Chapter 5

Dominic

Icouldn't tell you what I was thinking to save my life when I heard the crunch of dry leaves coming from behind me. The smooth, glass-like, surface of the small pond was yet to erase the last couple of rings from the stone plunging to its depths that I flung at it a second ago. I just stared at the ripples unblinking when whoever it was decided to disturb me. My instincts were calm, so I knew there was no threat coming at me, yet my nature always took over and betrayed me when I wasn't paying attention, or I was deep in thought.

My body tensed, my hand froze midair still clutching the next flat quarter sized rock I picked out of my pocket and my entire focus zoomed in on the disintegrating leaf under what I was guessing was a size ten shoe. Internally cursing up a storm, I lifted my face and inhaled deep enough to catch the scent of the person who decided to join me, and I realized I was atrociously disappointed with the fact that the human was not the one who found me just so she could mock me or annoy me. No, it couldn't be Alice thanks to my lack of ability to save my mate without endangering her friend in the process.

"You are slipping." Rowen stepped out of the shadows like a picture of serenity with his face tilted at the sky and his eyes closed as if he hasn't been stalking me and watching my every move the last few days. "A reaction like that in front of the wrong people will cost you." He glanced at me from the corner of his eye quickly just to assure himself that he had my undivided attention before jerking his gaze to the sky when he caught me glaring at him. "It will cost all of us dearly as a matter of fact."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." My tone came out sharp yet still defensive enough to piss me off. So, I ground my molars hard enough, the nerve-wracking screech of bone on bone made both of us cringe.

"You've been hanging out with the human for too long." A small smile twisted his thin lips for a moment transforming and softening his harsh features enough to pass as a middle-aged human if you could ignore the glowing sigils on his skin.

I caught myself smiling at that comment too. It was the truth. Alice has been changing all of us, including Samir the ancient oaf, as much as he likes to argue that it's not the case.

"Any improvement?" my gut churned and warped making me nauseous with the reminder that the female is still knocking on Death's door because of me.

"No." All humor drained from his face as he released a heavy sigh and moved to join me while staring at his feet like they had all the answers we needed.

The pebble rolled between my fingers smoothly while I tried to shift my focus from the churning acid in my gut to the repetitive motion of my hand, so I don't make a fool out of myself and hurl the contents of my stomach at the male's feet. I haven't felt this weak since I found my sister's lifeless body arranged like a broken doll in that field what seems like a century ago. I still don't remember her face, no matter how hard I try from the curtain of midnight strands draping over it. Fingers twitching, my hand starts reaching for the past, but I catch myself in time and turn away from Rowen sharply before the witch decides to stick his nose where it doesn't belong.

"We must do something." Dropping the pebble on the grass, I rubbed a hand over my face to shake off whatever insanity was trying to possess me. "She won't be able to hold on much longer."

"I'm surprised she's holding on this long." The coarse texture of his robe rasped over the soft cotton of my t-shirt, prickling my skin, when he stopped next to me so close we bumped shoulders. "None of my potions are working for longer than a few hours." He mumbled under his breath low enough for my ears only. "The old Atua is not very happy with me for that reason." The witch added when he saw my raised eyebrow at his lack of respect for personal space.

It made sense he was crowding me; so, Samir did not hear his words, but I still took a deliberate step away from him and narrowed my eyes when I saw the clear debate on his face; if he should move another step closer or stay where he was. Rowen was always a little strange, from the first day I saw him, but this was a whole new level of weirdness even for him.

"You fear for your life here?" Turning to face him, I searched his face when he jerked his head so he could stare at me openmouthed and wide-eyed. "And why do you wear that thing?" I tugged at his disgusting robe, barely touching it between two fingers. "You are free to dress however you please now."

"Keep your voice down." Jerking his head left and right to check if anyone was around to hear me, the witch hissed at me after some color returned to his face. Realizing he was acting precariously, he straightened his shoulders and smoothed a hand over the horrible robes. "I need to wear the robes as a reminder of all the rest I left behind. It covers my markings too." He added the last part with a wave of his hand like an afterthought.

"No one will make fun of you for your markings, you know that, right?" My eyebrows pulled down on my forehead in confusion wondering if Alice at some point was facetious and off handedly made a remark that would bother him enough so he would stay hidden.

"Oh, I know," he shook his head as if he couldn't believe I would say something so ridiculous. Before he could. cover it up, I caught his hand fisting as he tucked it into the robes. "Everyone has been very nice and kind to me. Although, I do not deserve it."

My snort made him look at me instead of staring at his feet. "Let me guess, we should treat you the same way the Council did to make you feel at home, huh." I almost laughed at his grimace. "What is going on Rowen? You know you can talk to me no matter what, you are in this position because of me. The least I can do is make sure you are not suffering in your freedom."

