Tasmina's Heart Excerpt

Tasmina's Heart 

Chapter 1
The monotone professor dragged on about correct punctuation. Tasmina was never able to listen for long. Looking over; she saw that Jackson was sleeping as well as Haylee. Since the start summer term Tasmina had found three friends, something she never thought would happen. They had formed a study group, having most of the same classes. This one, Composition was the worst. Lost in her thoughts, Tasmina didn’t notice that class was over until she saw everyone getting up.
“Tas, you ready for group?” Jackson was the only person to use a nickname for her.
“No, I have to work a few hours. We could meet at the bar and study there.”
“Great, I could eat their buffalo wings forever.” Tasmina noticed that every time the met where she worked Jackson would eat himself into a coma.
“Alright see you later.”
Tasmina walked into work, Takoda’s Bar and Grill, only to be greeted by a few dozen shifters. Great, she had forgotten that The Gathering started today. She had wanted to hide. The Gathering is a get together to find mates. One hadn’t been held in her 19 years of life and she wasn’t participating. In fact she didn’t want to have anything to do with it. It was the reason she had asked her boss, Beta of her pack, to schedule her plenty of hours for the next few weeks. The last thing she wanted was for a male to take interest and command her to mate him. Males just taking females as mates was archaic but it had been done for thousands of years and not much would change. As the fear rippled through her the males could scent it and turned to her. Quickly she made it to Takoda’s office to stash her books and pull her hair up.
“Tasmina, you are an hour early.”
“I came from school.”
“You don’t want to drop your things off at the house?”
“No, a group is coming to study after my shift. Well…” looking at the floor in shame, “If that’s alright?”
“Of course. That one kid sure can eat.”
Tasmina laughed. Knowing he was trying to get her in a better mood. “Yes he can. He was excited about coming too.”
“Then off you go.”
Takoda and Sage, her Alpha, were the only ones outside of Council that really knew about her past and not all of it. They gave her more space than most in the pack. She would get annoyed with it but today she was glad.
Unable to avoid the visiting wolves, Tasmina tried to ignore them when not waiting on them. Many were watching her and scenting her. It was nerve racking to say the least. She had been trained from a very young age not to make eye contact with others but she still felt them and scented them.
“Hey!” one yelled.
Slowly walking over she took a glance up at the male. It was one she knew, “Hello Elijah, sir. What may I get for you?”
“Always formal. I’d like a steak medium rare, a salad and a cold draft.”
“I’ll get it right away.”
Looking with a tilted head, “Is something the matter dear one?”
Fear crept over her, she thought she was hiding it well. “No sir.”
“You can not lie little one.”
Looking to the table full of males, “Just a bit uncomfortable.”
“Yes, I have seen them watching you. Do you not wish for one?” Shaking her head vigorously. “I will take care of it then.”
Watching Elijah get up she turned toward the kitchen to place his order. When she came out to check the tables the males adverted their eyes the second she was in range. Tasmina hadn’t wanted to get them into trouble. Now they would certainly cause trouble. She walked filling glasses with water and coffee. When the cook called her up she was worrying again.
“Here you go. I hope he cooked it right. Is there anything else I can get for you?”
“No little one, this will be all.” She could tell he was scenting her emotions by the way her inhaled. “You are still fearful. Sit and explain.”
Knowing it was a command and she’d be punished for not obeying she sat. “Now please tell me what has you so emotional.”
“You told them to leave me alone, now they will make it hard on me and I’ll be an omega once again. Please don’t take it wrong. I thank you.”
“They will not retaliate. I told them you were off limits is all.”
Gulping the news, “They will think I am yours.”
“If it keeps a little one safe then I see no issue with it. I am here to find a mate but they must know you are much young for me. Too young to mate in my thoughts.”
“Thank you.”
“Now work and be at ease.”
Relief had washed over Tasmina after learning none of the males would bother her while they were there. If one knew she was off limits they all would very soon. It still bugged her that Elijah had insinuated she was his. The rest of her short shift went as any other, easy and she enjoyed talking with the regulars.
Elijah had smiled towards her as he had left. She almost missed it as her friends were walking in. Takoda had allowed Tasmina to reserve a table in the only quiet corner of the bar, so she walked them over.
“This seems to have become our table.” Jackson smiled. He was always happy and smiling. Nothing seemed to bother him. It was refreshing to her since her life had always been serious with very little fun.
“Yeah, Takoda set it aside for us tonight. We are really busy.

©2016 Jessica Markley

It's Time to Meet Naleena

Naleena is in for a major change. Here is the beginning.

