Wolf's Bane (Shifted) (2 page)

“Dad
, it’s Bryce. Drew needs you to come to the pack house. He’ll be here in about twenty minutes.”

“Did
he say why?”

“
No, but he sounded upset.”

“I’ll
be there in ten minutes.”

“Thanks
.”

Bryce made his way out to the waiting area to make sure it was clear. He was
relieved to find that the women, that had spent most of the day there, were now gone.  As soon as his father arrived, he locked the front doors so no unexpected weres would enter, and went back to the Alpha office. That is where Drew would be looking for them.

Lars Woodland paced the floor of the
expansive office. He had worked with Drew Weston for years and knew the man wouldn’t call unless there was a serious problem.

It was another
forty minutes before Drew walked into the office. He looked tired and seemed agitated.

“Thanks
for coming, Lars. Bryce, thank you for assuming the Alpha role while I was away.”

“It
was my pleasure sir,” Bryce said while dipping his head in a sign of respect.

“
I’m glad you think so. I’m going to ask that you continue for a bit longer until I can resolve a current family problem.”

“
As you wish, sir.” Bryce had thought that the were being back would mean he was back to being Alpha in training.

“Drew spit it out
. I can see that you’re agitated. Is your niece alright?”

“No
Lars, she is far from alright. Please sit. I need to tell you this in the utmost of confidence.”

Bryce sat on the couch next to his father
and listened as the Alpha began.

“Ashley
, my sister’s daughter, was attacked two nights ago.”

“
Attacked?” Bryce had known there was some trouble with his niece but hadn’t learned the specifics. If the attack was only two nights ago, then Lars had already arrived at his sister’s place before this happened.

“Yes
, attacked. My sister called a few weeks back and asked me to help resolve a problem Ashley was having. You are both familiar with the Bane pack?”

“Your
niece is Bane?” Bryce knew all too well the rumors that filtered through the shifter world about the Bane pack.

“
Yes. I’m sure that you have heard the stories. The Bane pack’s way of life is not something I would have wished on my only sister. When she met John, we didn’t know he had been raised as Bane. John isn’t like the others. He has always treated my sister with love and respect. When they married, I encouraged them to live here. I didn’t want my sister subject to the antiquated idea of the Bane pack.” Drew hesitated, his heart hurt for his niece. He chided himself for not getting her out sooner.

“
So it’s true what they say about the pack being a couple of hundred years behind the times?” Lars asked slowly. He could see that his Alpha was more than just upset.

“The B
ane are mostly purists. Not that that is an issue. A number of weres believe that a shifter should only mate another shifter. I may not agree, but to each his own in that respect. My issue with the pack has always been the treatment of their women. Bane women are little more than servants. They are regarded as property.”

“And
your sister put up with that?”

“
As I said, John is different. He loves my sister. I believe them to be true mated. I have never seen him mistreat her. She is a grown woman and can make her own decisions. So when she went with John, I knew he would protect her. They live on the edge of pack land with little contact with the rest of the pack, with the exception of John’s family.”

“
The problems started when Ashley reached puberty. My niece is like her mother, strong willed and independent. These are not qualities the Bane revere in their women.”

“
She pissed them off?”

“
You could say that, yes. Ashley refused to accept the Bane way of life. She saw the difference between her parent’s relationship and others in the community. The Alpha, Warren Bane, has told John on a number of occasions to get control of his daughter or he would.”

“He
would what?” Bryce asked.

“
He would break her for lack of a better analogy. Ashley was like a wild stallion in amongst a pack of work horses. A couple of weeks ago, he announced that his son Richard had made his choice of a mate. It was Ashley.”

“Were
they dating?” Bryce was confused.

“They
hardly knew each other. Ashley heard the public announcement, and that was the first she had heard about it.  Warren was forcing the marriage. He may not have liked Ashley’s strong willed modern ideals, but I imagine he saw the potential. Ashley being an Alpha’s niece made her acceptable to breed.”

“Breed
as in have children?”

“Bryce
, you have to understand. In the Bane pack, women have no rights. The men hold all the power. The Alpha was giving her no choice. She would marry Richard, submit to him in every way, and toe the line or she would be punished.”

“
That’s against pack law.”

“Bane believes his pack to be above the law
, Lars. The council has cited the entire pack on more than one occasion. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are good people that were born and raised Bane. My sister’s husband John Freedman is one of them.”

“I take it Ashley refused.” Bryce ascertained considering Dre
w had rushed off to resolve an “issue” with his niece.

