Tabia watched in horror, tears streaming down her face as Dannick screamed while his body twisted inhumanely on the cold marble floor. She wanted to help him, she wished she could help him. She knew it was going to happen but didn't know it would be so brutal. Dannick had been a son to her all those years and watching him going through so much pain broke her to pieces.
Loud banging suddenly came from the front door which snapped Tabia from her daze, she ran to open it hoping it was someone who cold help.
"Who is it?" The words could barely make their way out of Tabia's stricken throat but she remembered Talyn's advice earlier about opening the door without knowing who was on the other side.
"Tabia it's Talyn, open the door now!" Talyn's concerned voice was full of his Beta command.
Tabia hurriedly unlocked the bolts and before she could turn the knob, the door burst open to let in Talyn and three other men with similar body type but Talyn was a bit taller with broader shoulders.
"How is he, is the transition almost complete?"
Talyn didn't wait for Tabia to respond, he and the three men walked past her following the sounds of Dannick's screams. Tabia bolted the front door before following them into the living room when suddenly the screaming stopped. She rushed in to find the four men standing rigidly around Dannick's still body then her heart squeezed tighter and a small scream escaped her lips.
"No, he's not dead! Talyn, please tell me he's not dead? We need him, what will we do if he dies, our people will not…"
Tabia didn't finish her sentence. She realized neither Talyn nor the three other men paid her any attention, they were too focused on the body lying on the floor slowly turning to face them. Tabia walked up to join them and watched in awe as Dannick slowly got to his knees then finally stood up tall with chest heaving. What she noticed most was not his wide chest and swollen biceps through his ripped clothes, or the strands of dark red hair that suddenly hung along his shoulders. What she did notice was how strong his aura was and his blood red, intelligent eyes. His Alpha aura engulfed the condo and could probably be felt three condos over, it was terrifying. Tabia starred at the young man before her and realized it was not Dannick, that young man was not the one she raised.
Talyn immediately got down to his knee to greet the young man and offer his allegiance then glared at the three confused looking men beckoning them to do the same.
"Alpha Dannick, we welcome you and offer our lives and service until the day our great moon goddess calls us home."
Still in a daze, Tabia quickly got to her knees and repeated the same actions and words.
The voice that rang in their ear, however, was not a voice that was familiar. The voice was deep and echo-like vibrating against the walls.
"Thank you for your allegiance but I am Nikolai, Dannick's wolf. He needed a rest after all he just went through which by the way, could've been handled better."
Nikolai gave them all a pointed look as his aura pressed down on them making them tremble in submission. He tried his best to get to his alpha before the transition began but the spell that kept him bound for all those years prevented him from doing so until it was the right time. It pained him to watch Dannick go through it alone, it should've been his pain to bare or at least share it.
"Our apologies Alpha, we didn't think it would happen this fast. We were making final arrangements for the ceremony tomorrow and came as soon as we could. My name is Talyn, I am the current Beta of the Super Blood Moon pack, your rightful pack. These men have been your covert protectors for the past ten years, this is Paul, Mark and Aiden, they are the top three strongest members of our pack warriors.
With his head still down in respect, Talyn spoke on behalf of them all. However, the men were even more confused by Talyn's words but dared not to speak with the Alpha's aura pressing so hard on them.
Nikolai looked down at each of the men with respect and gratitude then nod his approval and motioned for them to stand. He then looked over to Tabia and spoke firmly.
"Where is that tea you mentioned aunt Tabia, I think it's time I had some."
Tabia raised nervous eyes to meet Nikolai's glowing red orbs which stared at her with kindness. She felt great relief as she gave him a small smile and responded happily.
"It's brewing in the Kitchen my Alpha, follow me and I will prepare you a cup."
Nikolai followed Tabia into the kitchen with the four men following closely behind, they had much to discuss.
Talyn walked into the cozy kitchen and stood before the floor to ceiling window and stared at the clear starry night sky over the crashing waves below. The packed owned a few properties in the states they most frequently visited which was convenient for covert situations like protecting Dannick. When their pack was attacked ten years prior, they lost their alpha, his Luna and so many members in a brutal turf battle that lasted for days. The plan was to kill anyone who had rights as a leader or a future leader in the Super Blood Moon pack making Shaakim the sole Alpha with plans to eventually create a new bloodline of leaders for the powerful pack.
"When Talyn discovered Dannick's frail body among the dismembered bodies of his parents with a deep slash across his chest, a few broken ribs and a broken leg and realized the young heir was not dead, he immediately formed an escape plan. Talyn commanded his sister Tabia to run away with the boy and save his life. She was not to tell anyone where she was going, including him for a while. He gave her choices of which states had properties they owned but told her not to tell him which one she chose to hide with the boy. His sister was a wise young woman who had a talent with herbs and mystics which she learned from their grandmother, she was the only one Talyn trusted with such an important task apart from his mate. Because of her fascination with herbs and studying the mysteries of the pack, Tabia was one of the few people in the pack who's absence would not be immediately noticed. At then age of twenty-six she was unmated and had no family of her own which made it easier for her to bond with young Dannick.
