When Nicholas finished narrating his story, Beryl could not believe her ears. As unreal as his story seemed, she could tell he was being truthful.
She said, "That's terrible. You can't go through with this."
He sighed. "I already have. I don't think I have a choice."
She said, "Yes, you do. From what you told me, your pack listens to you. You could have them try to become independent."
He shook his head. "This isn't just about the werecoyotes in Old Constance. This is also about my son. I can't abandon him."
At those words, it seemed like Nicholas became a whole new man right before her eyes. All the emotions she had suppressed by telling herself he was nothing but scum seemed to come rushing out and spreading across her body.
She held his face in her hand. And then she kissed him. He did not pull away but kissed her back. It was just as she remembered - deep, hard, passionate, and sweet.
When she eventually pulled away, he said to her. "There's a connection between us. Something more than just physical chemistry. I wish we could explore it. But like I said, for the sake of my son and my pack, I can't go against the Davenport's wishes."
She stuttered, unable to form a reply. Nicholas planted a quick kiss on her forehead and rose to his feet once more.
As she watched him walk back into the house - back to his bride upstairs, she felt that familiar sharp pain in her heart once more.
Chapter 29
Nicholas cursed as he tore out a piece of paper from his little handbook. He had been trying to piece together his marital vows for hours now without any success. It was still in the early part of the afternoon so he hoped he could get it ready in due time.
The door to his study suddenly swung open. Kyle walked in. He appeared to be in haste and the obvious frown on his face told Nicholas something was definitely wrong.
Nicholas said, "Can I help..."
"Shut the fuck up, Nick," Kyle said. "All you had to do was keep your hands off her for a few days!"
“If you are talking about Beryl, I want you to know there's absolutely nothing between me and her," Nicholas said.
Kyle shook his head. "Well tell that to Sonia. She claims she saw Beryl kiss you last night."
At this, Nicholas was shocked beyond words. It was obvious Sonia wouldn't lie to her brother about what she saw. She must have peeped out the window at some point while he was with Beryl.
"Look, Kyle, I can explain," Nicholas said, remembering the younger man's threat a few days ago.
"Save your explanation for my sister. Not that it matters, though. Your actions may well have put all of us in trouble."
"What do you mean?" Nicholas asked.
"My sister loves you and will crush anyone trying to come between you two. See, this is very bad because a dead human is the last thing we need right now."
"I have to get to her - stop her from doing anything stupid," Nicholas said, rising from his seat.
Kyle shook his head. "It's too late for that now. I have reason to believe she sent Beryl on an errand in Old Constance. You and I know there's every chance she'll have her goons waiting to kill Beryl once she arrives there."
She walked through the streets, squinting under the midday sun as she tried to search for the flower shop Sonia had suggested she visit. Apparently, her client would only have roses from the Isle Flower Shop.
As she walked through the streets of Old Constance, which wasn't half as busy as the last time she was there and looked dirty and shabby as usual, she finally sighted a signboard in the distance. It had the name of the flower shop in bold print.
Beryl turned and walked into the street leading to the shop. It was only a few meters by her right now. Just then, she saw something that made her freeze.
Beryl had never seen a live wolf before except on television. Seeing three all at once; all of them large enough to rise up to her waist, having golden eyes that stared at her with menace; made her feel paralyzed.
They had come out of an alley and were advancing towards her quickly. One of them dived at her. What happened next took Beryl by complete surprise. A car zoomed past her. The wolf who dived was slammed hard by the windshield sending him to the hard ground.
The car stopped and Nicholas stepped out if it. He had an expression on his face she had never seen before. Beryl watched as he slowly began to lose his shape. His body seemed to collapse in on itself and in seconds he was no longer the man she knew but a werecoyote just about larger than the werewolves attacking her.
All this while, Beryl stood in one spot watching the drama unfold before her eyes. The streets were almost empty now as anyone who saw what was going on ran in the opposite direction. She watched as the coyote and the wolves slammed into each other. From what she could remember, wolves were supposed to be bigger and stronger than coyotes, but somehow, it seemed the reverse was the case here. She assumed this was because Nicholas was a pure-born.
The coyote caught the left forelimb of one of the wolves with its teeth. It yanked on it. There was a sudden loud snap as the wolf’s limb broke, causing a loud howl of pain. Before the second wolf could avenge its fallen comrade, the coyote landed a heavy blow across the wolf's face with its claw.
All three were on the ground now, trying to crawl away from the vicious coyote. The creature looked at her now without moving. Beryl began to feel fear flood her body. Was he going to attack her?
He began to shift once more, losing fur, losing mass, and gaining height. She breathed a huge sigh of relief when she saw Nicholas smiling at her, albeit there was some blood smeared across his mouth. When he realized he was butt naked on the streets, she blushed a bright red.
He said with a mischievous grin, "Can we go into the car now? I think people are beginning to stare."
Beryl had been waiting in the living room for minutes now. The moment Nicholas brought her back into the mansion, he had gone upstairs to confront his wife in her room. According to Nicholas, Sonia tried to kill her today and the thought left Beryl shaken. Her heart raced as she tried to imagine what would be going on upstairs. Nicholas had looked furious - furious enough to divorce his evil fiancée.
