by K. N. Banet
“No.”
“Then you are mean, and you don’t love me,” Hasan declared. “What have I done to you, my oldest son?”
“Nothing, I’m just mean, and I don’t love you,” Jabari replied with a small smile of his own.
They were joking, and I was boiling with anger.
Mischa fell asleep, leaning on Hasan. I got up for Jabari to sit down and began to pace, and continued to pace as they all fell asleep, waiting on news. All except Hasan.
It was interesting to see him with my siblings like this. It felt like they were all children again. Maybe because I had never been his child, never raised by him like the others were, it struck me as strange.
Finally, someone knocked on the door.
I pulled it open before anyone else could even stand and saw a nurse who didn’t smell human.
“Hisao is awake again, and we’re allowing him to walk here. He needs to wear his cast for one week.”
“Yeah, we’ll make sure he does that,” I promised. I looked over her shoulder to see my terrifying brother coming down the hall, a cast wrapped in black adorning his broken arm. When he was inside, I grabbed the nurse before she could leave.
“What about Niko?”
“Another couple of hours,” she said, looking down at my arm. “Watch yourself, cat.” Her eyes flashed a vivid green, a warning. I let go of her, backing up into the suite and closing the door before anything else could happen.
“Get this thing off me,” Hisao snarled at someone behind me.
“I heard the nurse. One week,” Hasan snapped. “Sit down, and don’t wake Zuri.”
“Too late,” my eldest sister said airily. Her head rolled, and she smiled at the majority of the family sitting on the couch. Then she sniffed the air and rolled her head to see me, seeming surprised. “I thought you wouldn’t be here?”
“Why?”
“Lani is still out there. I heard you talking about it before the helicopter came. I thought you would go after her once we were all safe.”
“I made her come,” Hasan said. “The moment all of you are in this room, and things are looking up, I’ll let her pick one of you as backup, then the hunt for Lani can continue.”
“Good,” Zuri said, pushing herself to sit up. When Jabari growled, rushing to her, Zuri snarled viciously. I raised an eyebrow as Jabari halted a foot from the bed and out of his twin’s reach. “We need to crush all of them. If one escapes, they might as well have won.”
“I’ll handle it,” I said stiffly. “She’s mine.” Because I should have seen it coming. I shouldn’t have been so naïve to think she was my friend.
Zuri nodded slowly. “It’s personal. Let me go with you.”
“Sister,” Jabari groaned. “You…”
“Lani could never defeat me, and I’ll continue healing. They pumped a lot of magic in me. The wound is closed. Other than a little stiffness, I’m fine. But I think I’m the best choice to go with Jacky.”
“Agreed,” Hasan said, nodding.
“Cool. So, when Niko gets in here, we’re going,” I said sharply. Zuri arched an eyebrow at me, and all of her regality, her presence filled the room with that look. “Sorry. We’ll leave when you’re ready.”
“Better,” she said softly. She patted the bed next to her legs, keeping her stare on me. I walked over and sat. “Stay with me,” she said softly, rubbing my back. “We’ll finish this together.”
Why do I have the distinct feeling she understands what I’m feeling?
As Niko was wheeled into the room, two long hours later, a phone began to go off.
“Damn it,” Mischa snapped angrily, the ringing continuing as she searched through a large bag. My attention stayed on Niko, though, as the doctor began talking to Hasan. Mischa missed the calling, cursing silently at seeing a blocked number.
“He’ll need physical therapy for a few months and no trauma to his back, so the fragile healing will become stronger. As you know, even the best of magics have a hard time with these sorts of injuries, but he got here as fast as you could bring him, which was a good thing. We gave him the best possible care, sir.”
“I know,” Hasan said, patting the doctor’s shoulder. I looked down at Niko but didn’t want to touch him. He was still in his werecat form, which was probably for the best. If he had Changed, who knew what healing his back would have been like.
We huddled around him, hoping he would wake soon. Zuri went back to sitting on her bed, staring intently at Niko just like me, with Jabari next to her.
