Chapter Ten

Jacob walked through the gardens, licking the wound that ran down the inside of his left forearm.

The deer had been lucky enough to get a hit in with its antlers before he'd had brought it down.

In his anger he had torn it apart, rolling in its blood before his wolf had eaten his fill.

He climbed the steps of the back patio, pulling the door open and ignored the surprised gasps of the morning crew as their Alpha walked down the corridor, not only naked but covered in blood.

He grunted lightly; you'd think they would accustom to seeing him like this by now.

"Damn you're a mess." Donovan called as he walked from one of the rooms, frowning at Jacob. "Did you roll in your kill again?"

Jacob frowned at him, showing him his forearm.

"Bastard thing got me before I could fell it." He snapped, taking the towel Donovan threw at him and wrapped it around his waist.

"I was bloody angry at it."

"What was it?" Donovan asked as they walked towards the service stairwell.

Jacob was smart enough to avoid the main corridors after a hunt.

Carmen had nearly fainted one time when she'd seem him covered in the blood of a hunter he'd chanced upon.

"A stag." Jacob answered, pushing the door open and checking the hallway before he walked quickly to his rooms.

He pushed the door open, seeing Madam Hesson frown at him as he walked in.

"Good thing I haven't done the bathroom yet." She stated, shaking her head at him.

Jacob smiled, walking towards the door and pushing it open.

"I'd kiss you Margaret but I don't think you want to be covered in deer blood." He added, throwing the towel into the bedroom behind him as he shut the door.

He stepped into the shower, cleaning the blood from his body and checking the wound on his arm, licking it again and grunting with satisfaction as he noted it was healing quickly and shouldn't scar.

He shut the shower off, drying himself quickly and wrapped a towel around his waist before he walked into the room, hearing Madam Hesson humming as she dusted the furniture.

He ignored her, walking to the wardrobe and grabbed out a simple black suit, turning to the bags on the ottoman and pulled out one of the ties Sarise had brought yesterday.

Pulling on his pants and shirt he walked into the room, tucking his shirt into his pants as he grabbed his cufflinks, noting Madam Hesson was cleaning the bathroom.

"Apologise for the mess." He called, seeing her look around the door, frowning at him lightly.

"Honestly I swear." She stated, disappearing back into the room as he pulled his jacket on, sitting on the couch to put his socks and shoes on. "I don't know why you don't clean yourself up before you come back to the mansion."

Jacob smiled, tying up his shoe and standing shuffling lightly to get his pants to sit properly.

"I'll try remember it for next time." He answered.

"You always say that." She pointed out and he smiled, reaching over to kiss her cheek lightly.

"You know you're my favourite." He added and she slapped his arm.

"Don't let your Luna hear you say that." She snapped, looking at him lightly. "New tie?"

"Sarise brought it." He answered, holding up the pale-yellow tie for a moment before dropping it to his chest and doing his jacket up. "You don't like it?"

"Better than those Goddess awful red ones you normally wear." She answered, smiling at him and nodding at the door. "Now off with you, your mate is already at breakfast."

Jacob smiled at her, walking from the room and quickly through the house to the dining room.

To his surprise Sarise was sitting alone, looking over a newspaper that sat by her right hand as she nibbled on her toast.

"Morning." He called, walking to the end of the table and noting Carmen's seat was empty. "Where is my sister?"

"Sleeping in I assume." Sarise answered, glancing up at him as she rubbed her hands together to get rid of crumbs before grabbing her cup of coffee.

"It's unlike Carmen to sleep in." He stated, grabbing his newspaper and flicking it open.

"She went out last night." Sarise added and Jacob lowered the corner of the newspaper to look at her. "Were you not aware?"

"No, I was not." He answered, frowning. "She's far too young to be going out."

"She's nineteen." Sarise pointed out, frowning at him. "Or did you forget?"

He growled lightly, flicking the newspaper out in front of him.

"Honestly do you even know what goes on in this house."

"Now that you've arrived, I'm sure I'll know everything that happens within these walls." Jacob added.

"Like you coming back from your run covered in blood this morning." She stated and he lowered the newspaper again, looking at her as she took a bit of her toast while looking at the newspaper by her hand.

"I assume." She continued when she's swallowed her mouthful, taking a sip of her coffee. "That you found some prey when you were on your morning run."