She heard footsteps of people heading downstairs. Nicholas and Sonia walked into the living room side-by-side. They were holding hands.
Beryl rose to her feet as if that would clear her head and reveal what she was seeing as an illusion. This Nicholas seemed a lot more subdued than the one that walked into the house with her.
Sonia spoke first. "Miss Moore. I won't deny it, I sent those werewolves to kill you in the streets. I did it because I saw your little kiss with my man."
Beryl said, "So you that's supposed to be a good reason for murder?"
Sonia's jaw tightened. She looked like she was going to explode any second. Nicholas placed a hand on her shoulder just as she was about to speak, causing her to stop.
"Let me," he said. Then he looked at Beryl. "Sonia and I had a little talk upstairs. I told her it was just a onetime thing. We were talking and got carried away. She has decided to let the issue go. She has also decided to let you go."
"What does that mean?" Beryl asked in confusion.
Sonia replied, "It's pretty straightforward, I think. Your services are no longer needed here. You're fired, Beryl Moore. The wedding is tomorrow. I think I can get one of my staff to oversee the leftover plans."
"Oh!" was the only thing Beryl could say. For some reason, it didn't hurt that she was sacked. Not until Nicholas spoke.
He said, "You'll be fully compensated. Please pack your belongings and be out of the villa by nightfall."
Beryl sat at the backseat in silence while the Jeep drove through the streets of Old Constance. At the front seats were two of Sonia's guards driving her to the airport. The clothes and accessories Sonia bought her when she first arrived filled a box in the boot of the car. Other than that, the only other belonging Beryl had with her was in her small handbag which she held in her hand.
"Stop the car,
please. I need to pick up a sovereign at the pawnshop," Beryl said pointing in the direction of a small shop by the side of the streets.
The guards glanced at each other, shrugged, and stopped the car. She got out of the Jeep and walked into the shop.
"I need to use your bathroom, please," she said to the shopkeeper, passing her some money.
Surprised, but eager to collect the money, the woman nodded and showed her to the restroom in a corner of the shop.
"Thank you," Beryl said. Glancing behind her to ensure none of the guards was coming after her, she walked into the restroom and closed the door.
A few minutes later, Beryl stepped out of the shop dressed in a red top and blue trousers. She also had a hat on that covered her face. It was a good disguise. One that would probably not fool the guards if they looked closely enough, but she was counting on not being noticed. The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow as she walked past but it would seem the money had also bought her silence, so she stayed mute.
Just as she had hoped, they were engrossed in a heated discussion and took no notice of her as she walked past. As soon as she was out of sight, Beryl hailed herself a taxi.
"Where to, ma'am," the driver asked.
"Take me to New Constance. The Gemini Hotel, to be exact."
"This whole thing sounds like a bad joke to me," Alex Warren said. They were in the hotel suite he shared with his wife. Beryl sat on a chair while Alex, Connor, and Gabriel sat side-by-side on the same couch.
"It's the truth. Sonia and her family are about to force Nicholas to throw away his life," she replied.
Beryl had chosen to come to them knowing their wives would be out with Sonia for her Bachelorette's party. She knew this because she had planned the event as part of her contract. She also knew Nicholas' friends were supposed to meet him at the villa in thirty minutes for his bachelor's party.
"This is crazy," Gabriel said. "I mean, I get that Sonia's a bitch and all, but I always thought Nicholas must have seen something in her.”
She said, "His family is being controlled by the werewolves in Old Constance."
Connor said, "Yes. The coyote pack in Saint Louis, Old Constance. I was there as a boy years ago with my father. It was nothing short of modern-day slavery. The werewolves there treat the werecoyotes like crap."
Alex frowned. "And you did not think to do anything about it? Not even when you found out our friend was from there?"
Gabriel said, "Come on, man. Cut him some slack. This isn't the time for blame."
Connor sighed. "No, I understand you, Alex. The truth is I thought things had changed. I mean, look at Nicholas. He didn't seem to be suffering from any abuse back in college. He seemed fine."
Alex nodded. “Well, I guess you're right. We have to do something. Whether he admits it or not, Nicholas needs us, now more than ever."
Beryl spoke up then. "I have a plan, but you are not going to like it."
When Nicholas walked into the hotel suite, he knew something was wrong. All three of his friends were sitting in the living room with sad faces.
"Hey, guys. Why the sudden change of plans? I thought we agreed to meet at the villa," he said.
"Something came up," Gabriel explained.
"What?"
"Have a seat, Nicholas," Alex instructed.
Worried and confused, Nicholas sat down beside Connor. "So, what's the matter?"
Alex said, "This wedding. Why are you really going through with it?"
Nicholas' heart sank. He could not believe this was coming up on the night before the wedding. "What kind of question is that?"
"I'm sorry. But we need an answer, Nicholas. We need an honest answer. We've never lied to each other. Let's not start now," Alex said.
Nicholas sighed. "It doesn't matter. All that matters is I'm getting married tomorrow."
Gabriel shook his head. "And what about your people? They remain slaves for life while you live as the son-in-law of their master?"
