Maara

Author's Note: A big thanks to everyone who's taken the time to read, vote and comment, I really appreciate the encouragement! To answer a question someone asked in the comments of the last chapter, no, I haven't posted any other stories, but hope to post more here when Makara is complete.

If you haven't already, please make sure to read the first three chapters in Makara as this is a continuous story and the new chapters won't make much sense without the background.

Thanks again! Enjoy!

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Part 4

~Makara

"Is that what I think it is?" Bash asked, astonishment clearly evident in his tone.

"Where did you get that?" Cade looked from the flower to me.

"From Henry," Tal replied for me, taking the flower, perfectly preserved between two pieces of hard plastic, from my hand.

"Henry?" Cade huffed. "Why would Henry have a Lechenaria? And how would you even know about it?" He glared at me, doubt burning in his gaze.

"We-" I started, quickly shutting my mouth as Tal began to speak again.

"Why don't you ask Henry?" She posed with a mixture of defensiveness and playfulness. "The real question is how you DIDN'T know about it. I know it's only two inches long, but he keeps the damn thing on his key chain. You would have seen it if you took even thirty seconds to talk to him. Don't shit on Makara just because she saw in a week what you couldn't see in almost twenty years." She shrugged dismissively. "You didn't think I would include it in the rankings without knowing there was one nearby, did you?"

Cade's gaze shifted from Tal to me, and I smiled at him, pleased that somebody else had pointed out how useful I had been. Now he would have to admit that I had done well, and that he should have worked with me.

"Don't worry, dude," Bash spoke up, placing a hand lazily on Cade's shoulder. "I didn't know about it either."

I chuckled in triumph as Cade shrugged him off, crossing his arms and walking decidedly away from us.

The rest of the night was rather uneventful. The other competitors started piling in shortly after us, all excitedly presenting their find to Bash and Tal. She congratulated all of them, and when the last group had come back, with barely a minute of our two hour time limit remaining, presented Cade and I with the prize.

The wolf was hand carved into black soap stone and intricately detailed. I ran my fingers over each purposeful indentation as it sat in the palm of my hand, admiring the hard work and time Tal had obviously put into it. She had been working on them for months, she told us, watching us excitedly for our reactions. I carefully placed the figurine in my pocket, already thinking of where I could display it.

With the competition over, Tal had revealed an array of delicious smelling food. It took only minutes for everyone to have a plate, happily munching on one dish or another. The sound of nibbling and gnawing quickly gave way to laughter, music and footsteps as everyone began dancing, and finally sporadic silence as the suite slowly emptied, leaving only Cade and I behind to help clean.

"Thanks for your help guys." Tal yawned. "You can let yourselves out right?" She reached behind her for Bash's hand, pulling him along with her. "I'm exhausted."

They disappeared down the hallway to their bedroom as I threw the last of the paper plates in the trash. Cade leaned the final folding table up against the wall and turned towards the door.

"What are you doing?" He asked when I slid in front of him, blocking his exit.

"Just waiting for you to admit that we couldn't have won without my help."

"Actually, we would have," He casually retorted.

"You're just speculating." He shouldered past me through the door and I quickly followed behind him as he walked down the hallway. "More likely we would have tied with the other teams who brought the Daisy." The elevator call button lit up and dinged as he jabbed it, and he got on when the doors immediately opened, ignoring me as he did. I stepped onto the elevator as well. "Why are you so mad at me?" I finally questioned, tired of the silent treatment.

"I never said I was mad."

"You just didn't want to be anywhere near me for two days?" I asked incredulously, sarcasm dripping from my voice and my eyes directed at the floor in annoyance.

"Right." The elevator doors slid open and he stepped off, pausing until they started to close again. "Good job with the flower."

I looked up in shock, just in time to catch a glimpse of Cade before the doors sealed in front of me and I was carried another floor higher.

I beamed, a goofy grin lighting up my face at his compliment. He was never quick to praise, so I knew his words had been sincere.

But, if I were completely honest, I was confused. Cade said he wasn't mad at me, but made a point to avoid me and then finally admitted that I had done something well. He never explained why he had cancelled training, and I didn't expect him to at this point. But I couldn't help but feel a little bit validated and hoped training would be back to normal tomorrow.

