by T. Cobbin
“No,” she screeched.
Then realization hit her full force. Duke was trying to make her understand that she hadn’t killed these pack members. She hadn’t asked Timmy to almost rape her. She hadn’t wanted any of this!
Closing her eyes, she leaned against his hard body. “I’m sorry.” Tears fell down her face.
Duke wrapped his arms around her again. “Don’t be sorry, sweetheart, you were just looking for someone to blame. Only it isn’t your fault. You know that, right?”
She looked up and met Duke’s eyes. “If Timmy had gotten his way, if he had ra…hurt me, maybe these people wouldn’t be dead.”
Duke cupped her face, and she couldn’t resist leaning into his palm. She closed her eyes and relished his warmth and love in the small gesture.
“Look at me,” he ordered.
She obeyed and opened her eyes, looking up.
“Timmy is rotten to the core. If he had raped you and gotten his way, he still wouldn’t be alpha. He’d be dead.”
“But—” If Duke had killed him, pack law would still have been enforced, leaving her without her man anyway.
“No buts, Raven,” he interrupted her. “I swore to your father that no one would ever hurt you. The day you left, I swore to myself that one day I would do everything I could to wind myself around your heart. And if you had taken another mate, I would have watched over you still, even with a broken heart.”
Raven whined in her wolf form, remembering his sweet words only yesterday. Looking to her left, she saw Duke watching her with bright green wolf eyes. He leaned forward and licked her snout. She lay her head against his body and ruffled her nose through his fur. It helped the sadness in her heart a little having him beside her. Together they watched two more pack members head off to meet the goddess before their time.
Chapter 14
“Morning, Jasmine,” Raven said, entering the kitchen to see her beta sitting at the table, a coffee mug sitting before her.
“Morning, Raven. Coffee’s made.”
“I can smell.”
Since being pregnant, Raven allowed herself one morning coffee. Her pregnancy was progressing so fast it made her fear that her pup might have something wrong with it, and limiting her caffeine intake was something she could easily do, whereas the rest… She’d have to wait.
“What brings you here so early?” she asked Jasmine.
“The Hounds informed me last night that they’ve decided the punishment, and they want to see Frank.”
Raven poured the delicious smelling, black liquid gold into her mug and breathed the scent in deeply. Today was going to be another tough day. Frank had been left in the basement cage for over a month while the family decided what to do. Not that it bothered the pack.
Before Raven could speak, Duke’s deep voice came from behind her. “Breakfast first.”
“Yes, Dad,” she replied sarcastically.
“I can still go out and buy that paddle,” he warned close to her ear.
“And I can deny you sex,” she said, turning around and looking up at her mate.
Yeah, like that will happen. Her thoughts immediately took her to another morning sex session. Duke was liking the vibrator and swore that he was going to get more toys.
He scrunched up his nose and shook his head. “Nah, you want this too much.” He motioned down his body with his hands.
Raven had no reply to that; she did love his body. His muscles, the taste of his sun kissed skin, the hardness of his sex. She watched Duke’s nose twitch and a sexy grin light up his face.
“I smell how much you want me.”
She stuck her tongue out and turned back to Jasmine. Duke chuckled and reached for the coffee pot.
“After breakfast,” she said, emphasizing the word breakfast for Duke’s benefit, “Duke and I will go see Holly and Belinda, while you start spreading the word for a pack meeting this afternoon.” She looked toward the kitchen clock. “Say around three?”
“Good for me.” Jasmine nodded.
“Do you have any idea what punishment they want to hand out?” Duke asked, standing beside Raven, a cup of coffee in hand.
“Nope, they just asked to see Frank, and to inform the alphas they had come to a decision.”
Raven was curious what the family had decided. She could see Holly forgiving Frank even though he’d killed her only son, but Belinda? She was pregnant and would more than likely want revenge for her pup, and for her mate.
