The Devil Inside (Wolf Guard Book 1) (21 page)
I'd lost nothing.
Matthew; the governor lacking confidence if
not conviction, lasted all of ten seconds in the flood of men pushing and
shoving through gates still only half way open. His throat caught in my jaw as
he fell forwards. Those men behind him so eager to start the battle....so eager
to die.
I bit through bone, without remorse,
without hesitation. The rage my beast had fallen into a hailstorm of fury, one
so damaging I flew from wolf to wolf, punching through breastbone, clawing
through skulls. My opponents tried so hard to fight back but I had been made
bigger and I had been nurtured better. I left one...ten...a hundred corpses in
my wake, the pack kept coming and I demolished those too foolish to run.
My guards enclosed them in a tight grip of
inescapable doom, a circle of imminent death. Rounding up the pack like herd,
picking up the fleeing like cattle and throwing them back into the mix. Their
fight lessened quickly, when they realised how unprepared they were, how out
matched. The inadequacy of the previous Alpha so evident in their lack of
skill. Four hundred wolves invaded my enclosure, their numbers were halved in
an hour.
As I bathed in crimson, revelled in the red
staining my skin with their crimes and failures, I caught a glimpse of Charlie
nearing my father. He was held down by chains, ten large wolves guarding their
prisoner. Still the man fought and strained against those restraints, roaring
at the wolves hovering over him. Few man-made materials could keep my father so
contained, it seems these governors had a few tricks up their sleeves.
I crushed a wolf's skull between my hands,
claws sinking into skin and solid bone. Black blood of iniquitous souls running
free and feral between my vicious fingers.
Lane was going to need a new pack, this one
would be extinguished. Fortunately the females and children had not been roped
into this false war. We were killing their mates though, killing their fathers
and brothers. He was going to have enough problems with his appointment
already, it was probably a good thing he wasn't here to share in their
destruction.
A wolf charged at me from ten feet away. A
sadistic grin contorted my animal's face, a monster that killed
indiscriminately, a demon born from purgatory. I ripped that wolf apart, his
limbs spread on the ashen ground, arterial spray poured like acid rain and
covered my savage Wwlf in a bloody shower. I tore my mark through the crowd, my
guards tightening that circle to meet in the middle, running over bodies
falling as they moved, reducing that pack to ashes at their feet.
I took a breath as the fighting came to an
end, stragglers crying for freedom and forgiveness as they ran for the wall.
No forgiveness.
No mercy.
They were caught and swiftly beheaded as
their cowardice shook their shrinking frame, their human pushing forth in an
attempt to live past this night. It was fruitless, there would be no survivors.
I tipped my head to the sky, the moon shone
bright and luminous in her full face, casting judgement on those that betrayed,
giving light to massacres of mastery. I let that breath out in a violent roar,
letting my men celebrate their victory, calling wolves to sing a song of
triumph with their leader.
Charlie strode through the gate, my father
still wrapped in chains walking stiffly beside him. One angry governor in each
large hand, dragging their bruised bodies over their dead comrades. I walked
towards them, my wolf fixated on the bleeding men in his hands.
My father huffed as I stood before them, a
continuous growl vibrating my chest. "Son, could you possibly get me out
of these fucking chains before you kill the only men who know how?"
His voice cut through the haze that took
over all humanity within me and refocused my attention on the man still
attempting to snap his bound torso. I snatched one of the governors from
Charlie and grunted at him to do my bidding, his small voice was hesitant and
reluctant until I snarled in his face and saliva dripped from my fangs in an
obvious threat. He whispered words of old chanting and I shivered at the slimy
feel of dark magic releasing constraints.
My father sighed in appreciation,
"Thank Christ, those bloody chains burnt like hell."
I looked at him and saw marks striped
across his skin, his shirt melted away and black burns like claw marks running
across his torso. No doubt they would not heal as they should and would leave
permanent scarring, I sighed within my beast and my eyes turned hazy once more.