As soon as the elevator released me, I absent mindedly wandered down the hall towards Silas's suite. A ping from my phone drew my attention and I quickly pulled it out of my pocket, wondering who would be messaging me so late.

"I was wrong to say I wanted you to be miserable. I'm sorry."

I stared at the message from Rodan, all but certain I had read it wrong. Only when the fourth attempt produced the same results did I accept that he had actually sent an apology, although I was wary of his sincerity.

I was unsure of how to feel. He was my brother and I had grown up with him, he was apologizing and a part of me felt obligated to accept. But another, larger part of me thought about how much he had kept from me, how he denied me everything that I wanted and the general lack of respect in the way he had treated me since we were kids. I closed the message without responding, deciding it would take more than an apology to fix things.

Silas was still awake when I walked inside, pouring over papers that he had laid out on the table and gathering them when he saw me.

"I trust you had a good night," he asked casually.

"Mostly good. A little bit weird."

"Oh?" He perked up curiously. "What happened that's so weird?"

"Rodan messaged me." I answered, deciding to leave out everything that had happened with Cade, considering I didn't really know what happened with Cade.

"Hmm. What did he say?"

I looked at him, suspicious of his intentions for discussing me and Rodan. He had a pattern of drawing attention to certain unwanted feelings I had for my brother and I wasn't in the mood to deal with that.

Slinking into the armchair, I hesitated before answering.

"He apologized."

He quirked his eyebrow, obviously not expecting that response.

"Are you going back?"

"What? No. It's not like him, so it's probably just a tactic to get me there. Besides, he didn't apologize for everything, only one specific thing he said the last time I saw him. It's going to take a lot more than that for me to want to go back."

He sighed as what seemed to be relief washed over him.

"So you like it here?"

"Yes. You guys have done so much for me. Without you, I'd never even know about the gaps in my knowledge and training, let alone be able to fill them in."

"Good. Come with me." He stalked off towards the library.

"Go with you where?" I called out after him, rolling my eyes and getting up to follow when he ignored me.

I poked my head into the library. When I didn't see him, I continued into his study. He stood innocently by his desk, arms crossed in front of his chest.

Without saying anything, he reached behind him and revealed a package, handing it to me. It looked almost like a shoe box, but much too thin. I eyed him, half expecting the box to contain some slinky outfit he'd decided I'm to wear around the house.

"What's this?"

He motioned towards the box, silently telling me to open it.

Cautiously, I pulled at the lid. I had a quick thought of spring loaded snakes jumping out at me, but quickly dismissed the idea. Silas was not the kind of man for pranks.

A thin piece of tissue paper separated me from the mysterious item. I brushed it out of the way and a familiar scent filled my nostrils as I ran my fingers over the cover of the book in front of me, freshly bound in black leather. I flipped open the cover and glanced back up at Silas who was watching me intently.

"This is the moon goddess legend," I stated the obvious in my shock.

"It is."

I stammered, searching for words, but I was completely speechless.

"How...I mean, why did you-"

"You said it was your favourite, right?" I nodded, thankful that the action seemed to require less brain power than words. "You liked my copy so much, I thought you'd like to have your own."

"Wow. I don't even know what to say, Silas." I pulled out the book, tossing the now empty box aside and grasping my new text in both hands. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," He said deeply as he watched me.

"Wait. Is this you trying to get in my pants?"

"That depends." He laughed. "Is it working?"

"Do I still get to keep the book if I say no?"

"Of course."

"In that case, no, it's not working."

Silas smiled. I never could seem to rattle him. He was always simply amused by whatever I said.

I distractedly sank into one of Silas' office chairs, flipping through pages of the book. Feelings of sadness and nostalgia overwhelmed me as I remembered when I had received this book the first time.

"Want to talk about it?" Silas asked, noticing my sudden mood change.

"Talk about what?"

"Whatever it is you're obviously thinking about."

I stayed quiet, not sure if I wanted to discuss this with him. I had a feeling he would turn it into a way to hit on me, or insinuate something incestuous, which seemed to delight him. But, we had an agreement and I couldn't outright lie and tell him everything was fine.

