You've Got to be Kidding me

53

Ignoring the others in the room Sky turns her attention to her knights. "Now, why don't you tell me why you want Henry to be the one to stay with me rather than one of you others?"

Henry, like most snakes is rather reticent and doesn't put himself forward much, but this time he answers his queen. "Because, much like you, I can change part of my body to that of my animal and retain the rest as human. I believe in time that I'll be able to change the shape of my human portion into other things, but that is neither here nor there. I can also change my size from the tiniest of snakes to the largest snakes that no longer exist on the earth."

Sky narrows her eyes at this and so Henry swallows before continuing. "There is one born every generation that has this ability. That one is the leader of the snake shifters. We have the ability to take on any snake, viper or serpent that was ever created. Some of them are beyond deadly as you are well aware."

Sky nods but waves her hand, "I still don't understand why you are being given this assignment."

"If you will permit me I will turn into a non poisonous snake that wraps around your wrist or neck like jewelry. Since I can switch forms it won't matter what you wear I can match with it and people won't be suspicious that you are suddenly wearing the same thing all the time."

"But they won't question me wearing snake accessories?" Sky says but she's starting to come around to the idea.

"Just tell them that they are gifts from your knight. Most will accept that, especially since they know that you aren't too fond of bling, the shiny kind." Chang interjects at that point.

"Won't it be uncomfortable for you to hang around me like that all day every day?" Sky asks consideringly. She doesn't want to cause problems for her knight.

Henry snorts, "You mammalian shifters give off a lot of heat. It will be like sitting on a soft heat rock all day. It might be a little irritating with my head upside down, but I'm sure that can be worked around."

Henry pauses before continuing. "I'm the best suited for this because if I was in my humanoid form then when you are attacked they will try to kill me or harm me rather than take me with you. If I am on you then they will take me with you. I'll be able to free you from restraints and hopefully from the room as well."

"Unless you have a key to unlock the restraints that's unlikely." Sky says but it's rather automatic and not really a focused reply.

"I will put a spell on him that will allow him to take not just clothes but other objects as well when he takes on his scaly form." Anastasia says once she's done casting the spells that were requested of her that she could do immediately.

"What things would that be?" Sky is more than a little confused.

Henry gives her a rather shy smile and looks down a bit embarrassed at what he tells her next. "I can unlock any lock as long as I have my lock picking kit with me. I'll be able to open any thing they place on you and if I can't squeeze under the door or find another outlet for the door I'll pick that one as well. If that isn't possible then I'll keep you company until I can take out a guard and take the keys from him."

"My queen, we chose him for this task because he is the best suited for it. We have full confidence in his abilities to do this and he is a formidable fighter as well. We have full confidence that he'll be able to keep you and your children safe until we can secure the compound where they'll take you." Chang tells her hoping to keep her mollified.

Kacey breaks in then. "Once that compound is secure all those that owe you blood fealty, the other shifters, and the witchilings will be joining you. You will in effect be setting up another pack. This one will be one of safety for our people until it is safe for you to return home."

"So you expect me to stay in the safety of a hunter compound while you what, dance around with the traitors of your pack?" Sky turns her attention onto her mates and her tone is filled with acid.

"No, Sky. Like I said, you will be using those that join you in taking down the hunter compounds. When it's safe then you'll be able to come back." Kacey does his best to calm her down, but Sky really isn't wanting to hear it right now.

"Yeah, right. You already know that at least one of your elite warriors is a traitor," as if her words are a signal an alarm goes off.

"Well it looks like someone tried to free the prisoners," Anastasia says with her head canted to the side. "If you want any information from any of them you might want to get to them sooner rather than later. They only have about five minutes before the spell will kill them."

All of them make their way to where the escaping prisoners were rolling on the ground in pain as well as the traitorous pack member.

"Anastasia can you release the spell so that we can question the lot?" Ellis asks while watching the group trying to turn themselves into pretzels.

"If you would like. I rather like them like this though. I don't like the thought of them hurting my luna." Anastasia pouts even as she removes the spell. All of them are in too much pain to do anything but lay there trying to relax their muscles enough to straighten out.

Kacey directs some of the warriors that came from the alarm to carry the prisoners back to their cells. "Anastasia, would you replace that spell on the cells?" Kacey asks nicely, after witnessing just how nasty some of the spells can be he has no desire to get on the bad side of the witchling leader.

"But of course, Alpha. I can take away their pain if you would like?" Anastasia asks nicely after answering the alpha.

Leroy answers as the others are busy smirking at the pained filled wolves. "No. They tried to take our mate, let them suffer. Perhaps you would like to help us question them?"

At Leroy's words all the wolves that could turn horror filled eyes to the alpha.

Anastasia laughs at their reaction. "Perhaps, there are things my luna has requested that I and my people do. If I have time after that I could come and help."

With those words the wolves are more than willing to go back to their cells. They have never had something so incredibly painful happen to them before. Many of them have suffered through torture before and thought that they could handle anything the alphas could give them. Now they are shaking at the thought of what will be given to them.

Kacey has never left off looking at the traitor before him. He smiles a very snake like smile that makes the other members of the pack step back from him as they see it. "As for you, I think that I'll start with you."

The man's eyes widen in horror before looking from him to Anastasia then at last to Sky. "Luna, please have mercy."

Sky looks at the traitor in confusion. "Why would I have mercy on the one that was going to hurt me and give me to the enemy? You have seen more than once just how deadly I am."

"Luna, please, I have a family." The man pleads not realizing that he has more people watching him.

"Luna, might I say something to him before he is taken and locked up?" A woman says holding back her tears.

Sky looks over to the female and her heart softens at the pain she sees there. "Of course."

The female makes sure that the wolf sees her. "I have no idea why you were willing to betray everything we have here. I have no idea why you were willing to betray us! But it doesn't matter. I won't stay with someone that will do that. I, Philomena Stratham, do reject Zadack Brady as my mate."

The pain of the rejection on top of the pain he suffered from trying to free the prisoners is enough to knock him unconscious.

"I'm sorry you went through that, Philomena." Sky says and hesitantly goes to the female and places her arm around her. Philomena turns into her and starts sobbing.

Silently the others slip off into the night leaving the sobbing female and the luna alone except for her knights and the alphas.