Movement No. 36
Tempest
When I reach the edge of the river bank, I catch sight of Taryn sitting on the shore, her bright blue sparkling tail still in the water.
The sunshine feels nice on my skin, warming me up despite the cool autumn air.
Taryn’s loom hums a fast rhythmic song as she threads her fingers over and under. It’s made of coral and driftwood, and I wonder if it was a gift from her parents, or if Taryn forged the loom herself.
“Welcome back,” she says when she finally notices me watching.
I take a seat beside her, the loom loud enough for the vibrations to move through me, and I just take a moment to enjoy the strange sensation. Letting my body relax, I watch her fingers move, forming distinct patterns in quick succession.
“I’m sorry about being dishonest,” I say, but she doesn’t look over at me. Instead, she continues working her loom.
“You weren’t dishonest. I never asked if you were secretly plotting to kill one of us,” she says.
At that, I burst out laughing. “No, but I earned your trust, and I feel guilty. I feel like what I did was manipulative.”
She finally glances in my direction, her expression scrutinizing. “Was there anything political for you to gain from our friendship?”
“No.” I shake my head. “Our friendship was the one thing that was real from the start.”
“Then I’m not mad at you.” She continues working her loom. “Everyone knew you had to have skeletons in your closet, that’s why they kept close watch of you for so long. But now, it’s all in the past. You paid your penance when you ripped out your father’s heart.”
I guess I did. “So what did they tell you? About what happened.”
“Everything. Rowan recapped the entire battle, essentially,” she says. “Now watch this.”
She does something with her fingers that I don’t quite follow, but I watch, in awe of her skills anyway.
Dark blue hair falls down the front of her chest. “You’re leaving, aren’t you?”
I nod, and part of me wishes it weren’t true. “I am, but I’m going to visit. I promise.”
“You better. Life was awfully lonely before you got here. Rowan and you are essentially the only ones who make an effort to include me,” she says, her words feeling like a knife to the heart.
I make a mental note to encourage the others to visit her more often. I know they all love her, but I can imagine the river makes things hard. Winged creatures don’t tend to like water.
Taryn gives me a small smile, and one of her eyebrows ticks up. “Yasmeena better visit too.”
“Yasmeena is staying,” I say, not wanting to think about the bleakness of my future. A future where Yasmeena and I are no longer.
“Why would she stay here?”
I furrow my brows in confusion. “Because this is her home? She works for Hel’s Carnival.”
“Yes, but you two are engaged. She can continue to work here part-time, while remaining in the den with you,” she suggests, and in her voice, it sounds so obvious—so possible, but I know the reality of the situation.
“Taryn, none of it was real. I told you this engagement was a political arrangement.”
“At the beginning, but everyone can see that things have changed.”
I shake my head. Things have changed, but it is not enough.
“Look me in the eye and say it’s nothing more, now,” she demands. “Tell me you don’t love her.”
I look away, unable to meet her piercing gaze as it bares into me. “I can’t, Taryn.”
“Then you have your answer. I’m not saying it’ll be easy, but the two of you will figure it out together, you just need to take a leap of faith,” she says, and bumps her shoulder into mine.
Yasmeena and I step off the platform of the monorail and head onto the streets of the economic district. Demons and half-demons dressed in suits buzz about, flying from building to building, and the fresh scent of coffee permeates the air.
Today, we are meeting with Pack Forres and Pack Caliban, in hopes of finalizing the treaty, completing the last step in our grand plan.
I’m proud of us, but I’m also experiencing a great bout of sadness.
My life completely changed in the matter of a few months. I went from a second-in-training working at a bar, to a circus performer and political pawn, and now I’m Alpha of Pack Escalus.
There’s nothing more I could dream of for myself—except maybe her.
It’s selfish of me, really. Yasmeena has her own things going for her here.
She’s an amazing performer, a spy in The Devil’s Masquerade, and now that she’s the representative for the felion, she’s got her work cut out for her.
I truly think Yasmeena can change lives.
Not just on Haeresis, but for all felion on Hel. I don’t want to get in the way of that.
I just wish there was some version of her future that included me. I know this engagement was a farce—is a farce—but I still cling to it, desperate for this to be real.
