“I can’t be sure but I also can’t sit by and watch her die. Changing is her only chance and her only chance to change is with me.” Sam heaved a huge sigh. “Like I said, I don’t even know if I’ll be able to help but if it will make you feel better we can clear the rest of the pack out and post guards until it’s done.”
Nafarius considered the possibilities. He had no doubt that Sam and Roland would abide by his decision even if it meant doing nothing and letting the woman die. However, he was of a like mind to Sam; if there was a chance she could help he needed to let her take it. He could reasonably ensure her safety and besides, he was curious to see who she was and find out what had happened. “Alright. Clear the mountain. Roland, have everyone wait outside. I want four guards posted inside and I want Glenis to assist incase there are any problems along the way.”
“Thank you.” Sam turned and walked back to what she considered her patient. She wasn’t a nurse and her healing skills were limited to what she’d learned in first aid class and from classes taught to hikers. Still, she felt like there might be a chance she could help and she intended to see it through.
Glenis knelt beside the young woman, a cold compress on the swelling still present on the back of her head. She couldn’t tell anything from her mistress’ expression and she feared the worse.
“Maddie, wait outside with the others. If something goes wrong I don’t want you in here.”
Maddie looked from Glenis to Sam; she wanted to stay but she would never refuse a direct order. “Is there anything I can bring you before I go?”
“No, thank you.” Sam smiled and watched as the rest of the pack filed out. There was no discussion as to what was to take place and only Maddie and those involved would know. If it failed or succeeded they need never discuss what happened.
Roland ordered four guards inside the mountain and another two to stand outside of the entrance. Should the young woman wake while changing she would have to get through Nafarius and himself before reaching the guards. All together there were eight men standing between her and the rest of the pack. Unfortunately, Sam and Glenis would be the first ones attacked. Despite his need to save this woman, Roland knew that he could never exchange his mistress’ life for that of a stranger.
“Sam?”
“Yes Roland?” Sam didn’t bother looking up. She was studying the young woman and trying to get a sense of who and what she was.
“I was wrong. I don’t want to see you in any danger. Please, don’t do this.”
Sam looked up a smiled. “It’s alright, I’m not doing this for you. Even if you hadn’t insisted I would have.”
“Why?” But he already knew.
“I can’t just stand by and do nothing. If there is a chance I can save her then I have to take it.”
“Even if it means giving up your life for hers?” Nafarius stood behind Sam staring down at the top of her head. He was angry and it came out in his voice.
“Some how I don’t think it will come to that.” Sam looked up and realized for the first time that Nafarius was truly scared for her. “Hey, I’ll be fine.”
Nafarius didn’t take comfort in her words. “You insist on putting yourself in danger. When the warning came you followed me outside without thought to what could be out there…”
“Just the same as you,” Sam interjected.
“We’re not talking about me, beside as leader it is my duty to meet whatever danger comes this way and to protect the pack. And now you insist on tampering with an unknown animal.”
“It is also my duty as your mate to see to the well-being and protection of the pack. They are just as much my family as they are yours.”
“She,” Nafarius pointed to the woman on the ground, “is not a pack member.”
“No, but what if she were? What if one of ours was injured and someone could have helped but didn’t.” Sam understood his concerns and shared in them but that wasn’t enough to stop her from trying to help.
Nafarius knew what she said was true but how was he to explain that when it came to her the only thing that mattered was her safety. Shaking his head he took a step back. “Do what you can for her, we’ll talk after.”
Every one grew quiet, waiting to see what would happen. The silence stretched, grew until Sam wanted to scream. Staring down at the young woman she tried to remember how it had felt, what she had done when she had managed to reach inside of Gertrude and prevent the woman from changing. Things were so different now; then she had been angry, in a blind rage and in animal form. Now she sat scared and still human. What if she failed? What if she had the power within her but failed to understand how it worked?
Closing her eyes, Sam pushed all her thoughts, worries and doubts aside. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly she opened her eyes. The woman was still there but everyone else seemed to have been reduced to nothing more the dark, quiet background noise. They were simply shadows in the room watching and waiting but not really apparent of what was about to take place.
She was young, Sam guessed her to be around twenty-three. Looking at her Sam couldn’t help but be reminded of a gypsy with her dark brown hair that lay thick and wavy around her head. Her skin was also dark, originally an olive hue that had deepened in the sun and her eyes where almost almond shaped, the corners tipped up slightly. Some how Sam knew that when she opened them they would be a deep, dark brown — almost black. Despite all the bruises she was beautiful, the sum of her parts greater than the individuals. She was striking with her dark features and lethal body. Like most lycanthropes she was lean and muscular without an ounce of fat on her. Sam, with her attraction for both men and women could appreciate the beauty spread out before her.
She focused on that, concentrated on the person, the being before her and tried to move deeper. Sam imagined herself moving closer, feeling the heat from the woman’s body and saturating her senses with her smell. Like any animal she familiarized herself with those details known only to the most primitive senses. Having committed the woman’s scent to memory it was one Sam would always recognize and realizing that seemed to deepen the intimacy between them. She could feel the woman breathing, hear her heart beat and catch the flow of blood through her veins and Sam sought to emulate it. Within minutes the two of them were in sync. Feeling as if she was made of air Sam sought to settle herself more deeply inside of the woman. Reaching out with her senses she pushed past whatever physical barriers there might have been. Despite the purely metaphysical aspects of it all there was a sound resistance, a ripping and tearing as she pushed past it and obvious pain.