Chapter Lost Mine

Anjael was sleeping soundly when her door slammed open and Lazarus stomped in, then kicked her bed.

"Lying bitch!" the angry Alpha shouted at her.

She sat up slowly and stretched languidly, knowing exactly what made him upset. He woke up and smelled of her and sex, so she tried to reassure him, "We didn't. The new moon isn't until tomorrow and I am not a bitch, I was not born to your species."

"Hrmph, whatever... Then why did I wake reeking of you?" He fumed, "I can smell my scent on you too! Did you seduce my wolf?"

"No... Lazarus, you know how Beast is. He gets terribly jealous when I am around a non-pack wolf, just like you used to act when any male's scent got on Barley." She held up her hand when he opened his mouth to retort, adding, "The FBI agent was a Beta and I carried him to the raid. Beast insisted on grooming and scent marking me." Rising she pulled a robe over her nudity because he looked away. She loved that Lazarus' wolf cared enough about her to want his scent on her but she knew if she told Lazarus this, he would forbid his beast from doing it.

The vision he received from the oracles of the moon had only made him more restless and antagonistic towards her. She smelled the Delphi Acolyte Ainsley of New Wemyss' scent in his room and found the drawing she had shown angel. The almost photographic quality of the pencil drawing of her standing petrified on a boulder with his giant dark wolf laying at her feet surrounded by emerald-green hornets was a somber reminder that she was not as invulnerable as her uncle's stories led many to believe. She showed Jake and he, with Woods' help had begun designing Kevlar for all the Cruor in her clan to wear. She was also surprised to learn from Woods that Ioudas, the Romani Cruor youth, did not know emerald could kill him. She put the drawing back in the drawer of his desk before he realized she had taken it.

Lazarus next accusation interrupted her musing. "Did you screw the Beta to make him jealous, Succubus?"

"I would never do that to your beast. He and my demoness have an agreement and mutual affection," she refuted him, "And you know I am not a real succubus... You went to sleep as you often do when we fly together, and he did what he wanted. It is not my fault he does not respect your wishes. I stopped him from breeding me per our agreement."

"I don't like heights," he reminded unnecessarily. His balled fists shook slightly as the taint of fear crept into the scent of his anger.

"I am aware," murmuring softly, Anjael resisted the urge to cross the distance between them to comfort him. He would not accept such a gesture from her, so she said the only thing she could think of, "Please, don't be angry with your wolf."

The young Alpha closed his eyes for a moment, his body trembled then he turned and stormed back to his chambers, slamming the door loudly. The scent of regret, grief, resentment and fear remained in her room.

Her human feeder Jake passed Lazarus in the hall, giving him a jovial salutation, which was snarled at. Smirking, Jake carried in a tray of breakfast for Anjael. "Hey, Momster, I see the Alpha is grumpy about his wolf taking liberties and playing with your demoness last night."

Sighing at his tone, she picked up the juice from the tray and took a deliberate swallow. "We didn't breed last night, it wasn't the new or full moon."

"You know there is more to sex than intercourse in the church's one approved position, right?" Jake teased, then offered, I could get you a book about that Kama Sutra temple in India or would you rather I give it to him."

"No need, and actually there are seven erotic temples in India... I've seen them all but honestly, I think the Ellora Cave Temples are the most amazing." Anjael put her glass by her bowl and sat down to eat.

"Is it true they were carved from a single cliff face and no scree field was left behind?" Her fosterling was always so curious about other cultures and places. That and his humor were the two things that endeared him to her the most. His horrifyingly abusive parents were two humans she would never regret killing.

"Yes to both questions, and before you ask, no, the memory of how they were made is not in my lineage. The Cruor of that region died out and the technology was lost. I'm sorry," she said as she ruffled his hair while he knelt next to her chair. "I only know that they were created before the Great War of the Devas, after the Edenoans vanished."

"That makes them older than Stonehenge." Jake was almost giddy with excitement. "When can we go?"

"Go where?" Ridge asked as he walked past her door from the stairs.

"The Ellora Caves in India," Anjael answered, adding, "It won't be for a while. I need to keep the Burn peddlers out of my clubs."