"Are you just trying to get in my pants again?" I asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Not this time. Tell me what's wrong. I'll listen, no seduction attempts, I promise."

He sat in the chair next to me, a serious mask settling over his face.

"Rodan gave me my first copy of this book." I told him quietly, deciding to trust him.

"I thought you said he destroyed it."

"Oh, he did, years later. But he was the one who got it for me in the first place, back when we were kids, before we hated each other."

"It's normal for siblings not to get along."

"Not like us."

"What happened to cause all the tension?"

"I don't know. Nothing, I guess, and everything. And now so much has happened, I don't know if it'll ever improve."

"He treated you that badly?"

"It wasn't all him, to be honest. I wasn't very nice to him either. But, we used to be close. All I wanted was for my father to recognize my efforts, but they were never good enough." I shook my head, chuckling angrily. "I didn't believe Rodan when he said he was worked tirelessly. I thought he was just being dramatic because he didn't like hard work. But now, after finding out how sheltered and smothered I actually was, I think maybe he was right. Maybe he fought just as hard for Rune's acceptance as I did for his respect."

Silas' eyes widened in surprise.

"He's still a total ass," I added. "But I can't help but think it could have been different if I wasn't so clueless to what Rune was doing. Now, I'm in this fucked up situation, my dad's dead, I ran away from home to live with our rival pack, and my relationship with my only remaining family member is tense, both violently and apparently sexually." I cringed as the words poured out of my mouth without me realizing it.

"Don't forget your 'will she, won't she' sexual relationship with said rival pack's handsome Alpha."

I glared at him, smiling when I was met with kind, playful eyes instead of the seductive ones I was expecting.

"Oh right, that." I chuckled. "But none of that matters anyway; it is what it is. There's nothing I can do to change it now." I stood, shaking off my negative feelings, reminding myself of my progress since I left home. "Thank you again for the book, Silas. It's amazing and I really appreciate it."

I walked over to stand in front of him, leaning over to hug the shoulders of his seated form as his arms came up to circle my waist. Pulling away from the hug I placed a quick peck on his lips.

I realized my mistake immediately. I had intended the peck to be chaste, simply a kind gesture to show my thanks. But Silas' arms held me tight and he deepened the kiss. I was flooded with desire and my resolve broke almost instantly. I kissed him back, allowing him access to my tongue.

He stood, never breaking us apart and walked me backwards. The second my legs touched his desk he scooped me up, easily depositing me on top of the solid wood surface in a sitting position and placing himself with his hips between my legs. I clutched the back of his head with one hand, barely noticing when the other dropped to his chest, and then his waist as my fevered mind urged me to touch every inch of him.

An involuntary whimper escaped me as he broke the kiss, placing his forehead against mine, not ready to pull away completely. I was equal parts disappointed and thankful for the few inches of separation between our lips.

He swallowed thickly between hard breaths that matched my own ragged panting.

Standing up straight, he left a tingling trail as he ran his hands from my hips, down my legs and rested them on my knees.

"Have a good night, Makara."

Without waiting for me to respond, he turned and left.

"Shit," I mumbled, running my fingers through my hair and still trying to get control of my breathing. I knew without a doubt that I would have let Silas do whatever he wanted in that moment. More importantly, I knew that he knew it too.

I didn't know why he had stopped, but I thought it best not to question it. I didn't need him changing his mind and coming back for more. Especially when my heart was still pounding from the experience.

I made a mental note to never put myself in that situation again. I still intended to give my first time to my mate, whoever they were, and was fully aware that whether or not I accomplished that had been completely under Silas' control the second our lips touched. I needed to be more careful. I needed to keep control.

Sliding off his desk, I grabbed the book from Silas' chair where I had dropped it and walked back to my room. I threw myself into the inviting warmth of my bed, sleep taking over almost immediately, exhausted as I was from the events of the day.

Blinking my eyes open, I saw I was surrounded. Rodan was on my left, Silas in front of me and Cade to my right, although none of them were close enough to touch. Their frames were in similar states of undress, a simple pair of shorts being all that protected their modesty, however poorly.

I looked between Silas and Rodan, their prominent builds casting long shadows on the walls behind them. Cade's shadow was strange and looked as though another man, shrouded in black, stood beside him. Somehow, to my dream addled mind, that was perfectly normal.

