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“It makes me wonder how Amara did it,” she replied.
I shrugged. “It’s always easier in war. Focusing all the attention on the enemy can make people ignore the troubles at home. Besides, Amara had sired most of the vampires. They already had an instinctual need to obey her.”
“It must have taken a lot for you to break free from that.”
“It did,” the words dropped out of me slowly as I thought about the wrenching pain in my heart. “But these things become easier over time. The more years I spent with Amara, the more I was able to… compartmentalize my feelings towards her.”
“Good, because the last thing I want happening is her putting some spell on you to turn you against us all.”
“I’d die before I let that happen,” I said, and I meant it. But sadly the prospect of dying seemed all too real to me and it made me sick to my stomach. I held Willow’s hand tightly, almost believing that if I kept a hold of it then nothing could take me from this world, nothing could take me from her.
Chapter Ten
Willow
It was midday when Brandon gathered the entire pack to speak. I stood with Cassius and my father as Brandon took his position next to the unlit fire pit. His voice boomed out. It astonished me how much he looked like his father. I remembered the old Alpha standing there addressing the pack; Brandon had the same stance, the same cadence of speaking. It was as though the spirit of his father was imbued within his voice, and it occurred to me that I had been so wrapped up in my own tormented relationship with my parents that I hadn’t thought what it had been like for Brandon. Dad had filled me in on what happened after I left the pack the first time; Brandon had been determined to wage war against the vampire who had kidnapped me (so they thought), but his father had not wanted to put the pack at risk of fighting. Brandon had seen him as a coward, and had challenged him to a duel, killing him eventually and taking over the role of Alpha for himself.
Although I had felt a lot of agony and angst towards, and because of, my parents, I had never thought of killing them. I wasn’t sure I was even capable of doing such a thing, but Brandon had. How much did that weigh on his conscience? How much could that change a man?
“Something troubling happened last night, my wolves. Our guest was attacked. One of our own was attacked. It happened in the dead of night, when most of us were sleeping. That means that some of you wolves plotted and planned like the slyest vampires to attack in the dark. We are wolves. We do not hide our intentions. We do not hide our attacks. This will not be tolerated. I know that many of you are worried about what is to come, but I am here to tell you that Cassius is under my protection. Anything that happens to him will be repaid tenfold. That includes the attack last night. I want whoever was involved in that attack to step forward now.”
His voice rang out, but was met with silence. Nobody moved. Tension filled the air. A few people shifted uncomfortably on their feet and looked down towards the ground, but nobody stepped forward.
Brandon moved towards the crowd. “Are you cowardly enough to try and deny your actions? Wolves should always stand by what they have done. You made your statement, are none of you brave enough to come forward?” he called out. Again there was silence, but this time it did not last as long. I detected movement in the crowd. Someone came forward, pushing through the throng of people.
“It is not a question of bravery Brandon, but a question of honor. You speak of this, but you do not know its true meaning. Here you stand, welcoming an outcast and a vampire into our midst, putting the pack at risk for no good reason.”
The man who spoke was called Ewan. He had a shock of blonde hair, was tall and broad, with muscles that were hewn from a life of hard work. His figure was imposing and his voice was deep. It was matched with a steely glare, while his voice rumbled like thunder. Brandon’s eyes narrowed towards him.
“Willow is not an outcast, and Cassius is a vampire no longer. His knowledge may be of use in the coming battle.”
“There might not be a battle if you turned him away. You are inviting her here by keeping them here. You should send them back to this vampire and be done with it. We have known peace for many years now, but you are risking all of that.”
Brandon clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. His eyes blazed with anger. “You dare question the ruling of the Alpha?” he growled.
Ewan tilted his head and cocked his eyebrow. “Why not? You did, after all. Let’s not forget that you’re only the Alpha because you killed your father. He never wanted to go after Willow. He tried to talk sense into you, but you wouldn’t listen. And now a vampire has returned and we have to live in fear. Do you really think that you are the one who can lead us through this?”
“Of course I am. I am the Alpha.”
“Only because you have proclaimed yourself to be. But I think that it’s time for a change. Clearly you are not fit to lead us. You have put the pack in danger, and that is a sin that cannot be forgiven,” Ewan’s words were harsh, and they flew from his mouth like swift arrows. His body bristled with hostility. While he spoke he moved to the front of the crowd, joining Brandon as though they were equals, and with his challenge that was exactly what Ewan was trying to position himself as. They both stood before the pack and it was clear there was going to be a division. I knew that Ewan’s words were going to capture the attention of the hearts of the people. None of them wanted to suffer an attack, and if Ewan could offer them safety then perhaps they would want him as their Alpha.
But with wolves things were never easy, and this wasn’t going to be as simple as an election.
“Ewan, you have no blood claim to make a challenge, and even if you did your actions have proven that you are not fit to be an Alpha. You led a band of rogues to attack two unarmed people in the middle of the night. Do you really think this is behavior befitting a wolf?” Brandon asked scornfully.
“I could say the same thing about you Brandon. But then I would think a man capable of murdering his own father is willing to do just about anything,” Ewan’s words made Brandon’s eye twitch. Ewan then turned to the crowd and addressed them. “I think we have witnessed this circus for long enough. We accepted Brandon’s rule because of tradition, but it’s clear that it is he who does not have the pack’s safety as his highest priority. He allowed Willow to remain with this vampire, and then he allows them to stay here. I think he has clearly never gotten over the fact that Willow was taken from him. Let us not forget that they were promised to each other.”
I winced at this, especially as people started to nod and murmur in agreement.
“That agreement was dissolved,” Brandon said through gritted teeth.
“But emotions are not as easy to dissolve, are they? I wonder if you have always loved Willow, which is even worse because now you are allowing her consort safety because of your feelings for her.”
“You lie!” Brandon cried out. “And I will not allow you to poison the minds of this pack. You are the one who has taken matters into your own hands by attacking them without a proper challenge, and now you seek to try and usurp my leadership with your silver tongue. You can speak and speak as much as you like, but you cannot simply conjure the truth into existence. The fact is that I was wrong about Willow. She was always a part of our pack. As for Cassius, he has knowledge that will help us defend ourselves against the vampire queen. I am a proud man, yes, but I am not proud enough to refuse help when I know that something can be of use. We know the nature of vampires. This queen will come for us and our blood no matter whether Cassius is here or not. I would rather face her with a man by my side who has intimate knowledge of her than not at all, so now come here and accept your punishment. Unless the people who worked with you are willing to step forward as well I will put all their punishments upon you,” Brandon growled, seeking to put an end to this before things got out of hand.
As it happened, we were well past that point.
Ewan wore a serpent’s smile. “I’m not going to be punished Brandon. I came forward to make a challenge against you, and that’s exactly what I’m doing.”
