It was probably only seconds that she stood there, thinking of the sins he had committed they knew nothing about, and of her own sin of not thinking before she protected three young men. It felt like forever. Then, she looked to the sky, pulling the rain and darkness out of the clouds. A storm began to brew overhead, causing gasps to form in the crowd. It was probably more showy than necessary, but she could tell that this audience was ready to pounce on him themselves, if she didn't give them a show. The entire sky went a dismal black so that there was barely anything allowing them to see each other beyond the lightning travelling from cloud to cloud. She needed to build it up, like charging a battery.
Annalise reached up as if gathering and pulling the power out of the sky, and electricity short from the clouds and down through her fingers at a voltage no one could survive. It would give the audience a show, but Orson would barely know what had happened. He fell to the ground, and with a snap of her fingers, his body turned to ash. What surprised her was the silence. There had not even been time for a scream. She hated to say it, but the audience looked almost disappointed.
She turned to Isaiah, afraid of what devastation she would see there. She thought she spotted a lone tear fall from his eye, but he turned away quickly so that she couldn’t be sure. It was done. Orson was dead, having paid the price for his blood betrayal, but there was this feeling of foreboding inside her stomach that told her it wasn’t over.
CHAPTER SIX
Isaiah was hoping to catch a break, but the moment the celebrations began outside, a sick kind of tradition for the wolves, a woman he was not expecting to see appeared in the middle of his living room. Hyacinthe stood there, looking entirely out of place as Tamara screamed in surprise. “What in the world are you doing in our home? Couldn’t you have knocked or something?” Tamara asked. Isaiah shot her a look, knowing that what she said was not going to go over well with a woman like Hyacinthe. She was the kind of leader that took what she wanted when she wanted it. She felt she had a right to interrupt anything, though he never thought he would see her in the cabin again. He always got the feeling that she hated it in the pack's territory.
Isaiah had just watched his brother die for serious crimes and turn to dust, and now he had to still be alpha. There were things to figure out, and he knew it. He should have known better than to think the coven would give him time to grieve. There were still hybrids out there, trying to handle the situation they were in; in a limbo of sorts. Just because they accepted his orders as alpha under duress, did not mean they would all be cooperative pack members. They had been laying low in makeshift homes put there by some of the coven members, in a hurry. The last thing they wanted was for the hybrids to continue to live with pack members who didn't want them there. They did not want any fights, not needing more drama. There was still tension that would come back the minute the high of watching a Young brother die had worn off the rest of the pack.
“My work is never done, I guess,” Isaiah said in a gravelly sad voice, hearing his own exhaustion.
“Where is Annalise?” Hyacinthe asked, looking around as if she might pop out from behind the couch or something. Isaiah had gotten the impression she was done with them and left the moment she executed Orson. Did Hyacinthe know the trouble she was causing by shoving Annalise in his face? Knowing her, there was a slight chance she was doing it for her own amusement.
“I thought she would be back with you by now. She did not come here after the execution,” Isaiah said, feeling Tamara’s glare as she looked straight through him and at Hyacinthe. If he didn't get Tamara out of there, this encounter was going to turn uglier than he could afford. “Why don’t we go and find her and meet at a more appropriate venue?” Isaiah offered, wondering if they should really be in the alpha’s cabin for this.
“What better place to write the new treaty than in the alpha’s home?” Hyacinthe asked, going to the table and sitting down as if she were at home. Isaiah figured it was going to be like this. She would always be the real one in charge. That was, until Annalise took over. Then, what would it be like? Would she have the same air about her as Hyacinthe? “I can just call her to me. I have not used magic today other than my little trip here, so I will be fine.” Hyacinthe said like it was nothing. “I think some privacy would be appropriate, though.” Her eyes narrowed, letting Isaiah and Tamara both know, she did recognize her presence, even though, she at least had to acknowledge it.
“Tamara, could you and Lacy go be with the rest if the pack right now?” Isaiah asked trying not to make it sound so harsh. He knew he would be in trouble for it later. Tamara was probably sick of not being a part of things. He didn't want their relationship to have to be this way, and he hoped in the future he would be able to make up for it. He just couldn't help what the coven wanted, and they were the last people he needed to get on the bad side of, right now.
With a huff, Tamara walked out the door. Lacy was quickly running to keep up with her. Isaiah could not focus on that right now. He had to focus on the task at hand. This treaty was important and had not been negotiated in decades, if not longer. He didn’t know the exact year it was made, or if it had ever been renegotiated in the past. This was an excellent opportunity to foster peace and cooperation between the coven and the pack.
He joined Hyacinthe at the table only to hear a knock at the door. Isaiah was about to stand back up when Hyacinthe reached out her hand almost as a second nature and swung open his door. Annalise was standing there, looking uncomfortable, as she was yet again forced into pack business. It made sense to Isaiah that she should be there. She was the leader for all intents and purposes. The treaty would be up to her approval.
“Please, come and join us, Annalise. I would like to get home, and I think these negotiations may take some time,” Hyacinthe sighed, as Annalise took a seat next to Isaiah.
