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`~RENDEVOUS~
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The trip to their hopeful meeting point was a quiet one. Though Mara was hoping for action, or some form of resistance, no supernatural force encountered the pair. They stopped off twice at motels for rest, each time getting separate rooms even though Mara disagreed considering she wouldn’t be sleeping at all. Malcom wanted to avoid any further physical interaction between the two of them. He’d seen how Mara was the last time they slipped up and crossed that boundary. He couldn’t risk that happening again, especially with everything that was going on. He needed her to have her head on straight.
When they arrived at the meeting point, it was still early in the evening; it would be at least five hours until the moon broke the surface of the horizon. Malcom decided to go for a run, something he had already forced Mara to stop for three times along the way. As he ran from the vehicle parked in the shadow of the trees, Mara mumbled about how they would be flying back when their task was done. She couldn’t take his overly charged body and the need to dispel that energy in any way except with her. As his form disappeared into the woods, she wondered if he would be taking that trip back with her once their mission was complete. He still hadn’t confronted the topic of the newborn vampire that was his Serene. Malcom hadn’t brought it up and Mara hadn’t had the balls to ask him his true thoughts on the matter. Nor did she have the heart to. She had to admit that she would feel pleased if he turned away from Serene, as he had left her so many years ago, but what if he didn’t? What if he ran back to her despite what she had become? What if he could love her unconditionally? Mara refused to admit that if Malcom ultimately chose to be with Serene regardless of what Duvein did to her, she would lose it.
The sun still weighed on her, so she decided to take a nap. It seemed safe enough. There would be no vampires to worry about and according to Malcom; no wolves ever came to the area. Something about a curse on the land, damn wolves were so superstitious. The sound of gunshots off in the distance pushed that idea from her head. Most likely a hunter trying to catch a prize, but either way she would have to stay on alert. The sound was too far away for it to equate to any real threat for the napping vampire, and it was in the opposite direction of where Malcom went for his run, so she wouldn’t have to worry about him crossing paths with the idiotic hunter. Even if she had been concerned for his safety, it was just a few minutes later when Malcom returned.
“You alright?” He asked as he scanned their surroundings.
“Yeah, why?” Mara peered out of the corner of her eye at the wolf who’d let in enough sunlight to irritate her. Just a little while longer and the damn nuisance would retreat from the sky.
“Gun shots, I checked it out, just a hunter, but I wanted to make sure you were cool.” He looked at her with true concern in his eyes. It was the kind of look that made Mara swoon over the wolf who didn’t really want her.
“Aw, how sweet of you.” She brushed it off jokingly to hide how much his concern meant to her.
“Oh, hush. I need you alive.” He laughed and she stuck her tongue out at him.
“Well, now I feel so touched.” Mara reached into the cooler on the back seat and grabbed a beer to hand to Malcom. “You look thirsty.”
“Water would be better, but thanks.” He gave her a side-glance before cracking the beer open.
“Don’t worry; I’m not trying to get you tipsy.” She laughed. “Your ego is already big enough.” If Mara thought a beer would be enough to get him back into bed, she would have done it a long time ago. She knew that what happened at her place, happened because he was trying to avoid his emotions. Mara was nothing more than a physical outlet to the things he didn’t want to process.
“Whatever.” He grinned and put the bottle to his lips.
“So, we have about five or six hours until your pal is supposed to show his furry face? We aren’t even sure if he will show up, and we still haven’t talked about our contingency plan.” Mara spoke as she joined Malcom who was leaning against the hood of the vehicle. The sun had finally dropped low enough where she was safe from its direct rays.
“Yeah, I know.” Malcom swallowed another mouthful of beer.
“Because there isn’t one...right?” She eyed the wolf knowingly. It had always been the same with him. Plans were made when they became necessary, not a moment before.
“Right.” He shrugged. Mara knew him well enough to know not to expect much from the wolf. He listened to his gut and made decisions that best helped the situation.
“So how about we spend the next couple of hours coming up with one. I know how you operate, but this is different. There is too much at stake to be trying to fly by the seat of our pants. Is there a back door to your home town or do we have to burst through the front door guns blazing?” Mara’ eyes lit up at the second option.
“I do know just how much you would love the gun blazing option, but there is a back-door option of sorts. There is just a small problem with that particular entrance point.”
“And that is?”
“Vincent was the one who helped me create it, I am sure he has it guarded.”
“So, that’s cuts that option out.” Mara grinned. “Guns blazing it is!”
“Not necessarily, I would prefer a small battle to a complete war. We need to avoid a high count of casualties. Their numbers are already limited, my guess is that he will only have a few men there and most of them will be unequipped to take on either of us. It shouldn’t take very much effort for us to subdue them.”
