Split in Time Ch. 04

Author's note: All characters and companies mentioned in this story have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone or anything bearing the same name or names. Events portrayed in this story are pure invention and have not been based on any events that have happen in real life. All the characters involved in any sexual acts if their ages are not mentioned beforehand; are over 18 years of age. Enjoy.

Hi everyone;

I didn't think after updating my profile to warn every one of the reason for the delay with the next chapter that my editor would get it back to me and said good to go. So here it is chapter four, I hope you enjoy it.

So as normal thanks go out to my editor and you the reader and to those of you who sent me emails if I didn't get back to you I am so sorry.

Don't forget to comment and vote and have fun.

*

Amy walked over to Maria, Electra and Alanna who were just finishing their snack. "Okay," she said as she squatted down. "I have Ghost..." she told them and watched their jaws drop. "But I need your help to get it through to him that we mean him no harm and want him to join us." Amy sat completely on the soft grass beside them. Sasha quickly sat in her lap and Amy wrapped her arms around the little girl.

"How?" Electra asked.

"I want to try what you did to get him to trust you the first time. I want you three..." Amy gestured to Alanna, Electra and Maria.

"Me too," Sasha said as she looked up at Amy.

Amy thought for a moment but couldn't see any harm in it; he was in a cage so she was unlikely to be hurt. "Okay you too," she conceded and Sasha smiled, showing dimples in each cheek, her pale green eyes sparkling with joy. Amy ran her hand through Sasha's short mouse brown hair; someone had cut it while she was away, to get rid of all the damaged parts. Mayhem joined them, running her hands through her now short pale hair.

Sally walked over with scissors and made a snip, snip sound as she pointed at Electra. Amy turned to her. "Sally... can she be cut later, I kind of need her now." Amy asked.

Sally nodded; "I have lots of hair to cut..." she said and walked off grabbing Ash by the collar and moving him to a chair.

Amy turned to the group, "Okay so the plan. I want you four to strip and change before him. Then I want you to howl, if he doesn't join you by your third series of howls step back and change. If that doesn't work I'll drag his human mind forward but I would rather he did it himself."

"And this worked the last time?" Electra asked.

Amy nodded.

"Who will start the chorus?" Maria asked, as normally the highest ranked pack member in the group started a chorus, since they weren't technically a pack she didn't know who actually was the most important.

"Electra..." Amy answered. "Since technically she's an Alpha female she is the highest ranking pack member after me then Mayhem."

Mayhem bristled for a moment, "Why are you higher than me?" She asked as she knew that Amy was an Alpha female just like Electra, not a dominant Alpha like herself or Wolfgang, which meant technically she was above Amy as she was a dominant.

"Do you honestly think you'll beat me in a fight?" Amy asked directly and Mayhem quickly shook her head, Amy would wipe the floor with her broken body, in a heartbeat without even trying. "I know this is confusing for you, this isn't exactly anything like a true pack or pride. You're more than welcome to set up a pecking order if you like but I would rather you didn't, as you were always equal in my world." She explained.

Everyone nodded. "Okay... are you done eating?" Amy asked and again everyone nodded. "Then let's go and deal with Ghost."

"Who's Ghost?" Cass asked as she stopped near them, having overheard the last of the conversation.

"I'll tell the story..." Taylor said, "You go and draw him out of his madness." She wrapped an arm around Cass and took her over to join the others in the courtyard. "Who wants to hear a story about a Were who doesn't know he's Were?" She asked all the people in the courtyard.

Amy took Alanna, Maria, and Electra to the training grounds where they calmly approached the bristling black wolf in the small cage. Mayhem had decided to tag along to watch, and stood aside with Amy while the others stripped. In moments, three adult wolves and one cub approached the cage.

He stopped growling and studied the wolves before him. They were like him and could shift just like him, three were obviously adults, yet two were remarkably bigger than the other and one was a child, had been born this way. He didn't know if he was born this way, he could have been.

