Outside, the others were gathered on the back porch, admiring the goji berries that Liam was showing off. As we grew closer, I watched as Italia asked Liam something and when he nodded, she reached up and plucked a small branch with a large bunch of berries on it. How they were able to still grow in the cooler temperatures, I had no idea. She tucked them into the pocket of a long coat she’d pulled on and followed the rest of the group down a nearly hidden path leading into the trees where I now knew the rest of the compound was.
When I had first met Gearden, I had no idea his house wasn’t the only one on the property. To me it looked like any other single home property – a driveway, garage and home, albeit rather large. What I didn’t know was how large the property actually was. Liam’s father technically owned his beta, Danny’s house, too. And, behind the small grove of trees, down a small hill, was a collection of homes. They were all small, most of them maybe two bedrooms each, and they didn’t have garages or carports.
I assumed the people who stayed in them walked or used public transport, but no one seemed to be lacking in anything. I noticed that our visitors from the Callway pack – the alpha, my uncle, Grayson, his beta, Adam and Adam’s wife, Sharla, remained out of sight, as if they were even not here at all. There was no telling if their scent would be picked up as foreign by another foreigner or not, but it was probably a good thing that their small cabin was dark and looked unlived in. They’d stayed since the day Jerry had been attacked and we had rescued his family. The day that had brought us all to that moment in the center of the McIntire compound.
Looking around, I saw Gearden and Sally coming up behind me. We were now standing by a collection of picnic tables with what looked like a mailbox, a trash can and a barbeque. The homes weren’t new by any means but they were well maintained. Falling leaves from the surrounding oak trees collected on new-looking roofs, and porches were secure without any rot. I’d learned that the people who lived there were mainly retired members of the pack who mostly didn’t work – they could if they chose to – and hardly ever moved or attended the hunts. They still had a say in their counsel but they preferred to live a quiet life away from the politics.
That didn’t keep them from taking care of our prisoner when we needed a jailer, though. AJ was kept in an empty cabin; one that was getting remodeled inside and wasn’t missing any residents. It was at the end of the property, and I felt the anticipation grow inside me the closer we got. This was the moment I’d been worrying about for the last week. Queen Selena, surprisingly, took her time, looking around at the trees, pointing to something up high on a branch to Dom who, even more surprisingly, entertained her by smiling and nodding at whatever she was saying.
I didn’t feel like mingling with either group, but I knew I needed to be a part of whatever was going to happen when that door was opened and the Cearer met AJ. When they made their assessment and judged him, I needed to be there. Not just because it was I who had taken him into custody in the first place, but because – though I hated to admit it – I was now responsible for the Westboro pack and until someone else took on the role of alpha, I spoke on their behalf in this. They had wanted to bring Jerry in to question him, but I agreed with Liam who had asked that he only be contacted if absolutely necessary. The man and his family had been put through enough. They deserved the quiet they so desperately wanted and not to have to relive the incident. If the Cearer requested his testimony in person though, I would be there.
As we drew closer to the last cabin-like structure, the front door opened and Gearden’s grandfather quickly stepped out and descended the porch to greet Liam. It was all business, though. He didn’t look like an elderly man with his family; he looked like a jailer who had been entrusted by his alpha to take care of an important prisoner. The prisoner was a man who had committed crimes against his own kind and now waited for his punishment.
Liam went around the small group, introducing everyone to his father, but purposely didn’t look at me or those around me. I appreciated being left out of things for the moment. As much as I wanted a say in things, I didn’t like being the center of attention as I had been back in the conference room. I could tell Thorn wasn’t done with his assumptions where I was concerned, but I definitely wanted to know what would happen behind the walls before me. The queen touched my arm then, stalling me as the others began to file into the makeshift jailhouse.
Sally was there though, thank goodness, and because I was having a real problem with understanding what the queen was saying she quickly signed, “We’ll wait here.” And that was it. The queen led Tweedledee and Tweedledum to a particularly large tree and started to admire the large trunk, her lips moving as if she were speaking to an old friend. But then, maybe she was. Her words sounded like something a parent would say to their child as the child walked off to do something the parent had prepared the child for and knew the child now needed to experience it on their own. Which made no sense, since she had no part in my wolf side whatsoever.
Gearden took my hand then and squeezing it to lend me his strength, drew my attention back to the cabin. Once we made it to the door though, he let me go, and I appreciated it. He knew I needed to stand on my own, or at least appear to be independent in this. I was now responsible for whatever had happened to the previous Westboro beta, AJ. I didn’t necessarily want to be, but I couldn’t change what had happened.
As I stepped into the cabin, I realized that it was like any other home, except it was void of any personal touches. The small entryway was now crowded with people. I pressed into Gearden to keep from brushing against anyone else. Julie and Bri were closest to me, but still Luna groused at the idea of being in such a tight space with so many strangers.
