It was a trip to get to the Tribunal. They were in the hotel, but not in the hotel. They rented out a room, then made a pocket dimension in it, the cheaters. It was a fae trick. The Tribunal’s meeting ground stood in the space between worlds, which was why the Tribunal members were willing to travel. They could have their special little room anywhere.
The vampire had to get a fae and a witch to open the door. I followed him in and was led to the front, to sit down where everyone could see me, like every day before. I sniffed the air, getting an idea for the crowd around me. There were a lot of species in attendance that I had never met before, but Hasan had taught me about. I was surprised to smell a naga, another rare species. Many of the smaller species didn’t hold positions on the Tribunal, but they agreed with the Laws over the centuries, knowing they were only meant to keep the peace between all of them. The Laws were the very things that kept nagas and kitsunes alive, both hunted down in their home lands nearly to extinction, much like werecats once were.
I sat down, sitting stiffly in front of the Tribunal. The room was too quiet, so I stared at the men and women in front of me without greeting them. I didn’t want to break the silence and draw any more attention than I already had.
The Tribunal itself was an amalgamation of the five species that grouped together to stop the war between werecats and werewolves. Two fae, two werewolves, two witches, two vampires…and there were supposed to be two werecats.
I knew there wouldn’t be. One of those seats belonged to Hasan. He claimed the other seat was the one for his missing mate, and none of the werecats around wanted to step up and take it. So the seats remained empty for my entire Tribunal, no support or condemnation from my own kind except in the form of Lani, who sat as close to me as she could.
“Welcome to the last day of Jacqueline Leon’s trial, everyone,” a vampire called. “Today we’re going to hear final arguments from anyone wishing to come forward and speak on her behalf and from the prisoner herself. Is there anyone wishing to step forward?”
No one answered. All of the wolves were done. A smothered cry came from the back that made me turn around. Heath was whispering to his daughter, probably explaining to her that humans weren’t allowed to speak on my behalf. She was only allowed to watch. I waved at her, hoping she would see me.
When she waved back, I knew I would do it all over again.
“No one?” a fae asked from his spot, standing up as well. “Really? Are we finally out of wolves that want to talk? Finally.”
“Packs,” one of the Tribunal werewolves said softly. “They’re always like this. I never thought I would see a pack defend a werecat, but if one was going to, all of them were. Fenris surprised me. That must account for something.”
Fenris had surprised me too.
“Doesn’t matter. Jacqueline, please stand and begin your final argument.”
I stood up, clasping my hands in front of me. I had over a week to think of all the things I had wanted to say, and they escaped me. I was blank for a moment.
“Well?” A witch sounded impatient.
“I wanted to do what I promised,” I started, swallowing my fear. “I swore an oath to Carey Everson to defend her, to protect her as I would a child of my own. I only did what my Duty demanded—”
“Yes. The other werecat said this argument as well,” a vampire yawned as he spoke. “And we’re not inclined to excuse your involvement with werewolf politics, something explicitly against the Law for werecats. You entered their territory and joined something you had no part in.”
“It’s been eight hundred years since the war!” I snapped. That brought my words back. “Eight hundred years. And you know what? Yeah, Lani and I are in agreement. I did as my Duty commanded of me. I might have lost Carey, but I didn’t give up on her. I wasn’t the party who broke the Law first. Dean and Emma, and their lackeys, were. Would you have dragged them up here and put them under fire for a week?” I pointed a finger at the bored vampire. “And maybe you should think of the repercussions of executing me, like Brin pointed out. Werecats were put in the position we hold for a reason. What does it say to those with human families that you’re willing to execute someone who is brave enough to go the distance to protect them? My kind, we can’t afford to fail. We can’t afford to be useless. We have to succeed. So I did. It was the right thing to do, not just for me or the werewolves, but for the supernaturals everywhere. So they can go home tonight with their human spouses or mates and feel like their local werecat is the right choice to make to defend them when things go sour.”
