Darkest Night

[Skullblade]

Bella looked at the man before her, noticing the open wound. Not even for a second did she believe that she had been the one to save his life. “Stay with me for five more minutes,” she said weakly and gathering enough strength to get up. “I managed to get some information you might want to hear.” Before he could say anything, she closed the distance between them and softly pressed her hands against the bleeding wound.

Back in her clan, she had been one of the best healers at the cost of being one of the worst fighters. Physically she was weak, but when it came to studies of the mind and healing, she had tapped into every resource her clan could offer her. Unfortunately, she was far too weak to do an impeccable job, but she could do enough to stop the bleeding. Closing her eyes and feeling his warm flesh beneath her fingertips, she sent a mild electrical charge to numb the nerves and ultimately the pain from the wound. Concentrating, she casted a spell, which caused a comforting heat to radiate from her palms that began coagulate his blood.

As the extremities of the wound slowly healed, she looked at him and spoke in a soothing tone, “I could not see who was the person in your clan was that gave them information, but I did manage to see that one of the bears had been following me for the last week of my journey until I stumbled into your territory. They obviously know I’m a snow leopard, but they were highly intrigued… not sure about what though. All I know is that they were planning on taking me alive and killing the rest… including your traitor.”

Bella did not peel her eyes from his, and was not sure how the wolf would react after what he just heard. She could not help but feeling guilty due to the undesired attention she had brought with her, and was half expecting him to just break her neck on the spot.

[Ambrose]

Ambrose felt floored by the information Isabella was offering him. The simple act of helping a wounded woman from the harsh environment had become something much larger indeed. It was difficult for him to pin the entire series of events on the snow leopard, however. Ambrose couldn't help but feel that who ever was behind all of these attacks had planned these things to fall exactly as they were falling. It was infuriating to feel as if he were a pawn in someone else's game, but it gave him the determination he needed to formulate his own ideas.

Isabella was quite good at healing. Although Ambrose knew that the strength she was currently using came from his own life force he had spared to her. Had he not provided her with his energy things might have truly become perilous for her. Impending attacks from other animals might have kept Ambrose from being able to protect her, and apparently she was an important piece of this puzzle. Strange how someone he had never met before had suddenly become a part of his life. He placed his hand over hers, pressing her soft skin against his hard body, and looked into her eyes, something he hadn't done before.

"Thank you." It was difficult not to notice his body's reaction to this female. Previously when his body had demanded this kind of affection, he would not have hesitated, or refrained. It had never been too difficult to keep his more masculine emotions in check. This was the first time he felt differently. Isabella was so fragile, and kind, soft. She deserved someone who would protect her. And strangely enough, Ambrose wanted to do that for this woman. Curious, he decided it was beneficial to keep her around. It would give him leverage against whoever was trying to steal her, and it would give him more time to understand exactly what was going on with his feelings toward her.

"I would like you to stay by my side. It doesn't seem safe to leave you alone. But right now, I must go to this meeting." He motioned to the doors to his left. "My quarters. It is the safest place I can leave you unattended until I return." Ambrose pulled away from her and the warmth inside of him cooled slightly. "That is, if you accept my protection." He was surprised by his own words.

Never before had he allowed someone make a decision that went against what he wanted. If she left now there would be too many questions, and too little leads as to who was behind all of this. Ambrose did not give her the time to respond to his question, "Tell me your decision when I return." With that, he left the room and appeared in the conferance room which lay on the other side of the house. At the table, his pack was already seated in the order of their rank.

Troy stood beside the chair that was meant for Ambrose. "There is a traitor among us here. I will not be lenient, nor will I be merciful. None of you will be permitted to leave the premises. Any who do will be killed without question. Am I understood?" There were silent nods around the table as his response. Ambrose could already tell which of the few around the table had nothing to do with this. The ones that displayed surprise and shock. A few others however, were more difficult to read. He turned to Troy, "You are in charge of overseeing the wolves that live here. I will be visiting our other dens and placing a mandatory lock down until we discover who is behind all of this. Are the bears in the dungeon as I instructed?" Upon Troy's curt nod, Ambrose vanished.