"Morning run?" He questioned, dropping the paper and she nodded looking at him.

"You went for a run yesterday morning and then again today." She replied, looking at him as she brushed her hands off again. "I assume you go for a run every morning?"

He inclined his head lightly at the comment, watching as she took another sip of her coffee.

"You should be careful for Hunters." She added and Jacob laughed, lifting the newspaper.

"Hunters don't tend to frequent the woods near my borders." He answered. "At least not for very long anyway."

"Still be careful." Sarise added and he lowered the newspaper, noting she was once again reading hers. "Also, Noah called while you were out."

"How long ago?" Jacob asked and Sarise turned to him.

"An hour or so." She replied. "He said Kimber would be here today."

Jacob nodded, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Good." He said when he swallowed his mouthful. "I want you to be there when I speak with her." He looked up at Sarise. "Did Noah say what time she was arriving?"

"Within the hour." Sarise answered when she looked up at the clock before looking at Jacob. "Noah said she'd travelled through the night to be here."

Jacob nodded lightly, obviously Noah had relayed the importance of the meeting to Kimber when he spoke to her.

"Good." He answered, taking a sip of his coffee again. "Hopefully she can shed some light on the border spells and confirm if they're failing or whether it's something else."

"And if it's not the border spells?" Sarise asked and he looked up at her.

"Then we try and figure out how he's crossing the border." He answered, frowning as the cell phone beside his hand rang.

He saw the name on the screen, throwing a concerned look at Sarise as he picked up the phone and answered the call, putting it on speaker.

"Xander." He answered, leaning back in his chair. "You're on speaker."

"Who are you with?" Xander asked and Jacob looked up at Sarise.

"Just Sarise." He answered and Xander chuckled.

"Well good morning to you, sweetness." Xander laughed down the phone.

"I assume you didn't call just to say good morning to me." Sarise stated, rolling her eyes and Jacob glared at her lightly, shaking his head as he did.

"Not at all." Xander answered, suddenly becoming serious. "We had visitor we had last night."

"Braaka?" Jacob asked, looking up at Sarise as she frowned.

"The one and only." Xander answered. "He made it several kilometres in before I detected him. Crossed into Zone Seven before my trackers lost him."

"Crossed a river?" Sarise asked and Xander chuckled.

"Indeed." He replied. "I'm taking it he's done that before?"

"Right after he left Intelligence Pack and crossed into Zone Four." Jacob answered. "He crossed a river in order to throw our trackers off. Seems to be part of his pattern."

"What the hell is he trying to prove." Xander snapped down the phone.

"We have a theory." Jacob answered. "But I need to clarify it with Kimber before I relay it to anyone else."

"Has Noah said when Kimber is arriving at Intelligence Pack?" Xander asked.

"Today." Jacob replied, looking at the clock. "Very shortly I assume."

"Keep me posted then." Xander added. "If I get a whiff of our friend, I'll let you know."

"Thanks, Xander." Jacob answered, hanging up the call.

"He was actually pleasant to talk to this time." Sarise pointed out and Jacob chuckled.

"Xander is an exceptionally good Alpha." He answered "He's personally dealt with a number of issues that any Alpha before him would have taken straight to the king and bore the brunt of Noah's temper at the failings of his Alphas more times than I can count."

"He seems like such a jackass all the time." Sarise pointed out and Jacob nodded.

"He's never lacked confidence." He replied, leaning back in his chair. "Yet behind that persona is a dedicated man who takes his job as second in command very seriously."

"Jacob." The two turned to see Donovan standing at the door, a frown in his face. "Kimber is pulling up now on her broom."

"Broom?" Sarise asked as Jacob stood and he shook his head, buttoning up his jacket.

"Donovan is merely attempting to be funny." He answered, shaking his head at his Beta as he offered his arm to Sarise. "Have her taken to the lower office."

Donovan nodded, walking from the room and Jacob turned to Sarise.

"Kimber has difficulty climbing stairs." He added, answering her unspoken question as he led them from the room.

Sarise glanced through the windows that lined the main corridor, noting a frail looking woman stepping from the car and slapping Donovan's hands aside when he attempted to help her.

She laughed lightly, turning her attention to the door Jacob stopped at and pushed open.

