Jason Dolley as Cal Yorke & Brittany Snow as Esme Wood
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Esme's POV
We arrive back in South Dakota about five in the evening. We're not tired. Our trip to Pennsylvania seems to have pumped some adrenaline into all of us. Since we don't need Rafe's plane and cars anymore, we teleport directly to Aurora coven. I mind link Izzy to join me.
I lead the way to the meeting hall and ring the summoning bell. My mates, Cal and his mates protectively stand behind me at the high table. I guess they remember what happened the night before, and they're not taking any chances.
The coven members trickle in. I recognize Blaze's dad and some others from my frequent visits to this coven. I wait for Izzy. Meanwhile, the hall continues to fill up and people are murmuring among themselves. I tune them out. I sense Izzy and mind link her to join me at the high table. When she reaches me, I nod to her. She returns my nod with a smile, good! Blaze hugs her to his side.
"HALLOWETH BE!" I yell to the crowd.
Some reply the same.
"I repeat, HALLOWETH BE," and I tilt my head, waiting for their respectful reply. I get it.
"Halloweth Be," they respond.
"You all know me, High Priestess Esme Wood. Some of you must've heard or seen what happened last night here in your coven involving High Priest Micah, Lila Jones, Lars, and Zora Crane."
I look at Mr. Crane where he stood. He looks back and gives me a slight nod.
"They tried to kill me for some unfounded reason but failed. Now, you have lost all the members involved in that affair, if some of the deceased were your family members, accept my condolences. But note that I will not apologize for defending myself. Now you are without a leader. Moving forward, Aurora coven will be led by me, High Priestess Esme Wood of Phoenix coven. You will join Isadora Crane and Lord Callum Yorke of Crimson River Pack, Luna of BloodRose Pack, Lord Silvern Clan, and my root. They are the current members of Phoenix coven."
And the murmuring starts again.
"Just so we're clear, this is not up for debate. If you want to leave the coven, leave. You of course will be without the protection of a coven. But if you stay, I will do my best to be a good leader. The quarterly gatherings will continue as before. Nothing will change except that I will not tolerate any mistreatment or bitchy witch behavior."
"Bitchy witch?" Cal whispers.
I ignore him and continue.
"I extend my condolences to the Cranes, Jones, and other families that lost a member in last night's melee. Now, Isadora Crane is my point of contact if you have any issues or problems. Questions? None? Good. Thank you and have a good night."
They trickle out of the meeting hall.
"Is that okay, Izzy? I know I didn't ask you first but-"
"-That's fine. The coven needs a shakeup, believe me. Listen, can we talk later; I see my dad and I need to talk to him."
"Hey princess, tell him I'll call him later, okay?" Blaze tells her.
"Are you guys ready? Next stop, BloodRose Pack. Beta Yorke, right?"
"Right," Cal sighs.
"It looks like someone took a page out of my book. Shape up or get out." Darric taunts me.
"Shut up fur coat," I reply.
"She called me fur coat. Oh! Esme, I didn't know you cared," he feigns a crying face.
"Cal? I'm going to blast him to kingdom come!"
"Darric I need you on this trip so please don't let Esme blast you to god knows where."
"She likes me, she likes me, she really, really likes me," Darric continued.
And I blast him to his pack.
"Esme! Where's my mate," Rafe growls.
"Don't worry, he's just a minute ahead of us. Let's go."
Cal's POV
True to her words, Darric was in BloodRose Pack's main building when we teleported a minute later. We met him there and I lead the way to my childhood home. We arrive at a bungalow, with a grey roof, white pillars, and painted in sea-foam green. It has a wraparound porch, with a couple of hanging swings on the front porch.
The porch lights are on, so I walk up and knock on the door. The door swings open and Beta Yorke stares at me in surprise.
"Cal? What are you doing here?"
"Good evening, Beta Yorke. May we come in?"
He glances behind me and only acknowledges Darric.
"Evening Alpha," he says to Darric.
"Beta Yorke, you know my mate High Lord Rafe, Cal's root High Priestess Esme, Beta Cole, and his other mate, Blaze Crane," he replies with a tone demanding that Beta Yorke acknowledge and greet everyone with me. And he did, grudgingly.
"Good evening, everyone. Please come in." He turns and leads the way into the house.
I walk into a room that hasn't changed since I was a child. The furniture and setting are still the same. He sits and gestures for us to do the same. I scoot to the edge of the chair, fingers fidgeting.
"Beta Yorke, I went through an eye-opening experience last night and I realized that I need to apologize for what my father did to you and your mate. As someone blessed with mates, I cannot imagine the betrayal you went through. My father is not here to apologize, so on behalf of Elder Sorenson, I apologize for his blatant and hurtful disregard to the sanctity of mating."
I stand up and bow deeply to Beta Yorke.
"To be honest, Cal, your existence is a two-edged sword. My anger at my mate's betrayal which resulted in your birth and a latent paternal pride that you defied your status to do more for the supernatural world. Pride I have no right to feel, but still do. I guess as time passes, I have forgiven everyone involved. I want to have a clear conscience when I meet my mate soon-"
"-Are you okay?" I ask anxiously.
