by Celeste Raye
“What’s up, India? Is something going on?”
“I wanted to talk to you about a few things. I saw the ancients here earlier, and I think that you need to be properly warned about them. They don’t come very often, using their time to oversee it all. When they feel like they have to step in, it is never good for those that are on trial.”
Fred wasn’t sure if he was ready to talk about such things because there was a lot he didn’t know about the ancients and what they wanted. He had gotten an overview, but not much else. Fred wasn’t one hundred percent sure of what his brothers had done, not all of it.
“You talk like you have some experience, India.”
India nodded, and Fred let him in. The man had always walked with a limp, but now that Fred was thinking about it, he had no idea why. The older shifter was covered in scars and had been in many great battles. Fred had heard stories whispered about him, how he had killed a slew of dragonkin in bear form. Fred didn’t know if he had believed them fully, but now he was starting to wonder about the validity of such claims. There was a steel in his gray eyes that Fred hadn’t noticed before. He hadn’t really been that close to speak to him previously, though he had seen him many times on many different councils. Jake had always taken his words to heart, and Fred imagined that he should as well.
“Would you like something to drink?”
The older man nodded and thanked Fred. “I’ve been meaning to talk to Jake, but with everything going on, I haven’t had a chance. Seeing them today tells me that I need to say something now so that you can prepare for what is to come.”
Fred didn’t like the sound of that. He busied himself with making something to drink, but it didn’t take long. He didn’t have time to absorb the words before more were shot at him.
When he got back, the older man was looking at him earnestly. “I wish your older brother were here. He is really the one that I need to talk to, being the Alpha and all.”
Fred tried not to take that personally. No one really looked to him for anything. He was just there. He was the youngest one, and even though he was no longer child, most people still treated him that way.
“I'm sure that whatever you have to say, I will be able to relay just fine to Jake. If anything needs to be done, it will be done. Just tell me what this is about.”
“Well, I guess I should start from the beginning. I used to run my own clan, but it was long before we were making motorcycle gangs. It was just a simple clan of shifters that lived in the forest. We stayed away from humans and tried to keep away from trouble.”
Fred wasn't sure what this had to do with the ancients, but he let the old man keep talking because he was convinced there was a reason for it all. The earnest look on his face was enough to make him believe it.
“So, when a couple of human females came into the village, we didn't think anything of it. They were gypsies, and they traveled around a lot. They were outsiders to their kind, and it seemed to work just fine with them being there. I actually fell in love with one of them. Her name was Martha. We were talking about mating when a pair of ancients came along. I saw the same one yesterday, Marty—he was the one that came to us first. The other guy didn't say a word; it was just Marty that talked.”
There was a sinking feeling in Fred’s stomach. The warning was not necessarily for him, but his brothers. They had married outside of their race.
“As you can imagine, we were quite surprised to see them because we'd only heard about them in tales. We knew that they existed, but when you get a visit from them, it is quite shocking.”
“I can imagine.”
Fred had forgotten to hand him the drink, and when he finally did, the older shifter thanked him. He took a few sips before he kept going.
“Needless to say, there was a trial, much like they're trying to do here. We lost. I don't think the ancients have ever lost, so the trial is just a show. Your brothers are already guilty, and the punishment will be more than they can bear.”
Fred wanted to ask questions. He wanted to know what it was that they had done to him and what the punishment was. He was worried about his brothers, but he was also concerned with the sadness that he saw in India’s eyes. Whatever it was that had happened, it changed the man for good.
“The human women died immediately. They couldn't live knowing our secrets, so they were the first to go. It wasn’t pleasant, but at least that part of it was quick. The other man that had already made one his bride was killed as well. It wasn't a fast and clean death. They said that he’d betrayed the race, and they also killed the child they’d just had.”
Fred nodded and said nothing. He was imagining Donovan and Charlie dying in some ghastly horrible way.
“What about you? You're still alive.”
“I am because I hadn't mated yet. If we would have been married, then I would be dead too. Instead, they just put a spear through my leg to make a point to the others. They are big on examples.”
He lifted his leg covering, and Fred could see the damage. It wasn't like it had gone through easily left to right, but up and down, like they had skewered him with it. Fred's legs started to throb just looking at it. They had disabled him for life.
His face was white, and he shook his head. “I didn't know. Does anybody else?”
India waved him off like it was no big deal. “Your father knew, but he's gone now. Dean knew the dangers, though, because the person that died for falling in love with the human was his best friend. It changed Dean in a lot of ways. I wish you would have known him, before you were all born. Things were different, and so was your father.”
Fred was speechless, and he didn't know what to say. He thanked the old man for telling him, and he asked for guidance on what they should do next.
“You're not going to want to hear this, Fred, but I think that you and your brothers should leave, because if not, they're all going to die.”
The sinking feeling was almost suffocating now, and Fred nodded. The old man was off before he could ask any more questions. He still hobbled, but now that Fred knew why, it was more noticeable.
