“You can’t do this,” Kenny shouted, not looking so sure, the smug confidence finally disappearing off his face. “This is murder.”
“No,” Duncan replied, pulling his hood back so Kenny’s half-breed eyes could see his full-blooded Warrior eyes. “This is justice, the way the Warriors used to exert justice to rapists and anyone who hurt women.”
“No, please.” Kenny attempted to get up, but Duncan’s boot pushed him back down.
“How many times did Pam say those same exact words to you?” Duncan hissed.
Kenny stared at him in horror, realizing the position he was now in.
“That’s what I thought, you son of a bitch,” Duncan growled. “Any man who raises a hand against a woman deserves to die.”
Duncan lit the match with his fingernail, holding it up. “Have a nice sleep…in hell, you bastard.” Duncan flipped the match, watching with a morbid satisfaction as Kenny burned, taking all the evil he had ever done to Pam with him. “Fuck you!” Duncan spat, turned and walked out of the house, his hood up.
*****
Pam stood shuffling from foot to foot, her hands rubbing together. They had stopped on the wooded trail next to the river. Damon had caught up minutes before, but Duncan was still gone. A large boom sounded as the night sky lit up with flames.
She went to take off, but Jared, who still held Tessa, stopped her. “Wait.”
A shadowy figure appeared on the trail heading for them. When Jared let go of her arm, Pam took off, slipping and sliding in the mud. Without slowing, she jumped into Duncan’s arms, almost knocking him off balance, and held him tight.
“He will never hurt you again.” Duncan held her firmly, holding her to his chest and breathing in her scent, a scent he had feared never to experience again.
Pam, still wrapped around him, grasped his face in her hands. “Thank you.”
“I wish I could have prevented the first part.” He looked at the swelling in her face, anger blazing from his eyes. “And we are going to have a long talk about your little ‘adventure’.”
“How did you know where I was?” Pam frowned.
“Nicole remembered you talking about this place. It was a long shot, but it paid off.” Duncan glared at her. “Don’t ever do anything like that again.”
A moment of guilt flickered through her eyes at his fear. “What happened?” Her eyes looked over his shoulder at the flames.
“It’s dangerous to fall asleep with a kerosene heater.” Duncan set her down, wrapping her in his cape.
“We need to get out of here.” Damon hurried past them as sirens blared in the distance.
Pam felt tears roll down her cheeks. She knew what he had done for her, and the last resistance on her heart broke away. “I love you.”
Duncan leaned down and kissed her. “I love you more.”
As the police and fire department screamed past, no one noticed the cloaked figures making their way through the woods along the river.
As they made their way quickly through the darkness, Pam reached deep into her pocket, pulled her ring out and placed it on her finger. Rightness settled over her.
“I understand why you took it off this time, but I don’t ever want it off your finger again.” Duncan kissed the top her head.
“Never,” Pam replied with a sigh of pure happiness.
Chapter 28
Everyone sat in the games room, wrapping paper scattered everywhere. The Christmas tree sat in the corner, lights and ornaments twinkling festively. Pam held Daniel who was growing quickly, but not as quickly as they were afraid of. Slade was keeping a close eye on him. The only effects so far of Pam’s being a half-breed was that he healed more quickly than a human did.
Her eyes roamed the room landing on Duncan who stood talking to Damon, but his eyes were watching her. She grinned at him; he winked back.
Jill was still recovering from her gunshot wound. None of them could tell if there was something between her and Slade. Time would tell, although Pam had her suspicions from the furtive glances they cast at one another when they thought no one was watching.
“Can I hold him?” Tessa sat down next to Pam.
“You sure can.” Pam handed Daniel over to her. “So what did Jared get you for Christmas?”
Nicole heard and sat down across from them. “Yeah, what did Jared get you?”
Tessa looked up at Jared, who was staring at her. “Nothing yet.”
Pam frowned. “Don’t tell me you guys are still fighting?”
“No, it’s not that.” Tessa smiled, her face had fading bruises from Kenny’s abusive hand. “He doesn’t want to give me what I want.”
“And what’s that?” Nicole glared at Jared. “I know what these Warriors are worth and if he’s being a tight ass, then I’ll-”
“I want him to change me.” Tessa cut her off, handing Daniel to Nicole. “And he doesn’t want to.”
“Oh, ah…” Nicole looked at Pam, wide-eyed at a loss of what to say.
“Well, Christmas isn’t over yet,” Pam added. Nicole rolled her eyes at her. Well at least it was better than ‘oh, ah’ Pam thought.