~Aaron!~ I tried again. This time he ignored me. I tried to get around Zac and Alex but they wouldn't let me through. Quinn's arm wrapped around my waist like an iron shackle. There was no way I was going anywhere without hurting him and making a scene. I'd promised Silas I wouldn't draw attention to myself.
~Silas!~ I tried. Silas turned his head just slightly to show he was listening to me. ~Please don't let him do this! Johnathan's a liar! He's going to kill him!~ I was being forced back by Quinn and the others. We were making room for the fight. My hands gripped Quinn's arm. I wanted to make him let go. I had to get to Aaron and explain. I had to stop this before it was too late. Aaron was all I had. He was my only living relative. I shifted my hand on Quinn's arm.
Another hand covered mine and my head snapped up to look at Silas.
"We are aware of his intentions. Aaron will handle it. The deal only ensures that we are permitted to step in if he tries to go for the kill." Silas leaned in and spoke very quietly to me.
Silas words shocked me into silence. They knew what Johnathan intended and they were still going through with this. My eyes shifted around at the others. Logan, Zac, Alex, Quinn, and even Matthew were all focused on Aaron and the upcoming fight. No one seemed to bee having the internal conflict that I did. This was wrong. How could they not see that? There was a reason Johnathan had succeeded as Alpha. He was a brute. A monster. He was going to kill my brother before anyone could stop him and I was going to lose both Silas and Emily with them.
The sound of bone snapping and breaking signaled that the fight was about to begin. My nails dug into my palms as I watched them shift. Silas reached over taking my hands and lacing our fingers. He didn't say anything more to me but I could feel his confidence. He was certain that Aaron would be fine. I didn't reflect even a glimmer of his confidence. My hand trembled in his. I couldn't lose them. Not any of them and certainly not all of them.
The wolves began to circle each other. Aaron's wolf was as dark black as our hair. His eyes reflected the same calculating sea blue as before but with a predatorial gleam. HE watched his opponent carefully. Johnathan's wolf was a light reddish brown. His mouth frothed angrily with snarls and a show of teeth. Aaron didn't echo any of the growls. He simply watched, circled, and waited. I could practically feel his smirk as he took in everyone of Johnathan's clumsy steps. He was ready and cocky.
The brown wolf lunged. Their shapes became a blur. Their speed and my tears made it difficult to see exactly what was happening. When they separated Johnathan shook off his front paw. His blood splattered against the dirt. He limped once, twice, and then they were back to circling just as before. Aaron didn't appear to have a scratch on him but his dark colored fur would easily hide any injuries and he was intelligent enough to not let the enemy see them either.
This time it was Aaron who lunged first. His dark wolf catching Johnathan off guard. There were several snarls and a blur of movement. Dust flew up from the scuffle. Silas tried attempted to block most of it for us without turning away from the fight.
When the dust settled and the masses froze Aaron had Johnathan by the neck with his teeth. Aaron growled low and deep. It was a similar growl that demanded submission. The fight was over. If Johnathan could easily be killed with just one bite. Aaron released him and stepped back. He waited to ensure that Johnathan understood. He had lost and the fight was over. Johnathan glared from his place in the dirt but he didn't get up.
Everyone was silent as they watched the interaction. Willow pack had won negotiations. Aaron eased back. He kept his front toward Johnathan in case he decided to do something stupid.
Silas tensed suddenly. It was only a fraction of a second before two other wolves crashed into Aaron. My heart stopped in my chest. Before I could reach out or even think of what to do Silas jerked me behind him. It was just in time to catch another wolf mid air as he lunged at me. There was sickening crack as Silas slammed the wolf into the ground. The entire clearing erupted in snarls. Wolves attacked from every direction. More than half of Willow packs fighters hadn't even shifted as the battle broke out.
I could smell the blood. Everyone around me was fighting desperately to survive. Snarls, rips, snaps, all horrible sounds coming from every direction and I couldn't stop it. This was all my fault. All of these people were here, and going to die, because of me, because of Jackson. My breathe came out harder. Every where I turned wolves were falling. Aaron had managed to fling off his attackers but he was replaced by another. The sound of wolves yelping, innocent wolves from both sides, overwhelmed me. I couldn't take it.
~STOP!~ I screamed desperately. I forced all of my panic through the link. I coudll feel everything as the links snapped into place. All of the pain, anger, and fear. Some wolves were badly injured, some were furious for the wrongs they'd perceived, and most of all they were afraid. No one wanted this anymore than I did. I reversed the emotions, collecting them all, and shooting it back out to everyone I'd connected with. The overload of emotions and pain made the field silent as the separated. I held on to the agony, forcing it out until I was certain that no one dared fight me. I eased up on the pain. No one moved to resume fighting. Some of the them had collapsed, all of them had fallen. I could Silas behind me. He alone was left on his feet after my assault. Everyone stared at us.
~Jackson was a malevolent coward. We are done suffering because of him. You are better than this. You deserve to go home to your families and you should be grateful they weren't subjected to the same abuse as the innocent people in the facility you've claimed ignorance over.~ My voice shook with the level of rage I felt inside. I glanced around slowly to make eye contact with each wolf that dared question me. I'd already proven that I didn't need a wolf to knock them down. Each pair of eyes I met lowered in shame. Wolves began to rise. Some walked away with my dismissal. Some chose to shift back to human but no one spoke. Several focused on helping the injured and the clearing began to empty.
"Holy fuck." Zac croaked. I glanced at him. I could still feel the rage boiling just beneath my skin. I didn't had any patience for disobedience. He lowered his head slightly with his eyes.
"You're alive?" Johnathan had shifted back to human. His expression was unreadable as he approached.
I held up a hand. A silent command to stop. He was whom I was angry with most of all. This blood shed was his fault and if he came any closer I wasn't sure I could continue to contain my rage.
Johnathan obeyed.
~This is how you begin your rule? By leading your pack to slaughter?~ I asked.
"The pack you abandoned." He hissed through clinched teeth.
My anger flickered and I stepped toward him.
He took a quick back.
~I didn't abandon the pack. The pack abandoned me in that facility.~ I used my anger to fuel the connection. I shoved several memories at Johnathan forcing him to see through my eyes what I had gone through in that facility.
Johnathan cringed, stepping back again, and shaking his head. When he looked up the shock in his eyes was clear.
"Jackson would never have-" He started.
I shoved several more memories at him. Painful, horrible, memories of Jackson himself. He clinched his head in pain but I didn't care. It was only a fraction of the pain I had endured and he needed to understand.
"Stop!" He said. "We didn't know!"
"Which is why you were spared." Silas said.
Johnathan looked at Silas and then back to me. He shook his head in defeat.
"So that's it? Wolfsbane will be divided into new territories?" He asked looking directly at me.
~Wolfsbane will remain Wolfsbane so long as it has a competent leader. If you cannot control your lust for power then I suggest you give your title to someone who can or our next discussion will end with your life.~ I said.
Johnathan flinched. He inclined his head toward me before turning and helping some of his wounded.
I stood watching as the field emptied. I didn't move. My strength and anger were fading. Silas shifted to stand next to me instead of behind. I turned my head to look at him. He shook his head.
"Don't draw attention to yourself..." He repeated nodding slowly. "Your defiance was very audacious leannan."
A light smile tugged at my lips thanks to his teasing. The last of my anger was snuffed out by his soothing voice, along with it went the last of my strength, and exhaustion pulled me under the covers of darkness.