Page 37 of Cruel Revenge
“Looks like it works,” he said.
I snarled and swiped my paw, trying to drive him off. A spike rammed into my side, sending me further away from Carey. A second spike, with how disoriented I was, sent me to the ground. It went through me and into the ground.
This time, I couldn’t move at all. This time, I couldn’t pull myself off, fueled by Subira’s magic that forced my previous survival.
I could only struggle aimlessly as they picked up Carey and left with her, loading her back into that SUV.
The world was spinning as the witch stopped over me.
“Sir, reports are showing the BSA and local law enforcement are coming already. Plus, we've already reached human news. We have to move.”
“Damn. I’m out of spikes,” he said, sighing.
He crouched next to my head, and I snapped, but he was just out of reach.
“If you survive, you can be useful. Tell Heath he gets to choose. His daughter or his werewolves. Tell your father and mother that I won’t stop until I have wiped them and every bit of their influence from the surface of this world.” He paused, magic filling my nose. His eyes had an eerie glow that pierced through the dizziness. “Tell Kushim that I’d like my necklace back.” That time, the feminine voice was strong, powerful in the words of the male witch.
Then he stood up and walked away. I was left bleeding out, stuck on the ground, that sound going on until I couldn’t hear anything anymore, except for the incessant ringing of tinnitus. I watched them leave until my body was too weak to even keep my eyes open.
15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
HEATH
“Another meeting down,” Landon said, sighing heavily, sinking into his chair.
“Another meeting down,” Heath said just as wearily as his son, but with a small chuckle at the end as he nodded.
He checked the time, restless. Heath had smartly kept as busy as he could through the day, trying not to think about Carey, Jacky, and Courtney. He’d started the day with a private meeting to prepare for the NAWC meeting. Then he, Landon, and Dirk went to that meeting, with Dirk quietly there only to be a note and timekeeper for him and Landon. It allowed Dirk to be there without drawing too much attention to himself. Dirk still drew attention; nothing would stop that. He was a tall, built guy, and everyone knew who his family was and who he married, another werewolf in the room that most were scared of.
After that, he had a few private meetings, one with Callahan and then a few members of the NAWC who wanted to speak to him about everything. Anyone who requested a meeting today was once a werewolf Heath had called his friends. He wasn’t certain the friendship would ever come back, but one thinghe could be grateful for was the lack of hostility today. From anyone. He would have to think about it more later.
After that, he spent the afternoon directing his werewolves, watching them learn the ropes of the Tribunal. Piper was now helping with Record Keeping, while Roselyn was discussing guard duties in the offices with Livia. Ranger and Shamus were still trying to find their places, but Heath had ideas about that now. There were a few major ideas he had for werewolf culture, and now that he had spoken to the NAWC and knew they wouldn’t be a problem yet, he could move on them. Finally. He’d had the ideas for years, but they were shut down through the decades by his peers.
Not my peers anymore. I can finally start testing these projects… Once we get done with the witches. We’re too busy right now. Maybe I could start one of them, though. Just one of them.
“That’s the fourth time you checked the time in ten minutes, Pa. Waiting on the bell to ring, and we get to go home?” Landon was both curious and teasing.
“I didn’t want to make a big deal about this, but I guess it’s time to tell you that Carey and Jacky are having dinner with Courtney Lane today,” Heath answered, looking up at his son to see a wolf’s eyes glaring at him.
“What? That bitch crawled out of her hole?” Landon’s growl promised violence if he saw Courtney.
“The look on your face is why I didn’t tell you when I learned that Carey approached Jacky about it,” Heath said, shaking his head. “She deserves a chance to meet her mother.”
“How did this happen?”
Heath explained everything that had been explained to him. He also added that he had gone over the security plans and had signed off.
“Fucking hell,” Landon muttered, shaking his head. “Well… Carey will see who her mother is finally and never want anything to do with her ever again. How did Jacky handle this? She loves Carey. Might as well be her real mom over Courtney.”
“I know… and she spiraled a little, but only in front of me, not in front of Carey. I was able to calm her down. I know a big part of it isn’t just how much she loves Carey, but also that possessive werecat side of her. It’s a dangerous mix,” Heath said, sighing.
“It is,” a deep voice said from the open office door. Heath looked up right as Hasan’s scent finally reached him.
“Do you have a recommendation?” Heath asked the old werecat. “You being a werecat and a father, you might have the most experience with this.”
“When it comes to a mother werecat?” Hasan chuckled darkly, his gold eyes bright. He smiled as though he suddenly thought of a fond memory. “Don’t argue with her if she decides she needs to kill someone for her baby. She’ll just turn all of that fierceness and rage on you.”