“And it was the right thing to do for the humans,” someone called from the back.
The voice made me gasp. I spun around so fast that I knocked the chair over.
“Hasan,” Lani whispered near me.
“Forgive my tardiness,” he called to the Tribunal. “I was in the middle of some family things.” He was standing at the main door, which was just closing behind him. “Jacqueline has a point. You can’t execute her. This entire situation has been a mess. The best way to let it lie is not by killing her, but by accepting that she did the right thing. The honorable thing.” He began to walk slowly down the center aisle. “I’ve been on this Tribunal since before it was this big.” He didn’t look at me. He looked over the crowd, which was nearly every supernatural in the state of Texas and a few of the neighboring states. “It’s grown in the last century, it seems…”
“Hasan. It’s good to have you here,” a fae said, grinning. “But tell me, how is it good for the humans, too? Werecats are still covered by secrecy.”
“For now,” he agreed. “But if you start killing my kind for being in the tough position of oath-sworn and honorable and following a ridiculously old Law, I’m going to change that.”
“Excuse me?” The female Tribunal werewolf sat up, narrowing her eyes at Hasan. I was now completely forgotten. I didn’t mind. I was still trying to process what Hasan had just said.
“Humans. That’s who we werecats protect. Wouldn’t it be a good PR move for my kind to come out right now with Jacqueline’s story? To tell the world ‘Look. One of the monsters in the night is on your side.’” He smiled. “‘And the other monsters killed her for it.’ I’ll even tell them what killed her. I’m not afraid to expose us all.”
I let my jaw drop finally. He was serious.
“You…you can’t out your kind without—”
“I think I’m the only werecat that can do whatever I want without anyone telling me I can’t. I brought my kind peace. I saved us from extinction. I’m much older than most, and while I’ve been away...” He shook Lani’s hand as he passed her, patting the back of it once. “They have remained respectful of me. I can tell the world about my kind. If you push me to it, that is.”
I still wasn’t moving when he stopped at my side, looking down at the chair I knocked over. He righted it for me and patted the back.
“Sit, please, Jacky,” he said gently. He even used the name I liked more. He never did that. “You’re not dying tonight.”
“Thank you.” I fell into the chair, still finding it hard to breathe. He’d come to help me.
“You can’t promise her that. You can’t hold the Tribunal hostage with the threat that the humans will be on your side!” The male wolf pushed out of his seat, fury turning his face red. “Damn you, Hasan, you don’t get to walk in here—”
“I can, I will, I just did,” he growled. “Don’t test me, Callahan. I’m leaving here with her tonight and no one is going to stop me. My children are prepared to send the evidence the human media needs about the existence of the werecats right now.”
He got my older siblings involved. I looked up to him, wide-eyed. My ‘siblings’ and I hadn’t spoken since I walked out on the family when I found out Hasan let my fiancé die in that car.
“Why are you doing this for a no-name werecat? She’s not anyone special among your kind. We’ve checked. Even Lani, the other werecat here, doesn’t know where she came fr
om. She had no lineage to back up her strength, something your kind finds important. She has no allies but the ones she’s met in the last week.” The female vampire seemed confused. “Hasan, certainly—”
“I won’t let another of my daughters die to werewolves,” he said softly. “And sometimes it feels like all of the werecats are mine.” He squeezed my shoulder. He claimed me as a daughter and still kept our relationship a secret.
I wanted to hate him, but in that moment, hating him was a hard thing to do. He was going above and beyond anything I ever expected from him, ever wanted from him.
And he doesn’t have to. I’ve never been the best daughter—or werecat.
