by Victoria Sue
Collections was the polite term given to one of the most barbaric practices Taegan had ever witnessed. Solonara’s main source of income was silk. It was the only territory that had large areas and warm enough weather to produce the moths that would lay the cocoons. Labor was difficult in Solonara. Everyone thought the Alphas were bad in all the territories, but Darius, the Alpha in Solonara, made them all look like everyone’s favorite uncle. Over the years, human refugees had fled to other territories and the human population there had gradually dwindled.
She-wolves didn’t have many pups. Unless they were a breeder, they only came into heat once every three years. Humans seemed to breed so easily, and terrified that the humans would defeat the werewolves by sheer numbers alone, the licensing laws were brought in. Human couples had to get the Alpha’s permission to breed. Those in jobs such as farming were often allowed up to three children. Anyone who didn’t have a job was denied. That included all slaves.
The licensing law then backfired on the very Alphas who had instigated this. Silk production involved softening the cocoons in boiling water and peeling the silk threads off by hand. When the Alphas ran out of workers because of the disabling and horrific burns, they started scooping up the unlicensed children. After all, these children weren’t even supposed to be alive, so no-one would care where they lived. Children lasted barely three years before their hands were so burned, scarred, and often infected they were useless and thrown back on the streets. The high turnover meant the Alphas were running out of workers, so they started to go look for them.
Originally street-rats, unlicensed children were simply taken, but then parents of the licensed children, often poor themselves, would get offered sums of gold to “allow” their children to be taken for “apprenticeships”. The children were promised to return after three years with papers and a trade.
It was only when the very few children managed to escape that the horror and lies were finally revealed. Then the Alphas resorted to collection gangs, and it was one such night that Taegan and Silas met.
His uncle was a fisherman, and he and his mom had just walked down to the harbor to watch the crews sail. It was a fabulous sight. All twenty of the Alphas’ ships going off at once. Gold and green sails waving in the breeze. Taegan couldn’t wait to follow in his uncle’s footsteps, and his uncle had promised him the day he turned thirteen he could go with him. Taegan had been counting the days.
They’d stepped away from the quayside and started up the lane towards the cottage that his mom shared with two other families. They were just crossing the road when they both heard the sound of horses galloping and people started screaming. His mom had known straight away what it was and told Taegan to run as fast and as far as he could and then to hide. He hadn’t questioned as he had recognized the fear in his mom’s voice and had seen the huge carts that accompanied the gammas, heard the crying children, and from his hiding place had watched in horror as the gamma had pointed his horse at a woman trying desperately to shield a small child. Another gamma dragged the hysterical child off the screaming woman and then the gamma had barreled his horse straight into her. She had been knocked unconscious into the water. Taegan had never seen her come out.
He had hidden; crying and shaking and trying to make no noise as the gammas had systematically searched. They had gotten closer, and he hadn’t been able to silence his whimpers until he’d felt a large hand clamp around his mouth to stop what he was sure would have been an earth-shattering scream. An arm then lifted him and wrapped him in his cloak. He had heard the gamma that was searching exchange a polite greeting with whoever was holding him tight and then he had walked on. The hand had only been taken away when the gammas moved off. It had been Silas’s.
Silas hadn’t known who Taegan was, but he knew Taegan’s mom. She had worked in the kitchens of Silas’s former Alpha for a while. When his Alpha had died he had been released from his vow, and instead of settling down he had wanted to travel but had eventually returned to the area. Over the years, he had told Taegan how he had been increasingly disgusted by the treatment of the humans and wanted no part of it, and little by little they had become friends. Silas was different. Taegan hated the wolves but it was almost like he had forgotten Silas was one. Taegan had never known his own father, but the other slaves gossiped, and he hadn’t been very old when he had overheard the truth. All his mother would say was that they had both worked for the same Alpha as Silas, but he had nagged his mom for more and more details as he got older about why he had died, and she’d finally admitted he had been killed by a wolf.
