Free Inheritance (The Dark Gifts) by Willow Cross Page B

the seconds it took to read him, she knew everything about him. 
    Christian shook his head in an attempt to force her out.  “ Get out!”
    She doubled her effort to stay.  “You must stop this.”
    “You…will…not--”
    “Look.  See what you are doing,” Sarah said as she planted images in his mind.  Laughing, pack children tossed a red ball back and forth.  One dropped the ball and ran to a lovely woman saying, “I love you, Mommy,” as he wrapped his arms around her waist.  Visions of herself and her brother talking and laughing.  Jason giving her a hug and the feeling of security it gave her.  A picture of her parents and the pain she felt in losing them.  Thomas in one of his gentle moments slipping his arm around her, trying to comfort.  Any good and wonderful thing she could think of to make him see the loss her people would endure if he continued, she thrust into his mind. 
    She felt his mind rage against the intrusions, pushing and prodding, trying to regain control of his thoughts.  With his thought processes broken, Christian’s pack fell apart.  They were no longer fighting as one. 
    The Masada pack took full advantage of the disoriented Savata.  One by one, they brought them down, while Sarah and Christian fought for control of his mind.  Many of the injured opponents fled the area, running into the woods to hide.
    Christian had no choice.  He could not break Sarah’s hold on his mind.  Although she could not control his actions, her invasion left him unable to focus or call out to his pack.  She felt her consciousness fly out of him as he shimmered and regained his human form.  “Enough!” he bellowed.
    Sarah released Jason with a swift order to maintain his position.  Her eyes flew open and she groaned as she observed the injured and dead strewn about the lawn like discarded debris.  Every wolf there, Masada and Savata alike, had sustained injuries.  Many of them critical, some fatal.  “Look what you’ve done,” she raged.
    Contempt filled Shana’s voice as she answered, “Look what I have done?  You have done this thing.  You and you alone ordered the pack forward.  I warned you there would be consequences for your actions.  It was you that chose not to listen.  You do not belong here.  Both you and your brother are aberrations and should have been exterminated at birth.  If your parents had not been so weak and disgustingly human, none of this would have ever happened.”
    Those with less serious injuries began returning to human form.  The Masada pack stood with their new leader awaiting her next order.  A coldness began to fill her, weaving through her mind, wrapping around her heart, it settled and allowed her to think clearly.  “Help the injured, all of them, regardless of clan .”  Then looking at Christian she went on, “We can be friends or we can be enemies, it makes no difference to me.  You need to choose your friends with more care, Christian.  You trespass on our lands, take your people and go.”
    Naked and bleeding, the man nodded before once again transforming to wolf form.
    A woman Sarah now knew as Rene, whispered quietly at her side, “What are you going to do with Shana?”
    The rest of her pack waited silently for her reply.  She thought it over and called out to the retreating Savata, “Wait.”
    Christian stopped and faced her. 
    “One more thing before you go.  Pack law dictates we have the right to ask for reparation in an unwarranted attack.  This is your penance…take her with you.  She is no longer welcome here.”
     

Chapter Seven
    Sarah flinched as Jason’s fist hit the table for the second time.  “It would be nice if you'd learn to control your temper.”
    “You had no right!  How could you just let her go?  Three are dead because of her.”
    “You’ve yelled at me for two days now Jason, I’m sick of hearing it.  I did what I thought was the right thing to do.  It’s not like you made any