Where he appeared was very different than the beautifully well lit conference room. The walls here were bare, stone, humid, and moldy. Screams could be heard from around him as the prisoners he kept were tortured for information. It was a common occurrence, and something he had become familiar with. The bears had not been placed in a cell yet, and rather were in the center of the room, hanging from their wrists from the ceiling. They were in their human forms, their clothes ripped and bloodied.

Ambrose came upon them quietly, his aura fierce. "This can go one of two ways," he said in a low voice. "Either you comply with my demands and I kill you quickly, or you make me extract the information from you by other means."

[Skullblade]

Bella was startled by his response, mainly the one where he offered her his protection. As Ambrose walked out of the room, she felt relieved she would have some time to think the decision over. On one hand she liked the idea of being part of something new, however, another reason she had left her clan was because she could not take the imprisonment. She had always wanted to see what populated the rest of the world, and wanted to meet different people and cultures. If she chose to accept his protection, would that cost her freedom? After all, the Alpha did not seem like the type that would allow wondering around, especially now that they had been infiltrated.

Isabella sighed, and chose to remain in the room she was at and not trespass into his chambers. Wanting to get out of the wet dress, she turned into her panther form and tiredly lay on the floor. It had always been easier to conserve energy in such form, not having to worry about keeping a civilized appearance. Resting her head on her front paws, she closed her eyes and went into deeper thought regarding her situation. She was no longer sure if she really had the privilege to choose considering the turn of events. As much as she hated to think this way, she also had to consider that Ambrose was simply putting a nice front and did not trust her.

No… that couldn’t be the case. If he didn’t trust her, then why did he share his life essence? Bella had finally pinpointed where the strength and additional emotions, that had been bombarding her since she woke up, had come from. Anger was the biggest of them all, something Bella rarely experienced, but wanted to remove from his being. Beginning to fade into the dream realm, Bella fully fell asleep to the fact that he had created an eternal connection with her, where she would be able to know him on a deeper level.

***

“I don’t know about you, but I certainly was not expecting that to happen,” said Adele, deliberately breaking the silence that had consumed the study. She wasn’t surprised when Daske did not even move a muscle to acknowledge her opinion; in fact, she was quite sure he had tuned her out due to the torment of his own thoughts. The plan to infiltrate the wolf’s territory had included the possibility of some casualties, but no one had been prepared for something as major as the disappearance, without a doubt imprisonment if not death, of six of his best men.

Daske turned to face the blonde haired woman, who was sitting with her legs crossed at the corner of his desk observing his reaction. “Have they shown any sign of improvement?” he said referring to the jackals that showed up at his doorstep without recollection of anything pertaining the mission.

Adele sighed shaking her head in response to his inquiry. “Listen Dee, how do you know for a fact that it wasn’t Artemis who flipped the whole thing around on us? I mean, how else could they possibly know? Especially when we outnumbered them.”

“The young wolf wanted out, Adele. He felt tortured when he was ironically forced to do the torturing himself,” he said remembering the memories the wolf had shared during one of their undercover meetings. “I think the leopard had to do something with this. It’s not Ambrose’s style to leave anyone alive anyway”.

Lightning parted through the darkness of the night as the rainstorm finally caught up to the city. A blanket of water covered the buzzing downtown nightlife, making people run left and right for cover. Daske had built his successful five star chain hotel business while simultaneously becoming the founder and leader of an underground organization, making one of the hotels his head quarters and personal residence at the penthouse. Any of his staff not involved in hotel services were residents in the floors beneath his according to rank.

Adele’s cellphone rang once, ending the call as quickly as it took her to answer it. “Dee, security found Ralph at the back alley barely alive. He is currently underground in the hospital wing”. She could see he wasn’t pleased, and that he wanted an explanation as to how everything simply went into the shitter at such exponential rate.

“Stay here,” he commanded, “and make sure business runs as usual, but keep a close eye on the residents”. Daske vanished from the study and appeared in a recovery room, where Raphael was laying on a bed in his human form, hooked to an iv and monitors, and bandaged up.