For a long time, Taegan’s hatred of wolves after that had meant he had even stopped talking to Silas, but the old wolf had eventually won him over again. Silas always said he didn’t know how old he was, as he had stopped counting at one hundred and fifty. And one morning when Taegan was eleven and his uncle’s boat never returned to the harbor, Silas all but became the dad Taegan still needed.
Taegan owed Silas his life, and while Silas would never actually take part in their rebellion, he would always keep their secret. Now he lived in a small cottage in the forest by the vineyards. Loved his books, painted, and drank good wine. The blenders always used Silas to taste their new blends and gifted him whatever he liked. The children adored him. He had said it was worth putting up with the smell of Sulphur to be close to people he considered family.
“You worried a lot of people when you didn’t come home yesterday.”
Taegan started. He’d been so lost in his thoughts, he hadn’t realized Silas had been staring at him for a good few minutes. “I brought something back with me.”
“I heard,” Silas said dryly. Taegan grinned. Of course, he had. “Try this.” Silas passed him a glass and Taegan sniffed suspiciously. It was white. When Taegan drank wine, it was always red. Silas chuckled. “It won’t hurt you.”
Taegan took a sip. A burst of fruit spread over his tongue. “Is that … pears?”
Silas chuckled again. “Very good. Dashel would be proud of you.”
Dashel was one of the master blenders responsible for giving the wolves what they loved even though it wasn’t something the wolves ever wanted to learn. They wanted someone else to make it, they just wanted to drink it. Taegan sighed and put the glass down.
“There is no sign of them?” Silas said.
“No, and we have no idea where to look next.”
“And that’s why you have the Alpha’s nephew? Information?”
“It was the only thing I could think of, but I’m not sure if he’s going to be any help.”
Silas frowned. “Is he refusing to talk? I assume he is in the cage.”
Taegan huffed. “It’s not that. He’s just … not like any wolf I have ever seen. If I didn’t know better, I would swear he is human. He’s small, thin. Looks half-starved; it’s rumored he’s crazy. I had convinced myself it was all an act to get us to lower our guard, but…” He would never forget the look in his eyes as he had choked him. It was as if he had given up.
“You’re not convinced?”
“His injuries aren’t all recent. Some look weeks old. I thought them self-inflicted, but I don’t know. I know you hate the caves, but would you come and see what you think? We would take the usual precautions.” The prisoner would be hooded and tied so he couldn’t ever identify Silas. Silas drained his glass and stood.
“I will come immediately. Anything to help find Neal and Rayne.”
They walked back slowly. It was dark outside but the first rays of light would be painting the sky in another few hours. Taegan always loved the dawn. Everything looked fresh and clean before the ugly could descend on the day and sully it once more. The caves were quiet. Jenner was on guard at the entrance and Rego was watching the prisoner after taking over from Cy, who had gone to bed. They walked down the tunnel and Taegan pulled his wool cloak tighter. It became freezing the further they got, and the wall sconces were the only light. They got to the big cave at the back with the cage an
d saw Rego holding a steaming mug of tea, warming his hands; a blanket wrapped around him. He also noticed the gun laid carefully on the table in front of him. “Rego,” he snapped. “I told you to get rid of that thing.”
Rego huffed and put it in his belt.
“I mean it, Rego. If I see it again, you will both go.”
He hated it. It was old and goddess only knew where Rego had even gotten it from, but guns were outlawed by all except Alpha Cain’s personal human guards. It was a death sentence for any human to be caught even having one in their house. The wolves had successfully outlawed them to the point at which not many even knew of their existence, and as far as he knew Cain had systematically destroyed all he found.
He appreciated what a weapon it was against the wolves. Once the wolves shifted, the gun would be lying around like clothes and useless to them, but the benefits didn’t outweigh the risks. He could kill a wolf from as equal a distance with a throwing knife, and that didn’t make as much noise.
He sighed, nodding towards the prisoner. “How’s he been?”
“Whining at his treatment when I took over from Cy, but then he fell asleep and has not stirred at all.”
