Sean slowly stood and faced the Beta. I saw his fear in the way he stood. His arms were held rigidly in front of his chest while his stance was tight and unsteady.
As Michael threw the first punch I turned my back on them.
"How can you watch that?" I winced when I heard the sound of bone against flesh. I glanced over at my brother who was watching the fight closely.
"How can you not?" He glanced at me, held my gaze for a second, and then turned back to the center of the ring. "He's the one who hurt you. I'd think you would want to see him get his punishment."
I didn't have to watch to know what was going on behind me. Each hit stung my ears.
Finally I had enough. "That's it." I couldn't take it anymore! I shoved past Josh and a few pack members who were standing in front of me, and stalked into the ring.
Michael must have heard me approach, because he stopped his attack and took a step away from Sean. The boy was huddled on the floor, on his hands and knees, gasping for breath. I wouldn't have been surprised if half his ribs were cracked or broken. I knew Michael tended to go for the chest and the head in battles.
I ignored the Beta, even though I could feel his gaze burning against my skin.
With my eyes glued on Sean's I drew back my arm and slammed my fist right across his jaw. I heard something crack, and his cry of pain made me cringe and take three steps away from him.
"We're even." I faced Alex.
Alex's expression shocked me. I expected him to be upset that I interrupted a Judgment, but instead of rage there was a light smirk tugging at the edges of his mouth. He gave me one firm nod, "Let the run begin."
CL
I walked beside mom as we carried the four tuber ware containers through the main path of the woods. They had been in the refrigerator and the plastic was cold against my skin. It was refreshing in the evening heat.
"Can I ask you something?" Mom glanced at me.
"Go for it." I told her confidently.
She slowed her pace and I matched it. She must have wanted to talk, not just as me one question.
"Why didn't you tell Gabriel, or Nathaniel, what was going on with Sean?"
I sighed heavily. I had known she'd ask that sooner or later. "I guess I wanted to try and fix it myself before involving the pack."
Mom nodded slowly as she pondered my response. Finally she said, "I can understand that. When I joined the pack I was the same way. I wanted them to see me as a member, not just Quentin's mate." She paused before smiling. Her smile was contagious and I smiled back, "But after working myself too thin I realized that the pack did see me as a member and that they were there to help me."
"I know that mom." I told her truthfully, "But I don't want to be the baby girl who can't take care of herself."
She laughed, "No matter how old you get, your father and I, and probably Josh, will always see you as our baby girl."
"I know that."
"Good." She kept smiling.
We walked for a while in silence, before I said, "My turn." I paused before asking, "Why didn't Alex choose Josh to fight for me?"
"That's been bothering you all day, hasn't it?" Mom shocked me by laughing.
I laughed a little too, "I just don't get it! Why would he choose Michael? I mean, yeah, he's the Beta, but it's not like we're mated or something."
I watched mom grin to herself and shake her head.
"You're not going to answer me, are you?" I watched her with my mouth agape.
"Nope; this is one you'll have to answer yourself." She told me.
I grunted, "I answered your question!"
The sun started to disappear behind us and I felt the climate change a few degrees. The coolness of the moon was mixing with the heat of the summer.
They made it to the clearing just as darkness settled on the land. Shadows took over where light had once dwelled and now the only light El could see was the campfire burning in the center of the field and the faint trace of moonlight half hidden by the tree line.
"Just put these here."
I put the lemon bars beside the rest of the food that was spread over the three long picnic tables and said goodbye to mom. I watched her talk and laugh as she walked through the crowd before finally making it to dad's side.
With my back pressed against the table I scanned the field.
I relaxed for the first time that day as I breathed in the calming scent of the campfire. I always loved that smell. It was comforting.
Sitting around the fire were mostly females with their kids. Chris and the twins were nearby. I caught Chris's gaze, and he sent me a wave. I nodded my head towards him, and the twins when they turned, before continuing my search.
