Authors: Susan Bliler
Territory (6 page)
Alone on her end of the table, Kya dipped her knife into a tub of butter and smeared it on her pancakes before she grabbed a bottle of syrup and covered her cakes and eggs. She savored her warm syrupy pancakes and crisp salty bacon for only a few moments before the people talking at the other end of the table fell silent.
Now what?
Kya looked up to find Briggs claiming the seat across from her.
“Hungry?” He asked, eyeing her plate of towering pancakes and bacon.
“Chloe made my plate.” Kya whispered as she grabbed her napkin to wipe her hands.
“Well, we
are
wolves.” Briggs set his plate down and it was practically overflowing with food. His stack of pancakes teetered, and was only kept upright by the near fifteen slices of bacon and mound of scrambled eggs piled beside the cakes. He set down two steaming cups of coffee that he held in his other hand. He shoved one toward Kya. “Coffee? It’s got cream and sugar.”
“Thanks.” Kya reached for her coffee and Briggs jerked back trying to avoid her touch. Kya jerked back too trying to avoid the steaming hot coffee that spilled over the rim of the cup as it wobbled at Briggs’ reaction. Kya felt everyone’s heads snap in their direction. She lowered her head as her cheeks again flushed with embarrassment.
Much to her appreciation, Briggs looked up at the group and narrowed his eyes. Everyone instantly turned back to what they’d previously been doing.
“Did I burn you?”
Kya looked down at her hand, “No.” She then took up her fork and continued to eat.
They ate in silence, with Kya keeping her head down. She could feel Briggs’ eyes upon her, watching her every move. She shifted uncomfortably as she took another bite of pancake. After a sip of her coffee, she wiped her mouth with her napkin. “Thanks for the help with… Hannah?”
“It’s not you, it’s her. She doesn’t know how to be polite.”
Kya took another sip of coffee before she looked tentatively at Briggs. “Why…why does it hurt you to touch me?”
Briggs stopped eating and looked up from his plate. His warm honey eyes hardening instantly. He stared at Kya without speaking for several minutes before he looked down at her plate. “You finished?”
Kya blinked and looked down at her half empty plate, “Uh, yeah.”
Briggs stood and grabbed their plates. Kya watched as he stopped at the garbage to scrape them both before handing the plates to Mama who was now at the sink washing dishes. He leaned down and kissed her cheek and Kya turned back to the table, not wanting to intrude on their moment.
She was wondering what she was supposed to do now, when Briggs returned to the table. “Grab your coffee.”
Kya grabbed her coffee and followed Briggs from the room. He led her into the office she’d been in yesterday. Dell’s office. Once again, Dell was seated behind the desk, but this time he was on the phone engaged in what sounded to be an argument over…
hay?
Dell held up a finger at their approach.
“Well, I don’t give a damn what the markets doing. You and I both know that I’ve got quality custom hay and I’m not dropping the price any lower than I have, so take my terms or take your business elsewhere.” Dell slammed down the phone and smiled shaking his head at Briggs, “And I thought
we
were wolves.”
“Any problems?” Briggs asked stoically.
“No. He’ll come round. He can’t afford to have it shipped in from anywhere else.” Dell turned his attention to Kya. “Kya, lovely to see you. Did you enjoy pancake Saturday?”
“Yes. It was delicious. Thank you.”
Briggs held out his hand for Kya to have a seat. She sat in the tall red leather chair and Briggs claimed a seat on the small sofa opposite her. The trio turned to look as the door clicked open and Chloe entered the room.
“Just in time.” Dell smiled affectionately at her.
Chloe walked to Dell then kissed his cheek. Dell slapped his thigh and his mate claimed a seat on his lap.
Kya grabbed the elk tooth that hung from a gold chain around her neck and smoothed her fingers over it nervously.
“She wants to know why it hurts me when we touch.” Briggs informed Dell too serious.
Chloe’s head snapped over to Kya, “Does it hurt you too?” The amazement in Chloe’s voice drawing Kya’s eyes to her.
“What? Me…no! Why would it hurt me?”
Kya could have sworn disappointment flashed over Chloe’s face before her shoulders slumped and she smiled ruefully at Dell. “Well, tell her.”