The bear felt Daske’s presences in the room and weakly opened his eyes to meet his. “James went for the kill, Daske. The wolf appeared out of nowhere with the leopard in his arms, and James commanded to attack. Blotch and Alexander are dead an-” Raphael went into a serious coughing fit, spewing particles of blood into the air. A nurse quickly walked in helping him sit up so he could breath better, and only left when his vitals stabilized. “…Blotch and Alexander are dead,” he tried again, “and the rest have been severely wounded and most likely captured. I managed to vanish once James hit the ground.” He paused again to prevent from coughing again. “James was convinced Artemis blew our cover, but Ambrose was just as surprised to see us as we were to see him”. Ralph was beginning to get a little apprehensive since Daske had neither said a word nor moved a muscle. However, he knew he was still listening so he continued, “I think the girl had something to do with all this, especially since he was protecting her. The way he fought never gave us the chance to even get close to her or-”

“That’s enough for now, Raphael. Focus on recuperating,” interrupted Daske, having heard enough. He then turned and walked out of the room closing the door behind him and walking up to the nurse who was sitting behind a small wooden desk. “Give him enough morphine to sedate him until his major wounds heal. Keep him here until I say so, and no one other than Adele or myself may visit”.

Once the nurse understood his orders, Daske made his way to the elevator, choosing to take advantage of the ride up to subdue his anger. James had always been one to voice his opinions, but never to act upon them. Not only had he jeopardized the mission and cost him men, but now Artemis could be facing the same fate. The worst part? Based on Artemis’ description of the wolf, tonight’s event was a declaration of war in Ambrose’s eyes.

***

James laughter was interrupted by the coughing of his own blood. He could care less about the wolf’s meaningless threats since none of them would ever be able to release information due to a life bound spell that was casted upon initiation to the organization. “Shouldn’t that little leopard be hanging by our side?” he taunted with an air of menace in his expression. “This is most certainly a first to find anything other than dogs in your patch of land, Ambrose. Is she a good fuck?”

The rest of the bears did not join him in laughter, but simply kept staring at the ground. They knew James was no longer in the right state of mind, especially after altering the mission and deliberately disobeying direct orders. He had cost everyone’s lives…

[Ambrose]

Never had the threat of war been as evident as it was now. Multiple clans had paired up to take his pack down. It was a fact that concerned him, but at the same moment, demonstrated how powerful he had truly become. The words of the bear hanging before him also signified that this leopard was more important that she had first seemed. Somehow she was entwined in this war as deeply as any of the opposing parties. Ambrose longed to find out what part she played in this. He was thankful he had shown discrepancy in keeping her alive. Could the bears have been after Isabella all along? Were the jackals a way to keep the wolves busy while the other animals entered his territory to find the leopard? Various scenarios played themselves out in his mind as to what the reasoning behind these attacks were.

As he eyed over the prisoners, his anger escalated. He doubted how much information these flea bitten mongrels would be able to tell him, just from the way they were carrying themselves. At the sound of the ragged laughter escaping the bear's lips, Ambrose's hand shot out to grip his neck firmly. The laughter gave way to the bear sputtering for breath. Ambrose stepped closer to the animal, "It's not very wise to mock the one who holds your life in their hands," he warned. His nails expanded into claws that dug in deep into the bear's neck, and he felt the warm trickling of blood as it passed through his fingers and dripped to the floor. Every inch of the dungeon seemed to be covered with the substance, from the floors to the walls, and above. It appeared as though through the centuries of the dungeons existence, not once had it been cleaned. Indeed it had not. It had however, witnessed too many deaths to count, unlocked too many secrets, and turned the others, who were left to live the rest of their lives in the darkened hole, into madness.

His immediate attack to the bear had been in retribution of the lack of respect, but if he were to be honest with himself, Ambrose had also been protecting the honor of the female that was in this moment still locked up in his bedroom. He shook his head lightly. That wasn't the image he needed in his mind right now. His focus redirected itself to the intruders and he eyed over the other two. "I want to know who was working for you from the inside. If you tell me that, you won't suffer. I give you my word." His grip on the bear's neck tightened as he started to speak. "I'm not looking for an answer from you," he growled.

***

Artemis pulled out her phone from her pocket, her fingers shaking slightly at the action. She was thankful she had placed it on silent before entering the room. Her worst fear had now come to pass. The plan she had helped the bears enact had not gone well, and her life was now in danger. The best thing she could do now was get well away from the residence of the wolf who would spare no second in claiming her life. As she looked around the study to the faces of the wolves she had considered family for decades, she couldn't help but feel a sting of guilt. She closed her eyes for a brief second before typing out the message:

I haven't been discovered. I need help escaping. Please.

