Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Monkey Wrench ❯ Betrayals ( Chapter 21 )

Saturday October 15, 2005

10:00 a.m. EST

Elijah's Island

Uig's Hunt Farm

“I don't understand why you're making such a big deal out of this?”

So I wanted to visit Nikolai in his cell. Apparently he had gained consciousness right around the same time I did and now that we were both back in the land of the living I figured it was the perfect opportunity to get some dirt on Darastus and strategize my next move. As expected, my planned jailhouse visit went over like a lead balloon with Rowan.

“You don't have to understand, just know that you're not going anywhere NEAR that cell!”

Rowan's eyes were blazing purple fire and I swear if he puffed up anymore he'd pass out in a fit of righteous apoplexy.

“Rowan you're being ridiculously domineering, as usual. I have nothing to fear from Nikolai while he's here, he never intentionally hurt me the entire time I was at his house.”

I punctuated my statement by attempting to nonchalantly navigate my bulbous belly around his much-more-towering-than-usual form and got nowhere.

“NOTHING TO FEAR! Theryn, are you insane!” Rowan roared loudly, practically red with rage. He looked like a large, bright red straw topped tomato.

As if realizing what he was about to say was of a sensitive nature he lowered his head down toward mine and whispered through his teeth, “He's the one who did this to you!” while pointing vigorously at my protruding mid-section.

It took all my will power to hold back a snarky, “Actually no, YOU did this to me,” but in the interest of keeping my child out of Darastus' hands, I made do with a perfectly acceptable eye roll instead.

Trying to get his mind off of my planned rendezvous with Nikolai, I changed the subject abruptly.

“Shouldn't you be getting ready for Gage's funeral tonight?”

That seemed to shock him out of his furor and he suddenly deflated as if my words had sucked all the air out of him. I felt more than a twinge of regret for bringing this up and wished I hadn't said anything.

Rowan looked at me like the stupid human girl that I was, “It's not a funeral, it's a Dirige and you're not going to that either.”

Now that made me angry.

“What do you mean I'm not going? Gage gave up his life to save mine and if you think for one damn minute that I'm not going to be there to—Wait…is there some sort of werewolf law that says humans aren't allowed to attend the Dirige?”

“Yes.”

“And I take it there's no special exception for human relatives of lupinaras?”

“Um, no,” Rowan answered calmly, “You're sort of an unusual case in that you're probably the only fully human relative of a lupinara. Seth will be there to represent your family. We've got Alphas from all the North American packs coming and a few others from Europe, South America and Asia. Hell, we've even got a few Werelions showing up. It's no place for a human. ”

Just as I was mulling over his explanation, Dom knocked on my door.

“Come in,” Rowan announced.

Unbelievable, now he was answering for me too.

Dom shuffled up to me dressed in a somber all black suit ensemble. It was the most staid thing I'd ever seen him in. Not a stitch of color anywhere and even his normally healthy olive complexion looked pallid and lined. These last few days were hard on him; Gage had been his best friend. To make matters worse, he had to make all the decisions as “acting Alpha” until a new one was chosen. From my understanding, he held the position until the next full moon's zenith, which was tomorrow night.

“Theryn, you have a visitor.”

I perked up sharply, I'd been expected Lisa to stop by any minute now.

“What are you waiting for, bring her up?”

“It's not a she and I'm not letting him in the house and don't ask me how he got past the guards…”

My wrinkled brow of confusion saved me from the brunt of Rowan's renewed frenzy.

“Who is it?” Rowan barked out.

“Joe.”

My mind was working overtime. Rowan had told me that it was Joe who'd gotten me out of that cage and he'd used Rowan's blood to do it. I'd read about magic users in the Uig's Hunt library and I'd been told Joe was a Warlock mage.

