by T. S. Ryder
"I didn't know my father—"
"I told them that, but they don't believe me." Easton sat on the edge of the table. "I told them that you were unaware that you were being manipulated into giving away Zoe's position, but they just won't believe it. She was an important woman and now she is dead."
Mary flinched.
"You and Andre are going nowhere. It's just not safe for us. You understand, right?"
Mary buried her face in her hands.
"Now, I want to keep the two of you safe," Easton continued. "Even if it means keeping you locked up in here forever. Andre has already agreed to those terms. He says that as long as you're safe, he won't complain."
It was so like Andre to say that. Mary felt herself smiling despite herself, warm love swelling in her heart. "Yes. Yes, that would be fine. I don't care if we stay locked up, as long as my family can't hurt him."
Easton sighed, standing again. "Mary, you misunderstand me. I said I want to keep you two safe. Not that I could."
Cold, bitter fear doused her, and bile rose in her throat. She stared up at Easton, her hands trembling again. "Just say what you mean then!"
"I have received orders. You are considered too much of a threat. You and Andre will be turned out. I hope that you can stay safe, Mary. I really do." He paused again, staring at the picture of her father's dead body. "Maybe the Wolves of your community will give up. Maybe they'll decide you're not worth the effort."
They wouldn't. They would keep hunting her and Andre until they were dead. There was no escaping the hunt.
Unless she was to end it.
Her heart pounded as she forced herself to meet Easton's eye. "What if I wasn't here? What if Andre and I parted? Could you get him away then?"
Easton frowned. "Andre would never accept those terms. You know that."
"Then he doesn't need to know." A ball of dread settled in her chest and her Wolf shied away from her words, whimpering. What is more important than Andre? She would do what she had to.
"Tell me what you mean."
"If you send me back to my community, I can take responsibility for my father's death."
"And if they still blame Andre?"
"I'll say I used him to get away, to lure my father out so that I could kill him. I'll tell them that I had been planning on killing him for years."
Easton shook his head, and when he spoke his voice was far gentler than it had been when he had first come in. "And how would you explain returning, then? Think, Mary! They would never accept that."
"They might."
"No, it would be better for you and Andre both just to run away together. You might be able to get away. There are other means of getting out of Canada. Perhaps instead of going overseas you could go down south. As a Wolf and Bear, you don't even have to show your faces at customs. You could settle down in Brazil somewhere."
"We would still be hunted." Mary shook her head. "There is no other way out of this, not for Andre. I can't let him die because of my choices. If I had never run away from home in the first place, he wouldn't even be in this situation."
Her head hung, and Easton put a hand on her shoulder. It was an oddly comforting touch, and she closed her eyes, drawing in strength for what she needed to do.
"I'll tell them that I was overcome by guilt and that's why I came back. Or maybe I'll act like I expect to take over his position. I don't know. But if you get Andre overseas, then it doesn't matter. They won't be able to find him over there."
"That's very brave of you." Easton's massive hand patted her shoulder. "I thought you must be using him at first, trying to open our ranks so that your Wolves could come and kill us, but I see now that's not the case. You really love him."
She nodded, fighting tears. "I do. He's my soulmate."
"Would you like to tell him your plan?"
Mary shook her head. "No! No, he can't find out. He would never accept it. Don't tell him. Please."
Easton nodded, his expression serious. "I promise."
***
Andre's heart nearly burst with relief when the door opened and Mary entered. She looked a little shaken, a little pale, but otherwise unharmed. As soon as she saw him, a small cry tore from her lips and she rushed into his arms. Andre enveloped her in his arms, glaring at Easton as the other Bear watched.
"You have an hour together," Easton said, and the door shut.
Andre pulled back and cupped Mary's face in his hands. "Are you okay?"
Mary nodded, pushing herself to her toes. "I love you so much."
Her mouth met his and the sizzle of her demand burned through him, drawing him closer. Andre held her tight, not wanting to miss a second of having her next to him. But the thought that they might be monitored by hidden cameras crossed his mind and he drew back, shaking his head. When he told Mary the other Bears could be watching, she went crimson.
"Oh," she mumbled, looking around wildly. "Are you okay?"
"Yes."
Should he tell her about the attack the Bears had planned on her community? Andre dismissed the thought right away. If she knew, she would blame herself for getting them involved, and he wouldn't allow that. If it was up to him, she would never find out about it, even after–if–the attack took place.
I'm going to get my sisters out. Someday she would want to go back for her siblings. Would she find out about the attack anyway?
"Easton told me we're going to be sent overseas." Mary leaned into his arms, hiding her face in his shoulder. "Away from my family. We'll never come back to America. If we do, my community will kill us."
Andre closed his eyes and held her tighter. Overseas. She would never find out. There was nothing either of them could do to stop it. Zoe had found Peter's phone number, Easton would find out where the community was. But by the time the blood began to flow, they would be far away, and Mary would never know what happened to her family.
"When do we leave?" he asked.
"A few days, I think." Mary's voice was small. "Easton said they have some things to prepare. But it'll be soon." Her arms tightened around him. "I love you, Andre. And I never want you to be angry again, the way you were when you attacked Julia."
