Wrath
[I sat hunched over the massive desk, fist clenching the newest stack of Glymera forms. Mother fucker. I was a king.. a warrior, not a damned secretary. A swipe of my arm sent the stacks of paper flying, fangs bared at the litter scattering over the rug like falling snow. How was I supposed to answer their sniveling requests when war raged outside the door? Slumping back into my chair, I rubbed my thumbs into my useless eyes, tension knotting my shoulders into tight coils. Fuck. But, blind or not, I once patrolled these streets with my brothers and that male inside me that lived for the fight was ready to rip some heads off. This wasn’t the future I’d pictured for myself the night I’d been left the sole survivor of the royal family. What irked me the most was the fact that even if this wasn't my duty as ruler, I would still be forced into retirement within the compound walls. I dared any of my brothers to say those words, though. Eyes or no, I could still throw a beat down on any of them and they well fucking knew it but, my blindness was a perceived weakness that could put them and with the shifting political climate, I couldn’t risk anyone using my disability against me, be it lesser or Glymera fuckstick. Still, there was no escaping the responsibilities that were mine by birthright, decreed by the Scribe Virgin. The fact that I had accepted my role in her design didn't mean I was completely over being taken off the playing field. There was only so much you could do when beating a punching bag. But, that had changed, a slender and quick miracle had come to me on one of the visits to the Other Side. Payne. A female that was nothing like the females Phury had taken in when he had assumed the role of Primale. She had muscle, much like I remembered seeing on Xhex, hard and honed like a warrior with the power to match punch for punch. A shift in the chair reminded me just how well trained the female was, a wince came when my body protested at the movement. Bruised ribs, to name one of the affected areas, that could be much worse had I not fed from my leelan as soon as I put a foot on one of Darius' expensive rugs, the injuries could be ten times worse. The sparring bouts weren’t something I was willing to give up though, I didn't quite know or understand how there was such a female in the Far Side, much less how to explain it to someone else. And if I was being completely honest, I didn't want to know. Finally, there was someone else that would give just as good as I gave without fear of repercussion... and as selfish as it seemed... I needed it. To be a Brother again and not just a king. To fight, to shed blood, to blow off some steam. Especially now that the new threat was getting closer and closer to home. My thumb ran absently over the sterling letter opener, imagining it as the weight of a dagger in my palm. It was the Bastards all over again, only this time there was something eluding us all. Some vital piece of information that we were missing, setting the entire household on edge. Again. That didn't bode well for any of the brothers, especially not @JodisVishous who was taking it personally, and if I was being honest, the stack of marked bodies sure as hell looked to be a big “Fuck-You-Very-Much-V”. The only way the killer could have made it clearer was to put it on a billboard. The brother seemed to be under a lot of heat lately, thank fuck his female was there for him. Knowing the brother as well as I did, she was the only reason V hadn't pulled an 'AWOL' kind of situation to deal with this shit on his own. Once a mercenary, always a mercenary and the genius brother with a nuclear reactor for a hand wasn’t exactly the person you wanted going all vigilante but, that driving force that made you want to be all out there to defend what was yours and fuck the consequences was a bitch to get rid of. I knew this well, had firsthand experience. Although, thanks to my new job description I was limited to snapping and taking it out on anyone that decided it was okay to act like a five-year-old. Thankfully no one really made a BFD about it, too many years had done the trick for me. Beth would have his ass if I ever went snapping at her, not that it happened... a lot... but in those rare cases he had his... let's just say... there were techniques to distract her and melt her anger away. Still, she understood, to a fault, what I went through and happily helped, taking her position as the queen very seriously. How I ever got so lucky, well, perhaps I still owed my fallen brother Darius for this one. Sighing as I lean my head back on the chair, thanking whatever power brought me to Payne. For that rush I would do much, the freedom of dropping the rein for a while. In fact, I was overdue for another few rounds with the chosen. A situation that didn't need reasons. Uncomplicated. It just was]
