The interrogation began. The Raven pack’s alpha and mate, Shannon, and the human all asked question after question, demanding answers when Laurie Bell hesitated or resisted. At one point she bit her lip bloody trying to keep silent, but in the end, the combined powers of the vampire and Rory were too strong.
The whole sordid tale came powering out of her mother in fits and starts as she fought the compulsion. It infuriated her, but she told them all, and she spoke the truth. How she’d tried to smother Kian to death at birth because she couldn’t risk breaking his neck as she’d wanted. How she’d seduced and mated Magnus’s beta so she could remain close to him. How she’d fed Magnus’s mate, Susan, insecurities, causing trouble between the couple at every opportunity, and never let them know a day of peace.
When she got to the part of how she’d pushed her mate into challenging Rory for the position of alpha, Rory bellowed out, “Enough!”
The force of his power sent most of the pack to their knees.
Laurie Bell’s mouth moved, but nothing came out. If looks could kill, the look she shot Nikolai should have incinerated him. She closed her mouth, a disdainful expression on her face.
Ashley was devastated. For the first time she realized that nothing she’d done and nothing she could ever do would make her mother love her, or approve of her. Laurie Bell hated her, not because she wasn’t a healer, but because she didn’t come from Magnus’s seed.
Sick at heart, she turned and left the clearing. She didn’t care what became of her mother, just as her mother had never cared about her.
“RORY,” SHAY CALLED in a soft voice.
She knew her man, and he was all but vibrating with fury. His claws were out, and through the bond she felt the struggle he had to control his beast. Her mate wanted blood. No, he wanted to gorge on Laurie Bell’s flesh and wallow in her blood.
“Rory,” she called again, “I need you.” Through the bond she pushed, hoping he’d hear her, “Please, come to me. She’s not worth it. Remember the plan.”
It was touch and go, but finally he returned to her side. Shay immediately burrowed close. Rory wrapped his arms around her and held her to him. Now that he was with her, Shay realized she was shaking.
So much hate. So many years of misery, attributed to one woman. It was sickening and so very sad. Shay still intended to make Laurie Bell pay for what she’d done. Justice demanded it, but she was woman enough to feel compassion. She couldn’t imagine the pain of giving someone all of you, only to be rejected, tossed over for someone you considered less than your equal.
“You’re shaking,” he whispered in her ear.
“So are you,” she told him.
He grunted, tightening his grip on her.
“I’ll be all right in a bit. Just give me a moment,” she told him in a soft voice, uncaring if others heard her.
The pack was enraged. Anger was a living, breathing entity in their midst. One wrong word and things would turn ugly. Mob justice would prevail, and Laurie Bell would be ripped to pieces. Even the Raven pack’s wolves’ fur stood on edge, their teeth bared and hackles clearly raised.
“Remember our plan,” she murmured to Rory, her gaze on Laurie Bell’s haughty expression. “Death is too easy for her. I want her to pay for what she did to you, Kian, Shannon, and your mother. And then I want to go home, me and you, skin to skin, and forget this night ever happened.”
They’d determined Laurie Bell acted alone. She might not be the only threat, Shay mused, but after tonight anyone should think twice about coming after her and their children.
Rory slid his hand from her waist down to cup her butt. The sudden hardness pressed against her stomach told her that her words had their desired effect. She raised her face to his. “Kiss me.”
The kiss was hard, brutal, tasting of the anger he tried to manage. But when it was over, both Rory and his wolf were more in control of themselves. He turned her so that her back pressed against his front, and wrapped his arms around her waist. Shay relaxed into his hold.
“Laurie Bell, I find you guilty as charged. Caleb?”
“Guilty.”
“MacDougal?”
“Guilty.” MacDougal’s voice showed his disgust.
“Council?”
Wesley and Bertram’s response was instant. “Guilty.”
When Graham didn’t answer, Rory asked, “Graham, how do you vote?”
In a voice so cold it made Shay shiver, Graham said, “Kill the bitch and be done with it.”
Laurie Bell flinched and looked at her brother in shocked disbelief. “What?”
Graham kept his eyes on Rory. “She’s dead to me.”
He really is a bastard. And to think, she thanked me for saving your sorry, worthless life. “Finish this so we can go home,” she told Rory, revolted by the whole matter.
“The penalty for the crimes committed against the alpha pair and their unborn child is death, but…” Rory paused.
The pack began muttering.
“What? What does he mean, ‘but’?”
“Kill the bitch and be done with it!” Graham hollered again.
More cries of the same were called out.
“But,” Rory continued in a louder voice, “as my mate stated, death is too kind for you.”
All eyes swung toward Shay, taking her measure. When Rory remained silent, the quiet increased as anticipation grew. What could be worse than death? Shay knew what they were thinking by the expression on their faces.
“I hereby declare you outcast. All property is to be seized. You have three days to clear all your personal belongings.”
Laurie Bell’s mouth dropped open. “You can’t kick me out! I’m the pack’s healer. You need me.”
“Three days!” Rory reiterated.
“My house! My shop! You can’t take them from me,” Laurie Bell protested.
“They belong to the pack, purchased with pack money. The house and its land, the shop and all the merchandise therein,” Rory reminded her. Shay had the satisfaction of seeing Laurie Bell’s face turn white as the impact of what she was losing hit her.
“But what am I supposed to do?” she wailed.
Did she really think they cared?
Behind her Rory seemed to expand. The heat of his flesh scorched hers where they touched. His power rose in the air, so heavy breathing became difficult. Her wolf stirred, rising to the surface in response to whatever Rory was doing.
“Don’t fight it,” he stated in her mind. Until then Shay hadn’t realized she was. She relaxed, trusted herself to Rory’s care. Her beast rose, joining with Rory until they were no longer two beings but one powerful entity.
Then Shay felt something else, someone else’s wolf join with them. It felt like Rory, but there was a subtle difference. A glance at Kian showed his eyes were glowing pure gold and he’d partially shifted. He still looked human, but his mass was larger and he’d sprouted claws and fangs.
Shay felt a tug and realized Rory was pulling on the pack. Caleb, MacDougal, the council, then each member, one by one, eyes began to glow bright gold until the clearing was lit. Her hair whipped around her face, but there was no breeze. The sheer buildup of energy had Shay staggering, punch-drunk under the strength of it.
“You. Are. OUTCAST!”
At Rory’s roar, something burst out of them and hit Laurie Bell straight in the belly. Shay could almost see the flow of power. The force of the blow bent Laurie Bell over, then bowed her spine. Head thrown back, she let out a high, agonizing scream that hurt Shay’s sensitive eardrums. Laurie Bell collapsed to her knees. Would have fallen on her face if Alex and Kian weren’t holding her upright.