“So, back door it is.” Mara grabbed a bottle of blood, choosing it over one of the bagged varieties she had also packed, cracked it open and poured the liquid down her throat.
Malcom gave Mara the specs of the secret way into the pack, he told her of the underground route that led from the base of the hills just beyond the town’s borders. They would come up behind the house of the man who was once their pack’s healer. Once he passed away no one dared to touch his home. The structure sat as a shrine and often elders would go there saying they could feel the healers spirit and would call him to heal their wounds. Once they made it past any guards, they would be able to hold up inside the house, he had a few people listed that he could try to reach out to. If none of those avenues worked, he would have to cut his way through the pack ending with its current Alpha. This of course was something he hoped to avoid. His deal with Duvein called for one life lost and one life only.
“You sure you can do this? I know how much Vincent has put you through, but are you sure you can take him on?” Mara hated to question him, but the truth was that Malcom had been out of the game for a long time. He once had insight on Vincent that would have helped him in his task, but that was no longer the case.
“I don’t really have a choice, do I? The pack is falling apart and Serene...” He trailed off and took another swig of his beer. “It doesn’t matter what I do or do not feel capable of, I have no other option. This is bigger than now. Like it or not, it is my responsibility to correct what has gone so horribly wrong. Even though I was officially stripped of that duty!”
“Well, alright. Either way the cookie crumbles, I got your back.” Mara held her bottle of out towards the conflicted wolf.
“I wouldn’t doubt that for a minute.” He smiled at her and they toasted the sun as it made its final decent into the horizon and left the sky a deep shade of blue. Soon the moon would rise and the real fun would begin.
As his nerves began to set in, doubts of whether or not his old friend would really show up, he looked to Mara. She seemed calm, unaffected and a bit bored. How could she not be as tense as he was? They were sitting ducks waiting for someone who had no idea that they were there. Hours passed slowly, too slow for him and he was beginning to get anxious. As much as he wanted to run, he didn’t. He stared at the time that read to him in blue lights from the dashboard, nearly 9:00, where was Sirus? It was at that point that Malcom began to fear the worse, what if Sirus hadn’t made it, what if he had become yet another victim of the wrath of Vincent? Malcom wouldn’t be able to live with himself if this were true. He should have come home sooner. He should have tried to protect his friend, if no one else, Sirus had always been on Malcom’s side. This was the first time Malcom would feel any real doubt, or regret for not going back returning to the pack that had banished him. He tried to shake the feeling off but couldn’t.
“You need to relax.” Mara said lowly. She looked at Malcom who rested his head against his seat.
“I am relaxed.” He said on a deep breath that told otherwise.
“You are aware that I can sense your mood, or have you forgotten? You have been on a steady climb towards panic since the sun went down.” Mara reached into the back seat and grabbed a blood bag. She sipped from it slowly, she wasn’t particularly hungry but she needed all the strength she could get in case things didn’t go well with their rendezvous.
“Yeah, well, this isn’t exactly easy for me.”
“And why is that?” She turned in her seat and looked at him.
“I’ve been gone so long; things change over time, people change. Hell, look at the decent Vincent has taken. I knew that he would have his struggles, but I never thought it would ever get this bad. Here we are waiting for Sirus, who may not show up at all. There is also the chance that if he does show up, he could very well be on the opposing side. Which means another fight that I am not prepared to face. It’s best that I accept that it is a possibility. I don’t want to believe it is plausible, but after all that has happened, who am I to be a skeptic?”
“There is only one way to find out which side wolf boy is on.” Mara pointed through the windshield at the silhouette of a large man. “I take it that is our guy?”
Malcom scented the air and confirmed. “Yes, that is him.”
“Well, let’s say hello, shall we?” Mara opened the door and hopped out.
“Mara, no!” Malcom called but before he could finish issuing his warning, Sirus had shed his clothing and shifted to wolf. He was on a direct path to Mara. This was going to get ugly.
In his human form, Malcom stepped out of the car and jumped in front of Mara who was already plotting her counter attack. He held his hands out in defense and called out his old friend’s name. The wolf came to a halt a few feet from the defensive pair and eyed Malcom. He sniffed the air and shook his head, confused by the mixture of wolf and vampire. Malcom took another step closer to the large wolf and held his hand out to him to give him a better scent to pull from. Sirus took in a long drawl of his odor before dropping his head back and howling to the moon. He shifted back to his human self and with a smile plastered across his face he pulled Malcom into a bear hug.
“Old friend, I thought I would never see you again!” Sirus spoke as he eyed Mara over Malcom’s shoulder.
“Yes, well, here I am. Just happy to see you hadn’t given up on me.” Malcom chuckled.
“Never, though this would have been my last time out here.” Sirus said with apprehension.