Electra took a deep breath, threw her head back and howled; a moment later she was joined by two more voices. Sasha didn't even try to howl knowing she simply didn't have the wind. Ghost's ears went forward as he listened to the howls; they were calling to him, calling to him in a way that had never affected him before. He wanted to join them and when they howled again this time his voice joined theirs.

Amy smiled and made the cage disappear. Sasha yapped and bounced up to him happily; he dropped his nose and sniffed at her. Mayhem chose this moment to join them, her beast was eager in her mind wanting to rub her scent all over her mate's body.

Ghost watched Mayhem as she stripped, only when she started to change did he notice that although like him she wasn't like him, he didn't know there were others. Mayhem yawned and stretched, then approached the group carefully as she didn't know how Ghost would react to her.

Ghost's ears went back, unsure, but then his ears went back up when Electra walked over and greeted Mayhem. He watched as Mayhem pushed Electra down and started to groom her. Maria was next to greet Ghost, letting him smell her.

"Come on guys..." Amy said. "We have things to do."

Sasha was the first to shift and dress. She ran up to Amy who picked her up and sat her on her hip. Electra and Mayhem shifted next, but didn't move. Mayhem leant down to kiss Electra, who moaned and wrapped her arms around Mayhem pulling her close.

Ghost watched in curiosity for several moments, while Maria shifted and started to get dressed ignoring the two women.

"Electra... Mayhem... if you are going to go any further go your room, there are children running around this house." Amy said, telling them off with a slightly amused tone. They broke their kiss and separated reluctantly and got dressed, everyone then turned to Ghost waiting for him to join them.

The wolf went into his mind and to that dark place his human had hidden himself in, it was time for him to start living again and this time he would be living with his own kind, people who could answer his questions, help him with his pain. He grabbed his human half and threw it forward, forcing his body to shift.

A man quickly took the place of the wolf; he glanced around for a moment before he fainted.

"Don't worry; it happened the last time, it's been a very long time since he last shifted." Amy explained as she put Sasha down and made a pair of sweats appear in her hands. "Help me dress him," she told them and they helped her get him clothed. They waited for him to come to and when he did, they helped him up and got him up to the dining room.

Maria got him a plate of food and they walked him out to the courtyard and sat him down to eat. Everyone stared, having heard his story from Taylor they were curious about the actual man.

"Guys..." Cass said telling them to cut it. "Robin wants you lot to go pick peaches," she told the young people and they went to leave taking buckets with them.

Ash turned to Cass, "What's a peach?" He asked, just looking at him you could see he had been transformed in the short time since being here, his clothes had been changed to ones that actually fit him, as were his boots, his brown hair was cropped very short to his skull but it had removed the dreadlocks and tangles. His hazel eyes were bright with life and hope. His eyes drifted to Amy and grinned a little at her, which she smiled at.

"Do any of you know what a peach is?" Cass asked the group and got shakes of the head from all of them.

"I'll take them." Taylor said with a smile. "I'll even show them where the chickens are and what else can be found in here." She walked the group off.

Robin leant out a window, "Get me some eggs." He called out to Taylor.

Katie sat at the table across from Ghost. Ghost blinked and stared at her, she looked familiar to him, like he had seen her before, been with her before. He lifted his head and sniffed the air, Katie's scent seemed to dance in his nose before his wolf came rushing forward, that scent, he knew that scent as surely as he knew that he couldn't die. That scent belonged to Snow but he knew Snow was dead.

The realisation that the new woman smelt like Snow had him looking at her more closely but even that was adding to his confusion, he thought she looked familiar even though he hadn't seen her before, now that he thought about it even her features were similar to Snow's, it's just her colouration which had changed. He shook his head and stood, to his mind people only lived once and that this woman looked and smelt like his beloved was unfathomable. Stumbling, he tried to get away from the woman who was Snow but at the same time wasn't.

Calm down Ghost. Amy told him as she gripped his arm getting him to focus on her alone. He watched her lips but no sound came from them, he started to freak out more. Ghost please... I know this is hard for you but I need to explain. She told him. He refused to listen and tried to pull away not understanding where the voice in his head was coming from.

