(Sur)real

I stepped away from him and sat on the bed nearest the window. He sat across from me and leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees as he studied me. I was used to scrutiny. His felt different, though. Any hint of resentment, impatience, and calculation—all a Blake specialty—remained absent from his body language and tone of voice. Even their Elder Winifred had displayed a few of those traits. Not this one.

“Your name’s Jim, right?” I asked.

“Did the Lady tell you that?”

“No. I heard Winifred yell it.”

He chuckled, a deep, rich sound that made my heart give another odd thump. I fought to control any emotional reaction that wanted to go with the physical one.

“To answer your question about why I placed your fingers on my mouth…it’s easy to lie to one of us if you know how, which you’ve proven you do. But, reactions are harder to fake. I wanted you to touch me to see how you reacted because I still don’t understand. Why you? Why us? Why now?”

Panic, sorrow, and fear began to unfurl inside me, and suppressing what I wanted to feel became harder with each question he spoke because I knew the answers to all of them.

Now is not the time, the Lady whispered.

“Your turn,” he said. “Why do you think your Lady rules over all of us?”

Relieved he didn’t expect me to answer the prior questions, I readily told him what I suspected.

“It’s the only thing that’s ever made any sense. She’s one of them. The Others. She’s made of the same kind of substance. I know she’s influencing what’s happening here, but I’m not entirely sure why. The Others want to be here, in this world. They’ll do anything for it. It’s why they help me, even though they know we’re trying to make a Judgement to correct the imbalance. They know we’re trying to stop them from coming here, but it’s never really mattered to them. They still help. They still try to possess dead bodies and willingly possess living ones even though it hurts them. Despite their desperation to get here, she’s giving us advice, giving Bethi dreams, created us to help stop them from coming here. Why do that if she isn’t in some way responsible for us, too?”

He nodded slowly then frowned.

“These things only you can see want to possess us? As in control our bodies?”

“Yes. And our minds to a degree. That’s how I was able to leave Blake’s home. When your group announced your existence, I knew it was the perfect time for one of the Others to possess Blake. Erratic behavior wouldn’t seem so out of place in such a chaotic situation. After I told the one possessing Blake what to do, he called Frank and several of his other men back into his office and started giving out orders. He went one way, I went another. Since he controls the movements of the Urbat, it meant the Urbat would be less likely to regroup.”

“It was also how I managed to get a letter out to Isabelle after the Lady gave me her address.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. You say they want to possess us…that they already have possessed Blake even though it hurts them. Why aren’t they just possessing everyone, then?”

“They can’t. There are rules. They have to be invited. Right now, I’m the only person who can do that.”

“Why only you?”

“Because only I can see and hear them to understand their terms.”

“Terms?”

I stood, turned, and lifted the back of my shirt, despite the pain, so he could see the bandages.

“What are you showing me?”

“Lift one of the bandages.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Jim, this goes beyond one person’s pain or another’s discomfort. You need to understand. Lift a bandage.” I didn’t know why it mattered so much for him to see, but something told me he needed to. Maybe because, so far, he was the first one interested in listening to all of it, not just asking questions about Blake.

The first touch of his warm fingers on my cool skin almost sent a shiver through me. I hadn’t even heard him move. He eased the tape from my skin and lifted the strip of gauze with care. He hissed an indrawn breath.

“They did this?” His voice vibrated with anger.

“They did. The Others. It was their payment for helping me. For possessing Blake. Inhabiting a body with a living soul hurts them. Weakens them. But a body without a soul is easy. Or would be if the Others actually were in this world.”

His fingers stroked along the edge of the tape, all the way up to my shoulder. I stepped away, dislodging his touch, and dropped my shirt back into place. When I turned to face him, he already sat on the opposite bed in the same position as before.

“If we don’t complete the Judgement, the veil separating our two worlds will disappear and the Others will come here. They have no form. Not even in their world. When they get here, they will find ways to kill every man, woman, and child so they can inhabit their bodies.”

“How many of the Others are there?” he asked.

“Four times as many as there are humans on earth.”

JIM…

Was that why I felt the pull? So I would take the time to listen to what she knew?