“Oh, why is that?” Malcom pulled back from Sirus who stood completely nude and still eyeing Mara.
“Things have been set in motion. Our people, it’s time that we left, get from underneath the rule of Vincent, we have lost too many lives.” The man had no shame, bared to the world he explained how he had come to the decision to evacuated their people. Once Vincent had made the decision to send their youngest wolves into battle, Sirus could no longer stand aside and watch. He knew the price he’d pay if caught betraying the Alpha’s command, but those sacrifices were necessary.
“Looks like were all on the same page here, so what is the plan?” Mara had relaxed though her attention was split. She found it hard not to notice the naked man in front of her or the fact that though not aroused, Sirus was more than impressive.
“Who is she?” Sirus asked and nodded at the vampire who had no shame in her game. Her eyes traveled the length of his body multiple times.
“You remember Mara, don’t you?” Malcom pointed to her. “It’s been a while, but he is one who is definitely hard to forget. She kind of imprints on the brain like a virus.” He laughed at the look of disgust she shot at him.
Sirus shook his head and squinted at the vampire. “Oh, yeah, your old partner in crime. I never did get to properly meet her or get too close.” He turned to Malcom. “So, you two are back in business?”
“Something like that, yeah.” Malcom dropped his head slightly and looked to Mara. He couldn’t say it; he couldn’t tell Sirus why he had returned.
“Well, whatever it is, you’ll have to explain it all on the way, we are on a tight timeline.” Sirus turned his back to them, shifted to his wolf and took off running. Mara took the car while Malcom joined his old friend in a run beneath the moon.
Stephanie was ready and waiting for Sirus to arrive. She listened by the door, but all she could hear was the sound of her moron guards. The moon had begun its departure from the sky and it was nearly time for their shift to end. She heard as progress reports were made and the men swapped places. Sirus hadn’t come, she kicked the trash can that sat by the door in her frustration. The time had come and gone per the note he sent with Fay. What happened? What went wrong? Why hadn’t he come? If Vincent had found them out, it wouldn’t be long before her brother would come for her. He wouldn’t take another betrayal from her lightly. Whatever the punishment was that he would dish out would be much more than locking her in her room.
She started to contemplate another means of gaining her freedom. There had to be a way, something she had looked over or hadn’t already tried. Before she could take her chance with the reinforced bars on her windows, there was a small tap on her door. She turned to it, but backed away slowly, and realized that she was afraid that might be her brother on the other side. She couldn’t remember ever being truly fearful of Vincent, but in that moment, she was. The door creaked open just a sliver and two fingers slid into view pinching a small white cloth.
“Sirus?” Stephanie asked nervously. If it wasn’t him, she’d have to explain why she thought it might be.
“Yea, Sorry, I just wanted to be sure you weren’t going to attack me. I know I am later than what I said.” He whispered. “You ready to go? We don’t have much time.”
“Yes, I am.” Relieved of her anxiety, Stephanie pulled the two bags she’d packed and stuffed beneath her bed.
“Good. We’re coming in.” Sirus said before he pushed the door open. He instructed two men to stay out in the hall, but he was followed by a leggy woman who reeked of death, vampire. Before Stephanie could voice her outrage at the appearance of a vampire in her room, another form spilled in through the door and she nearly choked. She wanted to scream but instead she ran to him and jumped into his arms.
“You came!” She whispered excitedly. She pleaded with him for his help, but never thought he would agree to come.
“Yeah,” Malcom responded as he hugged the girl, but managed to avoid any eye contact when she released her hold around his neck. Stephanie made note of the awkwardness in their exchange but a cleared throat from Sirus reminded her that she didn’t have the time to question the disgraced wolf on his weird behavior.
“We need to go; the convoy is waiting for us downstairs.” Sirus announced and peeked through the dark curtains that covered the windows to Stephanie’s room. He seemed satisfied by what he saw as he turned back to the group.
“Convoy?” Stephanie gazed at the group. “How many are there?”
“Evacuations started earlier in the evening. We are moving out anyone that won’t cause suspicion first. Everyone who was willing to leave either has already gone or is waiting for us now. You had to be the last we grabbed, because Vincent will damn sure notice your absence and shut down the perimeters.” Sirus looked at Stephanie, “Even if we don’t make it out, we had to give the others their best chance at survival.”
“Where are we going?” She asked as she strapped her bag across her back.
“For now, we’re going to hold up in Crockett, it’s far enough to buy us some time to make sure everyone is together before we head further north. We have contacted some of our brothers in Illinois and they have agreed to provide shelter.”
“And what about Vincent and the rest of our people?” She eyed Sirus expecting solid answers. They couldn’t just leave them all there to suffer at his hand.
“The vampires have targeted him and anyone who stands by his side.” He nodded to the thin vampire. “Mara has confirmed that.”