Amy moved faster than him and caught his head in her hands; she focused and swamped his mind with her memories, her knowledge. He dropped to his knees as he saw that other world where he watched Katie's body burn, the promise of her resurrection the only thing that kept him together.

Amy slowly pulled away from his mind, I'm sorry Ghost... you just wouldn't listen.

He held her hands as his eyes locked with hers. So... she is my Snow? Just a new Snow? he tentatively asked, unsure whether he could also do this mind talking.

She nodded.

Will I be forced to watch her die again? He asked.

Again, she nodded. But know that she will always seek you out. She is yours and only yours. You are not alone Ghost, there are people now who can help you with your grief when she dies, people who will share your pain for they too have lived it. You are not Alone. She finished with emphasis.

He took a deep breath and let his eyes wander back to Katie. She watched, concern marking her features. Amy glanced back and smiled. "Now... I promised I would explain why I tracked you down and why you..." she turned to Maria, "... trust me." She said with a smile as she got up and returned Ghost to the table. "Sit down and open your minds... I have a story to show you."

****

Vivian sighed as she watched Amy play with the children, the Ancients were only just getting used to all the company as normally they didn't have guests. She wondered for a moment how Amy did it, how she does it, Vivian corrected herself. In her own world, Amy was a mother, a diplomat, an Alpha and a wife. Here she was the same thing, she was trying to right a world, which was currently in madness, yet she still found time to play with the children she had helped to rescue, to be a mother to Alanna and Electra and to be a matchmaker.

Vivian wondered as her eyes glanced over Alanna and Tarval who were having an animated conversation, Mayhem and Electra were cuddled up together under an old oak and Katie and Ghost were trying to bridge the language barrier. The only couple which weren't in happy bliss were Eric and Maria, Eric was all for getting to know Maria, however Maria was all for not getting to know him.

Leave them be... Amy said silently to Vivian. This is how it happened the last time, she ignored him, he kept chipping away and eventually she gave in.

How do you find the time for everything? Vivian asked as she sat near Amy and Sasha jumped into her lap.

I make the time. It's hard and a full of partial nights of sleep. Amy explained. But I have help and in the end, it's worth it. Amy made a ball appear in her hands and offered it to one of the children, "here, go play with this." She told them and they took the ball and ran off.

Vivian wrapped her arms around Sasha and kissed the little girl's temple. I could get used to this. She said as she rested her head on Sasha's.

Why don't you foster her? I'll support your claim on her. Amy said silently.

Will they let me? Vivian asked referring to the Alphas when they learnt that this little Were cub was being fostered by an Ancient.

They won't come between you and Sasha; she trusts you and is happy with you. You can protect and provide for her. Amy answered.

I don't want to leave you. Sasha said showing that she had been listening, And they can't make me go.

Amy chuckled, You know we could just cut through all this and you can adopt her. I know the ceremony and as Alphas Mayhem and I can witness it. They won't take a child from their mother even if she's Ancient. She told the pair.

That please. Sasha said with a smile, as she looked up at the woman who had freed her, her new mother.

The children with the ball ran back, "Amy, what do we do with it?" The child with the ball asked.

Amy got up and took the offered ball, "there are many things you can do with a ball," she told them as she bounced it. "You can throw it to each other, bounce it to each other, and kick it to each other. You can design games, work as a group to keep it from another group and so on."

"Can you show us?" A little girl asked.

Amy nodded with an indulgent smile, "of course."

****

Ghan walked into his room two days later after taking care of some pack business, he had decided that it was time for Keira to go out and have a look around the compound and have dinner in the mess, supervised of course. Keira was pacing restlessly before the bed, every now and again she would tug on the chain. She turned and glared at Ghan.

"Okay... just what the fuck am I meant to do." She asked him angrily having worked herself into a fury during the day. "I can't just sit in here all day waiting for someone to visit so I have something to do." She took a deep breath and went to continue with her rant.

