Chapter Twenty-Nine
Walking into Nina’s room, my hope again inked out a little more. She still laid there on her bed. Her bruises yellowing just a tad bit more from the last time I saw her. You would have thought she would have been completely healed now that the drug wasn’t in her system, but her body is taking longer to get back to normal.
“Why won’t she wake?” I frowned at Ian as he sat in the chair next to her bed. His hands pinching his chin as I always found him when Daemon had to be away.
I placed my hand on his shoulder. “She’s not ready. Her soul needs to mend more before she’ll come around to deal with the mental wounds.”
He rose and went to her window. “But it’s been a week.” He turned to me. “A WEEK!” Tears threatening to spill over his cheek at any second.
“I know. We’re all worried about her.”
“I want to wring their necks right now for leaving her in this state.”
“We all do. If they hadn’t beaten her as much as she did or drugged her, she wouldn’t have contracted pneumonia when she and her brother escaped.” I looked at Nina. “I was shocked when I came back to find that half of those I left were gone taking Nina to the hospital. She was that close to dying.”
I snapped my head over to the wall next to the window. Ian had punched a hole in the wall. “She did die for a second. The human doctors managed to bring her back.”
I walked over to him and placed my hand on his shoulders. “Calm down.” I had to get him to cool his anger so Nina didn’t wake at a fright with him upset. “You wouldn’t want her to wake with you like this. You don’t want to scare her off the start.”
He took a deep breathe and calmed himself. “How is the trial going?”
I chuckled tightly as we went over to Nina. I sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand onto my lap. My heart praying she’d actually wake. To finally come out of this forever slumber.
“The representatives for the other families who weren’t so lucky are still telling their stories of their lost loved ones. The list is long. The Council of Nine are listening intently to every detail.”
The Council of Nine. Nine Alphas chosen to oversee any trial a wolf has been brought forward to stand in that span several packs. Normally as Alpha myself, I would have been on the council. All the Alphas are ones with power and respect behind them. It was a great honor to be on the council and I’ve been a constant on it till now. But as I am the head of one of the offended families, I couldn’t be on the council.
Daemon was there with the council right now filling the seat Nina would be in if she were awake. He was sitting next to Claw listening to everything. As her mate, he had the right to be there to call for the rogues’ deaths. Right now he is demonstrating great restraint as he glares at the rogues which he has done since he first saw the rogues.
Bethany was there too. She was sitting with her mate and helping him through this. They’ve barely been away from each other. She was helping Claw to deal with what happened and keeping him together during the trial.
Most of my sons were at the trial too. Nick was the only one of my sons not at the trial. He was up in the attic right now looking at Nina’s photo album. He has refused to go anywhere but to sit in here with Nina sometimes begging her to wake up. He was taking it as hard as Daemon and Claw.
Everyone but Nick had held Daemon back when the rogues were brought in thrashing around before the whole family. Nick just looked down at Nina ignoring everything around him. He sank to his knees placing a hand on her boot as the others forced Daemon to the floor. I saw him begging her silently to be okay.
That was when we knew exactly what the damage to Nina was. Four broken ribs. Her wrists and ankles had deep rope burns. One of her wrists was dislocated. Her hip bone has fractures. Fractures all along one cheekbone and one femur. Not to mention all the cuts and bruises all over her body that go bone deep.
That was why Daemon was so pissed at the sight of the rogue brothers. I had wanted those two to see who would be able to kill them when the time comes. The damage they had done. The younger brother paled while the older one had a face of stone.
I can never forget the look on their faces when they woke. They were shocked beyond anything to be forced awake by us throwing them down on the ground. Both being chained and the same drug used on them that they used on Nina and Claw to keep their wolves away.
We had searched the whole bunker and found my second and his daughter. They were dead in one room. We had thought that Mason had been killed being found freeing his daughter, but we got the truth when we came back with their bodies.
Claw had watched us come in. His eyes had flamed as he saw Mason and Clare’s bodies. He asked why they were brought. We had looked at him strangely at first. I took him to my office and he told me everything that happened to him. Everything Clare had gloated about. All the painful details. I thought I was going to be sick knowing my second had been the master mind of it all.
