Horse (Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club Book 6)

by Candace Blevins

  “Yes, in all likelihood — though we have no way of knowing for sure unless she does so.”

  The layout in the great room had a sofa and a loveseat facing each other, and several upholstered chairs scattered around to make a conversation area. I moved to the sofa and brought Gabby with me, and motioned toward the loveseat and several chairs as I invited Apollonius to have a seat.

  When we were once again facing each other, I asked, “How often do people who don’t want power receive it?”

  “It’s true the majority of people with this kind of power have had to work for it, but these situations happen more often than you’d think.”

  “How can I have responsibilities?” Gabby asked. “As far as I know, I’m the only Rabbit in the human realm, and my uncle is still King.”

  “The responsibilities are in the ways you choose to use your power. We don’t interfere with the way the various species’ governing bodies choose to rule their people, as long as they keep a low profile to humans. However, in order to remain relevant, our organization must allow for the most powerful of us to have a say in how the Concilio chooses to operate.”

  “And we qualify for whatever board or committee gets a say?” I asked.

  Apollonius explained how individuals with power are regarded, and then how couples with power are classified, and said we would qualify to join either way, but we’d need to make a decision. He was in the process of explaining the pros and cons when we heard the ‘copter, and Gabby stood and said, “That’ll be Aaron Drake and Nathan Pierce, I believe. I trust their counsel and I’m glad they’re here.”

  He smiled. “I’m aware The Dragon King has taken you under his wing, and you seem to have had an intimate relationship with the Amakhosi in the previous months.”

  I started to correct him that they’re still intimate, and remind him Rabbits and Bears aren’t monogamous, but decided to remain quiet. This man already knew much about us and it wouldn’t hurt to have a few things he didn’t know.

  Gabby was already outside waiting on Aaron and Nathan as they landed, and she brought them inside. I moved to shake Nathan’s hand but Aaron said, “Let’s skip the handshakes until we figure out your new power signature, Horse. We all know we get along, we don’t have to go through the motions to prove it.” He nodded to Apollonius and said, “A heads up would have been appreciated, old friend.”

  “We wanted to see them on their own without you around.”

  “And what did you see?”

  “A couple who would be strong as individuals. A couple so much in love their bond is like another entity. The two combined are likely five times as strong as either of them alone.” He looked at us and then back to Aaron. “The Bear knew I was here less than two seconds after my arrival, but this provided ample opportunity to sense their energy when they thought they were alone. I know you consider the Rabbit to be under your protection, do you claim the Grizzly as well?”

  “I’ll vouch for him. He’s my friend, and the husband of someone under my protection. He has no desire to use his powers in a way the Concilio will object to. I don’t believe you need more than that, do you?”

  Okay, so I’m not under his protection, but by vouching for me and claiming me as a friend, he’d as much as said I am without making it official. Aaron excels at navigating supernatural politics and I fully approved of his answer.

  Nathan is usually quiet, and he’d been leaning against a wall with his arms crossed. He dropped them to his side now and stepped forward to say, “Aaron and I’ve been working with Gabriella to teach her to manage her recent surge in power. Horse’s power surge came last night, and he’s on his honeymoon now so we figured we’d wait until they returned to help him learn to control the new levels. And yet, he’s managed to keep it shielded perfectly fine under the stresses you’ve put him under. They don’t pose a threat, Apollonius. They didn’t go looking for this kind of power, and they aren’t going to try to take over the world with it. The Abbott is fine with them living in his territory and has no plans to put a leash on them. If nothing else convinces you, this should.”

  Everyone was silent for a good two minutes. Gabby opened her mouth to speak but Aaron shushed her with a look before she started, and she stood with me, silent.

  When Apollonius finally spoke again it was to inform us of a meeting in five weeks, and to tell us Aaron and Nathan knew the location and should bring us the first time.

  He turned towards the door and Gabby said, “Wait!” She must have realized giving orders to a Concilio representative was bad so she quickly followed it with, “Please?”

