Higher Than The Alpha (#Wattys2014) »ᴄɵᴍᴘᴌᴇтᴇ«

TWENTY-EIGHT

Can't believe the first thing you guys thought of, on finding out that Charlie is a werebird, was the cake scene!! Laughed for ages!

Thanks guys :)

 TWENTY-EIGHT – Blank Eyes [Christopher]

Friday past. Victoria didn't shift back. As Saturday past, I understood why she chose the spot she had in my office. She was laying where the sun hit for most of the day. She still didn't shift back. Sunday came. Caine checked her wounds. They were healed enough that she didn't need the bandages again. But she still didn't shift.

Since Thursday night she hadn't shifted, hadn't eaten or drank anything that was put in front of her. Hadn't responded to anyone, not even mentally. Alexander hadn't said, but right now he was broadcasting enough that I was surprised non-family members couldn't hear him. His bond to her was dimming. And he was starting to panic and beg Victoria to stop pushing him away. He'd even cried. Pleading. But she only looked at him with blank eyes.

Once we'd got back on Thursday night, she'd laid down, then it seemed as though her tiger mind had gone also. No-one was home. She was just living because her bodily functions refused to stop.

Hearing my office door open, I saw Alexander enter with another large piece of steak in his hands. I closed my eyes at the sight. It was making me think of Tooven. My brother whom I had killed. Tooven who had gone insane and had begged me for death for years until I finally granted him his wish. I didn't think I would be able to kill my son after killing my brother.

Looking over at Alexander as he crouched in front of his mate, I saw that he had lost weight already, his eyes had deep purple bags under them. Nor had he washed or changed out of the clothes he'd put on when we'd returned Thursday night, thinking that Victoria would shift back too.

"Come on, Vic," Alexander's voice sounded like glass. So fragile. "Eat this, please?"

The golden tigress didn't acknowledge him. But Alexander didn't stop. He kept pleading and begging her to eat.

Looking at my clock showed that he'd been begging her to eat for forty-two minutes thirty-eight seconds now.

"Alexander," I said quietly.

He acted like he hadn't heard me, continued to beg his mate to eat.

"Alexander!" I shouted, jumping out my seat as I did.

Alexander spun then, dropping the meat, his eyes went sapphire, he bared his teeth even though he was in human form. Taink was suddenly in the doorway, along with Lusan.

"Alexander, leave this room, now!" I growled, putting as much of an order into my words as I could.

I got a snarl in return.

Moving over to him, I saw that his tiger was in front right now. As I came closer, Alexander shifted to his half-cat-half-man form. He growled lowly. A rumble in his throat.

"Leave this room now," I said in a harsh whisper.

Ink and Lusan stared. They didn't stop me. Nor did they stop Alexander. Stress had been running high in the house since Victoria had gone quiet.

A sudden wave of Omega power washed over us, it was more surprise that had us freezing on the spot before the power let us calm down. Looking over at Alexander, I wondered how much was for him when he swayed, looking dazed, as he returned to his human form.

Looking over at Lusan and Taink showed that they too had been effected, but only as much as I had been. The tension in the house had, not disappeared, but it had become lighter, something easier to cope with.

It was only reflex that allowed me to catch Alexander before he fell to the floor. Holding him up, I realised that Victoria had made him relax so much that he'd fallen asleep.

Laying him down on the floor, I turned to Taink and Lusan, telling them to fetch a pillow and blanket. Taink left, Lusan closed the door.

Minutes later, the door was opened and Taink walked in with a pillow and blanket, just as I'd requested. Lifting Alexander's head, Taink slid the pillow under him, and then laid the blanket over him.

"Why?" Taink asked.

"Because he needs it," I responded, knowing that he was asking why Victoria had sent her mate to sleep. "She may appear to not be here, but she still cares. She knew that Alexander wasn't going to take care of himself until she woke, or, she knew subconsciously, so she sent him to sleep."

Taink didn't say anything else before glancing at Victoria and leaving. It was sometimes strange to see much a large man, covered in tattoos, be so caring. Most would think him a thug that hurt women and men for pleasure. With Taink, they couldn't be more wrong. I smiled, not that his name helped any, take out the "i" and his name was "Tank", or take away the first two letters, and his name was "Ink".

I paused as I realised that I was smiling. Turning, I walked over to Victoria with a frown. Was she still sending out calmness? Crouching next to her, I sighed.

"You know, you killing that Alpha has given the wolves a new reason to kill us," I told her. I continued when I didn't receive a response. "The wolves think that, you killing the Alpha, even though he was insane, and us standing with you means that we are standing against all werewolves.

"Of course, they're right, we are. But we need our Omega if we are going to do so. We can't touch the werewolf Omega's, just as they can't touch you." Seeing that this wasn't getting me anywhere, I decided to play on the Alpha side. "Many were's have died since last Thursday."

An ear flick. I withheld the grin and smile from my voice as I continued. If I'd known that playing on the Alpha side, the side that wants to protect those she sees as hers, would work, I would have done it days ago. But then, until she'd sent out waves of peace, no-one had been truly thinking. Just going with it. Hope was lost. But that one ear flick brought back hope.

"A pride of leopards who were heading here were attacked on Friday..." I snarled the next. "We have there skins as presents from the wolves."

A snarl from Victoria's cat, and the lift of her head was worth that disturbing news however. I heard the house go silent as they listened. No other near was in their animal form, and this was the reason why. If any were to make an animal noise, they would know who made it. Victoria. I could feel the build of hope in the house.

"All non-werewolves are being hunted," I told her. "And they aren't going to stop until all but werewolves are dead."

She snarled. Then paused. I watched her amber eyes fight.

"Help us," I asked in a whisper that sounded like Alexander's begging voice.

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