Still I don’t know what to do with them yet. We have different ways to treat the dead. Those of honor got a funeral fire with the whole pack around it that could make the fire. But those who went against pack and those who have harmed pack get a terrible fate.
For Clare, it was clear what was to become of her body. She was to have the highest dishonor. Her body will be laid to rest out in the forest upon a patch of pure dirty. We’ll leave her body there for the creatures of the forest to do with as they wished.
As for Mason, we have to conduct our own consensus as to his remains’ fate. Though he had done wrong, he showed loyalty in the end. But does that one moment redeem him? Only time will tell what fate the whole pack ordains. Before they could decide, I must conduct a thorough investigation and present to all all his accomplishments and misconducts. Both must be weighted to find his true fate.
At the moment, neither body has been moved from the deep freezer room in my basement. Their bodies wrapped tightly into old blankets and twine. We had to preserved their bodies till everything was settled.
“How is everyone taking it?” I was snapped out of my thoughts at Ian’s question.
I cleared my throat. “Daemon is holding fast hearing all that the rogues had done to others. We all are thinking the same things. What that evil rogue had done to Nina.” I knelt next to her bed and stroked her hair. “What brutal things he did to her.” My voice cracked as I too feared the brutal acts he did to her knowing the damage that had been done to her body and hearing from the first few families.
Ian was silent as I saw him take her hand. “She’s not going to be the same, is she?”
“We just have to pray for her.” I bent down and kissed Nina’s forehead. Her temperature hadn’t broken yet. It was going down, but still not normal. The pack doctor has been doing everything he could to help her. We’ve even sent for a rare herb to help strengthen a wolf’s abilities for a time in hopes it’d help her.
~~Shane’s Point Of View~~
My hands were so tightly clenched that they were white. They were all I could look at right now. The images in my head were too graphic hearing these recounts from other families. The bottom of my sight blurred as my tears threaten to overflow.
How could anyone do that to Nina?
I could hear the sobs of several mothers who have recounted and those yet to tell of their beloved daughter or son. They were going through more than we are. We’ve only experienced the pain these rogues have done recently. Most of these families are having those painful moments ripped open again.
All this was bringing up memories of my parents’ deaths. They shouldn’t have died either. That weekend they were supposed to have been on some romantic getaway while I was at the mansion with my uncle and cousins. I was seven at the time.
Back then, Franklin and Taylor had their parents too which meant my uncle and aunt just had their six kids. We were all so rambunctious at the time. So full of mischief. We still are to some degree.
I never found out why my parents had gone back home that night. I bet my mom had forgotten something. She sometimes did that when we were going somewhere. Always when we were going camping with uncle Derek. We’d tell her that we wouldn’t be going back for it, but that night, I guess she convinced my dad to go back.
The sheriff told uncle Derek what they had found out when they finished the investigation. My mom had walked in on a human thief robbing our house. The thief panicked as my mom lunged at him. He had a gun and fired at my mom killing her nearly instantly as he shot her through the heart.
My father had come in and must have gone crazy with grief. My mother and father weren’t mates, but loved each other completely as if they were. I knew my father wanted revenge seeing my mother dead before him. And he got it, he managed to kill the human before he died himself from being shot several times in the chest.
The sheriff told uncle Derek that my father had died looking at my mother. His hand in hers. They were together even in death. The thief had managed to crawl into the hall before succumbing to his own fatal wounds.
Hearing all these families just brought those memories. Opened those wounds like they were opening for these other families. I had closer then because the thief died. These families were seeing that closer now with this trial. They were seeing the faces of the men that took their loved ones away.
~~Franklin’s Point Of View~~
Glancing over at my brother, I could see how hurt he was with this. We didn’t know who the rogues were that killed our parents. My poor brother had gotten home to find our parents dying nearly seven years ago. He had been the one that held our father as he died. That moment had scarred him and turned him into the goth guy he is today.
Though today, he didn’t wear his contacts and he’s let his black dyed hair grow out some. His sandy blonde roots were showing for the first time. He wasn’t caring about his appearance and hasn’t since this whole thing started.
I could only imagine what he was going through at the moment. My own mind was wheeling with thoughts of our parents and what I was told about their death. The wound in my heart where they were leaking a bit.