  Apollonius turned and she asked, “Is my father alive?”

  He took long enough to answer, I got the idea he was consulting with someone telepathically. Finally, he told her, “Your father was purchased at auction by someone with the power and facilities to make sure he’ll never escape. His owner paid a great deal for him so I would assume he’s still alive.”

  “Is there a way to find out?”

  “Come to the meeting and you can speak to the man who purchased your father.”

  He walked out the door without another word and without closing it behind him, and abruptly disappeared as both boots touched the wood of the porch.

  Gabby’s pulse beat even faster, and Nathan’s voice was gentler than I’d ever heard it as he said, “He can teleport in this realm. It’s okay, Gabriella. You’re fine. Horse is fine.”

  I pulled her into my arms and looked at him over her head. “Thanks to both of you for coming. I have a feeling we were so far out of our depth, we have no idea how much danger we were in.”

  “It’s true one usually doesn’t want to see a Concilio vest,” said Nathan, “but when the representative knocks on your front door instead of showing up in your bedroom, you’re usually okay.”

  “I’d like to point out, “ Aaron said as his gaze met mine, “that Apollonius was standing in a room with the strongest Dragon, Lion, Grizzly Bear, and Rabbit on the planet, and wasn’t the least intimidated. I didn’t put you under my formal protection because doing so would imply you aren’t strong enough to defend yourself, but the truth is, you aren’t when it comes to someone of Apollonius’s caliber.”

  “But by calling me a friend and pointing out I’m Gabby’s husband, you pretty much told him you’d go to bat for me if it came to it, so thank you.”

  We were all standing, and Nathan sat in a chair. Even in human form he reminds me of a stealthy, stalking, overlord of a cat.

  Aaron grinned as he looked at him, and stepped to the loveseat to take a seat as well. Gabby and I sat beside each other on the sofa, and Nathan met my gaze as he said, “Gabby isn’t under my formal protection yet, but with your permission I’d like to make it so.”

  “I take no issue with it but the final decision is hers.”

  He shook his head. “She’s yours, and you’re hers. Apollonius was right about the bond the two of you have. I enjoy my time with her but I don’t want to overstep.”

  “Will your protection weaken me, as Aaron’s would’ve if he’d given it to Horse?” Gabby asked.

  “Rabbit’s aren’t known as fighters, but Grizzlies are,” Aaron answered. “It’s okay for us to put a Rabbit under our protection, but would send the wrong signals if we did so for a Grizzly Bear.”

  “What will I owe you for the protection?” Gabby asked.

  Nathan shook his head. “Don’t do something stupid that makes me have to save your ass. Shit happens, but don’t go asking for trouble.”

  She nodded. “Thanks, Nathan. I know it’s a big deal, and I appreciate it.”

  He nodded and looked to me. “I know ya’ll were looking forward to being alone, but we’d like to send two cougars to keep an eye on you. They’ll stay in cat form and patrol your perimeter, and will have a way to let us know if there’s a problem. If there’s an attack it’ll be the four of you defending yourselves until we arrive, but there’s a Faerie portal not too far away and we can take it
and be here sooner than with the ‘copter. Aaron deemed it a strategic advantage to make Apollonius think the ‘copter was our fastest way here, this morning.”

  I looked at Gabby to see her thoughts, and she nodded. I looked to Nathan and nodded as well.

  “Thanks for making it cougars and not wolves,” she told him. “The wolves would’ve made me nervous.”

  “I know, little bunny.” He gave her an affectionate grin, and his face sobered as his gaze turned to me. “I know you’ve made arrangements for her Deer to spend some time with her in a few days so she doesn’t run into trouble with too much Bear energy, but it might be safer if you bring in someone better able to defend themselves. I can use the portal if you choose me, but if you’d rather bring in her Leopard or Crow just let Aaron or me know and we’ll make the ‘copter available.”