Andre frowned. "I won't—"
"We don't know what the future brings." She pulled away from him and stared intently into his eyes. "We could both die tomorrow if a brick randomly fell from the sky. But all this has made me think… I don't want you to give into your anger like that again. Ever again! If I die—"
"You're not going to die! We're going to get out of here."
"Let me finish. If I die, whether it's that I get hit by a bus crossing the road or a mugging gone wrong or anything else… promise me that you won't let revenge consume you. Promise me!"
Something was wrong. She thought Easton was lying, or else she was. He stared into her eyes. "Mary, what's going on?"
A smile forced itself onto her lips. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you. I just… I just want you to be happy. It's silly, I know. Nothing is going to happen. I'm just worn to a frazzle with all this stress." She paused. "If you were to die, isn't there something you would want me to promise?"
Her explanation didn't quite sit right, but Andre let it slide. He didn't want her to be any more stressed than she already was. He smiled back at her. "If I die, just promise to remember me."
"I will," she promised, perhaps a little too fervently. "I will remember you. Forever."
Chapter Twenty Seven
After Mary told Easton where the community was, he had her flown back to the nearest city, where a rental car was waiting for her. She missed the soothing sound of Andre's breathing as she drove. More than once she had to pull over to the side of the road to cry. Was this really the right path to take?
Of course, it is. It's the only way Andre can stay safe.
She had written a letter to him, begging him again not to let his anger overwhelm him. But what if it did? What if she was driving to her death just so that he would follow her to his? What if he was so b
linded by rage and grief that he would come after Peter?
Peter. Mary flinched, knuckles going white as she clenched her hands around the steering wheel. Could she blame Andre if he did kill her brother? Peter had killed his wife and daughter. Philip had been there too. How could she defend either one of them?
"I don't have to," she whispered. "Andre is not going to come after them. He's going to get away and live his life. He's my soulmate, but I'm not his. He'll find somebody else to love."
It was actually a comforting thought.
She almost missed the turnoff into the dirt road that led to Andre's farm. Mary yanked the wheel sharply, the car skidding over the road as she stomped on the brake.
The car shuddered a moment, but she was able to ease it onto the dirt road and avoid the ditch. There were still a few hours to go before she would get to the community, but she wanted–needed–to see the place where so many happy memories had taken place.
It was exactly as she had last seen, except the bodies of the sheep and goat her father had slaughtered had been picked clean by scavengers. All that was left of them was a disconnected bunch of bones. Mary's heart felt heavy as she gazed at the burned remains of the cabin, the charcoal ugly against the green of spring grass. A breeze blew down the mountain, bringing with it the scent of pine trees.
Yes, this was for the best. She would not get her happily ever after, but she had four blissful months with her soulmate, and then all the time they spent together afterwards. Although not free of fear, at least they were together. It was better that she found him and loved him than if she had lived for all eternity without him. Her heartache eased.
Darkness was quickly descending and Mary gathered the bones of the animals, putting them in the incomplete grave Andre had dug the day they found the animals slaughtered.
After she had completed that task, Mary took off her clothes and embraced her Wolf, perhaps for the last time and trotted into the barn.
The spare jackets still hung from a peg on the barn door. Mary pulled one down, wrapping herself in Andre's scent. She slept, accepting what would come in the morning.
***
It must have been days since he last saw Mary. Her frantic words, trying to make him promise not to let rage blind him if she died, kept ringing in Andre's head. Something was wrong. Why had he let Easton take her away?
Idiot!
Metal shrieked as he gouged at the door with his claws. When that did nothing he backed up, then threw himself forward, ramming the door. His whole body shook with the impact, but the door did not budge. Panting, he retreated, rotating his ears to check for any sounds on the other side.
He repressed his Bear to check the damage. He'd scratched the metal, but whatever it was seemed to have been made with keeping Bears captive in mind. Nothing he did seemed to do any good. Desperation burst from him and he pounded on the door with his fists.
"I want to see Mary!" he shouted. "Open this door now!"
There was a clicking noise from somewhere behind the door and Andre backed up, watching. The door swung open. Easton strode in, shaking his head.
"Will you quiet down? You're shaking the whole damn building."
"Let me see Mary," Andre grunted at him, muscles trembling. His Bear longed to rip the man apart. He should have trusted that sense earlier.
Easton glared at him. "You can't."
"Why not?" Andre froze, then rolled to the balls of his feet. He was getting out of this room and to where Mary was, one way or other! "If you've harmed her in any way, I'll kill you."
"All this for a werewolf? And not just any werewolf–a Locke! Don't you know how many of our kind that family has killed? Your own wife and daughter. And yet you look at that girl like she's a puppy! Do you think she's harmless because she's fat?"
"Where is she?" Andre roared.
Easton's gaze was cold and hard. "She went home."
Andre froze.
"Apparently she decided the only way to keep you safe from her family was to go back and face their justice."
"You—" Andre could hardly speak. "You manipulated her into going back so you could find out where they were."