My mother was going to kill me.
I took the governor in one large fist and
roared in his face before opening my jaws to bite his screaming head off.
My father coughed beside me, "Would
you mind?" He held a hand out, "I'd rather like to remove it
myself."
I grumbled and threw the man in the air for
my father to catch and watched as his claws burst free and sank into weakened
skin as he caught the snivelling man. I gloried in his violence as he took a
life quickly and efficiently, my wolf approving of his sires brutal
effectiveness.
Charlie's other hand released the remaining
governor and he slumped on the ground glaring up at his last rites.
"It's not over," he sneered,
mutinous till the end.
He had a name; Nathaniel, one that would be
forgotten on this night. I gave a nod to Charlie and he smiled in response,
taking his sword from the strap across his chest the only one of us, other than
my father, currently in human form. The man on the ground knew his time was at
an end and made a last ditch attempt to escape. His feet were a flurry on the
rusted grass as he crawled to a stand and slid on the settling frost. His arm
shot out in one single motion and a shining blade caught the moons glow as it's
hilt buried itself in my father's stomach.
Roars filled the camp and both myself and
Charlie grabbed a hold of the fool scrambling for freedom. Charlie's beast
burst through human skin, his sword dropping instantly as claws replaced
moulded steel. Our animals had a moment of demanding dominance, each tugging on
the body in our grip. We tore the man in half, neither willing to give up the
prey bleeding and screaming from claws buried deep into skin. His death stopped
our struggle and we both dropped the piece of governor we had, thrown to the
floor, forgotten and discarded like rotting trash.
The doctor was waiting surrounded by guards
and he moved with an efficiency only medical professionals seemed to have. I
was grateful for his care of my father, my mother was a vengeful women when it
came to the man now being helped to the small hospital near the gym.
Duncan appeared trailed by Sam moments
later as I stood over a barely moving wolf, twitching in his throes of death,
stilling as I removed his precious head.
"Well... Jus' 'bout killed everyone
didn' ya Captain?"
I scowled at Sam and grunted in a beasts
response. I'd left a few with their heads still attached, two to be exact,
although their hearts were another matter.
"Dun know why ya face so miserable,
woulda thought ya worked all tha' ou' by now." His face screwed up as he
looked from the headless wolf on the floor to me standing over him. "Think
he dead Captain.....you can probly' stop killin' him now."
Yes the wolf was definitely dead, the
grounds of my camp were littered with similar bodies; headless corpses of
rotten, shifted men. The battlefield was lit from above by floodlights chasing
the darkness away. The artificial light showed a scene of conflict so brutal
that the men standing, the guards worn yet still burning off that thumping
adrenaline, were covered in pieces of those they'd slaughtered.
My wolf had yet to recede, the animal
holding onto the reigns he'd taken, forcing my limbs to stay in his oversized
figure until he was satisfied with the destruction before him. I doubt it would
ever be enough, so enchanted by the woman he strove to impress that there could
never be enough retribution for the harm that'd been done.
Duncan walked away to guards slowly
shifting to human once more. He gathered men to drag bodies and limbs to burn
on a pile. Each governor though would swing, hang suspended in full view, show
the world how defeated they were.
"Ya know, she be back soon, migh' be
able ta make her like ya sorry ass again."
Sam’s deep accent, mixed with cultures from
places he'd lived, soothed a beast forlorn from loss. Loss of face to the mate
chosen for him, loss of heart to the future he'd once seen so clearly. The
massive wolf's head shook back and fore in the negative, we had both lost hope.
Sam chuckled and I snapped my head up at
his laughter. "Didn' think I eva' see tha great Captain so defeated."
He lost his huge grin as soon as my eyes
met his. "Snap ou' of it boy! She deserve more than you givin' up, she
deserve a lot more. Put ya man pants on an' get ya woman." He huffed as he
walked away, shaking his head as he called to the dogs sniffing around at the
stained grass. "God damn wolves go' their heads stuck up their ass,
couldn' do nuthin' withou' me."
