CHAPTER Six
It was late by the time I got back and the keep was quiet. Some floorboards on the third floor where the Brethren were housed creaked, but everyone else seemed to be asleep. I slipped into the dorm and lay down on my bed. I figured I’d go for a shower in a minute before I remembered that I wasn’t allowed to. Ick. Soft snores came from several of the other pack girls - I was pretty certain that with all of the heartache and worry of the last few days I personally wasn’t going to get any sleep any time soon. Although shifters would stay awake for the entire full moon period, reveling in the extra power it gave them, they tended to keep a fairly normal sleep pattern the rest of the time. Usually it suited me perfectly because I truly loved my narrow bed, unfortunately right now it was just irritating that everyone else was in dreamland. Yup, tossing and turning would be the best I could hope for.
I closed my eyes and almost immediately slept a dreamless sleep.
Seven hours later the sun was streaming into the dorm room and hitting my face. I moaned and turned over, sticking the pillow over my head. I could hear the voices of the other girls chattering. It was a blessed relief to hear some normality after the hushed tones of the last twenty-four hours.
“Is he single?” Lynda wanted to know.
Ally giggled. “He’d better be! Oooh, that body, wouldn’t you just love to feel it wrapped around you.”
One of them threw a stuffed cow at me. Shifter girls might be tougher than most human ones but they definitely loved their cuddly toys. “Mack, what do you think of the alpha?” It was Betsy. Whatever I said to her would be round the pack before I’d brushed my teeth. I didn’t answer and kept the pillow firmly closed over my head.
“Mack, apparently he’s not the one who was talking last night – that was Staines, the Brethren’s Head of Strategic Deployment or something. The Lord Alpha is the gorgeous one with the black hair.” Ally laughed again.
“Did you clock those muscles?” One of the others loudly shrieked. I winced at the noise.
“I heard that when he took over as Lord Alpha, he had sixteen challenges to the leadership, and that he beat each one without even breaking a sweat. And that he’s really shaking things up in London – wants to stop a lot of the old traditional ways and bring the Brethren into the twenty-first century.”
I may not have known a lot about our de facto leaders but I was pretty sure that the old guard wouldn’t be too keen on that.
“Well, Alexander said that apparently even the vamps are afraid of what he’s going to do next. That when one of their Masters went round to welcome him as the new Lord Alpha, he didn’t even bother to answer the door.”
Ally piped up again. “I read last night on the Othernet that he has dozens of girls just gagging to be with him, not just because he’s in charge now, but because he’s very, very skilled in pleasure as well as pain.” She almost purred this last comment. I snorted aloud, which was a mistake, because it drew their attention back to me.
“Mack! What do you think of him?” Betsy repeated; clearly she wasn’t going to let me get away from this.
“Obviously I need to stay away from him as much as possible,” I said, finally pushing my pillow out of the way and turning over. I sat up and tried to eyeball her into submission.
“Oh yeah,” she answered, somewhat deflated, before pausing briefly to give me a funny look and asking, “Why are you rolling your eyes like that?”
I scowled.
“Do you think they’ll really kill us all for breaking the Way and letting you stay?” asked Lynda tremulously.
“It’s not as if we had a choice,” said Betsy, firmly. “That witch made us take her. And she was only a little kid, we couldn’t have turned her away.”
That ‘witch’ was my mother. I bit my tongue hard. And I wasn’t a little kid who needed protecting any more.
Ally spoke up. “Well, it was John who made us not say a word to anyone. We couldn’t go against our alpha, could we?”
“Yes, but John’s dead, isn’t he?” stated Betsy with a grim face. “We’re not under any real compulsion now.”
Silence filled the room. I had wondered when they’d start realising that. In fact I was surprised that Anton and his cronies hadn’t made more of it yet. Perhaps I’d misjudged them and they’d keep their mouths shut after all. I checked my watch. 56 hours to go – hardly any time at all for twenty-four shapeshifters to have to keep their mouths shut. I looked back at Betsy and glared at her again. She gazed back at me innocently before sending me a grin and a wink.
Ally padded over to my bed and bent down, hugging me unexpectedly. “We love you really, Mack, and not just because of your snappy dress sense.”
