CW: This chapter contains brief, implicit themes/mentions of abuse and sexual assault that may be uncomfortable for some readers.
Annalise listened to the low timber of the elder's words as he wove aloud the history of their pack, the spirit warrior Taha Aki and his descendants, the cold ones—all of their lore spilling out before her as if she were there.
This elder reminded her of the way Zel would weave her stories, most of which were only lightly embellished. Annalise could have sat for hours listening to the tenor of her voice, especially when the others would strum their guitars or clap and stomp a beat that still echoed in her chest.
When the Quileute elder was finished, there was a moment of hushed reverence before Quil initiated a chorus of howls that rang into the night. Even Seth had his head thrown back, his fist thumping against his chest. Leah yipped, laughing as she joined in the moment.
Their revelry called to a part of her, made her want to throw her head back and howl into the night air, too. But, this wasn't her history, or her pack. Not really.
"Let's take a break," said one of the human women—the one who sat nearest to Sam Uley, beautiful and scarred in a way that made Annalise feel for Sam, even if he'd wanted her dead at first. Annalise wanted, for a moment, if that's what her brother would look like now. "Volunteers to help bring out the food?"
Embry, Leah, and one of the young men who'd teased her earlier stood up. Leah turned and motioned for Annalise to join them.
Though she had almost incited a fight, Annalise felt a kinship with the she-wolf. As the only female wolf between both packs, it was any wonder why she hadn't left for Seattle sooner. Annalise joined her as she fell behind the human woman and the other wolf.
"Don't be too freaked out," Leah whispered, "After Sam relayed your memories, most of them are pretty forgiving. You may even get an apology out of Sam but don't hold me to it."
Annalise gave her a small smile. "Thanks. For…" She didn't know how to finish that sentence. Despite their small tiff, Leah had changed her bandages, given her clothes, and—to hear him tell it—had even convinced Seth to go out looking for her despite Embry's order.
Leah inclined her head slightly. "I took some time off work to help get things settled here. I'd like to...learn. About you, I mean, if you're okay with that."
"You mean about other female shifters," Annalise guessed. Leah nodded curtly. "What about your secret?"
Leah's only answer was a frown as she led Annalise toward the red house. If she hadn't known any better, Annalise could've sworn she heard the she-wolf mutter, "Not the worst one I've got," but the words had been barely audible, even for her ears.
The truth was, Annalise had known the moment Leah came in the door that she was every bit connected to the animal inside her as Seth was, as Annalise was. Leah loved being a wolf too much to give up phasing, which was why, at 34 years old, she looked barely into her 20s minus the graceful curves of her body that only came with maturity.
Annalise's only real question was why. Why pretend?
Inside the house, they helped the human—who, she learned, was Emily, Sam's imprint and very pregnant wife—carry out stacks of clamshell plates, enough to feed the small crowd outside and then some. Back around the bonfire, the crowd had broken into smaller clusters: the elders discussed things in a language she'd never heard before, with occasional input from both Sam Uley and Jacob Black. The children sat huddled at the feet of Sam's beta.
Seth caught her eye as she headed toward them, abandoning a heated discussion with the youngest wolves and Quil on whether Batman was a superhero or not. "Emily's cooking is the best," he stated, taking a stack of plates from her arms. "But don't tell my mom I said that."
She laughed, passing out plates to pack and council members as she neared them. The meal went by relatively easy thanks to Quil and the flirty one, River, and their jokes. As the last plate was tossed, the mood began to shift.
Billy Black lifted a hand, signaling for a return to order. "Annalise," he began. "If you would."
She cleared her throat, ignoring the nerves twisting her stomach into knots, and took a long swig of the water Emily had passed to her. This was as clear a test as she'd ever seen and, despite the ache the memories created, she was determined to pass it.
The second she'd left the Coquitlam compound, her fate had been sealed.
Now, she had to face it.
"Well," she said, trying to find where to begin. She gave them the Cliff Notes version of her first change, picking up on the apologetic expression clouding Sam's face. "Unlike this tribe, we don't have a single origin story. Some have lore similar to yours, others are in the dark. For those of us who came from Mississippi and Louisiana, Zel would say we owe our gift to a witch named Mama Delta who lived hundreds of years ago. The legend says she caught her lover with another woman. In a fit of rage, she used her wicked power to turn him into the dog he was. To hear her tell it, we're all descendants of this man."
Annalise shook her head, laughing. "I know I shouldn't be a skeptic, what with the shapeshifting and vampire killing, but…" she shrugged.