I realized, not for the first time, that I was an idiot. For years I'd managed to miss the fact that my first serious boyfriend was a Snib and a fairly powerful one at that. I also decided to stop giving him the cold shoulder every time we met. It was petty and he'd gone out of his way to get me out of that awful cage, I couldn't see being such a bitch about past mistakes... a long-term kidnapping will do that to you. I truly wanted to see him.

Rowan wisely realized that he shouldn't object to Joe's request (being that he saved my life and all) and decided to let him in to the Hunt (persuading Dom was no easy feat) and into my room.

So here we stood, me refusing to sit despite my sore feet so I could retain a modicum of symbolic power in a room full of snibs, with Dom and Rowan sizing up Joe as if to measure how big a grave to dig. Guess I'd break the ice.

I waddled up to Joe in record time and chirpily announced, “Hi Joe,” giving him a big heartfelt hug, “Thanks for everything you did back at Nikolai's house.”

Joe pushed me back, staring me up and down in an innocent version of the gaze men often use to leer and smiled back at me with that goofy grin of his. Suddenly it was as if a huge burden was lifted off us and I could see him like I had before, as the guy who managed to break my walls of sarcasm and inexperience, and go out with a dork like me. I realized I missed him; we had been great friends first after all.

“No problem Theryn. Just stopped by to see how my favorite human's doing.”

I gave him a look that said `we need to talk' and lucky for me Joe took the reins and managed to wrangle a few minutes of “stroll time” with me around the house, while Dom and Rowan reluctantly decided to help Katie with the preparations for tonight.

As soon as the coast was clear Joe and I ducked into the library, which was completely dead, and grabbed a study room in the back corner. If you didn't know better you'd think we were sneaking off for some hanky panky. Fat chance.

We settled ourselves in for a nice long talk and Joe obliged to a full, detailed report of what he was, what his powers were, and what he did for me at Nikolai's. Just after he finished the part about using Rowan's blood to unlock the spell, I started to become suspicious.

“How did you know Rowan's blood would work?”

Joe shrugged his left shoulder at me, “I didn't, it was a lucky guess.”

Curious, I prodded, “Tell me more about this spell.”

When all was said and done Joe had figured out that the spell required the matching blood of one outside the cage to set the one inside the cage free. Apparently this particular locking spell could only be used on identical twins and pregnant women, as the blood of the caged person's parents has to match exactly; which is why a regular sibling wouldn't work, because different blood types amongst siblings were common, individual blood samples from parents were magically disparate, etcetera, etcetera, more snib mumbo jumbo.

Noting my look of extreme confusion, Joe explained spells don't follow strict DNA coding, so the presence of an unborn child in the womb of a trapped mother would open the cage with the blood of the father because of the exact blood match for the equally trapped baby. That's where I got concerned.

“So you how'd you figure out that Rowan is the father, everyone assumes it's Nikolai? Even I thought it was Nikolai's until Meghan spilled the beans on the `perfume' potion.”

“What perfume potion?”

After that explanation, Joe was finally able to give me an approximate run down of the chain of events that had to occur in order for me to be here now, not so barefoot and pregnant. Somebody had to mastermind every single occurrence at just the right time and use just the right Snibs to get the job done. I told Joe who I knew it was.

“It's Darastus.”

Joe shot me a skeptical glare, “Really? Everyone thinks Nikolai planned it all…I mean, they don't know why--”

“Nikolai still thinks this kid is his, Joe! Don't you see my problem? If I stay here, the instant this baby is born Rowan will know it's his. Has something to do with `smelling their scent', I don't know the particulars but suffice it to say, he'll know. So if I stay here, I'll be playing right into Darastus' hands. This is what he wants! He's been able to predict our every move since day one and if I don't go somewhere far, far away from all this snib lunacy, then my kid's going to be used by Darastus.”

“Don't you think Rowan should have a say in where you're planning to take his child!”

“Ssshhhhh!” I exclaimed, my eyes darting wildly out the cubicle's window for signs of life, “My God do you want to put me back in a cage!”

