Chapter 22 Part 3

       Dom didn’t move, didn’t blink knowing that they both knew that she didn’t have all of her powers and that she needed them to get her around in this time but dangerous none the less, so he asked cautiously instead. “What do you need? I can get it for you.”  He held the fear at bay that Skye was still in there trapped and what Georgia wanted had to be given and also knowing that the sisters couldn’t be together.

    Not wanting to play cat and mouse as she normally would have she answered honestly. “She is close but, her vessel is in trouble I can feel her screaming.” She paused concentrating for a moment on something none of them could hear. “Her vessel wants to end her life.” She added with distaste.

    Chase’s eyes shot to Dominic’s weighing the gravity of what Georgia had said. Without a Pack to police her on one hand she would be rogue, lost and wreaking havoc on anything or anyone she chose if body and soul were reunited. Despite the sisters, Caretakers and the Guardians being cursed, being that they were tied to one another there was an order to the way they had to do things. On the other hand if Carol Anne succeeds in ending her life all of the people tied to her would die and the Sister would be locked in another world of faded memories and empty space. At this point Carol Anne’s Pack was missing and her Caretaker had vanished too...if they weren't already dead.

   Georgia knew all of this and as much as she hated it she knew it had to be until she could figure out a way to release herself and her sisters from the curse. She didn’t feel much in the way of emotion but her Guardians and Caretaker were the only things she had to occupy her time and her games were always for their benefit, keeping them sharp and lethal as well as her own entertainment.

    “This cannot happen.” She said softly even though her anger was peaking with the knowledge that the reason her sister was going to end her life was because of the pain and suffering caused to her by the man that had her. They were all very powerful in their full forms and would have been unable to be put in this position by anyone if they were at full strength. Dominic could see her slipping into her thoughts so he moved slightly to catch her attention knowing she was aware of everything around her. Her gaze snapped to his as he expected and he stared steadily deep into her golden eyes and he took a slow easy breath before he asked again.  “What do you need?”

    Annoyance flashed in her eyes. “I need you to take me to my sister.” she spat with clear disgust that she needed his help at all. It made her feel weak which did not improve her mood. Dominic knew that he couldn't take her to that house. Even though she didn't have all of her powers she would still be deadly if provoked or if she or her sister felt threatened. He took a tentative step forward only because he was scared for Skye and this situation was far outside of anything any of them had been through. He knew he had to get her back as quickly as possible.

    “Bring back Skye and we'll go and check on your sister.” His voice stayed neutral and non-aggressive when every part of him wanted to shake Skye out of the Goddesses head with is bare hands or claws if he got angry enough. Georgia eyed him with suspicion before she took a long look around her, she was aware of the men in the room but she focused on the person in front of her.

    Gertie stayed on the floor too terrified to move, her experience with Georgia had always been inside her mind. She observed them all using her senses, Maury kept his place at Dominic's side but his eyes would shift to Gertie every few minutes. Chase was a tall, strong presence and by far the most impressive of them all regarding her with the eyes of a true Guardian looking immovable and deadly. While behind her the other two males took in the scene with increasing dread. She could hear all of their hearts beating steadily except for Gertie's and her attention refocused.

    For the first time Dominic saw something soft in her eyes as Georgia looked at Gertie. He thought it might be compassion but he knew from experience that Georgia didn't feel compassion. To his surprise Georgia moved forward and extended her hand to Gertie. Shocked energy rippled through the room from Ryan and Sig.  She continued to look into Gertie's eyes and she felt a smile tug at her lips. Gertie lifted a trembling hand and put it into the outstretched one in front of her noting how warm and soft Georgia’s skin was compared to her wrinkled one. Urgency flowed through Georgia now and she wanted to waste no more time even as she slowly helped the old woman to her feet. She knew she had to concede to Dominic's wishes if they were going to save her sister.

    Without looking at anyone other than Gertie she spoke over her shoulder, “As you wish Guardian but my sister must live.”

    Dominic seemed lighter then as he replied, “I can do nothing else but save her.”

    Her golden eyes still on Gertie's ice blue ones. “You Caretaker...” she spoke with sincerity “will be restored, I promise you.” She turned to Chase suddenly and yet he didn't flinch when she stepped towards him with a small mischievous smile. “You amuse me.” Her head tilted slightly. “You both amuse me with your games. Promise me you will help her.”

    Without hesitation he answered truthfully. “He will pay for what he's done to her.” With that promise and putting her trust in Dominic when she had no trust to give, she reached back into her mind to the place that she and Skye first met. The room was covered in fog so it had no edges like a dream that couldn’t hold substance, with the two comfortable chairs facing each other and a rug that she could see Skye pacing around like a caged cat. She had added things to her space in the mind as a bookshelf and fireplace made it less dreary.

    As soon as she stepped into the room Skye stopped moving. She could see that Skye understood but underneath that there was a thread of anger. She knew why Georgia had pushed her out but didn’t appreciate it. Georgia was fluent in Skye’s emotions now.

    Pacing across the floor Skye was shaking out her hands as though she was readying herself. Georgia approached her with renewed interest as she watched her prowl back and forth.

    “You broke through…again…” she said more calmly than Skye herself expected.

    Georgia raised an eyebrow. “You blame me?”

    Skye sighed. “I would like to but I saw what you did and worry for her too.”

    Georgia took a seat in one of the plush chairs and released a sigh herself. It was the first time since she had been invaded by the Goddess that she saw something even remotely human from her. That was saying a lot since there was nothing human about her at all. “I have asked the Guardians to save her but they will only move quickly if I let you go back.” None of them knew that she couldn’t hold the physical form for long before she had to let Skye take over. She was drained already and it had only been a few minutes.

    “I will fight for her but she has to want to go or else she will go back to him regardless of what he’s done.” Skye wanted to make a point of saying it so that Georgia wouldn’t take out repercussions on Dominic and the others if they couldn’t get Carol Anne away from Robert.

   Georgia anger rose sharply. “She wants to end her life! Does that sound like she’s going to stay to you?” She stood in a flowing motion, her eyes flickering with flames. “He has trapped her, abused her and broken her vessel. Her soul is close to the body or else she wouldn’t be screaming.” Knowing that time was short and she wanted time alone, she waved Skye away. “Please go.”

   Skye’s mouth opened to protest and she found herself back at the forefront looking into Chase’s aqua eyes, his face impassive and for just a moment she saw relief in them. The urgency hit her hard and she grabbed hold of his arms to remain standing. It flowed over her senses like a wave of sickness that heated her from the inside out forcing sweat to break out on her skin. He felt it through her… she knew he did.

    “I can feel her.” She whispered “We have to go.”

Ch 22 Part 2

    Skye paced the kitchen floor while Chase and Maury looked like they were watching a tennis match. Gertie had found a way to make herself useful and was quietly waiting for the kettle to boil so she could make tea for herself and Skye while pouring  two fingers of Bourbon for the men. Each pass that Skye made past them had Maury smacking her hand lightly out of her mouth unaware that she was biting her nails. After what seemed like the hundredth time she stopped and glared at him.

    “Why do you keep doing that?” she snapped.

    He smirked at her. “I was trying to see how long it would take you to stop wearing out the floor.”

    She stared at him for a moment with her mouth slightly open. “Fuck off Mo.”

    “Mo? Mo… do you have any idea how long it’s been since someone has called me Mo? He asked.

    “Stop Maury…” Chase warned.

    “It was back in 1883…” he started and every person in the kitchen groaned. Chase stood up to usher his friend out into the other room when Angel started whining and ran for the front door. Her stocky little body skidded to a halt as the door opened and Dominic came in with two other men following him. Normally the extra men would have caused some anxiety for Skye but with so many of them coming and going lately it didn’t faze her anymore and her thoughts were currently on other things. She had noticed that they weren’t even all of her thoughts, some were Georgia’s as she thought of her “sister” and what she might be going through.

    She could feel the other soul’s frustration at not having the full use of her powers and at the same time without her Sister freed she couldn’t find her without the help of the others adding to Georgia’s unstable condition. Skye had gotten the address of the couple from the shop and knew something bad was going to happen very soon. 

    She didn’t need Georgia's feelings to know it. She saw what was in Carol-Anne’s eyes too. The only reason why she had waiting for Dominic was because the red headed woman was a part of all of this. Someone that might on some kind of level be able to understand what she was going through and according to them she was not where she was supposed to be. Where her Pack was no one knew and where her caretaker and holding vessel were was also a mystery.