* * * *
The walk to the Hounds’s cabin was peaceful, the summer air warm, but not too hot, and the birds filled the air with their song. But as they neared the cabin all that faded away and trepidation filled Raven’s heart.
“Morning, Holly. Morning, Belinda,” Raven called out as she entered the Hounds’s cabin after a short knock.
“Morning,” Holly yelled from the direction of the kitchen.
Just then Belinda came down the hallway. “Morning, Alphas,” she greeted them.
Duke placed a hand on the small of Raven’s back as they followed Belinda to the kitchen. His simple touch meant so much to Raven.
“Cuppa?” Holly asked in short.
“Yes, please.” Both Raven and Duke accepted together.
Once they had mugs in their hands and sat down, Raven broached the question about what they’d decided to do with Frank.
Holly looked toward Belinda, and sorrow seemed to pass between them in a single glance. Finally, Holly said, “We want to speak to Frank and give him the chance to either redeem himself or…” The old woman sighed. “Or…” she repeated before pausing again.
“What are you looking for?” Duke asked the women.
“I want him to suffer the same fate my son did, but I can’t bring myself, nor can Belinda,” Holly said, motioning toward the younger woman with a nod, “to put a man to his death. I… We want him to decide if he wants to live or die.”
“If he was to live, you know we can’t let him back into the pack. He would be incarcerated in the cage,” Duke said.
“I know that, young’un.” Holly nodded with a I’m-not-dumb-as-shit look on her face. “But what of his family? How can we give the man a death sentence and not think about them? It’s not just him who will receive the sentence.”
Raven nodded. Both of the females’ emotions were so conflicted it was hard to pick out just one feeling.
“Have you spoken to Percy?” Raven asked.
The elders had summoned both Raven and Duke to see them after Frank had been caught. One of the elders, Percy, had been a long-time friend of Holly’s mate and knew the family well. He’d been talking with some of the others in the village and they had come up with a suggestion. Magic wasn’t used very much, but occasionally it was needed. For example, the shield to keep unwanted visitors away; that was very much required. Percy proposed a spell that would lock Frank into his wolf form, never to be human again. It could give Holly and Belinda peace of mind that they didn’t have to put a man to his death.
“Yes, it was good to see Percy again.” The crinkles around Holly’s eyes grew deeper with her smile. Her fondness for the male showed. “Belinda and I have decided, if Frank isn’t…doesn’t…” She struggled for words.
Belinda spoke up, finishing her unsaid sentence. “We will accept the elders’ suggestion no matter what,” she said, holding her head high. “We can’t do to him what he did to Buddy. But we can place a collar around his neck and treat him how he should be treated—like a dog.” Belinda’s eyes filled with unshed tears. She quickly excused herself and ran from the kitchen.
“She has found this harder, I think because she carries Buddy’s pup,” Holly said, her gaze following the young woman. “It still hits me in waves. I still expect the fool to walk in the door after a good day’s work and say ‘hi Mum, what’s for tea?’” Holly sighed. “When Buddy did what he did to you, I was so angry. And then when you allowed him to come home...” Holly shook her head and stared down into her mug. “I couldn�
�t have been happier.”
Raven leaned across the table and clasped Holly’s hand. After a lengthy pause, Raven spoke again. “Shall Duke and I give you some time before we go to see Frank?”
Holly raised her head instantly. “No, I’ll talk to Belinda. I want this sorted and out of the way. I want to put this all behind us and concentrate on the pup.” Holly stood and walked down the hallway. The strength in her decision poured out in her emotions. She couldn’t, however, hide her pain from her alphas.
“What do we do if they choose to render Frank in his wolf form?” Raven asked Duke. She didn’t want to think of any wolf shifter in a collar, not even one who deserved it. For your wolf to never roam freely was a fate worse than death.
“We can keep him in the cage,” Duke suggested. “But then, to be stuck in his wolf form and never see the sun, seems worse. Eventually, as a wolf, he will forget his human side and be an animal.”