“Yeah,” added Betsy, grin still in place. “Even if the Lord Alpha himself got on his knees and pleaded to us with that weak at the knees face, that flowing hair that you’d just love to run your fingers through, those bulging biceps that would wrap themselves around…”
I threw the stuffed cow back at her. Betsy neatly dodged it, without moving her feet, and laughed warmly. “Even then, Mack, even then we wouldn’t betray you. You’re as much a part of the pack as the rest of us.”
I tried to appear tough by growling, “Yeah, well, that’s just what I’d expect.” The effect was somewhat ruined when a single tear traitorously escaped and ran down my cheek. Bloody girls.
There was a sharp knock at the door then Julia came in, dressed unexpectedly in a navy business suit. She sent me a warning look which I tried and failed to interpret. “The Brethren have set appointments for each of you to be evaluated and then interviewed. There are sheets posted up downstairs. You need to check your times and, for God’s sake, don’t be late.”
Lynda giggled again, her earlier trepidation seemingly forgotten. “Are the interviews private ones with the alpha?”
“No,” Julia said. “He’ll oversee all the evaluations but only some of us are lucky enough to have that privilege with the interview.” She looked meaningfully at me. Shit.
“I don’t want to go to London, and I don’t want to be alpha,” interjected Julie, “Can I skip the evaluations?” Bless her.
“It’s their prerogative to test every pack member. I imagine they’re curious as to why we’ve sustained so few serious injuries over the years.”
Betsy looked at me. “I guess our resident human is good for something.”
I pulled back the duvet and swung my legs out of bed. “Just remember that when I go down at the first punch this morning.”
After re-applying the shifter scented lotion and getting dressed, I headed down to the hall. The evaluation schedule was stuck on the noticeboard, next to an old ragged poster advertising the spring social. I checked for my name and noted that I was down to fight Theresa, a weresquirrel, at 10.30am. Tom was listed against Anton fifteen minutes later. I breathed a sigh of relief - he had no hope against that canny bastard. The interviews were scheduled for the afternoon. No problem. At all. Honest.
I headed for the canteen and took my place in the short queue for breakfast. Johannes, who had come to us from the pack up in Berwick about five years ago when his alpha had dropped dead of an early heart attack, had clearly been at work. I dolloped burnt bacon, scrambled eggs and some slightly charred toast on my plate. Someone came up next to me and started to do the same. I glanced sideways and realised it was one of the Brethren. I tried not to hold my breath.
“Mmmm, crispy bacon,” she said.
I was about to retort something in Johannes’ defense when I realised that she was being genuine. Odd – even those who normally liked their bacon crispy found Johannes’ offerings hard to handle.
She piled several pieces on her plate and smiled at me from under a dark fringe. “I’m Lucy.” And then added, just in case I wasn’t sure, “I’m with the Brethren.”
“Mack. Cornwall pack.”
“Woman of few poetic words there, Mack. We don’t bite, you know.” She laughed suddenly, “Well, not this early in the morning anyway.”
I’d withhold judgement on that one till they left without discovering my true nature. “I’m sure you’re all very cuddly.”
Lucy snickered again. “Relax. We’re just curious about you. We visit the countryside packs whenever they need help with a particularly vicious otherworlder or arbitration with an in-pack dispute. We’ve never had to come here before and you’ve never needed us. It’s….unusual.”
She was trying to be friendly, not combative. I took a deep breath and tried to match her relaxed attitude. “Not much happens around here. Not like London, I guess.”
“Yeah, beating up vampires and city-slicker daemons whilst dodging the Ministry of Mages is a whole lot of fun.” She added some black pudding to her plate whilst I winced in anticipation of her ruined tastebuds. “I’m sorry about your alpha. It seemed like he was a good guy.”
‘He was,” I replied, swallowing down the unexpected lump in my throat. “When I find out what killed him, I’ll rip its guts out.”
Lucy looked at me curiously and paused for a second before asking, “So what are you?”
I knew what she meant but I wasn’t going to go down that road unless I really needed to. The ways of actual werehamsters were a mystery to me and I didn’t want to get caught out. Deliberately misunderstanding her question, I replied, “Hungry,” and turned to sit down at a nearby table. Now I’ve covered a few niceties you can go away, I willed silently, looking down at my unappetising plate and hoping she’d get the message.
Unfortunately Lucy wasn’t going to give up that easily. She sat down opposite me and began shoveling food into her mouth. I stared in fascination, before picking up my knife and fork and gingerly taking a few bites myself.
“You know what I mean,” she said insistently between mouthfuls. “What’s your shift?”
