Luke's Dream (25 page)

“When the Urbat come, they will use the
people we love to try to sway us. First, they use our families,
torturing them until we do what they want. If that doesn’t work,
they start torturing us.”

“What do they want?” Grey asked.

“For each of us to Claim one of them.” Bethi
looked at Michelle and Gabby.

“We’ve already Claimed someone,” Gabby
pointed out. Clay rested a hand on her shoulder.

“It won’t matter. A Claim can be broken by
death, or simply by Claiming another. That’s why I was willing to
Claim Joshua.”

Our law, our knowledge said, the challenger
had to die to stake a new Claim. And it was a lie? I looked around
the room and saw I wasn’t the only one stunned by this news. Emmitt
had paled, and Clay…who knew what his reaction was. He needed a
membership to a shaving club.

“The next step is for life,” Bethi said.

I growled, understanding what she meant.
Joshua would not have her in that way. Ever.

“Once Mated,” Bethi said, “we don’t Mate
again. I mean, they
could
force us to Claim another and
mate, but it doesn’t do any good. Our hearts stay with the first
lost Mate. The new Mate holds no influence.”

“Influence for what?” Sam asked.

“For balance. They have been after power ever
since they figured out what we are. The Judgements. In the
beginning, we always judged in favor of the humans. At least,
that’s my guess. I haven’t dreamed what really happened, yet. Since
then, as far as I’ve seen, we haven’t made another Judgement. I’m
guessing that’s why, despite the inferiority of humans in
comparison to your races, they have thrived.”

Did she even realize she’d said they instead
of we? If she didn’t consider herself human, then what was she? It
didn’t matter to me, but understanding how she thought of herself
would help me understand her. So far, my Bethi handbook had “Insane
love of ketchup” and “not a morning person” in it.

“The Urbat are tired of living in the shadows
and want to be the dominant race for a while. The last cycle they
almost had it, but one of us died. Without all of us to...do
something, things will stay the way they are, with humans
maintaining control. The cycle doesn’t last forever—only fifty
years—so they try not to risk our lives. But they will if they
must. After all, we can still be reborn again into the same
cycle.”

My temper rose hearing that. The mutts in the
woods would have been willing to kill her? I glanced at her
stomach. It had come too close. We didn’t need to run, like she was
suggesting. We needed to fight.

Why not make a stand?
I sent Winifred.
Why are we even considering running?

Michelle has witnessed their numbers. There
are more than we can hope to face without severe loss.

“So you’re saying we need to clear the
Compound because they will come for all of you and use the people
here to talk you into surrendering?” Thomas asked, his disbelief
evident.

“Don’t doubt it. They will come. They always
come. And death always follows.”

“What then? Where do we go?” Thomas
asked.

“That’s the tricky part. I don’t know where
the pack should go, but I know where we need to go.” Bethi looked
at Gabby, Michelle, and Charlene. “We are missing two of our group.
We need to find them.”

“About this evacuation?” Charlene said.

Bethi shook her head. “Out of all of us, you
and Michelle are the most vulnerable. Michelle’s brothers need to
be sent away and protected. Emmitt, if he’s taken, will be a risk
to both of you. They will want to break the Claim Michelle has as
much as they will want to hurt Emmitt to sway you.”

Charlene glanced at Emmitt with worry. He
gave her a smile and squeezed Michelle’s hand reassuringly. “Don’t
worry. We know now so we can make sure it doesn’t happen.”

Charlene nodded, but her fear remained. As
much as I didn’t like Emmitt, I didn’t want to see the Urbat hurt
him just to get to his mother. No mother deserved that.

“What are we going to do about Joshua?” Grey
asked.

“Nothing. At least not yet. Oh, but I can’t
be left alone with him. With these stitches,” she laid a hand over
them, “I won’t be able to fight him off.”

“You said you could Claim another to break
your Claim,” Winifred said. “Why wait?”

“Because I’m not done with him yet. Until the
Compound is clear and we’re ready to leave, I have to keep my hold
on him. It’s the only thing that’s keeping him from reporting back
to his leader.”

Death is the only sure way to keep him
from reporting
, I sent Winifred.

I agree.

