Dominic was ushered into a well decorated hall with high domed ceilings. The room was very bright, though not naturally lit. He was more dragged than led to a girl sitting at a long table. She appeared to be moving food on the plate around, but not eating it. She glanced up with black eyes at Dominic as she took a sip out of a goblet. "What is this you bring me, Marcus?"
The vampire smiled broadly, "Mother, I bring you Rousseau..."
"That is not him! This child isn't even nearly him. Not even of the same blood line!" The girl threw her cup at Marcus.
Marcus bowed, "But, he was sitting at the desk, where you said he would be. He spent the day signing papers, and addressing members of the elders. Who else could he be?"
The female vampire stood up from the table and walked over to Dominic. She raised his face with firm fingers to his jaw. She turned his face sideways then pierced him with her black eyes, "One parent was a made wolf, right?"
Dominic wasn't going to say one word. He'd been bound in this awkward position, before. He'd learned to hold his sharp tongue. By the way that this girl/woman was trying to probe his brain, he would come out with it eventually.
"Yes, you don't need to say, Halfling. He's probably one of Rousseau's many offspring. He was probably left there to see after Daddy's fortune, while he was away. Where, Halfling?"
Dominic focused on a chip in the tiled floor.
She dropped down to kneel in front of Dom, "Odd. You don't smell like a Halfling, why is that?"
He tried to go back to the spot of imperfect tile, but there was something enticing about her gaze.
"Marcus, does this man have red hair?"
The blonde dropped his shoulders, "Why no, Mother."
"And, his build. Is he larger than any of the other wolves, we've made into pets?"
"No, Mother," his voice dropped.
"I thought not. You will send a message to the elders. Tell them, we have something that belongs to Rousseau. Say that he will be untainted. Make sure that you make known that there should be an exchange."
"Yes, Mother," Marcus made a quick bow and turned to go.
"Oh, and Marcus, I'll be a little busy for the next few hours. See that your brother is managing."
*
With Sebastian's hand on my back, I walked through the corridors to the safe room. Toshi hadn't shown himself since I'd been fucked. I think he knew that I was going to go, and he didn't want to make things harder on me. I looked in the mirror as an afterthought, as I was collecting my creams and lotions from the vanity. My eyes had changed. They were this strange light brown. They weren't yellow, but they were definitely on their way there. I looked at Rousseau as he watched me packing.
"You know I can buy you new ones," he quietly said. 'I should have anything he ever gave you burned, anyway.'
I though that he'd been directing the thought at me and responded, "Quit it. I'm going with you. Let's leave it at that."
He seemed startled by my response, "I can't. As soon as you are home and settled, he'll have to forget all of this happened."
"You can't make him forget me," I laughed at the absurdity of the idea.
'Oh, but I have people who can,' I collected from his mind, again.
I dropped a blouse into my suitcase and walked over to him. "Please, don't think like that. I don't want you doing anything to him. He was good to me."
He studied my face for a moment and looked away. I sensed that he was holding onto something as he slowly said, "I'll be waiting for you outside."
I knew what he was going to say. I chose everybody else, but him. He had to take me. He'd wanted me to give myself to him. He'd wanted a willing partner. A coregent. I also felt this undercurrent of fear. Why would Rousseau be scared?
*
Dominic felt the little nips at his brain as the creature ran her slender fingers over his shoulders.
"Don't fight it, child. I can make this stay worth your while," Slipped through her lips as she studied the blood vessels of his neck with her tongue. She settled a finger on his right ear. "This scar. It took some time to heal. Where did you get it?"
Dominic couldn't stop the thought of Ellen.
"Strange. She's very pretty. A bit out of your league, I think, little man," the girl woman's voice seemed to fill his brain. "Oh, I see. The one that got away?"
A door behind him opened. He wanted to turn and see who had come in, but he was held in the woman's vice like gaze.
The Mother said without looking at the person standing behind him, "And, how did they receive the message?"
Marcus's tentative voice responded with a quiet, "The elders were quite open to conversation. I didn't hear the word once."