His mutterings continued all the way into
the house and I've no doubt he meant me to hear every last one of them. I was
left staring at empty space for a long time, thinking about that old man and
his words. He was right, she did deserve a lot more, and maybe it's about time
I gave her everything instead of half of me. Charlie was competent enough, a
wolf so alike my own it was a wonder he even deigned to follow me. He would be
fine filling in for a while, now the governors had gone and Arya had finished
what she started.
Maybe she'd give me that one chance after I
told her everything, after she had all the secrets and I lay an open book
before her. And if she didn't... maybe I'd just follow her anyway.
My wolf glimpsed a tiny spark, hope
glittering within a labyrinth of darkened memories and sullied futures. He
pounced on that spark, gripped it with claws of steel and will of iron. He
would not let go, not until she killed all optimism and slaughtered all dreams.
First though, he was going to that
hospital. And he would watch and wait and stand guard. He would stay motionless
beside his father until the man recovered from that knife in his stomach. He
would wait patiently and then
not
so patiently.
When the name fell from his sires lips, he
would stalk that marked man, torture the betrayal out of the treasonous
dissident.
Present the rebels severed head to his
woman. A gift of apology to the mate he'd failed.
We entered the camp by the front gate. The
crowd we'd left behind had disappeared as if they'd never been. An eerie
silence smothered the grounds, still and soundless as death, hard and
unyielding as a frozen Arctic plain. A small whisper of creaking the only noise
disturbing this hush, a break in the blackout, a rebel in the absence of sound.
The grounds were stained in blood, a rusty
red paint laying footprints to follow. We stepped through the front gates
quickly before they swiftly shut behind us, Lane once more holding his palm to
the outer wall and grinning with achievement when the iron moved at his
command. I looked up as we entered, the sun rising to the east casting a bright
glare over the bodies creaking in the wind.
I stared, frozen in time. Fourteen headless
figures, blooded and clawed, hung limply from several poles in the courtyard,
scarecrows chasing the preying vultures away. The smell of burnt flesh made
breathing hard and charred smoke clung heavily to my lungs. I flicked a look at
Lane and saw awe on his face, a twisted grin showing his joy and light gleaming
in his ashy eyes.
"They started...without me."
I sighed at him. He was crazier then a box
of frogs.
A black car pulled in behind us, I startled
when the engine purred and stalled, so entranced by the macabre sight before me
I'd ignored every sense that I'd become so reliant on. By Lane's relaxed stance
and the automatic entry the gates allowed, I guessed the car was a known
visitor. I frowned at him when he cursed and looked down at himself, brushing
away bits of mud and forest debris clinging to his trousers.
"What are you doing?"
His grey eyes lifted to mine and winced,
"Katherine."
As if that was an explanation. The car
doors opened and I turned at the subtle, sweet perfume the vehicle released.
The woman the scent belonged to could only be described as beautiful. Long
shining black hair on a statuesque figure of nearing six feet, strong and sure
in her stance. She stepped elegantly towards us on long, athletic legs encased
in expensive black, fitted trousers and stiletto heeled boots. She lifted
startlingly blue eyes to me with a joyful, regal smile before narrowing them on
Lane. I caught a slight nervous twitch from the blonde and my frown deepened.
As she stopped in front of us her eyes
flicked to the swinging bodies and back before she sighed heavily and rolled
her eyes. "Always was overly dramatic."
Lane coughed a laugh before straightening
and lowering his head towards her in greeting."Katherine."
Her gaze ran from his blonde hair all the
way down to his mud encrusted boots, at which she crinkled her nose. Lane's
feet moved slowly behind each other, tapping on the ground as he attempted to
surreptitiously remove the dirt clinging to his shoes.
Katherine released another sigh and turned
her back on Lane. Her eyes lightened again and she opened her arms wide as she
moved towards me. I think I froze in place once more, not from dead, headless
bodies on pendulums of death, but a stilled shock of impending contact. As her
arms continued their intention I flew back on unsteady feet and stared at the
woman grasping air where my body had previously been.