Fred felt sorry for the man. The horrors that he had to hold on to in his memories were more than most people could deal with.
Fred needed to get a message to his brothers as fast as he could. India’s words echoed in his ears. “They’re all going to die.”
Chapter Seven
“I thought you were going to come pick me up, and we were going to go on this magical date, Fred?”
Isabo didn’t know what was going on, but something had happened. Fred was eating out of the palm of her hand the night before; she left him wanting more, so why was he standing her up?
Isabo had never been one just to accept her fate, so she, of course, called him. It had not been so easy to do, but she had managed to track him down.
They had some kind of something together. The more Isabo thought about it, the more she realized she needed to see him, and she was upset that he didn't want to see her. It didn't matter what was going to happen afterward. He didn't know about that.
“I'm sorry. We had something come up, and it's kind of an emergency.”
She could tell by the sound of his voice that something was seriously wrong, and it made her pause. She didn't want to sound callous, so she asked him what was going on.
“Well, let's just say that my brothers have pissed off the wrong people, and right now, it doesn't look like it's going to end well.”
“Who did they piss off?”
“Have you ever heard of the ancients?”
Isabo gasped, and her heart seemed to seize in her chest. She knew exactly who they were, and she also knew what they were capable of. Isabo heard lots of stories about the ancients and what happened when a shifter was found doing something that went against the old rules.
“I know all about them. Who are they after?”
“Donovan and Charlie, two of my brothers, and Charlie’s wife, from what I can gather. Maybe they want J
ake as well. I am not sure at the moment.”
“What did they do?”
Isabo couldn't help but be a little nosey because she knew if the ancients were after them, there was a very big reason.
“They married women that they loved, but shouldn't.”
“Well, that is pretty ambiguous.”
Fred laughed, and it sounded like the noise actually surprised him.
“Yeah, I guess so. Let's just say that they married a human and a witch. As you can imagine, that went over well with everyone, and apparently, the ancients are very against it. From what I hear, they come down pretty hard on people, and since both my brothers now have a trial with them and they are out of town, I'm trying to find them and get them back before all of this goes down. I don't want them to have a trial and be found guilty before they can even say anything in their defense.”
“From what I hear, it doesn't matter if you have a defense or not. Nobody ever wins.”
Fred sighed, and she waited for him to answer. “Yeah, that's what I've heard too. I at least want to feel like I have a little bit of a say in it.”
“You don't, unfortunately. What are you guys going to do?”
Isabo was forgetting what her family was going to do to him. She was so wrapped up in the moment that she forgot about it.
“I don't know. I'm trying to get ahold of my Alpha. Jake should know what to do. People have suggested that we just take off, but that doesn’t sound like something that we would do.”
Isabo knew that telling him to run would be going against what her cousins wanted. They wanted him for all the wrong reasons, and even though she had desired revenge, it wasn't as sweet or as appealing as she'd imagined it would be. At that point, it was the last thing she wanted to do.
“Maybe you should just take off.”
“I thought you were calling to yell at me for not going out with you tonight.”
She bit her lip a little harder than she needed to. She could taste blood in her mouth, and it was a distraction.
“I was, but that was before I knew that you were in danger. I would rather you be safe than go out on a silly date with me.”
“Going out with you was the one thing that I was looking forward to. Maybe we should go out anyway? It’s not like I can stop anything tonight.”
Isabo wanted to say yes. There was no rhyme or reason as to why she felt the way she did, but it was there, clear as day. The other side of it was her cousins were waiting to take him out. If she went out with him, then they would get their hands on Fred, and Isabo couldn’t let that happen. She knew Fred did not deserve it. He was a good and gentle guy.
“I don't think that it would be best right now. It seems like you have a lot on your plate and I don't want to distract you from it.”
“So, you're telling me that you called me up to tell me off about not picking you up, and now you don't want to go out with me anyway?”
Isabo sighed. “I do want to go out with you; I just don't think that it's a good time.”
“When did you decide that? In the last five minutes that we've been talking?”
Isabo knew that she wasn't making any sense. She was losing her nerve. She didn’t want anything to happen to him. Maybe if her cousins heard about what was going on with his brothers, they would decide that they weren’t going to pursue it. They were both going to be killed and tortured by the ancients. They would be able to do a far better job than Jacob and Brick could, no matter how badass they thought they were.
She swallowed hard with the thought. She didn’t want to let that happen.
“Isabo, are you there?”
“Yeah, I’m here. We’re just going to have to change our meeting spot. Is that okay?”
He agreed, and she told him where to pick her up. He suggested that they go out on another ride, and that sounded good to her. If they were going to see each other again, it wasn’t going to be where her cousins were waiting in the shadows. Isabo had decided she wasn’t going to be a part of it. She did want to see Fred, though, even if it was their last time together.