"Yes, well. The Dogs are learning their manners fairly late," the Mother's hand slid through Dominic's hair.
"They are all small, Mother. I did not see the Rousseau."
She sighed, "Of course not. If I know Rousseau, he's probably found that bitch you were talking about. Probably mating her as we speak. He'll have a lot of explaining to do if he's responsible for her existence."
*
I tried not to intrude on the calls that Rousseau seemed to need to make on the ride through New York. The only words that came from him were to ask if I needed anything. He was obviously still pouting because I didn't come back on my own. When we passed by the brown brick gatehouse to his home, it surprised me. I'd been sure, I would finally see the inside of that giant columned stone house down the driveway.
"Sebastian..."
"I'm taking you to the main compound. After what happened there with Ronald, I decided that the unpaired mature wolves should be moved to a more central location," he said as he drove the car down the winding, tree lined streets.
He drove past the red brick house that my mother used to live in. Apparently, I would be seeing her in the complex as well. I felt my nerves on edge. The closer I got to our destination, the worse it got. Rousseau didn't tell what the buildings that we passed were. He didn't even speak. It was as though he was nervous, too.
When he stopped the car in front of what I thought looked like an auditorium, there were two burly men waiting. They didn't hide the gun belts on their hips.
"My lord," one of them bowed as the other opened my door.
Le Rousseau got out of the car and started walking to the entrance without me. He didn't even look back. I was guided out of the car and moved to a small entry corridor. They looked through my purse and frisked me. I opened my mouth to ask a question, and was greeted with a finger inches from my nose.
"Ok, bitch. You are here for the test. You know the rules, but since you tried to break one, I will restate them. There is no speaking, not even thought speech, unless you are addressed by a member of the council. You will not kill your opponent, or bleed the mate presented to you. You will complete the tasks as presented. If you are not able to complete a task, you must assume the position, or turn your back on the task. Your rank will be decided at the completion of the test, and you will not be given a second chance to rank up, until the required 7 month period has expired. If you understand, nod your head."
I looked down and away from the finger and nodded. Rousseau had taken me straight to the test, right off of the plane. I didn't get a chance to rest, or prepare. And the position. I had absolutely no idea what the position was.
I was pressed through a small door into a dirt floored circle. It was brightly lit in the center, but the high wall surrounding it, was dim. I could feel that there were a lot of people watching from beyond that wall. I saw an obstacle course of some sort twisting its way toward the center of the dirt ring. I wasn't wearing sportswear. The dress I wore was loose, and my bra kept shifting. I knew the crowd would see a lot more than I wanted them to. I felt an urge to start the course. Someone was being rude and pushing me toward the start. I turned, but there was no one there. I crossed my arms and made my best defiant pose. I heard an audible murmur from the crowd.
'Naughty girl. You felt that push. Go to it,' I felt Sebastian in my head. 'You've done this before. The bramble patch, remember?'
I looked at the course again. It wasn't meant for a person. The openings in some of the tunnels were too small. I shook myself. It had been a while, but I remembered how to change. Once my paws touched the ground, I raced through the twists jumps and weaves. It felt demeaning, but there must have been a purpose. At the end of the course, there was a wolf waiting. By her posture, she was very full of herself. I didn't know why I thought that. The grey wolf lunged at me before I got my legs through the last obstacle. She sank her teeth into the fur over my neck. If I hadn't ducked away, she would have done some serious damage. She made another lunge and I knocked her feet out from under her. We circled each other for a moment. I knew we were meant to fight, but I didn't feel like it was fair. But then, it struck me. I could take her out. She made another rush for me and I jumped straight up on to her back. She seemed surprised by this, but wasn't quick enough to change course. I bit into her scruff and pulled up. She let out a placating whimper. I was just about to take a piece of her ear off so she could remember who beat her ass, but Rousseau interrupted me.
'Ellen, that's enough. She's submitting. Good fight. It only took you 30 seconds.'
Good fight. I wanted to show him a good fight.
