struggling and lowered her head to his chest and let out a frustrated sigh, then her head shot back up again barely missing his mouth.
"Fury, I really am sorry, but I really can't talk about this now. I'll come to you tonight, I promise!"
Struck dumb by her fearful whisper and abrupt departure, he almost let her go, but his senses slammed back into him and he grabbed her arm and swung her round to face him.
"What's happened? What's going on?" he asked but she shook her head and tried to pull away from him, he didn't want to hurt her but there was no way he was letting her go again. He spun her round and pressed her head into his chest, cradling her there while he murmured in her ear.
"Charisma, you have to tell me what's wrong. I'm sorry for what I said to you and that I was angry, please forgive me."
"Its not you," she moaned softly, tears in her voice, she tried to shake her head and move back but when she found his steel arms around her she gave up and settled into his embrace, a feeling of completeness sweeping over her, making her feel more whole then she had in days.
"That's better," she shivered as he breathed over her ear. "Now tell me why your so upset?"
"It's a long story, you'll probably not understand most of it."
"Tell me," he urged. Charisma snuggled closer aware that they were cuddling on a street in broad daylight but she just didn't care.
"I told you my world died, remember? That's true enough … But I didn't tell you how. The Atribos are demons in my world, they thrive on destruction and terror, they hate the gods that keep them so downtrodden. Atribos in our language means …. Well it basically means without souls and unclean. But there isn't a real world in your language to describe them. They killed our world and now they're coming for us."
Fury stroked his hand down her hair and tucked some wayward strand behind her ear.
"How did they kill your world?" He uttered and was pleased when her arms crept round him and held him tight.
"They killed off the source of what Gods are. They wiped out whole civilisations, in the most brutal way. When a god is no longer believed in they cease to exist, that is a universal law throughout every dimension. But in our world just because you kill the god or goddess does not mean what they represent dies."
"What do you mean?"
"In your world if you kill Artemis the moon dies and her brother Apollo dies so then does the sun, in my world the goddess of the sun may die but the sun remains but there is no longer any balance or control. It burns ceaselessly, creating deserts and drying up water, its heat becoming so intense that it will burn to a crisp any who venture out in it. The sun will affect the moon, the moon the tide a chaotic domino effect of titanic proportions. The whole world unbalancing itself. We tried to save our people but it was too late so we abandoned everything and came here."
Charisma raised her head and looked into Fury's eyes. "Now those that wish to destroy us have come for us, we will beat them but … I think its best that you do not come near me for a little while - just until its all over," She added hastily when Fury's face showed immediate objection to the plan.
"You can get that out of your head this minute!" he growled moodily, he disliked the sound of the Atribos immensely and more so because it gave his mate an excuse not to come home with him and have make up sex. "You're my mate I'm staying with you."
His tone held finality but still she tried to persuade him.
"If you'd just -"
"Be quiet," Fury watched her eyes flash dangerously and he gave her a grin before he demanded. "I want you to be quiet and kiss me."
She acquiesced to his demand rather amiably, she wrapped her dainty hands round the nape of his neck while his own roamed her perfect ass freely.
"I've missed you," he breathed when she broke away from him, both breathing heavily.
"I miss you too."
"So this is the wolf?" Charisma turned her head to the Sanctuary door to find Sabine, Kiera and Kiara were all standing, watching her with grins on their faces. Charisma blushed and rubbed her face over Fury's chest rather like a cat.
"Man, Rage is going to be ppeeee - iiiissss - ed!" Kiara chortled, Fury frowned and his arms unconsciously tightened around Charisma.
"Who?" he asked, hoping to Artemis it wasn't an ex-boyfriend he would unfortunately have to kill.
"Our brother," Kiara laughed again, in fact she actually whooped, so loudly that several people eyed her closely. Fury raised an eyebrow then shrugged, he felt Charisma sigh contentedly in his arms before she spoke.
"Fury, these are my sisters. Sabine," Fury nodded to a young woman with unbelievably long and straight brown hair, with storm grey eyes set in a delicate face, he blinked rapidly when the colour of her hair began to change before his eyes; he shook his head. Apart from that weirdness, she was not what Fury would have thought of as a Goddess. As if she heard his thoughts she gave him a wry grin and said conspiratorially. "I know what you mean, wolf. Good thing I'm only god by half, huh?"
Again Fury merely raised an eyebrow and Charisma smiled, he supposed he would have to be comfortable in her family's presence seeing as he didn't plan on letting her go anytime in eternity. And it seemed to please her to introduce them, what the hell, it cost him nothing to make her smile.
Fury nodded his head to the two twins standing on either side of Sabine, they both had short sleek caps of coal black hair, their lips very full and wide and their skin was so pale it seemed to glow and make all else around them dull, they were identical down to the most minute feature. However Fury paused when looking at the one introduced as Kiera, her face had a quality about it that was indefinable, perhaps it was her eyes but when he looked at her, he saw sadness in her. Loneliness and pain, her face haunted by what Fury could only guess but even then he knew he would be wrong.