    The two men with Dom were from another Pack. A tall Norse looking man with long blonde hair and a lean build trailed in behind him while another man just as tall but with short dark hair, broad shoulders and piercing grey eyes came in last. Both man looked very unhappy to be there and at this point Skye didn’t care about pleasing anyone anymore. They watched her cautiously, with a hint of distaste but the man with the disconcerting grey eyes was the one that held her attention.

    Dom stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her as Chase and Maury stepped forward to shake the men’s hands in camaraderie. She trembled in his arms and he tightened the squeeze briefly in a show of comfort before letting her go.

    “Skye?” The blonde man's rough voice saying her name startled her out of her thoughts. "Dominic explained his concerns and it worries us as well.” he said softer than she thought possible. It fleetingly occurred to her then that the man with him was like Chase. Strong, silent and protecting his pack leader.

    “We have reached out to the other Packs and there is one missing. It’s like they just…vanished.” His attention turned to Dominic. “We are very concerned that this... being… is unaccounted for.” The distaste that entered his voice again could not be hidden and he spoke to Dominic with slice of contempt while his body language showed that he did not want to be involved. Skye tilted her head in interest as she watched his body tell her the truth. His involvement was tied to all of them but if he had his way he would leave them to fend for themselves.

    His term for Carol-Anne prickled at her and she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. At the same time she felt more than saw Chase come up behind her as he sensed her fast rising emotion. She looked at the man confused. “What do you mean being? She's a woman that needs our help. She doesn't deserve the pain he's caused her.” she said as calmly as she could but her body was humming.

    “Skye…” Chase warned cautiously and shot a glance at Maury who took up a space just to the left of Skye, between her and Dom. The room began to pulse gently with energy as Skye kept her eyes trained on the tall blonde man that stood solidly in front of her not blinking. The man beside him stepped forward to place his body slightly between Skye and his leader.

    At that moment Gertie stepped forward with a cup of tea seemingly oblivious to the tension building in the room and motioned to hand the cup to Skye. Both of the new men snarled at her and she flinched startled almost spilling the tea on her. To everyone's surprise Maury stepped in front of Gertie and growled his own warning at the men. As usual Chase was knowing in his silent sentinel persona but Dominic couldn’t hide the confusion from his face as his bewilderment was at the surface in the form of one raised eyebrow. 

     Like a blot of electricity slamming up from her feet up to her head Skye’s anxiety ramped up as Georgia’s anger swelled from the display of posturing.

    She felt Georgia’s soul rush alongside the electrical current to the surface and slammed into the wall Skye had built in her mind with Gertie's help. Her whole frame shook with the force of it and she swayed from the mental attack. Every man in the room stood still. Chase was still behind her ready to grab her if it was necessary, only the two new men were apprehensive at the situation but to their credit they stood their ground in a defensive stance waiting for the attack they were sure was to come. 

    Gertie stood frozen in between them all knowing that her presence had triggered the strangers. She had forgotten that even though the relationship between the Guardians and the Caretaker was strained at first that they had all become at ease with each other. Mostly Gertie as she relished the companionship of Skye’s family after being alone for so many years. Even though Maury still slung insults at her, she felt they had some neutral ground to stand on and some form of respect growing from how they both work to aide and protect children.

    Skye slammed down hard on her knees tearing Gertie from her thoughts and she quickly knelt down to her whispering softly in her ear. Every man in the room went still as they felt the energy change again. Only Dominic, Chase and Maury knew what was happening and Dom let out and exasperated sigh.

   “Something’s wrong!” Skye screamed, the noise in her head was so loud. “She wants out…now! I can’t hold her.”

    For the first time since they arrived in her home the two strangers looked like fear had finally found them. “Ryan,” Dom said loud pointing to the blonde man “You and Sig need to step back a bit please." His calm demeanor told them that he had been through this before. Confusion lit their eyes as they stepped back to watch. .” He glanced at Skye on the floor wanting to go to her but knew better. “Very slowly…” he added. They didn’t wait for an explanation as they immediately stepped backwards towards the entrance to the kitchen, with their eyes wide.

    Maury leaned down and lightly touched Gertie’s shoulder urging her to stand up and step away from Skye but before he could move her away Skye stood with celestial grace and her green eyes were gone, replaced Georgia’s golden ones. Her gaze settled on Ryan and Sig as her lip curled in anger as recognition registered but she pushed it aside and turned her golden eyes to Dominic.

    “You…Guardian…take me to my sister.” She snapped.

Chapter 22 Part 1

   

      Carol Anne watched the house approaching. It felt more like looming to her, the weight of the day pressing in on her steadily when she thought that she wouldn't be coming back to this place again. She didn’t even realize that she had already said her goodbyes to the place that had become her sanctuary and her prison at the same time. Tears burned her eyes as she stared hopelessly up at the house and she knew that Roberts silence on the way home was a cause for concern but she couldn’t feel the concern at the moment. All she could feel was the weight of sadness in every muscle of her body that she had because she had lost her chance.

    The painting that Robert had gone there for in the first place was in the back seat covered in brown paper. Usually it would have been boxed and shipped but after the incident he insisted on taking it as it was, right at that moment. She knew it was because he didn’t want to be in contact with them for a while and answer any questions about her health.

    Confusion was fleeting in her head in regards to the strange woman and man that were with her in the park. The only things she remembered were the strange golden colour of the woman’s eyes and the feeling of absolute power coming off of the man with her. The thoughts of them were small, inconsequential compared to what she knew was coming for her and…she didn’t care.

    Nothing could make her feel, her body was numb and she almost welcomed the Pit and the cold, damp solitude that would wrap itself around her.

    Robert stopped the car and put it in Park, he made no motion to get out of the car and neither did she. Her lashes drifted down in acceptance of what was to come when he finally spoke.  “You wanted him to touch you, didn’t you.” It was a statement. “Did you faint at his looks in hopes that he would whisk you away?”

    She slowly opened her eyes and sighed knowing that he really didn’t want an answer and that it really didn’t matter what she said anyway, it would just make him angry so she slowly shook her head. Her red hair swayed slightly. He wanted her scared but she had no energy to be scared, no will left to be.

   “Let’s just get this over with…” it slipped out before she could stop it, she didn’t want to stop it. She felt the car tremble as he shook with barely contained rage.

    “You want this over Angel?” he snarled “This will never be over…” He got out of the car and slammed the door. As he stomped over to her side she debated locking the doors but it would be no use he would just break the window, so she sat still willing her face not to betray her when she felt it. There was warmth that ebbed its way into her, faint but there. Robert’s hand went to reach for her door handle as his gaze went to his prize in the back seat and he stopped, suddenly deciding that he would take it inside first.

    Carol Anne let out another slow sigh but still felt nothing about what was to come. She would make him end it. She didn’t care about the money; all she cared about was that she could make it as difficult and messy as possible so that her brother could find some suspicious behaviour to investigate and hopefully get justice for her. She was determined for the pain to end, the imprisonment, most of all the control.

    She would make him end it.

    There was a small protest in her mind but she blocked it out. No more pain. She thought to herself and a tiny thread of anxiety tried to worm its way in. Oddly she found it curious considering that she had decided firmly the next step for herself. The draft from the back door opening drew her out of her own thoughts momentarily as Robert grabbed the painting gently.

    With the painting in his right hand he threw open the door with his left and grabbed Carol Ann’s shoulder in a strong firm grip nearly ripping her out of the car. Her body was a phantom to her; she felt him distantly and knew he was even angrier that she wasn’t reacting. She wasn’t cowering or crying, she wasn’t trying to protect herself or pleading and he hated it. She could feel the waves of intense rage coming off of him and she didn’t care. The protest came again and again she shoved the thought to the back of her mind. He grabbed the back of her neck and dragged her to the front door.

   “Take your key and open the door.” He snarled. She did as he asked and he pushed her through hard enough that she lost her balance and fell to the floor. He kicked the door shut with his foot before he gingerly set the painting down under the alarm and punched in the code to disarm it. He looked at her with disgust and contempt in his eyes as she stared into his, daring him as she knew her behaviour would. He prowled around her and she refused to move, to show fear. She knew the Pit would be waiting for her and for one second she wondered if she flung herself in… if it would it be enough?

