Sinkara's scheme

“Keep her warm and she’ll be fine. If you need additional tests call me.”
The door closed softly and then the mattress sunk to my right. A warm arm wrapped around my waist and a soft kiss pressed against my forehead. Every joint in my body ached but I wanted to get up. I felt like a stranger in my own skin. Now that my parents were dead I would never know the truth from their perspective.
“It’s going to be okay mate,” Dean whispered.
A heartbeat later doses of Alpha power seeped into me and I relaxed into Dean side. His hold on me tightened as darkness reclaimed me.
***
Dean and I walked in the backyard the next morning. Since Dean broke the news several new realizations came to me. The Dare pack was after me not some stone. I had the moon goddess’s power and there was more I could do other than just heal.
“Are you going to use me as your secret weapon?” I smiled at Dean.
He grunted in response.
“Come on, it’s a good strategy against the Dare pack.”
“They’ve been quiet. I don’t like it.”
“Sinkara’s been trying to kill me on her own. Could be why.”
“You’re right.”
“So what’s the plan, Babe?”
Dean stopped and hoisted me onto a stone bench.
“You’re going to your uncle’s pack where you’ll be safe. You’ll leave with Lyle this afternoon. Gabe and I are going to attack a group we found in the north.”
My heart stopped. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“Why won’t you take me? Can’t you stand that I can defend myself?”
Dean’s eyes grew dark. “Because I won’t risk my enemies getting their hands on you. You’re my mate and I’ll protect you with my life.”
Tears burned in the back of my eyes but if I cried Dean would think I was weak. He pulled me into his arms and stroked my hair.
“I need you safe.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll be fine.”
I pushed back. “Have you forgotten how bloody you returned last time?”
He rolled his eyes. “That was one time. I have a car waiting for you. As soon as we’re back I’ll get you myself.”
“I can help.”
He squeezed my hand and that was the end of the conversation. We walked back to the castle but my slipper caught on a twig. I yanked but the slipper wouldn’t come loose. I turned just as the black substance crawled up my ankle.
“Shit!” I cried. “Dean.”
Dean grabbed my waist and yanked but the black liquid crawled up to my knee.
“Stop, it’s making it worse.”
“Sinkara, let her go,” Dean demanded.
My skin crawled when the black substance divided from the liquid attached to my leg and seeped onto the grass. Seconds later the corpse like being that was Sinkara materialized. She snatched my wrist and dragged me backward.
“I’m sorry, your royal highness, but I can’t obey your command.”
“Let her go.” Dean’s hazel eyes turned red, his teeth became razors.
Sinkara threw her head back and laughed. “You don’t scare me, Dean. Not anymore but your girlfriend here should.”
“I’ll kill you again Sinkara,” Dean barked.
“Not before I wake dear daddy.”
Dean’s eyes went from red to hazel.
“You wouldn’t dare,” Dean said.
“The process has already begun sweetheart. All I need is a little stone.”
The black substance rode up my leg and consumed my body like a fire. Sinkara’s laugh was the last thing I heard before I was engulfed. It felt like I was strapped to a jet plane and zipping through the sky but halfway through the ride the jet ran out of fuel and it crashed. Sinkara and I dropped and landed on opposite sides.
“Ouch. Crap.” I rubbed the back of my head.
I adjusted my eyes to the clear river water. We were still on castle grounds.
“You bitch,” Sinkara spat.
She hugged her petite frame. I crawled backwards and hit a tree trunk. The girl four feet from me looked sixteen or not older than seventeen how was she running a pack of hybrid wolves?
“You have the moon goddess’s power.”
“Is that why we crashed? You can’t touch me,” I said.
That gave me the confidence to stand.
“I can still kill you.”
“Why are you doing this? You’re just a kid.”
She hackled. “I was a kid over ten years ago when your mate killed me.”
“He had good reason.”
“They were jealous. Jealous my Father loved me more than them!”
I cringed. “You… and Dean are siblings.”
Sinkara smirked revealing black teeth. “He didn’t tell you. Did he tell you he ran a silver dagger through his Father’s heart? That’s why the moon goddess punished them. Those boys have blood on their hands.”
I woke my wolf because we weren’t going to stand and listen to her.
“Leave me out of your family drama.”
“You’re going to use your power to raise my Father and he’s going to continue his plans to create the ultimate wolf.”
I swallowed. I barely knew how to heal how did she think I was going to wake a dead body? My wolf burst from my skin. Sinkara jumped and I took the opportunity to dart into the woods. Her scream pierced the air but she didn’t pursue but a thought occurred to me that her hybrids would.
***
“I’m going to kill her again,” Dean bellowed.
“I don’t understand how she resurfaced in the first place.”
“We left them alive that’s why. We left the Dare pack grow, Gabe. Now they’re going to regenerate their leader.”
I stopped and watched from the trees as Dean and Gabe spoke. Gabe walked up to Dean and fisted his shirt. Dean shoved him back.
“What do they want with her?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Don’t lie.”
“She’s special Gabe.”
I slithered out of my hiding space and ran to them.
“Little Wolf,” Dean said.
I shifted back to human and welcomed his embrace. He blocked my naked body from his brother.
“How did you escape?”
“Long story.”
He picked me up and pulled me to his chest.
“Gabe, call back the betas and surround the castle. She’ll be back.”
Gabe’s gaze settled on me. He sucked his bottom lip and nodded.
“We’ll talk later.” Gabe marched off.
“Dean?”
“Little Wolf?”
“Did you kill your Father?”
He paused for a second before proceeding. “I had no choice.”