"I'm fine. I'm getting older, so who knows, right? Thank you for what you did for Minerva. I've never seen her so happy. She loves that job. Now all I hope is for her to find her mate."
"I'm sure she will," I reply. "Thank you again, Beta Yorke. We'll leave you to enjoy your evening. Take care."
"Cal? If you like, you can call me father again," he whispers.
I look at him, smile, and nod. I lead the way out the door. Who knows? I think to myself. I may call him father sometime down the line, but it's hard to revert to something you haven't been for the past fifteen years.
"Are you okay?" Darric asks as we make our way to our next stop.
"I'm fine." I grab his arm and lean into it. "I just want to say hello to my mom before we leave."
We arrive at my mom's grave, and as usual, it is well kept. Flowers and herbs surround her grave. I kneel and run my hands all over her headstone. Esme plops down beside me, and whispers, "I wish we had known her."
"Me too."
A few minutes later, I jump up.
"Okay, onto our last stop. Tobias is expecting all of us, right?"
"He is," Rafe replies.
"Okay, let's go."
― ☾ ―
My first impression of High Lord Tobias Hunter's home is that it's a man's abode. The house is like the Klyne's home, but on a smaller scale. His home is a three-story, castle-like building like the Klynes. The attached bungalow building must be his family's pavilion. As soon as we land on his land, we're surrounded by several soldiers. When they see Rafe, Darric, and I, they relax and bow.
"High Lord is expecting you," the tallest of the trio said.
"Thank you," I reply.
We follow them up the circular stone stairs to a huge brown door. They open the door and lead us through a long hallway. It is sparse and bland. I'm not the best decorator but damn, Tobias needs this beautiful home decorated to match its outside beauty. I'll leave that to his mate- a second chance mate if the Sun god allows.
We arrive at a room that's supposed to be a den but looks more like a dream man cave. There are highchairs all over. A pool table in one corner, a large television on the wall, a bar tending area. Tobias is behind the bar, making himself some drink.
"Hello guys, you made it. Welcome, everyone. Except for Rafe, this your first visit to my home," he grins. He walks up to us.
"You must be Blaze? Nice to meet you. Strangely, we never met since we both work with Roman?"
"A pleasure to meet you. I've heard good things about you," Blaze replies.
"High Priestess, good to see you again."
"Hi, Tobias. Nice home but dude, you need a decorator-"
"Esme!" I nudge her. I swear the girl needs a filter.
"Probably true," he laughs. "Please make yourselves comfortable. Whatever you want to drink, the bar has it all. So Cal, you said you needed to talk to me?"
"Can we go somewhere private to talk?"
"Sure. We can go to my office."
"Guys, give us about thirty minutes okay?"
"I don't know what they're talking about. I love your setup here, Tobias. I have some ideas on what to do with my cave," Darric says, and drops in front of the big television.
I shake my head and follow Tobias down the still bland-looking hallway to his office.
"Have a seat. First things first, I got your text and I have the room set up to your specification. Can you tell me why you need a soundproof cell in my dungeon?" He asks once he's in his chair.
"Something happened to Esme and me last night that defies logic."
I tell him everything that happened last night, including seeing the scene where my father rejected him. His eyes cloud over and he gives me a sad smile.
"Why didn't you ever tell me that my father was your mate?" I ask him.
He shakes his head and smiles, "the first time I saw you was at your initiation into the Silvern Clan. I almost fainted in shock. You look so much like him, but your aura and demeanor are softer. I asked around and found out you're his son. I decided that anytime you needed help; I'll help."
"Why? After what he did to you."
"That was his choice, and I believe you're different. Besides, you make my good friend happy."
I stand up and bow.
"Tobias, I apologize on behalf of my father Elder Sorenson for his rejection of your mating and causing you unbearable pain."
"You look like him so much," Tobias repeats. "Now you want to tell me why you need that cell in my dungeon."
I sit back down.
"I have a High Priest that must be punished. He's the one who tried to kill Esme and started this whole ruckus."
"Who is he and how do you want to punish him?"
"Micah Truthers. Here's what I need from you."
"I want him locked up in the secluded part of your dungeon you've prepared for me. Please assign a few trusted soldiers that will once a week, feed him, forcefully if needed, soup ladened with Muscarine-"
"-What is that?"
"It is a slow-acting poison that can be reversed if we give the antidote within a certain time. Tobias, one of my powers is herb manipulation, and I also studied pharmacy. I am remarkably familiar with poison, their antidotes, and how much to give someone to get the desired pain level. I want him to suffer and just as he's on the verge of death, administer the antidote and we start the cycle over again next week. Give him the poison in the morning and antidote in the evening. He must suffer in between. I want the process repeated weekly, like clockwork."
"Until when?" He whispers.
"Until I can forgive him for killing my root-"
"But Esme is not dead."
"He tried to kill her. And I want to be there for his first dose. Are you onboard or not?" I challenge him.
"Of course, I am. I'll help you anytime you ask. A word of advice don't hold on to your anger too long. It might destroy you."
"Deal. I'll let go as soon as you let your fear of losing your second-chance mate dissipates," I tell him.