    Seething he glared at her, reading her body language he softened his features in understanding. “I thought the Pit would be the appropriate punishment for you Angel, but I see now that I am wrong. The Rack seems more fitting for this don’t you think?” She said nothing but panic began to well up and she pushed it down. The Rack was a bit more of a challenge she would have to work around. She would be tied and gagged. Usually he used it to punish her sexually but she had a feeling that wouldn’t be the only way this time. She swallowed the bile that rose in her throat and kept her silence while she thought rapidly about how to provoke him before he could completely restrain her.

    She had run out of time. He grabbed her by her fire red hair and lifted her to her feet as he propelled her towards the stairs. She stumbled and he cursed her. “You cheating bitch!” he swore as he shoved her upwards. “You let him touch you! I bet you loved his hands all over you!” she laughed then… unintentionally and he hesitated. He stopped and shook her by the hair before he backhanded her causing her tooth to cut her lip and thin trail of blood slipped down her face. She saw stars at first but welcomed them…welcomed the pain.

    The protest in her head was faint now, like feather light touches inside her mind, a faraway voice. Before she knew it she was in the attic being pushed to her knees with her ears ringing as he stripped her down. She refused to fight or show fear. She needed to push him over the edge but as soon as her eyes moved to the attic window Robert saw her intention and took hold of her hair again to throw her across the room towards the Rack. Her back hit the wood with such force it knocked her breath from her but she didn’t cry out in pain. She bit down and grunted, from her knees she looked up and glared at him. Her invitation to bring it on, that she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. “Get it over with.” She ground out and to her surprise he faltered but regained his composure quickly.

    To her dismay she noticed that the front of his pants had gone tight from his excitement but she set her jaw while in her head she said a tearful goodbye to the people she loved.

    “Oh…Angel…” he purred “I think I’m really going to like this.”

Chapter 21 Part 3

    An hour later, Skye stood outside with her arms crossed across her chest feeling a chill that wasn't really there as she watched Robert and Carol-Anne pull away and head home. She reflected on the day and tried to process what had happened.

   When Carol-Anne woke up she was disoriented and quiet but Skye knew by the way that she looked at her that Carol-Anne remembered what had happened. The thing Skye couldn't figure out was the look of defeat in her eyes when she turned her eyes to Robert who was the concerned husband or at least he appeared to be.

    Skye's thoughts warred with each other between calling the police and killing the man. She felt pretty certain that the thoughts of murder came from Georgia and was trying to separate the emotions when a hand gently touched her shoulder and she jumped, turning at the same time. Chase stood behind her with hands raised. "I come in peace." He said trying to lighten the mood and it might have worked if the humour had reached his eyes.

    She let out a soft sigh and turned her head to where Roberts tail lights were disappearing around the corner. "Sorry, I'm a bit jumpy. I just don't know what happened." She pulled her arms across her chest once more. Seeing the motion Chase automatically went to shrug off his jacket to wrap around her and realized he wasn't wearing one. Oblivious Skye continued. "I had a hold on her, she wasn't even fighting me and then all of a sudden I was pushed out." She turned to him then. "I thought she could only break through if I was being emotional?"

    He searched her eyes for a moment. "It wasn't because you were emotional. I was because she was."

    "What do you mean?" Confusion showing on her face.

    "I mean that she knew Carol-Anne...sort of." He motioned back over to the bench with an outstretched arm. "Come on and I'll tell you a story."

   Without hesitation she started walking. Trusting him was becoming easier and easier as the days went on and the more he was there, the more she could see herself depending on him. Immediately she shoved the thought from her mind. Usually she could feel Georgia's amusement when Skye thought about Chase but now she was silent, so silent that Skye felt a tinge of worry. He waited for her to sit before he did so himself and took a moment to stare at the lazy rippling swirls in the pond. She waited patiently and put together that he was trying to figure out just how much to tell her. "It's ok Chase, just spit it out I don't think I can be shocked by anything anymore."

    The side of his lip twitched up into a sideways smile and she noticed he had a dimple. "Oh you think not eh?" Again she crossed her arms and continued to wait.

    His gaze still on the pond, finally he spoke. "Centuries ago there were five Sisters. Created by what we called the Oracle. These five women had powers given to them beyond anything people of the time had ever seen. They were named Goddesses and worshiped as such. Their Laws were to heeded at all cost and by all cost I mean that if anyone disobeyed or opposed them they were killed swiftly, brutally and publicly. No chances given. A law broken was a life ended."

    "Striking fear into their followers was an easy task, but some over time tried to rebel. The sisters were too confident in their reign and became comfortable and relaxed thinking nothing could harm them until a peasant named Urily with his tame wolf wandered into their wooded grove and stumbled across their hidden palace. No one knew where they lived, there were barriers that would re-direct a passerby around them and really, it is still a mystery as to how he found it in the first place. The rumours were that the wolf could smell them because Urily's wife, who had been the one to tame the wolf had been killed by one of them." He cleared his throat then. "It's unknown which Sister but she was said to have taken a lock of Urily's wife's golden hair and that's what the wolf had tracked. When Urily found their lair the sisters were less than pleased and tried to make a lessen of him by tying him kneeling before them, arms outstretched with his forehead to the floor to be whipped"

    Chase looked at her sidelong to see if she was still tracking his story and Skye simply twirled a finger at him telling him to keep going.

    He sighed and returned his gaze to the pond. "One of the sisters was about to whip Urily but before she did so she tilted his head up so that their eyes could meet. In her hair was the lock of hair taken from his wife. Urily became enraged but couldn't get out of his bonds.  The sisters thought they controlled all things of nature including the wolf but the love that the wolf had for Urily was stronger than even the magic the Sisters had and the love and despair that Urily had for his dead wife was all the animal could feel. His screams threw the wolf into action and it lept out and sunk his teeth into the flesh of the Sister with the golden lock. Blood flowed as the sharp teeth tore through her and she screamed but couldn't get the wolf to let go. The Sisters stood in shock as the wolf's head shook from side to side tearing through her. Finally one of them struck the wolf hard enough for it to let go and it slid away from the injured Goddess.

    Before tending to her injured Sister she.. who is inside of you, immediately killed Urily with her magic and tried to heal the ruined flesh on her sisters arm but it wouldn't heal. The wolf that stood whimpering in the corner one moment at the death of Urily was now baring teeth and low growl was coming from deep within it's chest. Only it's eyes showed that it would stop at nothing to tear them apart and she blocked the wolf inside a magical box. As the other sisters were stunned, the Oracle appeared in a shadow next to the sister that killed Urily and spoke but not in the words of anything human. The Oracle told her that to control the beast she would need to bind the wolf to her so that it could do them no further harm. When the Sister asked why the wolf attacked, the Oracle disappeared as swiftly as she had come. Not taking any chances the sisters called all of the wolves in the area to them, split them off and bound each new pack to a sister for protection."

    He paused and waited for Skye to say something but she stayed silent. When he looked into her eyes again he saw the flicker of Georgia that lived inside of her. Just a flicker but enough to know she was listening and more than likely remembering.

    "Anyway long story short, that is where we come from as Guardians. We were to protect and could do nothing to stop them but they treated us well... for the most part." He opened his mouth to speak again and Skye held up a hand calmly.

    "Wait..." She tried to control her racing mind. "So you're telling me that you, and Dom, and Maury, all of you are Wolves...from centuries ago that were used to protect Goddesses that hurt and killed people?"

    Chase shrugged like it was no big deal.

    "Annd...where do I come in?" She asked.

    The big man sighed again. "Well now...that's another story for another day."

    She shook her head and stood. "I was wrong...I can still be shocked."

Chapter 21 Part 2

    Georgia closed the gap quickly and sat down on the bench beside Carol Anne. Her golden eyes gazed into the other woman’s wide grey eyes searching. It had been so long, so many centuries since she had seen her sister that she felt another surge of emotion that she had long since forgotten. She would have thought it was love but she considered love a weakness so she equated the feeling to respect.

    She searched for her sister’s soul in the woman and felt hollow when she found no sign of her; instead flashes of pictures entered her sight. Flashes of tears and blood others of hatred and humiliation. The ground gently shook beneath their feet as Georgia’s anger raged to the surface. Knowing the guardian was coming up behind her didn’t matter; she would rip the man apart that she saw in the memories of her sister.

