by Angela Foxxe
He looked at her with his soft, but focused eyes. “How do they all know that I had an illegal surrogacy?” she asked.
“They suspected when you left,” Kheem said with a dour expression. “When you sent back word that your sister died and you were going to take over the adoption of her child, there was even more suspicion. They all remembered how you’d arrived when you first came here and how terrible your relationship was with your Clan and with your family back in Wyoming. They doubted it from the moment you stepped off the island.”
“Where does King Ronald stand?” Josie wondered.
Right now, he was their best advocate. She could probably keep Kheem a secret for as long as they needed to. She could say that it was a passing fling while she was in Wyoming and didn’t know how to tell them. King Ronald might forgive her if the father was far away and never coming to claim Ony.
“He’s pissed,” Kheem said, shaking his head. “He favored you above all the others and now he feels betrayed. The moment you tell him that this was an illegitimate surrogacy, he’s going to be furious with you.”
“That’s fine,” Josie said, thinking of her plan of attack. “I'll do everything I can to charm him until that moment comes. When he finally gets angry, hopefully it won’t last long. Honestly, how do I look?” Josie asked him.
“How do you look?” Kheem laughed.
“Yes, tell me honestly,” Josie said to him, pushing him off her.
She didn’t have time for games. He couldn’t afford to play games either. They needed to get ready. They needed to be prepared to act when the time came. She stared at Kheem and waited for his answer.
“You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” He said with the amount of truth and passion that he always carried with him when he saw her. It bothered her because she felt that there was probably a very good chance Kheem was distracted by love blindness. He couldn’t be trusted. He was compromised by obsession.
“I need to be able to seduce him,” she exhaled and looked at Ony who was fast asleep in his little crib. “He’s always had a thing for me and if I can still appease him, then maybe that will be my only option. The moment he finds out about Ony, he might take Ony and hand him over to the Hunters.”
“He would never,” Kheem shook his head. “Even if there is a truce between us, he is still a Shifter. King Ronald would never give up a member of the Clans to the Hunters, even if it meant he would die. He’s stubborn and he’s old fashioned. At worst, he'll demand to know who the father is and will possibly try to punish you in whatever way the Council deems fit.”
“But who has sway over the Council?” Jose stood up and paced about the room in her bra, looking out the window at the soft roar of the surf as it assaulted the beaches. She thought that she probably had a good idea already who it was that was working the Council as a puppet right now.
“The Jaguars are intimidating people left and right,” Kheem informed her of the obvious. “No one respects them, but Kibwe and Sipho aren’t to be mocked and Tendai is cunning. No one wants to cross them, but no one wants to bow down to them, either. The majority of the power still rests in the hands of King Ronald. If we can get him to forgive and pardon you, then you might have a chance.”
Before Josie could say a word, the door to the room was flung open and two dark figures stood in the doorway outside her bungalow. The first, she recognized instantly. His hair was pulled back in cornrows and his yellow shirt was hanging open, revealing his chiseled and defined physique that was marred and marked by scars from battles that had sent him out of Africa and on the run with the rest of the Lion Clan. He was a man with a stern face and a scar over his left eye. He had the look of a man that had seen too much and who had participated in worse. Wahir was the largest man that Josie had ever seen and even though Kheem was still a large man, Wahir made him look like a dwarf.
The man behind him, Jamar, was smaller, but by no means any less intimidating. He had a scar running along his scalp of his buzzed head. His face was crossed with scars as well, from a battle that it looked like he had barely survived. He was wearing a pink polo and gray pants, walking into the room casually and looking around as if he were inspecting the place with a real estate agent. Jamar was not nearly as intimidating as Wahir, but she knew why he was here. She knew that he was here as the voice of King Ronald and that meant that this was going to be a very uncomfortable thing to discuss.
“I should have known it was you,” Wahir said, looking at Kheem. “Panthers are always shifty and subtle things. Keeping to the shadows and out of sight while you plot your little schemes.”
“It’s not what you think,” Josie tried to assure him.
“It’s exactly what I think it is,” Wahir snapped at her angrily. “Don’t play me for a fool, Josie Night-Hawk. I knew the moment you left this island what was going on. I just needed to wait until you came back to get the confirmation. Kheem was all too eager to run away and rendezvous with you. Should have been smarter.”
“Should have been smarter, indeed,” Jamar said, shaking his head scornfully at the pair of caught Shifters. “The King would like an audience with the two of you. Please bring the child with you.”
“Promise me that there will be no harm brought to Ony,” Josie said to Wahir who was without a doubt, the most honorable man on the island.
Wahir had killed many people and he had fought in many battles, but it had forged in him a righteous fury for the truth and the justice of the world. If there was anyone on this island who would die trying to save a child that wasn’t their own, it was Wahir. If only the Hunters knew that about Shifters.
Wahir looked at her in silence for a moment, sizing her up and trying his hardest not to show a drop of emotion. He was one of the few in the Lion Clan who hadn’t tried to get her to sleep with him. He was a good man and she knew that her abstaining from sleeping her way to prominence was something he respected in her as well. Most women Shifters whore themselves out for safety, recognition, or power. Josie hadn’t been like that. Hopefully, that was enough to buy the favor of Wahir.