She was the first person in my adult life to show me warmth, melting away the ice that surrounded my heart.
Now I can hear it beat more clearly, and it beats only for her.
Stephano waits outside Pack Forres’ building, and I can’t help but smile when I see him. My second. He opens the door for us and we step inside, getting into an elevator.
“The pack is looking forward to your return,” he says, and I nod.
I want to be glad to hear it. I have the opportunity to rewrite my pack’s story, and change the trajectory of all our lives, but my stomach twists in knots at the thought of going home.
If they weren’t beside me, I would punch the wall or bash my head against something, just to try and knock some sense into myself. Being Alpha is an honor. My pack is relying on me, but I can’t get my mind out of these fantasies of the future.
What do Yasmeena and I become if there’s no us? Friends?
I picture her walking down the aisle, some beautiful half-demon or felion waiting at the center of the archway. We all watch them kiss and dance and be happy, and I say congratulations.
I’m happy for her, but am I happy? Is there a way to be happy without her? It feels like a ridiculous thought, given I considered us enemies in the beginning, but at some point the line between animosity and obsession blurred, and I got caught in the crossfire.
The elevator door chimes as it opens, and we continue down the hallway to a conference room. When we get inside, the energy is different than before. Stephano and Yasmeena are by my side, sure, but it’s more than that.
Alpha Duncan and Lennox seem to be getting along, and Alpha Ferdinand doesn’t look like he wants to rip Yasmeena’s throat out.
I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I think with me in charge rather than my father, we can actually form a true sense of allyship between neighboring packs, rather than resentment and squabbling.
Yasmeena pulls out a manila folder with a thick stack of papers, and we all read the top.
THE FELION-LUPION TREATY OF PEACE: FELION REPRESENTATIVE YASMEENA HAMZA AL-KHALIFA AND LUPION LEADERS ALPHA TEMPEST LUPINE, ALPHA FERDINAND MEYER, AND ALPHA DUNCAN PORTER.
There are different articles listing rules and clauses.
Some have been requested by my people, others by the lupion.
It’s a long document, including maps of different forest routes, and Yasmeena reads it thoroughly.
I know she’s just ensuring it’s what’s best for both species, and I skim from over her shoulder.
They finalized this document when I was still in the hospital, and a small pang of guilt and jealousy stirs in my stomach. I wish I was there when Yasmeena and Draven wrote this, but I can also see they clearly didn’t need my help.
“Draven really outdid himself,” she whispers, and my heart swells with pride.
When she finishes reading, she picks up a pen and leaves the first signature. All eyes are on Yasmeena, but she smiles and places the document back onto the table. I pick it up and sign directly next to her name, not giving it another thought.
“Not even going to read it?” Alpha Duncan asks, raising a thick brow at me.
I shake my head. “No, I trust Yasmeena.”
She looks at me like she wants to kiss me, but instead, brushes her foot against the back of my ankle, just like we do sometimes in the air, and I lean into her touch.
Alpha Duncan reads through the document next, taking his time to comb it over, before finally signing and passing it to the last Alpha.
We sit with heavy anticipation as I plead with the goddess that Alpha Ferdinand actually agrees. My heart rate speeds up, my claws practically shaking, as I wait for him to finish reading. If Yasmeena is worried, her face doesn’t show it.
“I won’t pretend I like you,” he says, giving Yasmeena a scrutinizing glare. “But I respect the work you both put into this.” He provides the final signature we need, and it feels like my heart is going to burst.
We did it. We actually did it.
Everyone shakes hands, the heavy emotions in the room shifting from serious to excited chatter.
“I would like to begin meeting as Alphas every few months,” Alpha Duncan says.
Alpha Ferdinand gives a quick nod. “I agree.”
“Yes. Also, we should meet with Raph and Yasmeena as well, even if it’s only a couple of times a year, just to touch base,” I suggest.
It’s a good idea, but it’s more for myself than my pack. I might not be able to have Yasmeena to myself, but I refuse to envision a life completely devoid of her. I’ll take even the smallest of doses of her, if that’s all I can get.
And maybe it’s all I deserve.
