I groan, rubbing my sleepy eyes. I stretch out my sore back. My chest aches from a hard, rock-solid sleep. My body is sore, but that's not what woke me. I rub my face. Sleep still clouds my head, but worry for Jade bounces around in my mind.
"Lilly!" someone calls. I frown. "Lilly!" they call again, followed by mad, whiny snarling. There's no mistaking the sound of wolves fighting. I force myself to sit upright. Sitting there, dazed, I stumble about my room for some clothes. Then, at last, for the door.
"What's the meaning of-," I start when I spot Charles, watching the whole fight. His face looks stressed, the way his brows are furrowed tight, lips pressed into a thin line, and deep creases run across his forehead. Snarling, the two wolves roll. One of them on Suzah's dark, dirty blond fur.
"Lilly-," Charles starts to call. He stops himself, biting his knuckles. "Don't kill her," he murmurs.
"They're battling for the alpha, are they not?" I ask him, but Charles refuses to hear anything. Even when everyone takes a step back, giving them room to fight, Charles remains where he stands. "Answer me, damn it!" I raise my voice. He jumps like he genuinely didn't hear me. "They're battling over the title as alpha?" I assume, and he nods. "Then you did this, removing Lilly's title," I remind him. His head snaps my way.
"You think I wanted this madness among our families?" he snaps at me, "This decision came from the elders above me. And they were ill-advised it would seem," Charles adds, tipping his head toward the fight. Suzah's on her side, panting hard, the loser of the battle. She coughs, hacking hard and gasping. Lilly pants for her breath, her tongue hanging out covered in fur.
"Who the hell advised the elders of such an ill idea, eh?" I scoff at him, "To put Suzah in charge? She hasn't the mind to bear that kind of responsibility. She's too soft, she'd cave," I criticize him. No, she's a pride hungry mongrel. Anyone could sway her, change, and will her mind as they pleased.
"Lilly failed her task," Charles states.
"What task? To be a pawn in a power scheme?" I scoff at him.
"Lilly had a place, and she failed to meet the standards," Charles snaps at me, "Just because she is my daughter doesn't mean she is exempt," Charles yells at me, "On top of that, the elders were promised the if Suzah was put in her place, then the alliance would continue," Charles informs me.
"Who, the hell said that?" I scoff.
"What on Earth is going on?" Richard's voice carries out over everyone, interrupting Charle's and I, probably for the better.. Heads turn, and backs straighten up as their alpha approaches. My nose crinkles. Suzah's shifts back, her body shriveling back to her former human stature. Charles tears away to throw a coat or something over her bare body. Though, it's not like anyone's looking. All eyes are on Richard, his eyes from head to head. He looks from me, then to Lilly.
"Throw her in the basement with the vermin," Richard orders.
"You will do no such thing. Not to my daughter, you will not put your hands on her," Charles declares, but everyone steps back. He scans each face, looking for friendly eyes, but all evert their gaze.
"It seems you are few in men, Sir Brooks," Richards points out as Charles is just noticing.
"What have you done to them? Eh? You sleazy weasel," Charles swears at him.
"I haven't done anything," Richard chuckles, "I merely opened their eyes. That night the Lakefall's were attacked in our own home. You brushed off the attack of those barbarian savages like it was nothing as your men suffered at the blows of their clubs and the blades of their swords. I merely listened to their concerns," Richard goes on explaining. He finally stops before Charles. He's smiling, the light of his pride, drops, "As well as their doubts," he whispers. Charles's worried expression changes. He's only just now realized his position, but so have I.
"Put both, Brook's child and Hunter in the basement to cool their heads," Richard demands, "Such disobedience and disrespect shouldn't be tolerated," he accuses.
"Who are you to order my pack around?" Charles scoffs, "This is my pack," he laughs it off as if Richard were a mere joke, but Richard is serious.
"They've watched you laugh and cower from everything. You put your oldest daughter in a marriage for the sake of an alliance. Where's your honor?" Richard sneers, "They've watched you belittle the humans, even after they attacked you still laughed and ignored the problems at hand," Richard criticizes him, "I think they've had enough," he adds. There's a moment of uncertainty, but they follow Richard's orders without a word. They rope Lily around the neck. When she snaps at one on the right, a fellow on the left pulls her back in line. I struggle against their authority, but I'm outnumbered and without anywhere to run to. "The rest of you will follow me out. We will set out for war," Richard decides. All turn their backs on us as they escort us to the basement. Meanwhile, they're walking out to their deaths.
"Richard, you will have them damned to their deaths and to hell! I call over my shoulder, hoping to raise even an ounce of doubt in their crooked heads.