"How did you—you know what? Never mind! Come on, let me show you the cell."
He leads me down a narrow pathway. The further we go, the darker it is. We reach an elevator and once inside, Tobias presses the ground level button. When we exit the elevator, I follow him down a well-lit hallway this time. We go about a hundred feet; we pass empty cells until we get to the last one. It is about 18 x18 in size. It has a twin size mattress on the floor, with a pillow and blanket. Across attached to the opposite wall is a toilet and sink. It's perfect. Standing outside on either side of the cell are two vampire soldiers.
"My Lord," they bow in greeting to Tobias.
"Lord Cal, meet Eldon and Caleb. They will oversee Micah."
"My Lord," they bow to me in greeting.
"Good to meet you. Now which one of you wants to go with me to retrieve the asshole? Don't worry, we'll be back in a few minutes;" I wink at them.
"Eldon will go with you. Hurry back," Tobias waves at us.
I teleport out of the dungeon with Eldon back to my lab. I had Micah sequestered in my chamber. I bound him with ice and seal his mouth. I don't think this was what my mates envisioned when they upgraded my lab. I grab Micah, the poison, and antidote enough for two months and teleport us back to the dungeon.
I push Micah into the cell and the door slides close. I remove his ice handcuffs and unseal his lips. He coughs for a few minutes.
"Where the hell am I?" He yells and grabs the cell bars.
"I am High Lord Tobias Hunter-"
"You're a vampire?"
"He can't sense who I am? How's that possible? He's a High priest, right?"
"Not anymore. I drained his powers. He's human, powerless, and jailed for his crimes."
"Micah, we weren't properly introduced. I'm Callum Yorke, Esme's root-"
"Since when is a werewolf a witch's root? Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm." He points to his sealed lips.
"As I was saying, you tried to kill my root. You lied to the Ruling Council when you got the Blade of Etheri. You lured Esme, another leader to your coven to kill her. You conspired with Lars, his demented mother, and the other crazy witch to kill Esme. Because you hurt my root and me, you will spend your time here in this cell paying for your misdeeds. And how you wonder? Let me not keep you in suspense. Here is a wonderful poison called muscarine. Listen carefully now, when applied in the dosage I prepared based on your height and weight, and it reaches your puny brain, it will cause tremor, convulsions, and hypothermia. Oops, I almost forgot. Also vomiting, diarrhea, and unbearable pain. And just when you think you're about to meet the Sun god, you'll be given atropine, an antidote to the muscarine."
I raise both bottles of the product for his view.
"I guess you can call them the 'ying and yang' of your life from now on. And just so I know it works, you'll get the first dose now."
"Shit!" I hear one soldier whisper.
"Eldon, Caleb. Please prepare the first dosage. I labeled the bottles with dosage and time to give them. Pull up the exact dosage in the syringes provided. You must keep to the time. Please handle the medications with care, wear gloves, and wash your hands thoroughly before and after administering both meds. I don't want this asshole to die before I let him. Understand?"
"Yes, my Lord. We'll be right back."
"The Ruling Council won't stand for this, you mutt," Micah rages at me after I unseal his mouth.
"The Ruling Council can't do anything to me or help you. I sanctioned your punishment by one more powerful than the Ruling Council. Ah! Here we go."
He walks backward until he hits the wall, shaking his head, mumbling.
"Boys, if you will." I gesture towards Micah.
"Stay away from me, do you hear me? Stay the hell away from me!" He screeches.
Eldon grabs Micah's arms, twists them behind him, and pulls him back to Eldon's chest with his left hand. Caleb stands in front of Micah, grabs his jaw, and tilts his head up. Micah is struggling, refuses to open his mouth. Eldon pinches Micah's nose with his right hand and when he opens his mouth to breathe, Caleb pours the soup down his throat. Caleb slams his mouth shut till it forces Micah to swallow. He repeats the process until the soup is all gone. Micah drops to the ground, coughing.
The men leave and close the cell again. They leave Tobias and me alone in the dungeon. I know the poison will start its painful work in about fifteen minutes based on my calculations.
"How long before the effect starts?" Tobias asks, watching a squirming Micah.
"In about twelve minutes. He'll start with tremor, convulsion, and then the fun begins," I reply. "This is between us. My mates or Esme cannot know about this."
"I figured as much. How often do you plan to visit Micah?"
"Every two weeks for now."
"And what happens when you finally forgive him?" He whispers.
"I send him to his maker," I growl.
And just like clockwork, Micah's body shakes. His body rolls all over the floor. A few minutes later he's throwing up. He's drooling like a baby. Farting sounds fill the room. And right on time, he's peeing all over himself and loose stool runs down his legs. I know worse things are going to happen to him in the six hours before they administer the antidote, but I can't stay around for that. Maybe next time.
I glance at him one more time, turn, and make my way back the way we came. I join my mates, Esme, and her mates. We stay a few more minutes and then teleport back to our different homes. I play with my boys, have dinner, and settle in bed with my mates for the night.
My last thought is that I hope Micah Truthers is rotting away in that cell.
Author's Notes: Ancient One is right, Cal can be badass when you mess with his root.