Chapter Fourteen - word count 2014 - Download PDF
14.
      Kyle leaned forward putting his fists onto the hard wood of Netta’s desk.  He wanted – no he needed to punch something.  “What would be drawing too much energy?”  
      Netta shrugged, unfazed by Kyle’s black glower. “I can’t tell you what I don’t know.  It could be something as simple as you getting angry…”
      Kyle palled and tried to get a grip on the anger that was coursing through him.
      “Or it could take a lot more.  Sorcha is powerful, so my best guess is that it will take a lot more than either of us think.  She would feel the drain, and nothing you’ve done so far has caused one.”  Netta raised an eyebrow asking Sorcha if she was right.
      “I haven’t felt any type of drain on my power.”  
      “So, I think it would take a massive drain, don’t be so fearful.” She smiled a Kyle trying to reassure him.  
      “Easy for you to say, you aren’t living off a Walker’s power, you aren’t in danger of killing her.”  Kyle straightened and righted the chair the moved past it and started pacing the room.  He was poison to her, the first woman who’d ever made him really give a shit and he could kill her.  Fuck – this was a royal disaster.  He’ just have to stay away from Sorcha.  Leave her completely alone.  He’d go haunt the attic or something, maybe there were some nice chains up there he could rattle.  
      Netta’s voice disturbed his thoughts. “Sorcha, you can return to the Omega now, I’d like to have a talk with Kyle in private please.”  
      “If you say so.”  Sorcha gave Netta a puzzled look then looked over at Kyle where he’s stopped pacing and turned to look at the older Psy.  
      “I’ll be at home.”  How easy that word rolled of her tongue, she hadn’t even thought of her apartment in Haven, the compound was home to her now.  
      She decided to stop in and see her mom and dad, time to tell them she’d be moving.  Sorcha disappeared out the room.  
      “Kyle would you please sit.”  Netta requested as she gestured to the chair.  
      “I feel like I’m going to explode, so forgive me, but I can’t sit right now.”  
      “Fine,”  Netta dipped her head.  “I’ll get right to the point. You can’t leave her.”
      “I’m sorry what?”  Kyle did a double take.  Netta had just thrown him right off track.
      “You can’t go haunt the attic.”  She smiled, that thought of his had amused her.  Kyle had a good sense of humor and Sorcha needed someone like him in her life.  
      “How did you…” Kyle rolled his eyes at his own stupidity.  “You read the thought in my mind.”  
      Netta smiled, confirming his statement. “Yes I did.  Unlike Sorcha I’ve got no qualms about digging through people’s thoughts.”  
      “What am I supposed to do, I’m trying to protect her from danger and it turns out I’m the biggest one.”  
      “You can’t really hurt her Kyle, I warned you both in case it should become an issue, I suspect it never will be.  Stay close to her, she’s going to need you.”  
      “What do you know that you aren’t telling?”
      A mysterious smile curved Netta’s lips.  “Do you believe I would tell you?”
      “No.”  Kyle grinned in response.  “Had to give it a try though.”  
      
      Sorcha materialized in the entry hall of the compound in a foul mood.  Her parents had not taken her leaving Haven well.  To say that they’d gone ape wouldn’t be a bad description of their response.  He mom had cried and her dad had tried to forbid it.  Sorcha had to reminder them that she was not a baby and they needed to let go.  
      She’d ended up pointing out her “birth mark” and explaining what it meant.  Her dad had stormed off to see Netta – probably to yell at her.  The thought made Sorcha smile and feel a little less grumpy, Netta deserved some uphill for keeping it all to herself.  
      Sorcha took a deep breath and closed her eyes, she would never admit it to any of the Psy, but being out of the claustrophobic confines of Haven was heavenly,  and knowing that she only had to return for the occasional visit was fantastic.  
      “So we leaving now?”  The deep voice behind her made Sorcha jump.  
      She twirled around to see who had spoken.  Darius was leaning against the arch leading to the living room, his arms crossed over his chest.  His tawny hair falling in his eyes, hiding the scars across his right eye.  
      “Fine by me, are you ready to go?”
      He shrugged straitening up, he hooked the shoulder strap of a backpack with his foot and kicked it up catching it with one hand, and he slung it over his shoulder.  “Whatever.”
      “I want to go pack a few things, so I’ll meet you down here in ten.  If you can get Ross, and I don’t know where Kyle’s disappeared to.”  
      Darius nodded but didn’t say anything.  
      “You don’t say much do you?” Sorcha asked him.  
      “Got nothing to say.”    
      Sorcha raised her brows but walked off thinking Darius needed to swallow a happy pill.  
      
