LORDOSIS (BOOK 1) (COMPLETE)

LORDOSIS Chapter 22

The other boys did not phased and her husband had brought back a pup that was growing very fast. She knew her son would be tired, hungry and temperamental but nothing had prepared her for just how different he would be.

"Ulf, sit," she said for the 8th time as he pulled out of his brother and annoyed them. He snatched food, bit and scratched his brothers. He even challenged her and with that she lay down the law, pinning him down the way her husband had told her and not letting go till he submitted. She hated it but it was a lesson and for a young changeling he would be testing them a lot.

Her pregnancy was draining and she left Manu to babysit whilst she rested. She woke to a commotion. Crashing and banging noises. She rose from the bed and hurried out of the room to see Ulf in wolf form chasing Gaer the youngest of her children. She ran over grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and lifted him up to stare in his eyes.

"NO!" she yelled. She was tired, emotional and angry at being woken with a shock.

Gaer clung to her leg crying "It bit me," he cried and she looked down and saw he was in fact bitten several times on the arms, leg and one on his face and neck. He was bleeding and terrified.

"MANU!" she called no reply, she opened the door and asked a guard for his whereabouts.

"He has taken Caolan to the bathroom," a voice replied.

"My husband and his brother?" she asked.

"Library," he answered and pointed in the direction.

She pulled along on squealing pup and one screaming boy. Booting the door open as she had her hands full she glared at her husband across the table.

Gaer pulled from her hand and ran to his father for comfort. Layton lifted him and upon seeing his wounds asked, "What happened?" as he looked at his wife in astonishment.

"THIS!" she said hold her son 'the pup' in the air. Shoving him towards Kaylan who looked as astonished as his brother.

"He has changed already," Layton said looking at his brother.

"And attacked his brother," Samala countered letting the pup go on top of the table. The pup immediately turned on her growling and snapping.

Gaer cried and tried to clamber up onto his father shoulders for protection. Kaylan reached for Gear and left the room as he felt his brother phase and the pup challenge him. He smiled at the moxy of the young pup to challenge an elder but as the growls turned to whimpers and he heard his brother wife telling him to be careful, he knew that the pup had submitted.

"What happened?" Manu asked as Kaylan entered the room with Gaer. Kaylan nodded to the noises behind him and Manu noticed poor Gaer's wounds. "I turn my back for two minutes and he phases. Your mother is meddling. He should not turn until tonight," Manu replied.

The door banged open and in walked Layton in wolf form with the pup in his mouth. Dropping him to the floor and standing over him so the pup rolled over in submission and whimpered. Gaer hurried over to his father and allowed him to lick his wounds clean whilst still keeping Ulf under him. Kaylan allowed himself to wonder for moment how his own children would have reacted to his wolf form, would he have had them as accustomed to it as his brother who chose to do it from birth.

A knocked came to the door. Manu answered it and closed it, locking the door and immediately sent Laytons hackles up.

"Your mother's carriage has been spotted barely half a day away from here. She went to your brothers but he was no where to be found so she has followed them here," Manu whispered.

Layton growled fiercely.

"Time to go," Manu informed Samala.

"Go? Go where?" she asked as her heart raced with fear.

Layton phased back. "Hurry," he said grabbing his wifes arm and rushing her back to their room.

"Are you coming?" Manu asked Kaylan.

Kaylan shook his head.

"I didn't think so," he replied. "I will release the guards and clear the rest of the city as planned."

Kaylan sat in his chair whilst all around him chaos broke out. He had already cleared most of the city since his mother's last visit as no one was safe here with him. He could no longer offer them sanctuary or defend them against her wicked ways. Endeya and the others women had gone first with their husbands to set up ready for the others to join them. His mother would never discover them.

"Brother please come," Layton begged as he arrived back in the room with his wife and children. Kaylan did not reply. "If she catches you she will torture you," his brother reminded him before remembering that Kaylan was happy to be tortured if it meant saving others and penance for his wifes sacrifice.

"We are ready, everything is as requested," Manu informed Kaylan. Kaylan stood and embraced Manu and his brother.

"You are loved," his brother said as he held him close. Kaylan shook his head, he did not want to be loved he wanted to be hated for what he had done. "You find your way to us," Layton cried as he felt the burden his brother was about to carry for them. His mother wanted the pups for herself, her own pack. She could not take them when they were born as they needed their mother to feed them and her greed had wanted Kaylan to find a wife and breed too. She was consumed with the need for a large pack she could be Alpha over, what is easier than young pups. First Layton's and then his brothers.

"Hurry," his wife said anxious to be away.

"You take care brother," Layton said squeezing his brother tight.

"You are loved," Samala whispered as she hugged Kaylan tight and kissed his cheek.

Manu stood with one of the boys strapped to his back ready for the climb up the mountains, Layton had another and helped his wife secure the last. Kaylan took one last look before heading out of the house and across the garden to the city.

He phased and checked for scents, any stragglers left behind, there were none only the preparations he had asked to be made. He lit the lamp and threw it. He stood watching the city burn and remembering his wife funeral pyre. He went back to the house checked again for stragglers and scents. He set a fire in every room finally he walked out into the garden and poured oil all through the maze. He stood in the spot he had been with his wife the first time they were together as man and wife, the place he scattered her ashes. He knelt and kissed the ground as he pictured her face before dropping the torch and watched the maze burn. He phased and checked everywhere for scents there were none and with the cloud of smoke so thick it was done. She would never find them. He phased and left in the opposite direction to his brother. He was now a lone wolf, their connection as a pack and as brothers severed. His mother would arrive to find nothing but ashes, just as she had left him the ashes of his wife on her last visit.