Chapter 87 UNFOLDINGS
SIANNA'S POV
Halting in his stride, he groaned and tentatively turned his head just enough for me to catch a glimpse of his deep amethyst eyes. The slightest smirk rose on his face. Quickly, I recomposed myself so that Malik would not sense a change in my demeanor.
"I want to help you, Malik, but only if you let me," I softly said, sucking in a sharp breath. He should stop being an arrogant asshole right now. The guys would knock his head off if they were here to witness his insolence towards me.
He glanced at me over his shoulder. Then he turns his body fully to face me, a shadow flickers across his face caused by the sun shooting its rays through the pleating branches. "You make me sound like a drug addict or a drunk."
"It seems like you are headed there." I could see it playing out inside my head, "You are aware that the abuse to your mate could get you removed from the elites, right? Please let me help you through this."
"But don't you have a habit of abandoning people, Sianna?" He heaves a heavy sigh with a bit of hurt and sadness in his tone, " Didn't you abandon Curtis?" He runs a hand through his hair, pushing it away from his forehead. "So, why wouldn't you abandon me?"
"Curtis might be your friend, but you are not allowed to talk to me about him," I spat, inkling provocation by the sudden mention of his name. At present, I was not being a hypocrite and this was certainly not about me.
"He loves you, but after seeing you with the Alpha, he wants to know why did you kill Jazmine?" His lips twisted as he paused. Pity reflected in his eyes, which he quickly hid in by fluttering them briefly.
Pulling my brows together, I uttered, "Sounds like you keep in touch with him. Where is Curtis?" This information was a priority and we could get this ordeal over rapidly.
He walks closer to me, smugly smiling, and I stand in my spot, unmoving and keeping a tight eye on him. "I can take you to him. Would you like that?"
My tone was more authoritative than I intended when I said, "Is he nearby? Tell him to meet us here, in the forest." Vance's instructions came to memory and I attempted to see if he would call Curtis on his phone. It was worth a try.
Inflections of humor could be heard in his voice, "I can't do that." He pinched the base of his nose, studying me.
"Why not?" My heart twiddled horribly in my chest, and my throat tightened. "Don't you want me to see him?" He had portrayed such concerns about my past actions with Curtis, so I pressed further.
A low growl reaches my ear, and his footstep drew nearer, stopping three feet from me, "I can take you to him but no one must know." He searched for a reaction from me.
"Curtis is a criminal, and if you are helping him, that makes you a criminal too," I realized at this moment that Malik was seriously unhinged. He kept challenging my authority. "Do not let your journey end like this. You have a good life in front of you."
"But you took that from me," the words withered on his tongue, his eyes spewing fire. "I can't undo anything that I have already done."
"No, but you can get help. So tell me about it. I am here for you and I care." I must have heard his words incorrectly as clouds of confusion slumped in my head. "What have you done?"
Lips curved into a broad smile on his face. This time he stared at me lovingly with a lustful desire. "I would love to share my story with you, but would you come somewhere with me." He cocked his head to the right. "Do you care enough to let me show you what's bugging me?"
"Tell me more about it first," I urged with a hint of gentleness in my tenor, "Let us talk here."
The devilish laugh he released alarmed my wolf and then said contemptuously, "I knew you didn't mean it. Your words are empty, Sianna." The manic laughter continued, followed by a scoff, "Do you even love me at all?"
His eyes darkened and his wolf fought for control. With fists clenching and tightening, he wrestles to regain control. His rehead wrinkled as the battle extended. I'm flabbergasted by his behavior and there was definitely something wrong with him. An enigmatic uneasiness perforated through my veins.
'Danger,' My wolf warned me, 'His wolf wants to hurt us.'
I swallowed and geared my mind toward shifting if it came to it. Leaves skittered from the caress of the breeze that kept the silence away. The natural disturbance mirrored the tension between us.
"The same woman who killed my mate!' His wolf snarled, finally overpowering him, and shifted.
VANCE'S POV
Instead of the hospital, Blayne takes me to Miriam's house for a check-up. The wound on my chest had turned purple, almost going black. To soothe Sianna's fears, I knew that it was best to allow Miriam to check my body to ensure that no real damage was being done.