“I don’t like to talk about it.” With any luck she’d think that I was a small weak were that I was slightly ashamed of. Like a hamster. Then I belatedly remembered that I’d said I was going to rip the guts out of whatever had slaughtered John. Oops.
“Huh.” She looked somewhat nonplussed for a second before continuing, “Well, I’m a honey badger.” That explained the voracious appetite then. I was relieved that it appeared that she wasn’t going to push me any further to reveal my own shift. “It’s a pleasure to find out so much about you, Mack ‘I don’t like to talk about it’.” She took another mouthful and began chewing hard on a piece of bacon.
“I’m sorry. I’m just nervous.” I didn’t want to play the meek and weak card, and I clearly wasn’t much good at it. Lucy seemed like a decent shifter who I’d normally get along well with, despite her Brethren affiliations. Then I thought briefly of Julia’s instructions and realised that if I was to survive this then I had no choice. “You all just look so strong and…masterful.” Oh god, kill me now. She flicked her eyes at me briefly, with a faintly amused expression on her face, before returning her attention to her plate.
I took a few more bites and was about to speak again when a bell sounded. Lucy immediately stood up, suddenly all business instead of focused on her food. “The evaluations are about to begin.” She looked at me assessingly. “I wonder how you’ll do?”
I coughed, staying in my seat. “I’m…er…not much of a fighter.”
“It’s not just fighting skills that we’re after.”
Yeah, you are looking for anyone who’ll help you force your control over every shifter in the country, I thought irritably. “I like it here in Cornwall.” I scratched awkwardly at my neck, then realised what I was doing and pulled my hand down to my side.
“I can understand that.” She pulled slightly at her black shirt, smoothing it down. “I think there are a few of your comrades who want to leave though. Come on, this is going to be fun.” Her eyes gleamed with a spark of gleeful anticipation.
I sighed and stood up too. Better get it out of the way, I supposed.
The whole pack was assembled in the gymnasium by the time I arrived with Lucy. It was utterly ridiculous that everyone was being made to participate in the evaluations, like we were some kind of performing seals here just for the Brethren’s benefit. It was equally galling to see how excited some of them were with some typical shifter tics manifesting themselves. Was that Tom actually pawing the ground? I tried to catch his eye but he didn’t look up. He must still be pissed off with me. I looked up at the gallery and noted Staines, the blonde and the Lord Alpha but didn’t see any others. They were huddled together in some kind of confab. Whatever. Lucy noted my survey and murmured that the remainder of the visiting Brethren were out investigating the area where John had been killed. As if they’d find anything, I thought. There were no tracks and no traces of anything. That didn’t mean that I wouldn’t still find out myself what it was that had ripped him apart like that. I wasn’t stupid enough to not acknowledge that the Brethren would have skills aplenty but I knew that I was simply more invested in finding his murderer than they were.
I took my place at the side with the rest of pack whilst Lucy headed up to the gallery.
Staines began to speak, his voice filling the space. “Tomorrow evening we will confirm the new alpha of the Cornish pack. In the meantime, in accordance with the Way, we shall evaluate all members’ skills to help determine who that shall be.”
I rolled my eyes at the obvious procrastination. It was still going to be Julia. The evaluations were just the Brethren’s way of reminding us that they were in control.
Staines consulted a sheet. “Nina and Betsy, take your places.”
The two girls stepped forward, looking visibly nervous. “Begin,” said Staines.
They circled each other warily. Neither had weapons, in accordance with the rules of the evaluations, but they could shift if they wished. I pegged Betsy as the winner. She had more of a tenacity about her than Nina. It was Nina who made the first move though, pouncing towards Betsy with a feline swipe. She caught her on the side of the head and Betsy took a staggered step back. Score one to Nina.
I looked up at the gallery again. The blonde was making notes whilst Staines frowned down at the fight. Lucy at least looked down more encouragingly. The Lord Alpha was next to them, arms folded. This was the first chance I’d had to study him properly. His hair was pure black, as Julia had mentioned, and he retained a golden all over tan that didn’t look like it came out of a bottle. And, as advertised, his physique was…impressive, I had to admit grudgingly. He towered over the other two, filling the space. I could see what Julie had meant about having those arms wrapped around you and doubted that he ever had any trouble getting a girlfriend. I was equally sure that if he was your enemy then he’d squash you without breaking a sweat or giving it a second thought. I wondered what his were actually was and shivered involuntarily.