Jodi
*After hours of soothing, I’d finally quieted a mewling Sahv and settled him onto my shoulder, loathe to go back to my room and lay him down. My room. The hell it was. My room was in the gate house at the edge of the property. Or it had been. The last I’d seen of my hellren was his back as he walked out our bedroom door. Pacing the halls was accomplishing fuck all besides wearing out the Persian under my feet. I’d fought texting or calling Vishous, my pride refusing to let me dial the number and end this stupid stalemate. I played back our last conversation in my head on a loop, poring over every horrible detail. “the pets knew when to obey…” Stroking my hand over the tightened dome of my stomach, I swallowed back a hot welling of angry tears to keep from waking the snoring young in my arms. Son of a bitch. I wasn’t obedient. Hell, on my best days I was barely agreeable. And still, he’d mated me. It was my name scarred across his back and that of our young beneath. Sighing shakily, I blinked the droplets away, spilling them down my cheeks. Our mating had been surreal, a night I kept treasured close to my heart. They night we became each other’s. Now we were so far away, the closest I’d gotten to him in days was hearing his name in murmurs as his brothers reported in for debriefing. Hearing a doggen at the landing of the grand staircase, I peer over the banister hoping my male had returned and finding only Fritz greeting what could only be a Chosen. It wasn’t Layla or Naima whom I’d come to recognize with their coming and going to tend the brothers’ blood needs. Her hair was wrong, the wound braid that crowned this female was black as a raven’s wing. I sighed my disappointment and adjusted Sahv in my arms, taking up my pseudo patrol of the corridor, watching them ascend the grand staircase head for the king’s study. My milling around the mansion for news was now so standard that I must be blending into the wallpaper for the warriors as they come and go through Wrath’s door. That damned door. I stopped my endless sentry impersonation to scowl at it after the doggen and his guest passed through, wiping absently at my face and wincing at a tightening in my stomach. It seemed like the only person who could tell me what the hell was going on with my hellren was on the other side. I straightened my shoulders and strode down the hall, finding the door still slightly open and pushing my way in, frowning down at Fritz stacking the drift of forms at my feet, lifting my eyes to the hulking form of Wrath behind his desk* My lord?
Wrath
[The distraction proved to get the better of me when my finger caught on the tip of the letter opener, making my nostrils flare at the scent of spilled blood. Even if it was my own. The little spike, however, brought my thoughts back to the reality of files and letters now blanketing the Persian. Exhaling a growl I dropped the letter opener and groped for the phone, resigned to call Fritz to help collect the mess back into their piles when a quick fist rapped at the door.] WHAT? [My roar of irritation was answered with a softly spoken “Sire?” Fritz. I am an asshole.] Enter. [Dropping back into my chair, I listened for the muffled creak that marked the door’s swing and he shuffled inside. I bristled, hearing more than one pair of feet gingerly nudging sheets of paper out of their path. “Sire, the Chosen Payne has arrived as requested.”] Payne? Requested? [A ripple of guilt settled in my chest, imagining my secret hadn’t stayed so secret after all. The chosen’s voice drifted in, strong and clear. “My lord, Wrath, the Scribe Virgin has sent me to serve.”] None of my brothers have informed me they have need of a Chosen, Payne. Unless, Vishous.. his female is damned close to the end of her pregnancy. [It was true. To hear Beth tell it, Jodi was going to pop and it had all of the females nervous enough to keep her in sight just in case the young decided to join the party right on the foyer floor. For my shellan’s sake, it was a good thing V’s female had moved into a guest room down the hall but, damn if it hadn’t made Vishous a dick to deal with lately. Who’d have thought that brother would… “Vishous? Vishous lives?” Payne’s voice shook, and she stepped closer to the desk, her nails scraping the wood as she caught herself on the corner.] Well, I haven’t killed his ass yet, so, yeah. [brows cranking down behind my wraparounds, I turned toward the door, answering Vishous's shellan] You can come in, Jodi. Hey, has V called for a chosen?