We didn’t get much of a moment, though, as a phone started going off across the room again. Mischa started cursing wildly, rummaging through the same bag to find the damn thing. I was barely listening when she answered, and the other person began talking. She said something loud for the room, but I didn’t hear her.
“Jacky,” Hasan snapped.
I shook myself out of whatever I was in and looked back at her.
“It’s for me?”
Mischa looked at me with worry and anger, though hopefully, the latter wasn’t my fault.
“There’s a fire in your territory. Heath is there now.”
“Where…” I needed more.
“Kick Shot. It extends behind your bar into the woods, but no one knows where it originated. Heath and his family are safe. They still have Oliver and Dirk with them. They were driving past when they saw the emergency crews there.”
“I do,” I said softly. Back to the task at hand, then. Lani was making a play. “That bitch set my bar on fire, and it might spread to my fucking house if it isn’t already on fire,” I growled. Lani knew how important Kick Shot was to me. More importantly, that meant Lani was in my territory. And so was Heath, probably taking everyone to his home. My chest tightened. My territory wasn’t safe for him, Carey, or any of them. I had to get back.
“Hasan, I’m leaving.”
“Zuri, are you ready to go? Do you think you can manage this? I know you got the best of care—”
“I’ll be fine,” Zuri hissed.
I started for the door as I put the pieces together.
“Lani didn’t join the fight until Fiora backed me into the woods,” I said, turning back to them. “Who wants to bet, she’s the one who set off the explosive at that house that trapped Niko and Hisao and nearly killed Zuri?”
“She needed time to Change,” Hisao said, nodding. “Kill her for us, would you?”
“On it,” I growled. Zuri grabbed a bag from Mischa and went into the bathroom. When she came out, she looked ready to go. “Do we have a ride?”
“Take our plane back to Dallas,” Hasan ordered. “We’ll wait here until this is settled.”
Zuri grabbed the door and pulled it open.
“Let’s go. It’s time for you to learn how to serve and fulfill an execution in the name of Hasan.” She walked past me and left the hospital to the surprised glances of the people around. I followed her out, focused on my goal. Before getting on the elevator, though, I heard something curious.
“She looks exactly like you. Really. You have to see her, it’s crazy.”
I turned, frowning. Something about it bothered me. Zuri stopped ahead of me.
“Jacky, let’s go,” she said. I turned away and started walking again when I couldn’t find who was talking.
“There she is,” that same voice whispered, now trying to be hushed.
They were definitely talking about me, but when I got onto the elevator, I put it in the back of my mind. Zuri and I wasted no time jumping into one of the loaned cars and getting back to the airport.
“This is an execution?” I asked as we parked by the plane.
“Yes. It would have been for Mikkel and the others as well, but they wanted all-out war, and they got it. Lani is taking her revenge. She knows she can’t win this.” She turned on me at the bottom of the stairs into the plane. “Where do you plan to begin the hunt?”
“Her territory,” I answered. “But first, I want to make sure she i
sn’t hanging around mine and a threat to Heath and his family. Or Oliver and Dirk.”
“Good. She’ll go home and try to hide. It gives her the best chance of winning the fight. If she runs, she knows we’ll hunt her down.”
“Zuri?”
“Yes?”
“Have you done this before?”
Zuri sighed, turning away.
“Yes.”
She walked up the steps, and I had to hurry to keep up with her. There was a story there, but it was, like many other things, for another time.
The only thing I wanted to consider was my plan to hunt down and kill the only friend I’d had for six long, lonely years.
27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
When we landed in Dallas, Tywin was waiting for us at the airport. I hadn’t seen the werewolf Alpha in a long time, since before he was made Alpha of the Dallas pack. He stood with four other werewolves, his arms crossed, giving me a confused and worried look.
“We heard of a private plane jumping in and out of our airport. Then we heard Heath wasn’t home, and when we sent wolves into your territory, it stank of other cats. Now, there’s a fire at your bar. Would you like to explain why there seems to be a small war going on right outside my door, and why I was never informed of it?”