“I agree with Lani, Jacqueline, and the werewolves. She didn’t enter the werewolf war over Dallas-Fort Worth without cause. She was oath-sworn, held by the very Laws you want to hang her with. She showed undeniable courage to risk herself for the safety of a human girl. She tried to remain impartial but knew there was only one good way to keep the girl safe. That was to help the Alpha, Mr. Heath Everson, defeat the traitors he was fighting against and rescue her from them.” Hasan ruffled my hair next, one of his more fatherly actions. I had picked it up from him. “I’m honored to have this werecat among the rest of my kind. I hope we shall all live up to the example she’s set.” He took a deep breath. “And maybe it’s time for us to rethink the Laws.”
Gasps filled the room. Chaos erupted. People were clamoring to speak, some yelling at Hasan, some cheering for him. The Tribunal watched in silence, and so did I.
“SILENCE!” a witch screamed, magic flying through the room. It wasn’t a graceful way to bring order, but it was an effective one. I looked out at the crowd. People were still yelling, but nothing could be heard. “It’s not permanent, everyone, but we must stay on track. Hasan, how would you recommend to change the Laws?”
“Like all things, Laws must evolve to meet the needs of the world. We can discuss it over drinks, my old friends. After you acquit Jacqueline Leon of her supposed crimes.”
The Tribunal looked between each other before one of the fae spoke up again. “Recess for one hour,” he ordered everyone, standing up. “Hasan, please come with us.”
He nodded, finally letting go of my shoulder and walking away. Lani was the first person to me once he was gone, grabbing my upper arms.
“He’s here! Hasan is finally back with us!” She was grinning. “You have brought about interesting times for the werecats, Jacky. I hope you realize that.”
“Yeah…” I watched his back as he left the room with the other Tribunal members. I pulled away from her and looked over to Carey, who was smiling as her dad explained what was happening. Landon waved at me this time, smiling broadly.
I didn’t go visit them, knowing it was time to keep my distance. There was no place for me with that family, but I was glad to see them together.
The hour flew by, and Hasan came back out to me, finding Lani and I talking quietly.
“Lani, it’s been so long,” he greeted, taking her hands again. “I’m glad you and Jacky have become friends. She’s young and needed some guidance these last few years.”
“You…” Lani seemed confused for a moment. “You know her?”
“Oh…Hasan, please—”
“Let’s keep this quiet, for her sake.” He nodded towards me. “Jacqueline is my daughter. I Changed her a decade ago.”
Lani’s sharp intake of air made me worried. She didn’t breathe again as she looked at me. “You…Every time I ever talked about Hasan and how I wished he was back helping lead our kind, and you…”
I looked away. Yeah. I figured this was coming.
“She’s private, my Jacky, and we have our differences. She kept that from you, though, because she knew I didn’t want to be found by most of the world, much like my other children pretended for the last century that I was nowhere to be found. They never lost me.” He patted Lani’s shoulder. “There’s big changes coming for our kind.”
“Oh, Hasan, what did you do?” I demanded, throwing my hands up.
“You’ll see,” he promised. “But you’re going home tonight. That’s all that matters.”
“Oh, I don’t believe you, but sure.” I crossed my arms. He did something. Now I just had to hope that it wasn’t terrible for my health.
The Tribunal walked back in and called everyone back to their seats. It was one of the fae who stood up and began to read from a scroll.
“In the matter of Jacqueline Leon, we have decided to acquit her of all charges. There shall be no punishment passed down based on the events here in Dallas-Fort Worth.” He took a deep breath. “Going forward, werecats who are called to Duty will be protected from future charges if the events are similar, so long as they can adequately prove that their actions were in the best interests of the human or humans in their care.”
People cheered. Well, howled. It was mostly the werewolves that were excited for me. I had saved Carey and helped them. Of course they would be happy to see me walking away alive.
I threw my arms around Hasan. “Thank you so much,” I whispered.
“One day, I’ll tell you the truth about Shane,” he told me softly. “But smell the truth when I say it wasn’t a decision I made thinking it wouldn’t hurt you. Or one I made lightly.” He pulled away, holding my shoulders. “What you said about Duty…I wasn’t going to let them take away your life for finally finding something to fill the hole you have here.” He pointed at my chest. “I would never let that happen.”