Jodi
*shaking my head, I stepped inside, distracted by the female’s face as she turned towards me.* I don’t think so but, I haven’t talked to him in days… *my answer was broken, distant, my eyes held by the chosen when she turned to face me and I chuckled softly, swallowing down the all too familiar pang of jealousy when my male needed to feed and shifting Sahv’s weight onto my other shoulder* I’m sorry, you just look so much like my…* ”You are Vishous’s shellan? Mine brother is alive..and has young?” She edged closer, her crystalline eyes dropping to the toddler in my arms, her fingers curling into her robes as if she wanted to reach for him.* Brother? V has a sister? *I looked, wide-eyed at Wrath, the word coming from both of us at once and I had the crazy notion to call jinx on him. “Indeed, the warrior Vishous is mine twin. I believed him lost at our father’s hand. I would see him, if he is here?” Her voice was shaky with hope and my jealousy faded, stolen on a sharp gasp at a tightening spear of pain in my stomach. Doubling over, Payne’s arm shot to steady me, her other catching Sahvage and deftly tucking him onto her hip. “Female? Jodi?” Payne’s voice raised in alarm, her eyes darting between me and Wrath as he jumped to his feet. “Jodi! Fritz, get V’s ass in here NOW!” Sinking onto the plush carpet, I panted through another wave of agony* Perfect fucking timing…
Vishous
-Complete and utter hell. That had been my life for the past few days, if I ever thought that before I knew the hell I could go through in this life I was sadly mistaken. Being away from my female was worse than walking with a dagger in your gut. I'd give anything to make this pain disappear, and I was doing my damn best to keep myself occupied. If I wasn't glued to my Four Toys, I was out there maiming lessers left and right. The Bastards weren't completely off the map but they have been too busy, probably kissing ass somewhere, making their presence known to both us, the Brotherhood, and the Glymera bitches. Fuck, what I wouldn't give to have a one on one with any of them. Bastards or Glymera assholes, take your damn pick. Aside from my messed up personal life, who would've thought I would have one of those, the search for the ghost of my past was baiting me with more than just corpses left and right. It was hard enough to go in blind, but feeling that my enemy knew more about my past than I’d told anyone outside the brotherhood had my hackles up in a major fucking way. Even the cop was starting to complain about my behavior around him, according to him I was just as irritable as Z was... past tense. Fuck that. Staring out the window, I watched the city zoom by while the cop drove quietly back to the compound. This time around had been another disappointing round with nothing more than a few lessers to take down, not one had information on their ranking officer, or so they said. The Lessening Society was getting smarter or dumber, either way it was seriously fucking up my plans. So, the next step was to take what we had been able to from the lessers, examine them and use the one phone we retrieved for some tracking. Gritting my teeth I closed my eyes, what the fuck was I going to do? The longer I took to figure shit out the more it would put a strain between me and my female... and that wasn't flying with me. I wanted blood for this... badly. Whoever was playing Hannibal would pay, with interest. The phone ringing broke my reverie and I answered almost robotically, expecting it to be Tohr or Wrath with another lecture on my ass pulling too many hours out there.. blah blah.- What? -the small but frantic voice on the receiving end had me sitting straighter “Sire... sire we need you here at the mansion. Mistress Jodi... she's...” all the words drowned into a dull buzz, my eyes going to Butch who had a panicked expression on his face. Clipping the phone shut I uttered one word to the cop- Jodi -his face cleared and he nodded, he would haul ass as fast as he could but... in one second I was outside of the compound, breaking in through the main door.