Taegan frowned and peered into the cage. The man was lain on his side, eyes closed. “Has he made any attempt to shift?” Even with the collar, some of the wolves still tried.
“No,” Rego laughed. “He tried to tell me he was cold but I knew he was lying. Trying for sympathy like we all know wolves can’t keep themselves warm. Like I said, he hasn’t moved.”
Taegan glanced back at their prisoner. He was lain on the straw, unmoving. He eyed Rego. “Where’s the blanket from the cell?”
Rego grinned in answer and Taegan knew Rego was wearing it along with his own. “Open the cage,” Taegan said immediately as an unease he couldn’t put a name to skittered up his spine. He grabbed a hood off the hook and walked in, while Silas stayed just out of sight. Taegan bent down and nudged the wolf’s shoulders cautiously with his foot. He never stirred. Frowning, he bent and touched his arm. Goddess, the man was freezing. He wasn’t sure he was even alive. “Silas!” Taegan bellowed. He reached down and scooped him up. It was like holding a block of ice.
“Sorin’s heart,” Silas exclaimed, hurrying forward and touching him. “He’s human?”
“He’s the Alpha’s fucking nephew,” Taegan shouted, starting to run. “He can’t be.” He raced with him back up the passages to the largest cave where there was always a fire blazing, and went to lay him down.
“No, stop,” Silas instructed. “Get on the pallet with him. He needs your body heat. Take off your clothes and press him close. I will wrap you both.” Taegan’s jaw dropped. “Take off your shirt, dammit, Taegan! Do you want him dead?” Silas snapped and it spurred Taegan into action. He may have wanted to kill the wolf deliberately, but the irony that he didn’t want to kill him accidentally wasn’t lost on him. Taegan quickly took off the collar, wrapped his arms around him tight and tucked the wolf’s head under his chin. The slight exhale of air was cold on Taegan’s skin. His chest barely moved. Taegan’s eyes flew to Silas’s.
“He’s still alive, but we’re on borrowed time,” Silas confirmed and cocooned Taegan and … Caleb — that’s what he had said he was called — in blankets. Silas heated water. “I can’t give him anything to drink … until he wakes.” The hesitation and implication it may be if he woke was not lost on Taegan.
“He’s freezing.” Taegan worried, trying to move his arms and rub his skin.
“No,” Silas warned, putting his hand on Taegan’s arm. “Sudden blood flowing to the skin can interfere with his heart.” Taegan stopped immediately, knowing the wolves had a better understanding of their bodies than the humans.
Silas bent and stoked the fire. “I am going back to my cottage to get my teas for when he wakes. There is little else I can do until then.” Silas had a special collection of teas he made himself. One for every occasion. Taegan just nodded and pressed Caleb close, praying he would come around soon. Taegan’s mind raced. It wasn’t possible he was a human. He would have said. He had nothing to gain by posing as a wolf, and Taegan had heard the Alpha call him Nephew. None of it made any sense.
Agonizing minutes later, he felt Caleb’s head move slightly and a stronger puff of breath as he exhaled. He was close enough to see the pulse point beating far too slowly in his neck. He knew the wolves’ hearts beat at a much more rapid rate than humans. Silas had once told him that was why they didn’t feel the cold, and why they ate far more.
How in Sorin’s heart did it ever get to this? He had never meant to be a killer. He was still going to be a fisherman and had even got a crewing post. They’d had a reasonably comfortable life, and then one day the collection gangs returned. It had been fourteen years ago, and Taegan had just turned sixteen. Renee lived in a cottage with two other women. There were five children altogether. Taegan was the oldest and Pia, a pretty little girl, the youngest at six. Pia’s mom was a clever seamstress, exceptionally so, and the she-wolves came to her with their bolts of silk to make dresses and the silk shirts the wolves wore. The three women had worked out that Pia’s mom had the most income potential, so Renee and the other mom, Elspetta, took turns babysitting the three smaller children so Pia’s mom could have the sewing time she needed.