Duke rubbed his hand over his shaven chin. He’d chosen to stay clean-shaven rather than grow his beard again. Raven liked that; it made him look younger, and she enjoyed it when he sucked at her pussy. She couldn’t help but wriggle in her seat, thinking of him doing just that.
He scented the air and smiled at her. She shrugged and downed her tea. “How about we build him a doghouse and keep him in a collar on a chain? I know it’s—”
“I agree,” Holly said, interrupting Raven. “That sounds better than keeping him in the basement cage.”
Raven looked toward Holly then went back to Duke. It would seem a final decision had been made.
“You still want to see him?” Raven asked.
“Yes. Belinda won’t be coming. I told her to lie down and rest.”
Picking up their mugs, along with both Holly’s and Belinda’s, Duke stood and placed them in the sink. “Let’s go then,” he said and led the way to the door.
* * * *
Holly placed a hand on Duke’s before entering the hall. “You can tell what the pack are feeling, right?”
Duke nodded, automatically tuning into Holly’s emotions as she spoke to him.
“I want to know if he feels any remorse, please.” She sighed. “It might allow him to meet the goddess as a human.”
Duke immediately understood what she was saying. “Okay,” he agreed. Giving her one more chance to back out of seeing Frank, he asked, “You’re sure about this? I can do this for you.”
“Nope, young’un. Lead the way.”
Duke took her hand, placing it on his forearm, and opened the door. With only one step inside the basement, Duke already missed the sun. Raven was following them, and he could feel that his mate felt the same about being in the basement as he did. The air was musty, and although the lights were on, it was still dingy.
The two guards standing on duty nodded to the trio. Holly walked straight over to the cage holding Frank in the far corner. Duke had warned the elderly woman that since being caught Frank had showed his true nature and wasn’t exactly being quiet. His choice of words turned the air blue.
Duke cringed at the man’s language. “I warned you,” he told Holly.
“Don’t worry about me, young’un. I’ve seen my fair share of troubled teenage boys.”
At one time Holly had been the head teacher in the upper school for the pack kids. She had retired not long after Duke left the school. He remembered her well; she’d been strict but fair. Thankfully, he hadn’t once been in front of her for doing something wrong. It wasn’t that he hadn’t done anything, it was that he just hadn’t been caught.
“Oh, look at this, justice day.” Frank sniggered, stepping toward the bars and grabbing them. “So, what’s it going to be, Holly? Or are you going to want me to apologize for killing a traitor to his kind. Well, bullshit to that. I ain’t—”
“Shut up, boy,” Holly said in a low but firm voice, taking a step away from both Duke and Raven.
Duke was surprised when Frank shut his mouth and stayed silent.
“Your parents are dying inside themselves because of what you have done,” Holly berated the male. “They can’t believe you would put them through so much shit. They gave you everything.”
Holly paused, but Frank stayed quiet. Duke tuned into the male’s emotions; his anger at life in general dimmed, allowing for guilt to creep in. There was also some respect there too, for Holly.
“My boy may not have been the best, but he came home and was willing to take any punishment thrown at him. He worked hard to earn the respect of the pack back, and he accomplished that. You, however, will never get that chance.”
Frank rattled the bars, but continued to stay quiet. His emotions told Duke his anger was growing. Probably because Holly mentioned Buddy.
“I have come here today to tell you your fate, but also to let you know about something else you took away from my son. I’ve asked Duke to tell me how you feel when I inform you. It will be the final nail in your coffin so to speak.”
Frank’s eyes flitted to Duke’s before going back to Holly’s. Weariness crept into his emotions now. Still, he stayed silent.
“The day you murdered my son...” Holly’s voice grew hoarse, and Duke could feel her holding back tears. Raven must have too, because she stepped toward the elderly woman and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Belinda and I were on our way back from the doctor, after learning she carried their pup. He was going to be a father and never got to know it.”
Guilt, anger, and sadness were some of Frank’s emotions before satisfaction led the way. Leaning down, Duke informed Holly what he was feeling. As Holly nodded, a tear dropped from her eye and fell down her cheek.