- Fritz! Where is she? Where's my female? -seeing the rush of motion around the foyer had me on high alert, my diamond eyes focused on the railing of the second floor and that was all I needed. Dematerializing on that floor, I made my way to Wrath’s study where all the bodies laden with towels and pillows were heading- Leelan! -my voice was desperate, our separation had only fueled my fear and there was one thing that I was dreading from this time apart. Storming in I found my shellan sprawled on the expensive carpet of the King's study, labor pains etching agony across her face. Perfect fucking timing. I shoved through the wall of doggen and dropped to my knees at her side, taking her sweat-drenched hand- Leelan? I’m here… I’m right here… -“Brother mine?” The two words registered through my rushing pulse and I cranked my head up to look to their source, a chosen, holding my shellan’s other hand, her crystalline eyes widening and welling with tears- Brother..what? –a scream from my female cranked my head around and I reached for a towel that one of the doggen had offered to wipe her face, taking the seconds to lock my fear up behind a wall of “bad-timing-you-candy-ass” and bring my medical training to the forefront-
Jodi
V…? Oh, fuck! *crying out through another contraction, I squeezed both hands in mine and panted for breath, lifting my eyes to his, a tight smile offered in reassurance I didn’t really feel* Your sister, Payne. Payne, your brother, Vishous. Now that we’re all introduced… *sarcasm gave way to a grunt of pain when the tightening dome of my stomach took my breath again, followed by a hot gush that soaked blood onto the carpet under my hips. Fuck, didn’t I just do this? Sahvage’s birth wasn’t so fun that I’d had any illusions about this time around but, at least then, I’d been in a hospital. I anxiously looked toward Wrath who had gone stone still, his face contorted in a way that made me wonder if he was feeling sick* I’m sorry… about the rug… *he waved it off and clutched Beth tighter to him. I hadn’t noticed her come in and I groaned, half in pain and half in realization, finding that a crowd had gathered of doggen and family alike. Turning back to find my male’s face, I licked my dry lips and croaked* I’m getting a little performance anxiety here, my warrior… Ah, fuck! *I squeezed my eyes shut and curled around another blast of white-hot agony, opening my eyes to find Payne leaning close to rest a palm on my forehead, her voice deep and soothing despite her face being etched with worry as she glanced at the crimson pool growing beneath me. “Brother… Vishous… the healer has been called but…” The ‘but’ could have been anything. Bad hair day. Act of God. No clean tighty whities. I gave a hysterical laugh at the image that conjured, head spinning from the lack of blood. Give-a-fuck had just left the building and this young had decided it wasn’t waiting for Doctor Personality to get here. Screaming through a sickening tear that felt as if I was being cleaved in two, I clenched my fingers around my male’s in a death grip* You have to do it… he’s coming…
Vishous
-This was not the kind of surprise I’d hoped for on my homecoming.. Nothing but gloves and heels, I’m all for that shit... this? Lucky I wasn’t passing out as soon as I saw the deathly look on my female’s face. My breathing had picked up as if I was trying to take the pain with my female. And my sister... SISTER?! Who the fuck drops a bomb like that at a time like this? Yeah, there were definitely issues we needed to solve but... another scream from leelan broke my train of thought, thank fuck, pushing my feelings and sensations to the side. The calm and collected brother came slamming front and center. My face went void of emotion, my brows creased as I examined the situation with new eyes, trained eyes- Payne -that name, shit, and to think the shitstorm that was waiting for me next- hold her, I need to check her -my head snapped back to look at the doggen- we are not waiting for Doctor Tight Ass to get here, my son is coming...- as soon as I said that, I barked a list of supplies to a terrified doggen and got right to work, cleaning my hands as much as I could with the water Fritz had brought in- As for the rest of you -diamond eyes blazing as I focus on every face around the room in turn, my voice booming with authority- unless you’re an OB, get the fuck out. Now! -turning back to my female as soon as I made that clear, no one needed to see more than absolutely necessary-
Jodi