  I shook my head. “We need to find a way to make it safe for the Deer. Dale smooths out her energy better than any of her other regulars.”

  “He was coming through Faerie?”

  I nodded.

  “Okay. I’ll make arrangements to bring him through, help the cougars patrol while he’s here, and then get him home safely so no one can follow him home. We’ll need to monitor the enclave’s security for a while, too.”

  “No.”

  We all looked at Gabby, and she repeated, “No. I won’t put him or the other Deer in the enclave in danger.”

  “Gabs, you need—”

  “No,” she interrupted me. “I’ll be fine with Nathan this week, and we’ll reassess the security situation next week. I won’t put the Deer enclave in danger.”

  I could tell by the look on her face this wasn’t an argument I’d win, so I nodded and told her, “If Nathan’s good with it, I’ll patrol with the cougars and give ya’ll some time alone. Meanwhile, I think you need to talk to Aaron about setting up a time for you to see The Winter Queen about your grandparents.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Gabby

  He was right. I knew he was right but I didn’t want to have to deal with it. At a loss for words, I looked to Aaron in hopes he’d say he couldn’t arrange the meeting, but he held my gaze as he said, “Nathan, why don’t you take Horse out back and give him a crash course in how to interact with other high-powered leaders.”

  “I’d rather stay and hear what Gabby has to say,” said Horse.

  Aaron looked at me without saying anything, and I turned to my new husband. “If Aaron needs to speak to me alone, we should give him the opportunity. The odds are, there’s something he can tell a Rabbit that he can’t tell a Bear, or something he can share with a member of the royal family or… who knows? The point is, we both trust him, right?”

  Horse kissed my forehead, stood, and left the room without a word. Nathan followed him, and Aaron walked to the sofa and sat down beside me.

  “Tell me what you know about the time freezes.”

  “Sometimes, everything in Faerie freezes except the Rabbits. It’s disconcerting, but it means we can pickpocket with ease, though we have to be careful because if time starts back while you’re rifling through someone’s wallet, things can go bad in a heartbeat. It’s also hard to explain how you disappeared from one place and appeared in another, because that’s how it appears to everyone who was frozen when time starts back. We usually stay as still as we can for a minute or two. Usually, they don’t last that long, but occasionally they last hours, and sometimes days.”

  He spoke carefully, as if making sure he only told me what he could. “The Winter Queen isn’t affected by them, either. If time freezes, it’s possible I’ll be frozen while the two of you aren’t. There are no guarantees with her, and being under my protection won’t guarantee your safety when it comes to The Winter Queen.”

  “What do you advise?”

  “You step into Faerie long enough to give me the power to negotiate on your behalf, and then return to this realm.”

  I shook my head. “I want to meet my grandparents and have a chance to speak with them before I decide whether or not to bargain for their release, and before I decide how much I’m willing to give away in the bargain.”

  “Your uncle will be the one to decide how much he’s willing to give away. He’ll do the bargaining, he just needs you to request their release.”

  “Then why do you need me to state you can negotiate on my behalf?”

  “So I can legally declare you want them released.”

  Again, I shook my head. “I want to talk to them before I make a decision.”

  “You want to voluntarily walk into The Winter Queen’s dungeon? Gabby, it’s a horrible place.”

  No, I didn’t want to go into the dungeon, but I also couldn’t leave them in such a terrible place if there was a possibility they’d acted to try to save my mother from Dwight.

  “I’d rather talk with them outside the dungeon, but if my presence is the only way to make it happen then yeah, I’ll go.”

  “Knowing she might be able to arrange for time to be frozen so I can’t protect you?”

  I was pretty sure he was skating around something he couldn’t tell me, and logic told me there was a good chance The Winter Queen could freeze time at her whim. It would make sense — and he was exactly right about my not liking the idea of being alone with Her Majesty.