Katherine looked at her arms vacant and
hugging nothing but the chilled breeze and hurt crossed her features, quickly
and devastatingly apparent. For once, I found myself unsure in my actions.
Wanting to erase the hurt I caused, perhaps even apologise for moving away from
her. It was an ever increasing confusion.
As quickly as the hurt appeared it was gone
as a smile so wide it must have ached replaced her frown. "Sweetheart it's
so lovely to meet you."
I tilted my head, she seemed an old soul in
a young female's figure. She giggled at my expression, an almost childlike
laugh that lightened my heart in its song like quality. In that moment it
dawned on me who this woman was, that laugh I'd heard in my dreams, that soft
black hair covered her face as she'd sung hauntingly beautiful songs to her
young son.
"You're Carver's mother." It was
a pointless statement that I didn't really need confirmation to. Her smile
though only became wider at my words.
"Yes, I birthed that overgrown
caveman."
Her lips twitched in amusement but there
was nothing but pure pride in her eyes. She turned her head to Lane once more
and raised an eyebrow in question.
"I've linked him...already. They're in
the...hospital."
She nodded and turned back to me, "Are
you coming darling? Seems my son got his father hurt and I'm sure you'd like to
see me yell at him."
I snorted, I think she should probably get
in line."Sure."
She started walking and I fell into step
beside her, Lane bringing up the rear. We walked five feet before she stopped
and turned to the blonde shuffling behind us.
"Perhaps you haven’t noticed the mud
hiding your clothes Lane?" Her voice was sweet and quiet in its question
and yet there was steel beneath it.
"Um." Lane mumbled in response.
She sighed at him in disappointment.
"Speak clearly Lane. We'll wait here for you, bring Arya some shoes
too."
I looked down and saw the same mud hardened
on my feet. I felt the oddest sense of relief at having stopped to wash the
blood off my hands.
"Yes ma’am."
I flicked my eyes to Lane and my lips
twitched as he rushed off, a flush darkening his neck. I relished in his
obvious embarrassment, I was really starting to like Carver's mother.
She shook her head, "My boys would
live like animals if I let them.." her head tilted as she followed Lane's
retreat, "..that one especially."
I looked at the woman in astonishment.
She'd just claimed that crazed blonde as her own and seemed nothing but
delighted with the fact. Her eyes caught my look and she giggled easily again.
"Oh he's very much mine, flaws and
all. He's been my son since Carver brought him home"
I liked her immensely in that moment. Like
the sun she shone bright and pure, rays of honest appreciation for all that
made that tortured man and she looked at his darkened, clouded aura as if he
were her brightest star.
He returned within minutes, flustered as if
he'd run miles in utter fear. He handed shoes my way and grinned at Katherine
like a puppy who'd finally learnt a new trick. She graced him with a smile and
licked her finger before smoothing his hair down from its wind blown state.
"Come along then." She stalked
off and I followed in amusement, peering at Lane's scowl from the corner of my
eye. His gruff exterior was forever ruined for me now, I knew his deepest
secret; he looked only for approval from this woman.
The hospital was packed with warriors, wall
to wall hardened bodies that filled corridors with weeping wounds and laughing,
teasing voices; men celebrating the life they still held. Bodies moved and
parted, a clear path made for the dark haired female leading the way, heads
bowed and voices quietened to a hush. I followed Katherine in awe, she
commanded more easily and more effectively then any warrior I'd ever seen. She
stopped nearing the door that I knew Carver was behind, his scent seeped from
the room, clawing and pulling at my soul, capturing my attention instantly and
completely.
Katherine entered first and flitted to the
bed where Fraser lay, eyes closed and breathing deeply. I frowned at the scars
decorating his bare chest, there was something very wrong with the black
stripes still so obvious and seeping blood on his torso. This hospital served
only one purpose; for those with grievous injuries. Our healing ability so
complete it needed medical help only for wounds deep enough or damaging enough
that they would compromise health before closing.