Josh was watching me from near the tree line; half hidden in shadows. He was with the Luperco. They tended to hang together during these types of things; while keeping a close eye on the Alpha, who was standing not two yards from them. They were laughing about something and I grinned when I saw Josh's face break out into a wide smile.
Michael was with the Luperco too. I caught his gaze for a moment, but turned away after less than a second. I didn't feel like dealing with him.
My parents were with Alex and some of the other high ranking members. The fire light illuminated their faces and brought out the hazel of their eyes.
"You definitely know how to cause trouble, don't you?" Cassiel came up to me.
"I don't mean to." I told him.
Cassie pecks my cheek, "Don't wait too long to get some lemon bars. They're going fast."
"Yeah, I can see that." I glanced at his plate to make my point. More than half of his dinner was made up of lemon bars. I laughed when he grinned sheepishly.
"I'll see you later. I'm going to hang with dad."
I nodded my acceptance and watched him go. He patted Pavel on the shoulder when he passed him. Pavel was sitting by the fire. I could tell he was troubled by something.
The first thing I did was look for Nathan. He and Gabriel were a little ways away from Alex. They were talking. Neither of them looked upset, or more angry than normal.
I pushed myself off the table and sat down next to Pavel.
"What's up?" I asked him gently.
He grinned lightly at me, "I'm just thinking."
"About?" I prompted.
Pavel shrugged, "Everyday stuff." I could tell that there was more to the story than that, but I stopped the interrogation. If he didn't want to tell me, than he wouldn't.
Then someone plopped down beside me and thrust a plate full of food into my face. "Eat something." Greg told me. I stared at the plate a second before taking it. He totally loaded it up! There was a hamburger, a hotdog, macaroni salad, fruit salad, and a lemon bar.
"Why? I'm not going on the run." I took a bite out of the hamburger anyway. Morris did the grill tonight. He was one of the best cooks!
Greg gave me a look out of the corner of his eye. "What does that have to do with anything? I gave you food because you haven't eaten anything since those pancakes this morning."
I shrugged as I ate.
"El, just because you don't go on the runs doesn't mean you're not a part of this pack." He told me seriously as he grabbed one of his hamburgers. His plate had twice as much as mine stacked on it.
"It would sure make things easier if I were." I told him after a second.
He snorted, "How is that?"
I shrugged again, "I guess I feel really excluded from everyone, because I'm not fully changed yet."
It was Pavel's turn to scoff. "You're more in with the pack than anyone."
"It doesn't feel that way." I told him edgily.
"It's not that we treat you like a kid." It was as if Greg read my mind, "It's that we want to take care of you. There's a difference."
I opened my mouth to reply, but then I heard someone call my name. "Elaine, come here!" I turned around and saw Alex watching me expectantly. I told the guys that I'd talk to them later, before stepping over the log I'd been using as a se
at and heading over to the Alpha.
Nathan, Michael, and Gabriel were there too.
"Wow, all the Durand's. I must be in a lot of trouble." I joked playfully as I finished up my hamburger.
We were where the Luperco had been standing earlier; out of hearing range from the rest of the pack and far away from the light of the fire.
Alex grinned faintly, "Elaine you will be traveling with Michael and Gabriel with Nathaniel to London in two days."
I almost dropped my plate. "What? That's my punishment?" I panicked slightly, "Can't I just wash everyone's car," I thought for a second, "or be on anger management for two months? That'd be a lot less stressful believe it or not."
Nathan, I could handle. Even Michael. Gabriel was so-so. But all of them together? Was Alex trying to get us all killed?
Alex laughed gently while his sons' expressions turned dark.
"It's not a punishment. I want you to be there when they meet with Leo." He told me gently, "It would help a lot if you were there when they asked him to become our third elder."
"How?" I couldn't help but blurt out. I wasn't questioning Alex's decision, and he knew it, but I couldn't help but be curious.