“Bring the child,” he said in a less demanding voice.
They met in a smaller conference room, just large enough for them to feel like they were being formally judged, but not large enough to draw suspicion. Jonathan was in the room with King Ronald and they had Jamar watch the hallway to ensure that there were no spies coming to eavesdrop on the meeting. King Ronald was sitting down, wearing the managerial suit that he wore for work at the Royal Palace. He looked positively impressive sitting in his dark gray suit and his fingers steepled before him. His eyes looked at Josie like she had committed some grievous crime against him. He had always fantasized about her and Josie knew that this probably did look like something terrible in his eyes.
He was probably deeply cut and offended by the fact that she had agreed to be the surrogate for another and not him. His eyes never once flicked to Kheem. Josie found that unnerving.
Was he willing to kill Kheem?
“I am disappointed in this façade,” King Ronald said with a grave voice that sounded like thunder and gravel. “I am very disappointed in the fact that you are willing to go to such great lengths to deceive me after all that I have done for you. After everything that I have willingly given you to protect and to ensure you are safe. Is this how you reward me, Josie? I have given you everything you need. I have given you sanctuary from those who would harm you and this is my repayment?”
“King Ronald, please,” Josie tried to plead with him.
“I will not hear it,” King Ronald raised his hand. His hand hung in the air like a giant meteor just hovering over the surface of the earth, waiting to impact and kill everyone. She watched as it slowly lowered to the top of the table and folded with his left hand. “You know, I had often discussed I was interested in taking you as my own surrogate—an honor that I believed to be worthy of your actions.
You were a pure woman who deserved such a laurel for your beliefs and
your conduct. You have served the island well, but now I see I was deceived. You have been cavorting with this lesser man from a smaller Clan and you have spat in my face. You have lied to me and you have broken my heart, Josie.
Now, I cannot take you as a surrogate. A surrogate is an honorable position. A woman is chosen to be worthy of carrying on the bloodline of a Clan. You cannot take this honor for yourself without the consent of the Clans and the King of the Council.
But that is not the least offense that we have before us. You have broken the sacred treaty that we have made with the Hunters of Warco. Should word get back to them, they will storm this island with an army of fundamentalists who would refuse to hear logic or reason in your words. They will kill you and they will do so without mercy or regret. You have threatened everything and everyone on this island with your actions.”
“No one has to know,” Josie assured him. “King Ronald, I beg of you to forgive me for my actions, but my child is everything to me. Onyeko is pure and sweet. He has done nothing to offend you and does not deserve your wrath. But, the Hunters do not need to know.”
“You act as if this is my secret to keep and to share,” King Ronald declared. “Do you not know that there are enemies among your fellow Clans? Do you not know there are those among you who would gladly see you fall and your child with you?”
“The Jaguar Clan has never been my friend,” Jose told him. “But they’re as stupid as they are arrogant. They won’t find anything about Kheem and I so long as we all stick to the same story. There's nothing they can do to trace the child to anyone other than myself.”
“The Jaguar Clan is tenacious,” Jonathan chimed in for the first time, his voice thick with his South African roots. He looked at Josie with a disappointed gaze that seemed to find frustration in the naiveté that she was revealing to them. “But the Jaguar Clan is foolish, yes. They are, however, the least of your concerns.
Wars have plagued the Shifter Clans for generations and now it is a time where we must replenish our numbers. There are armies on every continent that would pay top dollar for a Shifter child to raise as their own and to fuel their ranks. The Hyena Clan, for all of our warnings and reprimands, keeps working closely with foreign interests. They will attempt to take this child if it is revealed to be a Shifter and they will try to use it to leverage a position somewhere other than on Tarobi. They want off this island as soon as possible.”
She hadn’t thought much about the Hyena Clan since she’d been on Tarobi. It was true that they were slimy, shifty characters who only really cared about themselves. They liked their profit and they liked the power of having dirt on the other Clans. If there was one thing that the Hyena Clan excelled at, it was being criminal.
They ran the black market on the island and they were constantly sending things to other Clans looking to help overthrow the Lion Clan or anyone else overseas. They wanted to be powerful, even if that meant leaving the safety of Tarobi behind. Of course she should have thought about them.
“You did not think of the peril that's surrounding you and your child,” King Ronald said with a stern, disappointed voice. “However, I fear that your actions will not only affect yourself, but will come back to haunt the rest of us. That is why I have agreed with the rest of the Lion Clan to protect you and offer you the peace that our Clan may provide to you.”
“Thank you,” Kheem spoke up with a grin on his face.
He looked as relieved as Josie felt, but she knew that it wasn’t going to be easy. There was going to be a price and it probably wasn’t going to be good for either of them. She looked at King Ronald who was reflecting that opinion in the expression on his face as he turned his wrathful gaze toward Kheem for the first time this entire meeting.
“However,” he said with a darkness in his voice that Josie felt intimidated by. “There are going to be costs associated with the compromising of my honor and my integrity to protect you. You are asking me to do something I would never do under regular circumstances. I would never lie to my people, nor would I ever misdirect them, but here I stand at an impasse.”