“Mara?” Stephanie played dumb. She knew who the pale woman was.
“Um, hi...” Mara gave a tiny wave.
“So, we just leave him to die?” Stephanie knew what a tyrant her brother was, she knew how many terrible decisions he had already made. Even with that knowledge, she would never be okay with the idea of simply letting him die. He was her brother, and at the end of the day, she would still want to protect him.
“What other choice do we have?” Malcom asked.
“I thought you returned to help him.” Stephanie turned on Malcom. Her hurt expression made his stomach knot up. It was like delivering the news of his love Serene all over again. He knew she would never truly forgive him for it. “Why are you here, Malcom? Why did you come back here if not to help my brother?”
“He is too far gone, and helping him ceased to be an option a long time ago, Stephanie. Regardless of our past connections, the truth remains the same. No matter what you say, I know that you’ve already realized if yourself. It’s time to come to terms with it. Vincent dug his own grave, I’m not going to risk my life trying to pull him out of it.” Malcom tried to be gentle in his delivery of the terrible news.
“I can’t give up on him.” Stephanie shook her head and backed away from the group who came to aid her in her escape.
“We don’t have time for this.” Sirus spoke and Stephanie looked at him. Before the conversation could continue, Mara delivered a roundhouse kick to the side of Stephanie’s head so quickly that she hadn’t had time to react. Stephanie fell to the floor. Malcom and Sirus looked at Mara as if she were insane.
“What?” She looked at the two wolves and shrugged. “Hey, he said we didn’t have time and she clearly wasn’t going to end her pleading any time soon. Now, scoop her up and let’s get out of here.” Mara said as she skipped out of the room.
“Something is really wrong with that girl.” Sirus shook his head as he grabbed the bag that was strapped to the unconscious she-wolf.
“Tell me about it.” Malcom bent down and picked up Stephanie from the ground. She was going to have to be kept chained down as long as Mara was around. There was no way Stephanie was going to let that go without retaliation. “This ought to be a fun few days!”
Vincent exploded into the empty bedroom of his sister and howled. He scented the room and damn near broke the guard’s neck as he picked up the familiar odor of his once right-hand man, Malcom. “I am going to find him and kill him! It’s time for this damn game to end! Fucking morons can’t get anything right!” He punched the wall next to the window leaving a sizable dent in the surface. As he was leaving the room, he picked up another scent that he’d nearly missed. “Mara, it has been such a long time since I’ve had the pleasure. This is going to be fun.” He growled with a sadistic delight.
Their small convoy made it to the first checkpoint with no complications. Everyone was safe even though they were running short on time. It wouldn’t be long before the crazed alpha realized what they had done. There was no doubt that he would be able to tell that Malcom had been there. That knowledge it would only add fuel to his fight and push the man further down the road to insanity. Vincent was nothing if not one to seek out vengeance, even if he was the only one who could see the reason behind it. He alone was responsible for creating the hell that their people existed in. He also held the blame for pushing those people to turn away from him and lose their faith in his ability to lead. Nevertheless, in his mind, the world owed him, and his people were the ones who were to pay up. What he didn’t seem to understand was that if his people turned their backs on him, there would be no one for him to collect his ill-gotten payments from.
Stephanie was still knocked out from the hit Mara delivered. Malcom laid her body inside of a tent atop a small pallet of blankets and went to join the others in the small campsite they had set up. Mara had the attention of everyone though she sat alone in a far-off corner beyond the light of the campfire. Most of the wolves had never been around a vampire who wasn’t actively trying to attack them. Whenever it seemed people would begin to relax around her, she would move just a touch too fast or respond in a way that read nothing but vampire, and he could see their walls slamming back into place. He laughed as he watched four small children play a game of chicken. They dared each other to get just a bit closer to the vampire. One girl, a little thing, nearly made contact when Mara swatted at a fly which sent the entire group of kids screaming and running back to their mothers.
"So why are you sitting over here by yourself? I have never known you to be so...antisocial." Malcom laughed again as he saw the challenge beginning again.
"I'm in a state of contemplation." Mara's voice lacked the normal joking quality that usually coated every word she uttered. She was being serious with Malcom; he could tell something wasn't right within her. He knew his old friend was battling with her own inner demons, but instead chose not to inquire as to what it was that had gotten to her. He wasn't sure he wanted to know. After all, their relationship had veered off its path just days before. She could have been pondering that event, wondering if it in any way had changed things between them. He didn't think it did. It was fun, but she was a vampire and he a wolf. If they had been shunned for just the idea of mixing breeds, he didn't want to think of what people would try to do to them if they found out that it had happened...twice.
