Page 41 of Into the Dawn

22

BEN

As soon as those vile words leave Chuck's mouth, I'm moving. I don't even know what I'm planning or how, just that I can't watch for a second longer.

My limbs feel sluggish and heavy, like I'm moving through quicksand. The drugs are making every movement a struggle. But all I know is I'm not going to stand here while my mate is spoken to like this.

Jed's guards grab my arms with a bruising grip. I'm in the middle of a tussle with them, trying to break free and get to Vanessa, when I hear John's voice. Even though it sounds muffled, like he's underwater, it's as clear as day what he's saying. His tone is strong and defiant despite his obvious disadvantage as the sole human surrounded by shifters.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on her," he shouts. "What is wrong with you people? That you'd allow a man to treat a woman like this, and one of your own, too."

His appeals to the crowd go unanswered.

I feel, rather than see, Jed moving away from my side. Shaking my head to dislodge the brain fog clouding my mind, I attempt to veer in that direction.

Vanessa can defend herself, but John is completely vulnerable.

"Shut up, old man. And sit down," Jed's voice carries an edge of violence. He’s desperate to take his anger at being overlooked by his father out on someone else.

My fingers tingle, giving me a tiny surge of strength, as my beast tries to come to his aid. I growl, praying John does as he's told and stays quiet. But alas, a good man like John won't stand idly by and say nothing in the face of such evil.

I admire his bravery, but I fear for his life.

"I will not sit down. Someone has to say something to stop this madness."

He's speaking as though these people can think for themselves, but years of abuse and forced submission have beaten them down. They know better than to open their mouths and protest, unlike John.

"I warned you," Jed says, impatience clear in his tone as he stomps forward and grabs John by the arm.

Blinking hard, I yank myself from Jed’s guards and manage to get a few steps toward John when I hear a faint grunt and a shocked gasp from the gathered crowds.

All eyes are on Jed now, instead of Vanessa and Chuck.

My gaze flicks to my mate when I feel her panic. But in this drugged haze, I'm struggling to comprehend what's going on.

Vanessa stares, wide-eyed, to my right when her hand flutters to her face and covers her open mouth.

Slowly, I shrug off Jed's guards. Their grip on me loosens as they halt, stunned by the scene unfolding, and as they step to the side, I see John on his knees, one hand pressed to his side.

He pulls it away and stares, stunned, at the red liquid coating his fingers. The metallic scent of human blood hits my nostrils, making my dormant beast stir restlessly.

Jed waves a silver knife in the air before pointing it straight at Chuck. "Let's get this fucking over with. I'm sick of this bullshit." The weapon gleams in the moonlight, Jed’s cowardly weapon wielded by someone who just does whatever it takes to get their way.

His eyes land on Rusty, who looks at him with barely concealed contempt. Unfortunately, he won't call him out on his behavior in front of the entire clan. That would mean he’d have to admit that his son is a despicable person. Rusty may not say it, but I can see how much he dislikes Jed’s actions written all over his face.

Shifters don't use weapons, and they sure as hell don't use weapons like that against defenseless humans. There are a hundred other ways he could have dealt with John right then. Using knives and poison is akin to sucker-punching someone. There's no honour in it, and there's certainly no victory.

Even in my drugged state, I can smell the shame rolling off some of the older clan members. And the fact that the knife is made from silver tells me he has other plans for it.

Chuck narrows his eyes at Jed before spitting into the dirt, letting him know exactly what he thinks of him. Without words, he’s laying down a gauntlet. If he wins Rusty's approval, he'll be coming for Jed. The threat hangs in the smoky air.

Jed takes a step forward, but Rusty waves him down. "Calm down, Jed, for god's sake. Quit creating a fuss. If you can't handle an old man with a big mouth, how are you going to run a clan?"

He won't. That's the message I'm receiving, loud and clear, and so is everyone else here. The clan hierarchy shifts subtly with each interaction, and Jed's stock is falling rapidly.

Rusty looks toward the porch of Vanessa's house, where his wife stands with her hands on her hips, clearly disappointed atthe scene before her. Rusty bristles, still caring somewhat about how his mate views him.

"Get him a bandage, will you? The stench of human blood is making me sick." With a dismissive wave of his hand, he turns away, not even waiting to see if his wife has gone to obey him. He knows that after years of breaking her spirit, she's already on her way to do his bidding. Not that I think she needed to be asked to help John. She doesn't agree with what Jed and Rusty are doing here. I suppose she still has some fire left in her.

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