The Fractures that Bind
He sat on his wide throne lost in thought. It had a circular base which curved up around him, the seat itself was of an odd porous stone and felt like a soft cushion made of a durable material. The back of the throne rose high into the air and flared outward like a large stone fan and it glistened with veins of different ores.
His head was in his hand, his elbow resting on the arm rest and his thoughts torn between Alisa, his unborn, and Amber. To be suddenly torn made himself rage inside so his internal emotions were fluctuating violently.
He had been steadfast, even against Moas, but for his Alisa and his ancestors to deem his machinations unworthy was a dash of reality he just could not ignore.
Marco was not defeated nor broken, he just needed to reorganize and reassure. This was the worthy cause and the right thing to do.
She walked in as his emotions raged and his inner dilemma confused and annoyed him. She watched him for a long time and then she closed her eyes and truly watched him.
To say Tiffany was probably the greatest Psi in the current werewolf world would be a gross understatement. She had taken ancient arts and created new, living, expandable techniques, that, often times, others could learn.
She could bend the mind, manipulate it, finesse it in ways that were subtle and undetectable, and she could break a mind just as easily as she could heal it.
To many, including Marco, she was a marvel, but to him she was also precious. He had honestly come to love her as a sister and, of course, she knew this. This was why it hurt her so much to see him stubbornly destroying himself.
She quietly watched the scenes from the ancient walls unfolding in her mind's eye. Her heart cried for her Alpha when Alisa's aura turned from him.
Finally she sighed.
"You are the only one I would allow into my mind uninvited. Not because you are more powerful than me but because I love you and trust you."
"I know."
"You saw all."
"Yes"
A thunderous, rumbling laugh, that was more of a growl rumbled through Marco's chest.
"And what will you do little sister? Are you here to convince me that I am wrong?"
There was a long pause as she contemplated. He was a very powerful werewolf and she knew that he could destroy her before she had a chance to truly harm him.
It was the login of the wolf. All had abilities that may outdo another but it was the power of dominance that controlled. Both Marco and Amber had dominance in spades. It caused doubt to flow through a lesser wolf like a rushing river, more powerful wolves like Tiffany and the Betas of Star Fire and Silver Moon Packs could control the panic. They tamped down the urge to either flee or submit, but they could not go up against that power.
Tiffany knew, without doubt that she and those Betas, even Caleb and Dale could take out both Trahan and Talon, but Marco or Amber?
Never.
"Your aura is extremely chaotic my Alpha." She took a step towards the thrown. "You are strong and capable but all minds have a breaking point. What you're doing to your mind is causing immense stress on you and your psyche.
"This can break you. One you are going against Moas, Two you have found out that you go against the one you wish to avenge, and most importantly you go against yourself.
"You can lie to yourself but I see the truth. You love your mate."
A deep growl rumbled through the room and Tiffany stopped her approach. Her legs actually trembled a bit but she stood her ground unblinking.
"Do no presume to understand me sister. This is what I want."
Tiffany scoffed. "Then why do I have to constantly redouble you mental holds? You and Amber are evenly matched, how is she able to break through so easily. It is because you are breaking them from within and allowing her access."
Moas rose up within him as if in agreement and Tiffany watched as their aura shimmered, rippled, seemed to separate a bit, and then return to normal. That was when she felt her first surge of real fear for her Alpha.
"Moas threatens to leave you?"
Marco looked at her sternly and cold sweat rolled down her back. He lowered himself into his seat, his features regaining their humanity once again, he shrugged.
"Our bond is too strong and too old and he would never leave is Ala."
Moas roared and the chamber rumbled as Marco rolled his neck and laughed.
"You want me to dwell in truth, well dwell in your own. Join me in misery."
There was silence between them for a long moment. A staring contest that she usually won. This time she acquiesced. With a sigh and an eye roll she gave in to the most important being in this world to her.
"You can present me to the Sacred walls and I will give it the new abilities I have developed. This will put you back into your ancestors' Good graces, for now, and I will allow you more time to work through things with yourself and you inner desires, and Moas.
"But please hear me. You are my Alpha and you are more important than anything in this world to me. I won't even allow to destroy you."
He looked at her in silence then his eyes flicked up to the ceiling and the intricate moon runes etched there. He looked back at her with a smile.