*watching the others dart out the door like their hair was on fire and their asses were catching, I bit down on my lip to stop another cry when the contractions started coming hard and heavy, leaving me little room to breathe in between the waves of agony, my eyes dulled with pain widening as my male dismissed even his king from the male’s own office. My vision blurred and the world tilted, darkness creeping into my periphery, barely registering wide palms easing my knees apart with a hiss. Voices drifted in and out of my reality as Vishous and Payne spoke over each other, their urgency hidden by the calm cadence of their words... something about hemorrhaging...? and it was gone, my attempt at listening abandoned while Vishous worked, my emptied hand raking at the fibers of the rug and curling into a fist at my side, pried loose by Payne’s deft fingers so she could take them again. “Be of ease, sister mine. All will be well.” Her eyes told a different story, darting between me and my hellren. “Brother? Tell me what you require to deliver your female of the young.”* Vishous? *my voice wavered, my throat too dry to allow me to be heard*
Vishous
-Vitals were all over the place, the heartbeat erratic and the blood pressure was way too high. And I hadn’t even checked Jodi’s yet. Fuck. Kneeling on the blood-stained Persian, the lavish study filled with chaos, it all seemed surreal. The life of my young and shellan were on the line and I had to suppress my body’s first reaction to what was going on when I felt the fear holding my heart in an icy fist. Head in the game, asshole. If she dies, you’re right behind her. I glanced up at my sister, wincing when my head filled in that word for me.- Payne? You’re gonna have to assist. Just do what I say, when I say, true. -she nodded in understanding and I started prepping to deliver my young. Fritz had brought in everything but the damned kitchen sink. Too bad the old doggen didn’t drag Havers in here along with it. I growled under my breath, clenching my fist until the leather creaked as I clenched my hands, preparing myself for what I was about to do. Yes, this was a dire situation but I had no intention of giving up easily. With a heavy heart and cold determination I got back to work. My nostrils flared at the tang of copper in the air and I shifted Jodi to settle between her knees, closing out anything that wouldn’t help me save my family. My focus solely on the heartbeats of my female, I lift my icy gaze to meet her eyes as if for a moment that alone could save us both. Holding her gaze I nod. - It’s alright, leelan. You can do this.
Jodi
*I blinked the sweat from my eyes and nodded, stilled by the insistence in my male’s voice, the room around us disappearing until a spearing shock of pain yanks me back into the present* JESUS FUCK! *I was cleaved by agony, brutally gripping Payne’s hand through the waves until the urge to push took hold, barely registering their reassuring murmurs while the Chosen helped me to sit up and force the pressure out on a ragged breath.... once... then again... until a last strangled cry dissolved into the mewling of a tiny voice as the weight was pulled free and I was granted a respite, falling back onto the rug, the chandelier above me swimming in and out of focus, Payne’s voice drifting to me through the darkening haze. “..the young is a boy, brother mine....”*
Vishous
-my own pulse began to thud against my ribcage, eyes shooting to a very pale shellan. Screaming with more intensity that I had meant to- Jodi! Don’t you dare, you hear me? Don’t you fucking dare! -Payne’s head shot up from where she was busy wiping our son clean, quickly bundling him into a towel and settling him into a nest of blankets beside her, the pristine white of her robe now stained by the deep crimson of my shellan’s blood. Too much.. fuck, there was too much... feeling for a pulse, panic clenched in my throat finding a beat so weak I wasn’t entirely sure it wasn’t just wishful thinking, frantic eyes searching for the rise and fall of my female’s chest. But there was nothing.- NO! -the word came out as a roar and I scrambled onto my knees, leaning over and covering Jodi’s mouth with mine and forcing air into her lungs. Growling panted breaths as I counted out the seconds, I shrugged off the hand that touched my shoulder with a snarl and leaned over my female again even as our son’s wailing grew louder, as if even the young knew something was very, very wrong. “Brother mine, mayhap I can...” I was beyond reason, my own life slipping away with Jodi’s, there was nothing to do but keep moving until I made damn sure she came back.. my female. Payne pulled at me again and I bared wicked fangs in her direction, why the fuck did she keep trying to tear me away from my reason for living? Out of nowhere I was rocked from my frantic thoughts by a jolt of reality. Reality fucking hurt. A punch