2 UPRISING
Far from the noisy company, but still not so far as to ignore their spontaneous celebration, huddled a ragged crowd of passengers of the second plane.
The news that they will have to spend the night in the small airport till the end of the blizzard wasn't accepted nicely by every one of them. A middle-aged couple in colorful clothes was on vacation returning from the sea resort, judging by the tan, and this adventure didn't suit them to their liking.
At first, with the support of an elderly couple, they tried to argue with the airport employees and the crew of the aircraft. The staff decided to seek refuge in the personnel room quickly after settling passengers in the hall. Then after reviewing the whole injustice of the situation between each other and boiling the anger, a small army of rebels finally decided to force their resentment at others.
All this time the woman with an infant and its grandmother tried to keep a low profile. But after a long sleep baby woke up in a whiny mood. Women attempted to soothe and distract little boy by passing him between each other. However, the kid finally snapped and issued a demanding cry that was growing like a fire siren with every minute.
The young mother immediately leaped up from her seat and began to rock him, cooing something in his ear. Though it didn't work at all. A small body started to wriggle in his mother's arms like a big fish thrown ashore. In the end, the howls of the child intensified the bitterness of the holiday and the elderly couple.
The first criticisms, of course, were addressed to the airline, airport employees and the staff of the aircraft itself, which did not ensure their proper stay for passengers in this godforsaken place. Then the manifestos started to go into the usual pace of politics, thieves in the government, the collapse of the country and, of course, insolent money-bags, wealthy people, stealing from the ordinary folks. These comments finally found the specific recipients.
The presence of a company drinking close by, enjoying a good time and whiskey, which cost as much as the whole vacation for the couple's holiday was especially rousing. The lively conversation of the elite group began to subside. The excitement among the commoners made them tense a little.
Ruslana tried to avoid all outside noises. It was not in her plans to interfere with the forthcoming local scale French revolution. She sincerely felt sorry for two women with a child who did not want to become the red banner of victory. They just hoped to calm their child and finally get home.
Lana recalled with trembling those years when her children were the same age. Although if it were her child now, he or she would not have given enough time and space to those present to stir up strife between classes. The chaos and destruction always followed her kids behind.
Memories forced the girl to smile, imagining how a couple in colorful Hawaiian shirts would now diligently try to shove themselves under the metal chairs and not to show any signs of life if this ball was ruled by her little devils now.
Meanwhile, the kid continued to cry hysterically, setting the tone for the general mood. The girl would gladly now offer the young mother help in calming the child, but today everything seems to have gone wrong from the very beginning. A week ago, Lana didn't even expect that she would have to go to the other part of the country on the order of Alpha, and on the eve of the full moon to boot.
She was always proud of her self-control and control over her second half. Many shifters, werewolves as they were called by humans, although for them they were just a legend, experienced considerable discomfort during the full moon.
Among her acquaintances, only a few could hold their animal half under control and not shift during this period. Although many of her kind didn't see the point. Why bully yourself and your beast, if you can go for a run?
Probably this question came to light only for wolves without a pack, loners, or those who lived in human cities. Ruslana has lived for more than 20 years in a small shifter town, hidden from humans. Therefore, she didn't need to think about this problem for a long time.
But today of all days it just happened so that Alpha ordered her to go on the errand. Although if not for a whole chain of accidents and unforeseen procrastination, she would have been home now and would be getting ready for a night run with her family.
Lana squeezed her eyes shut trying to ward away heavy thoughts. The moon was already making her body vibrate – at such a moment you cannot immerse yourself in your emotions and risk losing control over your consciousness. She made herself listen again to the murmurings of neighbors and the harsh cries of the unfortunate child, to distract herself somehow.
The girl could observe only a part of the room from the depth of the hood, which she lowered on her face. She couldn't see the group of businessmen in the other part of the hall well.
Sudden silence from the other side suggested that the gentlemen decided to round off their party in order not to intensify the righties anger of the plebs. Lana could presume that a little more and the company will depart seeking shelter from the airport employees.
To her surprise, she heard steps from that side heading in their direction. It seems that someone has already taken in enough alcohol and now wanted to have some fun, poking into the enraged beehive.
Lana took a deep breath, gathering all her composure. Some people love to argue too much, as well as some non-humans…
A man entered Lana's field of vision. He seemed too young to be the owner of such an imposing aura of confidence and superiority. Even in everyday black trousers and a gray shirt, he looked as if he had just stepped down from some business journal cover about the rich and famous.
Broad shoulders, shining brown hair. Even disheveled, they looked as if they meant to be so, a straight back and a predatory gracefulness in every step.
The man made just a couple of steps, but Lana was so mesmerized by his figure and movements that she lost the moment to take a look at his face. She lifted her eyes, but he already turned his back to her. Surprisingly, he did not go to the fuming couple but immediately moved to the women with a child. Those who noticed the man walking towards them were dumbfounded and took a few steps back. The older woman moved forward, ready to protect her daughter and grandson.
The man stopped a couple of paces from them. All were anticipating that he would start shouting or demanding to shut up the kid. That's what the moneybags usually do on TV. But to everyone surprise, he merely extended a hand with a small bag towards women.
"Please, take it. Here a few crackers, cookies, water and fruit. My assistant, unfortunately, did not find anything else on our plane."