Chapter Eight
Fred found Claire at the clubhouse and let her know that he was going to be away but to call him immediately if anyone heard from any of his brothers.
While he was nothing but worried about it all, he needed to see Isabo. She would take his mind off everything, and he would be able to think straight again.
Claire raised her brow when he said he was leaving. She wanted to ask questions, but she didn’t, and he was thankful that she had more tact than most. She just told him to be careful.
When he got to the address, he didn’t see Isabo at first. The house was out of the way, and it was one that was close to a thick patch of trees. He felt comfortable there because of the seclusion. He was hopeful for what that would mean for them. He wanted some time alone with her like they’d had together on the hill. Was this her place?
He heard rustling in the trees behind him, then felt a pinprick on his neck. His hand lifted to pull a small dart out of his skin. It was then that another few pricks were felt and he knew that he was being tranquilized. He didn’t know who had done it or why, because his eyes started to darken and the world around him became gray, then black.
“Well, damn, I didn’t think that he was ever going to go down. I thought you said one or two would do it?”
Brick shrugged. “I thought it would. I’ve seen one take down a bear before.”
Jasper replied, “Well, it doesn’t matter now. The son of a bitch is down.”
They looked at the body in front of them, and Jasper smiled. He couldn’t believe that he actually had a Rebel Bear in his possession. The young man that his cousin had roped in was going to do great things for him, and he didn’t even know it yet. Jasper was convinced that after he was through with his revenge, his name would be remembered. If he couldn’t be revered, he didn’t mind being feared. The Bennigan name would be synonymous with revenge.
He was smiling, and Brick asked him what was so funny.
“Why the hell are you smiling? We have to drag his body twenty miles. My wolf isn’t going to be able to carry him.”
Jasper waved off Brick. He wasn’t worried about such simple things. “We need to get Isabo to help us.”
Brick was resistant to that idea. “After what happened? Do you really think she is going to help us now?”
Jasper agreed. “She will if she knows what is good for her. You keep forgetting, brother; we’re all the family she’s got. Do you think she is going to pick this one over us?”
Jasper was confident. He knew Isabo would make the right decision. She had no siblings, no parents, nothing. It was different for women, and he was confident that she would be ready to negotiate when they got back.
“Don’t you think she is going to be pissed off on account that you tied her up and left her in the basement?”
Jasper shrugged. “It was just to get her attention. I bet I have it now.”
Isabo had been in the darkness for a while. She had not only been tied up and left in the dark, but she’d been shot with something, and her faculties were not as sharp as they had once been. She was trying her best to pull it together, but her mind was still too foggy to think.
Then there was a blinding light coming from above. It hurt her eyes, the intensity of it. When she tried to reopen them, she saw Jasper coming towards her. He had a body that he was dragging, and she knew that it was Fred. Isabo’s sickening feeling was back, and it was only going to get worse.
“Well, I see you’re finally up. It’s good to see you, cousin. You were having a moment earlier. You better now Because we got work to do.”
Isabo tried to speak, but her throat was dry, and all that came out was a squeak. Jasper was grinning down at her. She looked to the body next to her.
“Is he dead?”
“Well, not yet. He wouldn’t be very good bait if he were dead, now would he?”
She agreed and tried her best not to sho
w her relief in all of that. That meant that there was a chance to fix it all. She didn’t know how, but Isabo had to do something. For the moment, she had to earn his trust, play the game, until the moment arose that she didn’t have to pretend anymore.
“It just looked like it, Jasper. Are you going to get me out of these ropes or not?”
For a moment, it looked like the answer was going to be no, but then he moved towards her and started to take the bindings off of her wrist. The relief was immediate, and she rubbed the wounded skin underneath.
“Are you ready to play ball now?”
She agreed, stating that she was over the sentimentality of it.
“I know that you don’t like to hurt anyone. You take after your mother, and there is nothing wrong with that. You just have to tell me that all of that shit is over. I can’t have it right now.”
Isabo agreed that it was over, whatever it was that had made her think that he didn’t have to die. He did, and she was trying to convince Jasper that she believed it.
Jasper helped her up, and she winced.
“What the hell did you shoot me with?”
“A couple of tranqs. It will wear off in a little while, and you’ll be back to normal.”
Isabo was livid that he had done such a thing, but she had to go along with it. Jasper had been questionable for a while, but after the massacre, he had lost his mind. She was going to have to watch herself around both of them.
Brick was staring her down as she was ascending the stairs to the house they were staying in. It was taken from some human hosts, and Isabo didn’t even want to ask what had happened to them.
Chapter Nine
There was a lot that Fred had running through his head. He knew that he had been taken captive by someone, and he hadn't known who at first. When they had gotten to the location and he had been thrown on a cold concrete floor, part of Fred’s faculties started came back to him. He started to hear first, even before his eyes were able to take in any images that they were was seeing. It was so dark in there; Fred didn't even try to see.