There had been no alarm raised that day about rogues in the area. All the patrols said everything was clear. Even after my parents were found dead, they couldn’t find where the rogues had gone. As if they came from nowhere and just vanished afterwards.
I was still studying in the library when Taylor had gotten dropped off from his friend’s mom. Taylor was different then, but the same in a way. He was always a quiet guy. Always off in his mind about things. During the holidays was when he was happiest when he helped mom decorate.
It was when Derek had shown up to the library looking like he had just been slain. Like he had just seen something that tore out his heart. He looked at me with so much grief. As if just seeing me opened his fresh wound.
“Franklin...” His voice that day still haunted me. “Come with me son. There’s something I need to tell you.” His voice trembling and crackling with every word he spoke.
I got up that day not knowing what was in store. “My dad must of sent you because he was busy with something, didn’t he?” I had shook my head. “More rogues I bet.”
He had walked me to his military hummer. It was in the hummer he told me. He hadn’t even turned it on and started driving. He couldn’t drive with how much it pained him to lose my father and his best friend.
I had sat there in utter shock as Derek broke down. The first time I’ve even seen our great Alpha weep so strongly. I knew he had with his brother, but I had no idea he would have for my father.
He had told me how rogues had gotten to our house and attacked my parents while they were wrapping our presents for Christmas. Three weeks away from Christmas they were killed. One last week of school before the winter holiday.
There were two rogues. Two that came in with their faces covered. My father had told Taylor that the rogues were covered and he couldn’t see their faces. My father last long enough to tell my brother that he had been the target. Our mother had been a casualty.
I had just sat in that passenger seat petrified. There were no thoughts going through my head. Nothing. My breathe was choppy and broken. I couldn’t feel, even the tears that were flowing like drops of water in a waterfall over my cheeks. I was in shock.
When Derek took me to his house, I knew what that meant. My dad had told me once that he and mom had appointed Derek and Macy as our guardians if anything had happened to them. Derek and Macy were like my aunt and uncle so I never thought it’d be strange to have them as guardians. Still don’t.
I found Taylor in a corner looking at his hands. Blood was still on them. There was a bowl of water next to him with a cloth. I walked over to him and wetted the cloth with the water. Taking each of his hands, I washed our father’s blood off them. Taylor didn’t speak a word, but neither could I. We were both thinking of our parents and feared to utter a word.
Now we’re reliving that time. That pain. For seven years his eyes have worn his black contacts until now. His eyes were their pure color so he could look these rogues fully in the eye as himself.
I looked up to the Council of Nine as the one in the head spot stood up. “We have heard from from the first eight families these past two days. Before we conclude for the evening, do the transgressors have anything to say?”
My eyes went over to the seats the two rogue brothers occupy. Two guards each had a hand on their shoulders while they were bound and shackled. No one was taking any chances with those two.
The bigger one smirked as he stood up. “There is something I would like to say.”
“And that is?” The head of the Council of Nine did not look like he wanted to wait on the rogue. None of us wanted to stay here more than necessary.
The rogue scanned the room. “You’re missing one.”
“One what?”
“One family. The first family to be exact.”
“And you know the family that is missing.”
The rogue looked all too delighted. “Of course. They were the only ones that we were asked to kill and paid for by our only client.”
“First, who was your client.” The head of the Council of Nine was seething. The idea of someone commissioning the death of any wolves is beyond unheard of.
The rogue shrugged. “Doesn’t matter, he’s dead now anyways.” He chuckled. “Just as the target he chose has been for years. He just wanted the position.”
The head of the Council of Nine stood up from his seat as they all did, but he was the only one to walk over to the rogues. “You will tell us the family then.”
The brutish rogue leaned forward till he was a breathe away from from the leader. “All we know is the surname. You know, we did it on this very pack pack land.” All of us under the Mooney roof stood up, even Bethany who Claw leaned on as he was still weak from being drugged like Nina. The rogue looked over to us. “You all must know them. The Silvers.”
I didn’t know what just happened. My sight turned red and then several hands and arms were holding me back. I could hear others doing the same to my brother. My throat burned as I was roaring at the top of my lungs. We were both dragged out of the room and away from the rogues.
~~Daemon’s Point Of View~~
I had both my arms wrapped around Franklin’s chest. I’ve never seen him lose this control like that. One second he was standing and the next I had to catch him as he lunged from behind me toward the rogues.
