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Callan was strangely confident in his abilities and moved seamlessly around his opponent looking for weaknesses. He attacked, but he had been provoked, although I had to admit he was taking great joy out of this man suffering.
Donovan was unbalanced and his left arm was lying useless at his side. My whole body was electrified by this display of pugilistic art. It was a combination of different styles of fighting, never giving Donovan the chance to understand what was happening to him.
“You can’t possibly think you’re going to…win,” He stumbled over his words trying to regain the upper hand but that window of opportunity had closed.
A knife edge chop to his throat brought an end to any further conversation. He gasped for air and clutched his throat where there was the telltale mark of fingerprints. The damage done most likely broke his collarbone and damaged his voice box.
“I won’t let this happen to me. I’m this close to getting my revenge,” Donavan whispered hoarsely, barely able to get the words out.
“Revenge is for fools. It makes us puppets.” Callan was a man of few words during the fight but his mind was still as sharp as ever.
“How dare you mock me with your rhetoric? Nobody here respects you. They might fear you, but that is no way to lead your people. Making an example out of me is a stopgap method. Somebody else will stand up to face you.” He strained to say the words but these were going to be his epitaph.
“Let them come. I relish the opportunity to beat some sense into them. It was a good ploy and I applaud the effort. My brother has never been a good study of history. It’s a bit of a surprise to see him fall on the word of law. He’s not a fighter but his words can be weapons when used correctly.” There was no wasted motion and Callan was systematically taking him apart.
This was all happening in my name and I felt solely responsible. I stepped out before he went in for the kill and walked with a confidence I didn’t feel.
“That is more than enough,” Those five words had the weight of the chosen one behind them.
Chapter Ten
At least they weren’t fighting anymore although the awkward silence was deafening. I sat there trying not to look but I could feel each one of them staring at me.
Both Donovan and Callan were nursing their wounds, giving each other the evil eye. The fire was warm to the touch and the sun had gone down leaving me in the company of at least a dozen men. It would’ve been flattering had it not been the most terrifying moment of my life.
The flicker of the flame drew me to it but I wasn’t sure what to say after I had interrupted what was supposed to be a fight to the death. They were obviously waiting for me to say something and were quite surprised by the backbone it took for me to stand up against what they considered tradition.
My mind was trying to comprehend everything that had happened including the death of Daniel.
Clover was hurting and I could tell he wanted to lash out, yet nobody was giving him the opening he was looking for. Each time he grumbled, he got the response of every person twisting in place to glare at him. I think in some small part the rest of them thought it was funny how I had overpowered him when he was supposed to be the cream of the crop.
“Somebody is going to have to talk about the elephant in the room. This was not the way we wanted to meet you. The Black family has been attempting to monopolize your time and I imagine it goes beyond a protector status. If I were to hazard a guess they have been influencing you for quite some time with their telepathic link. They are the only family who holds that certain power and they never let us forget it.” Donovan was strong and I could see his natural leadership qualities shining through.
“That is oversimplifying things. We all know there is one family in every generation who has that gift. It’s not my fault I was born into greatness. Protesting the natural order of things isn’t going to get you anywhere. I admit to being a little selfish but I will grudgingly step back to let her make an informed decision. However, we do have the right to ask for first counsel.” I had no idea what that meant, yet it seemed to get underneath the skin of every man in attendance.
“We will give you a twenty-four hour reprieve. We are the next in line of succession. Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the rogue faction. They are out there and they want to destroy our way of life by any means necessary. I give you my word we will abide by her final decision.” Donovan was practically biting his tongue and I could tell it was killing him inside to make any kind of concession.
“I have people positioned to make sure the rogue faction doesn’t get close to her. I thought they were a myth but I have recently learned of their manipulation. Killing her will send the community into a tailspin we might never recover from. As much as it pains me we must work together using our vast resources to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Callan proposed and then proffered his hand as a sign of some kind of respect which I still didn’t fully understand.
Everybody was waiting on pins and needles to see how Donovan was going to respond. I hadn’t said a word and they were speaking for me which was slowly making my blood boil. I was strong and capable, and for them to believe their interests coincided with mine was preposterous. I was still having a hard time resolving the issue of werewolves being real. It made me question everything and wonder about what other things might go bump in the night.
“I don’t like being ambushed like this. Killing you and making her see me and my family as her only option was the plan. It has always been about strength. Banding together sickens me, although it does make sense on paper. I will never forget how close you were to killing me. You have always been a hard man to kill and this was no different,” He turned and stood there in front of me, with his shadow blocking out the fire I was staring at.
“I really don’t know what you expect me to say,” I uttered trying not to make eye contact. However, I was feeling compelled to see the softness behind his eyes.
He knelt at my feet on one knee and I looked at him startled when he took my hand and kissed the back of it. I felt the warmth of his tenderness and his smile was disarming. I cracked a smile briefly before wrenching my hand away from him in an attempt at self-preservation. I didn’t know him but I was reminded about how I could say the same thing about those voices in my head.
“We will meet again and, hopefully, under better circumstances. There are only a few hours left. They should have been more forthcoming to prepare you for the inevitable. The rest of us didn’t even know about you until a few days ago. Unfortunately, the same thing can be said for the rogue faction. They have taken a vested interest in destroying you. They call themselves the enlightened ones. Their mandate is predicated on religious nonsense.” He walked away, bowing slightly and my heart skipped a beat realizing my eyes had strayed a little further south to the flexing evidence of his arousal.
Something was happening. My libido was highly charged and getting stronger by the second. I felt a desperate need to climb onto the next available warm body.
Callan became a beacon of light, shining brightly, with his body becoming a sought after commodity and my mouth watered with anticipation.
The group of men dispersed and I watched them collect the dead body of Daniel in a sign of respect. I heard them talking about a proper burial and traditional ceremony. It would be nice to pay my respects and I wanted to be present at that moment to find closure.
I was left with Callan on one side of me and Wesley on the other.
They both touched a knee and began squeezing. It felt right and wrong at the same time to even consider anything physical with them. The most unnerving part of it all was that my body was screaming at me to jump their bones. I refrained out of principle, quelling the desire, with the heat between us enough to feel stifling.