Her eyes darted quickly back to those around her, but none had noticed the indiscretion. They were all too busy fuming over the recent turn of events. Blain, who was sitting beside her, leaned over and whispered, "I just want to find the fucker who betrayed us. They'll fucking pay."

Artemis squealed slightly, but managed to turn it into a cough. "Yes, of course," she managed to say. She hoped the high pitch in her tone was understood as her being fearful for the pack, and not her own safety.

[Skullblade]

Dante followed the fresh blood trial that was making its way through the stained cement ground, ultimately leading his gaze up to James and the wolf. “We are not the bad guys Ambrose. Perhaps if you reconsider your savage methods, then your life might be spared”. He knew anything he said was fruitless, considering that nothing of value to Ambrose your be spoken of.

***

One of Daske’s cellphone came to life once he stepped off the elevator and regained signal. It was a simple and small phone, with the exception of a small chip that had been installed to corrupt the signal of its GPS location, making him untraceable. This number was mainly given to those who worked for the organization but were not necessarily part of it yet due to their complicated circumstances. However, Daske had created this emergency line to reassure them that their services were not in vain. If the number was to ever be compromised, which had happened a total of three times since the creation of cellphones, then the number itself was erased from the system and device was discarded of.

Daske recognized Artemis’ number, yet she had failed to type in the password before her message to guarantee that it was indeed herself who was writing it. The doors to the elevator closed behind him, yet he did not keep walking toward his study where Adele was waiting for him. He didn’t know what the young wolf expected him to do now after how everything had turned out. He did know however, that his men (if still alive) would not blow her cover due to their blood oath.

His thoughts lingered on the life of his men and how the jackals had been spared. He was sure it had been the leopard’s doing, and therefore Artemis only chance at buying everyone more time until things settled a bit. If Daske was reading the cards right, then the leopard might aide in her survival.

Befriend the stranger.

It wasn’t much of an answer, but Daske could not risk anything else. If indeed it was Artemis who had contacted him, then he knew the swift minded wolf would know better and stay close to the leopard.

[Ambrose]

Ambrose growled loudly, unsure what to do in regards to the situation. He had never before been faced with a foe who refused to recognize itself as such. It was antagonizing, and patronizing that these bears appeared to think of him as the 'bad guy' in this situation. He hastily released the bear he was holding, throwing him slightly and allowing him to swing from the chains that held them above the ground. The chains were fortified with magic, and were slowly draining every last bit of theirs. With each passing minute the chains would wind themselves tighter around the wrists. They had little time left before all three would no longer have hands.

"I do what I must to ensure the survival of my pack," he grunted to the one who had responded. Apparently this one was in a talkative mood, and perhaps he would be able to extract some more information. The small morsels that they had given him so far had already gone a long way into helping him understand what was truly going on. "Nothing more, nothing less." Ambrose looked down to his hand where the blood was still dripping freely. He brought it up to his nose slowly and inhaled deeply. Something about this didn't seem right. It was a few seconds before his eyes shown with clarity and he knew there would be no way to discover the one who had betrayed him by asking these bears. They had performed a blood oath.

His arm fell loosely at his side. This kind of magic was a strong one. Something he had not seen since the great wars of the past, when he had still been part of his father's pack. Whoever was behind the entire operation would be strong enough to pose a dangerous opponent to Ambrose, and this was something he had to take seriously. No matter he couldn't find the mole. The other information they were presenting to him was also valuable.

"I'm sure you understand," he said in a calmer voice as he took a step closer to the talker. "You must have something you would die to protect. If not," Ambrose motioned to the state the bear was currently in, "I imagine you would have never been in this situation." He was running out of patience, and the anger at not being able to find the betrayer was steadily growing. He was trapped between the pointlessness of keeping the bears alive any longer, and continuing to see if they had anything else to divulge to him. "The leopard seems important to you." In the darkness of the dungeon it was difficult to make out the faces of the prisoners. The only light entering the humid underground cavern came from a few scattered flaming torches.

