Through the Woods

by Cassandra Johnson

  It was several weeks before William was given the entire story, but once he knew, he saw an opportunity. Jamal had come into their ranks and gotten close to the wolves themselves and was cunning enough to orchestrate his own turning. He also had a healthy hatred for the Chaliceman family. Now, he had to consider if he were Jamal would he feel the same way? William had found a weak link in the chain that was the Chaliceman family. Lucian had founded the council after Jamal’s pack had brought a war straight to their doorsteps and now, the New York pack itself would have a hand in finishing the Chaliceman bloodline once and for all.

  William didn’t foresee the girl, or the fact that she would somehow come into play as such a large part in changing all their lives, but it didn’t matter. If she stood with the Chaliceman family she would be a problem, one that needed to be taken care of and soon enough would be just like the rest of them.

  He’d send an army to smoke them out.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Her shoulders ached and burned as the world swayed below her. Elle was only distantly aware that she was being carried up an incline, her upper body held over a shoulder. The stairs were steep, the pang of fear was alive inside her chest as a single drop of blood fell from her nose.

  Jamal was carrying her somewhere, would he kill her, was there more torture to come, would they find her body crippled and broken in the snow?

  Elle prayed that it would be over quickly. She didn’t know if Marik would get to her fast enough.

  The world shifted and swirled, interrupting her thoughts. First, there was a shoulder profile of Jamal’s face, his jaw was set with determination as her body fell from his grasp dropping her to the floor unceremoniously.

  Every muscle felt as if it had been pulled and stretched until the individual fibers were torn. Elle's lungs burned as the oxygen was slowly drawn into them, feeling the tension of her ribs stopped her as a low broken gasp slipped from her lips.

  Carefully, she moved, turning over onto her side caused the pain in her ribs to send waves of electric white-hot pain to shoot through her limbs. Eye lid’s fluttering shut for a moment. If she was going to die here, she wasn’t going to go down without a fight.

  Jamal was working behind her, stoking the fire. The sound of the fireplace poker nudging the burning logs to keep them alive. She could hear the embers brushing against one another as they cascaded into the hot ashes below.

  Looking up at the ceiling, there were thick wooden beams above. This was a cabin somewhere, swallowing Elle gathered her courage and turned onto her stomach, her insides screaming from the abuse they’d taken. Breathing slowly, she tried to stand.

  ‘I have to get out of here,’ Elle thought to herself.

  As he contemplated the red-hot poker in his hand, Elle stood, barely managing to get both feet beneath her when she fell forward, lunging into Jamal’s back. His temple cracked against the mantel, dazing him for a moment as she spun, using the momentum of her fall to keep her body in motion no matter how much it hurt to move.

  The door laid across the room, an immeasurable distance from where she stood, it might as well have been across the Arctic as she tripped on her own feet, her palms slapping against the splintered hardwood. Freezing air touched her skin as she came closer.

  There was no telling how long this cabin had sat untouched for years when Jamal found it and put it to use once more. She was merely a foot away when she felt the wind gusting inside from the gap at the threshold. Swallowing, she gripped the handle, throwing the door open, a chanced glance backward brought her face to face with Jamal. His temple bleeding, the back of his hand wiping the blood away from the wound, flesh quickly knitting itself back together.

  ‘Oh God…’ Scrambling she ran outside into the cold snow, she didn’t have a jacket and the wind bit at her skin menacingly.

  Darting forward, the cold kept her moving forward. She couldn’t stop. Elle could hear Jamal shouting behind her, his crashing footsteps threatening to overtake her at any moment in this straight stretch of packed snow.

  The dim haze of the tree line was just ahead of her as she ran through the knee-deep snow drifts that hindered her progress. Elle had to make it to the house, but the beast was only inches away from nipping at her heels and taking her back to his den of tortures. Elle was sure of it, she would have bet her life on it, but under the wheezing of her lungs, begging for mercy she no longer heard its growls, the thundering of its paws meeting the snow packed earth.

  Struggling to take a full breath she chanced a glance behind her but only saw her own clumsy path. Could it be that she had lost the beast? Or was he lurking in the darkness that surrounded her, just waiting for her to think that she was safe? Hot water ran from her nose, Elle slowly brought the sleeve of her shirt up and wiped the fluid away from her top lip. No, she wouldn’t allow herself to be lulled into a false sense of security, she had to keep moving.

  Breaking through the tree line, she finally saw the Chaliceman house looming before her. She’d made it. Thank God.

  Stumbling through the snow, her jeans were soaked up to the knees in melted snow, she could barely feel her feet in the cold anymore as she climbed the steps to the back door which was lucky because Elle didn’t think that she could have taken another step.

  Sweat dampened her shirt and collected in a valley down the center of her back in the waistband of her jeans. Panting she slapped her palm against the door, praying that someone was inside the house.

  Light from inside alerted her to someone coming to the door, taking her final step as the door swung open and she collapsed into the arm of her savior taking deep breathes. “He’s out there, he’s still out there.” Elle panted, looking up slowly to see the eyes of the beast holding her in his grasp.