We had to work to pull both Franklin and Taylor out of the trial room in our high school gym. They were both shouting at the top of their lungs. Raging at the bastards that took their parents from them. Both shy guys no longer quiet or timid at the moment.
It took a lot to get them into the vehicles. We weren’t staying to watch the rogues being taken away. That rogue had made two of the best guys I know, snap with one subject.
By the time we were back at home, Franklin was just staring up at the ceiling where he laid across the middle seat. Everyone got out but him and me. I turned around and looked at him. “You okay?”
He shook his head. “No. I’m far from it.”
I nodded getting out going over to the side door and opening it. “Let’s get inside.” I pulled him up and through his arm over my shoulders. He leaned on me as we went inside.
Inside we both frowned. Taylor was shouting and there were crashing sounds. We found him and all our brothers in the game room. Taylor had a pool cue in his hand. The cue was broken in half with splinters all around the edge of the pool table.
“He wanted this reaction from you. He wants a quick death by anyone he can get. Right now he is having to hear all his crimes and see all the people he’s hurt.” Shane had his hands up approaching Taylor slowly.
Taylor swung the cue just missing Shane who leaned away. “He doesn’t deserve a quick death. He deserves torture for days, then to blood out slowly like my father!”
I helped Franklin down on a barstool before I moved over to Taylor. He turned the point onto me. “We’re not the bad guys here. We know exactly what you’re going through. I want to rip their heads off and feed them to a pack of starving wolf stuck rogues.” The cue lowered and I pushed it away. “But Shane is right. The rogues are being tortured sitting there and hearing about the people they killed. They will die slowly and painfully. Now you and your brother have the right to reek vengeance too.”
He sagged. “But who would have paid them to kill my father?” Then his eyes shot up and darkened with his wolf’s golden eyes shadowing his sky blue one’s. “Someone wanted his position.”
“And got it.” We all turned to my father as he wanted in. “I was just informed of the new development.” He placed his hand on Taylor’s shoulder. “Now we know. There are faces to put to the conspirator and actual killers.”
“Mason ordered Cole’s death?”
My father nodded to my question and turned to me. “I heard what was just said, and that does seem right. The way Mason acted and has acted since their deaths. I’ve had my suspicions about his involvement but never could find any evidence.”
Taylor pushed past me and left the room. Franklin following him. Now maybe after all this they will be healed of their tragedy once the rogues were dead. That made yet another family the rogues’ destroyed.
I looked to my father. “Has there been any change?”
He sighed and shook his head. “Not yet. She just sleeps like sleeping beauty.”
I leaned against the pool table. “I’ve tried kissing her awake last night as if she was. Not even a twitch.” My heart constricted. “I fear what will happen when she wakes.”
My father for the first time in years embraced me. I maybe a macho man, the next leader of my people and he is my alpha, but he is also my dad. I needed my dad right now. And he held me tightly as I tried not to cry. I have to admit that I am shattered with hearing all those testimonies and not being with my mate while she was still asleep for the sixth day in a row.
“When is it supposed to get here?” I had to ask about the herb that my dad had sent for that was to help Nina. Help her wolf strengthen so she could maybe wake. At the very least, it’d mend her body.
“Tomorrow is the soonest it could be here.”
I nodded pulling away from my dad. He looked at me frowning. “Go on up. I’ll bring you your dinner up to you before we eat. I think it’d do her good to hear your voice.”
I smiled at my dad. “Thank you old man.”
He chuckled with some strain. He pushed me toward the stairs. “Then get going rugrat.”
I laughed under my breathe as I jogged up the stairs. The only place I’ve ever wanted to be was next to my baby up in her room. To feel she was alive even if she isn’t awake with me.
Entering Nina’s room, I found Taylor holding her hand and having his forehead laying on top of their hands. Franklin was next to him stroking Nina’s hair. They both want her to wake up too. I could hear them whispering to her and to themselves.
Walking over to the window, I decided they needed some time with her too. After what we’ve all learned today, it was the least they needed right now. I’ll just sit here looking outside. As long as I was in the same room as Nina, I felt I could breathe a little more. My chest was still tight not having her awake, but it was a little better being this close to her.