***

Artemis closed her eyes tightly as she felt the vibration of her phone, signifying that she had received a response from Daske. She opened them and quickly surveyed the room once more. Her eyes darted from face to face as a small droplet of sweat ran down her temple. She needed to relax and remember her training. The fact that Ambrose had yet to discover it was her, meant that the Blood Oath they had performed was working. She would be safe from discovery for the moment. With a deep breath, she opened the message and was slightly surprised that this was the advice Daske had shared. It would be impossible for Artemis to get close to the leopard now. Not with the way Ambrose had decided to keep them locked up like sheep. Artemis decided there was little she could do, but try. Her eyes met Troy's and she smiled slightly. Troy had always been a little sweet on her, even if he appeared to be a little sweet on everyone, she knew that was just his way of being.

She motioned him over and once he was close enough, she whispered, "I'm worried about the leopard."

"Isabella? She should be fine right now, she's in the Alpha's room."

Artemis was shocked at how easy she had been able to take this information from Troy. Was he truly this dissuaded because of his attraction for her, or was did no one believe she could ever be a threat to their pack? Was she that pathetic? She pushed aside her thoughts and nodded gravely at Troy. "Yes, but imagine how she feels right now. Alone, surrounded by another pack, practically prisoner. It doesn't matter how beautiful the bars are, they're still bars."

"I guess you're right." Troy paused and looked as if he was thinking hard about something. "I locked all of the exits, no one but I or Ambrose could open them now. I suppose there shouldn't be a reason why we should all stay locked up in the conference room. I personally don't believe we have a traitor," he continued in a much lower tone. "None of us would do that. It's just a ploy the enemy is enacting to keep us focused on our own people and not go after them."

Artemis' eyes widened at his logic. It made perfect sense, and had she not been the one who had betrayed her pack, she would have wholeheartedly agreed with him. It would have been the best defensive offense an opposing clan could have conjured. She felt a wave of guilt once more, but nodded vehemently at his statement. "That's so true. I'm sure in no time Ambrose will come to that same conclusion and we will head in for the attack. Until then, I think I should take... Isabella, was it? Some tea to calm her. I could also help her restore some of the strength she's already lost." She knew this argument would go well with Troy. Artemis had always been one of the most gifted healers of their pack; one of the reasons why as a woman, she was allowed to remain with the Alpha. Her official position was actually Delta, fourth from the top.

Troy nodded slowly, his face still contorted in thought. "Alright, go ahead. I'll be up to check on both of you shortly." Then, in a much louder tone, he addressed the others. "The entire house has been sealed. No one should be able to leave, and if one of us tries, we know they are the traitor. Feel free to go back into your rooms, or relax until we have further orders from Ambrose."

Slowly, everyone began making their way to their own corridors. Some went alone, others remained in a small group, built up of the companions they trusted the most. Artemis had truly started something serious, and it hadn't been as evident to her as it was now. Taking a deep breath, and trying to summon her courage, she made her way to Ambrose's quarters. She knocked lightly on the door before opening it slightly to find the woman sleeping peacefully on one of the lounges.

Artemis walked up slowly, not wanting to frighten the leopard. She placed her small hands upon the fur of the creature and slowly began infusing strength back into her body. As she began stirring, Artemis paused. "I didn't want to wake you," she said softly.

[Skullblade]

James energy-drained body barely moved as a hoarse, psychotic, yet barely audible laugh emerged from the back of his bleeding throat. “Christ! You sure are an idiot” he spat before coughing and heaving for air. The bears knew James was strong, but they couldn’t understand how he could still speak. “You can smell the blood oath, yet you do not have the capacity to comprehend what it means to be under one. Our lips are sealed, pup” It was his laughter that consumed the ounce of life he had left.

Dante used his strength to observe Ambrose, aware that Lucas had faded behind the curtains of death as well. It wouldn’t be too long before he joined his brothers.

***

Bella’s sleep was disturbed by the introduction of new strength into her being. She knew it wasn’t Ambrose as the smell of peaches and lavender softly invaded her senses. Slowly opening her eyes, she noticed the petite young woman sitting beside her. Isabella did not feel threatened, but simply curious at the unexpected visit. She knew she had not slept for long, but she was expecting to see the Alpha before anyone else. She could smell the woman’s apprehension, but knew she did not mean any harm. Without making any sudden movements, she transformed into her human form, not minding the exposure of her bare skin.