“She did. That’s why I went to help
. Despite her refusal, Warren and his son were moving forward with the mating ceremony. They intended on forcing her, breaking her. Her refusal was a slap in the face. Taking Ashley against her will would be a lesson to any other women who thought they had a choice.”

“
So they attacked her?” Bryce’s stomach turned. The idea of treating any one like that was wrong. He didn’t even know the girl, but he felt protective of her.

“
Not right away. When I arrived it threw a wrench into Warren’s plans. He knew a forced mating was against council. He also knew I would have notified them. Royal Cheveyo arrived and was very clear. He told Warren that if he tried to force Ashley to marry Richard, that the council would take action.”

‘Action
?”

“
He didn’t specify, but I got the impression that Bane knew exactly what he meant. I would imagine action could mean only two possible scenarios, disillusion of the pack, or a war with council. I assumed that Warren would want to avoid both.  Warren acquiesced and told John and my sister Hannah that he was rescinding his order.”

“How
magnanimous of him,” Bryce growled. He didn’t understand how the council could allow this to go on.

“So what of the attack?” Lars asked.
“Was it retribution for making the Alpha look foolish?” Lars assumed a pack leader, that led his pack like it was the Middle Ages, wouldn’t take the council’s decree well.

“Warren wasn’t
happy. Hannah and John had already asked that I take Ashley in until things died down.  I didn’t think it would be a problem letting her say goodbye to some of her friends. Royal was still in town and I knew Warren wasn’t stupid enough to do anything with the watchful eye of the council there.”

“You
were wrong?” Bryce saw where this was going. They already knew Ashley had been attacked.

“
Actually, Warren did nothing. It was Richard. I had underestimated his involvement. I had assumed that he was a pawn like Ashley, just following his Alpha father’s orders. I hadn’t considered what he might do. I intended to take Ashley the next day and bring her here. That night, she went out to say goodbye to her friends. Richard and two of his friends apparently found out where she would be.”

“
They attacked her,” Bryce muttered.

“I
still don’t know the specifics. Ashley has shut down. She’s not talking. She wouldn’t let the doctors touch her when her friends brought her home. I do know that they ambushed her. Richard had intended to make an example of her. What he didn’t know was what Ashley was capable of. Even three against one, Ashley held her own.”

“She
managed to get away?”

“Bryce
, she killed Richard.”

“
The Alpha's son?”

“Yes
. Her friends told us that she managed to get hold of a rock and bashed Richard in the temple. When he released her, she didn’t stop hitting him. She didn’t stop until he was dead.”

“Her
friends were watching?”

“
There were witnesses, but they were afraid to talk to anyone except the council members. The council has ruled that it was self-defense.”

“
Of course it was. He was attacking her,” Bryce growled. God, what this girl had been through.

“
What you have to understand is, according to Bane, she should have submitted. He blames her for his son’s death, despite the council ruling.”

“Shit
. But you got her out. She’s here?”

“
Yes. That’s why I needed to speak to the two of you. Hannah and John have gone to the West coast in the hopes that Warren will think they have their daughter with them. His official ruling was that they be banished. He couldn’t sentence her to death when the council had ruled in her favor.”

“
But you think he’ll come after her?”

“
I know he will.  Bringing her here was the only way to keep her safe. I know this puts the pack in the middle. I just couldn’t leave her there. She needs protection.” Drew seemed to be apologizing for his actions. As Alpha of the Reiner pack, he had a pack to worry about. Bringing his niece there had made the pack a target.

“The
Bane pack is no match for us, Drew. You did the right thing. We can assure her safety.” Lars tried to comfort his friend. Given the circumstances, he would have done the same thing.

“
Thank you both for understanding. Bryce, that is why I would like you to continue. No one knows I’m back, and I’d like to keep it that way for a bit longer.  Julie and I need to concentrate on Ashley at the moment.”

“Y
ou’ll be staying here though, right?” Bryce didn’t think taking the girl to some remote area would provide the amount of protection necessary. He knew his Alpha well. Drew might think leaving would protect the pack.

“
For now, yes.”

“Drew
, the pack would understand. We are behind you. You need to stay here to assure her safety. Warren Bane wouldn’t attack the pack house.”

“You
haven’t met the man. He may have complied with the council’s ruling, but if I hadn’t gotten her out before the council left, I’m sure he would have eliminated her and her family, including Julie and I. The man was a tyrant before he lost his son to a lowly female.”

“
For now, he doesn’t know you are here.”

“For
now, I just want to give Ashley time to heal. We will remain primarily in our living quarters. Bryce, Lars, I would like Ashley to meet you. It’s important that she know who is safe.”

“
Of course. We could close the pack house to visitors.”