      “God Damn it, I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to that.”  Ross hissed as they materialized in an open courtyard leading to a house.  It was dark but the area was well lit, and surrounded by dense bush.  
      Kyle laughed.  “You suffering teleportation sickness?”
      “HaHa.”  Ross raised his middle finger at Kyle, it only made the other man laugh harder.   
       Ross flipped open his cell phone then cursed when he realized he didn’t have international roaming on the thing.  
      “Sorch…”  Ross started
      “Jesse?”
      “Yeah, I don’t have the zing to send that far.  Seth wanted to know that we go here okay.”  
      Sorcha concentrated and sent the thought to Jesse.
      Jesse, we are here, we made it safe, could you let Seth know please?
      Not a problem, glad you made it safely.  His deep voice echoed in Sorcha’s mind.  
      “Done.”  Sorcha smiled at Ross.  
      “Why is it night time?” Kyle said looking around at the courtyard.
      “South Africa is nine hours ahead of California.”  Sorcha told him.  
      Darius shook himself and looked at Ross.  “You know I don’t want to do this, right?”     
      Ross raised an eyebrow, but didn’t answer.  
      “Fuck yeah, whatever.”  Darius hitched his backpack and stepped forward.  
      The bush around the courtyard erupted, huge cats coming from every direction to surround the Omega.  
      Kyle shoved Sorcha behind him as Ross stepped behind them so that she was between the two men.  
      Darius seemed unimpressed and bored, until a huge lion stepped in front of him and roared.  
      That pissed Darius off, he lunged grabbing the lion by the throat and lifted the massive male onto his hind legs.  
      “Moet nie met my foken kak soek nie Dirk, ek sal jou seer maak.”  Darius hissed out in Afrikaans as he flicked his hair back so the lion could see his face.  The cats surrounding the Omega stepped back.  
      “Do you understand what he’s saying?” Sorcha asked Ross in a whisper.  
      Kyle surprised her when he answered.  “He told the lion not to look for trouble, that he’d hurt him… Only not that nicely.”  He smiled over his shoulder at Sorcha.    
      Sorcha peered past Kyle to see what was happening when the lion started making a chuffing sound.  Her eyes widened as the cat transformed in Darius’s hands into a  very muscular naked man.  The chuff became a belly deep laugh as he took human form.  
      Kyle hissed and shoved Sorcha behind his back again.
      “Oh common there’s no danger now!”  She whispered fiercely.  
      “Yeah there is, because if you keep looking at him I’ll kill him.”  He murmured back without blinking.  
      Ross had to stifle a laugh behind his hand.  
      “Hoe moes ek weet dis jy?”  
      “Dis net kak…” Darius stopped aware that most of the others couldn’t understand him.  
      “That’s bullshit, you could smell it was me.”  
      The man laughed again.  “yes I could, but it’s always fun to piss you off.”  His accent was more guttural than Darius’s when he spoke.  
      “Darius let go of my brother, I know he’s an asshole, but that’s not a good enough reason to kill him.”  A man stepped out of the house, a grin playing on his lips.  He strode over to Darius as Dar let go of the other man, and pulled him into a bear hug.  
      “Damn its good to see you home again.”
      Darius returned the hug.  
      “I’m not home Slade, just visiting.”  
      The cats melted into the bush around the courtyard leaving the Omega and the two men alone.  The first man stepped forward to hug Darius.  
      Darius held out a hand to stop him.  “Go get some clothes on your ass before you touch me Dirk.”  
      The lion grinned then turned towards the house laughing.  
      “He’s still as nuts as ever.”  Darius shook his head.
      Slade chuckled.  “Definitely, he’s never going to be completely normal that one, I still say mom dropped him on his head when he was a cub.”  
      Ross cleared his throat.  
      “Oh shit, forgot.  Slade this is Kyle, Sorcha and Ross.”  
      “Glad to meet you all, please consider my home your home as long as you would like.”  He shook each of their hands, then gestured towards the house.  “Shall we go in and get you all settled?”
      They followed Slade into the house.
      Kyle couldn’t resist, as he moved past Darius Kyle purred at the werelion,  
       “You know Dar, you’re super sexy when you speak Afrikaans. Gives me the shivers”  and batted his eyelashes at the werelion.  He had to duck fast when Darius’s backpack came flying at his head.  
      
      Marcus’s warm laughter filled the room.  
      “What so funny?”  Seth turned from the white board he’d been filling out the patrol schedule on.  
      “Nothing much, but if you keep Crimson on the daylight side of schedule we are going to be spending more time fighting women off than doing any actual patrolling.”  The werechetah grinned.  
      Crimson rolled his eyes and joined Marcus in the grin.  
      “Ah crap, didn’t think of that.”  Seth grumbled.  
      The door opened and Selphie stepped in Jesse close on her heals.  Selphie had something long and black draped over her arm.  
      “Just passing on the message that they arrived there safe, Sorcha asked me to let you know Seth.”  Jesse told the leader of the Omega.  
      “Cool, thanks Jess.”  Seth smiled
      Jesse nodded and turned back towards the door.  
      “Rise and shine Crimson.”  Selphie winked at the Incubus.  He stood up from the couch he had been sitting on.  Selphie stepped in next to him picking up the draped cloth then muttered “damn tall men.” And climbed up to stand on the couch.  “That’s better.” She flashed a smile.  She shook out the material and lifted the shoulders draping it over Crimson’s, Selphie tugged at him to turn him around.  The leaned into him to grab the cowl of the cloak behind his head.  Selphie smiled and murmured in appreciation.  “Hmmm, you smell good Crim.”  Stepping off the couch she motioned for him to turn towards the room.  
      The hood of the cloak hid his face completely in inky blackness, just a spill of ruby hair hung over his shoulder making the black of the cloak seem deeper.  The material covered him from head to shit-kicker clad feet.  
      “There, that will work.”  Selphie dusted her hands proud of her cleverness.  
      “Yeah but can he fight in that getup?”  Marcus asked.  
      “Don’t be silly, he just drops it off his shoulders and he’ll be able to fight just fine.  At least you wont be assaulted by horney women.”
      “Selphie!” Marcus laughed not used to hearing Selphie talk like that.  
      “What?” She asked with wide innocent eyes.  
      “We still have to stick to night shifts for you Crim, that would be a bit conspicuous.”  
      Crimson laughed, “I’m a demon Seth, I like the night.” His voice was velvet danger.
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