I remained quiet for several moments, considering what she’d just shared. Bethi knew a lot about the Judgements and their history. She understood their gifts and Blake’s consuming drive for power. Olivia understood a world that had stayed completely hidden to us until now. Other creatures who wanted to not just rule earth but use its people as playthings.

The Elders had always taken what Bethi said as truth, yet I knew they’d always thought some of her desperation was due to the repetition of vividly dreamed deaths. Her warning that the world would burn had seemed very literal at the time, and we’d wondered if the Urbat’s drive for power would cause a world war if we didn’t stop it. Now, I doubted that. These Others that Olivia saw would be the cause of our destruction if they escaped their world into ours.

“And the Judgement will stop them from coming?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“So Judge, now. Why wait?”

“I don’t know how to make the Judgement. Bethi does. The Lady is giving her the dreams with the answer, she’s just not seeing it yet.”

I could hear the frustration in her voice but not a drop of it touched her scent.

“Before, you said the Lady knows I was testing you. You made it sound like she talks to you.”

“She does.”

“Then why not ask her what we need to do?”

She shook her head slowly.

“You aren’t the only one who liked to ask why while growing up. Every time I did, she told me that she was helping us as much as she could. She has rules she needs to follow, just like we do. She can’t give us the answers. She can’t sway the Judgement in favor of one over the other. She can only show Bethi the past and give Michelle access to our futures.”

How do Michelle’s premonitions work? I sent Emmitt. Not the stock market ones, but the other ones.

Mostly they just pop into her head, unless she touches Mom. Then, she sees a room full of premonitions. Why are you asking?

Just trying to figure things out.

Don’t hurt yourself, he sent back.

I ignored him and focused on Olivia.

“If she can’t sway the Judgement, why does it feel like she’s stacking the deck in our favor?” I asked.

“I honestly don’t know.”

My gaze swept over her serene expression, her loosely folded hands on her lap, and her perfect posture. Her words, body language, and scent never matched. She maintained a calm and beautiful exterior, her scent even and pleasant. Her voice, when she spoke, carried soft, pleasant tones. Her words seemed to carry the true message.

She waited for me to speak again. In that silence, I noticed a small scar on the back of her hand. My gut clenched at the sight of it and thoughts of the fresh injuries on her back. I hadn’t smelled her blood until I’d lifted the bandages. I wouldn’t have thought that possible. Just additional proof that something more was at work here.

“How many times have you asked them to help you?” I asked, remembering her comment about a letter to Isabelle.

To answer me, she lifted her shirt, showing her stomach. The smooth, pale perfection made my mouth water and my chest squeeze with a warning pain. I swallowed hard and focused on the real reason she’d lifted her shirt. The lengthy pale scars of old wounds healed long ago.

“Whenever I needed to,” she said softly.

“If what you’re saying is true, then you’ve been helping us for a long time. What was it like growing up attached to Blake?”

She sighed and sat, her shirt falling back into place, which was both a disappointment and a relief.

“Cold, guarded, miserable. You’ve seen what he’s capable of. I’m sure Michelle has told you stories of her time with him. How do you think it was for me?”

I hadn’t meant to upset her. Yet, despite her undisturbed scent, I was certain I had.

Where are you? Winifred’s thoughts cut into mine.

With Olivia, I sent back.

You’re going to kill yourself. Leave.

I’m fine. There’s something going on here, Winifred. According to Bethi, these women have lived and died countless times in previous lives. They’ve never all been together. The Urbat always hunted them down. Why did they all fall into our lives before we even knew what they were? My Mom is one, Emmitt’s a Mate of one, and now I feel the pull for one? That’s beyond coincidence, don’t you think? We need to figure this out.

She remained quiet for so long, I thought she wouldn’t answer.

If you start hurting, you reach out to Sam or me immediately.

I understand, I sent back.

But, I knew I wouldn’t reach out to either of them. If I started hurting, I’d think of how I was helping the pack.

“Do you believe me?” Olivia asked.

“Yes.”

“Then help me.”

“How?”

“I don’t know.”