    “You are not at full power.” She heard in her head. “I saw what you saw but there is another way to handle this.” Georgia hated that she was right and grit her teeth against Skye’s words that did nothing to help her rage. “Or… Chase can kill you and I’ll be back to myself again.”

    That last sentence checked her and her expression softened as she took in the fear in Carol Anne’s eyes. Chase was directly behind her now and on full guard. He had a curved knife with a Hematite grip within quick reach of his hand. It was the only thing that could do long lasting damage to her. “Down dog.” She said sweetly and he stood perfectly still but ready. She turned her attention back to Carol Anne and spoke softly. “Sister…I’ve seen your horrors and this will be dealt with.” She reached out to touch her and the bonds restraining Carol Anne fell away but she didn’t move away. Carol Anne sat frozen before her staring into those eyes. “I know that your plan is to leave, I have seen this…but I need you to go back. I won’t lose you after finally finding you.” She paused. “It is not really you though…but I will keep your vessel safe until I find your soul.” Georgia could compel men and women but never a sister. She had to trust that Carol Anne would listen and Georgia never trusted anyone.

    She stood with the grace of a queen and her eyes never left Carol Anne’s face. “One more night sister and we will be together again.” As she turned, she looked up at Chase. “I know enough to know that if I go in there and see that man he’ll die by my hand and you will have to kill me.” She noted how fierce and handsome he looked at this moment. “I also know that since 2 souls dwell in this vessel, if you kill me, you will kill her and without a soul inhabiting this body…” her eyes flicked to the awning of the shop. “We will both die…and not return.”

    Georgia felt Skye’s immediate fear spike through her. Chase didn’t change his expression but his body visibly relaxed. She raised her hand slowly and placed it on his chest. He flinched, not so much seen as felt and when she looked into his eyes again her golden eyes were replaced by green ones and the hand touching him was shaking.

    Skye dropped her hand and turned to where Carol Anne was still speechless on the bench. She took in Skye’s now green eyes, the colour drained from her face and she fainted.

    Skye looked at Chase with pleading eyes. His only response was a grunt and leaned down to pick up Carol Anne. “We need to talk.” He said gruffly.

   “You think?” she snapped and he gave her an incredulous look as he lifted the unconscious woman. Feeling ashamed of her reaction she was reminded that she had been in almost the same position as the woman he was holding not so long ago. “Sorry.”

    The bell rang as the shop door opened and Skye held it open for Chase to sidestep through. They heard the voices in the next room and heard Robert haggling with Leigh. They exchanged a glance and understood. She motioned him towards a Victorian sofa made of dark wood and lush green well-worn fabric. The scroll work on the high back and arms was elegant and it creaked gently when Chase laid Carol Anne down.

    The creak drew Leigh’s attention and she gasped and ran into the room. Robert turned, saw his wife laying there with Chase standing above her and something flashed across his face. It was not care or concern. Both Skye and Chase caught it before it turned to feigned concern for his wife’s condition as he hurried into the room. Chase stepped back when Robert approached and kneeled down next to his wife. He didn’t look at anyone as he asked. “What happened?”

   The lie came easily to Skye and she had a feeling that it wasn’t her that the explanation was coming from. “I was outside talking to Chase and she just passed out by the pond!” She couldn’t stop talking. “I asked Chase to bring her here because you know, I couldn’t carry her. The poor thing I hope she’s ok!” She forced herself to put a hand on Roberts shoulder…she shouldn’t have. She felt his hatred, felt his enjoyment of hurting her and even felt his shame that he liked hurting her so much.

    Visions of brutal violence hit her but it wasn’t his violence, it was Georgia’s. Visions of her hand breaking through his chest, through the muscle and bone past the breastplate to his beating heart. The image of blood pooling around her hand and flowing down her wrist before it stopped at the elbow and splashed to the floor.

   The grotesque image of her hand closing around his heart and squeezing rattled her but only for a moment.

    To Skye’s surprise she calmly removed her hand and stepped back only to hit a solid body. Chase’s warmth soaked into her and she relaxed even though her emotions were a storm inside of her. Her desire to save Carol Anne was absolute.

    She felt Georgia smile.

Chapter 21 Part 1

    Carol-Anne briefly looked at Odds & Ends just as Robert was walking into another room. She also took note of the big man on the phone smoking outside the door shaded by the green awning. She had never seen him before and she was all too aware of how attractive he was. At the same time she was thankful that he wasn’t paying her any mind.

    It was time.

    Her anxiety was screaming at her while her muscles were so tense that they hurt as the moment to run over took her thoughts but in that moment, that fraction of a second her eyes fell upon a flash of gold and a shock trembled through her. She tried to stand but her body was frozen and couldn’t move. She could feel the invisible bonds holding her still crawling across her skin. Her terror was absolute as she tried to scream and no sound came out. Sweat started to form on her brow instantly as she panicked and mentally shattered.  Trembling, she turned her head again and the realization of that settled in quickly enough that she picked up the pieces of her mind and tried to think it through.

    She thought to herself in the quick hurried bursts of logic that she used to get her through her nights in the pit when she thought Robert would leave her down there so long she thought she would die there. “Maybe if I can get his attention…” she thought to herself as she turned her head towards him. Luck was on her side because he was looking at her. All she could do was plead with her eyes and hope he could see that she needed help and wasn’t just some weirdo staring at him.

    “Please, please, please.” Carol-Anne begged in her head and the tears began to flow down her cheeks. She watched him look up one side of the road and then the other, tilting his head back. He smelt the air. She couldn’t take it much longer and she knew it. Questions were swirling around her head; her heart was pounding in fear but not only the fear of what was happening to her but also the fear of her window closing.

    The man stood stock-still, calmly speaking words into the phone that she couldn’t hear as the door beside him opened and he turned to a woman that she recognized as she stepped out onto the sidewalk. Carol-Anne watched the man move to touch her only to stop and drop his hand away. The woman staggered towards her. Each step she took towards her ramped up her fear even more. The gold eyes were roaming over Carol-Anne’s face. Moving back and forth, searching her eyes, looking for something.

    She tried more frantically to wriggle free with everything she had but nothing would move for her, nothing would work. She noticed that the man was now moving also. He moved slowly but quick judgment told her that he would be ready to act in a heartbeat.

    It only gave her a moment of hope. Carol-Anne was drawn back to the golden eyes and saw a look of longing there. She stopped her struggle and got lost in those eyes.

    Chase was on the phone with Dominic when Georgia came out of the store. He was going to grab a hold of Skye when noticed the look on her face and knew Georgia had taken over. The difference was in the way she was carrying herself. She paid mind to nothing other than the woman in the park, something else he took as strange because Georgia didn’t care about anything other than herself. That could only mean one thing.

   “Fuck… She’s out boss, I don’t know what happened in there but she’s out.” Chase said calmly. Dominic was cursing in his ear but all of his words fell away when he scented the air and found nothing that he expected to be there. “Why is she alone?” he said more to himself than Dominic but the statement set Dom on alert in a way very few things did.

    “Alone?” Dominic asked but he thought he knew the answer already. “Chase, are they with her?”

    Chase felt the energy shift and it was light compared to what he was used to with Georgia. He walked closely behind her and knew he couldn’t interrupt her in this state. Even without her full power she could do real damage and he would need backup to contain her if that happened. His eyes shifted between her and the woman on the bench whose eyes were pleading and terrified. “Good…” He thought to himself. “She bound her?” he put his filed thoughts away to examine later while he took in the situation before him.

    Dominic asked again. “Chase…Are. They. With her?”

    In a low voice, almost a growl Chase responded. “No, there are no Guardians near her. She doesn’t know. She’s just the vessel.” That relaxed them both for a moment and Dom cursed again. The problem was that Georgia had recognized the red-head and that was not a good thing. Her Guardians were nowhere to be seen. They shouldn’t be seen but she should have a handler. They should always be watching but not interfere unless the Soul found its way back. There should not be two here in this town though, never… it was too dangerous and by watching Georgia and the way she was looking at the woman, he knew trouble was coming.

   Dom snapped him out of it for a moment. “I’ll call Maury and send a couple of other guys. Can you contain this?”

   Without hesitation Chase replied. “It’s my duty.” He paused and added “Now.”

