Chapter 25
Michael and the rest of the elders were there for the meeting. Even the women and children were brought out of the woods for the announcement. It was a big night.
“What’s the count?”
Calum was told that there were no deaths on their side.
“Wrong. Abott was killed.”
Gasps rang out through the crowd and Calum knew that it was going to have to be said. It would be easily gotten, the information stored away. All Michael had to do was get it, so there was no point in lying about it. It was one of the good things about the pack. There were no secrets between them because it was impossible. No one could stop Michael from searching around and finding what it was that he wanted. He was that good, and no one could resist him.
“How did he die?”
Cal took a deep breath and let the truth come out.
“I killed him. It had to be done. He was the one working with Trenton. He opened the gates for him and exposed where we were. I should have brought him before you all, but it was the heat of the moment. I will apologize for that, but his death was justified for his traitorous acts. I let it go the first time, but this time he could have done too much. There is no way that I can forgive what happened.”
There was a silence that fell over the clan. No one would have guessed that Cal would have killed his own brother, but the fight from a few weeks back was still on everyone’s mind. There would be no questions of what happened. It wasn’t hard to see. Michael looked at Cal for several moments and then tried to smooth it over.
“The vampires?”
The count was unknown. “They are counting bodies in the house, but it’s going to be some time before we have it all down.”
“Make sure it is done though. I want a count, and I want to make sure we follow up with their hideout in the morning. We will catch whoever stayed behind while they are sleeping.”
“Do we know where their hideout is?”
Cal nodded. “The information was given to us by Ali. It’s good information, like tonight was, and I want a ten-man raid party signed up and ready to go in the morning. I think ten will do. Most of them were killed in the house.”
There were words spoken about Ali, but Cal pushed it to the side. She had helped them, saved them all, but she wasn’t to be trusted. He couldn’t trust her after what happened. She was going to have to stay put while she had his baby in her. It was just that simple.
Calum called the meeting to an end. Everyone was tired and most of the questions and concerns could be addressed in the morning. Now, there was nothing that he could do about it. He had to think of the rest.
Michael came up to him and wanted to know where Ali was.
“She’s in the cell.”
“Why is she still in the cell, Cal?”
“You can look and see. I thought that was what you did. You always know what’s going on.”
“I don’t want to find out. I want you to tell me what you think happened.”
Cal didn’t like the way Michael was wording it. He was making it out to be like he didn’t know what he was talking about. Cal did. It wasn’t what he thought he saw happen; it was what he witnessed with his own eyes. He knew it happened and the mood he was in was not going to stand for a very long conversation with the elder.
“She gave Trenton the key to let her out.”
“Why didn’t she let herself out?”
“I don’t know. Who’s to say how those nightwalkers think.”
“She’s a shifter now too.”
“We don’t even know if she’s pregnant.”
“I do. She is. The next in our line, so don’t forget that.”
Cal was losing his patience very quickly, and he didn’t know what the old man was talking about. It was hard to understand him most of the time, and he didn’t care enough to try that night.