Instead of picking her brain, he sat next to her and joined her in her silence. He had his own laundry list of items to contemplate. Life had suddenly become overcomplicated to the point where he found himself missing his forced exile. He had a badass alpha who was no doubt gearing up to come after his old friend and making a personal appearance. The love of his life had been made a vampire and after so many years of thinking she was dead, he wasn't sure how to process the idea of her being alive. Well, partially anyway. Add that to the fact that he suspected his vampire friend harbored more feelings for him than just that of physical desire. This was only made worse because he knew her secret. She had made sure to hide it, and she did it well, but in times of lust, things get overlooked. Minute yet obvious details lead to the discovery of deep dark secrets.
Malcom had just returned from his training sessions. It was shortly after he'd taken on the position as lead trainer. He’d put the newbies through hell but it was nothing they couldn't handle. He'd decided to stop by and visit Vincent to do a little bragging about how Jonathon, the largest of the class, had puked during training. He couldn't remember what possessed him to take the back entrance. Maybe his subconscious was pushing him toward unveiling the truth he hadn't realized was hidden from him. He had just reached the back of the house when he heard Vincent growl followed by a tight squeal. Looking up he saw them through the window.
Initially he assumed that Vincent was in trouble when he heard Mara’s voice but as he approached the room, he found something entirely unexpected. Vincent was laughing; he leaned across the vampire nuzzling her then long blonde hair and neck. She giggled in response to his touch and flipped him onto his back. Malcom kept himself hidden as he watched the two of them in a confused state. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. This was only happening just days after Vincent had given his speech about the separation of the species’ and how they needed to stick with their own kind. Perhaps witnessing the Alpha’s transgression had contributed to his belief that his friend would be on his side when it came to his love for Serene. Malcom could never bring himself to admitting his knowledge of the two of them. He was sure it would have been enough to at least buy him more time with Serene. If nothing more, Mara would have been embarrassed, and Vincent would have only denied it.
“So, we continue to move north until your pal catches up to us? Is that the plan?” Mara spoke.
“Yeah, I suppose it is.” Malcom shook away the remnants of his memory. He still wasn’t sure if her affair with Vincent classified as a true betrayal to him directly, or if he was just being territorial. It was a part of his wolf nature after all.
“Not exactly what I envisioned, but I guess.”
“Yes, Mara I know, you wanted to burst in, guns blazing, kicking asses and to hell with the names.” Malcom laughed.
“Ah, you know me so well.” Mara shot him a sarcastic grin. “I just didn’t expect to be bunking up with puppies.” She glanced at the group of women who sat with their children. Their eyes were trained on the vampire. Mara couldn’t help but chuckle. If she had wanted to take them out it would have taken so little effort, and there would have been nothing they could do to stop her.
“Yeah, neither did I. I don’t feel right with them anymore. These people turned their backs on me. They hunted me down like a wild animal and now I am being asked to protect them again.” He looked over his shoulder to the members of his pack who were nervously sharing a meal.
“Time to be the bigger person wolf boy.” Mara winked at him.
“You know I hate it when you call me that.”
“Yeah, I am well aware.” She stood and stretched. “Sun is coming up in a few hours, I think I am going to run ahead a bit and find somewhere to bunk. I know you all will be moving throughout the day but I won’t risk the burn.” She threw her bag, which she had packed with some of her blood supply over her shoulder and looked at the truck full of her possessions. “Protect my baby.”
“Not one thing will be harmed.” Malcom smiled and Mara vanished into the night. He knew that the real reason she was moving ahead was the wolf that would be waking from her trauma-induced coma soon. Mara was a bold girl, but she was also smart. Best to give Malcom some time to talk Stephanie down and maybe the fallout wouldn’t be so bad. Malcom appreciated the gesture; the last thing he was looking forward to was having to catch Stephanie midair when she would have undoubtedly launched herself at the vampire.
After Mara made her escape, Malcom remained still. He realized that the best thing he could do in his current situation was to simply accept his temporary role. He was there to protect them, although against his will, it didn’t change the fact that he was still in exile. He no longer belonged with the people who huddled together. As the moon began its decent, Malcom decided to try to catch a bit of shuteye for himself. He crawled into the tent where he had placed Stephanie. If he hadn’t known better, he would have thought she was only taking a nap. She looked peaceful, too bad that wouldn’t translate to when she woke up. It didn’t take long for exhaustion to knock him out and not long after that when he was slapped back into consciousness. Pure reflex caused his hands to reach up and cease the onslaught of flailing hands. He grabbed the wild arms and used them to pull his attacker to the ground. He then pinned his own weight on top of her.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” He growled at her.
“Where is she? I will kill that bitch!” Stephanie snapped. She wanted to get her hands wrapped around the vampire’s throat. No, the bitch couldn’t suffocate, but the pleasure of watching her panic would be more than satisfying to Stephanie.