"You're the kindest face we have." Alex told me, "I don't think the meeting would go very well if I just sent in some muscle. I need someone who can talk to him without starting a new war."
"Then ditch Gabriel and have Greg go with Michael." I joked, but quickly added, "I'll do it, if that's what up want Alex."
He nodded and fatherly put his hand on my shoulder. "Good. You'll be leaving in two days."
I didn't have time to be in shock. Behind us someone began strumming a guitar and the pack began to crowd around the fire. The gathering was starting and I was half pushed towards the music.
I sat between Greg, who was playing the guitar, and Josh. Through the fire I met Michael's gaze. Slowly, I broke out into a smile.
A few days, alone, with the mean Durand brothers; that was going to be something.
Chapter Twelve
"You're going to London with all of my brothers?" Cassie asked from his seat on the edge of my bed.
I let out a long sigh, "Yep."
"Why not just set yourself on fire. It'd be less painful." He remarked dryly.
I choked on my laugh before, without looking in his direction, chucking a book in Cassiel's general direction.
"Hey!" His panicked exclamation made me spin around in my chair. Cassie caught it clumsily before it hit him in the chest. "Watch it! Not all of us are self healing, ya know."
I shook my head at him before turning back to my computer.
"How about you give me a helpful comment now?" I was only online to see if Sebastian had sent me an email. I swore I sent him about twenty in the last month, but haven't received one in reply. It wasn't getting on my nerves, but it was stressing me out. Nathan's middle son was known to ignore a lot of people, but he'd never done that to me.
"Take Advil." He suggested hesitantly.
I shot the youngest Durand a dark look, but then thought it over. "You know, that's not bad advice."
"Well, I am the walking guide to The Brothers." He told me proudly, with a wide smile.
I turned back to my computer to see '0 messages' glaring back at me. I logged out and shut the whole computer down. "Have you heard from Seb lately?"
"Nope," Cassie stretched back on my bed, "But that's not unusual. He doesn't call home unless it's Christmas or Thanksgiving. And that's only to tell us he can't make it to dinner or something like that."
I folded my arms over my chest and glared at my desk, "I have a bad feeling."
My bed creaked and I saw Cassiel sitting up, though the corner of my eye. "What? You think something's happened?"
"Well, you know Seb." I told him. "He can never stay out of trouble for too long."
I thought about Nathan's middle child for a few more minutes. I loved Seb. He was an adult three times over, but still acted like a kid. Not a lot of werewolves could do that. But there were times when I seriously worried about him. He liked testing the limits, bending rules, and taking risks. Sometimes his risks were ones that no one, not even a werewolf, should try.
I was about to say something to Cassie when I heard the front door open and close.
"Elaine Jeannine!"
I froze, and noticed that Cassiel had too.
"Someone is in trouble." Cassie warned me in a sing-song tone. I threw another book at him and he exploded in laughter as he ducked.
The book fell to the floor with a loud thud.
"Shut up." I threatened him as I walked past him. I peered down the stairwell and saw my dad waiting for me at the bottom of the steps. "Hi dad." The look on his face made me stop while I was behind and not try and lighten the mood with a joke.
I jogged down the steps quicker than I usually did, although part of my mind was begging me to turn around and run for my life.
I barely made it down the whole way when my father's arms wrapped around me and pulled me hard against him. I grunted when I hit his chest.
"If you ever lie to me again I'll lock you in the anger management room." My father's chest rumbled with a deep growl as he hissed into my hair.
"You're not the only person to threaten her with that." Gabriel's voice made me jump. Dad loosened his grip enough so I could turn and face the man looming over us in the shadows of the stairwell.
The only light in the house was coming from the kitchen, so we were all mainly in the shadows.
"Maybe it's not working anymore." My eyes flickered over to the living room. Michael was leaning against the back of the couch. His eyes were hard against mine and I felt small under his gaze. So I quickly looked to the floor.