I left my gaze on Fraser. I knew exactly
where Carver was in the room and yet I refused to move my eyes. I felt tears
rush to the surface and in utter horror I willed them to recede. It was
betrayal that filled my heart, an organ that had been bruised enough and only
wished for a break in the ever present battle, one small moment of peaceful stillness
before life and it's aches came rushing forward once more and everything
restarted in painful clarity.
Katherine’s face was an expression of love,
that perfect moment between two people that was envied world wide. Even
sleeping, without full knowledge, Fraser's face relaxed and softened as her
hand touched his face and smoothed his dark hair back. A husky voice broke
through the moment and I felt his rumble all the way to my toes.
"I'm sorry. I didn't get him out of
the chains in time."
Her blue eyes left Fraser's face for a
moment to settle on her son. "What have I said about looking after your
father Carver?"
I heard the guilt heavy in his voice,
"I know, I'm sorry."
She sighed and closed her eyes,"I
asked one thing and this is what I come back to."
I tried hard to hide my amusement but my
enjoyment of his scolding only grew. I desperately wanted to throw my words at
him, jump on his mother's bandwagon and throw his faults in his face. I forced
a deep breath through my lungs, this was not the best place to bring everything
I'd learnt in the open and I found it rather hard to interrupt Katherine in the
middle of her rant. She carried on for a full ten minutes as I felt Carver nod
in acceptance to every word she said to him. It was quite enlightening, to see
a man brought so heavily to his knees by one steely female.
"He should wake soon mother." I
returned to the conversation at his pleading voice.
Katherine sniffed delicately and nodded at
her son, "You had better hope so."
I saw Lane wince as he stood to attention
behind her, no doubt remembering how it felt to be on the receiving end of her
disappointment. She turned to smile at me and gestured to the chair beside her.
"Sit Arya, you look tired."
She was quite correct, I was tired. Weighed
down and sunken, drifting on a tide of finalities that I couldn't get my head
around. I'd finished my ending, here I was standing free and clear of
everything that had seemed to be the very structure that held me up. The
building blocks that my tattered soul had been made of, the destruction I'd
been built on. And yet, standing in a room with the man supposed to be my
pathway to a new life, someone who should have replaced all the damaged,
dampened walls with an improved and unspoiled façade, I felt nothing but exhaustion.
"Where's Charlie...and Duncan?"
Lanes voice broke through my heavy eyes.
"With Sam I think."
I perked up at Carver's mention of Sam,
maybe I'd sit on that porch for a while, drink some of his whiskey and let his
deep voice soothe aches as he told me stories of the battle I'm sure he sat
laughing at.
Katherine’s small gasp pulled my gaze to
Fraser and I saw his dark eyes land on her and crinkle slightly at the edges. I
couldn't help the tip to my lips as I found the same expression of unequivocal
love reflected in his face. His eyes swept the room as he smiled at Lane and
then Carver and finally me hidden slightly behind Katherine’s taller frame. The
blackness he shared so similarly with Carver deepened for a moment and widened
as his lashes fluttered open and shut in effort to remain awake. His head shot
to Carver and he coughed clearing his throat thick with sleep.
"Sam." Rough and dry I winced at
the word he forced out.
Carvers mouth dropped and he shook his
head, an unspoken conversation started between the two, a mind link I was yet
to be privy to."No."
Fraser only frowned."I'm sorry...I
trusted him, don't let him hurt Sam."
I heard only the last words as my feet
slipped on the tiled flooring, sliding through the doorway and pushing past
guards crowding the walkway. My heart thumped, blood pouring and thriving, a
wolf howling and scratching her release. Men jumped and shoved themselves out
of my way to thundering growls breaking through my chest and splitting ribs
aching to part and shift and let the animal claw her way out. I heard him
shouting, screaming for me to stop.
Nothing could make me stop.