"Now all you have to do is invite me round to meet your family," Charisma said winding her arms around his neck.
"You've already met them," Fury muttered huskily nuzzling her ear, "besides I don't want them visiting when I start doing all I plan to do to you." He nipped her lobe, delighted when she shivered.
They both looked up at someone clearing their throat and Fury moved to step back but Charisma held fast and he drew her under the safety of his shoulder.
"Well, we going or what?" Kiara asked, and Sabine who was watching them with a mysterious smile turned her eyes on her sister.
"No," she said softly, "not tonight. Lets have one more night of peace, there's time enough for bloodshed tomorrow."
She gave a wistful sigh and faded away, almost as if she had been blown away by a breeze, the twins bid them goodbye and followed suit but in a more abrupt fashion, by simply flashing out of there.
Fury pursed his lips. "so that's your family?"
Charisma cleared her throat dangerously, "yes and I bid you continue whatever you wish to say at your own peril."
Fury couldn't help grinning like a fool, he felt soothed by just being in her presence yet at the same time his body was thrumming from wanting her, his very blood dancing to a rapid beat because she was here with him. He bent his head to kiss her and she yielded instantly, his head still dizzy from joy he flashed them back to the forest where he and his pack stayed, drawing her close to his side he walked her through the pack. It was a momentous instant as Fury held his head higher then he had ever done, showing the wolves that this was his mate, their leader had his mate and there would never be another. They parted for them like the red sea and stared after them long after they had ducked under the swinging curtain of ivy and settled down upon the grass.
They made love furiously, the tension each had been feeling over the days apart breaking free and taking form in rough sweaty sex under the cresting sun. Later they lay sated and unmoving, wound tightly in each others arms and Fury was more content then he had ever been in his life, he exerted himself enough to run his coarse hand over her smooth hip, revelling in its texture and knowing that it was forever his. His face was buried in her hair that spilled in wild abandon down to her bare breasts, he tipped his head to the side to kiss the underside of her breast and he felt her wiggle in response. She pleased him more then it was possible to say. He gathered his strength and lent up on his forearms so he could look down at her precious face.
"Are you ok?" he asked, his voice hoarse from the roars he had let out when she had made him climax over and over.
Charisma licked her lips and with her eyes closed nodded, Fury bit his lip; insecurities were a bitch but he couldn't help himself. "Was I too rough?"
Charisma opened her eyes and dazed him with her smile, she slipped languid arms round his neck and stretched beneath him, her wet bottom half moving against him until he elicited a groan of satisfaction.
"I liked it, Fury," she said sleepily, "it was fantastic. Like it always is."
He forced a nonchalant sigh when he really wanted to howl his triumph. "Well, I try my best. But I don't know if I've convinced you what a great lover I am?"
Charisma laughed deep in her throat, "perhaps you should try again, in case I need reminding."
Fury laughed and lowered his head and placed his lips against the soft swell of her breast that were pushed up against his chest as he lowered himself on her. When he broke the kiss, her lips were parted on a breathless pant.
"You please me in ways you can never know," she whispered before rolling him off her and laying on her side facing him, then she took his hand and led it to her flat stomach.
Confusion must have showed on his face because she smiled enigmatically and pressed his hand closer …. Was she? Was she telling him …?
No. Fury denied it outright, he already had Charisma who was everything wonderful in his life, there was no way the fates would give him such happiness, he didn't deserve it!
"What are you telling me?" he asked in a voice not his own and she smiled wider.
"A baby, love," she said, her soft voice brimming with laughter, "a beautiful baby."
Fury felt as if someone had hit him hard in the stomach, he was robbed of air. Joy and wonder consumed him and the hand pressed to the velvet skin of her stomach trembled. He had never thought of being a father, not really; he had tried not to think about it, he never believed he would find his mate. It was a dream he never allowed himself to have for fear of the pain it would cause should it never become reality.
Charisma lay on her back and watched Fury's face, the deepening in his eyes and the brightness that was suddenly there, the working in his throat. He didn't say a word but lowered his head and placed a soft kiss on her stomach, so delicate it felt like fairy wings, she sank her fingers into his hair and watched him close his eyes as he laid his head upon her stomach.
"Are you happy?" Charisma asked it needlessly, she could see by his face that she'd given him a priceless treasure, he would be an excellent father. He lifted his head and his hand so he could stroke her cheek and stare down at her face.
"Thank you," he said the words starkly, his voice rough with emotion. "I -" he broke off and shook his head. "I love you .. So much. Thank you for this, love."
Charisma felt her lower lip tremble, Fury leant down and rained kisses lovingly all over her face, a sigh of contentment escaped her and she shifted her body. Fury was consciously careful not to put his weight on her and this time when he made love to her it was as slow and sweet as could be, floating back to earth with her on a lazy cloud of love and happiness. His low laugh loud in their comfortable silence.
"What?" Charisma muttered, speaking into the warmth of his neck.
"I just realised something," he drew her closer before whispering so softly she barely caught the words. "My reality is now better then my dreams."