Easton shrugged. "I did what I had to. You weren't going to help us. It was so easy to get her to tell me I thought she must be lying. But my scouts have confirmed it, and soon all those stinking werewolves will be where they belong. Worm food in the ground."
Andre didn’t let him say another word. He embraced his Bear as he lunged, his massive jaws opening. He caught Easton's head in his mouth and bit down hard, clawing and batting at his body while he crushed him to the floor.
When he tasted blood and felt bones break, he let the other Bear go and ran, his heart in his throat. He was in a long corridor. Freedom was through the doors on the right, down a set of stairs and through one more corridor. He pushed himself as fast as he could, adrenaline coursing through his body.
He scented other Bears and heard their shouts as he burst through the doors. A woman was in his way and he bowled her over. The stairs were treacherous and he slipped several times, but he made it to the bottom quickly.
Soon he was in daylight. The shouts of the Bears followed him out, but he would not stop.
Mary. Oh, God, Mary!
***
He stole a car and drove it through the border crossing. When border security took up the chase, he abandoned the vehicle and ran with his Bear until he came to the next town, where he stole another car. He didn't stop to eat or drink, and every second that passed felt like another second too long.
By the time he got to the Wolf community, he was half-crazed by worry and exhaustion. He didn't bother worrying about how the Wolves would react to a Bear in their community. He had to find Mary before it was too late, before the Wolves meted out their justice, and before the Bears attacked.
Mary’s sister, Julia, was in the yard of the Locke farm when he pulled in.
"Where is Mary?" he shouted at her.
She froze, staring wide-eyed at him. He bounded towards her and she screamed. Andre grunted, chasing after her as she ran. His feet sank into the muddy ground, slowing him. By the time he caught up, she was in the barn.
Peter was with her, holding a rifle.
Andre skidded to a stop. The Wolf's jaw dropped at the sight of him, but he quickly moved to stand in front of his sister and pointed the rifle at Andre's heart.
"Where's Mary?" the Bear demanded, resisting the urge to attack and beat it out of him.
A pained look crossed Julia's face. Andre's heart spiked. God, no! "Where is she?" His voice rose in pitch.
Peter lowered the gun. His expression, like his sister's, was pained. "She's not here."
Andre roared, leaping forward. Julia screamed again. The Bear caught Peter around the throat and hoisted him into the air, slamming him into a wall of hay bales. "Where is she?"
"Her Wolf was purged!" Julia fluttered on the spot. She stepped forward, eyes on the rifle still in Peter's hand, but Andre growled and she retreated.
"What do you mean, her Wolf purged?"
"It's…" Julia's eyes were wide and frightened as she met his gaze. "It means that it was taken from her. Purged."
Andre dropped Peter, feeling like his chest was caving in. His head swirled and he collapsed to his knees. "No! God, no! She… she's dead?"
"Not dead," Peter gasped, rubbing his throat. "Her Wolf wasn't taken away. It is buried too far to ever return to her again. She's alive, but the process does more than just stop the Wolf from coming back."
Andre somehow found the strength to look up. "What does it do?" he whispered.
"It does something to the mind. Erases memories." Peter knelt beside him, casting the gun away. A hand tentatively rested on Andre's shoulder. "Even if she was here, even if she was staring you in the face, she wouldn't remember you. Her memories are gone. Forever."
Chapter Twenty Eight
Mary Locke did not look at the faces that would decide her fate. Whatever punishment they
decided on, she didn't want to make it more painful by recognizing them and remembering how they had given her presents during the harvest moon when she was a child.
Instead, she gazed past their heads, staring up into the sky. It was the color of a robin's egg. She always loved the sky in that shade. It looked so open and free.
The courts were always decided on in the open air, where anybody who wanted to come witness the trial might mock the accused. She heard the whispers behind her of the gathered community, as well as the whining from her youngest siblings wanting to get to her.
"Mary Locke."
The voice brought her back despite herself. She focused on the man who had spoken, Oliver Willows. She never had much to do with him, other than when he told her father that he needed to stop feeding her so much so she would slim down and find a good husband.
He seemed like a good choice to deliver her sentence.
She looked away before Willows could speak, searching for her brother, Peter. He stood at one end of the judge's table, hands clenched. He met her gaze and looked away, guilt written over his face.
"For the crime of killing your father, Paul Locke, you have been found guilty."
Of course, I have. I told you that I killed him. And the fact that he was trying to kill me and my soulmate doesn't make a difference to you.
Willows continued. "For the sake of your brother, we have decided against killing you. Instead, your Wolf will be purged."
Mary's hands went cold.
"Once your memories are gone, you will be placed in the human population and forgotten about." Willows glared at her. "Get this filth out of here."
Mary stared in horror, her Wolf howling with grief as the words rang in her ears. How could they? She had expected something horrible, but images of firing squads had been plaguing her. Not this. She clung to her Wolf as if they would begin the purging right away. Could she embrace it and run?
How was she supposed to survive without her Wolf?
A hand was on her elbow. She jerked back, but it was only Peter. His eyes were angry, but he silently pulled her away.