On the gym floor, Nina squealed and I returned my attention to the fight. Betsy had her by the hair and on her knees. I smiled, before remembering that I shouldn’t know anything about fighting or appreciate a strong display of it in any way. Meek. Weak. Meek. Weak. Betsy looked up at the gallery for approval and the Lord Alpha nodded. With that the fight was over. The blonde took a few more notes then the next pairing began.
The evaluations went by with unhappy swiftness. I could see that virtually everyone’s techniques lacked flair or skill but couldn’t decide if I was pleased or disappointed that there was no-one to impress the Brethren. Once Johannes’ and Fergal’s evaluation was over – Fergal won as Johannes’ fighting was about as impressive as his cooking – Staines called me and Theresa and we took to the floor. Our eyes locked briefly. Theresa knew that she would beat me with ease for the first time in her life but that she also had to make it look a genuine win, rather than that I was throwing the fight. I wondered if it annoyed her but figured probably not. She was a warm-hearted were-squirrel who I was pretty sure was content with her lot in Cornwall, not least because she had a huge crush on Johannes. Those two were going to be doing some serious mating before too long. Maybe she’d help him out in the kitchen then and we might get some edible food. One could always live in hope.
I didn’t want to draw attention to myself by too obviously not trying so I took a step forward, making sure that I was completely open to a counter attack, and swung clumsily at Theresa. I managed a glancing blow off her shoulder whilst she retaliated with a fist to my face. The fire inside me started to rise but I managed to immediately dampen it down. It didn’t hurt much but I made a show of wincing dramatically before trying to feebly kick her off her feet. She sidestepped me neatly and launched out her arm. It wasn’t a great shot I but let it flip me onto my back and lay there for a second, giving her the win. Fast and painless. I peeked at the rest of the pack who had been following the fight closely. Anton had a smirk on his face but the rest kept their expressions clear. Good. I was pretty sure there was a glint of approval in Julia’s eyes as well.
Theresa was looking up at the Brethren for confirmation so I followed her gaze. The Lord Alpha looked irritated so I aimed for embarrassment and shrugged as if there was nothing I could have done. The blonde murmured something to him and he nodded briefly at Theresa. She extended me her hand and pulled me up to my feet.
On our way back to the sidelines, with our backs to the gallery, I mouthed thanks at her. She grinned at me and I exhaled softly. With the evaluation done there was just the interview to get through and then it would almost be over.
Anton leaned over to me when I re-took my place, “Watch me make your boyfriend howl in agony.” He swaggered towards Tom in the middle of the floor.
I counted to ten and gritted my teeth. It didn’t work so instead I envisaged breaking his nose with my fist. That was better.
Tom had already shifted into his wolf form by the time that Anton reached him. I could feel the rest of the pack murmuring around me. He was the first one to make such a blatant show of intention about doing well in front of the Brethren. Anton grinned ferally but stayed human. By not shifting he was also signaling that he was more powerful than Tom and didn’t need any supernatural aid to win. For the first time in my life I found myself hoping the arrogant prick would be successful. Tom snarled at him and they began.
Anton danced around Tom’s shape with light steps, teasing him by bluffing forward then stepping back. Even as a wolf I could sense Tom’s frustration. He snapped his teeth a few times but didn’t connect. Without warning, and in a blur of motion, Anton karate-chopped Tom’s back and then danced away again. Tom didn’t go down but he was clearly winded. He snapped again at Anton and launched himself at him so that they both ended up in a tussle on the floor. Anton managed a few jabs at Tom’s underbelly but it seemed as if Tom was gaining the upper-hand because all of a sudden he drew blood from Anton’s arm. I cursed silently. I’d expected more from Anton. Tom could have ended it there and then but he pulled back and Anton bounced back to his feet. They eyed each other up. Tom’s body tensed and I could tell he was going to go for Anton’s left. Unfortunately for Tom, so did Anton. As soon as he made his move, Anton spun round and scissor kicked. Tom collapsed and it was over. Anton swept a mocking bow in front of the crowd and despite my relief that Tom had lost I still wanted to knock that smile off his face. Meek. Weak. Meek. Weak. I continued to recite in my head.