He growled and grabbed her. "Shut up," he demanded, suddenly losing his good mood. "Let me set some rules, the better you behave the more freedom I will give you." He stated firmly. "I was thinking about taking you to the mess hall to eat but after your little scene you can stay put." Throwing her onto the bed he turned and left slamming the door and locking her in before he did something stupid. She tugged on the chain in defiance but just as before it didn't budge.

She got up and started to pace again. She never thought she was claustrophobic, she had been in much smaller places than this but she could always get out if she wanted to. Now she was stuck, she panicked as every time she blinked it looked as if the room was getting smaller.

Ghan walked in carrying dinner half an hour later, his temper had cooled somewhat as he realised that Keira was used to doing something every day, mainly for survival, keeping her in one room all the time was driving her crazy. He put the tray on a table and looked around for her. He found her huddled in the corner. "Keira," he knelt and gripped her shoulder.

She was panting and rocking with her eyes screwed shut. He knew there was no reasoning with her panic-stricken mind and went to where the chain was locked to the wall and unlocked it. Coiling the chain, he scooped her up tossing her onto his shoulder. He walked down the hall and to the nearest exit. Fresh air would help her snap out of her fear, he thought to himself as they left the compound. Walking briskly, he took her to the closest bench and sat her down. He rubbed her arms until she started to blink and glance around.

"Better?" He asked.

She nodded and took a deep welcoming breath of the frost cooled fresh air.

"I didn't know you were claustrophobic. Your mother and father never mentioned it," he said as he knelt before her.

"I'm not, but being trapped in one room all the time is enough to give anyone a phobia." She rubbed her face. "Keep me chained up if you have to but don't just keep me in that room with nothing to do," she begged turning her pleading eyes to him.

He nodded feeling ashamed and a little stupid; he should have thought that she would go stir crazy trapped in a room with no diversions. "Okay... why don't we talk about that over dinner?" He stood and waited for her to stand and follow him back inside.

She just sat and closed her eyes taking several deep breaths, letting the night air fill her. He got up from his position before her and sat next to her and let her have her time outside. She sighed and glanced at him, measuring his current actions against the ones she knew. So far his actions were confusing her, he had collared and chained her yet he was letting her decide when they would go back inside, he could just yank on the chain and get her to do anything he wanted but he was letting her have a small measure of control.

The cold air started to bite as she wasn't dressed to be out in this kind of weather, she started to rub her arms to warm up.

"Come on Keira, I'll bring you out again tomorrow before dusk and show you around." He told her as he stood.

She stood and followed him back inside which suddenly warmed her cold limbs.

Ghan grabbed the first person he saw. "Can you go get the plates of food from my room and take them to the kitchen to be warmed through, we'll be in the mess." He told them, the man he grabbed nodded and did as he was asked.

Ghan walked her into the common room and over to a table in a far corner from the room. She sat and glanced around curiously at the people who lived here and their life style. They waited in silence for their food to be reheated and brought out to them. Maddie saw they weren't eating, and walked over to see if her Alpha wanted anything.

"It's okay Maddie we have dinner... it's just being fetched and warmed through again." He told her.

Maddie nodded and went to make sure their dinner was seen to promptly. She returned a few minutes later with fresh plates and drinks. He frowned and turned to Maddie who grinned. "You left food unattended where the twins could get at it, what did you think would happen?" She said with a slightly scolding tone although her smile told a different story.

He grunted, realising his mistake but he had other things on his mind at the time. "Do me a favour and worm them again."

Maddie chuckled and walked away. Keira fell on her dinner ravenously, despite having full meals every day she was still conditioned to eat as much as she could, whenever she could. She broke off a piece of bread and smeared it with the soft butter-like cheese they made from goats milk before adding some of the chunky braised meat to it and taking a mouthful.

He smiled as he watched her eat. "Maybe I should tell Maddie to worm you to." He said playfully as he poured them both a drink of mulled cider from the jug Maddie had put down.

She glanced up as she chewed; she swallowed and chased her food down with some of the cider. "I've never eaten so well before. Sometimes I would go for days without eating." She explained a little self-consciously as she realised that no one else was rushing their meal like she was.