Chapter 5
Something was tapping, clicking really, six rhythmical clicks running into each other and starting again. They stopped and started and even ran into each other, I could hear it as loud as thunder to my ears. What was it? It sounded like someone drumming their fingers on a table with long nails, but it was to light a sound for a hand. My eyelids slowly opened and my eyes darted straight to the source of the noise.
A spider was trying to scuttle up the skirting on the wall, it kept sliding down the groove in the wood and tried again. I was fascinated as its tiny legs worked to hoist itself up. It was funny to watch and if I had a tail it would be twitching in anticipation, the spider turned in amad dash across the other end of the room and my widened eyes tracked it as I pounced and landed in front of it, bending down and caging it with my hands. As the spider started back the other way I padded on quick light feet, tracking it and playing, cutting off its roots, then chasing it the other way. I was doing what a cat did best, toying and teasing. I moved in quick frantic reactions, jerking my limbs one way and then the other, till I realised that I was making so much noise and that someone was bound to hear me.
I spun, plonking down on my haunches with a blank expression at the people staring at me from the doorway. Nope I wasn't doing anything at all.
"Ummm Rika…?" I knew her, that was the girl who kept trying to talk to me…Skyler.
Right, I wasn't at the Cage, I was somewhere in a house, with Skyler and her family, her people. Stay away from the people who hide in the night. My heart gave a hollow thud as everything came back to me. Don was going to be so mad.
My shoulders straightened from their hunched position as movement caught my eye. The one I'd attacked, the one had gave me feelings, he was smiling as he strode over to me. I wanted to lash out, bring out my claws at him, but I had already tried that. At the last moment when I had dashed out to kill whoever was messing with me, I had hesitated, I couldn't kill him. Someone who was feeling such sorrow and then joy, someone with a beautiful face that held as many scars and hidden thoughts like mine. I couldn't kill what appeared to be what I saw in a mirror. A lost soul.
"Ah, Rika, you look so confused. Did you rest well?" His voice was rough and so gentle, it was like a blanket. His dark eyes were grinning, I could even see Skyler try to hide a slight smile.
Ignoring his outstretched hand I clambered to my feet, staying on the balls of my feet, waiting for my chance to get out, get out now before Don came and ruined these peoples lives.
"Are you alright? You seemed to be moving okay when you were playing just now, but are you really okay. We examined you but it seems that the collar your wearing prevents the touch of our healers, would you mind if I take it off?" Even as he asked he was reaching for the latch, he was exuding worry and the need to see to my health. He must've been a regular knight in shining armour then, I'd still bite his hand though, lets see a knight be chivalrous when he has a tigress' teeth latched onto his palm.
He stilled and Skyler burst out laughing behind him, as well as Mikhail and a petite woman with red hair.
I jumped at the loud noise and flinched back, crouching low so I could jump out of harms way.
"I'm sorry Rika, I don't mean to laugh, you were just thinking so loudly I couldn't help but hear that thing about you biting, hahaha I wonder what Dominic would do to be honest." Genuine humour and laughter bubbled up from everyone, not the mocking scathing kind I had endured on a daily basis. Except Dominic wasn't laughing.
"Rika, don't be afraid of us." His soft voice played on my senses, melting like honey.
"I'm not afraid." My voice was strong and sure, the laughter stopped and wary eyes turned to me as I straightened to my full height, squaring off against Dominic and curling my hand into relaxed claws.
Mikhail shifted in front of the two women slightly, Dominic tracked my movements as I paced around the edge of the room. I didn't care that this house was finely decorated with an artists architecture, I didn't care that I had been lying in a four poster bed and magnificent oak masterpieces dotted the room as dressers and drawers, I didn't care that someone, again, had dressed me in jeans and a loose shirt. All I cared about was the door and the window.
Three people at the door, so that would be my last option. I circled to the side of Dominic inching closer to the window.
"Why are you keeping me here?" I snarled at them. That's right Rika, distract them with questions and make them wary to approach by using the animal instinct, all of this to keep them away. This was what Don told me to do.
"We are helping you, after all you did help us and save one of our children." Mikhail said in a so calm and composed voice. Behind him a shadow moved and Gregori entered the room. As the eyes turned to him he focused on pulling back Mikhail and the women, placing himself between them and me. Dominic bristled and growled lowly at the slashing silver eyes.
With feral eyes and a low voice, that I hoped was intimidating, I growled allowing my eyes to change to glowing azure slits. "Perhaps YOU should be afraid of me." I hissed and lunged forward.