  “My, what big eyes you have, my dear.”

  ~

  Jolting upright in the bed Elle scrambled, tossing the sheets and comforter off her body she frantically looked around the room for Jamal, but he was nowhere to be seen. Instead, it was only a darkened bedroom. Gregory stood at the side of the bed, concern etched in his black button eyes as her breathing returned to normal.

  “It was only a dream.” She told herself finding that her throat was dry and raw. Pushing her hair back from her face she took stock of her surroundings. Elle realized that she was in Marik’s bedroom and Jamal was dead. She remembered that. The night she was raped and tortured played in vivid flashes behind her eyes. The whole scene fast-forwarded itself to the moment when she saw Marik and Gaerik there. Jamal was never coming back, and it was thanks to the Chaliceman men that she was still alive.

  Sighing she took a small moment to thank God that for whatever reason he had granted her a little more time on this earth as she looked around the bedroom. She was safe at Gallen’s home. Elle hoped that she had not put Marik out too much. She wasn’t even sure how long she had been here.

  Pushing the blankets back she carefully stood, she should have died, but she was very much alive. But why? Elle, while grateful, didn’t understand. Her fingers carefully fluttered over her night shirt, touching her abdomen where the fireplace poker had gone in.

  There was a faint tenderness where the lethal wound had struck her. Lifting the top, between her ribs was a pink healing scar tissue. It didn’t make since, not that any of this had, but maybe the Chaliceman’s might know.

  Gregory herded her towards the door, brushing against her side, almost as if he was there to guide her. He was her guardian after all.

  “I’m happy to see you again too, sweet boy,” Elle whispered reaching down and nuzzling her hand against his muzzle.

  Opening the bedroom door, the landing of the second floor was dark except for the light from below bleeding into its upper dwellings. Descending the stairs, she was careful to hold onto the railing as her legs felt stiff and weak. Much like the rest of her body. Gregory staid beside her every step of the way until she reached the landing and he walked ahead of her towards the back of the house.

  Elle hear
d voices coming from down the hall leading into the kitchen. She couldn’t remember having been in that room of the house when she went back over the time in her head. Every memory felt so foggy to her. She’d seen Gallen’s study, Marik’s bedroom, yes. She really didn’t need to make it a habit of waking up in Marik’s bedroom. Period.

  Stretching slightly, her hand rested on her lower back as she moved down the hall with the slow shuffle of an older woman’s steps.

  Looking up from his coffee mug, Marik’s senses were on high alert after the afternoon was spent cleaning up after two dead bodies. His heightened hearing picking up the soft tread of footsteps progressing towards the kitchen.

  Seeing Elle, he couldn’t help the smile that came to his lips as he stood from his seat at the island and stopped her progress in the entryway. Marik’s hands touched her shoulders a moment before she was hauled into his chest with enough force to knock the wind out of her lungs.

  “Welcome back.” Marik smiled breathing in her scent.

  Elle could hear him smelling her. She’d never been so acute to sound before. Patting his back; she wondered, had he always done that?

  “Let her breath, son.” A more massive base spoke from behind him. It was Gallen smiling as he clapped his son on the shoulder.

  “I’m glad to see you too,” Elle told them.

  When she thought that she was dying Elle was at peace with it if it meant that Jamal would never hurt anyone else. Elle knew that if he wasn’t caught, it didn’t matter if he succeeded in framing Gaerik for murder. Jamal would never be able to stop. The killing was a sport to him, and he was very good at it.

  Now, Elle stood looking up at Marik, returning his smile. She wasn’t dead, and she would live to see so much more and do more. The possibilities were endless.

  Marik released her slowly, but he remained close to her side as Gallen came in, gentling wrapping his arms around her for a second. Placing a chaste kiss to her temple.

  “You look like you could eat,” Gallen said letting her go and heading to the refrigerator.

  There was only one other occupant of the kitchen who had not yet greeted her. Marik helped guide her to a seat at the kitchen island, which she noticed was very warm when she sat down. Marik had a scorching hot ass.

  Turning her head, she looked into the eyes of her one-time stalker.

  “Hello, Gaerik,” Elle said resting her hands on the countertop.

  “Hello, Elle,” Gaerik spoke almost awkwardly as he didn’t bother averting his eyes. He was after all her stalker, he’d been watching her for months, and old habits die hard.

  “Do you want to hug me too?” She asked him, laughing as a mug of hot tea was placed down in front of her. Elle could feel Marik standing defensively behind her like a guard dog.

  “Yes, I do.” He breathed out almost a purring sound as if he were tasting the words that he spoke, but from behind her, she felt Marik’s posture stiffen.

  Elle purposefully chose to ignore the waves of tension she felt from Marik. The fact that Gaerik had helped save her life made her feel differently about him. Smiling she opened her arms.

  Gaerik stood, his eyes hardening as he came and put his arms around her, placing his stubble covered chin against the crook of her neck. His arms claimed her upper back looking directly up at his twin.