 

Chapter 20 Part 3

Chase stared at the three mountains of paper he had been sorting through for the last hour trying make heads or tails of what was in front of him. On his left were the papers that Deacon had handled and everything lined up, all the numbers, the ins and out were all in order. On the right was the paperwork that Skye had been doing since Deacon died and although it was a mess he could figure out what she had been doing. A rough effort contributed by her, but an effort none the less. Directly in front of him were various pieces of paper, rough receipts and half scribbled half worn away ink, mostly with no dates on them.

    He sat back in the chair and for a brief moment wondered how Deacon did it. The desk work, the business and even the family but his cousin had always been the family man, the one who cared about others when Chase only cared about his pack. Nothing and no one else mattered. Deacon was content to build a life over and over with Skye and once she became pregnant with Cyrus the man practically glowed. It was still unknown to them how that happened after three centuries but after Cyrus was born it had all been forgotten until she got pregnant again with Kyra. They tried to find out something but it was unheard of among other Guardians and even if they wanted to talk to the witches, they would never tell them anything. In the end they had all hoped that it meant the end of the curse.

    Unfortunately they were wrong.

    He heard light footsteps in the hall and ran his hand through his hair…yet again. A moment later Skye poked her head in the door.

    When she saw his hair standing on its disheveled ends she knew that he had taken a good look at how she screwed up and how much trouble the business was really in. Steeling herself for either anger or disappointment she slipped in the door and shut it quietly behind her.

    “I figured I should check on you before Leigh tries to sneak in here and if that happens then you won’t get anything done.” It came out softer than she had intended as the shame worked its way into her words.

    He said nothing which wasn’t unusual for Chase. She stepped further into the room and he looked up at her, opened his mouth and closed it again showing that he didn’t really know what to say.

    She knew that she wouldn’t be able to take the silence from him especially since he was the only one that knew and could possible help her. Even if it wasn’t what she wanted at first but for the first time in a long time, she didn’t feel alone. Skye could feel Georgia stirring inside of her and she fought the anger. This was too important right now.

    “Well say something…” she asked “tell me I’m stupid or that I have no head for business, tell me that you can make something out of it or that we can fix it.” We?  She would dissect that later. Now she had moved directly in front of the desk and shifted from foot to foot. Her nerves were betraying her now. Before everything had happened she was rock solid in her resolve and attitude. Staring at this man who had just found out her biggest secret besides the one she never knew she had was wreaking havoc in her head.

    He blinked and seemed to come back from wherever he was. “It’s bad…but I’m not sure how bad it is, so I’m going to take everything back to the house tonight and go through them.” He smiled a little then. “I’m good with numbers,” he said. “But very bad with people.”

    “Gee, you don’t say.” She smiled genuinely as a knock sounded at the door. Skye saw Chase tense at the sound but knew it wasn’t because he was startled. She was learning about them while they learned about her and she knew that he knew exactly who was on the other side of the door.

   The door opened wide and Leigh stood in the doorway with her hand on her hip and her head tilted so that her brown hair cascaded in thick waves over her shoulder. Skye smirked at her obvious display but Leigh just shrugged and walked past her to sit on the corner of the desk. Skye turned and waited for her to say something, but nothing came. When Leigh leaned down to look at the paperwork Chase stood up and her eyes followed him instantly as he walked around the desk.

   As he went to pass Skye he stopped shoulder to shoulder with her or shoulder to head since she was on the short side compared to him. “I’m going out for a smoke. I need…” he paused looking for the words so he didn’t insult anyone. “a moment.”  

    Skye understood that and all the while knowing full well he was trying to create physical space between himself and Leigh. She knew he didn’t want to be here but he was, for her, to protect her and as much as she tried not to she had begun to worry about his opinion and it bothered her that Leigh was practically throwing herself at him. She turned to her friend with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “What did you come in here for?” Skye asked.

    “Oh! That man is so sexy I completely forgot!” she got off the desk and straightened her blouse even though it didn’t need straightening. “Robert is here! He’s looking for a new painting for his den.” Skye felt a surge of hope rise inside of her. She knew that he was one of their best customers and that he spared no expense if he truly liked something.

    “Well then…let’s go show him what we’ve got.”

    Skye walked out of the room with Leigh just in time to see Chase as he walked past Robert and give him the once over. Time slowed down as she watched and she felt Georgia come forward. Not fully but she had an interest in something that she was seeing through Skye’s eyes. If Chase wasn’t trying to intimidate the man then he was doing an awful job at it. Robert stood eye to eye with him but Roberts’s body was submissive as the big man strode toward the door.

    Before he went outside Chase turned back and looked at their customer, his eyes flashed for a brief second but he continued on his way outside. Skye could feel Georgia taking in the man as she welcomed him at the counter and told him that they had just had some paintings delivered that morning and that he could help unwrap them.

    “Where is your lovely wife?” Skye asked knowing that she was in the park. Robert always told them that she wasn’t interested in Antiques and that she loved to sit by the pond and wait. True to form he told them the same thing again and followed Leigh over to the crates at the back of the room. Skye leaned to the side to look out the window and she saw the red head sitting on the bench just as she had turned her head to look at her. Skye felt the shove back more forceful than she ever had from Georgia so far and in a flash she was in the back of their shared mind. Georgia had come all the way forward. Skye could feel Georgia’s mixture of emotions from shock, confusion and the most startling was elation.

    “Georgia…what is it?” Skye asked hoping that she would grant her the answer but Georgia paid no attention to Skye, she was focused on the bench.

    “Sister…” She whispered.

Chapter 20 Part 2

   Carol-Anne woke up that morning as alert as an alley cat tracking a mouse. She wished that she could feel as confident as the cat would but all in all her senses were wide open in nervous anticipation of the day. She went to her closet to pick out what to wear, not that it mattered to her, she would much rather be comfortable but Robert would want her to wear something that made her look like the perfect, pretty little housewife. Clothes whispered as she shifted the hangers across the rod and her thoughts wandered to her plan.

    Today is the day that she’s going to break free. “This is it…” She thought to herself. “This is the day I get out of here.” Carol-Anne had made sure that everything she needed was stashed away. The only things she wouldn’t be able to control would be how to get to the accounts. She had her identification so all she needed was one card, one card from his wallet and she could get to the accounts. Her ribs felt much better although she wasn’t sure if they really felt better or if the adrenaline she was pumping out was masking the pain. She could hear Robert whistling as he usually did when they were going to Odds & Ends. She picked out her clothes and hurriedly got dressed in fear of keeping him waiting if he was ready before she was.

    Robert liked to get there early so that he could see new stock if any, as soon as it was removed from the box. Carol-Anne came downstairs wearing her best navy blue skirt and a deep green blouse to set off her red hair. Robert always liked her to look conservative and beautiful while she waited for him on the little park bench in the sunlight. If he found something he liked then he would want to make love to her later and the thought made her stomach churn. To everyone else she was a pretty picture that he owned and little did he know that today, underneath the conservative clothes she had on her athletic gear and even though she was wearing low sensible heals, in her purse were a pair of soft flat slippers. They weren’t much but they would protect her feet from the rough pavement.

    She checked her face in the mirror while Robert gathered the rest of his things. He checked his wallet for her bank and credit cards and quickly ushered her out of the house and into the car thankfully she noticed that in his hurry he didn’t set the alarm. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Not quickly but a steady thud that would echo in her ears, she couldn’t hear the radio, the engine or even Roberts constant whistling. She heard nothing but the beat of her heart as she tried to remain calm.

    She swallowed and tested the waters. “Honey did you set the alarm?” she said in her best good girl voice.

    He stopped and just looked at her then. She saw the quick shift of emotions on his face plain as day that she questioned him and then the look softened.

    “No I don’t believe I did.” Almost mechanically he deposited her in the passenger seat and went back inside to enter the code to lock the house.

    The monitors were right there and she knew that if she made a move now that he would see her so she sat with her hands in her lap until he came back and got in the car. It was one of the hardest things she ever had to do especially because his wallet was right there in the compartment between the seats. Her nerves were already fried and they hadn’t left the driveway.

    “I can do this; I just need to relax no matter what, even if I don’t get the money.” She thought to herself.

    The long road was just being touched by the rising sun as they drove down the mountains twisty lane, the golden rays bouncing off of the leaves of the trees when Robert suddenly stopped whistling. From the corner of her eye she saw him turn his head towards her. He looked at her for a few seconds and cocked his head curiously. Carol-Anne started to lose the fight with staying calm. “He knows…” she thought. “He knows I’m going to try and get away.” Anxiety spiked and she thought her heart was going to break through the breastplate. She tried not to move and keep still until she saw his hand drift up off the wheel and move towards her.