  “Is there another way for me to talk to them? Look, Aaron, I trust you. Work out the best scenario you can for me, but don’t give too much away to do it. I can’t imagine how much I owe you for all you’ve done for me already, and I know asking you to negotiate this with The Winter Queen is one of the biggest asks ever.”

  “Let me see what I can work out, little one. In case your aunt didn’t explain the rules, now that Horse is your betrothed, if you bind him you can tell him about the time stuff.”

  “Really? No, she didn’t tell me. Thanks.”

  “I’m sure she would’ve if she were here and knew you needed to know.”

  I nodded because he was probably right. She’d taught me so much about how to live in Faerie. I’d been clueless when I first arrived.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Gabby

  I felt helpless walking into Faerie with Horse. Sure, we had Aaron and Nathan with us, and something had happened so Aaron now assured me I’d be safe even if time froze and I found myself alone with The Winter Queen, but I was still barely holding myself together.

  We went into one waterfall and stepped out of another — completely dry. A twenty-yard trail through the dense woods led to a large meadow filled with wildflowers, and to a woman who had to be The Winter Queen seated on a throne. The wildflowers throughout the field were various colors, but the blossoms leading up to the throne were all white, giving the appearance of snow.

  The four of us stopped about ten feet away and bowed, and Aaron said, “My Lady, may I introduce Gabriella Taylor, previously known as Avalyn Lepori, and her husband, the Grizzly Bear known as Horse.”

  The Winter Queen was dressed all in black and she looked evil. I stared at her feet and wished I didn’t care why my grandparents had made the decisions that had sent my parents to the human realm and set the stage for so much tragedy.

  “I’ve had a lot of fun with your grandparents over the years, little bunny. I bet you’d be fun, too.”

  “My Lady, please?” I’d never heard Aaron’s voice sound so plaintive before.

  She sighed and flipped her hand as if she’d do as he asked even though she didn’t have to, and said, “What do you want to say to them, little bunny?”

  “I want to know why they wouldn’t allow my parents to marry. I’m told it was their decision to make, and they insisted she’d never be allowed into the family, and neither would her offspring.”

  “And if you give them their status back, they might make you legitimate? Is that why you’re here?”

  “No, Your Majesty. My aunt offered to bring me into the fold. She was willing to adopt me — apparently there’s a way to adopt an adult relative to br
ing them into the royal family? Anyway, the point is, I like my anonymity. There are only a few people in Faerie who know me as anything other than Gabby, a distant relative to the King’s sister.”

  “Rumor has it you’re strong enough to take the Crown — family or not.”

  The Crown has stayed in our family so long because it’s been handed down. When you have the power of the Crown, you have access to the energy of every Rabbit in the realm, so it’s impossible for another Rabbit to overpower you and take it. Succession means if you kill the King, his son is now all-powerful, and the Royal security forces make sure the dozen or so people in the succession line aren’t all available to take out at the same time. However, I’m strong enough, they tell me I could take it from him without killing him, which would thwart the line of succession. I don’t want to take the Crown from him, but Aaron and Nathan are still of the opinion I might do it by accident.

  “I don’t know, My Lady. The Dragon King and Amakhosi have advised me it’s possible, but I’m not interested in taking the Crown, Your Highness. I enjoy my life in the human realm.”

  The Winter Queen waved her hand to reveal a bound man and woman to the left of the throne. Or, perhaps the wave of her hand had teleported them along with all of the hardware. There was no way to know without asking, and I wasn’t inclined to ask.

  The woman was bent over, her neck and wrists in wooden stocks, and a man was whipping her from behind. I watched in horrified fascination as he flicked his arm and the cruel leather snaked through the air before landing on her bottom, and her facial expression and scream broadcast how much the impact hurt. He dropped his hand to his side, observed her ass as if deciding upon the best spot for the next strike, and then lifted his arm, set his aim, and let the whip fly once more. I cringed with every strike, and again with every scream, and was grateful for the comfort and security of Horse’s arm around me.