I walked into the apartment. It was filled with the same strangers as yesterday. "I'm sorry I didn't know you were meeting again." I proceeded to walk out of the room when Grant stood and said, "Ana, don't go. There's something we need to discuss with you."
"What is it?"
"We owe you and your master an apology. Betsy was attacked and this time it was at sunrise. We thought we had the attacker trapped and searched the area this morning. We found nothing. Please, I want you to show the others the scars you bear?"
My heart started racing. Papa and father stood close to me. "Your family may stay if they would like."
Father whispered in my ear, "I will not leave your side ever again." I looked into his eyes and knew he spoke the truth. I smiled and took a deep breath to fight back the whippy tears. I walked into the living room. The power of the others oozed around my body. I looked at my father again. He smiled. I returned the smile. I stopped in front of Grant. He touched my shoulders and turned me to face the others. I could tell that each group was represented here. Some faces were familiar but there was at least a hand full I still did not know. Armand stood to my right and smiled. I rolled my head in a circle to loosen my muscles.
I closed my eyes and concentrated. My shields went down and a collective gasp went through the room. I opened my eyes to look at everyone. I needed to know if it was me they feared or was it my scars. Michael and another woman got up from their seat and walked to me. They touched my skin everywhere I had a scar, my neck and my sides. Those touches made my body tremble. I was not going disappear. I will let them touch me. I needed to be brave.
"Unbelievable," said Michael. He looked to Armand, "You said her scars matched Betsy’s but I didn't think it would be mark for mark." He looked at me, "When were you attacked? Why didn't you tell us about it yesterday?"
I looked down to the ground then at my father; I wanted permission from him. I didn't know why I did; I just wanted to know it was okay to tell. He must have known what I wanted because he nodded his head. I looked to Michael and the woman before me, "It happened when I was nine. I didn't think it was important to tell my story."
I smiled, "How do you think I became a Leopard?"
Michael looked at Grant, "How many new members due you have?"
"Just Ana, everyone else has been here over a year or more." I was shocked that Grant gave me asylum with out asking the cause for it. Michael looked me over again and shook his head. He stepped in front of me and stared me straight in the eye, "Are you causing all this trouble?" Once those words left Michael's mouth my Papa spoke.
"Ana would never do such a thing! I have taught her better than that!"
"Yeah, Hide from what scares her the most," came from Professor Grant.
"Papa didn't teach me that. I learned that all by myself." I said quietly, "Papa taught me that I must not sink down to the level of stupid people. I should just walk away."
"What?! You taught my daughter to turn down challenges!" my father yelled. I looked over at them just in time to here the words spoke, "Rhymi, Lord of Illusion, Lord of Deception, I challenge you to a duel...."
"No!" I roared it more than I yelled. The two of them looked at me in astonishment. I marched myself in between them; it is weird how I always put myself in the middle of things. I looked at the two of them.
"I will not have you fight!"
"The challenge as been offered. I must accept it." Papa stated.
"No!" I shook my head, "I will not lose my father again and I will not lose you either Papa. Right now, Adam and his hunters are here! The attack on Betsy proves that! The attacks on Logan’s people prove it also! Everyone that had been attacked has crossed my path in one way or another. Betsy lives next door. That tells me they know where I live. The attacks on the vampires is a way of telling Logan that his people are in the way."
"Then what of the others, girl!" I spun on my heel to look at Dr. Peters, "The shifters here at the complex! Attacks have been hitting us left and right! Can you explain that too?"
"No, I'm not sure about the others. I don't know why my step-father would attack your people."
The room was silent. All eyes were on me. I let my secret out and now I don't think anyone will ever trust me. I looked at Armand and felt an answer to my worries. He sent a calming power over my body. My reaction was sexual. I smiled while I looked at him. Warmth flowed over my body.
A hand touched my shoulder, "Ana, if this is not the time to fight duels, it is most definitely not the time to do what is going through your mind." Father whispered. I broke eye contact with Armand and looked at my hands. There was a small glow to my skin. This made me blush. I began to giggle because I couldn't believe what just happened. I looked back at Armand and he
was smiling too.
"I think I should be careful of my thoughts around you, Armand."
"Yes, I think you should." he replied.
"I'm lost. Would someone explain what just happened here?" asked the woman next to Michael.
"Let me," said Papa. "Our kind has away of showing lust to their lovers. The glowing, Ana is experiencing right now, is caused by remembering feelings of pleasure from Armand."
My smile grew wider because I knew what Papa was saying was true.
"Never mind! I really didn't need that information." The woman said, "Okay, Ana, why would your stepfather be hunting you and attacking people around you?"
"My stepfather is also my Nimir-raj. It is his right, I believe, to hunt me and take me home. I don't know why he is hurting your people." I looked down to the floor. My father set a hand on my shoulder, "Ana, I don't think that bastard is doing the attacks." He looked to everyone in the room.
"You all did say that the markings were the same as Ana's?"
Everyone shook his or her heads yes, "Then it can't be your stepfather, Ana. Remember what I told you at the restaurant earlier. He was with your mother when I heard the attack. I chased the beast away. How can he be in two places at once?"
For my father to defend a man he despises means he was right. Then who could it have been and is that same person here now? I looked at the people in the room; "My father has a point. Maybe Adam is still in LA looking for me and it is someone else all together."
"Great!" said a frustrated Grant. "Now we are right back at the beginning.
With no real clues."
"Grant we do have some real clues" stated Dr. Peters. "First, we now know the vampires are not involved. Second, we know Ana can not be doing it either because she's the master's animal. Third, we do know it is someone possibly from Ana's past. Fourth, we know the beast is a were-leopard. Does anyone object to those findings?"
No's were heard through out the room. "Now, then, I think we should set a trap for this culprit." said Michael. I think he has been watching one to many episodes of Scooby-Doo.
"I have an idea," Armand said. "Tonight a group of us is going out to celebrate Ana's birthday. I think we should go to every location that these attacks took place and see if maybe the attacker would show themselves."
Armand looked at my father and Papa Rhymi, "There will be plenty of Alpha's around to protect her from harm."
"I will be more secure if you let a couple of Logan's people tag along." Father suggested. The tension level rose in the room two notches.
"Please, let them come along? I don't want to cause any worries for my family." I pleaded to the room. The tension stayed but I got some reluctant replies. So it was set. A night of birthday fun and Scooby-Doo trapping. All we needed now was Fred to show up and give us a play by play on how the trap will be sprung.
Index