I thought about the things I knew and everything she’d just told me. We needed answers. Specifically, what the sisters needed to do to hand down their Judgement and end Blake’s chance for control as well as end any chance of the Others coming to this world. Supposedly, Bethi had the answer. However, given the girl’s constant agitated state of mind, it made sense that she might not understand whatever answer she’d been given. That left Michelle and her prophecies and Mom. I hated asking them to try. I knew what would happen to Mom. But, if Olivia was right about the Others, it was a risk we needed them to take.

Can you and Michelle meet me in Mom’s room? I sent Emmitt.

Sure. Something wrong? he sent back immediately.

Other than the humans knowing about us and the Urbat trying to kill our women? No.

We’ll be right there.

I stood and held out my hand to Olivia. Her sightless gaze shifted to it. The offer had nothing to do with helping her stand and everything with my need to touch her. She seemed to sense that too because, instead of taking it, she lifted her gaze to me.

“I don’t think that would be wise,” she said.

“Much wiser than what every instinct is telling me to do. Why did she pair us? Did she tell you that?”

“She didn’t tell me about you specifically, Jim. But, I knew I would find my Mate with this group. It’s about stacking the deck, after all.”

“So this attraction is just to influence you to make the Judgement on behalf of the werewolves?” I could live with that.

“No. This attraction is to influence you to help me complete the Judgement this time around.”

Her scent shifted, a wisp of sadness and longing escaping before she stood and it vanished. I wondered why. I didn’t mind being influenced by her. Hell, I’d like a lot more influencing.

“It’s dangerous being around you, Jim. If I upset Blake, he will make his move before we’re ready.”

Tucking my hands into my pockets to keep from reaching for her, I sighed regretfully.

“You’re right. We don’t want that. I think we should talk to Mom and Michelle about how to get this Judgement going.”

She followed me into the hallway and stood behind me as I knocked on Mom’s door. Dad opened it a second later.

“Just the boy we wanted to see,” he said.

He motioned me in. I stepped aside and let Olivia lead. Dad’s brows rose to his hairline as she entered, but he didn’t comment. At least not until the door closed.

“Why are you with her?”

Olivia stopped walking and turned to face us. Mom stood from her perched position on the bed and moved toward Olivia.

“Cut it out, Thomas,” she said. “Now isn’t the time.” She wrapped her hand around Olivia’s and led her to the chair.

Before I could object, Olivia sat carefully on the edge of the seat. Her back had to hurt.

“Emmitt and Michelle are coming, too. Mom, do you have any pain relievers?”

“Yes.”

“Get two for Olivia. I’ll get some water.”

“That’s not necessary,” Olivia said to both of us.

“It is. I think you’ve suffered in silence long enough.”

I turned and left the room. The vending machine halfway down the hall had a selection of drinks. I bought three waters. One for now and two for later. She had a lot of healing to do.

When I returned to the room, Olivia still sat in the chair but now held two pills in her open palm. I opened a bottle and handed it to her just as I heard Michelle and Emmitt in the hallway.

“They’re coming,” I said.

Olivia took the pills with the water and said a quiet thank you. Mom watched her with a sad expression. She caught me watching her and gave me a small smile, but that smile faded when she looked back at Olivia.

Dad moved to the door and let Emmitt and Michelle in before I could respond.

“What’s this about?” Dad asked, shutting the door softly behind them.

“It’s about the Judgement Bethi and Olivia keep talking about. Olivia says that the Lady has already given Bethi the dream with the answer. Bethi just hasn’t figured it out yet. After talking to Olivia, I realized Bethi might not be the only one with the answers.” I looked directly at Michelle. “I think you need to tell us what you can see in that room of yours when you touch Mom.”

“Jim, your mother can’t—”

“Thomas, I can and will,” Mom said, giving him a hard look. “We’re all making sacrifices and taking risks to secure a better future. Isabelle, Mary, Gregory, Clay, Carlos…”

Dad sighed and ran his hand through his hair. A hint of desperation flavored his scent.

“At least this time, I’m close to a bed,” she said with a small smile.

He didn’t look reassured.