Trigger Warning: Character death. But it's one I'm sure most of you saw coming.

Chapter 9

Lucas Cates paced the office like a caged animal, which was in point of fact, exactly what he was. His mind was racing with the implications of the last few hours. He had come to San Francisco with the express purpose of forming an alliance with Julian Luna's people. Tyler was meant to handle the negotiations. He was just meant to watch and present the stupid artifact when the time came.

Luke absentmindedly fondled to silk wrapped bundle in his jeans pocket. He hadn't even had time to change before heading to Luna's house, after they'd gotten the call. Now he had to be the one to represent his Pack in the midst of this madness. His seventeen year old brain boggled at the thought.

Seventeen. He was only seventeen, he didn't need this crap. Luke had always known that someday he'd be called upon to be a leader. He just hadn't thought it would be so soon. He didn't need to be labeled the guy who couldn't hack it when the pressure was on. Not this early, he was only seventeen. You'll be eighteen in two days, his brain supplied. Great. Luke plopped down into one of the office's numerous leather chairs. Just great.

Then another voice joined his own inside his mind. Run, it urged. At first, Luke thought it might be Tyler. After all, he was the only other wolf from the Wolf Lake Pack in the city. A bead of hope grew in Luke's heart.

Run, the voice insisted. Wait. That couldn't be right. Tyler was unconscious, and even if he had been thinking of running in his sleep, he wouldn't be able to project it. Luke let his mind search out the voice.

Run. It was foreign, yet familiar somehow. Luke got the sense that he knew it from somewhere. It wasn't just part of the Pack's network. It was part of him somehow.

Run. Female. It suddenly clicked in Luke's brain that the voice was female. He tried to prod it with his own mind, but it was like the link only went one way. He could hear the voice, but it couldn't hear him.

Run, Leeches! I'm right behind you.

Luke's eyes snapped open.

Run. Cause when I get my hands on you, even your Sires won't recognize you.

Sherman Blackstone had been watching his young charge throughout this whole ordeal. In truth, he was deeply troubled by the fact that Luke had to go through this. Tough as the boy was, Sherman didn't think that Matt Donner himself would be taking the situation any better. That didn't stop Sherman's heart from wrenching when Luke nearly collapsed into the chair.

Maybe he was getting soft. Maybe it was just being in San Francisco again that had Sherman's heart playing tricks on him. Normally he'd just shrug at the pup's reaction and go about his business. Now though, something in the air had Sherman wanting to bare his soul to the boy, whispering secrets he'd long ago sworn to keep 'til the grave. Damn Vee Cates, he thought. And damn me too for orchestrating the whole thing.

He was brought out of his reverie by a slight flutter of movement from Luke. First, the boy's eyes snapped open. A second later, Luke jumped out of his chair like he'd been shocked by an electrical current. Sherman was about to ask what was wrong when he heard a commotion in the hall outside the office. Luke was already in motion.

Julian and Cash had been about to join the young Wolf and his chaperone in the office; when Lorraina, Cash's second in command, approached them with news. "Kory and Jasper picked up Hunter a few minutes ago, my Prince. They're en route. They should be here in five minutes."

Julian gave a nod and Cash paled a bit. Lorraina's cell phone rang and she glanced at the Prince. Luna nodded as the Cates boy and Sherman Blackstone joined them in the hallway. Lorraina answered the phone giving a few grunts of understanding. Her eyes went wide a second before she hung up.

Luna was in no mood to beat around the bush, even with Luke in hearing distance. "Well? What is it?"

Lorraina looked nervous and incredulous at the same time. "It seems the transport picked up a tail, sir."

"And?"

"Out with it, Lor." Cash prompted. "What's up?"

"It…it's the Slayer, sir. She's following them at a close distance."

Luna thought a minute. "What concern would the Slayer have in this business?"

Behind him, Sherman's eyes had gone wide with shock. Luke had never seen the expression on the old man's face, and it unnerved him enough to make him butt in.

"Who's the Slayer?" Whoever it was, this didn't sound good.

The Kindred ignored him. Cash whispered in the hopes that only Julian would hear. "The Slayer and Hunter…they've kind of been dating, sir."

Seeing Luna's eyes go dangerous, Cash amended. "Against my will, sir."

"Cash, you and I are going to have to talk about your control of your Childer." Luna growled. "Daedalus!"

Suddenly, a monstrous black clad figure appeared at Luna's right side. Even with all his Wolfen abilities, Luke hadn't seen him arrive. The monster spoke gracefully around a small set of fangs. "My Prince?"