It was a simple office, a desk with a singular chair in front of it.

Jacob walked into the room, leaning against the desk as he waited for Kimber to be shown in.

"Thinking?" Sarise asked as she walked to stand beside him.

"Just pondering alternatives in case it's not the border spells." He answered, smiling at her. "But we'll wait to hear from Kimber first."

The door opened and Donovan walked in, holding the door as an elderly woman walked in, snapping at him as she did.

"More polite you could be." She growled, looking up as she hobbled into the room.

Donovan poked a tongue at her back before he stepped from the room and pulled the door closed.

"Intelligence Alpha." The woman called walking into the room, leaning heavily on a cane in her hand.

"Kimber." Jacob called, walking up to her and offering her his arm, which she shook off, looking at Sarise, with narrow eyes before she turned her gaze to Jacob at her side.

"My rest you disturb, why?" Kimber grumbled, walking towards the desk, slapping Jacobs hands aside again when he offered to help her.

"We think there is an issue with the border spells." Jacob replied, making sure she was seated before he walked back to the desk and leant against the front.

"Warned your kind was." Kimber stated and Jacob frowned at her.

"What do you..." He began.

"Caius, warned he was of what would happen." She grumped, adjusting herself in the seat. "Gone is the bloodline of the Alphas, weakened is the spell."

"Why has it taken so long to grow weak?" Sarise asked and the woman's pale blue eyes swung to her as she laughed, a deep raspy laugh that seemed to mock Sarise.

"Failing for a thousand years it has been." She answered, pointing a bony finger at Sarise. "Too ignorant it is for your kind to see."

"How can it be fixed then." Sarise snapped, folding her arms across her breasts as the woman laughed again.

"Fixed?" She laughed, looking at Jacob. "Blood of six bonded to the blood of one. Only three you have." She shook her head. "Nothing can be done."

"We have rogues crossing the borders." Jacob said lightly, shaking his head at Sarise as he felt her temper rise. "Can we do another spell?" Kimber laughed again.

"The Pentagram, like it's lines those of the borders must touch." She answered, resting her hands atop her cane. "Borders of your packs match not to the pentagram." She shook her head again. "No spell will work. Six are required."

"This is a pointless conversation." Sarise hissed, storming from the room.

Jacob growled at her rudeness, turning to Kimber as the old woman watched Sarise storm out.

"Strange." Kimber breathed, sniffing the air. "Scent of old she has." Jacob raised an eyebrow at Kimber as she turned to him. "Apologies I must give."

"For?"

"A solution you assumed I had." She said lightly and Jacob nodded. "Of this we cannot help." She slowly stood, painfully pushing herself up and Jacob reached out to help her. "Six are required Intelligence Alpha. Only six will satisfy."

She grabbed his hand, her eyes going wide as she looked up at him.

"Your wolf I feel young Alpha." She breathed and Jacob smirked at the young comment as he helped Kimber up.

"Demands it does." She turned to the door. "Your mate?"

"Yes." Jacob answered and she looked at him.

"Control your wolf you must." She said lightly and Jacob nodded. "Fear he brings when called forth, unknown is his true nature."

"I'm aware of what we are like Kimber." He pointed out and Kimber smiled at him.

"But not your mate." She answered, running her hand down his chest lightly and stopping at his heart. "Be careful your wolf she does not fear." She looked up at him. "Control you must have; yearn for her you both do."

"She is our mate." Jacob reiterated and Kimber inclined her head, glancing at the door.

"Old is her blood." She whispered and Jacob frowned. "Fear I do of the offspring you will produce."

"Fear for them or fear them?" Jacob asked as she looked at him.

"Fear them." She answered and Jacob growled lightly. "Strong will they be, stronger than they should." She touched his temple lightly. "Beware of fate and time young Alpha, mark you both they do."

Jacob gave her a quizzical look as she turned, hobbling from the room.

"That's it?" He asked and she turned, looking at him.

"Help you with the spell I cannot." She stated, heading towards the door again.

"And the comments about my wolf and mate?" He asked as she pulled the handle down, pulling the door open.

"Beware my words Alpha, marked are you both by fate and time." She added and walked from the room.

Jacob growled, leaning back on the desk as he thought over Kimber's words. As always, the woman had left more questions than answers.