Chapter 49
A/N: Do you like the new covers for YATA, WATA, A Day Just for Us and Dogs, Bats & Monkeys Series - Naughty Bits that you can find here, on Wattpad?
You can see the new ones for Sentiments & Reason and Alec's story on facebook, along with the first ever cover for Kennedy's story. The link will be in the first comment and given as an External link.
Don't have facebook?
You can still see the new Sentiments & Reasons cover on my Instagram where I go by catmint5. The link to it will also be in the first comment.
And now, before we get to Ch. 49, here's a teaser from the Alec/Riley one-shot:
Leaving Riley at a time like this was not good for my health.
Yes, he was at my house with Kennedy, Lisa and Carter, and maybe dad, if he'd returned from driving mom to work, and yes, we had wolves patrolling the grounds, but I still wanted to be with him. I wanted him in my room and in my arms. He would be safe there, in my embrace.
It wasn't that I didn't trust my pack, but I had the almost unbearable need to be by his side. That was normal for our kind. In times of hardship or danger the mate and our offspring were the first we thought of and the ones we desired to protect the most. I could feel Everett was going through the same while we talked with the Sentinels; his mind was on his Lisa and he was constantly checking his phone for a message from her.
The two Sentinels before us were people Keri had spoken with over the phone before, but this was the first time we met them in person.
The younger one - Johnathan Mitchell, possessed inhuman strength and was the one who did most of the talking. His taller, African-American partner was mostly listening to us and nodding. When he spoke, his voice was powerful, but quiet and his words were obviously the product of consideration.
We weren't sure why the previous pair was no longer working with us when they - even the Dayer - had been doing as good of a job as the rest of us could, given the lack of information we had on the killer. We'd heard some rumours about Adrian requesting to be taken off the case due to some sort of incident or indiscretion, but it was very likely that it was indeed just rumours; I could not imagine Adrian ever doing anything that could qualify as an indiscretion. It was more likely that their superiors were either not satisfied with the investigation and needed to present a scapegoat to their own higher-ups so they threw Aiden and Sasha under the bus or that they'd decided that the human/Dayer team was better suited for another task.
These were all our speculations, of course; things Keri, a few others and I thought the most likely reason for Adrian and Sasha's departure.
"I think this is all we can learn from you," Johnathan said, before turning to his partner. "Cliff, time to do your thing?"
The other Sentinel nodded.
"I'll need the human boy for that."
When I walked into my parents' living room, Riley was on his feet in front of the couch Kennedy was sitting on, his slim body tensed and his brown eyes full of anxiety. Lisa paused her embroidery and threw me the same expectant look that dad was giving me and Carter lifted his gaze from his phone.
"Told you it was Rhys," Kennedy grinned and stretched. "Any news, bro?"
"No." I shook my head. Carter went back to texting and Lisa sighed and continued her creation of a brown wolf. Everett had already sent her a message that he won't be coming back with me so she didn't have to inquire after him.
"But the Sentinels are here and they want to meet Riley," I added.
My baby brother leapt off the couch.
"They are here?" His lips formed into an excited smile. "I want to come too!"
"Only Riley." I stressed the first word moving between the two boys. I caressed my mate's cheek and squeezed his hand.
"It's going to be alright, Riley. They just want to ask you some questions," I tried to ease his worries.
"Are they human Sentinels or are they shifters?" Kennedy butted in again. "Or Dayers? Are they Dayers, Rhys? I want to see them."
"Let your brother do his job, son," dad quietly admonished.
"I won't get in the way." Kennedy went for a pleading inflection that would make the heart of a stranger melt. My family and I, however, knew better. This act of innocence with Kennedy's eyes going big and even his bottom lip trembling sometimes was just that - an act. He knew he looked like an adorable puppy in need and that most people would concede and let him have his way. Even I allowed that occasionally, but it was for his own good to stay out of this.
"They are human Gifteds," I answered, "and you still can't come."
My baby brother slumped back on the couch and crossed his arms over his chest, all pretence of being a fragile, guileless kid gone.
"Fine." He sighed, then pouted.
"And don't even think about sneaking out to look for us." I ordered sternly.
He looked up partly guilty, but mostly grinning and before I realized what was going on, Riley had stepped forward towards my baby brother and was berating him.
"Kennedy! You can't just run off on your own after a security breach. Don't you realize how dangerous it could be?"
Kennedy's grin grew and he leaned back. The boy uncrossed his arms and let them fall into his lap before saying 'You are so cute when you are attempting to sound all parent-like, Riley' with the same charming tone he used on girls and sometimes boys when he wanted to make them putty in his hands.
