Memento Mori -- Chapter 3
#15 of Eben Black Series -- Memento Mori
© All characters and storylines involving said characters belong to me: Eben Black.
I woke up the next morning and showered before heading for the small gymnasium that the penthouse had. I was alone when I entered the room. There were weights, a couple of treadmills and a punching bag suspended from a chain attached to the ceiling. There was also a small running track so you could do laps if you wanted. Donovan could normally be seen running laps alongside Aleksander. Being a cheetah, Aleksander made the perfect partner for running. The punching bag had been installed for Snow since he started his boxing practice. I glanced across the room and noticed a small collection of wooden dummies standing in a tight circle, all the dummies had small cuts in their wood. Kane had set them up so he could train with his sword and other blades. The penthouse also had its own gun range in the next room. Bishop, our penthouse's security officer and gun expert had set it up. I'd been in a few times and according to him I was a natural at firing a gun. It made me nervous and now I only used a gun when it was absolutely necessary. I had changed into a pair of loose tracksuit bottoms done in black that I'd tied at the waist. I wore a pair of black wristbands and white running trainers. I took my place at the starting mark on the track. I crouched, touched both hands to the track floor and raised my backside up, I heard the imaginary gunshot and launched off into a dash. I circled the track three times, breathing slow and deep as I paced myself. I hit six laps and the muscles in my legs tensed and loosened with each step. I ran another four laps and then started to feel that shallow burn at the back of the thighs. I gritted my teeth and tried to breath through it. Twenty laps and I had to stop. Call me weak, but I knew my limitations. I bent over double and took several deep breaths.
"Your working hard, I see?" a cool voice said from across the gymnasium. I looked up and found Donovan watching me.
"I needed to work out some frustrations," I replied as I straightened up and rolled my shoulders out of habit.
"You may want to come into the lounge, Maximillian is here and he's brought someone with him you may want to meet," Donovan explained. The look on his face was not a pleasant one.
"Judging from the look on your face I'm not going to enjoy this one bit, am I?"
Donovan walked forward and took my hand in his. "Someone showed up at Maximillian's manor last night asking about Snow. He says he's Snow's brother and the alpha of their clan in New York."
I looked wide-eyed. "B-Brother?" the world swam and for a moment I thought I'd pass out. I staggered and Donovan caught me. "I'm f-fine, I'm good," I stammered.
"You need to lie down?" Donovan asked.
"No, no. Just the initial shock," I swallowed back the nausea and nodded, "I'm good, lets go." Donovan nodded and held my hand as we walked out of the gymnasium and headed for the lounge. I squeezed his hand and he tried to smile that warm, gentle smile of his. I loved Snow. And I knew deep down that I had no right to stop him from leaving if he wanted, but I also wished I could be more selfish and demand he stay regardless of what happens. But I refused to be that kind of person. We walked down the slender corridors of the penthouse, hand in hand, Donovan never spoke, instead he tried to give me as much privacy as he could. He was so understanding. I loved him too and I loved Kane. Aleksander was more of a friend with benefits more than anything, but still I cared about him alot. Even Sawyer was beginning to become more normal and understanding and caring. That last one scared me just a little, but it was true. I had so many alphas to choose from, would losing one be so bad? Yes. I'd be the same if I lost anyone of them deep down. Even Sawyer or Aleksander? Perhaps.
The lounge was usually a warm place where members of our home gathered, talked, laughed and relaxed. But at this moment in time there was nothing more than an awkward tension. I was sat in between Snow and Donovan. At the other end of the lounge, leaning against the wall stood Sawyer, while Kane sat on the back of the couch beside Donovan. Our "guest" was stood at the windows looking out over LA. His name was Bartholomew. He stood at his brother's height and had the same muscular build. He'd said he was the older brother and that the two of them had become weretigers together when their camp was attacked during the summer while in the woods of Canada. It was supposedly where their Father and Mother had died trying to protect them. Bartholomew was the same colouring as Snow, pure white fur with black stripes, the only difference between them being that his eyes were a darker green compared to Snow's pale blue. He was wearing a pair of denim three-quarter-lengths, running shoes in white, a loose white vest that looked like it was a size too big, but still clung to his pectorals for dear life. He had four large silver loops pierced in a neat line along the end of his tail too. He touched a hand to the smooth, glacial window pane and smiled.