  “No more stalking though, it was really creepy and given you helped save me I think you’re better than that, Gaerik.” Elle couldn’t help herself as she gave him a small pat on the back before she inhaled and over the scents of everything else in the kitchen she could smell eggs, and immediately her stomach growled.

  Gaerik released her with a laugh that bordered on amusement as well as a bit of smugness. From beside her another stool scrapped across the kitchen floor and was placed right next to her. It’s occupant? Marik who leaned his elbow on the counter, glaring across the distance at his brother.

  “Are they back to this, again?” Elle just blurted it out, there was no sense in ignoring the elephant in the room. Everyone saw what was going on and it was making her feel uncomfortable, but why Marik was giving Gaerik the death glare, she had a hazy idea as to why and she just hoped that she was wrong.

  “It appears so,” Gallen said as he stirred a heaping pile of scrambled eggs and salami. Turning the pan over he dumped the eggs into a large plate and brought them to her, the smell of them made her salivate as she took another glance at the brothers. One, seemed like he was trying to hover over her in a protective stance that would keep any predators away, including the one across the table. And the other looked like he was chomping at the bit just to take a bite out of the other.

  “Guys, could you relax, please? You’re making me uncomfortable. Tell me, how long have I been asleep and what’s been happening?” Digging into her eggs, she looked from either brother, then to Gallen who was wiping his hands off on a dish towel. The expressions of each of the Chaliceman men didn’t put Elle at ease.

  “What happened?” Elle asked, stuffing a forkful of eggs into her mouth, her hunger outweighing her fears of the unknown, giving away to savor the taste of the salami scrambled into the eggs was like a five-star culinary delight to her palate.

  “For one, you’ve been asleep for two weeks,” Gallen told her taking a seat at the head of the table. What a strange assortment they made. Three werewolves, a guardian, and a human.

  “Didn’t any of you try to wake me?” Elle glanced down the table at them.

  “You were healing Elle, you’d been stabbed, mutilated.” Marik trailed off slowly as he looked at her. “It takes time to heal from wounds like that.” The mask of concern was mixed with awe. “Elle, you should by all rights be dead. That poker went straight through you.”

  Elle touched her stomach remembering the way it felt. The pain that vibrated through her core when the hot fireplace poker went through her.

  “Okay, I was asleep for two weeks, what else? I know that there as to be more the way you all keep looking around the room as if you are trying to look at anything other than me. I was impaled, whatever it is? I can take it.”

  Elle meant what she said, but even as she said it, her mind began to conjure monsters much worse than Jamal had ever been.

  “The council knew about Jamal. Gaerik’s framing was a big part of his plan, which he shared with William Levins.” Gallen said taking a drink of his coffee somberly.

  “Whose William Levins?” Elle asked in confusion.

  “He is one of the councilmen. His rank was just below mine, but since Jamal’s death he has taken over as the head. Any remaining wolves on the council that used to be loyal to our family have been swayed or killed. As far as the rest of the pack knows Gaerik is still wanted for murder, and the rest of us are all his accomplices to his crimes. The council wants us --,”

  “Dead.” Gaerik broke in leaving no room for diplomacy within the telling of this story.

  “Yes,” Gallen sighed grimly. “The council wants to disband. William has been preaching the old ways for years, Jamal was a means to an end for him. And as a reward? It was implied that once Gaerik and the rest of us were dead, he would be Alpha.” Gallen finished.

  “Which William would never allow anyway. He wants all the power in the pack for himself which is why he wants us dead. If there were even a shred of evidence that proved he and members of the council orchestrated Gaerik’s framing as the founding family, we would still hold the majority rule in what happens to the entire council. They would all be put down.” Marik explained, placing his hand on Elle’s shoulder.

  “Well, isn’t there anything that I can do? Would the pack listen to me?” Elle asked, looking around at the three men.

  “I’m afraid not. You could be seen as a biased third party and a human one at that.” Gallen said.

  “The pack could sway either way,” Marik said. “We’ve considered all of our options, and we don’t have very many. William has already turned most of the pack against us, and we’ve already been threatened once.”
He finished looking from Elle to his twin and his father.

  “Threatened?” Elle questioned, her brows narrowing in concern.

  “Some wolves showed up today to challenge us. They were new wolves which means that the pack is already accepting bit ins. They all think that going back to the old ways will be better for the pack.” Gallen said.

  “I’m starting to wonder if they aren’t wrong,” Gaerik said sitting up straighter in his seat.

  “What do you mean?” Gallen questioned.

  “Not since Elle’s family,” He paused looking at her. “Have we fought anyone. Maybe they think that we’ve lost our edge, that we’re no longer capable of muscling up and taking care of business. It’s been a long time since we bared our teeth.”

  Elle was quietly taking all of this in as she drank her tea. She had to admit, even if it was only to herself that she agreed with Gaerik. Maybe it was time to fight?

  “So, what happened with the wolves?” She asked remembering them from before.

  “We had to fight them,” Marik said under his breath.