"And your alpha?" Jacob prompted, getting straight to business.
Her chest tightened as Damian's face flashed before her eyes, the betrayal and anger that twisted his features when he'd learned of her imprinting. He'd thought he could quell her desire to leave with his alpha order and, when that failed, he thought purging it from her through violence would fare better.
He was wrong.
Annalise recounted the same story she'd told Seth, though she was careful to omit the raw truth. The truth only Seth had guessed and, thankfully, hadn't pressed her on. "There are nearly 40 of us," she added, giving Seth an apologetic smile as his eyes widened. "But there's a strict hierarchy that Damian maintains through...whatever means necessary. At the top is him, obviously, followed by Tony, his beta, and Val, his third. The rest of us had clear roles: guards, healers, caretakers, hunters, and a few who...supported our endeavors. Financially."
"This sounds a lot like a cult," Quil mumbled, eyes wide.
Yeah, well…
Annalise met Jacob's guarded stare. "The one you ran into was likely Tony. He's got the best nose out of all of us, and he's the most skilled fighter." Annalise paused. "Was, anyway."
Billy spoke, asking the question that hung in the air between them. "Do you foresee a danger to our tribe?"
She wanted to say no, especially when Norah and Emma paused their chatter to stare at her with wide, frightened eyes. Guilt crept up her spine. Had she known what kind of life Seth was surrounded by, she would've fought harder to stay away. To tough it out until she had a better game plan.
At least, that's what she told herself.
But she'd already been at her breaking point and to pretend any different would be a lie.
Zel had given her strict instruction on where, when, and how to collect that aconite, the toxic plant Annalise had planned to use to end Damian's harsh rule. That day, she'd gotten sidetracked with her best friend—trying to sneak the young coyote out to see whatever human she was enthralled by that week—that she'd narrowly missed her window.
Damian had thought she'd fled and, per their rules, no one abandoned the pack. Least of all her.
"It depends," she answered honestly, "On whether he decides to take a new mate."
The bile rose in her throat at the thought. Take. Because that was all Damian ever did. He took and took until there was nothing left but a hollow, empty shell. Or, until you became just as twisted up inside as he was.
"That's enough," Seth hissed at Billy, watching the memory become gnarled inside her.
Annalise shook her head, giving his hand a tight squeeze. "No, it's okay, sweetness. It's my fault you're in this situation to begin with. Least I can do is - is tell you what you're dealing with."
She exhaled low and slow through pursed lips, hating the way that breath came out quivering. No one except Seth — and maybe Leah — seemed to give a damn. You can't blame them. You brought death to their door, girl. Why would they give a damn about you?
Seth covered her hand with both of his, a tic working in his jaw.
Could the others hear her heart raging against its prison?
"Damian prefers his animal form, like a lot of us do, but he's twisted it into something...something awful. For him, shapeshifting was his saving grace, the thing that gave him the power to overcome whatever stood in his way. Over the years, he's convinced himself that it makes us superior. So, he takes a new mate every few years—the strongest female of the pack—until they birth a child with the shapeshifting gene. Once he's gotten what he wants, he moves on."
Seth stiffened next to her, his hold on her hand going lax. The guilt that had slowly crept inside her had started to spread, heavy as it cemented itself in her chest. She watched his eyes narrow, his back straighten, the fury churning inside him turning his scent bitter.
You should've told him. You should've warned him.
She would explain everything the second they were alone. Some things couldn't be spoken of so...clinically, or so openly. Annalise didn't care how close this pack was.
She turned her attention back to Billy, her eyes staring just past his head, to the dark forest at the edge of his property. The bitterness burning her throat tinged her word, gave each one a sharp edge that made Jacob Black wary.
"Unless he's found a stronger mate since Wednesday, he'll be searching. I took the long way to get here—headed east, cut through the Dakotas and went south like I was goin' back to Mississippi. I waited 'til a storm rolled through, cut through the river, and hauled ass back west before running north again. Don't ask how I knew where to go, just did."
"That's impossible," Jacob protested. "You're talking thousands of miles at least. Even without breaks—which, even for us, is unlikely—it would've taken at least four days."
Annalise bristled at the accusation, cocking her head to the side as she appraised him. The words were out before she could sweet them, before she could detach. The question was fair. He didn't know her from the next Jane Doe. Yet. Something about him rubbed her the wrong way.
"What part of 'strongest' doesn't sink in?" she snapped, eyes flaring as she rose to her feet. "Even half-starved, I still managed to maim your third and he's nearly twice my size."