    It felt painfully slow as she tried not to shy away from his touch. Feather light he touched a loose wave of her red hair and slid it through his fingers.

    “You are so beautiful.” He whispered. “You are so beautiful and you’re all mine.” She felt her chest fall as she released her breath. Carol-Anne turned to Robert and gave him the most sensual smile she could while her brain thought of ways to hurt him. She realized then that she was about to hurt him without touching him. Nothing belonged to him. Not the house or the money and it would take her some time to get them away from him but once she got to her brother they could start getting everything back.

    So lost in her thoughts Robert had turned his eyes back to the road while she continued to stare at him with revenge in her heart.

    The silence continued on the way to the shop and with each minute they got closer Carol-Anne’s head started to spin as different scenarios danced through her brain. Then the store front came into view and an eerie calm came over her and everything stood out. She could see the blinds being opened by a woman with dark brown hair. She didn’t know her name but she had seen her enough to know that she wasn’t the owner but that she helped Robert almost every time he went in to purchase something.

    Robert almost stopped the car in the middle of the street and became excited. Carol-Anne shook her head and looked out the passenger window at the little lake in the park where her bench waited. He regained his composure and parked the car. She knew better than to try and get out before he opened the door for her. People thought he was chivalrous but it was all about controlling her.

    For her his childlike excitement disgusted her. It made her think of what it was about him that she was interested in when they first started dating. As much as her hatred for him was blossoming right at this moment she smiled sweetly before she turned towards the park with a slight sway in her hips that did not go unnoticed by Robert.

    What did go unnoticed was that when he had gotten out of the car and he was distracted by watching the shop open, she had taken one of the lesser of the credit cards from his wallet. One she didn’t think he would miss since he used the flashiest ones for his purchases. He didn’t think long about her sudden shift. He watched her walk to the bench and sit crossing her legs as the wind rustled her hair gently. She looked over at him once and smiled.

    He immediately turned on a heel and strode away. Her smile was genuine as she tilted her face to the warming sun and said goodbye.

Chapter 20 Part 1

    Georgia could feel the emotions that Skye was pumping out like water gently cascading over her, pulsating waves that seemed to breathe. If Skye felt excited or anxious the waves were like heavy breaths being taken but sadness and the shame Skye was feeling was a slow and infuriating event and she couldn’t relate to the feeling of shame that Skye was having right this moment but she knew it was an emotion she had never felt before…preferably never to feel it again. She took in the waves emotion that washed over her and even as she concentrated on the feeling, she felt the sadness and thought it curious.

    Being inside Skye’s head had woken her up to many emotions that she had not felt for centuries, some she never felt… ever. Typically Georgia had three states she resided in… enjoyment, boredom and rage, with the lacking of the first two directly causing the third but watching how this life worked and feeling what Skye was feeling began to wreak havoc with her own sense of self. Never had the vessel contained both souls at the same time and she missed the blessed peace within the body, missed the chaos she could cause and even missed having the Guardians chase her down with vows to kills her and bring the innocent one back.

    Forever it was the game they have played since she was cursed so many centuries ago and in truth the Guardians had been cursed along with her. Cursed to spend their immortal lives keeping her confined when they had been hers in the beginning and they protected her life with their own. Now they only protect the Vessel and only when the innocent soul resides with in it.

    Georgia decided right then that as soon as she had the chance she would push forward. Skye was weakest when saddened or ashamed as she is now but Georgia didn’t know how to drive so she sat back and waited until the moment would arrive for her. Through Skye’s eyes she watched with fascination as the garage door rose and she saw the road on the other side. When she was in control, her magic took her from place to place in a flash of light and being bound with Skye’s soul prevented that magic from taking hold. Instead of thinking about that she sat quietly in the armchair that she fashioned in Skye’s mind and watched the scenery go by, wondering what she would see on their journey.

    The ride to the shop was relatively silent with Chase’s eyes glued to the side view mirror. Skye had fidgeted with the radio enough that he had to grab her hand and put it on the wheel making her jump and leaving it painfully on a station that was having and 80’s weekend. Cindy Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’ was giving him a headache but he didn’t lose his focus. He couldn’t understand what passed as music as time went by but he could remember little girls everywhere being strangely inspired by the song when it first came out and whipped people into a frenzy of colourful clothes and wild hair. He didn’t even want to think about the Madonna influence.

     As soon as Skye turned left around the little park in the middle of the square he looked up and saw the Odds & Ends sign and let out a sigh of relief.

    “Oh don’t relax yet,” Skye said with a grin when she pulled into her parking spot in front of the store. “Wait until Anna and Leigh get a load of you.” Chase had handled women fawning over him before and just ignored it since none of them really appealed to him when they were like that. He shrugged it off before she continued. “Just wait…” her voice sang with amusement and for a brief moment he wished he could turn back.

    Skye grabbed her laptop out of the backseat and headed for the door, keys in hand so she could unlock it. When she stopped to fiddle with the lock, Chase turned his back to her and scanned up and down the street as his nostrils flared. When he was satisfied with their surroundings he turned to Skye who had stopped and froze before she actually put the key in the lock. Her hands were shaking. Aware that she was going to have a hard time keeping it together, he plucked the keys right out of her hands and inserted the key in the lock. Before he even had a chance to turn it the door opened wide and Leigh stood before him in blue jeans and a deep green blouse that set off her hazel eyes. Her dark brown hair swept up high on to her head in a tousled bun gave her a casual and yet sophisticated look.

    Skye immediately forgot what she was doing until she noticed Leigh’s wide eyes as they did a head to toe sweep of Chase snapped her out of her daze. Quickly she stepped past her nudging the stunned woman gently out of the way. She felt Georgia rise up just a little to examine the new person and Skye released and inner growl in her head.

    “Tsk tsk kitten, I’m just looking.” Georgia crooned and Skye shook it off turning to Leigh who was still staring at Chase while he stood solidly in the doorway looking unimpressed but waiting patiently for Skye to introduce him. She took a deep breathe to calm herself.

    “Leigh, this is cousin Chase.” She paused when he put out his hand, “he’s Deacon’s cousin and will be staying with me and the kids for a while.” Leigh gently, almost suggestively put her hand on top of his and gave a little squeeze. “Well, hello cousin…” her eyelids dropped to halfway and she stepped forward into him. Right before she could press herself up close and personal Skye took his other hand and began to lead him to the office more so far away from Leigh.

    “Chase is going to look at our books so no disturbing him ok?” she called out over her shoulder as she hurried him away. Not that he minded at all with the waves of sexual energy coming off of Leigh and her body language only showing one thing. He turned and took one last look at her who stood with her hip out, hands clasped in front of her. She gave a sly smile and licked her lips seductively before he was dragged into the office and Skye shut the door.

    Before she said anything Chase took a walk around the office and looked out the windows making note of what he could see, where people could hide and made a mental note of any possible escape routes. When he turned back to Skye she had a sour look on her face. “You’re really going to look at our books?”

He nodded.

    “Well I guess I should tell you the whole story then.” She took her seat behind the desk, took a deep breath, held his gaze and told him everything that happened with the bank and possible foreclosure.

Chapter 19 Part 3

    Dominic had come and gone, everything was put on the table in regards to the day and the attempt to break free from Georgia. Dom had put out there that if the only time she was ever quiet was when she was observing, then Skye should give her something to watch. In his own Dominic way meaning she should get up and go back to work.

     As thankful as she was for his input she had no idea how she was going to function out in the open around people even if those people were hers.

     Still having no further insight into how Georgia was semi free and how this would all work in their grand scheme of things frustrated them all. Skye was surprised at how her whole world was turned upside down and she wasn’t in a strait jacket yet considering this was all so new, and bizarre…very bizarre and yet old and familiar feeling to her at the same time. She didn’t trust her calmness about it all, or not knowing if it was her or Georgia that was radiating the sense of ease.

    After Dom left the first thing she wanted to do was have a smoke. Something she figured out that Georgia herself hated by the sense of disgust that would trickle over her as soon as she lit one up…that only made her want to smoke more. She sat herself down and looked at her dogs sitting patiently at Chase’s feet as he resumed his usual post of leaning against the raining, arms crossed across the broad chest she was trying so hard not to notice when Maury’s voice finally broke through her thoughts.