“Are you sure about that?” Sam asked
Bethi.

“No, not really but it’s our best chance.
There are three Urbat out in the woods waiting for Joshua. Gabby,
can you see them?”

All eyes turned to Gabby, and she nodded
hesitantly. Bethi reached across the table to touch her hand. “We
need to find them and get rid of them before people start leaving.
They can’t know what we’re doing.”

Gabby’s gaze grew unfocused. “They’re not far
from here. But, there are ten more scattered in the surrounding
area. Nothing close enough for concern, though. The rest are
regrouping in the east.” She paused for a moment and frowned. “More
are coming from the main group. I think you’re right, Bethi.
They’re coming back.”

“That’s good,” Bethi said with a nod. “I’d be
more freaked out if they weren’t coming for us.” She looked at
Winfred. “Pick an Elder and a team of five to go out and hunt the
three Urbat down. Kill them quickly and quietly so they can’t
communicate back to their leader. Deal with the ten on the
outskirts as needed. Closest first.”

Closest first means we really don’t need
Joshua.

I agree. His presence is a threat to our
kind. We do not tolerate threats for long. The moment his existence
no longer protects her, he dies.

“No prisoners, Nana,” Bethi said. “Think of
the families running from here with kids. Those ten prowling the
outskirts will track and kill them if they get wind that this is a
mass exodus. The three need to be silenced quickly without a chance
for them to send word. We need to move.” Bethi slowly stood. “Their
leader—”

“Blake,” Michelle interjected.

“Blake will be wondering why Joshua hasn’t
reported by now. Gabby, let us know if you see a change in their
direction.”

Gabby nodded.

“Nana, will you come with me to talk to
Joshua?”

I straightened away from the wall, well ready
to end the immediate threat to Bethi.

“I’m coming too,” I said.

“No, Luke. I need him calm. Help Gabby. Clear
the field so we can be done with this, and I no longer need my
Claim on Joshua.”

Winifred slowly nodded.

Go. He won’t live long.

* * * *

The woods were quiet as I silently stalked
toward the gully.

Gabby says you’re almost on him,
Grey
sent suddenly over our link. The mental intrusion didn’t even give
me pause. Far too many Elders had been in my head lately.

Inching forward through the brush, I spotted
the grey wolf hidden in the ferns. Through Grey, Gabby had directed
me to come to this spot from the east, so I’d circled around to
come at the mutt from behind.

His forward facing ears twitched
occasionally, but his back legs remained loosely tucked under him.
He hadn’t sensed me yet.

Jim came walking from the west, his steps
heard long before I saw him. The wolf tensed.

When Jim was within twenty feet from the
gully, he stopped, brought his hands to his waist and unzipped his
fly as he started to whistle a jolly tune. The wolf relaxed just as
Jim started to answer nature’s call.

I jumped on the wolf’s back, transforming my
arms. His neck snapped in my hands before he’d had time to react.
His form slowly reverted back to human.

“Stage fright. Oh well,” Jim said, zipping
his fly.

“You’re odd.” I shouldered the dead man.

“My mom tells me that all the time,” Jim said
with a grin.

We jogged north until we met up with Emmitt
and a few other Mated males I’d never met. Four bodies already lay
in a heap. I added the one I carried. Like me, Emmitt and another
man were without clothes.

“The rest are dead,” Emmitt said. “The
families are packed and already moving out. Gabby told Grey those
things,” he nodded to the men on the ground, “are still gathering
to the east. We need to get back.”

He shifted and started to run. I did the
same. Those with pants fell behind.

When we reached the Compound, most of the
cars were missing from the yard. Clothes were set out on the steps,
and Charlene was directing Mary and another woman where to put the
food and supplies.

“Take what you can and distribute it to other
families. I can’t stand the thought of all this going to waste. Not
when we’ve worked so hard for it,” Charlene said, looking at the
buildings.

“Not to waste,” Thomas said, wrapping an arm
around her. “We’ll be back.”

Charlene’s expression held doubt.

The remaining families left as soon as the
last items were packed into their vehicles. Only the Elders, their
protégé, and the Claimed humans and their Mates remained.

“It’s done,” Grey said. “They’re coming
out.”