As I expected Gregori hunched forward to meet my attack, Dominic threw himself forward in my path, whether to stop me, Gregori or both I don't know, and I don't really care. Because I was spinning around and pounding to the window again. My life consisted around hasty exits through windows it seemed. I had rested enough so I would be strong enough to take the drop and land without harm.
The glass smashed around me as I threw myself out like a diver going into the pool. When it looked like I was going to do a belly flop on the ground, I threw my arms and legs out landing in a crouch with my eyes locked on the window and glaring up at Mikhail and Gregori. Where was Dominic?
People who were downstairs, some who looked familiar and some who didn't started coming out, either with worry, anger, or confusion on their faces. I hissed in annoyance and warning throwing myself forward into a fast lope, ignoring the buzzing of my collar in my head, it was warning me to be careful because the change was close to the surface.
I shook my head to rid it off the magical buzz, so I thought the shimmer in the air was a trick of my peripheral vision, yet in seconds I ran smack dab into the middle of a wall. So hard that I rebounded and landed twisted on my side, trying to see in front and behind me.
My head snapped in all directions, Dominic had been the wall, he had appeared out of thin air, I knew they weren't human, but this was even more dangerous, I didn't know what they were. How would I defend myself if I didn't know their strengths and weaknesses?
"Rika calm down, we aren't going to hurt you, we've already helped heal you so please trust us. If you don't want us to take the collar off then we wont. But please just talk with us, you can tell us what you are and we'll tell you what we are. We can help each other." Skyler's eyes were pleading, too old and full of knowledge for her years, yet age meant nothing, I was young, twenty four I think, yet I felt like an old crone ready to pass on. I was so weary, not in emotion, I had none I was sure, but in mind and body.
A warm pressure oozed from my neck and spread across my shoulders, my eyelids lowered and I started purring. "At least talk with us." That soft rich voice tingled the hair fluttering by my ear. I turned my head to see Dominic leaning close and rubbing his strong hands into my shoulders. What damage could talking do? At least I would know what they were, and even if they knew about me I doubt they'd tell, we both had secrets to keep.
With my mind being clouded from the warmth of Dominic's hands I numbly followed his lead back into the house. Everyone was introduced and only a few of them I didn't know, they just seemed curios of me as I sat stiffly on the sofa next to Dominic and Skyler on my other side. I would remember their names always, I was special like that. That was what Don joked about, I could always remember every fact and little detail given to me, it was what made me good enough for Don to keep. Shea and Jacques, Mikhail and Raven, Lucian and Jaxon, Gabriel and Francesca, Dimitri, Vikirnoff and Natalya, Destiny and Nicolas, Falcon and Sara, Gregori and Savannah, Corrine and Dayan, Julian and Desari. I had a sinking feeling that this wasn't even half of them. There was just so many of them here.
Dominic frowned and looked at me with his eyebrows pulled together. "This isn't many of us. So don't look so concerned."I frowned back at him. "This is more than there is of my kind."
"How many of you are there?" Mikhail asked in a quiet inquisitive voice.
My voice was dull as I scoured my mind for the figures. "The last time I saw them, including me there was eight. Now I think there is six, maybe five if Kijo dies."
I couldn't tell if their expression were shock or grief, considering the large group of people, it was probably a mixture of both and varying.
Skyler sucked in a breath. "Why are there s few of you, and why are you dying?" There was suspicion behind her eyes and again I recited the fact I had grown up with.
"We die when we fight, our masters use us and we obey, when we go to the Ring only a few of us die but we still die eventually. In a year or so, two of us will be picked for a breeding pair, so the numbers we lose can be replaced, we already have four cubs, only five to seven years old. They will be going into the Ring in a few years, but sometimes we die before we get to the Ring."
The silence was heavy on my ears and tipped my head everyway trying to hear anything.
"That's barbaric! They're treating you like… Like dogs! Breeding dogs, show dogs, fighting dogs! Pets! They're treating you like absolute animals!" Jaxon exclaimed red in the face.
"I am an animal, he is my master." Why were they getting so worked up? "Is not Mikhail your leader? Your master? Do you not fight to the death for survival? Do you not breed to replenish your peoples popularity?"
The women hesitated to answer the Destiny broke the silence. "Yes we do! But the difference is we do it by choice! We use our free will! They've more or less brain washed you, trained you to obey them! No one deserves to be used like that. They control you in a way that inhumane in any way. They even but a dog collar on you!" Her hand brandished at my collar and I flinched afraid that she would try to take it off. Dominic's hand squeezed my knee in reassurance. Yet he was shaking.