Somewhere, part of her knew this reaction wasn't warranted. But the dominant part, the part of her sick and tired of everyday being an uphill battle had gotten tired and antsy.
Jacob was on his feet now, too, his thick eyebrows narrowed. "Stand down," he hissed, the echo of the alpha order amplifying his words.
Her body froze, the retort lodged in her throat as the world shifted around her.
"You will obey me." Damian glared down at her, his nostrils flaring. Val and Tony each pressed a tight grip on her shoulders, nailing her in place. "You are two steps from bringing danger to this family. You leave me no choice."
"How is this any different than the others?" she shouted, hating herself for the hot stream of tears flooding her face. Regina had come before her, had even taken lovers, yet Damian hadn't once done anything this extreme. Regina hadn't imprinted either, and all those lovers had been subservient at best.
Annalise let her head drop, trying to quiet her sobs so the others wouldn't hear. Last thing she needed was her best friend doing something stupid to get them both killed.
Damian knelt before her. He took her chin in his calloused hand, jerking her head up so she could see the chaos swirling in those deceptive, green eyes. "The others never betrayed their kind," he said calmly, "And they paid their debt to me. How have you repaid me for pulling you up from the gutter?"
"Annie, I need you to focus. Can you do that?"
It was a gentle voice followed by an even gentler touch—tender enough to bring her back to the bonfire, back to curious eyes watching her movements and to the glare of Jacob Black.
Seth was in front of her, his hands creating a blind spot on either side of her face. He was distracting her, pulling her attention to him and away from the wide eyes of the pack.
She was shaking, tremors taking her over, the coyote inside begging to be set free, to run. To hide.
Annalise blinked, letting Seth's shadowed form come into focus. "Y-yeah," Her voice sounded hollow in her ears. "I can focus."
"Hey," he breathed, a tinge of relief on otherwise worried face. "Let's go."
"We aren't done here, Seth."
Leah growled. "Can't you see this is hard for her, Jake? God, get a grip."
Annalise tried to do what Seth had asked, to focus through the chatter and the memory of Damian's knuckles cracking against her skull.
"Fine," someone said, "One more then. Can she anticipate his next move?"
Seth's head turned and the only thing she could see was the movement of his jaw as he snarled words at whomever had spoken. Someone else gasped, another person growled.
Stop, don't fight. She wanted to warn him. This wasn't worth it. She wasn't….
Annalise inhaled slowly through her nose and dared to peer around Seth's broad shoulders to survey the others. Their faces refused to come into focus. "Seth, I can't see straight," she whispered. "Something ain't right. I can't—"
She choked. In the crackling fire, for a moment, she thought she'd seen…For a fraction of a second, clear as day, Zel's face stared back at her, searing itself into her brain.
Annalise stumbled backwards, blinking against the smoke that stung her eyes. Now, the fire crackled and danced, plain as any flame.
Jacob Black and Sam Uley stuck her with a disapproving, cautious glare before the former repeated the question, his voice even. Calm almost. "Can you tell me what his next move will be—when he doesn't hear back from his beta, what will he do?"
That was easy. Clear sight or not, Annalise could see the options playing out before her with ease. She was robotic in her answer, voice devoid of any emotion. "He'll leave Val in charge while he tracks me himself. The trail should be just faint enough he could get lost near the border. He'll probably start questioning front desk workers at hotels and motels around Coquitlam next. That's if he hasn't already." She shook her head, a bitter laugh huffing from her lips. "Tony was just a shot in the dark—send him south to see if he picks up my trail...The alternative is that he'll let a few days pass, send Val out next to see what's taking so long. Val is different. She's not as bad as they are but she's a wild card. You never know if she's for you or against you some days."
"Jake, that good enough for you, man?" Seth snapped. There was a quiet rumble of voices before Seth gave her a weak smile as if to say, We can leave now.
"Wait."
Annalise peaked around Seth's frame to fix Jacob with what she hoped was a steely glare. At this rate, she'd be lucky if she wasn't crying, but her grip on what was actually happening right now was tenuous at best.
"Damian's coloring is off. He's almost solid grey and he's massive. You might mistake him for one of your own. Val, her coat is...It's kind of like Seth's, but she's smaller. Even smaller than me. Anyone else, just...Just please don't kill them. Our leaders may be shit but the rest of them are innocent."
Jacob frowned. "How innocent can the others be if they sat back and watched what Damian did to you?"
A/N: Thank you to TwilightHorseGal for showing this story some love! I know this one was a little rough but the next chapter will be happier, promise.