Joe looked at me dumbfounded, “A cage, what are you--”

“Yes Joe, a cage, it may not be as small as the one you busted me out of, but it will be a cage nonetheless. I'm human Joe, nothing's going to change that and now I'm a human pregnant with Rowan's kid. We don't love each other, sometimes I wonder if we even like each other. I don't want to burden him or myself with the phony sham of a relationship this child will bring. In this society I'll be little more than a well kept mistress, not good enough to be Rowan's mate, but mother of his bastard child. No thanks.”

“You could at least try it for a while,” Joe cautiously ventured.

“You're asking me to live in a wolf pack, as the only human, as a freak mother to an even freakier hybrid child of the all feared Uig Beta Guard and expect me or the baby to have a semi-normal life? Rowan wouldn't let me out of his sight as a mere charge, a thing to be followed and watched. Can you imagine what it will be like as the mother of his child? I might as well get a bloody homing device implanted in me.”

Joe looked like he was going to say something, and then thought better of it.

“You know something, you are one hundred percent right. That is exactly how it's going to be. Especially since Rowan's going to be Alpha soon--”

My eyes must have been the size of saucers, “What?!”

“I'm sure he'll win the Alpha fights and the Uig's will need somebody like him with Gage gone to keep the power condensed…”

“I thought Dom would be the new alpha.”

Joe shook his head, “Not a chance, to be honest with you Rowan should have been Alpha long ago, seems he just didn't want the position. Believe me, the other Weres knew it and will be waiting the fight's decision tomorrow. Now Rowan has no choice but to be Alpha if he doesn't want his pack overtaken by an outsider.”

I know all the color drained from my face instantly, “He won't let that happen. Now I've got to get out of here before tomorrow night…great. I mean I knew it had to be soon, since I'm due in a few weeks--”

“We've got to talk about what you want to do, since you're obviously not staying here. And might I suggest a few hundred elephant tranqs to get past the horde of lupinaras that will stand in the way of your departure.”

I looked at Joe with renewed horror. Time was ticking and I still had to see Nikolai before I left, “Joe, you've got to help me do this. Please.”

Talk about cashing in your chips all at once, just as I rehabilitated my friendship with Joe, I was asking him to do something that could very well get him killed. Not that the Pack cared too much about losing me, but the baby…I wouldn't put anything past the Uig pack to keep one of their own, even if it is a hybrid, but especially a child of Rowan's.

Lucky for me Joe was easily swayed. We put our heads together and came up with the plan. I was just sorry I wouldn't get to explain things to my family or Lisa before I left. I was even sorrier for betraying Rowan.

----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------

9:25 p.m. EST

Uig's Hunt ER

This was risky and stupid and I was just asking to get myself locked up in the cell across from Nikolai if I ended up getting caught by one of the numerous Pack members roaming the area. Everyone knew Nikolai was a lone wolf so any retaliation from his pack was a moot point, but he was still being watched and from what I understood “interrogated” for his involvement in my kidnapping. I had to find out Darastus's plans. Although I knew Nikolai was a pawn, he was at least a fairly intelligent one and could help me figure out the puzzle behind the vampire's grand scheme.

It was five minutes before the start of the Dirige and then every pack member would be outside to mourn the loss of their Alpha, it is probably the only time in the day to day workings of a pack that every single one of them is in one place at one time (thus leaving themselves vulnerable to attack) but it is a necessary sign of respect. All those books I read at Nikolai's were proving to be very helpful indeed.

From my perch on top of the table I waited for the guards to move out in the hall way, staring at my watch with growing nervousness. Rowan had made it clear that I was not allowed anywhere near the holding cells but I was allowed near the hospital and lucky for me I was just finishing my check up with Doc.

“Everything looks fine, Theryn. Won't be long now,” Doc blurted out in a rushed tone.

He hadn't found it suspicious when I'd asked for this later examination time, plus he was preoccupied with trying to hurry outside before the Dirige started.