Packing the final bag, Naleena’s excitement increased. Finally after weeks of arguing she’s leaving for Chicago to see her baby brother. Council, the three ruling males of all shifters tried to stop her but they had finally given in two days ago. She knew it was because her best friend, Dalara, a special wolf, had been kidnapped. Dalara was known as The Recessive to all shifters. She is coveted and has immense power. After she came back Council had insisted on everyone moving into pack houses of the Alpha house. That meant everyone living on Dalara’s property. Naleena had been raised to think she was human. That had all changed when Dalara learned she was not human either. It had taken time to get her mind to believe in all the supernatural stuff. Even now her feelings for Takoda, her Beta and sorta boyfriend, were all over the place. Yes she had liked him fr a few years but they had only started dating a few days before she learned of everything. Nothing had been the same between them. Yes, they went out about once a week but that was it. Something between them had changed when Council insinuated they were to be married, mated. This trip was to get away from it all and to relax. Naleena had traveled all over the country the last few months checking in on all the North American packs.
Zipping the bag, Naleena walked down the stairs to the front door. Though she didn’t get far when Dalara stopped her.
“Sneaking away huh?”
“I just want out.” She knew Dalara understood.
“I know. Drive safe and come back quick.” With a hug she let Naleena leave.
The six hour drive was long but gave Naleena time to think. She had to keep what she was secret from her brother. Council said he wasn’t to know any of it. Again she tried to tell them he wouldn’t say anything. In the end she gave in to their order. It might not be too hard. She had figure out what to say about her work. The work she was now doing for Council, translating very old Latin to current English and traveling. Just so he doesn’t ask what she does when she travel. That wasn’t going to be an easy answer.
Sooner than she thought she was pulling up to her brother’s new apartment building. Tristan must have been watching since he was at her door as she turned off the car.
“Wow! Where’d you get this beauty?”
“New job, more money.”
He grabbed her bags as soon as she popped the trunk. She followed him up two flights of stairs . When Naleena walked in she found the place spacious and clean. Something that was unusual. Tristan had always had tiny one room apartments. “How can you afford this place?”
“I took a second job.” He turned and smiled, “Don’t worry I aced all my classes.”
“Good. Did you tell mom you moved?”
“Yes, and heard how I need to settle down, stay with a job and find a nice girl to give her move grand-babies.”
“She never stops. I hear I’m getting to old not to be married and have three kids.”
They both laughed. Their sister married right out of high school and has two kids. Their mother thought they all should have but college was more important to them than families. Tristan was almost done with his PhD in, of all things, Biochemistry with a minor in zoology.
“You’re done in December, right?”
“No, I’m done now. I just want to take Advanced Latin.”
“You never told me you took Latin. Why the hell did you keep it from me?”
“You’d say I took it because you did.”
“No. I like the idea.” Now only if he was wolf. It would make her job easier to have him help her.
“So lunch is pizza down the block.”
Silence was not a norm for them but as they walked they didn’t speak. She was getting used to scenting feelings and Tristan was nervous.
They ordered their pizza and she finally had enough. “What’s wrong Tristan? You’re too quiet.”
“Well, umm… it’s about your job.”
“What about it?”
“You’ve never told me what your doing.”
“Oh, well I’m translating books right now.”
“And the traveling?”
“Well, I check on rentals for my bosses. They have hundreds all over the country.”
“OH! I thought with that new car it was drug dealers you were working for.” A shy smile told her that he was feeling stupid to think that.
“NO, nothing illegal, I promise.”
Something caught her attention as the door closed. She looked and it was a man, no not a man a male. Sage had told her there was only one in Chicago and it was a female. The hairs on her neck were stand up and she got the chills. There was nothing she could really do without Tristan jumping in with more questions.
“What are you looking at?”
“Oh I thought I knew that guy.” She nodded over to the male.
“You saw him when we went upstairs. He lives across the hall. Just moved in. I think his name is Jim. He asked about you when I said I was waiting for you. I couldn’t remember the name of the town but told him you lived in southern Illinois.”
Naleena gasped. If someone was asking about her, they knew she was Sage’s. Why would he moved in just before she came up here, across the hall no less. He’d be able to hear everything.
“Are you okay sis?”
“Yeah, I’m just tired from driving. Would you mind if we called it a day?”
“It’s only two, but yeah. I rented movies and made sure I have plenty of popcorn.”
“That sounds great.” As they headed out the male waved to Tristan, but he stared at Naleena like he was pissed or something. She needed to talk to Sage or Council. This didn’t seem right. Knowing she needed to be away from the male to call when they got back to the apartment she went into the bathroom, locked the door, turned on the water and called Sage. She got voice-mail. Calling Drewdon he answered on the first ring. Damn precognition.
“Naleena, what is the trouble you have found yourself in already?”
“Drewdon, I can’t talk long. Sage said there is only a female here but a male moved across the hall from Tristan and was asking about me. He made me uneasy when we were at the pizza place.”
“No male should be there. Sage would have told you.”
“Maybe you were right and I shouldn’t have come.”
“Why do you feel that way?”
“I don’t know. I feel something bad is gonna happen.”
“Don’t worry, Sampson is just a few blocks from you.”
“What? You sent him after me, after you said I could go alone?”
“Amos is still out there. You are close to Council. I could not let you go alone. Sampson was to keep his distance and just watch over you.”
“Well, he should have seen the male then.”
“I shall call him. I will call you back.” Click.
Naleena knew she was going to be sent home. Splashing water on her face she went to watch movies. She couldn’t follow anything that was going on in the movie, she didn’t even know the first one was over until Tristan broke through her thoughts.
“What ya want to watch next? I’ve got Twilight and some horror flick the girl said was great.”
“Twilight.” Her voice sounded off and distant but Tristan had never learned to pick up on that.
Her phone rang making her jump. “It my boss, I’m gonna take it in the bathroom.”
Tristan gave her a strange look but said nothing.
“Drewdon.” Once the water was on she felt better.
“Sampson says it is not a male he knows. I would feel better if you moved to Council’s penthouse suite that Sampson is at.”
“And what am I supposed to tell Tristan?”
“That Sampson is your male and he surprised you.”
“No, Tristan knows about Takoda and me.”
“Then say he works with you and offered to share the suite.”
“Fine, whatever, I’ll think of something.”
“He will be there in moments. Do as he says.” Click. Naleena had always hated the fact Council never said bye but just hung up.
Now all she had to do was make up a story her brother would believe. Taking a deep breath she went to tell  Tristan.
“Sis, what’s gong on? You’ve been distracted. Who was on the phone?

©2016 Jessica Markley