I watched the battle play out on his face while he searched by gaze debating on how much he should disclose. Uneasiness crept up under my skin wondering if Samir has not left his old ways behind and treated the witch horribly under my nose while I ran around like a besotted fool chasing a female. As I was preparing to keep pushing until he told me what bothered him, he made his decision, and after filling his lungs with more air than they could hold, he chuckled without humor.

"How very appropriate of a description of what I feel." On a sigh he plopped down on the grass as if his legs could not hold his weight anymore. "Suffering freedom, isn't that poetic. All of my brothers and sisters would give their life to trade places with me and here I am suffering."

"What is bothering you, old friend. I have been wrapped up in my own problems so much I did not even ask if you are acclimated to your new life. Forgive me for being a lousy friend." Lowering myself next to him, I rested a forearm on my raised knee and stared at the pond hoping it will make him comfortable enough to share what is going on with me. Unlike me, the witch was more open to sharing his feelings, although between Brooklyn and Alice, I find myself more attuned to my emotional side as well.

"I still feel the pull." Rowen fidgeted uncomfortably next to me, rearranging his robes mindlessly. "Right here." He thumped a fist over his heart hard enough to crack a bone. "No matter what I do, I still feel the call right here, to return to that place of torment where they imprisoned part of my soul without my consent. Maybe that is why I can't even help the human. My magic is useless." The anguish was evident in the deep lines forming around his eyes and mouth as if what he was describing was causing him physical pain. "I have failed you all."

"That appears to be the theme around here, doesn't it?" scraping a blunt nail over my calloused palm, I joined in his misery for a moment. "We all feel like we have failed in one way or another. Samir feels he has failed Brooklyn's parents, you think you have failed us all, Brooklyn is guilt ridden for failing Alice, and I have been seeking revenge for so long and drowning in guilt for failing my family that I almost lost my mate when I couldn't think straight because of it." Side-eying him, I could see he was drinking in every word I said. Maybe it was the first time he heard that we are all very much alike. "If you want to take the blame for failing, grab a number and get in line as Alice would like to say."

"I see." Twisting his robes in one hand in an attempt to strangle the life out of the horrendous lifeless thing, he stayed silent for a long moment until he collected his thoughts. "As much as I would like to complain, I must admit having the old…" he cleared his throat and straightened his hunched shoulders. "Having Samir around lessens the uncomfortable feeling of being away from the pits. It is a small price to pay for my freedom."

"Freedom is not free, old friend." Reaching for his shoulder, I gave it a firm squeeze in solidarity and comfort. "We all must pay our dues."

Rowen was nodding his head in agreement slowly, when I felt the first ping of alarm from my animal who was contentedly letting me have my moment of peace to dwell in my misery after my mate told me to give her some space. It went against everything I am but I forced my legs to move in the direction of the pond and stood in the same spot collecting and tossing pebbles just so I can occupy my mind with something, anything else, which will give the female what she wanted. Thinking nothing of it I brushed it away and focused on my friend.

"I wonder if there really is something magical about the human." Rowen switched gears after my speech and was thoughtfully staring into the distance. "Maybe that is why my potions are not working. I am treating her like I would treat the humans they used to drain to almost killing them at the parties. But what if everything I thought about her is wrong?"

"Whatever do you mean?" It was difficult to focus on what he was saying with my animal prowling under my skin, itching to burst out and trade shapes with me. "Alice is human. They all have some remnants of magic in their blood from ancient times when humans were more evolved and could do magic, but they need help from crystals and objects to reach it now. Many never do."

"Yes, but what if we are wrong?" the ridge of his eyebrows almost reached his hairline while excitement sparkled in the glass like the color of his irises. "What if we are totally off about what she is. It could explain everything, couldn't it? It's not like we haven't been wrong about many things before."

"If you treat her like she is supernatural you could kill her. You know that, right?" I'd be damned if I allowed him to experiment on Alice. Being a fool once and placing her life in danger was enough for a lifetime. Despite being my mate's best friend, I cared about the human, too. "I cannot allow you to do that."

"It could save her life." Rowen stared at me intently enough I began to think he was trying to influence my thoughts. I would've laughed at him if I wasn't feeling lightheaded from whatever in the world was happening with the beast inside me.

"No." I ground through clenched teeth.

"Are you well?" the witch grabbed my shoulder to keep me seated when my body tilted sideways. "Your aura is pulsing like you are ready to shift." His eyes widened comically when he heard his words out loud, and he scrambled to get up and get away from me. "Okay, okay, I will not attempt to heal the human like she is one of us. I swear it, I won't."

Curling up on my side on the grass I couldn't tell him that whatever was happening had nothing to do with him. Sharp pain cut through me strong enough to make me scream at the skies. My animal was done alerting me that something was not right. It was full of rage and ready to take over because apparently my two-legged side was not paying attention and was oblivious to the danger. All I had time to think about was ‘Danger of what?' when Brooklyn's face floated in my mind's eye, her brilliant green eyes wide and full of regret.

"Brooklyn!" my roar was replaced with a terror inducing cry of my panther as my body shifted instantaneously.

My mate was in danger.