“Why are you here?” No preliminaries, Nafarius went right to the point.
Natasha was sitting on the floor, her back against the wall. Slowly, she rolled her head to the side so that she was looking up at her brother-in-law. “I told you. I came seeking sanctuary from Nicholas.”
“If you are truly his mate then you understand why I don’t believe you.”
Natasha knew all too well the things that Nicholas had done over the years. Her mate was a cold and cruel man that used fear and violence to get what he wanted. Their pack reflected their leader’s cruelty and was made up of abusive men and scared women. Natasha had escaped but her hope was to eventually go back and release the hold Nicholas had over the other members. “We were afraid that’s how you would feel.” Natasha reached into her skirt pocket, pulled out a piece of white cloth and offered it to Nafarius. “I was told to give you this.”
Nafarius stood and starred at the piece of cloth as if it would bite him. Sam stepped forward and took it from the woman, turning to her mate she asked, “What is it?”
“A handkerchief; it belonged to my father.” Nafarius felt as if he were chocking.
Running it through her hands, Sam turned it over and rubbed the pad of her thumb over the stitching.
“Those were his initials.” Turning on Natasha, his voice a low, menacing growl he demanded, “How did you get this?”
Natasha cringed. She couldn’t help it. Nafarius and Nicholas were identical twins and while she sensed a peace in Nafarius not found in her mate the sight of him standing over her brought back flashes of violence. “Your mother gave it to me; she thought that you’d be willing to at least hear me out once you’d seen it.”
“Why should I believe that she gave this to you? Nicholas could have just as easily taken it from her. And why didn’t you show it to me this morning?” Nafarius felt the earth shifting beneath his feet. He was nearing a state of panic, rage at the thought of his mother so filled him he thought he might faint and he wanted to lash out, to destroy something as he had been all those years ago.
“I can’t make you believe anything. I don’t expect you to trust me but please listen to what I have to say. Then, if you still want me to I’ll go.” Natasha waited, holding her breath. If Nafarius wouldn’t help her then all was pretty much lost. Her and Elizabeth had spent several hours trying to come up with some way to save their pack, to help the women and children escape without further endangering the other packs around them. Nicholas was known far and wide and while not exactly respected he was feared. Many of the other pack leaders avoided entering their territory for fear of what might happen. Any proposed alliance was treated with suspicion and while Nicholas had betrayed many there wasn’t one leader strong enough or willing to lead the others against him. Nafarius was the only one that could help. He was known as a strong, well-respected leader. He was fair and many trusted him. He was everything his brother wasn’t and that’s why Nicholas hated him.
“Nafarius, at least listen to her.” Sam touched him gently on the shoulder. “You said yourself that if Nicholas did send her it could easily have been against her will. You know what kind of man your brother is but don’t judge Natasha for something thing beyond her control.”
Nafarius looked from one woman to the other. He saw such similarities between the two of them. Their coloring was remarkably alike with dark black hair, olive skin and almond shaped eyes. The only difference was in the color of their eyes. Sam’s were an emerald green while Natasha’s were a deep, rich brown. And both of them were watching him with the identical expression of hope. There was something else about them that struck him as odd; they smelled alike. Not exactly but similar enough that one had to concentrate to tell the difference. Wondering, Nafarius made a mental note to question it later.
“All right. I’ll listen but I can’t promise anything.”
Natasha gave a weak smile of relief. “Thank you.” Her eyes moved to where Sam had settled back against the wall, “To both of you.” Taking a deep breath she prepared to tell her story.
“I met your brother for the first time a year ago. It seemed that my father, a member of another pack, had unwittingly crossed into Nicholas’ territory. He was caught, questioned, accused of spying and then beaten. To this day I don’t know how he survived. I am the youngest of five children and my father wasn’t exactly young when he met and mated with my mother. Anyway, when Nicholas finally released him it was conditioned on payment, to be named at a later date.
My father returned home, healed although slowly due to his age and went on about his life. That was four years ago. A year ago Nicholas showed up demanding one of my father’s daughters as payment for letting him live. Our pack was small and our leader old. He didn’t have any sons and there wasn’t anyone willing or able to take over. In effect we were dying out. Nicholas saw it as an opportunity to move it, take over the few remaining pack members and our territory.” Natasha took a sip of water before continuing.
“There was some discussion but everyone pretty much knew that there was no choice. One of us would be chosen and the pack merged in with Nicholas’. After much debate I volunteered. My parents couldn’t stand to choose and no one else in the pack wanted to be the one so I made the decision. Nicholas couldn’t have cared less which daughter he received. He wanted a mate, someone to give him a son and he wanted our land. While small it was rich in hunting grounds and other resources.
We went through the traditional mating ritual.” Natasha shivered at the memory. “And our packs were intertwined. That’s when I met your mother. She’s the reason I’m here today. I’ve always been headstrong and I wasn’t prepared to be ruled by the likes of Nicholas. I spent the first few days flat on my back unconscious because I was slow to learn just how dominant he was. Unlike what you have here, no one is dominant in the pack except Nicholas. Anyway,” Natasha tried to brush away the significance of her words with a wave of her hand. Sam made a mental note to come back to that when the two of them were alone together. “Elizabeth helped me to adjust, to learn how to survive under Nicholas without giving up an important part of myself. Together we tried to keep the other women and children safe from Nicholas as well as the elderly people. He doesn’t have much need for anyone except warriors, he sees us all as means to an end. I’m a mean to a son, the elders help with alliances, which are tenuous at best, and the women maintain the home. But if it wasn’t for the constant reminder he would banish them and leave them for dead.”