"That wasn't the point," Riley noted, his voice softer than before.
"I know, but you are." Kennedy winked at him and I shook my hand.
"Come on. They are already waiting." I pulled lightly on my mate's hand. I'd have to warn him about my baby brother's manipulative - albeit not ill-intentioned - ways later.
"Don't go out, Kennedy," we both said at once, my inflection sterner than Riley's.
"What do they want to ask me?" My mate questioned once we stepped on the porch.
"They've already heard what happened from us," I replied as we headed for the training grounds, "but they'll want you to tell them exactly where the white wolf stood."
"Why would they want that?" His eyebrows furrowed.
"Clifford's ability is to sense emotions," I began to explain. "John - he's his partner; his gift is that of supernatural strength - called him a 'residue empath'; it's not an official term, but it does the job."
We were getting nearer to the woods' edge.
"Empaths are people who can sense the emotions of others when they are near them. Clifford works a bit differently; he can sense the emotions that had been felt and are left in a certain place. That's why we are going to the training grounds. He wants you to show him exactly where the white wolf stood, so he can try and pick up on his emotions, which might help us guess his intentions."
"Do you think he'll be able to do that?" Riley ducked, successfully avoiding a low branch.
"I don't know," I admitted. "With all the patrols we'd sent out, there would be lots of things to pick up on even if we didn't go there every day. Could this Sentinel differentiate between us and the white wolf?" I shrugged in reply to my own question, before adding:
"They also explained that the more time passes, the harder it gets for Clifford to sense the emotions."
"We could speed up you know." My mate offered.
"Do you think you will manage that?"
He nodded.
"It was too dark for me this morning, but I can see better now."
It was true. Riley was manoeuvring with much more ease than before.
"Alright then."
We switched to a faster pace and continued in silence until we were almost at the clearing.
"What are they like?" My mate asked.
"Clifford and Johnathan? They..." I pushed a branch up and let him pass before me. "They are not the ones I've talked to before. This is the first time I've worked with this team."
"Do Sentinels always work in pairs?"
It seemed that Riley was just as curious about them as Kennedy. They had every right to be; some Sentinels could do extraordinary things. Then again, ordinary humans thought my kind was extraordinary too; perhaps if I'd grown around people with supernatural abilities, I'd be used to what they were capable of and consider it part of everyday life.
"Yes," I answered my mate's question. "It's usually one with a physical ability - in this case John, and one with a psychic one."
"In this case Clifford," he concluded.
"Indeed."
We stepped into the clearing. No children were present this time, only adults. Keri, Anthony, Everett and one of Melanie's aunts - Cindy, were here along with the two Sentinels.
"I expected them to be in some kind of uniform," Riley muttered so only I could hear him as we walked towards the group.
"They have those for special occasions like ceremonies, but it will attract too much attention around ordinary people. Even without a uniform, members still carry the crest of their order somewhere on them - a wristband, a pendant, maybe on an earring; it's innocent enough if you don't know of the Order, but it's a way to recognize a Sentinel if you are aware of their existence," I quietly explained.
"You must be Riley." Johnathan smiled and extended his arm in greeting.
Riley shook hands with him and Clifford. His gaze stayed on the African-American man's thick leather gloves with the Sentinel Order's crest embroidered on them - a silver circle with an S inside.
"I'm Johnathan Mitchell," the Sentinel continued, "and this is my partner Clifford Clarence. Has your mate explained to you what we need from you?"
"Yes." Riley nodded.
"Will you show me exactly where the white wolf stood?" Clifford asked, then followed my mate to the bushes.
"This is the first place I noticed them." Riley pointed at the spot. "They were hiding in here. Well, more like observing me from here."
"I see."
Clifford kneeled before the bush and took off his right-hand glove. He ran a hand over the branches and then placed it palm down on the ground, his eyes drifting shut.
"And now we wait." Johnathan announced.
There are so many things I want to ask you that I don't know where to begin!
I guess I'll start with the new covers: do you like them?
What did you think of the first (yes, there will be one more) Alec/Riley teaser?
And what do you think of this chapter?
We ended up having a little bit of new content that wasn't in YATA after all.
Do you think you would've resisted Kennedy's plea?
Any ideas what (or who?) Adrian's indiscretion could have involved?
Do you remember from YATA what Clifford discovered about the white wolf?
Please support this chapter with a VOTE if you enjoyed it!
PS: Thanks for letting me know whether you preferred the paws or ***** as a separator. You voted for the paws, so I'm keeping them!
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