“She is gone, and you must have lost your damn mind, Steph! I could have killed you!”
"Whatever Malcom, I know you would have never really hurt me. Now stop stalling and tell me where that bitch is! I have some business to settle with your little vampire buddy!" Stephanie struggled beneath his weight, but it did her no good.
"As I said before, she is gone. She went ahead so she could sleep out the day and rest up."
"Yeah, I'm sure that is exactly why she went ahead. That, and to avoid the ass whooping I was about to give her." Stephanie grinned proudly.
"Are you done?" Malcom peered down at the woman pinned beneath his weight.
"Yes," she rolled her eyes. "I’m done. Now get off me."
"If you try to hit me again-"
"I won't. I promise." She winked at him playfully and he laughed before lifting his weight from her. "So, now that I have been officially kidnapped, what's the plan? Vincent will come, and for more reasons than to rescue his little sister. I can't believe you didn't tell me this was going down."
"Trust me, I didn't know about it. I connected with Sirus just before everything was set into motion. I'm just as lost as you are. All I know is that we are headed for safer lands. Once we get everyone into protection we will worry about your brother."
"Right. You're going to kill him. Aren't you? "
"Stephanie...” Malcom sighed. He wanted nothing more than to avoid having this exact conversation with her.
"No, I understand, we don't have to discuss this. Where is Sirus? I need to talk to him." He wanted to thank her for the brave face she wore but knew the truth behind the mask.
"I don't know. You just slapped me awake remember? "
"Oh, right, sorry. Get some sleep, I’ll find him." Stephanie paused as if she had more to say but chose to keep her thoughts to herself. She crawled out of the tent and left the wolf to himself.
Malcom looked out of the tent fold to find that the sky still held remnants of the night. He grunted and rolled over, sleep would elude him, but he would lie there anyhow. He didn't want to answer any questions and Stephanie would in no way be the only one with queries brewing in her mind. Instead, he listened; he closed his eyes and stretched his mind to receive all the oddities of sound. Small bugs explored the woods around them; children whispered in tents, mostly about vampires. There was movement in the trees, wind rustling the branches and leaves as it flowed. He heard the sound as he promised her he would; each faint whisper was an echo of her laughter, her voice calling his name beckoning him to come near. He missed her, the cause of his broken life. He loved her endlessly and even though he could never be with her, he would do anything to protect her, even kill an alpha.
It was impossible then not to think of the last time they were together. Neither of them would admit to themselves or aloud that it would never happen again, but it was understood. Vincent had issued his warning and they had gone against that. The time for running had slipped away and Malcom could feel his brothers rallying against them. All they had was that moment and he planned to make the most of it. They spent the night hidden away on a small campground not far from town. They had revisited the idea of leaving, but Vincent had long since put guards in place to keep that from happening. Malcom never told Serene that it had been weeks since they’d become prisoners there. Instead, he planned the getaway that left the pair just outside of town, but inside of their perimeters.
They spent the day hiking the surrounding area, stealing kisses and fantasizing about a long life together. He often pulled her into his arms holding her as tightly as he could to make up for all the embraces he would never be able to give her. He kissed her with such passion it left her breathless and clinging to his form. Had he known then that she would be strung up in front of him just a few days later, hung to death, he would have taken her away. He would have fought off the world. He assumed Vincent would send her away and threaten him in some way that would make it impossible for him to go against him. This was not the case. Had he known that the last sounds he would hear from her lips would be the soft sobs combined with a tight choke, he would have made love to her endlessly under the moon and sent her away before they arrived. He was blinded by love; it made him careless and caused him to forget the monster that existed beneath the surface of his people. Wolves were peaceful, until they felt threatened, until they felt betrayed.
It was 4:00 the next evening, they were headed back home to face the music of their forced separation. It could be argued that if he loved her as much as he claimed, he would have never let it come to this point. However, he loved his people as well and he vowed to protect them, Serene would never allow him to turn his back on that vow. The sound of fallen branches snapping under the weight of wolves echoed throughout the woods. Malcom pushed Serene behind him as they appeared. He was ready to throw in the towel and give Vincent what he wanted, but surrender wasn’t what the wolves had come for. The time for submitting to the Alpha’s will had come and gone.
Malcom fought, but he was overtaken. Distracted by Serene’s cry when a young wolf grabbed her arm with his jaw and snapped the bones, he turned to her and was attacked from behind. He felt the needles pierce his thigh and turned back just in time to see Vincent standing off in the distance with a tranquilizer rifle. He ordered the wolves to bring the two of them. Serene received no tranquilizer. He heard her cries of pain through the thick fog that clouded his mind. This continued for two days. He was forced to listen as they tortured her. The sick guard they placed with him kept him drugged just enough to render him useless. He could barely lift his own arms let alone do anything to try to save Serene. He was also given a play-by-play detail list of what they were doing to her.