Everybody was still, watching me intently and not making a sound. My gaze shifted from one sculpted chest to the next, wondering how this would play out.

I knew what usually happened when any of the scantily clad men in front of me appeared in my dreams and each of them flashed me a knowing smile. I swallowed nervously; it had never been all three before, not at the same time.

Someone grabbed my arm from behind me and I gasped in surprise as they whirled me around to face them. The man, unrecognizable for the blood running down his face, gripped my arm so tightly, with such intensity it started to tingle and lose feeling.

He fell to his knees, blood sputtering from his mouth as he tried to talk. I couldn't tell where the blood was coming from, but it was everywhere, covering him like a scarlet suit and leaving red streaks down my arm. The numb feeling of his touch quickly gave way to pain, my skin becoming heated and starting to burn. The fire spread from my arm, moving to my shoulders and throughout my chest.

I tried to remind myself I was dreaming, but struggled to breathe, panic and fear starting to set in anyway. In my desperation I pawed at his fingers, attempting to pry open his grip. Instantly, agony erupted from my head, ripping through my body like a tidal wave. I had a brief flashback of stepping towards the bloody wolf before the pain drove the thought away.

I woke with a start, sitting upright in bed, panting and covered in a cold sweat.

•°~~****~~°•

I stepped out of my room, feeling refreshed after a shower, the hot water washing away the chills of my haunting dream.

"No Emery this morning?" I asked Silas as I passed him, sitting in his usual spot on the couch.

"Oh, she was here. I sent her home."

"Already?"

"Yes, already. She served her purpose."

"And by purpose, you mean presenting you with holes to fill?"

"More or less," he replied dryly without looking up from his customary file.

I shook my head and let out a light chuckle, glad at least that I wouldn't have to see Emery.

Moving to the kitchen, I opened the fridge, pulling out the half empty jug of orange juice. Swinging open the cupboard door, I grabbed blindly for a glass, muscle memory guiding my movements. I frowned when my hand swiped through empty air.

Confused, I looked in the cupboard to find the bottom two shelves, the ones I could reach, had been completely emptied and the glasses moved to the top shelf.

"What the hell?" I mumbled to myself.

"Silas?" I called to him in the other room. "Did you move the glasses?"

I waited for an answer, hearing the soft ruffle of his clothes and his light footsteps as he came into the kitchen instead.

"Actually, I think the cleaner rearranged everything, the mugs were moved too."

It was a strange explanation, but I had no reason to question it, and simply wondered why they would have taken everything off the most accessible shelves.

"Well, I can't reach the glasses n-." I turned to face him as I spoke, getting cut off as he moved in close to me. He rested one of his hands on the counter beside me, the other reaching over my head. His proximity kept me from moving, effectively pinning me in place as well as any physical restraint would have.

I was hoping to keep control over my reaction after how out of hand things had gotten the last time we were this close, but the heat spreading through my center told me my body had other plans. Glancing up at Silas, he flashed me a smirk, confirming my suspicions. I looked away from him awkwardly, trying to ignore the temptation to close the last bit of space between us.

Hearing someone clear their throat, I snapped my attention to the source of the sound. Cade stood in the entryway to the kitchen, watching us quizzically with twitching nostrils. I knew immediately he recognized my scent and my face burned with embarrassment. I had just convinced him I wasn't a fuck toy, and here was Silas, practically on top of me.

Silas casually handed me a glass, not moving back an inch as he waited for me to take it, undeterred by Cade's presence. It occurred to me that he would have heard Cade come in the front door, and simply didn't care that we were about to have an audience.

"Ready?" Cade asked me as Silas backed away.

"Yes." I jumped at the chance to get out of this situation, happy that I had thought to put on my training clothes and that Cade was finally going to resume our usual plans.

I scooted over to Cade, setting the glass on the counter on my way over.

"Oh." I stopped, turning back to Silas. "Thank you for getting me a glass," I told him, feeling obligated to be polite, but not quite convinced he hadn't orchestrated the whole thing as an excuse to get that close to me. I tucked the orange juice back in the fridge and left the suite with Cade.