"Understood. Now come. Talk to me about Stien and Cros."
She nodded and took her lower seat to his left.
"I will be doing a mindmeld with them this afternoon. I am sure of their loyalty but I am not one to take chances. I also…"
"Wait! Explain this mindmeld."
"It will connect us in a way that I can easily monitor speak to them no matter how far apart we are. I will actually insert parts of my psyche into the tether that will bind us."
Marco nodded thoughtfully. "I want to be a part of this meld."
Tiffany shook her head with a frown.
"Their brains are too different. You won't be able to hold on to a meld."
Marco raised an eyebrow. There were not many things that and Alpha could not do.
"We will try it. If it is unsuccessful you will be there to make sure my brain stays intact."
Tiffany frowned but she didn't disagree.
"Also, the more I observe Stien and Cros the more I see their potential. I have already helped them to evolve three times, hence their increased stench, and they are incredibly smart creatures.
"I want to build a sufficient force to have a dedicated special unit for you. They can be warriors, spies, and even innovators. Their potential is limitless." She shrugged. "I'll have them go out and recruit their own. Those too weak for our uses or who refuse can be terminated."
Marco looked at her for a long moment, deep in thought.
"Okay. I trust you, but we need to set tight parameters. Only Silver Moon missions for now and no killing like shadelings kill, I don't want our cover blown."
Tiffany nodded in agreement.
"Let's do this mindmeld now so that they can go out and look for new recruits."
Tiffany frowned and Marco gave her warning glance. She pursed her lips and shook her head. The stood together, and began to walk from the room, when Marco frowned.
"Explain what they do to the prisoners."
"Oh. That's just how they feed."
"You'll have to explain a little better than that Tiffany."
She looked at him with a slight frown for a moment, as if she didn't really understand what the problem was. Then she slowly started to speak as if she were waiting for him to stop her saying he understood fully.
"They feed off of emotion, the more negative the better, but the more the consume the more uncomfortable it gets for the individual and it can end in the soul and mind torn."
Marco glanced at her and they continued walking on in silence.
They entered the cavernous lab and both Stien and Cros looked up at the same time. They were in their original incorporeal forms. They seemed to be hazy apparitions of dried out humans in dried and deteriorating clothing. Around their edges it seemed to be burnt and smoke and the stench tickled Marco's nose.
It was an indescribable smell. It was of death, life, and a stream of insanity. It was like being in control and out of control at the same time but in an odd way and it hit the back of the throat like a full force punch.
Tiffany spoke with authority. "Come to me." the shadelings were instantly by her side. "We are going to do the mindmeld today and our Alpha will link with us. Let me make one thing clear. Do not think you can do anything to either of us. The consequences are dire."
Marco could look at the two beings and tell that she did not need to threaten them. He saw honor, respect, and fear in those sunken eyes but still they bowed low to both of them.
Tiffany set up the ritual. The circle was wide and made of moon runes and ancient werewolf sigils used by ancient werewolf Psi. The moon runes glowed silver and the sigils glowed icy blue. The room stilled as the four took their places in the circle. A cold wind blew from the center of the magic circle and out into the room. Tiffany linked with each in turn, ending with Marco, and then began linking them one by one, again ending with Marco.
He felt her standing before him like an immovable wall protecting him from something he could not see or feel. And as she wove the last connection he began feeling it. It was a tickling at first. A truth trying to escape and want him to hold it.
A lie dipped in slippery dirty oil filled with decay and things of dense nightmares. And then the first mind touched him, it was Stien and it was so hot and brilliantly bright he felt burned from inside out but he held only.
Cros' brain was like salted sandpaper rubbed on a previous wound and his mind strained to maintain itself. He squeezed his eyes shut and growled ferociously.
When he awoke he was outside of the circle, Tiffany over him a frown in her face. His brain actually cool and at ease. He closed his eyes and allowed Tiffany to finish.
Marco sat straight up in his bed drenched in sweat. He looked to his bedside and saw Tiffany looking at him cautiously.
"Do you want a Theta? "
"What can they do that you can't."
Tiffany nodded and settled back in her seat.
Just as she did Moas roared in his mind then spoke only for him.
"It all unravels and begins to slip through your fingers. How will you continue to hold this sand so tight?"