The sadistic guard rattled off a list of cuts, burns and different types of beatings. They were brutal and all under the command of Vincent. Serene’s cries would echo in his nightmares for an eternity. That was exactly what Vincent intended. Malcom wasn’t just made to listen whenever Serene fell silent, they would come to him and inflict their twisted brand of torture on him. Only he wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of hearing him cry out. He wouldn’t add to Serene’s torture. He held in his pain as hot iron was placed against his skin. The scars would fade; heal in days. It was nothing he couldn’t bear. He held it in for her, for his love, for Serene.
When Vincent finally had the nerve to reappear, his disappointment in the result of his torture sessions was tattooed in the scowl that marked his face. He smiled angrily as he locked gazes with Malcom who growled lowly. They both knew if it were not for the poisoned chains that held him, Malcom would have no troubles taking out the ill guided Alpha. That would not be a point that he would ever be able to make, his once friend lifted the tranquilizer gun and shot him twice directly in the center of his chest. When Malcom’s eyelids finally lifted again, he was in the town’s center, chained to the ground. Across from him, bathed in sunlight that allowed for no secret to be made of the punishment her body had endured, was Serene. She stood on a small post balancing with a noose around her neck. Malcom could only manage to whisper her name, a desperate choke, a plea for her safety.
“My people, we have to stand together!” Vincent called to the members of the pack who surrounded them. A pack united against an enemy. Malcom’s heart plummeted as they rallied against the man they now called foe, he’d never thought he would take on that title. “The order of uniformity was placed to protect us. It was mean to ensure that our people live on and that our blood line survives these hard times. This,” Vincent turned and faced Malcom, “abomination of love is a disgrace to our people!” He knelt in front of the chained wolf. “You disappoint me, I chose you to stand by my side and lead our people and this is how you repay me?”
“Leave her alone, let her go Vincent.” Malcom growled.
“I am sorry, but it doesn’t seem to me that you are in any position to request such a favor be granted.”
“She has done nothing to you; she has brought no harm here. Leave her in peace. I am the one you are upset with; I am the one who betrayed you. Punish me and let her be.” He pleaded with his alpha but knew in his heart that it was useless. He’d seen the look in Vincent’s eyes before. His ego fed his stubbornness with thoughts that he was righteous in his actions no matter how many people opposed him. Vincent was a man who never took no for an answer, even if his decision would bring nothing but suffering to their people.
“Oh, but that is exactly what I plan to do, Malcom.” He stood and turned his back to him. “I plan to make you suffer, to cause you the broken heart you have caused me. Beneath your human love is just a sliver of hope. If she can manage to balance, well she will survive.” Two men walked up to Serene, men he once thought of as family, they pulled away the outer ring of the post beneath her feet leaving just a small section on which she could barely hold one foot. Instantly she began to struggle and Malcom’s heart sunk. She wouldn’t last long.
“Malcom!” She called out to him. Her eyes blindfolded so she couldn’t see him.
“I’m here.” He called back and tried to hold the tears from his voice. He struggled against his chains but they were too heavy and his strength was still diminished thanks to the heavy dose of sedatives that coursed through his veins. He couldn’t stand to look at her. Scars and open wounds covered her skin, her dress was soaked in her own blood turning the soft blue fabric into a deep purple that in a twisted way complimented the soft brown of her skin.
“I can’t keep this up forever.” He could smell the tears that fell beneath the black hood that covered her face. The crowd around them went silent and he was briefly able tune them all out. He had to, for a moment; it was just the two of them
“I know,” he dropped his head.
“I love you.” She whispered just loud enough for him to hear. “You are my life, my everything. No matter what, please don’t change who you are, not for them.”
“Don’t talk like that, you’re- “Malcom wanted to comfort her. He wanted to tell her that he would save her, that this wasn’t the end for them. He couldn’t bring himself to lie to her, not in her last moment.
“I won’t make it out of here. We both know that, but you will.” Her voice shook beneath the show of strength. He loved that about her. She wouldn’t give Vincent what he wanted; she wouldn’t give up her dignity. “You have to be. You must fight and live for me. Forever.” She sobbed for a moment and swallowed her tears. “I’ll be the whisper on the wind, the sunlight dancing across your skin. You will feel my love in every moment. We are eternal.”
Malcom wanted to speak, he wanted to say anything that could to relay his love for her but at that moment she stepped off the small post and as it tipped over and fell to the ground beneath her, he tried his best to think only of her words. He let the echo of her voice drown out the snap of her neck. Instead of listening to the last of her shallow breaths, he tuned in to the wind and watched the leaves that danced in the breeze behind her.