"Looks like your doing really well out here, bro," he said as he gazed upon LA beneath him.
"Thanks," Snow replied, "So your really my brother? And I do come from New York?" he asked.
Bartholomew nodded. "Is that so hard to believe? I've been looking for you for months, and then heard a rumour about a male wolf who'd bound himself to a white tiger and two other wolves."
I damn near blushed.
"I just needed to see that it was you, and that your safe, that's all," he explained.
"So I do come from New York? Do I have any family?" Snow asked.
"You had a wife at one point, but she passed away. Cancer. She's buried at New York Memorial Cemetary."
"That explains the dreams."
"Dreams?" Bartholomew repeated.
"The reason I never returned home or checked in is because for the last few months I've had amnesia," Snow explained, "But the last few weeks I've been having dreams, and my memories are coming back."
Bartholomew looked concerned. "Amnesia? So you have no idea who I am?"
Snow shook his head. "This is the first time we've met as far as I can remember."
"His memories are returning, please keep that in mind," Donovan assured the other feline. "In time he'll have remembered everything."
"Do you have any idea how I made it here? To LA?" Snow asked.
Bartholomew looked at Snow for a second and then replied, "Back home things are not as...comfortable as things are here. The white tiger clan of New York has been in a constant war with the benghal tiger clan based there."
I frowned and said, "So back home is like a battlefield?"
Bartholomew nodded. "I'm the alpha for our clan, and Snow was my second-in-command. He went out one night to ambush some benghals, and the whole squad was obliterated, Snow's body was never found."
"That doesn't explain how I ended up here though," Snow replied.
"I may be able to answer that one," Sawyer said as he pushed from the wall and padded forwards.
"What did you do?" Kane sneered.
Sawyer grinned and replied, "Back when I was testing out my power you all believed Snow was one of the guinea pigs I experimented on?" I nodded, as did the others. "You were wrong. I never bespelled him. Snow wandered on to LA ground in a feral state. It's been said that if a wereanimal is hit hard enough, and their human senses are knocked out of commission, more often than not the animal side will take over and rely on instinct. His instincts made him run as far from the battlefield as possible, which is why I believe he ended up in LA. Just a theory though," he added.
"How come you never mentioned that you didn't bespell Snow?" I asked.
He shrugged and replied, "Simple. No one asked. You all assumed the worst of me."
I couldn't help feel a little bad now.
"We apologise, Sawyer," Donovan said.
"Don't bother. What's done is done, and besides, I am a very bad kitty-cat!" he grinned.
"So, is the war still ongoing?" Snow asked, looking up at Bartholomew.
His brother nodded and explained, "Things have quieted down for a bit so I'm able to come out here for a long weekend and see if it really was my baby brother. But this amnesia thing has kind of thrown me."
"How so?" Donovan asked.
"Well, I figured I'd find my brother dead somewhere, or maybe hear stories of him travelling for whatever reason. Deep down I always wanted to persuade him to return home, but now he has a life here. What am I to do?"
"I've been having the same dilemma when I found out his memories were returning," I explained.
"And how have you decided to handle things?" Bartholomew asked.
I smiled, tears burned at the back of my eyes now as I looked up and said, "Whatever Snow decides we'll back one hundred percent. No questions asked."
Bartholomew considered it for a moment and then nodded. "Agreed."
"No doubt Snow needs time to process things, so how about you stay here with us, Bartholomew, and spend time with your brother. Then Snow can make his decision in the next few days?" Donovan suggested.