“You're okay with walking yourself back upstairs? Good luck finding somebody to help you…we really should have gotten your mom or somebody to stay with you tonight--”

“That's okay Doc,” I assured him, waving my hand in gesture of fake nonchalance, “I'll be fine on my own.”

He nodded his head and walked slowly up the stairs and out of sight. I sat on the table a bit longer, forcing myself to wait a full ten minutes before sneaking off on wobbly tiptoe to the cells. I contemplated my selfishness in leaving before Rowan even had a chance to see his child, but I had other more important interests in mind, mainly keeping my baby away from nefarious vampires.

Funny thing about werewolves, I would have thought they'd have a veritable landmine of locks, lasers, passwords and bars' blocking the way to Nikolai's cell, but that wasn't the case at all. I managed to stroll right through the single row dungeon as if it were a reconstructed museum piece, instead of a working jail.

Nikolai was in the far right corner, his back to the hallway, reading a slim leather bound book under the single dimly lit light bulb in his cell.

“Hello Theryn,” he whispered softly, not sounding at all like Hannibal Lector and for that I was grateful.

My heart was pounding loudly and I'm sure he feel every beat of it, I wasn't so much scared of Nikolai as I was scared of getting caught talking to Nikolai.

“I have some questions to ask you about… um, what happened.”

He still hadn't turned around or looked up from his book yet.

“I'll answer what I can,” came his breathy reply.

Shaking off my trepidation I decided to plunge right in.

“Why did you bite my brother?”

“I thought it was necessary at the time.”

“Necessary for what?”

Nikolai's answer was a defeated sigh, “For my survival.”

I was starting to think this was a bad idea, but hoped he would open up as we talked. He hadn't been a terrible captor and had actually seemed like he enjoyed my company at his house, so maybe this could work.

“Why did you kidnap and rape me?” I said bluntly, as I knew no other way to say it.

He was quiet for such a long time that I thought he wouldn't answer. Just as I was about to start going into a tirade, he responded.

“You were a means to an end. Nothing more than that…at first. No doubt you want to know why you were kidnapped and why your family has been the one to suffer, but suffice it to say it couldn't have been anybody else.”

Perplexed and trying to keep my cool, I asked, “What does that mean in English?”

He turned around then, staring at me for a full minute and I became increasingly self-conscious. That cobalt stare was hard to ignore, and I didn't dare meet his eyes.

“Your heart and mine are magically fused.”

I shot my head up and looked at him in shock.

“It is what has kept me sane, civilized and aware these past months. It is also why I was incapacitated when you were shot. In order for it to work, the blood that beats through the donor's heart must have a pure druid origin and after a long, arduous search I found the only family left with enough to save me.”

“Mine.”

“Yes, yours.”

I was becoming increasingly worried, how in the hell did my family end up with that much fey blood?

“Is that why you wanted a child?” I asked, genuinely curious.

Nikolai's face darkened considerably and with his newfound health and vigor he looked menacing. I came to miss that stooped, pale figure from January.

“The child you carry was never my intention. It was part of my bargain with Darastus--”

“I knew it! Darastus wants my baby!” I interrupted, even more scared now that my fears were validated.

Nikolai nodded his head in consent, “You should take great pains to stay out of the vampire's reach. I don't know the specifics of his plans for you or the child, but my advice is to stay with your ancestors, they can protect you better than if you stay here.”

“My ancestors?”

Nikolai blew a breath of frustration, “The fey, you have to go search out the fey.”

“The all live in Ireland!”

“Shhhhh, not so loud,” Nikolai admonished, “Not all of them, but yes it's safer than here. Your choice is clear, you must go to Ireland.”

Suspicious of his motivations I asked, “Why are you helping me?”

“I have done you and your family a grave dishonor but even for that I wouldn't help you.”

I wrinkled my brows in confusion, “You're not making any sense!”

“I made a foolish, irrational mistake agreeing to help the vampire, but I no more want my child in Darustus's hands then you do. As long as your heart beats, I live. As long as the child's heart beats, I have reason to live.”