Paul, Mark and Aiden sat on the white leather wooden bar stools and leaned their elbows on the custom epoxy white and gold counter. They watched their alpha from the corner of their eyes not wanting to upset him by staring or even risking a quick look. They were still in shock from learning that the young boy they were ordered to protect, all these years, was none other than their blood born Alpha. They were impressed with his aura and strong physique, even at the age of twenty-one, his very presence commanded respect and obedience. They watched him grow from a frail and skinny boy who came near death a few times over the years and getting into all kinds of mischief, oblivious to the great destiny that awaited him in the future. Looking at him standing tall and confident with command dripping from every hair on his body, the trio felt new found pride towards him. They hoped he would be strong enough to defeat Shaakim and save the pack from his tyrannic rule.
No one spoke a word but watched intently as Tabia prepared six cups of tea then handed each men a large cup steaming with the strange herbal aroma.
"Ugh, this smells awful tabby, what the hell is in this?" Mark crunched up his nose after inhaling the steam.
"Do I really have to drink this?" Aiden said setting the tea cup down firmly, giving Talyn a pleading look.
"Is this going to kill me, because there are more pleasant ways to die." Paul turned his head away from the aroma holding the cup at arm's length.
Talyn didn't comment but his facial expression spoke volumes. He didn't want to look weak before his men so he cleared his throat and asked curiously?
"Tabs, what is this strange odor coming from my mug, I don't remember your tea ever smelling this bad?"
Tabia huffed then rolled her eyes at the men. "Stop being big babies in a time like this, the taste is much better than the smell. There are a few more herbs in this tea then before, such as garlic, borage, agrimony and chickweed just to name a few. This tea will break the barrier spell in your minds allowing our Alpha access to connect with our wolves and to communicate with us and anyone whom is part of his pack. Also releasing memories of the past that have been concealed from you all these years, we cannot move forward into the future without remembering the past and the reason why we are fighting."
With repulse engraved on their faces, the men looked to each other hoping one or the other would take the initiative to drink first. They were all debating whether they really cared about getting their memories back, if it meant they had to put that vile liquid in their mouth. Suddenly the sound of a mug slamming firmly on the counter got their attention. They turned their heads and saw Nikolai wiping his mouth with the back of his hands then shook his head to dispel the taste. Without another thought the four men tilted back their heads and gulped the hot tea in one breath then sat the mugs on the counter. It took all their wolf strength to keep from gagging and upchucking their dinner onto Tabia's white marble floor.
Everyone held heavy breaths waiting to feel something but disappointedly, nothing happened. They stared at each other intently as if expecting horns and wings to sprout out each other's backs and heads then turned their frowning faces at Tabia shrugging their shoulders inquiringly.
"Patience! It may take some time. Your minds have been cleansed of these memories for such a long while it probably is going to take a few minutes to recall them all."
Talyn spoke to Nikolai in a reassuring manner hoping to not aggravate him.
"We are so happy to have you back with us, Alpha. Once your mind is clear of tabia's enchantment Dannick will remember who he is and your destiny as our Alpha. I know you both will have many questions and we will all try out best to answer them."
Nikolai tilted his head then asked. "Why is it your memories were not blocked, Beta? Aren't you an even bigger threat to me being in your position, you are still the Beta under our father's murderer command am I correct?"
Talyn shifted then took a few steps towards Nikolai. "Yes, I am still the Beta of our pack under Shaakim's rule but, it was not for any benefit other than to protect our people and my family. Many more lives would have been lost had I not remained Beta and Shaakim knew this, he could not be Alpha to dead wolves. He lost his potential beta during the attack so he kept me in my position as punishment for killing him. As revenge he forbade me from seeing my mate and son promising to kill them if I even looked at them. I am restricted to the pack house in the room next to his, obeying his every command and to go where ever he does. I have not spoken a single word to my wife in ten years, believe me, I've dreamed of the day you became of age to fight for us."
Tabia motherly voice eased the tension between the Alpha and Beta's murderous aura that was suffocating the room.
"As for his memories, I am the one responsible for that. I created a tea that would allow him to remember your existence but also forbid him to speak of it to anyone but me. Even if Shaakim were to ask about you, Talyn's mind would go blank and he would be confused beyond speech. I assure you my Alpha, he is no threat to you."
Nikolai's shoulder relaxed. Paul, Mark and Aiden let out relieving breaths as they looked from their new Alpha to their Beta thanking the moon goddess for preventing a fight they wouldn't even begin to know how to stop.
"Ugh, something's happening. I feel light headed and a bit nauseous, is this the effect of your disgusting tea Tabia?" Mark pressed a palm to his chest and massaged it vigorously inhaling deep breaths.
"Yeah, me too. My head feels heavy like its growing bigger, Tabby is this normal?" Paul walked over to the window trying to see his reflection in the glass, hoping his head was not growing three sizes like he felt it was.
"This is not cool Tabs, when is it going to stop? The room is spinning and it's making me nauseous!" Aiden squeezed his throbbing head between the palms of his hands.
"Tabia!" Talyn deep aggravated voice cut through the complaining groans in the room reaching Tabia with a warning.
"I'm sorry! It should be over any minute now, just breathe deep and exhale slow." Tabia looked at the group of men and tried to suppress a giggle. Those men that could rip beasts and groups of men to shreds was at the mercy of her cup of tea.
"Breathe? I can barely think with this pounding in my head!"
Talyn leaned his head against the kitchen wall balling his fists on either side of his head. He was resisting the urge to punch right through the wall to dull the pain.
While the men groaned in pain holding on to the last thread of control they had left, Nikolai leaned his head back squeezing his eyes shut. His chest and shoulders Trembled as a growing growl made its way through his clenched jaw. Without warning, Nickolai let out a thunderous growl that nearly broke the glass behind him.
"ENOUGH!"