I turned to him, his muscles looked as if they ere twitching whilst being suppressed, his dark eyes were guarded as he locked gazes with me. "What of your parents?"
It took me a while till I realised what he was talking about. The pair who had created me. "I don't know. Don found me as a cub, dying, he took me in when no one wanted a mongrel runt." I thought my answer would calm him, it certainly made Don happy when I answered with these words yet Dominic seemed to get madder, I could feel waves of madness whispering in my head, a silent roaring filling my ears.
"You're so angry." I stated whilst staring at Dominic.
His eyes had red flames dancing in them. What was he?
"I'm not angry, I'm furious! Why hasn't anyone ever helped you?" He roared as he jumped to his feet, his posture as hard as a statue as his flaming eyes searched my face for an answer.
"Other races have tried to liberate us before, but there's something keeping us this way, it guards us for our masters. It's hard to explain, but if we try to defy our masters, our owners we suffer with head traumas, and bleeds, eventually our bodies cease and we lose control, we enter a coma state and we slowly die. That's is what happens to us if we disobey, only our masters can stop and start the process."
There that was surely a answer that would satisfy them all, I mean I was answering their questions without hesitation, with accuracy and in full detail. That was what I had to do.
"What happened to the races who tried to help you?" Gregori intoned in a calm voice.
"It wasn't the whole race, I think it was only a small group of them, Lycans, Mers, Leaopard, Banshee, an Yeti. They tried to help us because they were shifters as well, they felt a kinship with us. They said it wasn't right for us to be treated that way, when our masters found out, we never saw them again. But I heard their screams for a month till they stopped, so they are probably dead."
They still didn't seem happy with my answers so I just tilted my head and waited for the next question. They were silent. Dominic fell to his knees and clutched his arms to my waist as he hugged me. I was stiff unsure how to act in this situation.
Rika my love, what have you been forced to endure?
I stared down at him. That was his voice, in my head. How? I touched a tentative finger to my collar.
"How are you speaking to me like that? Did you help make these?" I gestured at the collar.
His eyes clouded and again I could see those dancing flames. "That's what he uses to keep control of you isn't it? To show that he own you." His voice was dark and as fast as lightening his hand shot to the collar. It took my a split second to react and my hand grabbed his just as he was sliding the latch, a fraction more and the collar would fall off.
"Please, don't! I'll be punished, I've already broken the rules and I cant take another punishment, not in quick cession like this. Three is already more than enough." I was nearly begging, but only with my eyes, my voice was neutral just in case he did decide the e collar had to come off.
He frowned and his finger let the latch settle back in place, his fingers traced my collarbone and neck, he didn't even jerk when I felt a jolt from the collar sting his palm. He rubbed the years raw skin the collar had ringed my neck with. The flames died in his eyes and something softer, tender replaced them.
"So this thing has a spell or a safeguard on it, it hurts whoever takes it off, and it hurt you if it is taken off." He seemed to have understood what I had been saying so I nodded my head in agreement.
"But that man, Don, he takes it off doesn't he, how?" Skyler's quiet voice asked.
"He is my master." That would surely answer all her questions but by the confused look on her face she seemed only puzzled.
I saw people in the room shaking their heads. "It's very hard to tell you what you want." That was the closest thing to complaining I could get.
"You are telling us what we want, what make you say that?" Mikhail asked as he hugged Raven to his side. She tears shining in her eyes.
"Because you are not happy with the answers I am giving you. In fact you feel so angry you feel murderous." Most of my attention was fixed on Dominic. He was the one emanating the most rage out of everyone's anger here.
"Well, there's something I want to say to you." The timid woman with red long hair stepped forward, Corrine, her mate Dayan shadowed her footsteps. I shrank back a bit as she knelt at my feet like Dominic had and clutched my hands in her surprisingly strong grip.
"You saved our daughter from the fire. Thank you so much." She bent her head at y hands and I felt drops of water land on my hand, she was crying and smiling. I wonder what emotions you felt to do that.
"Even if I obey my master, I cannot ignore that instinct in me." I murmured remembering how much trouble that particular instinct in me caused, Don said it would come in handy in the future, I didn't want to think about that.
"What instinct?" Gregori asked with sharp eyes.
I lowered my eyes in shame. "We have many instincts, one of the strongest in us, we can barely ignore it even the males struggle to fight it, it's the duty to protect the young, we feel strongly for our cubs, and any child's cry makes us feel as if…we have to do something, even if it means we have to disobey our master. Many of us have been punished for that act. I think Melee was killed for it, she had to try and fight everyone who went near the cubs, she was so protective."