Dell looked intently at Kya. “Do you feel anything when you look at Briggs?”
Crimson instantly stung her cheeks, “What do you mean?”
“Different.” Dell supplied. “Do you feel any different when you look at Briggs?”
Kya slowly raised her eyes to Briggs, venturing a peek. He was staring directly at her. Kya looked at him for several moments before she looked away, squirming uncomfortably in her seat, “Kind of.”
“What? What do you feel?” Chloe prompted.
Kya looked up at Briggs and shook her head apologetically as she whispered, “I’m sorry.” She raised her voice a little looking at Chloe. “Sick. When I look at him I feel sorta… sick.”
Dell erupted into laughter and Briggs growled at his brother. “Well, he has that effect on all of us.”
Chloe slapped Dell’s chest. “This isn’t funny Dell!”
He grabbed Chloe’s hand and kissed it. “I know. I’m sorry.” Chloe leaned over and whispered into Dell’s ear, his eyebrows rising, “That’s an idea.” He turned his attention back to Kya. “Kya, would you mind touching Briggs?”
Briggs frowned at his brother.
“C’mon man, we’ve got to see what she feels.” Dell turned to stare at Kya. “Just touch him gently and pay close attention to how you feel.”
Kya looked over to Briggs, who nodded his consent. Kya slowly stood and licked her lips. Briggs stared up at her from his seat on the sofa as she approached and held up one trembling hand. She dropped it quickly looking down at Briggs. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
Briggs’ expression softened as he nodded again, “I’ll be fine.”
Kya raised her hand again and gently placed her palm against Briggs’ cheek. His face contorted in pain as he fought to stay upright. He let loose a low growl as Kya kept her hand on his cheek. Briggs’ breathing increased and Kya jerked her arm away as he dropped his head and leaned forward wrapping his arms around his stomach.
Chloe stood and leaned over the desk eagerly, “Well? What did you feel?”
“N-nothing.” Kya stammered looking from Chloe to Dell. “I didn’t feel anything. I was just…afraid.”
Chloe’s eyebrows bunched over her thin nose, “Afraid of what?”
“Afraid that he’d attack me.” Kya dropped her head and backed away from Briggs, slumping into her seat.
“You’ll never have to worry about that.” Dell supplied.
Kya shook her head, “Will somebody please tell me what’s going on.”
“You’re mates Kya.” Chloe came round to grab Kya’s hand as she knelt and looked up at her with imploring brown eyes. “You and Briggs are mates!”
Kya looked from Chloe to Briggs in shock. “H-how…how do you know?”
Dell circled the desk to stand over Briggs, placing a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Do you remember when we first met in the woods? When Briggs first laid eyes on you? Do you remember how he fell to ground in pain?”
“Yes.”
“When wolves first meet their mates, it’s a painful experience. Part of each other’s…essence, if you will, wraps itself around the soul of the other. This pain is intensified by physical contact and the pain lasts until the wolves succumb to their destiny and become mates.”
Kya shrunk deeper into her seat. “What do you mean
become
mates?”
“You have to accept each other.” Chloe interjected.
“And if we don’t?” Kya stole a quick glance at Briggs who was frowning down at her.
“Well,” Dell turned his head to Chloe. “We’re not sure. No one’s ever denied the bond before.”
Kya turned her attention back to Briggs. “I’m…sorry. I didn’t mean to…” Kya turned back to Dell, “How do I turn it off?”
Dell’s eyebrows shot up. “Turn it off?”
“Yes! How do I make it so that we’re not…mates? There must be a way to rein it in?”
Angrily Dell slapped his hands on the table and Kya jumped, earning Dell a dirty look from Briggs. “What is wrong with you two? Wolves…
people
wait their whole lives to find that one person to share their destiny. And here you two are, gifts to each other that neither one of you is willing to accept.”
Kya’s mouth opened slightly as she turned her questioning gaze to Briggs.
His scowl deepened. “I’ve sworn to never take a mate.”
“Oh,” was all Kya could offer. A tinge of rejection stinging her heart.