Thankfully, Mr. O’Connell Senior moved us along down the hall through to the center of the structure. We passed a small, empty kitchen and a deserted living area with just a worn couch and came to a bedroom door. Senior pulled out a key and unlocked the door, then pushed it open wide enough to allow us all access ahead of him. I entered last, and when Gearden’s back moved from blocking my view, I saw AJ, sitting on the edge of a cot like you’d find in a county jail cell. Metal plates had been bolted to the wall at ankle level, securing a four-foot length of chain to connect to the steel anklet that AJ sported. His hands were unbound but he didn’t have access to anything. A plate of untouched food was near his feet, like someone had slid it over to him, to not risk getting within range of the prisoner.
He did not look amused at the new audience he had, but the moment he spotted me, his muscles grew tight and he sat straighter. Luna decided to take the reins as AJ tried to send a wave of dominance my way. I let a growl rumble in my throat, letting him know I wasn’t in the least intimidated. To add insult to injury, I turned my back on him to watch Sally. Liam started to speak.
“This is AJ Michaelson, of the Westboro pack, previous beta to Vic Soren,” he waited a moment as the rest of the group made their own individual assessments. As they did, I did my own assessment of them. I watched as they mentally gauged his dominance, weighed up his part in the abuse of his fellow pack members and scaled his dominance. Taken off guard, I was surprised to find Pierce gauging me with his own eyes. I met his look with my own look of daring defiance.
“Can I help you?” I asked, not bothering to sign.
His brow lifted at my attitude and he asked, “You took him and his alpha on at the same time?”
I thought on it for a moment, careful with my answer. Looking at the man in question, I squinted at him, an air of uncaring from Luna. “Yes.”
I could feel unease come over the group as they tried to reason it all out for themselves. When I turned away from AJ’s damning gaze, I looked to Liam, waiting.
Taking this as his cue, he turned to his dad. “How is he faring?”
Senior had a relaxed pose that yet still screamed of power: with his feet apart and arms crossed over a burly chest, he may look old in years, but I had no doubt he could take on AJ if it w
as ever necessary.
“He’s not eating much, but he drinks the water we give him. Not much of a talker,” he relayed.
Suddenly, all eyes were on AJ. Turning to Sally, he asked her to sign, “I’ll talk to her.” I looked at him to see if he did indeed mean me. His gaze was menacing: very different from the look of contempt he had been giving me just a few seconds before.
Gearden started to step around me, but I stalled him. “Don’t.” Thankfully, he didn’t argue and came to stand at my shoulder.
“What is it?” I asked AJ, seeing Sally move to stand in my peripheral vision, interpreting for him.
“I’ve never seen anyone fight the way you did,” he said, slowly standing as he spoke, the chain moving with him. “Never seen a lycan like that.”
Sally stopped, indicating that Thorn had started to speak. “What do you mean?”
I tensed even more, my muscles aching. The moment had come. They were going to find out. I had thought I’d have more time to figure it out for myself: more time to ask the queen if she knew what it meant. But AJ was going to ruin that.
“I said, I’d talk to the girl, not you, faerie trash.” Slowly, he turned and looked down at the fae.
Not wanting any other drama to ensue, I spoke aloud to attract his attention. “What do you have to say to me?”
As I hoped, he turned to me, taking a step closer. The chain dragging behind him didn’t seem to hinder him. “How did you do it?”
“I don’t owe you anything.” I shot back. No way was I going to tell him how I could do what I had done.
Rather than my comment irritating him, he gave a knowing smirk: an expression that also held intrigue, which scared me more than his questions did. What did he think he knew about me, I worried?
Thorn took that moment to step forward, making me tense up again, worried he would strike the chained lycan. “Tell me what you meant about not seeing a wolf like her before,” Thorn instructed.
My wide, panicked eyes flicked to AJ and back to Thorn, anxiously waiting. Gearden moved forward slightly as well, but I gripped his wrist tightly, wanting to keep him out of the fray as much as I could.
He turned to look at Sally, who signed for AJ, “She shifted…”
Oh my god! He was telling them. Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap!
“… standing on two feet. Something I’ve never seen before.” Sally’s eyes were wide as she finished signing. I could tell she was trying not to look at me judgmentally – or maybe it was horror she was hiding.
“Berserker,” Italia said, disbelief radiating from her entire body from the other end of the group.
“Impossible,” Pierce said, taking a turn to study me. I saw Senior grow antsy as the other wolf started to step around the others, coming face to face with me.
Luna came up to the forefront, ready for a fight. As much as I would have loved to tell her she was overreacting, I knew that wasn’t the case. The Cearer had a reputation of passing judgement and meting out punishment without any real trial whatsoever. I had no idea just how that system worked. A prickly feeling at the tips of my fingers made me clench my hands, trying to stop them shifting, but I didn’t bury the growl that rolled from my throat. The moment it did, the room grew heavy with tension. Gearden grew even more tense, if that was possible, and Liam stepped in front of his newfound friend.
I didn’t make out everything that was being said, as I dared not take my eyes from the man to watch Sally signing. “…unpredictable and dangerous…risk…danger to the pack…unstable.”
“Keep talking trash like that,” I growled. “And you’ll see just how unstable I can be.”
Liam turned to pin me with a chastising glare. “That is no help, whatsoever, Maeleigh.”