“I could ask for a quick death for you, Frank. At one time you were a good boy. But the elders have come up with something else. You are to be locked into your wolf form for the rest of your living days.”
“I’m glad he never got to see his pup,” Frank screamed at Holly, finally saying something. He rattled the bars again. “He didn’t deserve to—”
“Shut up, boy!” Holly said, raising her voice over Frank’s, interrupting him. “You don’t get to say anything to me.” She paused, waiting for Frank to still. “My son may have done wrong, but coming home and asking forgiveness shows he was worth more than you. While in your wolf form, and before you forget you were even human, I want you to remember your parents. They carry your shame. I feel sorry for them.”
Duke looked down at the old woman, admiring her strength.
“I’m done with bad rubbish.” With that, Holly turned and walked across the basement toward the exit. Raven followed close behind.
Frank rattled the bars and howled into the air.
* * * *
Three nights later.
Raven tossed and turned in her sleep. No matter how many times Duke pulled her against his body and held her to him, she wriggled free and shuffled restlessly.
For three days and three nights, ever since Frank had been locked into his wolf form, he had howled constantly. Duke mentally thanked the elders for their magic and shield. It meant the humans would never hear him, because not only did the shield deter people away from their hidden village, it also hid things like the pack’s occasional howling. However, that didn’t stop the pack from hearing it. Raven had slept fitfully for the last few nights and Duke was worried.
Duke ran a hand over Raven’s lower stomach. Her midwife had estimated in the three months she’d been pregnant the pup had grown at nearly triple the rate of a normal pregnancy. The elders had said that could happen, but no one could have predicted how much it had taken out of Raven herself. She’d lost weight, her face seemed drawn, and she was quite pale. These last three days had taken so much out of her. The pack’s emotions were raw.
Duke was alerted to footsteps nearing their cabin. Gently climbing from the bed, he pulled on a pair of jeans and made his way to the front door. Jasmine was there to meet him with a frown on her face.
“It’s almost cruel to do this,” she said, holding up a small box.
“But what that male…wolf is doing…” She sighed.
Duke had forgotten to put the wall up against the pack emotions before opening the door. Jasmine’s were just as raw as everyone else’s. He slammed a wall tightly against the pack’s emotions before answering his beta.
“Stay here with Raven,” he ordered Jasmine. “I’ll go sort the wolf.”
“I’ll put some coffee on,” she said, moving inside the house and giving Duke the box.
Stepping outside, Duke stripped and shifted. Muscles realigned, bones cracked, and fur poured out of each and every pore. Lifting his head, he scented the air around him, breathing in all the aromas of summer. Everything was sharper, more intense. For a brief few minutes, Duke enjoyed the peace, before the howling started again.
Picking up the box in his mouth, Duke ran through the woods toward the small green patch that Frank now called home. It would take the male many months before he finally forgot his humanity. It would seem while he remembered, he was determined to make the pack’s lives miserable.
Fifteen minutes later, Duke shifted again back to his human form, by a small patch of green and river. A newly built doghouse was in the center, next to a large pole where a black wolf was collared. The animal growled and lowered to the ground, ready to pounce.
“I wouldn’t, mutt,” Duke warned, growling low himself.
Frank’s wolf moved fast, jumping into the air and targeting Duke. Duke moved faster, batting the animal on his snout with his fist. The hound lay on the ground whining. Duke hadn’t really hurt the animal, just his pride.
“Down,” Duke roared, using his alpha tone—something he knew a wolf couldn’t disobey.
The wolf lowered his body, but his muscles were tight and not relaxed. Duke took a step forward and opened the small box Jasmine had delivered to him. Feeling the pack hurting pained him, but seeing Raven’s pain wounded him even more. Joe, the postmaster, had pulled Duke aside two days ago and suggested something he’d seen on his rounds. A dog collar to stop dogs from barking, which he thought might work with Frank.