Coughing up blood for all to see would alert my pack members that their Alpha had a medical issue or injury. It was risky to appear vulnerable and weak before the other ten packs that were here for the Hunters' Parade, but it would also create the opportunity to know if any of them were my enemies. However, this was to draw Curtis out of his tunnel so that he would make his move for us to capture him.
I got out of the van without any help but my chest felt like it was about to explode. Hurriedly, I took a seat on Miriam's porch as she and Marlena came out to greet us.
"You look like crap, dear boy," Miriam observed after completing her inspection.
Blayne and Miriam were seated in the other single chairs while Marlena examined me. She checked my eyes without touching me.
"Please open your shirt, Alpha. I need to check the wound." She instructed and went inside to return with a basin, kettle with warm water, and towels.
My fingers ran down the buttons at the front of my shirt as it flipped completely open.
"Yuck, that's disgusting," Blayne turned his face away.
Miriam chuckled at his facial expression. Marlena pressed her fingers around the wound as a thick, opaque yellowish liquid built in the infected tissues discharged. She used tissues and warm water to clean
the area.
"You said to make the wound look real, Alpha," Marlena commented, almost complaining, "Should I heal it now?"
"Curtis is yet to show himself. He must think that his silver dagger worked before you fix me," I reminded them.
"As you wish," She rubbed a clear gel on it. "Does it affect your
breathing?"
"He coughed up blood and that's why we came to you," Blayne
blurted out.
""
"At least you haven't passed out yet. That would be the next stage. Miriam highlighted. "Marlena, please get the boys some herbal tea before they leave."
She nodded and placed the soiled towel with blood and pus into the basin, then went inside the house.
"Oh goddess, please cover up that hideous-looking wound," Blayne pleaded, still unable to look at me properly without wanting to vomit.
Miriam laughs and mocks, "Our big Gamma can't stomach a little wound."
Blayne purses his lips in offense, "I am used to blood, but that
wound is an abomination to see."
Marlena comes out with the tea on a rectangular porcelain tray. The
golden rule: no one leaves her dwelling without enjoying her tea.
"Where is Sianna?" Miriam inquires as her glabella wrinkles with short vertical lines, and her gaze looking toward the mountains. Blayne checks his watch, "She should still be at the hunters' ground. I sent Malik over to see her."
"Malik?" Miriam repeated the name, crunched her eyes, and thought deeply, "The name has no life to it."
Instantly, Marlena closed her eyes, and her hair strands became loose and flying. A gentle breeze moves along the porch and Blayne
shifts in his seat, hating the magic that was being dispelled around him.
"Malik is not in this pack," Marlena simmers her magic and reported.
"What do you mean?" Blayne bested me in asking. His peering brown eyes redirected from Marlena to Miriam, intensely curious and speculative. "Malik is the team leader assigned to the Blazers Patrol Station." He jerked to his feet with great concern, "He could be with Sianna right now."
"Witches, please explain what on earth is going on," I boomed, unintentionally. A flight of birds flew from the nearby trees, startled
by the sound.
Miriam gives me a scolding look for scaring her birds away, "The
real Malik is dead," she stated as her eyes looked to the skies at the departing birds, "Didn't you feel his death?"
"No," Since the saga with Chloe, no one else had died and it was impossible for me not to be aware of his death. "The only way that he could die without me knowing was if he was not in our territory."
My eyes went to Blayne's for an explanation. Processing his thoughts, he replied, "A few days ago Malik requested
two days to visit a relative in Iowa." Then added, "He seemed normal
when he returned."
"Who was that relative?" My eyes darken and my fangs elongate beyond my control.
"A cousin. He completed the leave form so I could check the details
later." A sorrowful look hung on Blayne's face when he responded. "This is black magic in the works." Miriam interrupts.
"If there is a Malik here, the person either took over his body or has
used his blood for a cloaking spell," Marlena remarked, giving her attention to me.