"Are they really dealers if they give the shyte away?" Jake pointed out then noticed the pack Beta was carrying several bottles of body wash and shampoo. "What are those for? Ouro hates fragrances."

"Laz is complaining that he can't get..."

"Beta Eldridge!" Lazarus shouted down the hall at him.

"Sorry," mouthing the word, Ridge shrugged and delivered the soaps to his irate Alpha. "Here's your stuff, Alpha."

Jake raised his eyebrow as Anjael ate a bite of boiled grains rather than sigh. "You know it's always my fault."

"It is not your fault he goes to sleep rather than deal with his fear of heights and his beast takes advantage."

"Don't start."

"He should stay awake then," Jake declared hotly. He watched her staring down the hall for a moment, and knew she was scenting the things he was using to try to scrub her scent off of his flesh. "Do you need another transfusion or did Beast give you enough last night?"

"I am healing and it isn't his fault either. Not after what they did to him. You weren't there when we found him... If only we had gotten there sooner." She sighed out her regret, remembering how near death he was hanging over the ravine by only his wrists.

"Momster," Jake touched her cheek as he used his favorite nickname for her. "Don't do that to yourself. You were in Venezuela on a multi-nation spec ops mission to stop a madman from launching a North Korean made nuke at Rio De Janero when their president lost control of his military." Jake shook his head as he reminded, "You got there as fast as you could. Only a week after the whistle came."

"It was eleven days, not a week. And for three of those days, Abel hung over that ravine while they whipped him and beat him with long poles like a pinata after they killed his mate. The things they forced him to do for the false hope of saving her... I would kill them twice if I could. I would have killed them slower if I had known." Anjael growled.

"I know what happened. I have been counseling the survivors since I arrived... Still, he should be a little grateful. At least his beast, shows you the proper respect. Ioudas is also grateful, I don't know how long it will take him to get past the centuries of abuse he has suffered." Jake shook his head and held out his arm. "Here, top off so you won't need more from Laz tomorrow night and then eat your breakfast, it's getting cold."

She didn't let herself see Jake's memories of that time or of the counseling he was giving the broken wolves of Lost Mine Pack or the Romani Cruor youth, as she drew his clean blood into her system. The bruises from the bullet hits during the raid were mostly healed, but she was grateful for Jake's blood in her system. They chatted about India until Jake took her tray away.

"You should rest today. Ouroboros and Dart are."

"I will. Thank you, Jake." After he left, she laid back down and considered calling Merle Mont Blanc, Markham's brother as she remembered finding the grandson of her late ally hanging by a thin rope and silver manacles.

/\^^^^/\

Modern Times but three years earlier.

It took ten days to complete the mission of ensuring the safety of a million souls and then to fly from Nevada from South America. They were going to jump from the stealth bomber at altitude. Dart had stayed behind to make certain there were no loose ends, but Anjael was desperate to get to Markham Mont Blanc's youngest daughter, Eden. The she-wolf had no memory of her father beyond the stories of his noble sacrifice in WW2. Giving Eden a Cruor fang was supposed to keep her safe. Eden and Adam's small pack, called Lost Mine, was in the Nevada Desert outside Las Vegas on land Anjael had owned for over a century. There were two larger packs close by, Anjael believed they would aid Lost Mine but when she called them, they knew nothing. The one that went to check was turned away at the gate by armed guards, rogues or so they seemed. No one answered the calls to the pack offices.

"We are approaching the drop coordinates, two minutes." The intercom announced.

"Thanks, Rick," Anjael respomded then she looked at her uncle. "What if we are too late?"

The haunted expression in her eyes compelled him to hug her. "We save who we can. Our mission was a success and many lives were spared a horrible death or survivor suffering."

"But I promised Markham I would watch over Eden. Merle was counting on me to protect his niece and grandnephew." Anjael wanted to vomit from her worry.

"Put on your mask and goggles. Let us go rescue them," Ouroboros ordered, he did not want to tell her he feared the futility of the next few hours.