“Well, wasn’t that just touching?” Vincent spoke. “An example had to be made, no matter the rank, Alpha’s word is law!” He moved so that he was right in Malcom’s line of sight. “Now, on to our next order of business, my dear friend, as it is I can no longer stand to look at you. You disgust me; the easier way to handle this would be to string you up next to your love. However, I want you to live with this pain so... you are to leave and never return here. Exiled from your people you will be known as an enemy of our kind. You have 24 hours to vacate and if I so much as get a whiff of your vile scent anywhere near my lands, I will hunt you down and kill you myself.” Vincent turned and walked away. Malcom was left there across from his hanging love, for five hours before they released him.
He didn’t hesitate to leave, not because he feared what Vincent may do to him, but quite opposite, he couldn’t trust himself not to bring harm to their leader. As much as he wanted to kill Vincent for what he had done, it wasn’t the time. He was outnumbered by a pack that had turned on him. That betrayal, that complete and total disregard for the one person who had always looked out for them, it made him ill to his stomach. He had horrible thoughts of lashing out and slaying the very people he’d always fought so hard to protect. He knew they didn’t deserve it. They were simply following orders, the word of the alpha. It was the same thing he had done for so long. Perhaps if he had stood up sooner, he could have avoided losing her.
There were only two people that took the risk to come to visit him before he left his home. Stephanie who kept her eyes trained on the floor the entire time and Sirus who made the promise that should the exiled wolf ever need a friend, he would always have one in him. Those were the same two people who now stood just a few feet away from his tent having a not so silent argument about the pack, their plan and the alpha who put them all in such a fucked-up position.
“Stephanie, at this point, the only thing I am worried about when it comes to your brother is getting us away from him.” Sirus sighed heavily. He had already grown tired of her battering him with questions.
“But you would leave him there to die!” Stephanie could no longer contain herself or her emotions, not that she had been doing such a great job to begin with. “That is what will happen and you know it. He will die!”
“Do you believe that is my fault? He has become a tyrant and you know that. Your brother is beyond helping.” Sirus paced the ground. He had to remain calm, there were too many lives depending on him. “Please tell me what is it that you expect me to do, Stephanie? I have tried to help your brother but he is too far gone and you know it as well as I do.”
“How could you be so cold?” She nearly choked on her own anger. Vincent was her family; he was all she had left and they wanted her to walk away and leave him to die. Once word got out that their people had left, their enemies would descend on their home and destroy all that was left, including her brother.
“Cold? Either you have a lot of nerve or you have forgotten that your brother is responsible for so many deaths; including a few people who I held close to my own heart! He is the reason we are here. If not for his ignorance, his ego, none of this would be happening. Not once did I turn my back on him, but now he is tossing children into these senseless battles to be murdered like cattle and you call me cold? Why is it that you fight so hard to protect him when you know that he is wrong in every sense of the term?”
“Because he is still her brother,” Malcom spoke as he climbed from the tent, “and foolish as it makes us, family comes first. We are wolves and we are loyal. Some of us know that better than others.” He eyed Stephanie and nodded to Sirus.
“Look, I get that, but it’s not like I am going after him or trying to harm him myself. I am just trying to make sure that the people we can save are kept safe from his rule. It was hard enough convincing the Northern clans to take us in. They want to keep as much distance as possible from the fiasco that has become our pack but once the children got involved,” Sirus turned back to face Stephanie. “You have no idea what it is like to train an army of 15-year-old boys and then have to go out there and watch vampires ten times their age, rip them apart. Or to have to return home and tell their families, their mothers, that they are gone.”
“I- “Stephanie began to speak, but didn’t know what she could possibly say. She knew he was right but it still didn’t change how she felt. She wanted to save her brother.
“Look, there is nothing we can do about what happened. It’s fucked up that Vincent let it go there, but this is not the time to mull over the details. We need to get everyone up and back on the road soon. Once Vincent rallies what little men he has left back there he will be on our asses and to be honest, we didn’t cover as much ground as we should have last night.” Malcom spoke because he could see that Sirus had run thin of his patience for her.
“You’re right, I will go and start rounding everyone up.” Sirus agreed and left the two alone.
“Sirus doesn’t plan to kill Vincent. You don’t have to worry about him.” Malcom told Stephanie as he laid his hand on her shoulder.
“You may be right, but to be honest... he isn’t the one I am worried about.” Stephanie shot Malcom a knowing stare before pushing past him to gather her things. She had figured it out; she knew why Malcom had returned. At least she had a hunch. Would she try to stop him or just wait it out and hope he did the right thing?
“Yeah, I know.” Malcom muttered to himself before he headed off into the trees. He needed to run.