Something New

Osiris

            It was clear that the she-wolves viewed me as a threat. It was worrisome that they didn’t know Tyler or Blood Moon pack. The world around me didn’t look different, and the women spoke my language, but something was still off. They had reacted as if they had never met a witch hybrid before. I shook my head; it was possible that I had opened a portal to another country where witches were still hidden.

            “If you don’t mind my asking, where are you taking me?” I asked. It hadn’t eluded me that the wolf leading me had ordered the other to stay at a distance. Better to step in if I were to attack.

            “I’m taking you to my husband, the Alpha. From there, we will see.”

            I followed her in silence through the center of town. The scent of wolf mingled with human, something I never expected to see in pack territory. As far as mortals were concerned, supernaturals weren’t real. I rubbed my finger across my top lip; my gums were beginning to itch incessantly. Every whiff of human increasing the irritation and giving me the strong urge to bite something. It was a relief when it became obvious we were nearing our destination.

            A new smell caught my attention the moment we stepped inside. Wherever I was, my mate was in the building. My father had told me how the mate pull had felt for him. It was like an invisible magnet, drawing him to my mother. The closer she was, the more the bond hummed to life, like a pleasurable electricity tugging at his heart. He hadn’t done the pull justice in his descriptions. Her scent grew stronger as we moved deeper into the building; it was like standing in a field of wildflowers. A thrill ran through me as I realized my mate was behind the door the she-wolf had abruptly stopped in front of me.

            Arguing on the other side of the door grew louder as it suddenly flew open. A surly male followed by a petite she-wolf stepped into the hallway. I bit the insides of my cheeks the moment I saw her. She was my mate but announcing it would only cause further trouble. Her nostrils flared and her eyes widened as they landed on me.

            “Mate.” She yelped; the one word surprising her as much as the others.

            She stepped toward me only to be jerked away by the male with her as he snarled at the woman who had brought me to the place. I watched her as she was dragged away, wondering who the male with her was.

            “Well, that was interesting.” The woman drawled. “Inside.”

            “Selene, is this the man you linked me about?” A large male spoke once we entered the office. My time around wolves told me he was an Alpha.

            “Yes, he’s – well I don’t know what he is. He doesn’t smell right, and he keeps asking for someone from a pack I’ve never heard of.”

            “Alpha Lucas.” The man said, extending his hand toward me.

            “Osiris.” I replied, shaking his hand. “Would either of you mind telling me where I am?”

            “Dark Moon pack territory, in Mercius.” Lucas answered.

            “Mercius? I’ve never heard of it. How far away from Zodia are we?”

            “Zodia?” Selene snorted. “Lucas, I think he’s knocked the sense out of himself or something, nothing he says makes any sense.”

            I was beginning to become irritated at the lack of useful information from the pair. The more my irritation rose, the worse the itching in my gums became. I was curious about the girl that was my mate, but more then anything I wanted to find the way home.

            “So, Osiris.” Lucas said, pulling my attention to him. “What exactly are you? As my mate said, you don’t smell human, and you definitely don’t smell like a wolf.”

            “I’m a vampire-witch hybrid. Surely you’ve heard of my father, Rhazian.”

            “Ok, now I know he’s hit his head.” Selene snorted. “He thinks he’s something out of the human’s fantasy books.”

            “Have Rory check him over in the clinic. Once she’s checked him out we can start getting down to the bottom of this.”

            Selene’s eyes glazed over as she linked someone within the pack. I watched the clock on the wall as time dragged by slowly. It was only a matter of twenty minutes before a bubby woman bounced into the office, a large grin plastered on her face.

            “Looks like you’re with me for now, big boy.” She grinned, waggling her eyebrows at me.

            She led me to her vehicle before driving us across town to the pack clinic. Clinic was an understatement; the place was larger than any hospital I had ever seen. Everything I saw as she led me to an exam room was state of the art. It was clear the pack was wealthier than even Tyler’s, probably as wealthy as the Fae royalty.

            Rory prattled on as she put me through a physical exam. Satisfied that my head and body were intact, she led me to the lab to draw blood samples. She worked fast, having everything she needed for testing in under a minute.

            “I’ll run the labs tonight and have your results tomorrow. Did Lucas say where you’d be staying?” She asked.

            “No. They told me where I am and then called for you after I told them what I am.” I chuckled wryly. “They didn’t believe me so I’m assuming they expected I would need to stay in the hospital overnight.”

            “Well, physically, you’re perfectly fine. That doesn’t mean you don’t have some illness causing confusion, but you don’t really seem confused. I’ll make a few phone calls and see if we can’t get you a hotel on the Alpha’s dime.” She winked.

            A sudden commotion in the hallway drew our attention. I followed the small medic closely as she left the lab to find out what was going on. Several people were filing into the entrance with varying injuries, while staff quickly assessed them and barked out directions.

            “What happened?” Rory called over the chaos.

            “Bunch of kids out drag racing, they hit a minivan.” A nurse called back.

            The itching in my gums grew to be unbearable just as a sharp pain replaced it momentarily as a bloodied man raced into the hospital, a limp child in his arms.

            “Will you be – Oh goddess, what the hell are you?” Rory’s eyes grew wide as she turned to face me and caught sight of the fangs that were now protruding over my bottom lip.