Annalise was on edge. She could feel something different about her being there this time. Hyacinthe wasn’t playing a game or trying to protect someone or some secret. It was about her being the leader of the coven. Hyacinthe was going to have her negotiate this treaty as if the coven was all hers. She had been relishing the idea of going home and breaking the chains that seemed to keep her around Isaiah, but Hyacinthe had dragged her back again. Something was always going to drag her back, and if she wasn't a witch, knowing exactly how the world and magic worked, she would be cursing the fickle fate that was doing this to the both of them.
Annalise was done. She was done pretending there was nothing there, done being stiff, and avoiding his eyes. She knew nothing would ever happen; no kiss, no secret rendezvous, no whispered words in the dark… However, she wasn’t going to kill herself to keep a woman happy; one who never trusted or liked her to begin with. The woman that insisted on being a thorn in everyone's side, as revenge. Annalise was going to do what she needed to, and anyone who disliked it didn't really matter. That was how Hyacinthe had done things, right?
“So, how does this work?” Isaiah spoke up, leaning casually back against the chair. On the outside, he didn't look at all like someone who had witnessed the killing of his brother, by a witch, for treason. He was trying to get back into the groove of being the alpha and to life in general. There was no point in dwelling on something that had to happen because of someone else’s bad choices. Did it hurt that his brother was gone as well as his father now? Yes, it did. He would never deny it if someone asked. He didn't have to be sulky about it. “I wasn’t exactly present the last time this happened.” He tried to make a joke and break the ice. He could feel some thick tension at that table. He didn’t get the best response.
“Yes, well, luckily for you, witches keep better records, both physical and verbal, than werewolves do,” Hyacinthe said. He couldn't tell if it was an insult or just a statement. “It has been centuries since this treaty was made. I am almost positive that it wasn’t the first time either, just a renegotiation in a long line of tentative cooperation between the coven and the pack.”
“I
don’t think it should be so tentative anymore.” It came out of Annalise’s mouth before she knew what she was doing. She had never spoken out of turn with Hyacinthe before. It hadn’t happened at least since she as a child. She glanced around at the two sharing the table with her nervously, wondering if either of them would be angry for the outburst.
Hyacinthe smiled, actually smiled! She relaxed her stature in a way she had only seen at home and only ever so often. “I was wondering when you were going to start acting like yourself, Annalise. You always did just what you pleased as a child, why not now? Go ahead, speak your peace. We both could stand to hear it.”
The encouragement from Hyacinthe was a long time coming, and Annalise released a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. “Well, however this turns out, we now have hybrids. While it wouldn’t make sense to just combine the coven and the pack, I don't think we need to be shy about working together anymore. The new treaty should reflect that in some way. We are more cooperative than any coven and pack I have ever heard of. I hope for the sake of all our people we can keep it that way,” Annalise stated firmly, looking to Isaiah for his response. He was the other half of it. He had to agree to anything they decided for it to work. She was curious to know how he might feel about a more cooperative stance, and even a less isolated one.
Isaiah looked at Annalise for a little too long, sizing her up. She sounded regal with her statement. He felt, for the very first time, she was actually the leader of the coven and not just some silly witch he had nursed back to health after being bitten. She was thinking about the bigger picture. Isaiah couldn’t help but be a little jealous at how well she had taken it on. Even with all her joking, her young age, and her late-night Netflix binges, Annalise sounded like a queen. Here he was, having been prepared his whole life, looking like a bumbling idiot, having others make decisions for him. If they were going to collaborate, he would have to match that spirit with his own.
“I could get on board with that. To be honest, you have been a lifesaver in more ways than one these past few days. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to not work together. It wouldn’t be right for you to just go back over to your side of the invisible line and disappear.” Isaiah leaned forward on his hand. He looked at her, knowing that he had made his words sound less like an agreement for the pack to work with the coven and more like an ode to Annalise. She deserved it, but it was inappropriate in so many ways. On top of that, he knew with all of this tension in the room, Hyacinthe would quickly pick up on whatever crazy thing this was between the two of them. Hopefully, she hadn’t already sensed it. What the hell was he going to do about this? Try as he might to be as mentally faithful to Tamara, as he was physically, it never seemed to happen when he was in a room with Annalise.
Hyacinthe cleared her throat as if to say, get back to the point. Isaiah was grateful for it because he knew that he had fumbled his intentions. Had Tamara been there, yet again, there would have already been a blowout. He was getting so tired of those. The idea of her being a mate just screwed everything up somehow.
“I am glad that we are in agreement,” Annalise said more meekly, a little stuck on Isaiah's words. Was he so blind as not to notice his praises sounded more like something that would be in a love letter? Or was there a chance it was on purpose? Either way, he was playing with fire. She needed to pull this meeting together and get away from all of that. “So, how do you suggest we address this in the new treaty?”
Annalise looked to Isaiah, hoping he would have a professional answer this time. She kept having this image of him confessing his undying love for her and telling her that getting married would fix everything. It would be comical, if it weren't for all the consequences that would follow.