I grabbed a set of clothes in my mouth.
Emmitt was already around the side of the building, dressing. His
modesty wasn’t for our sake, but for Gabby and Michelle. Charlene
too, maybe. Though, I doubted it. She’d been with our kind long
enough to know most werewolves found clothes to be an optional
accessory.

With my clothes in my mouth, I jogged into
the tree line and shifted back just as the door opened. I watched
Bethi slowly step out. Her face was drawn and pale again. Her gaze
swept the yard, and I hurried to step into my pants. Something was
wrong.

Winifred nudged Bethi aside, and Carlos
carried Joshua out. My teeth elongated at the sight of the bastard
who’d touched Bethi.

“Where’s he going?” Bethi asked, drawing my
attention.

“Taking him to the woods. Charlene put her
heart into this place. Maybe they will leave it be if he’s found
out there.” Winifred moved past Bethi toward one of the remaining
vehicles. Emmitt was behind the wheel, his Mate in the front seat,
and Jim in the back with two boys, who were watching for
Winifred.

Bethi stared after Carlos as he strode
straight toward me. Disbelief gripped me. Was she honestly sad
about Joshua’s death? Had he meant something to her despite her
assurance that he hadn’t?

I pulled on shirt and shoes but stayed within
the trees, too angry to step out. Behind Carlos, Winifred closed
her car door and Emmitt slowly pulled away from the Compound.

“Show me where to put him,” Carlos said as he
reached the tree line. I glanced at Bethi. She was watching Gabby
closely.

“Hurry.”

Nodding to Carlos, we ran back to where we
had dumped the other bodies, a good distance from the Compound. He
unceremoniously dropped the body and immediately started the run
back.

Just as we reached the yard, Gabby said,
“Sam, we need to leave
now
.”

Bethi
was hobbling toward one of the few remaining cars by the time we
broke through the tree line. The lead car quickly started toward
the gate while Carlos and I ran for his car. I got in the back with
Bethi and Carlos slid in behind the wheel. As soon as our doors
closed, he pulled away from the Compound. Grey glanced at him, but
remained quiet.

Fear drifted from Bethi as she hugged an arm
to her stomach. I didn’t know what to do for her or where we stood.
So, I kept an eye on the trees to watch for signs of trouble. Since
we were the last car in the line of cars headed south, we all saw
cars starting to take turn-offs. The number of vehicles in our
caravan thinned.

“Does everyone know where to go?” Bethi
asked.

Grey glanced back at Bethi. “Gabby gave
everyone several safe locations where the Urbat population is low.
The Urbat are mostly in the northeast so everyone will avoid that
area.”

“Tell Gabby we need to find somewhere safe
enough to stop for a few hours. We need to plan how to get Peace
before the Urbat find her.”

Grey nodded but said nothing. He was probably
communicating with the other Elders.

Bethi fidgeted in her seat. Twin spots of
pink colored her otherwise pale cheeks. Her clouded scent left me
wondering what was going on in her head. What new way was she
devising to bring me to my knees? Hopefully she’d realize I was
still on my knees from the last one. Joshua’s scent still clung to
her hair, adding to the torture.

She turned to meet my gaze, regret and guilt
winning out over all the other emotions she’d been feeling. In her
eyes, I saw apology. I nodded, accepting it, and reached across the
seat to take her hand in mine.

Her head slowly dropped back to the seat, and
her eyes closed. Sliding across the seat, I tucked her to my side
and slid an arm around her shoulders. Her head lolled to my chest,
and I smoothed back her hair before kissing her crown.

Within thirty seconds she was twitching and
moaning.

“Has she ever dreamed of a past life where
she didn’t die?” Grey asked from the front seat.

“I don’t think so.”

“All the pain and suffering your generation
has had to endure.” Grey shook his head slightly. “Why is a
peaceful existence such a hard concept in this world?”

“Because we always want more than what we
have. Peace needs to start within,” Carlos said.

Grey smiled slightly. “You’ve found inner
peace?”

Bethi jumped in my arms and cried out.

“Shh,” I said, trying to hold her closer. It
seemed to make the jerking worse, so I eased my arm out from behind
her head.