I could still hear Melee's snarls, warning the men off as they came to see the cubs in the Cage, then her screeches of pain and fear. Then silence, and the quiet whimpers of the cubs.
"That's….that's…."
"Life. That's the way it is for us. We can not live in your society, we don't know if we have our own, we fight for survival, like any species."
Dominic turned away sharply and strode to the window, his chest was heaving and the anger increased if that was even possible. Gregori and the twins watched him with careful eyes. This was like watching caged beasts. It was familiar.
"Rika, who is your master, your owner, who's the one who has done this to you?" His voice whispered like the wind.
"Don, but I wouldn't try to go against him, he has more power than any of the owners, he is the top of his game and he has the best Tigers."
"So you belong to him?"
I nodded.
"So you're one of the best?"I shrugged.
"And will he try to breed form you?"
I frowned. "Not until he thinks I'm ready and I've done my best in the Dog Fights."
"I'll kill him."
I stared at Dominic. If only he knew how many times I'd heard those words. No one ever succeeded. Don always won, Don always had the control.
"I have answered your questions, now will you tell me who and what you are?"
Before anyone said anything, I felt a strong presence enter my mind, as Mikhail spoke, tonnes of information flooded my mind. Dominic was revealing everything to me, the facts and figures and bonuses and downfalls, of his species. What he could do and what hindered him, his salvation and his damnation, Mikhail's words blurred as I took in all of the information, registering it with quick speed and filing certain bits away for later thought.
"We are starting to replenish, we have discovered that the soil we sle-""Ah, you are Carpathians. I know what you are now." I interrupted trying to save him to time of explaining.
"And how would you now all about us?" Gregori asked in his bland way.
I nodded at Dominic. " He just showed me everything." I tapped my mind. "He showed me what you are and what you can do, the issues you are facing and how you are trying to save yourselves."
Raven cleared her voice delicately, drawing my attention. "Did he tell you then about life mates?"
Dominic stiffened by the window, he still wouldn't turn around. "Yes, he did."
"And you're fine with this, you're taking it all in so calmly. You're fine with being his life mate, with what has happened, and what we are and the talents we possess?" Natalya burst out, seemingly shocked.
"It is knowledge, the more I know the more chance I have of surviving. If he believe me to be his life mate, who am I to tell him otherwise? I only follow my orders. I cannot be allowed to make my choices."
"And why's that?" Dominic whispered to the night sky that glistened with a thousand lights.
"Because I don't feel anything, no joy or sadness, no hope or despair, I feel nothing."They seemed surprised and the men looked like they had haunted eyes, remembering something, I saw Skyler glance at Dimitri with sorrow and regret in her eyes.
Dominic walked to me and cupped my cheek in his hands, my skin felt warm, it was nice, I was always cold. "You feel, I can feel your emotions running through your body, its just that your mind is numb, it doesn't register what they are and it ignores them. When I connect with you, you feel a slight bit of emotion, but the rest is chained. Leashed in." He started growling and his eyes darkened.
Mikhail zeroed his eyes on us and watched with a slight smile. "Dominic what are you planning to do?"
"Rika, we'll teach you to live in the world, I'll teach you to live, to actually live and enjoy life. And I'll free you, I'll kill Don and I'll help you free the others."
Mikhail started nodding slightly. "And we'll help, over the years we have faced many trials, we are stronger than ever right now, I'm sure some of you belong with us." His words seemed to have a double meaning, but I was too busy thinking something else.
If you try to stand against Don, you will regret it, then you will regret your life. Many others have tried, it is easier to just obey.
I felt Dominic caress my mind, and if a thought could smile, he managed it, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me up into a tight hug. I wont regret anything for you, I'll free you from this leash on you, I'll show you what living is. You are my life mate.
He seemed to growl the words in his mind, there was a beast roaring in his mind, I recognised it instinctively, that when I felt the first stirrings of something hot and melting rush through my veins making my senses tingle and my palms itch till I ran them up his shoulders and allowed him to cling to me.
Maybe…. The creatures in the night weren't so scary, maybe she had been warning me against the wrong creatures, she was always mixing things up, I remember on time- What? What was I thinking? Oh, right the warmth of Dominic's arms.
A/N Sorry its been so long but I hope this was worth the wait. I've nearly figured out my entire plot and I know where this is going. Review and let me know what you think good bad, or just hello, but also can you give me some help. I need to think of some names for some new characters, both boys and girls, and I like unusual names so could you help me out and suggest any? Thanks for reading!