I didn't have the strength or malice in me to tell Nikolai the truth. I shook my head in quiet understanding and decided it was best to leave now. I had what I came for.

11:30 p.m.

The northern border of Uig's Hunt Farm

Rowan hurriedly tugged down the hem of his white tee shirt, and then quickly moved to button his open jeans, savoring his recent change back to human form. As much as he appreciated the distraction and pure uncivilized delight that came with a lupine Pack running, the mournful procession of the Dirige was not an activity he wanted to prolong.

Leaning against a voluminous fir tree he took a long, enjoyable sniff of its fresh winter scent. He looked up at the waxing, nearly full moon and contemplated the Pack's loss of Gage. Never in a million years would Rowan have predicted Gage would go down from a silver bullet, shot by a member of his own pack. Now that he was gone, and the Dirige was winding down to a close, Rowan wasn't looking forward to the new role that awaited him. Yet, he could avoid it no longer.

 

He kicked a blameless pinecone in the air and watched it splinter into a dozen pieces. Maybe it was time to accept his position as Alpha. It had technically been his rightful position since he was old enough to assume the Beta Guard duties. Rowan had known he wasn't ready before, but now, with Nikolai in custody, Darastus on the loose, and Theryn…

Sighing heavily he thought about the one thing he both loved and hated to think about at once, Theryn. She was a human woman under his care that had managed to be kidnapped, raped, and magically manipulated, all in the span of his relatively short time in Gaea. She had changed so much since the rescue, less angry, more forgiving, almost passive in the acceptance of her fate. He could nearly believe she was at peace with her admittedly horrid situation.

Thinking about the all too near future, Rowan decided he had to make a move. Theryn would be giving birth to her child soon. He shivered with cold rage at the thought of what she had to endure from Nikolai and Darastus. The trunk of the fir began to creak and splinter under his hands as he took his anger out on the innocent tree. While Rowan was not in love with Theryn, and probably never would be, his lupinara and fey heritage screamed out for him to mate her. By the seven hells, he had a permanent scent imprint on her and the Daoine Maithe union charm was still intact, so what was he waiting for? So maybe they'd never be “in love” but at least he could protect her and her baby from harm, away from Darastus and it's bastard father Nikolai, all while keeping a mate he was actually attracted to in the Pack.

The only problem was there had never been a human mate to an Alpha before, either lupinara or otherwise. The role required a strong will, the ability to intimidate and keep the Pack safe from harm, and of course, a raging jealous streak regarding the Pack alpha, or in other words, Rowan. Well, one out of three ain't bad.

Rowan stared at the moon, beseeching the glowing orb to give him the answers he needed. Luckily it didn't come to that and within seconds he'd made a hasty, but nevertheless unassailable conclusion. This would work. He was finally going to make a decision based on his wants and needs.

He'd make Theryn his mate as soon as he'd won the alpha fights, and while there was no question that he would win, he still knew the decision would not be popular with the Pack, or the Were community. Smirking, Rowan let out a decisive snort. Let the other Weres pass judgment; let some rogue wolf try to take his pack because of his supposedly weak indulgence, nothing would get in the way of his happiness. As crazy as it sounded, Theryn would make him happy, and he'd see to it that nothing threatened what was his.

With a new resolve, Rowan let loose a smile that was more a show of teeth than anything. It was time for Theryn to understand her place in the Pack… as an uncanny human amongst wolves, his wife and mate.

Sunday, October 16, 2005

7:00 a.m.

Wilmington, DE

Joe's House

Joe slapped the cover of his cell phone down with a bitter taste in his mouth. He couldn't believe he was doing this to Theryn but he truly felt he had no choice, not after what he'd seen. Just when they'd started to become friends again, he goes and does this…but he'd seen her aura shrouded with Rowan's protective Daoine Maithe charm, practically covering her own. It meant not only that Theryn could be found, but that her druid blood had shined for Rowan and Joe knew better than to get in the way of magic like that.