"Yeah, maybe we'll have to follow through and put her down there from now until we leave." Gabriel's eyes glittered dangerously when I met his gaze. I glared at him, but I knew it wouldn't do much.
"No food." Nathan concluded. He strutted threateningly out of the kitchen. His arms were crossed and his muscles only made me feel smaller.
My insides were tight and practically trembling. I wasn't sure if I was scared, or pissed. It was like these guys had gotten together and rehearsed this whole interrogation.
"Water." Michael added.
"Or human contact." My jaw dropped when Alex joined in this conversation. I hadn't even noticed him walk into the room with Nathaniel.
I backed up, only to get trapped by my father's arms. "We'll even turn the air conditioning on down there." My father whispered behind me. I heard some amusement in his tone, but not enough to bring comfort to the situation.
"What are you guys going to do? Beat me up?" I asked them sarcastically; trying to hide the fact that I was a little, tiny bit, scared at that moment. I didn't think I had ever seen them look so dark and intimidating before.
Alex chuckled lightly, and I relaxed a little. "Don't worry El. You're punishment won't be as bad as Sean's."
Gabriel made a sound in the back of his throat, "I think it depends on how you look at it."
His tone made me tense up again.
I didn't have a good feeling about this.
"We'll see you tomorrow, El." Nathan patted my shoulder before slipping out the front door. I gaped after him.
"You're not going to tell me what I have to do?"
"It's more fun this way." I couldn't believe that Michael was on their side! I glared at him, but turned and glared at the floor when I remembered who I was glaring at. "Don't worry sweetheart. It's not like we're going to beat you up." He winked at me before following his older brother out the door.
CL
"This is cruel and unusual punishment!"
There I was standing in 93 degree heat, with a garden hose in my hands, and soap suds drying on my skin. The sun was beating down harshly and seemed to dry the jeep faster than we could wash it.
Water soaked my clothes more than it needed to, because my partner in crime wasn't doing a good job of washing the
roof. Cassie was gifted in many things, but washing a car was not one of them. He had NO aim! There was more water on me than the damn jeep!
I could hear Greg laughing behind me. He was obviously having a great time, because he hadn't stopped laughing since we got out here.
He and Gabriel had been assigned to watch me and Cassie. I told Alex that we wouldn't scrimp; that'd we'd do our job and probably do it better without Gabriel standing behind us. But Michael stepped in and ruined my chances of getting rid of my babysitters. He told Alex that Gabriel and Greg had to be there to point out and spots that we missed.
I could have slapped him.
"Oh sure! Laugh it up!" I growled. All I wanted to do was turn the hose on them, but knew I couldn't. Michael, Alex, and my parents were across the street on Alex's front porch so attacking Gabriel would only get me in more trouble. And the butthead knew it too.
I swore that Gabriel was getting some sick pleasure of making my day pure hell, because he knew that I couldn't do anything about it.
Damn him.
As I washed away the suds I could feel my shoulders burning under the glare of the sun.
I couldn't believe that they had actually listened to my sarcastic remarks! Sure, I'd often joke about having my punishment be to wash all of the pack's vehicles, but I NEVER thought they'd actually do it!
At that moment I'd rather some punches be thrown my way. At least a fight wouldn't last that long and afterwards I could go inside and put the air conditioning on full blast.
I wasn't paying that much attention to what was going on around me, so I screamed when a wet sponge flew over the roof of the jeep.
"Head's up!" Cassie yelled, but it was too late.
I let out a German swearword as it hit my chest. I looked like I'd sprayed myself with the hose.
I shivered violently. It wasn't exactly refreshing.
"Sorry El!" Cassie sounded more amused that anything else. I cracked a smile, but I wasn't finding much humor in anything, at that second.
"I kinda like it," Came Gabriel's snide voice. I went rigid as I waited for him to continue, "It's perfect for London. This time of year is prime time for wet t-shirt contests."
Howl (Howl Book 1) Page 16