A light flashed and the bomb doors opened. They laid flat and rolled out. Falling away from the plane for over a minute before they opened their wings. As they descended toward Lost Mine Pack, Anjael noticed something. Lights shining down on the bottom of one of the ravines and someone hanging above it. Her uncle clicked to her and they dove for the ravine because that was not a punishment Alpha Adam or Luna Eden would have allowed. Anjael pulled off her mask as she approached the hanging male. She knew this was Eden's son by the smell of his blood. He stank of grief and fear, injury and excrement.

'We have to get him down.' Anjael clicked and whistled to her uncle in their language.

'Rescue him, I will fly over the pack and return.' Ouroboros answered.

Anjael flapped her wings powerfully as she caught the male after cutting the rope. She landed as gently as she could, before she snapped the silver cuffs he hung by and cast the pieces away. "Abel? Abel, can you hear me?"

Pulling the sterile water from her medical pack she hated that it was only a tiny bottle. She tipped it to his parched and cracked lips. "Abel, you must drink."

His wolf's eyes looked up at her demoness, unafraid, he sipped, choked then tried to gulp the water but she was stronger than him and forced him to go slowly until the bottle was empty.

"My name is Anjael Anutari Wasi, I am a friend if your mother's father. Where is Eden? Who did this to you?" She implored as gently as she could.

His face scrunched up as though he were going to cry but he was too dehydrated to produce tears. "Rogues... Killed us... took children, killed them... killed her." His head lolled to the side.

"They killed your children?" Anjael was horrified as she tried to start an I.V., but she couldn't find a vein. "Hang on, Abel."

Ouroboros landed and bent to help her. He started the I.V. easily as he revealed in their language, "Anjeal, we must hurry. They have survivors in cages and are forcing the males to fight while they assault the females. I could not find more than a several-day-old blood-scent for Luna Eden."

"I need some of his blood to see what happened," Anjael hissed back.

"He doesn't have enough to keep him alive as it is." Ouroboros warned. 'We cannot interfere in a Lycani dispute unless they ask.'

Anjael cupped his face. "Abel, look at me. I promise to avenge what happened but you must tell me. You must ask us for aid."

"Rogues attacked... Allies didn't come... Killed many... Help us." He growled weakly and she realized it was his wolf speaking and not Abel.

"Do you want us to save your pack, beast?" She wrapped his wounds knowing he would start bleeding once he was hydrated.

He caught her hand, squeezing it to stop her from treating his wounds. "Save them first."

"Alpha Abel, you may not survive if we don't treat your wounds," Ouroboros warned.

"Pack first," his growl was reduced to a guttural whisper.

"Pack first," Anjael agreed. "Pick him up, I want him to see."

They flew to the gathering area where a bunch of drunk wolves were. No one noticed them land or fold their wings. Anjael seized the one who seemed to be in charge off a makeshift throne and broke his neck in a way that would leave him alive. The female he had been forcing to service him, trembled in terror as Anjael put her finger to her lips. "We are here to help you."

She shoved him to the ground, whispering, "There are more things in heaven and earth than dreamt of in your philosophy, wolf, and I am one of those things."

Ouroboros gently laid Abel on the throne. "Take care of your Alpha. What is your name, little she-wolf." He handed her the I.V. bag.

"H-heather."

"Heather, keep this held up, and replace it with this new one when it empties." Ouroboros handed her the medical bag. He fished out a cold compress, crushed the chemical pack inside and shook it. "Keep this to your face." She gasped in terror when he turned from her and changed.

Walking among them as her midform, Anjael cooed and trilled, enthralling them. "Are you the ones who took over this pack?"

A large drunk wolf who stank of dried blood and sex, staggered toward her from the female he had been raping. "Yeah."

"Do you have that female's consent to be touching her because she doesn't smell like she likes it?" Anjael announced.

"Nope, and I won't have yours either, I like it that way. I like it when they scream." He snarled down at her but when he grabbed her arm, he couldn't budge her.

Anjael grinned at him showing off her pearly, pointed teeth and fangs. Her wings unfurled from around her as she purred, "I like it when they scream too. When those who are evil and repent not die under my claws."

"What are you?" He bellowed trying to back away, but she seized his wrist and he couldn't free himself. "Let go."

"I don't think so." She lashed out and broke both his knees making him scream. Her talons dug into his chest, spraying her with blood as he screamed. While she killed him, she declared calmly, "Do you repent to your goddess for the evil you have done?"