"Only a powerful witch with black magic could have helped him to transfer his soul into another body." Miriam provided details about the craft, "But that would sacrifice his wolf."
"A weaker witch can only perform a cloaking spell," Marlena
contributed.
This was pissing me off. My jaws clenched. These two witches seemed to be talking to each other rather than to me, and I wanted to
smash something.
"All I know is that there is a Malik in my pack." I gritted through my teeth, clenching my fists, "He was around Sianna yesterday." "And he will be around her today," Blayne quickly reminded us as his
words ran into each other.
"Is he CURTIS?" I bellowed, my wolf flaring with anger, ready and eagerly prepared to go hunting for this fucking rascal. "Simmer down my boy," Miriam comforted, she was too far away to pat me like she enjoyed doing to appease my temper. Immediately, I thought of the best course of action, "Miriam, place a force field around the pack to contain everyone here."
She nodded and began her incantations. "Sianna, who are you with?" My voice bore into Sianna's head through the mind-link.
"I am with Malik," She explained, "I had to ta....." "Listen carefully, but do not panic," With urgency, I cut her off, "
He's a threat and I need you to keep him where you are. Don't ask questions. I am on my way." "Vance?" Blayne waited for orders in his battle mode. "Sianna is with Malik." My wolf fought to take control so that he
could go to our mate, I forcibly pushed him back because I needed everyone to know their positions. " Marlena, come with me and Blayne. We will go directly to her." They both consented, "Once we are there, it gives you the chance to reveal the imposter to us. Let's go before he hurts my Luna."
"I will travel by air, Alpha," Marlena advised, and it was a good suggestion. As mated wolves, our animalistic side would have strong
opposition to anyone other than our mates or kin riding on our backs. "Valen is safe with my eagle guardian. She protects the household." Miriam guaranteed to put my mind at ease. This way I would concentrate on Sianna and uncover the impersonator. "I will watch over him."
Blayne shifted into his coffee-brown wolf, while I morphed into my obsidian black and sprinted off. Marlena levitated in the air, as high as a bird so that most pack members could not see her as she glided
across the sky. No need for the pack to be disturbed by this state of affairs.
"Baby, please keep the link open so that I can talk to you," I reached
out to Sianna by way of the mind-link. My heart throbbed with worry regarding him hurting her.
"Hurry, there's something wrong with him." She answered back. "Entertain him, make him think that you care," I believe if he was
Curtis and Sianna showed sympathy, he would be most receptive and not harm her.
"Chad?" I connected with the Senior Elite Tracker whom I had placed
to watch over Sianna.
"Yes, Alpha," he replied. "Where the fuck are you?" I barked through the link. "Luna is in my view east of the hunting ground." He stated, "I am
close by."
"If he attempts to hurt her, attack but do not kill," I commanded, zigzagging through the trees.
I want to be there when he dies. The death of this imposter must be confirmed by me.
Damn these witches and their magic. The council needs to tighten
the reins of how freely magic was used or else there could end up being a bloody war between species soon. It was indeed inevitable. "Duke, we've got action. Stay at the hunting grounds and keep the
Alphas there at bay," Blayne instructed Duke, who often hates when he does that.
"What's going on? Have we found Curtis?" Duke's tone displayed envy for missing out.
"The situation is not clear." Blayne informed him, "The mind-link
will be open for the four of us to communicate. We are almost there."
"Alright, I'll be on watch here," Duke asserted. "Call me if you need help." "Why would I?" He slammed and sneered at the second in command.
"Maybe I should order you to exchange places," Duke spitefully lashed back.
Blayne released a submissive grin, "Pipe down Beta, our Alpha is not in the mood. I'll fill you in."
"Take care of our Luna," Duke solemnly replied with disappointment, "And don't let that bastard go!" "Trust me when I say, I will hunt through every crook and corner
until he's in our grasp!" Blayne gritted out.
Nice of them to cease the bickering. With the barrier up, no one could leave the territory except through Miriam. Internally, I vowed that my wolf and I were going to get there on time. He was fuming and
prepped to tear Curtis to the bones. Today, nothing can stop us.