"We may have a problem involving the Slayer. I want you on the look out, just in case the guards aren't able to block her motorcycle at the gate." Luna ordered.

"Um, sir?" Lorraina called the men's attention back to her. "That's what I was going to tell you next. She doesn't have her bike with her. She's running them down on foot."

The moment of amazed silence that followed allowed Luke to wonder again, who was The Slayer they were all talking about? Then he heard the voice again in his mind. Run!

It almost clicked into place for him in that second. That was a second before all hell broke loose.

Two Gangrel men fell through the front door, dragging an unconscious third. To Luke, it looked like the prisoner couldn't have been much older than himself. But he'd been told that looks could be deceiving with vampires. The bodyguard had a pained look on his face as he rushed to help support the boy's weight. The Prince immediately took action, going to the two captors.

"You were followed?"

One of the men was a huge black guy with one totally green eye. He nodded at Luna. "I think we lost her a few miles back. But she won't be long behind. I saw her out the rear-view. That girl looked majorly pissed."

The tawny haired man to his left nodded. "I don't know how she followed us as long as she did, sir. We must have been going eighty."

Luna looked more than a little disturbed by this notion. He spared a brief glance for Hunter, who had been the start of this whole mess before turning to Luke. " You are the ranking Wolf here, so I'll put it to you. Will you have your satisfaction now? Or do you wish to wait until this mess with the Slayer can be resolved?"

Luke thought about it for a moment. Calling for a man's life was never an easy thing to do. Before, the criminal had been theoretical, so Luke had little problem demanding his blood for his crime. Now, though, the boy was standing before him and his resolve wavered.

He glanced at Sherman for the briefest of moments. The old Indian had drilled it into him for years that the most important thing in a Wolf's life was the Pack. The Pack had to be protected, therefore its justice was always swift. Luke swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Let's do it now."

It was with resignation, that Cash dragged his Childe down the hall to the room where the Embraced Wolf was being kept. Halfway there, Hunter had come fully awake and had begun to struggle. However, when he saw the group assembled in the bedroom, Hunter's shoulder's sagged with the same resignation. It was all over, and there was nothing any of them could do.

"I'm sorry, Cash."

"I know you are, kid." Cash's voice broke. "I know."

Inside the room, Cash and Hunter joined The Prince, Daedalus, Kory and Jasper, a boy and an old man that Hunter didn't recognize, and surprisingly Charlie. Hunter's mind supplied that his Sire's Mate, the infamous Firestarter, was probably there for moral support. Then his eyes settled on the man on the bed, his head sagging in shame for the Embrace that had condemned them both.

Hunter was pushed to his knees and the Prince started to speak. "Hunter Devereux, for the offence of Breaking the Masquerade… and for your crimes against the Wolf Lake Pack of Wolfen, I hereby sentence you to Final Death. Have you any last words?"

Sherman watched, detached from the whole scene as the ritual played out. An execution. He'd seen plenty of those in his time. What worried him was Luke. The boy had never killed anyone before. Sure it would inevitably have happened at some point, but this whole drama was making the old Indian vaguely ill.

Luna had asked Luke in the hall if he wanted Luna to dispatch the prisoner or if he wanted to do it himself. Luke had swallowed another lump in his throat. He had no right to demand blood and then chicken out at the last second. Now he stood before Hunter, listening remotely as the Gangrel muttered an apology and put on a brave face. His dad had always told him that a true leader would never let a man suffer in vain.

Taking a breath, Lucas Cates looked at Tyler Creed lying on the bed and let the rage bubble up in him again. He felt his eyes glow gold and his fingernails distend into claws as he let the Wolf come to bare. He let his mind go blank and he brought one claw down in a slashing motion across the Gangrel's throat.

The thud as the body hit the ground was muffled by a great animal roar of rage that echoed from the doorway. Luke swung around. Two sets of golden eyes met and at once there was a moment of recognition. The voice echoed in Luke's head with a shriek.

Murderer.

Luke prodded as hard as he could at the voice with his mind. He felt something break as he spoke into her mind. He committed a grave crime against the Pack. He had to be punished.

The wild girl at the door look startled a second before pushing back. I know you. How do I know you?

A flood of images was exchanged between the pair. Childhood pictures were revealed. Bits of essence were swapped and recognized. In an instant the connection was shown in crystal clarity. Both sets of golden eyes snapped back to each other and Luke heard her voice in his head again, accompanied by a mixture of anger, agony, and hope.

Oh yes I know you…..Brother.