Sudden anger shot through Nicholas' veins. “You have no right to talk to me like that. I have sacrificed so much for my pack. If I'm married to Sonia, maybe I can have a say in how they are treated."
"Do you really believe that?" Alex asked.
Try as he may, Nicholas could not bring himself to say yes. He looked down at his hands. They wouldn't understand. They never would. The werewolves could exterminate the werecoyotes in one swift attack if he messed this up. They would never understand what it was like to have so many lives linked to their actions. He had to leave to clear his head.
"I'm sorry guys. This is obviously not the time for a party. I have to leave now. See you at the wedding," Nicholas said and rose to his feet.
There was a sudden movement behind him and before he could turn to see what it was, he felt a sharp pain in the side of his neck. Before he could speak, the room suddenly began to spin around him.
"I'm sorry, Nicholas," he heard Alex say. And then he felt Connor's arms around him. His vision continued to blur and darken until all that was left was silence and darkness.
Chapter 30
With Nicholas heavily sedated and safely locked up in a room in the suite, Beryl and Nicholas' friends waited until a few minutes to the wedding before setting off in Alex's car. Beryl was sure that by then everyone would be wondering where the groom was.
The previous night, as Connor and Gabriel tied their friend's limp body to a chair, Alex has said, "If our plan is gonna work, we'll need to do it when most of the werewolves would be at the wedding."
Alex drove all four of them into Saint Louis that morning. Beryl saw firsthand what Connor had talked about. Saint Louis was a sandy village with most of its buildings being factories owned by Lord Davenport. The other buildings were small, shabby, and filled with frail-looking adults and children.
"Stop the car," Gabriel suddenly said. "Isn't that Nicholas' mother?"
Alex stopped the car and peered out the window. Beryl looked in the direction the men were and saw a woman in her late fifties slowly walking towards a bungalow which was bigger than most of the houses in the area. Walking beside her was a teenage boy holding a grocery bag.
Alex said, "What the hell? That's Nicholas' mom. I remember her from graduation."
Beryl said, "How is she not at her son's wedding?"
"There's only one way to find out," Alex said.
They all exited the car and walked to the front door of the house. The woman and the boy were already inside.
Alex rang the doorbell. Seconds later, the door was opened by the young boy who Beryl assumed was Nicholas' brother. He stared at the group with wide eyes.
"Hello, there," Alex said. "We are friends of your brother, Nicholas. We need to see your mother."
Nicholas had been awake for over an hour now but was still unable to leave his current position. The drugs Connor had injected him did not only knock him out but temporarily robbed him of his shifting abilities. He had been trying so hard to shift and tear the ropes apart yet he could hardly get the hair on his skin to rise, much less grow.
"You stupid lot, what stunt are you trying to pull," he said to himself. He still could not think of what their plans were, but he knew that whatever it was, it couldn't be good. A sudden thought struck him. Could it be that they were on their way to Saint Louis?
Fear coursed through his veins. That would mean they were as good as dead. The only way he could save them would be to complete this marriage and get back in Lord Davenport's good books. If only he could get himself to shift and free himself from his bounds.
He tried to shift once more. It didn't take. The coyote within him was still fast asleep. He took a deep breath and tried to clear his head long enough to think. Another thought passed through his mind. So far, he had been trying to awaken the beast within him to no avail. He was a pure-born and this meant he had access to a fraction of the beast's strength. Wasn't that all he needed to break through the ropes?
Closing his eyes, Nicholas heaved his biceps hard aga
inst the ropes holding him to the chair. For the first three seconds, he was afraid this would be another fruitless effort but there was a sudden snap and the ropes began to break loose one by one.
Still feeling exhausted, Nicholas rose from the chair. He knew what he had to do to end all this craziness. He needed to get to the villa and get married to Sonia as soon as possible
"You mean to tell me they wouldn't even let you see your own son get married?" Beryl asked Mrs. Archer. She could not believe what the woman had just told them.
Mrs. Archer replied. "The werewolves wouldn't want such a sacred ceremony to be tainted with werecoyotes."
"But you're his mother," Beryl said.
"Yes, but Lord Davenport doesn't care. To him, we are all the same. The only werecoyotes he tolerates are the pure-born ones. And that's my son, Nicholas."
"Your son is throwing his life away," Beryl said.
The tears began to gather in the woman's eyes. "You think I don't know that? You think I don't wish every day that his father hadn't died of Leukemia two years ago? Lord knows he would never have let Nicholas go through with this if he were here."
Beryl felt her heart bleed for this poor woman. A look from Alex told her this wasn't the time for tears. They needed to act fast before it was too late. Beryl asked, "How fast can we have all the werecoyotes in Saint Louis gather in one place?"
Mrs. Archer looked confused, yet she said, "I am very influential around these parts. I could have them all gather in front of my house in ten minutes. Why?"
Beryl sighed. "We need all hands on deck. We're going to overthrow the Davenport werewolf pack."
It took a little more than ten minutes, but soon enough the front of the Archer's house was filled with a dozen adult men and women. Beryl's heart sank the moment she saw them. They looked nothing like the warriors they needed. Most of them wore forlorn and indifferent expressions on their faces.
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