    “Working will keep you mind off of things.” Maury told her while he and Skye sat side by side watching the sun begin to set. It was her favourite time of day as the sky changed from blue to hues of orange, red and gold. Skye exhaled and pondered what work would be like with all of this extra baggage she had on top of trying to dig them out of the hole they were in. She loved working at Odds & Ends and now dread was creeping in about trying to control things with Georgia and if the distraction would even work to keep her quiet. Skye didn’t like the situation at all. “What if she tries to break out again?” she asked through another exhale.

    Maury shrugged and tossed a casual look Chase’s way with a smirk. “Big and bad will be with you, just put him in the office and put books in front of him.”

    Skye started at that and looked at him blankly for a moment before she replied “And I should tell Anna and Leigh what exactly?”

    He gave her and incredulous look as he stood up and stretched “The truth…” he said “He’s your cousin… in law and he came to look at the books. Simple and it’s not a lie because, he will be looking at your books.” Skye couldn’t deny his reasoning but now not only the terror of being outside the house if Georgia attacked made her nervous but, also that Chase would see how much trouble she was really in.

   She could feel Chase’s eyes on her and looked up into his aqua eyes. His gaze was steady and seemed to be searching hers, like he knew that she was hiding something and for all of his gifts that were being revealed day by day to her, she thought he most likely knew for sure. Her heart started pounding as she fell into those blue-green eyes and she could feel Georgia stirring inside of her like an itch she couldn’t scratch. That caused her mind to shift and think about Georgia’s reactions to Chase. Why he created a reaction in her at all and got her thinking about their possible past together.  Skye hoped that she could work something else out on top of it all. Maybe if she could get Maury to come in instead of Chase, would Georgia leave her alone?

    She thought that it might work. “Maybe you should come with me Maury? She gets a little restless whenever Chase is around.” She left out that it was only when he was looking at her.

    “Really?” Maury asked glancing in Chase’s direction. When he made eye contact, Chase merely lifted and eyebrow. “Why is that?”

    Skye balked at the question as soon as she saw the corner of Chase’s mouth twitch and turn upward. Just then Savannah came out and told her mother that she had a phone call. Thanking everything that was holy, she now had an excuse to leave the awkward conversation. She rose to her feet and put her cigarette out in the ashtray leaving the men to their plans.

    “Who is it Ladybug?”

    “It’s Auntie Leigh!” Savannah sang as she disappeared into the front room to continue watching cartoons. Skye paused and took a deep breathe before picking up the phone.

     She tried to put a smile she didn’t have into her voice. “Hey! What’s going on?” when she didn’t hear anything right away she froze, panic beginning to well up thinking of Marcus. “Leigh?”

     “Hey, sorry! Jordan had a jellybean half up his nose. That could have been a really inconvenient hospital trip.” She sang down the line and relief flooded Skye as she let out a laugh that she desperately needed.

    After stoically avoiding the questions Leigh was asking her about the new additions to the household. Skye decided against telling her that she was going to bring Chase in to the store with her. She felt better showing up with him instead because then Leigh and Anna would be so busy looking at and falling over him that they wouldn’t look at her too closely while she tried to keep Georgia at bay.

    With exhaustion tugging at her with every movement she sought out her kids. They almost seemed happier of late with the extra people in the house. Even Gertie, who spent a lot of time with Savannah who loved Jack to pieces. Angel took her post downstairs while Kona gently nudged Skye forward to bed. Skye wasn’t ready though, she had something she needed to do first.

    One by one Skye checked on each of her children hugging Savannah and tucking her in tight, brushing Kyra’s hair and telling her everything was going to be fine. When she asked Kyra what she thought of Chase and Maury she merely shrugged but Skye had been watching her with Chase and knew that her daughter was more than comfortable with the increased testosterone in the house. Last was Cy as he laid on his back in bed, one knee up and hands behind his head.

    She sat gently on the edge of the bed realizing now that she hadn’t asked him how he was taking all of the changes and the fact that he was now something that they had thought unreal and impossible and if she was honest she still really didn’t know what that was. He hadn’t hit the age where he would change they said, shape shifting, increased muscle mass and all of the things that Maury was helping him with…preparing him for. She put a hand on his leg and he flinched. Hurt flashed across her face before she could stop it and she removed her hand placing it in her lap and lacing her fingers together.

    “Sorry mom, I wasn’t expecting that.” Cyrus said softly.

    “Are you sure?” she replied, “Maybe you’re thinking now…” she felt tears welling up as she continued, “that I’m not your mom…”

    The thought had bounced around in her head for days and she pushed it out repeatedly. The thought of Cyrus thinking that she was a monster scared her more than she was willing to admit to anyone. Cyrus didn’t hesitate.

    “You are my mom. I had trouble in the beginning…I’m still having trouble but not where it comes to you being my mom.” He said but wouldn’t look at her. “I’m trying to figure it out and I’m scared you will disappear and that we will have to be taken care of by people we barely know.”

    She felt a sense of pride in her son at that moment. That he had thought about this meant more than she could have imagined. “I’ll take care of the girls no matter what.” He continued, his voice was unbelievably small as he finally looked up at her. “I’m not letting you go mom…not without one hell of a fight.” Cyrus sat up and wrapped his arms around her. She thought she could feel his strength and resolve in that action. He reluctantly loosened his grip enough to whisper to her.

    “I promise…”

    The next morning the now expected and quickly becoming normal hustle and bustle of the house was in full swing. Maury was making the girls breakfast while telling Savannah outrageous stories of wild animals from another place in time. Kyra listened and didn’t react in the same why her little sister did but she listened intently anyway. Cyrus was trying to find his text book that he had probably left on the floor by the couch in the living room when he and Maury were attacking each other on the PlayStation but Chase and Gertie were not in sight yet so Skye took that as her cue to go get her coffee, head out back with the dogs and try to do something that used to be normal before she headed off to work.

    She was leaning on the railing watching the dogs run in circles and do their morning thing with her coffee in one hand and cigarette in the other when both dogs, changed direction and ran past her. “I’m starting to think my dogs love you more than me.” She said knowing the reason why. She didn’t even need to look at him to know it was Chase and that he had that knowing and smug grin on his face.

    His large frame entered her periphery as he leaned back against the railing beside her and tapped the pocket of her sweater that she had her cigarettes in. Without a second thought she reached in, took out the pack and handed them to him along with the lighter. The silence was deafening for a few minutes while the stood facing opposite directions from each other but so close that Skye could feel the heat radiating from him. A flash of Deacon swirled through her thoughts, remembering that his temperature always ran hot. Hot enough were most of the time he slept on top of the blankets.

    She gave Chase a sidelong glance and he seemed not to notice her looking at him from head to toe. A silent comparison going on in her head but when she got to his torso, the flat but rippled plane of his stomach, the smooth molded shape of his shoulders as her gaze rested on his defined  pecs she felt her face heat and had to turn away quickly.

    In her head she heard Georgia let out a low laugh. Skye started and shook it off, tossing her cigarette into the ashtray just to have a reason not to stare. Now she couldn’t wait to get to the shop so that she could be distracted from thoughts of anything but work.

    “I’ll be in the SUV.” She said abruptly and strode into the house. After kissing each of her children on the head she picked up her jacket, laptop bag and keys on her way to the garage. The comforting and normal beep of the car alarm disengaging was music to her ears as she tossed her bag on the back seat and got behind the wheel.  She decided to warm it up while she waited for Chase and no sooner had she made that decision she saw is frame fill the doorway to the garage. He looked casual in his dark blue jeans and the long sleeved white shirt that hugged his upper body.

    Mentally she slapped herself for even noticing that anything hugged his muscular frame. She may not be ready to move on but she could appreciate the male form in all its glory, she thought to herself. “Oh how glorious it is…” Georgia chimed in and Skye gave her a mental push backwards that made the goddess again laugh softly. Seeing him unnerved her but apparently it amused the second soul. All she could think about was how so very similar he was to his cousin and how she felt like she was betraying his memory for looking at another man.

She felt ashamed.

Chapter 19 Part 2

                                                                    19-2

    Gertie felt the disturbance almost as soon as it happened. She felt the presence of her Mistress, just a shred but she knew it was her. Feeling the call of her Charge, she turned from Jack’s cage where she had been feeding him sunflower seeds and closed the cage door before she went to see what was happening. She wanted to be there for her Mistress in case she needed her. Before she made it even two steps out of the kitchen Chase was already in full stride running up the stairs in two’s.