Bartholomew nodded and said, "If that's ok with you, bro?"
Snow stood up and looked down at me, that lost, haunted look back in those baby blues. I looked up and took his hand in mine. "Do what you feel is right," I breathed.
He leaned down and whispered, "Thank you." He then kissed me and touched his forehead to mine as he took a deep breath. He straightened up and said, "Alright. Lets do what Donovan says." And with that Bartholomew and Snow embraced one another. Was I upset about Bartholomew appearing here? A little. It meant this was really happening. Snow could actually leave us. I held back the tears until I was alone and able to sob about the situation in a quiet secluded area. That was hard to do when your surrounded by wereanimals with heightened hearing.
An hour later and Maximillian had arrived, while Snow and Bartholomew had left. Something about needing to get Bartholomew's things from the hotel he'd been staying at. Made no sense having him pay for a room he wasn't even staying at anymore. We were sat back in the lounge. I'd changed out of my workout clothes in a pair of denim jeans and a black t-shirt. Donovan was sat beside me in a white dress shirt that he'd left unbuttoned, while he wore a pair of three-quarter length shorts done in white too. Maximillian was sat opposite us. He was the alpha werelion of LA and stood at an impressive six foot six, he was all muscle and pride. A long brown mane of hair rested in a thick braid down his back. He wore a white dress shirt underneath a black waistcoat. He'd rolled the sleeves back passed his elbows. A pair of black dress slacks and black shoes finished his attire. From what I understood he'd just returned from meeting with the white lions that had arrived in town.
"So how did your meeting go then, Max?" Donovan asked.
"Better than expected. It was what we figured had happened, our coalition's reputation has grown and they travelled here seeking out protection," he explained in his deep, rich voice.
"So now we have a reputation?" Donovan smiled as he spoke.
Maximillian nodded. "It seems to be playing in our favour if its bringing in new soldiers though."
Donovan agreed and then said, "That small group of panthers that landed in LA last week has also made contact. I sent Aleksander and Sawyer to speak with them."
"Sawyer?" Maximillian repeated with a raised brow, "You trust him now?"
"Not one hundred percent, which is why I sent Aleksander too. But if things turn bad, then Sawyer can handle them and bring back Aleksander in one piece."
"Ah, I understand."
"So what are the white lions like?" I asked.
"Honourable, honest, and small in numbers. But their potential is astounding. I've never felt anything like it before. I've offered them my home until we can find them more suitable accommodation."
"Things are working out for the better then," Donovan said.
"I heard about what happened with Basil. He's refused to help out, right?" Maximillian asked. Donovan nodded. "Pathetic creature, he's as pig headed as the rumours said he was."
"With or without him, if more and more animal groups wander into LA, we won't need them," I explained. Maximillian smiled and Donovan just nodded.
"And the panthers? What do we know about them?" Maximillian asked.
"Small in numbers and cautious from what their phone call was like, but I think Aleksander can talk them round, no problems," Donovan said.
"Oh, how's Nirvana doing?" I asked.
"Nirvana's doing fine. She's up to eight months now, one more month and we'll be expecting a cub," Maximillian explained.
"Wow, you excited?"
"Yeah, excited and anxious too. Always wanted to be a dad, but at the same time I'm worried I'm going to fuck up," he admitted.
"You and Nirvana are going to be awesome parents, trust me," I replied. Donovan nodded and smiled. "So what's Nirvana doing at the moment?" I added, "I thought she'd have come with you."
"Nah, she's helping the werelions settle in back home. She's not really up for long drives nowadays thanks to the bump," Maximillian explained.
I laughed and added, "I bet she's one of those females who looks gorgeous when she's pregnant."
"She has her moments, but I'm real proud of her," Maximillian admitted. He looked happy, seriously happy. It made me hopeful for me and Snow. We'd never have kids, but God I wanted to be that happy down the line.