“Wow, what a way to greet someone who saved your fucking life,” I said, snarling at the end. “Didn’t tell you because it’s not your business.”
“Plus, the war is already over. We just need to clean up a loose end,” Zuri added, shrugging nonchalantly. “Take it to the Tribunal. I’m sure our father will answer any questions your Tribunal Alphas will feel are necessary, wolf.”
“Now you both wait a minute—”
Zuri and I started walking. I had a one-track mind and didn’t have time to play politics with a wolf pack. Lani was running around destroying things, and Heath was still looking out for his daughter and two humans who belonged to my family. I was certain Landon would help him in a fight, but if Lani targeted them, there was a slim chance they would survive.
Tywin tried to grab my arm, and before anyone could react, I spun and wrapped a hand around his throat.
“I have been captured by my enemies, starved, beaten, and had to escape. I watched a building blow up and nearly kill not one but three of my siblings. I like you and your wolves, Tywin. Do not push me right now.” I was normally easygoing and had no reason to dislike anyone there, even if Tywin’s general Alpha attitude annoyed me. But he wasn’t Heath. He didn’t get to demand answers and expect anything from me.
And if I don’t hurry, Heath could die. He could already be dead. I can’t waste time on this.
The wolves around us had pulled weapons in that split second. Zuri stood at my back, ready to fight with me, even though not even twelve hours ago, she had been speared by rebar.
Tywin lifted his hands.
“I’ll go through proper channels,” he conceded. “Is everyone okay?”
“That’s none of your business,” I whispered. Not yet. I was certain Zuri or Hasan would make some sort of public statement after this was all over, saying the family was attacked, and all of the resistance was quelled or something archaic like that. But not yet. Not while Niko was still in the hospital, and Lani was running around.
“Heath is a friend of mine,” he said, not bothering to hide the growl.
“Sure,” I hissed. “If he’s your friend, why don’t you fucking try calling him every now and then?”
I released him with a shove, wondering why I was suddenly offended for Heath and his lack of friends. He’d explained to me it was normal. I didn’t understand why I was so angry.
“Jacky,” Zuri said softly. “We need to go.”
“I know.” I turned on my heel and left with my sister, the wolves not bothering to follow us to the cars we had left at the airport earlier. Airports were semi-neutral territory, no matter who claimed ownership over the city and what species they were. Not everyone could skip them, especially if they needed to land and refuel. Unless you were an obvious enemy of whoever was in the city, passing through wasn’t generally considered important. It was nice to give a nest or pack a heads up, but not required.
“You didn’t have Heath let Tywin know you were traveling through Dallas?” I asked as we got into the car.
“We don’t answer to a local wolf pack,” she reminded me. “As you said to the vampires, we’re the children of Hasan, a member of the Tribunal. We outrank them.”
I shrugged one shoulder, accepting that answer. Being part of the family, an active member, was changing me. I was beginning to truly understand what it meant. I wasn’t sure I completely liked it, but I hoped at the end of it all, I would still just be Jacky.
Jacky Leon, living by myself, and away from all the problems until another one landed on my doorstep, requiring me to become Jacqueline, daughter of Hasan. I wasn’t sure I liked her very much.
“I just wanted to be a bartender,” I whispered as we drove toward my territory.
“And you will be again,” Zuri said in a serene, patient tone. “I want to be a fashion designer. I want to run restaurants. I want to do many things with my time. This is temporary. Is that what’s bothering you? This?”
“How I behave when things like this are going on,” I answered, swallowing. “How I feel.”
“It’s not a bad thing to be ferocious and dangerous or to be bloodthirsty when those you love and care for are in danger. Or when you’ve been betrayed. And when it’s all over, you will know peace again, and you can put away the beast that we are. Just as you did after you were called to Duty. Just as you did when you came back from Washington after helping Jabari with the vampires.”
“I’m scared I won’t be able to turn it off after this,” I admitted. “How am I ever going to…trust anyone after this?”