“What we don’t understand,” Chloe began, “is why touching Briggs doesn’t pain you?”
Kya shook her head, lifting her shoulders, “I have no idea.”
“Actually I think I know what’s going on.” Dell looked from Chloe to Kya. “I’ll need to test my theory.”
Kya nodded her approval and Dell crossed the room to stand behind her. “Kya keep your eyes down.”
Kya dropped her eyes to stare at her small hands as they fidgeted nervously with the hem of her shirt.
Behind her, Dell drew a knife from his back pocket and flipped it open.
“Don’t!” Briggs growled the warning at his brother.
Kya peeked up at Briggs; her fear suddenly permeated the room and made her heart skip a beat.
Don’t what?
She never got the chance to ask as Briggs leapt from his seat and flew over her crashing into Dell as the two men flew back and slammed into the wall with a loud thud.
Briggs stood shaking bits of drywall from his head as he held out a hand to Dell. Dell slapped white powder from his shoulder as he accepted his brother’s hand and stood. “Christ, you knew I wasn’t going to
hurt
her.”
“I can’t control it,” was all Briggs offered as he turned back to Kya.
She stood staring slack jawed at the two brothers and the massive impression they’d left in the wall.
“Are you okay?” Briggs asked as he walked up to her. He lifted a hand to touch her cheek but dropped it just as quickly.
“I’m fine! I wish people would stop asking me that.” Kya turned to reclaim her seat and Briggs’ chest rumbled as he stared at the slash cut across the back of her pullover, her blood turning the dark blue fabric black.
Chloe shook her head at Briggs, “Kya do you feel anything? Any different? Does it hurt anywhere?”
“Jesus! No offense Chloe, but I just said I wished people would stop asking me if I’m okay. I’m okay! Okay?”
“Does your back hurt?” Dell asked from behind her.
“No! My back doesn’t hurt, my body doesn’t hurt. My
feelings
…Don’t. Hurt. Can we please get back to the topic at hand? I’d really like to get this over with.”
“Chloe, first aid kit please.” Dell said calmly.
Kya turned at his request, concern knitting her brows together. She stood to look at Briggs, “Are you hurt?” she asked too panicky.
Briggs shook his head, and Kya turned her eyes to Dell eying him up and down. Seeing nothing wrong with him she turned to Chloe who was bringing the first aid kit to Dell. Kya eyed Chloe up and down and didn’t see anything out of place on her either. Kya slid her eyes across the three of them as they stood before her. “Who’s hurt?”
Chloe looked up at Dell, her eyes filling with tears before she looked back to Kya. “You are sweetheart.”
Kya looked down the length of her body, and then held up her hands to inspect them. “No I’m not.”
“It’s why you don’t feel anything when you and Briggs touch.” Dell reached for a cotton ball and some antiseptic from the first aid kit. “You can’t feel the pain because you’re
always
in pain. I cut your back and you didn’t even notice. You still can’t feel it.”
Kya turned her head to peer over her shoulder, only able to see the tear that was slashed in the sweater. Anger and embarrassment flooded her. “That’s not true! I can feel just the same as anyone else. I knew I was cut.” The lie hung in the air as she frowned at Dell. “Thanks for the help and the pancakes, but I’m going.” Kya stormed from the room leaving Dell, Chloe and Briggs standing speechless.
“She’s in denial.” Dell offered.
“She’s just embarrassed,” Chloe softly interjected. “Imagine if you’d just realized that you hadn’t been feeling anything normally for God knows how long. She’s already been abused and treated as an outcast, and heaven knows how many ways they tortured that poor woman. Now with this realization and the revelation that Briggs doesn’t want her…it’s just too much.”
“Don’t put this on me!” Briggs barked. “I don’t want
any
mate! It has nothing to do with her.”
“Except for the fact that she’s the one.” Chloe turned on Briggs, angry tears slipping from her eyes. “She’s the one…
your
one, and she needs you and you’re just going to let her go. That psychotic pack of hers is going to kill her when they find her. They’re going to torture her and kill her Briggs and
you’re
just going to let it happen because...because…well, I honestly have no idea what you’re so afraid of. You should take a page from her book and stop being such a damn coward!”