Joe drummed his fingers on the kitchen counter, simmering with indecision and second guesses.

Damn! She had trusted him, placed all her faith in him to get her out of the country and what does he go and do, betray her, just like he had back in college. Joe tried to console himself with the thought that this was for the best, it was in her best interest, and surely his best interest in staying alive if Rowan ever believed Joe had truly gone along with her insane plan to hide out in Ireland.

He thought about Theryn's baby too. What kind of life did it deserve? Not one growing up amongst faeries with a human mother, constantly paranoid some crazy vampire was going to kidnap her child. Maybe Joe was a little sensitive about the paternity issue, because he could have been in Rowan's place once upon a time. If there's one thing about this whole mess Joe knew with certainty, the kid was better off with his own kind.

Theryn was overreacting as usual and wasn't willing to face facts. She had stumbled upon a predicament that placed her squarely in the hands of an Alpha lupinara with enough strength and intelligence to keep her against her will. She just had to accept she wasn't part of the human world anymore, no matter how human she remained.

10:45 p.m.

Uig's Hunt Farm

I carefully peeked my head around from my designated hiding bush, waiting to see the shadowy silhouette of Joe's beat up old truck idling in the distance, but no such luck.

He was late.

Joe had agreed to meet at 10:30 while the Pack was distracted by the alpha fights. Rowan was apparently scheduled last to go, while all the other up and coming lupinara males weeded each other out in the beginning. Still, I was worried he'd still find out.

Dom had been acting strange all day, looking at me differently, without the pity and shame that I had seen in his eyes every day before. He even sincerely smiled at me today, and he hadn't done that ever before. As if that hadn't been enough, Rowan was in the happiest mood of all. Practically prancing around the house humming a jaunty tune, he even swooped me up on the way down the stairs and carried me the rest of the way. Weird-o.

At first I became paranoid they were all onto my plan, but when they went about their business preparing for tonight's fight I didn't know what was going on. They'd just put Gage to rest yesterday and now the two of them were like a couple of little boys on the last day of school. Who could figure out the ways of werewolves? Not me that's for sure.

Fifteen more minutes passed by and I was starting to get concerned. I could hear the snarls and growls coming from the fights behind me, the bouts were getting shorter, signaling that the ultimate fight was coming up soon. Where in the hell was Joe? He knew I had to get out of here tonight, before Rowan was officially alpha.

Twenty more minutes I sat crouching in the hedge bush. I was seriously going to kill Joe when he got here. Just as I was about to stand up and take my chances hitchhiking, I heard a raucous, primeval roar from behind me. Of course, the kid decided now would be good time to start kicking wildly. Great, the fights had ended, Rowan was surely the winner and now I was doomed…time to hustle.

I picked up my backpack and, stealthily as I could, tip toed around the insufferable bush, making my way toward the far eastern woods were the road connected up ahead. The moon was completely full so I had plenty of light to guide me and unfortunately plenty of opportunities to get caught. Finally making it to the tree cover, I saw Joe's rusty red truck coming to a slow stop 50 feet ahead.

Clamping down on my increasing excitement I hurriedly ran/waddled toward the truck, made my way around the rear, and flung my pack in the bed. Looking behind me for any would-be followers I threw myself into the front seat as gracefully as possible and shut the door.

With my long hair still covering my eyes and face, I reached around for the seatbelt.

I spoke hurriedly, talking to the window as I maneuvered the recalcitrant buckle from the door, “Whew. That was a close one Joe, any later and we'd have been caught. Hey, what are you waiting for, let's go!”

My question was met with silence and something cold, heavy and sharp took hold of the breath in my throat. I let go of the belt, tucked the veil of hair behind my ear and slowly turned to my left. I saw a pair of narrowed amethyst eyes staring back at me and it was as if the world itself shattered into tiny mosaic pieces throughout my vision.

“Going somewhere?”