I could smell the truth, just as he wanted me to. And tomorrow, I could pressure him for the rest of the truth about the day I was Changed.
He did say ‘one day’.
Today, though, I was just going to be grateful for being alive.
25
Chapter Twenty-five
Two weeks later, I was completely healed aside from the scars, and at home again. I looked over my bar, knowing I wouldn’t be able to open for another week, but I was getting back to my life. That was really all I could ask for.
Hasan and Lani had stuck around for a couple of days, talking about times before me and the future. With the announced changes to the Law and to the Duty of werecats, we could be a little more open about it.
I wanted no part in it. One time was enough for me.
When I had finally chased them off, Hasan made me promise to visit for the holidays, prompting me to glare at him until he finished loading his car and left. I texted him an hour later and promised to come home for Thanksgiving. I wasn’t doing Christmas with that family under any circumstances. They always out-gifted me.
Things settled back down, and I was happy for it, for the most part. It was a return to the quiet life I had known, where no one knew I was a werecat and I had very little to fill my days except the bar and video games.
I was looking over my stock, knowing it was the last thing I needed to do before reopening, when someone knocked on the glass door.
“Closed!” I yelled. I didn’t care who was out there, and I touched my magic, wondering if it was a supernatural. I had been too focused on my work, because it was—a werewolf. Idiotic of me, after everything that had happened, to ignore my bond with the land and miss one of those sneaking up on me.
“Even for me?” Heath called back.
I jumped up, running to the door. I swung it open and there he was, his grey-blue eyes lighter than I had ever seen them. He was happy.
“Come on in,” I told him, holding the door open. “How have you been?” I had been hoping to see someone from the pack since the Tribunal, but none of them had visited me and I needed to put the time into getting my life back in order.
“Good. Officially retired from pack Alpha and the North American Alpha Council,” he said, sitting down next to my books. “Trying to reopen?”
“I am,” I said, waving at them. “Have to get back to life as I know it, right?”
“Certainly,” he agreed, looking down at what I was doing. “Stock. It’
s been years since I’ve managed a place like this, but I’d recognize stocking records anywhere.”
“Yeah. It keeps me busy. Gives me something to do.” I was nervous now. “So, how’s retirement?”
“Quiet. I have two more weeks to move out of pack territory or there’s going to be problems.” He seemed okay with it, but I was just confused.
“Move out? Are they throwing you out?”
“No, no!” he said quickly, shaking his head. “I have to, for the good of the pack. If I stay, I inadvertently undermine Tywin’s authority, which…is a little rocky. He’s rounding up the rogues in the region, and establishing his inner circle…Landon and I needed to leave. Not far. We’re going to stay nearby for our personal business, but we can’t live in the city anymore.”
“Wow, you wolves are ridiculous,” I replied, laughing. “That’s a lot for just wanting to retire.”
“Isn’t it? It’s not a permanent retirement, though. They all know once Carey is an adult and there’s an opening, I’ll make a new pack.”
“So, did you come just to catch up with me, or…? Not that I mind if you did, I just figured, after two weeks, that we were…well, done. You don’t need me anymore and…”
“No, I’m here to ask a favor of you, actually,” he admitted softly. “Your territory. How big is it?”
“I just expanded, actually. My territory now reaches forty miles in every direction from my house. I took over all of Tyler. Oops.” I smirked. “Why?”
“I was hoping my family could move in,” he answered, leaning back. My jaw dropped and he chuckled at my surprise. “A few nights ago, Carey had a nightmare. She didn’t scream for me or Landon. She called for you. She wanted you to save her. She’s fallen in love with you, Jacky, and now I’m a lone wolf. So is my son. We’re not equipped to properly protect her—”
“Yes, you are,” I retorted. “You just want an added layer of protection.” It was a touch insulting. He was using me and I wasn’t foolish enough to miss it or ignore it. It had to be called out.
Oath Sworn Page 25