A woman in a colorful shirt, the self-proclaimed leader of a mini-uprising, immediately began to grumble comments. Lana heard only: "… handouts, they enjoying all the goods, and just shoving some trash into our throats so that we will shut up." But the older woman with the child just ignored her and without delay accepted the bag with a grateful smile.
"Thank you, and I apologize for all this hubbub." – she said in a soft voice, apparently hinting not only on the cries of the child.
The man in turn nodded and smiled slightly, giving away the offering.
"If you let me, I can hold the child while you relax a little," – he suddenly suggested. In response to the woman's surprised expression, he added, – "I have a considerable number of nephews and nieces with whom I always like to spend time. So you can say I already have some experience as a nanny tested on dozens of kids."
"As well as me!" – Confirmed his friend, who managed to sneak up on them without anyone noticing. The second man was lean and a head shorter than his friend. But the grace of a born dancer, a shock of unruly black curls, olive skin color and low velvet voice gave out a unique charm that nobody could overlook.
"I have a huge family," – he declared as if it was his achievement. – "The children just adore me!"
The tall one only snorted at this statement and hissed something in the other man's ear. The women exchanged glances and tried to hold back their laughter as they watched the two friends bickering. The child stopped crying, distracted by the actions of adults, and now looked at the newly arrived men with interest.
Finally, the girl hesitantly held out her hands with a little boy in them in the direction of the men who had already started pushing each other in a contest of who gets the baby. The man with a curly hair was quicker and snatched a kid in an instant with a triumphant exclamation.
The boy yelped and laughed gaily, causing a smile on the faces of those present. The man twisted the child around him a little, tossing him, and then pressed the baby to his chest, rocking slightly and making faces to the boy. The little one immediately became interested in the unique curly hair of his new nanny.
The women in the meantime began to look around in search of a place to sit down and quickly have a bite while they had such a chance. To their fortune and Lana's horror, there were several free seats right next to her. She deliberately sat on the farthest end of the bench leaving some empty seats between herself and the rest of the passengers of the plane.
Ruslana cringed inwardly and tried to staff herself deeper into her huge jacket. She wanted so much now to get up and move away from prying eyes, but it would seem strange and will attract unnecessary attention, so she decided to pretend to be asleep. Besides the hood pulled over her face well concealed Lana's eyes and she could quietly observe what was happening, unnoticed.
Meanwhile, the girl and her companion settled down in those sites. Total free seats were 4. They took two further seats leaving one empty between them as a table, and one more place was vacant between Lana and the young mother.
Both men followed but remained standing. The first one to approach them was curly-haired with a child in his arms. His face, as Ruslana managed to see, was entirely consistent with the figure, thoroughbred facial features, almond-shaped eyes with eyelashes, for which any woman would sell anything, and also a dimple on his chin.
Such men were scary even to look at for too long: he was too ideal as if every cell of his body was specially created to make women drip saliva. Lana barely lifted her eyes to this handsome face, as her beast part had already begun to send her a signal-like "let's lick him from head to toe" or "I wonder, how he smells, everywhere...?" – not a good sign. But as soon as she turned her eyes to the second man who came close at that time, something had exploded in her head. She barely managed to suppress a cry of surprise and squeezed her hands into fists, digging her fingernails into her palm. It was Him!
She would have recognized him in a hundred years, in the back alley as a homeless, smeared with mud or in a woman's dress and makeup in a club. Everything inside seemed to roll over and rush to him. The beast raged and demanded to release it, let it go to its Mate.
Lana felt the moisture on her hands when she clenched her fists harder. Nails must have become claws and seriously injured the inside of the palm. But the pain at least somehow sobered her. From the side, hardly anyone noticed even the slightest stirring from her and those present did not even suspect what hurricane she was struggling with within herself.
The men continued their friendly quarrel and at the same time entertaining the baby by showing him funny faces, then tickling him or making weird sounds. The women looked at them tenderly and diligently ate the offered treats, and Lana could not take her eyes off Greg.
Yes, Greg or Gregory Wells, she could never forget this name and this face for the past 1 3 years. Memories filled her head. Even under normal circumstances, they gave her goosebumps all over and made Lana lost her senses for a long time. But now they attacked like a killer from the shadows, making her clench her teeth with force and suppress a groan deep in the throat.
His lips, his warm breath on her cheek, the strong arms so gently and at the same time firmly holding her by the waist, the fingers that studied every centimeter of her body and his smell…
Ruslana, as if from outside, heard a guttural growl and only a second later realized that it was she who was making this sound. She lost control! She had no choice but to jump up and literally throw herself across the hall towards the toilet.
The girl did not remember exactly how she got to the toilet room. Cold water from the tap cooled down her ardor at least a little. She leaned her hands on the edge of the sink and finally looked up to the mirror on the wall.
Hell! She has almost started the turn. She was looking at her two glowing blue eyes with outstretched pupils, and even facial features began to change, rebuilding into an animal's muzzle. And from under the puffy lips already could be seen impressive fangs. Well hello, Beast of Gévaudan! That was the last thing she wanted now.
Ruslana made several soothing breaths trying to stop the turn, then washed again, but it helped too slowly. Finally, she shoved her head entirely under the stream of ice water. It was a little sobering, but still. . . , if someone had entered the lavatory now, she would have had to think about where to hide the corpse on this winter night.