The remaining evaluations passed without incident. Julia beat her opponent with ease and, whilst other than Anton’s performance, no-one appeared particularly skillful, I felt proud that my pack had acquitted themselves without any real disasters. The few bites I’d had for breakfast had done little to fill my appetite and I was actually starting to look forward to some lunch. Because of the evaluations and his own forced participation, Johannes had ordered in some outside catering. Excellent.
I started to move towards the door but Theresa caught my hand and shook her head warningly. Oh right. We hadn’t been ‘dismissed’ yet. It was as if we were bloody kids in a kindergarten. Staines’ head was bowed as the alpha spoke to him. He looked puzzled but nodded anyway and took a step forward.
“Thank you for your efforts. We applaud the pack of Cornwall for their skills. To complete the evaluations, there will be a re-match. Fighting again will be Anton and,” he looked over his shoulder at the blonde’s notes, “Mackenzie.”
Bugger. Bugger. Shit. Bugger. Why make us perform twice? I’d given them no cause to do this. The assembled pack on the gym floor murmured uncomfortably. Walking back to the centre of the gym floor, and trying not to look too pissed off, I decided that the Brethren just wanted to see the ‘weakest’ pack member humiliated further. Well, fine. I’d let them humiliate me by allowing Anton to beat me and then I could pretend to slink away and lick my wounds. The wankers.
The pack members around me were clearly concerned and tense but I smiled graciously as if this had been expected and stepped forward to the marked out circle. Anton did the same. He licked his lips in anticipation. Yeah, suck it up, f*ckwit because you’d never beat me under any real terms.
Mackenzie…Julia sounded worried.
Don’t worry, I’ll deal with this.
Anton pulled off his shirt and raised his eyebrows at me before undoing the drawstring of his trousers. I was taken aback for a second. He was actually going to shift. He opened his hands out to me invitingly as if asking me to shift also. This time it wasn’t about an acknowledgement of power: he was trying to force the Brethren to realise what I was. Bastard. I smiled calmly back at him and shook my head. God alone knew what the Brethren thought about my actions after my dismal performance earlier. I’d have to think of a reason for not shifting later on.
Anton was a black bear, which meant he packed a hell of a wallop in his shifter form. This was going to hurt. And once the Brethren left, I’d make him pay. I straightened my shoulders. “Let’s do this.”
He transformed within a heartbeat and raised up on his hind quarters with a triumphant roar. I took a step back and tried to look scared. Be meek, be weak.
He moved down to all fours and pounded towards me. I stood my ground and waited. He got closer and reached out with one heavy claw. I felt my body spinning through the air and twisted so that the fall wouldn’t hurt me too much. I would have stayed there and hoped that it was enough but he came at me again, teeth sinking into my side, their points piercing through into the soft flesh. The pain was excruciating. He shook me a few times then flung me against the wall, which I hit with a thud. I lurched to my feet.
From across the room I heard Tom’s voice snarl something at Anton. Bloodfire pulsed in my skull, vainly attempting to rise, whilst I could vaguely sense Julia trying to use her Voice on Anton. With her status not yet confirmed as alpha, however, there was nothing she could do to compel him. For some reason, compulsion powers didn’t exist until after the confirmation ceremony.
He came again. I dully wondered again how I was going to explain not shifting and regenerating when he hit me full on, knocking out my breath. He raised a paw and extended his claws and scraped them down my cheek before bringing the same claws to his mouth and sucking off the blood. My blood. I felt the fire coursing through my entire system. Anton’s face looked oddly surprised for a second then he did the same with the other cheek before lifting up his entire paw and preparing to strike. Through the haze of pain, I registered the power that he was preparing to put behind this blow and it occurred to me that this was his plan. He’d kill me with sanction and solve forever the problem of the little human. It hadn’t dawned on him that after I died the Brethren would investigate why I’d not shifted and they’d work out I was human. Then they’d kill everyone.
The rage built up inside me and the flames took over. He was playing with the pack’s lives. I sprang to my feet in one movement, ignoring the sudden streak of dizziness. He was not going to do this. Anger took over me and flooded my system but I knew with cold clarity what to do. The fire won. I sprinted back to the wall, aiming just to the left of his crouched body and ran three steps up before using it as a springboard to spin off. I was too fast and Anton had no time to turn. I put my hands round his thick neck and twisted, snapping it in one movement. My bloodfire roared in approval and he collapsed to the ground.
He was a shifter. He’d recover. I wiped a smear away from my cheek and turned and walked painfully out of the room.