    “Damn it!” Gertie cursed knowing she could never reach them before he could because of her age and restricted motion. Even so as she started to climb the stairs Maury stepped out of the front room and leaned casually against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. The smirk on his face did more than just irritate her.

    “Forget it old woman. You won’t win this.” The smugness in his tone rattled her more than anything else had. She was so used to being alone and she remembered why now as her hatred for the guardian settled over her like a blanket. Even as a young girl they had misjudged her. She looked at him with distaste as his mouth curved into a harsh smile causing her to turn and return to the kitchen instead of getting involved with whatever was happening upstairs.

    Opening the cage door Gertie cooed at Jack and tears threatened to spill over her eyes, but she kept it at bay by thinking back to her cottage that she missed more than anything at this moment. She swore that she would never let them see her cry.

                                                                             ~~

    Chase reached Skye’s bedroom and for a moment he felt wrong crossing the threshold. A brief flash of Deacon almost caused him to miss a step until he saw the terror on Skye’s face as she fought an invisible but all too real threat within herself. He knew his knowledge of the past wasn’t going to help him now and he couldn’t stop to think about what was going to happen next. He blocked everything out except for her when he crossed the room and took hold of Skye’s arms putting himself directly into her field of vision. Even though she was looking at him, he was well aware that she couldn’t really see him with the turbulent thoughts going on inside of her head. He cursed the fact that Georgia had a grip on her that he had no idea how to break.

    His first thought was to slap her again but seeing as it was Skye he was looking at he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Managing to gently move her over to the bed and sit her down he took a deep breathe. Every now and then her brows would crease in confusion but he had no way to be sure. “Skye…” he ventured softly. “Can you hear me?” when all she did was blink he took out his cell phone and called Dominic thinking maybe he knew something, a cold shower…something to help. He would question later why he felt so protective over her.

    He reluctantly stepped away from her and dialed Dominic’s number. He waited for him to answer as he paced back and forth across the room, his eyes constantly watching Skye. On his last pass in front of the bedroom door Savannah unknowingly strode in humming to herself a tune. He had at first ignored it thinking that she should not be near her mother at this particular moment in time and then a vague recollection of the notes niggled in his mind but couldn’t place from where.

    Bringing him back to the moment he remembered that he had a phone in his ear. “Chase…what’s the matter?” Dominic’s voice filtered through the receiver.

    “Hey Boss, we have a situation here…” his words trailed off as he watched Savannah climb up the end of the bed; crawl across the quilt and under Skye’s arm to sit in her lap.

    “What’s happened? Did she come back?” Dominic sounded calm at all times but with this all being so new he was a bit on edge, not enough to crack his strength or his resolve but enough to be frustrated and wary the same time held hostage by lack of knowledge.

    Chase took a breath to reply while he watched Savannah tuck herself into Skye’s side. She didn’t say anything, she continued to hum and play with a piece of Skye’s hair that had escaped her bun on her head. Within a few minutes Skye began to blink rapidly, trying to focus and looked around the room. Breathing heavy as she digested the situation Chase could sense the panic she was beginning build and moved towards her. Before he reached her she looked down at her sweet girl unaware of seeing Savannah come in.  The last visual that Skye remembered was seeing the girls in that backyard. Her mind cycled through what had happened in what had ended up only being a few minutes. When she looked up and saw Chase standing in front of her with his phone to his ear she felt the first pangs of anxiety.

    She hugged Savannah close and kissed the top of her head hoping to ease the panic and anxiety, keeping it in check. She didn’t want to scare her youngest daughter considering she was scaring herself. Even as that thought was going through her she felt the weighing presence of Chase near her and for the first time since they had dominated her home she was glad that she wasn’t alone. Daring to look at him she whispered harshly “What happened?” her eyes were pleading with him while every fiber of herself was hoping and praying that Georgia hadn’t broken through or hurt Savannah.

    Chase saw the additional question in her eyes and said softly “You’re fine Skye, Savannah just came in a moment ago. I was here the entire time” The sigh that she released was heavy but her body relaxed all except for her arms which had her daughter pinned in her lap.

    “Mommy?” The muffled sound of Savannah’s voice trapped in the crook of her arm made her jump and she let go of the little girl. After taking a few dramatic deep breaths Savannah got up on her knees and hugged Skye around the neck, kissing her cheek. “I love you Mommy.” She said before she hopped down like nothing was unusual.

    Chase still had the phone in his hand and the conversation forgotten. Dominic was trying to tell him that he was on his way over and they would figure this all out yet Chase never heard the last words Dominic said because he was too focused on Savannah as she strode from the room. Just before she reached the door she stopped and turned to face her mother. Her little smile lit up the room.

    “Don’t worry mommy, she can’t hurt you unless you’re sad.” She said and skipped from the room.

     Skye sat dumbfounded on the edge of the bed and Chase could do nothing other than hang up the phone. He was pretty sure that Dominic was still talking but at this point couldn’t care less as he processed what had just happened. He knew that Dom would not approve of the abrupt cut off and yet it was the furthest thing from his mind.  Chase stood speechless and in awe of one so small that could have an answer to something none of them knew the answer to. He turned then to look at Skye who by now white as a sheet.

    “I am going fucking crazy…” Skye turned to face him and her eyes were wet with tears but there was no sobbing, no wailing just quiet tears streaming down her face. Wanting to go to her and wipe her tears away overwhelmed him, it was completely unexpected. His training had taught him how to put emotions aside and he did so with ease once he had a handle on the feelings stirring inside of him. Deciding to focus on something else he turned Savannah’s words over in his head and took the chance that she might be on to something. The song was familiar and he held on to that.

    He tapped his cell phone on his wrist, something he did out of habit when his brain was turning. Something came to mind; he stopped tapping and looked at her.

    “If you don’t mind me asking, what were you thinking about before you tranced out?”

    Chase had a feeling he already knew and his instincts were usually right on the button. For once he prayed that the answer wasn’t what he thought it was because grief is the hardest thing to fight. Skye looked up at him, her green eyes lined with silver as she fought back the tears. Clearing her throat she said what he knew in his heart to be true.

    Between muffled breaths she managed to work her lips. “Deacon.”

    As soon as the word was out of her mouth Skye was up and pacing, now almost frantic at what Savannah had said and what had happened. Feeling relieved that Chase was there could only calm her so much. She had felt him and so did Georgia the minute he touched her. That was when the Goddess slipped giving Skye moment she needed to grab hold of the surface, but the struggle was like wading through quicksand. Suppressing the feelings that she had was all she could do at the moment until she figured out what it all meant. More and more Georgia’s emotions were flowing freely through her and the only one of them without pain was curiosity and sometimes mild amusement.  Georgia had been caught off-guard a second time and Skye knew that would not so easily happen again.

    “So what now?” she asked, “Georgia picked up an image of Deacon out of my head and she almost had me!” She wrung her hands together in front of her so hard that they hurt leaving her some reality injected into the situation. Her fear was beating at her, nothing seemed real anymore and everything that kept her grounded felt so far away.

    Leaning up against the dresser Chase followed her pacing with his eyes trying to find something that would help her calm down and think straight. He was at a loss with her, wondering about the other versions of her and how similar they were but the time periods produced different women and reactions. Even though at her core she was the same Skye he had seen over and over again, she had been submissive and he never really had to get to know her, she was Deacons Charge and where Deacon was easy and instructive Chase was an Enforcer and for the most part a silent killer.

    Not husband material.

    “Ok, listen,” he started off and realized that there was no way that she was listening to him. He could sense the anxiety and panic overriding her senses. Skye kept pacing ignoring him until he stood up and stepped into her path. When she ran nose first into his chest she was startled, not expecting his body to be so…firm. Georgia scoffed inside her head and Skye realized through Georgia that his close proximity distracted her from being afraid. For a moment when Georgia found the way Skye reacted to him amusing in return she would calm down, especially when he was close but right now he felt way too close to her. Too close in the bedroom she shared with his cousin for many years.

    Gently he put his hands on her shoulders and she visibly relaxed and began to breathe normally. Without warning she wrapped her arms around him and started to cry, as each sob rocked through her he felt the pull towards her, protecting her and her family.

   …His family now.