Taegan was just walking home when the screaming began. He would never forget the agonized cries of the women as children were snatched, and he ran until his lungs were bursting back to their cottage just in time to see the gamma knock Renee to the ground and grab a screaming Pia. He didn’t think. He just acted. All fisherman carried a small knife for gutting their catch, and Taegan’s was buried in the gamma’s neck before he had even realized what he had done.
They had run. Taegan, Renee, and the three younger kids, and they hadn’t stopped until Taegan had managed to steal a small hand cart that he had gotten the little ones to huddle in. They had camped on the outskirts of the village that night intending to go back and take Pia and the other two to their mom’s, but the smoke and fires had lit up the night sky and told them they could never return.
The gamma had been found, and the Alpha set fire to the human cottages in an act of retribution. Taegan had killed for the first time that night, but he had been responsible for many more deaths, and even when Pia had been reunited with her mom, he had never truly forgiven himself. They had travelled further north towards the winemaking region and Taegan had found farming work, and had tried to live a normal life. Silas had even followed them and Taegan was so very glad the old wolf didn’t condemn him as he had done himself.
He had been steadily drawn into the rebel’s cause, and there became always one more thing he needed to do. One more wrong to right. One more death to avenge. One more act of cruelty to prevent. He knew he was driven for so many reasons, but the guilt over the slaughter in the village would never leave him. And here he was again, perhaps responsible for what he feared might turn out to be another innocent’s death, and this one he would be unable to lay at the wolves’ door.
Caleb moaned and tried to move. Taegan swallowed down the tight feeling in his throat and took a breath before he looked down. “You’re okay,” he said completely inadequately, then felt foolish offering empty words of comfort. He’d locked the guy up for fuck’s sake — nearly killed him by accident after trying to choke him to death deliberately. What part of him giving any type of reassurance was going to make him feel better? Caleb moaned again faintly and moved his head back a little — eyes still tightly shut — but Taegan could see his face now that it wasn’t completely buried in his neck. Taegan stared and remembered the light brown eyes he had seen as he choked him. The despair. Pale brown lashes rested on dark bruised-looking shadows. He could see the deep purple marks around his neck that Taegan’s fingers had put there. It didn’t make any sense. If he was genuine why did he want to die, and then when they took him, why didn’t he try to plead for clemency? Taegan tightened his arms almost protectively,
which was ridiculous. Neither of them could move. Maybe if Taegan saved his life, he would tell them what they wanted to know out of gratitude.
He just managed to stop rolling his eyes.
After a few minutes, Taegan looked up when he heard a quiet step and Silas reappeared. He arched an eyebrow in enquiry. “He’s moved slightly, but nothing else,” Taegan answered quietly. “And he feels warmer.” Taegan wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince.
“It won’t be instant.” Silas came nearer. “He looks like he has been sick, which as you say makes no sense if he is a wolf.”
“Can’t you tell if he is or not?”
Silas closed his eyes briefly then opened them. “I’ve lived so long with the Sulphur I am not confident of my sense of smell. There’s definitely something, but it’s very faint.” Silas hesitated. “I only saw him briefly, but even I could see the injuries. Some look weeks old so whatever has been done, he has been unable to shift and heal them. He also has rope burns, which as we know are usually useless to restrain a wolf.” He hesitated once more. “Taegan, some of the injuries to his arms are bites, likely wolf.”
Taegan’s arms tightened again in horror. What pain must he be going through to do that to himself? “Did you see his neck?” Taegan tried to keep the horror from his voice.
“Briefly,” Silas clipped out, obviously as sickened as Taegan. “And I cannot imagine that is self-inflicted.” Taegan agreed. An injury like that would have been fatal if he was unable to shift. Unless it was an accident, but even then it made no sense.
“I’ve brought my bed roll. I’m going to lie down out there, though. If he is wolf, he will be able to smell me and I don’t want him alarmed as he will know I am not pack. Can I get you anything?”