that could very well have been delivered by any of my brothers brought stars to my eyes and sent pain radiating from my chin to the back of my skull. Covering the spot with my hand, I tried to focus, scrambled circuits straining to source the jolt. I blinked and saw my... sister jerking back her hand as if she had just received a hard smack. It hit me then. Rather, she had hit me. The chosen had one wicked left hook. Before I could say anything she shoved her way closer to my shellan and I gathered myself, snapping back to the present and beginning the rescue breathing again. The chosen had earned my respect but unless she could perform miracles, I didn’t have time for niceties. Determined, Payne leaned over my shellan, Jodi’s lashes fluttering as if caught in a dream as she spoke. “Female, you must stay with him...” Payne’s voice was pleading, diamond eyes that mirrored my own welling with the plea, the room beginning to light with a gauzy glow that spread from Payne’s hands. I wasn’t firing on all cylinders but basic logic was still trying to make a connection. Twin... glowing hands... like mine... jesusHFUCKINGCHRI... - DON’T TOUCH HER! DON’T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HER! -Too late, I was going to be too late. Lunging to stop the chosen’s glowing hands, my life flashing away from me inside that radiating glare. Still trying to force the murderous chosen from my shellan, I shifting at my side took my attention, stopping me cold when Jodi’s fingers curled around my wrist, her eyes slowly blinking open again. The young’s cries slowed, Payne’s silent vigil unbreaking as her light filled the room, I turned to cup my female’s face in my bloodied hands. - Leelan? Leelan, can you hear me? -my jaw clenched, refusing to acknowledge the brimming of my eyes, every second only existing to count Jodi’s heartbeats.. each stronger than the last.- Leelan? Jodi?
Jodi
...Hear... you... *Actually. I was convinced the dead could hear Vishous. His voice seemed to be rising in volume but I clung to every word, heart fluttering until it could find a steady beat. I managed a weak smile, and looked between my male and his twin, then finally past them, seeking out the source of the mewling behind them, gaze flashing up to Vishous’s face* He’s okay? The baby is o... FUCK! *lips twisting into a grimace when my stomach clenched into a searing dome of fresh agony, the door of the study opened but I was well past giving a fuck who wanted an up close and personal with the finer points of human gestation. My main concern was why I was still hurting, and it was getting worse. “Forgive my tardiness, warrior. I was...” Havers. Well, better late than never. My teeth ground together when he took my male’s position on the rug, quickly opening his kit and assessing my progress.* I don’t care if you were busy at a crossdressing gig, make this stop! *He leaned in, his face matter-of-fact and turned to mutter something to my hellren* Hey, doc. Want to share with the class. *my voice was still shaky, thready, but I felt stronger. At least strong enough that my sarcasm cells still plentiful*
Vishous
-There were no words. But whatever my...sister... had done, had saved Jodi’s life. I opened my mouth to say something when Jodi cried out and dug her nails into my forearm, my eyes widening, turning back to my female, to find her suffering had merely been paused, Payne’s healing touch restoring her only to continue the torment, my fangs dropped to lethal points when the door opened and a flash of immaculate white coat flanked me, swallowing back to urge to rip out the good doctor’s throat for being fashionably late. Grudgingly, Payne’s hand on my shoulder urged me to let him take my place and he reached into his bag, snapping on a pair of gloves with a crack that resounded even past my young’s cries. I looked for my son, assuring myself he was still huddled into the linen nest that the chosen had laid him in, hissing when Jodi’s nails drew fresh blood from my forearm. I cut a glare to Havers, the growl rolling in my throat to find him closer to my shellan than any male should be and live. His shoulders went rigid at the sound but, his tone held as much inflection as if he was ordering at Starbucks. “She’s crowning, another is coming.” The contractions were quickly gathering again and she writhed under their relentless torture, my own voice quaking with disbelief- We’re not done yet, leelan...
Jodi
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