“You make it clear that you’ll kill anyone you can’t. They’ll find ways to make sure you know you can trust them after that. That’s a hard reality, I know, but you’ll turn it off, eventually, go back to your normal life, and everything will be okay.”
“First, I need to kill Lani.” There would be no peace until that happened. The need to tear something apart wouldn’t go away until I finished this.
Zuri didn’t respond for a moment, but when she did, I was surprised.
“I killed one of my own sons.”
I had to keep myself from jerking the steering wheel.
“What?”
“Niko and Father both told you their stories, parts of them, secrets this family keeps. That’s mine. My son was trying to build himself an army of werecats to conquer humans and install himself as a king. It was my fault. I raised him as a prince. I told him he was special, and he believed that entitled him to things none of us were willing to give him. He tried to kill us because we wanted him to stop. It was all my fault. Jabari offered to finish it, a brother looking out for his sister. Hasan offered. Mischa offered. Before you ask, none of our other siblings were born yet. But I did it. I killed him and the dozen werecats he had Changed within a decade. He killed many more humans in the effort. Too many.” She turned to me. “Betrayal cuts deep, and being the one who stops the infection is hard.”
“He was your…Zuri, I’m sorry.”
“I understand some of your pain, Jacky. I do. That's why I'm telling you this. When this is over, just remember you are making the best choice you can, and no one is going to say you did the wrong thing. Killing Lani will not be easy on you, no matter what she's done.”
Yes, it will be. It’s going to be the easiest thing I’ve ever done.
Entering my territory, the first thing I noticed was that it was still my territory. The second thing I noticed was that Lani wasn’t in it. The last thing I noticed was that Heath was. He was in his home.
I didn’t turn toward Kick Shot. I jerked the wheel hard to make the turn I needed and hit the gas to fly down the road.
“Where are we going?” Zuri asked.
&nb
sp; “Heath is here. I want to see him, make sure he’s okay.”
Zuri nodded, accepting it.
I was still speeding when I made it to his street, hitting the brakes hard to make the turn into his driveway. He came running out of his house, naked relief on his face when he saw me get out of the car.
“Jacky…Oliver and Dirk told me about the explosion and the fight. I was worried.”
“What are you doing here? Why aren’t you at the safehouse?”
“I’m a big wolf and can take care of myself,” he said with a small growl.
“He is,” Zuri agreed, stepping up beside me. “Good to see you, Alpha Everson.”
“I wish everyone would stop saying that.”
“It’s who you are,” Zuri said nonchalantly. “Once an Alpha, always an Alpha with you wolves.”
“True,” he conceded.
“Why are you here?” I asked again, glaring at him. He could have been killed. She could have gone after him. Was he insane?
“Because this is my home, and I wanted to make sure it was still standing. Plus, Carey and Landon were getting tired of me, and Carey hates the safehouse. I decided to come here for the day and tonight to make sure it would be safe, then bring them back tomorrow morning if nothing happened. We’ll house Dirk and Oliver until you’re done and…find them a place, I guess.”
“Lani’s going to die tonight,” I promised. It was already after dark again—a full twenty-four hours of fighting, running, cars, flights, waiting…hoping. “She’s not going to make it to sunrise.”
“Then I have no reason to worry,” he said softly.
“I saw Tywin,” I said before an awkward silence could set in.
“Yeah…he’s been blowing up my phone for a couple of hours. I was wondering why. Do I want to ask?”
“Probably not,” I said, able to break into a small smile. I decided to explain anyway. “I gave him a good thumping for trying to stop us when we landed.”
“He’ll take it.”
“Will he?”
“Yes. He’s a good Alpha, but…” Heath smirked. “He’s not on the North American Werewolf Council. Not like I was. He’s going to take his thumping from you because you’re Jacqueline, daughter of Hasan. He’ll take it to the Council, they’ll take it to the Tribunal, who will talk to Hasan, and they’ll argue about it, but in the end, he’ll just have to take it.”