“Certaintly. I think that would be wise. I’m also going to work towards organizing a larger summit, where representatives of species from all continents can state their piece, and maybe come up with joint solutions,” Yasmeena says.
She really was made for this. Leadership.
“And how would that benefit us?” Alpha Ferdinand asks, genuine curiosity in his tone.
“Pack Caliban and Pack Forres originally came from another continent, correct?” she asks, and both Alphas nod.
“If Pack Escalus knew ahead of time, we could’ve prepared the transition for all of you, making things easier,” she explains. “Or, for example, if a felion group on Avaricia needed assistance with a specific resource that Haeresis felion have in abundance, we could share.”
“This would require people to actually care about one another,” Alpha Duncan points out. “Which they don’t.”
“But they could, if we fostered that level of compassion,” she says, raising both brows.
They continue going on like that. Duncan and Ferdinand hit her with complicated questions, and Yasmeena comes up with answers as if she’d prepped for every one.
She makes me proud.
After we officially submit the treaty to Raph and Luc, Yasmeena and I decide to get a drink at The Cathedral.
We’re both dressed comfortably, ready to just let loose as we waltz into the tall, gothic building. Colorful beams of light come in through the stained glass windows and doors, casting fun shadows on the floor.
There are lupion I know, and others I don’t, but everyone’s heads turn when we step inside. From excited waves to respectful bows, the entire bar is brewing with whispers.
Alpha Tempest. There’s the new Alpha of Pack Escalus.
If I’m completely honest with myself, this amount of attention is kind of exciting.
It’s something I never received before. When my father was Alpha, people either ignored—or worse—feared me.
They were afraid if something they did upset me, I’d go tell my father.
That wasn’t the case, but it was a reasonable fear.
It’s the reason I struggled to make friends growing up.
Zuri and Clio saw through it, understanding that I wasn’t my father, and that’s how they became two of my best friends. Now I have Taryn too, and it feels like my entire world is becoming complete. Whole.
I never used to enjoy being perceived, but between the circus performances and the respect I’m receiving as Alpha, this is something I could get used to. I want to be known as more than just an icy bitch.
Sitting at the bar, we place our orders. The music changes, and Yasmeena jumps out of her seat.
“I love this song,” she squeals.
I watch her, completely enamored as she dances to the uptempo music. I’m not only enamored by her beauty and grace, but her intellect, and the way she handled this entire thing. It was not us, but her, who ultimately ended the turf war, saving countless lives.
And it’s up to me to let her go.
Yasmeena grabs me from my barstool, leading me onto the dance floor, and I try to just let go for a moment.
To enjoy the feel of her body grinding against me, the way we fit together like two puzzle pieces. Her golden skin is warm to the touch, and I smile as my hand fits perfectly onto the curve of her waist.
The song ends and the bartender comes back with our drinks. Sitting back down, Yasmeena lets out a satisfied sigh.
“So you’re free. Do you know how hard it is to lead?” she asks, grinning ear-to-ear. Her forehead shines with sweat, her cheeks flushing with red undertones.
“Tomorrow, I’m going to pack up my things and move back into the den,” I say, my tone final.
Her muscles seem to tense in response. Yasmeena’s smile doesn’t falter, but her eyes take on an almost manic gleam. “Oh! Yeah, that makes sense.”
“Are you okay?”
She nods repeatedly, the movement almost robotic. “Yeah. Yeah. I just didn’t… expect it to all happen so quickly, is all.” Yasmeena looks away, and I swear I hear her sniffle.
Please don’t make this any harder than it already is.
“We should come clean about the engagement,” I say, trying to be diplomatic. “I think it would help me garner trust in the lupion community.”
“I totally agree,” she says, her smile fading. “And I think fostering transparency between me and the felion will be good, too.”
“Then it’s settled. We’ll come clean about it in the following days. Let me just tell my pack first,” I plead, and she nods.
“Of course.”
I lean in and kiss her cheek. I don’t know what’s going on in that pretty head of hers.
She might be afraid of the change, having gotten used to constantly being by my side, or maybe there’s a part of her that genuinely likes me, but I can’t cling to that.
I can’t let my selfish wants and desires get in the way of her greatness.