“It’s okay,” she answered softly and gently smiling while placing her hand on her opposite shoulder where the woman’s hand laid. “Don’t trouble yourself; that cat nap really helped me regain my strength” Her smile grew slightly wider hoping she had caught the lame pun. “I’m Isabella, as you might already know. What’s your name?”

[Ambrose]

Ambrose's eyes flared with anger at the outspoken bear. Their eyes locked and Ambrose chanted a small spell that was far more extensive than the wording let on. In a few seconds the bear was engulfed in blue flames. The fire would burn slowly and painfully through the animal's body, keeping him alive to feel the anguish until the final moment. As the screams began, Ambrose magicked him away to another part of the dungeon, where now only the echos of his pain could be heard. His focus shifted back to the other bear. The chains loosened and his weak body fell to the floor. Ambrose crouched beside him. He knew that the Blood Oath would keep the intruders from telling him who the traitor was, he also knew that pertinent information would be impossible to extract. The Blood Oath however, did have it's holes. Seemingly unimportant information, or details that were not explicitly stated into the spell would be vulnerable to detection. It was this that Ambrose was looking for. "Don't make this any harder than it has to be. Unlike the others, I won't allow you to die. I'll keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death and you will continue to suffer. End your suffering now, tell me what you can."

***

Artemis was taken aback by how beautiful Isabella truly was. It left nothing to the imagination as to why Ambrose had decided to keep her around. It was dangerous for this to have happened, as the leopard indeed was the key to everything. It was amazing how little Ambrose truly knew about the situation, being the man who had always been on top of everything. Perhaps he had finally met his match in Daske.

"Artemis," she stuttered slightly. "Would you like me to get you some clothing?" Her eyes wandered away from Isabella's body out of respect. She was not uncomfortable with nudity, but did not want the female to think she was rude. Her directions had been very explicit in that the only hope she had now was to befriend this woman. Without getting a response, Artemis stood and pulled a silk blanket from a bottom drawer under the lounge, and placed it over Isabella.

Her eyes did not meet the woman's when she sat back down beside her. "I figured you had already begun the healing process, but I wanted to help with whatever I could. There was something strange though," Artemis' eyes darted to Isabella's and then away again just as quickly. "I felt a different kind of energy within you. One that wasn't your own." It was something that had been troubling the young wolf since she had first set her hands on the leopard. Artemis couldn't put her finger on what it was, but it had felt almost familiar.

[Skullblade]

Dante screamed in agony the instant the flamed ignited on his body “I know… just as much as you,” he said, pausing as his body was entering into shock from the pain and beginning to fade into unconsciousness, “ we are intrigued about the girl… why someone like you… is keeping her alive…”

***

Bella looked at the woman before her with a curious yet fond expression. Artemis was the first female Isabella had seen in the mansion who and was evidently shyer than the men. Securing the blanket around her body, she was rather intrigued at both her actions and her knowledge. “Well you most certainly have a perceptive skill,” she said with a soft smile, “but yes you are right; I believe Ambrose might saved my life thanks to his generous donation”.

She noticed Artemis eyes slightly widen for a split second after hearing of Ambrose’s actions. The young wolf however, still didn’t make eye contact with her, making Bella feel somewhat concerned. “Am I making you uncomfortable? I won’t bite I promise.”

[Ambrose]

Ambrose used the magic to pump the previously extracted energy back into the bear's body to keep him from drifting off into unconsciousness. He would be useless unless he could fear the pain Ambrose was promising, in order to continue giving him clues about the situation. "What about the girl is intriguing to you?" He growled, pausing the flames in order to get a better response. Since the man was cooperating, Ambrose stayed true to his words and refrained from causing him more pain than he was already experiencing.

***

Artemis felt strangely at ease around Isabella. It was as if the other woman held an aura of calmness around her, that reminded Artemis almost of being wrapped in a gentle hug. Her immediate like of the leopard put her more at ease, allowing her to believe that perhaps it would not be as difficult to gain the woman's trust and become her friend.

"Oh no," she squeaked. Her eyes darted up to meet Isabella's once more. "I'm actually very comfortable around you," she admitted. "I was just surprised by that... I didn't know the Alpha would have done something like that." She looked up to Isabella and their eyes locked, her hazel eyes with the leopard's sapphire ones. "He must like you."