There was something about this that made Josie feel like King Ronald was exaggerating a bit to leverage what he could ask from them. The fact that when she arrived on Tarobi with nothing but five dollars in her pockets. And in order to have a job and a home, King Ronald requiring her to sleep with him as a sign of loyalty meant he probably wasn’t bending the truth for the first time. But either way, Josie knew she wasn’t in a position to question him or to have a disagreement with him.
“We will do whatever you demand,” Josie assured him.
“Very well,” King Ronald seemed satisfied with her answer and leaned back in his chair, looking at the two of them with his ponderous gaze. “Josie, you will visit me in my chambers and we will discuss the details of this arrangement at a later date regarding yourself. You will take your old position at the Tiki and you will agree to keep the tenets s and the codes of the treaty without ever questioning or breaking them again.
I will expect you to be willing and forthcoming in any matters that you hear of that are treacherous to the peace in the future. Also, at Council meetings, I expect your unquestioning support in all matters that are raised against myself or the Lion Clan. The Wolf Clan is from this day forward an extension of my will. Is this understood?”
“Yes, King Ronald,” Josie nodded.
She knew when she met him in his chambers later on, she was going to have to sleep with him. If she got away with this just once, she would be lucky. King Ronald could probably stretch this out forever. She could end up being his mistress and that would make her an enemy of every Lion Clan member who had a vagina and wanted a chance to impress their leader and King. Josie was not excited by the prospect of being King Ronald’s fuck toy, but she was once again in a position where arguing wasn’t going to give her any better results.
“As for you,” King Ronald looked at Kheem with such fire and venom that Josie was actually worried that he would kill him. “You are from this day forward banished from the Council meetings. You have my protection, but you do not have my recognition. You will not show yourself in any Shifter meetings or congregations. You are to never meet with Josie again, either in secret or in public.
Your job at the Tiki is now forfeit and you will be working maintenance and sanitation for the hotel and that is it. If you are forced to have contact with Josie, you will do so under the supervision of others. Finally, you will never have access to this child, whom you have illegally conceived with a surrogate.”
“That’s not fair,” Kheem stood up against King Ronald and Wahir took a threatening step forward. “You cannot take my child away from me.”
“You have broken the law,” Jonathan snapped angrily. “You do not have the authority to decree a surrogate to carry your heir. Only the King and the Council have that authority. Your defiance again only reminds us that the Jaguar and the Panther Clans should never be allowed to conceive of children again. But, as we are merciful, we will only extend your celibacy for an additional ten years.”
“However,” King Ronald added vehemently. “Your banishment is indefinite. You will not be allowed to return to the meetings or to see your child or your surrogate for as long as I deem fit. Any attempt to sneak around this decree will only worsen the severity of your punishment. Am I understood?”
Josie looked at Kheem and could feel the tears boiling up in her eyes. She had come so far to be with Kheem and now it was going to be taken away from her. She hadn’t seen him in such a long time and all she wanted was to be with him. Kheem turned and looked at her, his eyes full of sorrow and anguish as well. How could they do this to them? How could they be so cruel and heartless toward their love? Josie knew no matter what King Ronald said, they would only be able to avoid each other for a day or two. It wouldn’t be long until they would be back in each other’s arms. She needed him like she needed the sun. She couldn’t live without Kheem.
“I love you
,” Kheem said to her.
“Wahir, take him away,” King Ronald roared.
Wahir approached Kheem who willingly turned from King Ronald and made his way toward the exit. There was nothing they could do about this right now. King Ronald was furious and he was going to let his rage run wild for a while longer. There wasn’t much she could do about it right now, but maybe later. Maybe she would be able to convince him later that Kheem was good and that he didn’t deserve such a harsh treatment. When the door closed, little Ony stirred a little and went back to sleep, ignoring all of this that was transpiring.
“Now,” King Ronald said with a heavy sigh, like that had taken so much from him. There was something inside of Josie that doubted that he was really heartbroken for sending her lover away into exile. He wanted her for himself and now he had her. Josie felt like she should probably strip down for him right now and let him have her.
“This price is high, I am aware of that, but this is what you will be acquiring for it. I will address the Council and tell them that this child has been confirmed as your deceased sister’s from Wyoming. Jonathan will confirm I have spoken with the head of the Wolf Clan in Wyoming and that I have validated your claims. The Lion Clan will agree with you as will the Wildebeest Clan. The Panther Clan will agree if they desire to see Ony raised among their own as well. That should be enough to silence any problems that might arise in public.
However, when the meeting is done, the Lion Clan will make sure no one attempts to move against you or your child. I will also deal with the Hunters, telling them that there is a new Shifter, but that it has been adopted from the mainland. If we are lucky, they will be satisfied with this and they will let the matter drop. Are we clear?”
“Crystal,” Josie said venomously.
Chapter Four
When the meeting was over, the tension that had been thick in the room was gone. Josie sat in the chair on the stage for the first time in months and it felt strangely like home. She looked out through the blinding lights and looked at where Kheem was usually seated during these meetings.