Suddenly everyone was staring at them in shock and terror but her enthrallment tone kept the males still despite the threat she presented. She let the gasping corpse fall over. It flailed for a moment, then stiffened as blood poured out of the gaping hole in his chest.

Anjael looked at his heart for a moment then asked, "Uncle, are you ready to hunt the apostates of the Moon goddess?" She dropped the heart in disdain.

"What are you?" Another asked.

Ouroboros grinned showing off his polished fangs, "We are Demons and you have harmed what is ours. What do you wish to do with them, my queen?"

In a fit of theatrics, Anjael held her hands skyward, "Lo, I have become death," she announced as the change into her large pale gargoyle came over her.

Faster than any could react she slaughtered two more and Ouroboros, three before they began shifting into their wolves and warforms to fight back. One jumped on her back and she leapt skyward. In a dozen beats of her wings, she was high enough the fall would kill him but that wasn't good enough. He had gone from biting her to clinging to her when she flipped him over her head. Her claws cut through his flesh easily and in moments, she seized his back fur and whipped his body like someone shaking out the sand from a towel at the beach. His hide ripped from his flesh as his flesh tumbled to earth. She screeched and cackled with the blood list of her inner self. She punished the rogues for the torture she suffered as a female because she had never been able to find those who assaulted her. She swooped and landed next to the female that one had been abusing.

Holding out the hide, she offered, "You may burn this if you like, he no longer needs it."

One started shooting at her, but she laughed walking toward him, she took off his whole hand with her claws as she disarmed him. "You fool, human guns won't kill demons."

His screams made her giddy as the female with him began bludgeoning him. She jumped three more trying to flee and skinned their warforms one by one. Her uncle was killing as many as she had and in less than an hour there was a pile of wolf hides almost to her waist. She found the keys to the cages and opened the doors for the captive males. They all had the same pack scent as Abel.

"Tend your wounded and females. My uncle and I need to finish hunting," Anjael announced.

One young Beta walked forward holding his arm; he spoke bravely and bowed, "Thank you for saving us."

After she nodded, he rushed to the she-wolf who was his sister. In the distance. Ouro clicked that he was chasing a group. She flew to join him, and they skin them, leaving their wolf carcasses lying in the desert. Circling, they found four more. Then one who tried to hide in a coyote den. They returned with more hides for the pile. Anjael landed and threw them on top before walking to where Abel slumped. She dragged the leader to his feet and skinned him alive while Abel's wolf watched, unafraid. Heather vomited as her brother looked away.

"Those are my gift for you, my beast, and my apology for not coming sooner." Anjael's demoness carried him inside with Heather and her brother following.

Ouro shrank to his mortal form and wrapped his wings around him like a sarong. He began triaging and treating the injured. Fifty-one males and females were saved but several committed suicide before dawn. Ouroboros sat down in exhaustion.

Eldridge brought him water and asked sincerely, "Lord Ouroboros, do you need anything to eat or drink?"

"Our thralls are coming and what I need I would not ask of one so traumatized," Ouro refused.

"My lord, for saving my sister and pack, I will give you anything." He offered with his arm in a sling. Eldridge had killed the only one not slain by the Cruor. He grabbed their werewolf jailer and strangled him to death as his arm was clawed.

"I need blood to refresh my strength." Ouro watched for the young wolf's reaction and was pleasantly surprised when he held out his arm.

"If you drank every last drop it would not be enough to pay for our rescue."

"I only require a half pint, for a transfusion and not to drink." Ouroboros licked Eldridge's arm then punctured his vein. He licked it again when he was finished.

Eldridge stared at him in surprise. "It didn't hurt."

"No, I would never hurt you." Ouro's dark eyes stared at him with unblinking intensity. "Thank you, Eldridge."

"You're... welcome and please, call me Ridge." Eldridge looked away, across the room, a beautiful pale-as-marble female sat holding his Alpha's hand. "Will Abel live?"

"He is in a coma, I cannot say, it will be up to his wolf." Ouroboros sighed,

"What is she doing?" Ridge asked.

"Praying." 

/\^^^^/\

Yay! We won #CampNaNo April 2022 with 50K words!