“I suppose that we could make something about partnership, coming into each other’s territory when necessary to help in emergencies with things that we cannot handle on our own. We might even draft a protection clause, like from outside forces. We would come to each other's aid.”
To Isaiah's surprise, Hyacinthe began to laugh. Both he and Annalise looked to her in disbelief. “Wherever your father is, he is not a happy man,” Hyacinthe breathed through the hysterical chuckles that were so uncharacteristic of her. “He would die if he was alive hearing you say that.”
It was no secret that Isaiah's father and the witches had not gotten along. It was nice to see her having a moment of elation on the behalf of the situation. Isaiah even let out a little chuckle. She was absolutely right. “Yeah, you are probably right,” he told her. “But I told you, I wouldn’t be him.”
“That you did, Isaiah,” Hyacinthe replied, straightening out pretty quickly, as if the laughing fit had never occurred. “So, I see you are coming up with some good things. Do you want to leave the rest of the treaty the same?”
“Yes, I think that is a good idea. We don't need to kill each other or anything. I think if anything is suspected, we should have to have a meeting first before anything drastic happens.” Isaiah noted Hyacinthe’s pursed lips at the comment, but it looked like she would stay silent, letting Annalise decide.
“Done. This is easier than I thought. We need to decide how membership to either the coven or the pack will affect the hybrids, though. Nothing permanent is being done for them right now. I know that they still need to work through their werewolf form. Eventually, they will need to regain their powers and decide what to do with them,” Annalise brought to light. Isaiah was at a loss there.
“To be honest, I don't know what to do with them. I hoped since you have the experience, you might be able to give some insight.”
Annalise nodded, having unfortunately expected that. She could guess a bit of how they felt, but that didn't tell her what to do. They would need to decide about being a part of the pack or coven. The only reason she hadn't mentioned her own struggle with that, is because she had to stay with the coven. She was their leader. But there would always be a part of her that called for the pack. There was no getting around it, and it didn't just have to do with the bonds she had formed there. It had to do with the wolf inside of her.
Hers was much more controlled than those of the other hybrids. She couldn't imagine how torn they would feel. She had to be honest.
“I wish I had an answer, but I just don’t. I think it is something that may have to be decided for each individual. I know how they are feeling in a way, but I don't know what the right thing is here.” Annalise looked to Hyacinthe. “I think I may need your expertise in this decision.”
“Ah, admitting when you need help, you are learning fast,” Hyacinthe observed. Annalise wasn’t sure how she felt about Hyacinthe’s comments like that, right in front of Isaiah. “I don’t think we can waste any more time talking about them. It leaves us vulnerable to go back and forth. They stay here until they can control the change, and then they will assimilate into the pack, or come back to the coven. Dual membership is too confusing and might cause more issues with members of the coven and pack, than we want to handle right now. I would give them a finite deadline to choose. They must know how they feel now. It might calm down what I hear has been going on in the pack.”
Isaiah nodded. There had been some unrest about the overflow of hybrids in pack territory, and there might be again. Some were excited and ready to embrace it, while others wanted them out because they distrusted them. “Three days,” he announced suddenly, putting his fist down on the table. “I give them three days to tell us their decision. It doesn’t get more finite than that.”
Annalise nodded. “Okay, that sounds fair. Can you handle that?”
“I think you should handle it together, for the sake of those that want to come back. We must let them know they are welcome,” Hyacinthe spoke up. Annalise should have known, she still wasn’t getting back to the coven any time soon. She would just have to get used to being away from home. She just didn't know how Roman would feel about her sleeping there right now. He had seemed so unstable last time she saw him. But maybe h
e would welcome the company.
“Okay, are we done here?” Annalise asked, looking to both Hyacinthe and Isaiah as they nodded. “I guess we have a new treaty, then.” Annalise reached out to shake Isaiah’s hand out of respect, but an odd shock went through her body that she was forced to ignore. It lasted even after she pulled her skin off of his. “Let’s go tell them now. No need to wait.” It came out a little bossy, but she had to pull herself out of that mindset. They had a job to do. That was all.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Annalise looked to Isaiah, as they approached Roman’s house. He had walked her there after they had talked with the hybrids, and they were both exhausted. They had not gotten much of a chance to stop and reflect or relax after Orson’s death. Annalise knew she just had to say it though, before they parted for the day. She wanted him to know it felt like they were never going to be able to talk the same way again. There was going to be an invisible separation between them that was not there before.
“Isaiah, I am sorry for killing your brother,” she whispered, daring to reach out and stroke his arm. It was the only show of affection she could afford with him. It didn't seem to matter, though, because Isaiah immediately pulled her into a hug that felt less friendly and more a desperate way to share grief. It was something two people that cared more than they should for each other would do.
“I asked you to do it. You don't have to be sorry. He brought it on himself, and I am nothing but grateful for everything you have done for all of us,” he whispered, clinging to her tightly. Annalise was so close to telling him what she had done so long ago, that she had protected their mother. But would he want to know that he was invincible? Would he constantly look over his shoulder and wonder if she would decide he didn't deserve to live? Annalise didn't think she could do that to him, at least not yet.
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