I didn’t feel contrite, but I did take a deep breath, showing that I was attempting to calm myself. Making a show of putting down my weapons, in a way, though Luna wanted to show that Liam didn’t control us. Which, as I had started to understand, was true. As much as I looked to him for guidance and leadership as my pack alpha, my wolf was not under the influence or control of his. It viewed him as equally powerful, not more so. And that scared me more than a little. I was on my own when controlling my inner wolf. She’d already proven that she wasn’t at all shy to show her fur when the least bit provoked.
A tiny movement in my peripheral vision caught my attention just then. Sally, who had inched a little more to the side to gain my attention, had not realized she’d placed herself within AJ’s reach. He saw it right away and didn’t hesitate to take advantage of it. Lightning fast he reached out and grabbed her by the arm. Then he had an arm wrapped around her chest, the other hand gripping her throat menacingly. In a wave, the rest of us jumped towards him, but he stepped back, shaking his head with a “tsk”. When everyone froze, he smiled rather proudly and looked at me. “Tell them to back up, now,” he said calmly. This was a game to him, I thought. He probably had no intention of hurting her but he definitely wasn’t opposed to doing so if he didn’t get the rise out of me that he was hoping for.
I glared at him, wondering whether I could take him on, or let Liam or Gearden try to, but I saw the fear in her eyes. It wasn’t like before with Rowen. She was a small target. This was different. I kept my gaze locked on him as I said as loudly as I could, “Stay back.”
I didn’t have to look behind me to see that everyone had slowly taken a step back, bodies still tense and at the ready, though.
“Why don’t you tell me what you want?” I asked him.
“You’re going to let me go,” he said. It was like he’d practiced it, like a scene from a movie he’d seen a million times. But all it proved was that he was even more crazy then I’d thought. Working alongside Vic while committing heinous crimes against their own people, you’d have to be at least a little bit crazy.
“Delusional much?” I asked, tilting my head to the side. I was egging him on and I wasn’t sure if it was me or Luna who had said such a ballsy thing.
He smiled – the disgusting bastard. “Hardly.”
“You’re not leaving this room unless it’s with the Cearer.” I wanted to make sure he remembered who those around him actually were. Trained hunters and killers. Of their own species. And me. At that moment, I wasn’t afraid to live up to that fact, if it meant putting a little fear into that smug look he had on his face.
When he spoke next, he had turned his head to leer down at Sally, obscuring his lips and words. The way he looked at her though, told me he was threatening her, and Luna growled at that.
“What did he say?” I snapped at Gearden.
“That he had information about the hunters that the rat didn’t and that he wasn’t going to tell anyone while chained up the way he was,” Gearden relayed.
I kept my eyes locked on the bastard who was making deals when he wasn’t in any position to make them and weighed my options.
Sally’s eyes darted to my right, telling me someone had either moved or spoken. AJ rolled his eyes towards the other person.
“What?” I asked Gearden again.
“Thorn is demanding the information,” he said, then growled in my mind. “That they don’t negotiate with prisoners.”
“They don’t,” I said. Then, out loud, “But I do.” Finally taking my eyes from him, I turned to give Thorn a withering glare. “He’s not your prisoner yet.”
He prowled towards me, taking the offensive this time, “That’s …”
Liam again stepped in his way and glared down at the faerie. I’m pretty sure he had some nasty words he probably said in that fancy business way he had but I didn’t catch them. Turning away from the scene, I looked at AJ who was still holding Sally close to him, her neck now red from his grip.
“You have my word,” I told him, watching his brows lift as his interest was piqued. “Let her go and you can have exile.”
“Exile?” He frowned. “No, no, no, little girl. You don’t get it. I want full integration into your pack.
“
Not going to happen,” I told him honestly. As much as I wanted Sally to be safe, I couldn’t give that to him. Surely, he knew that. “McIntires would never accept that.”
He smiled knowingly. “Not McIntire.” I knew what he was going to say before he said it and my body shuddered. “Your new pack.”
“No, Maeleigh,” Gearden warned me. It sometimes sucked that he knew me so well, that he sometimes knew what I was going to do even before I did. “You can’t trust him. He would just go back to his evil ways.”
He knew I’d heard him, but I didn’t respond or even look at him. I needed to have a solitary front in AJ’s presence, especially in this.
Then, thinking about the faerie outside, I answered, “Fine. But you’ll undergo a trial with the current Westboro pack, to determine a new ranking.”
His eyes grew wary and I relished the fact that I could unnerve him, even just a little. Finally, though, he relented, “Fine.”
The room remained tense, though. When I didn’t move, he raised his brows, questioning me. I gestured to the woman he still held hostage. He blinked as if he’d forgotten she was even there and with an honest-to-god-silly-me smile, he dropped his arms and let the shaking Sally stumble away. She came to lean on me, but I deftly passed her to Gearden, keeping AJ in my sights. He was still chained but everything in me was still on edge. I didn’t trust the bastard as far as I could… Wait. I didn’t think I could say that anymore and I’m pretty sure in my other wolf form, I could probably throw him a little way at least. There was no telling otherwise.
The Kill: Book 3 in The Hunt Series Page 4