Seeking Eternity Ch. 07

Catherine turned her head, meeting Cassandra's probing eyes. Cassandra only had time to register the other woman's icy stare before her attention was directed elsewhere: Collbreed chose that moment to enter the room, his countenance akin to that of a man preparing for battle.

The whole congress rose to its feet, and as one, their heads bowed in silent recognition of the young man's power over them.

"Please," Collbreed said, "sit down."

Cassandra did as was told -- as did all the other elders in the room. Only when everyone had been seated did Collbreed -- Nicholas, Cassandra thought firmly -- himself sit down.

"To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?" Victor asked good-naturedly.

"There's a grave matter that I hope to discuss with you," Nicholas said, leaning back on his seat.

The exchange of glances around the table spoke of the elders' discomfort, and for a brief moment, she caught Nicholas's eyes. His gaze held no hesitation -- something that sat very well with Cassandra. The last thing she needed was an indecisive man taking care of her granddaughter.

"If I may be so bold," Melanie began, "could you please let us know what this is all about?"

"This is about..." Nicholas flashed a grin. "Me."

The stillness that permeated the room was something Cassandra had not expected. It was as if the others had forgotten how to breathe. She hid a smile. No matter how young Nicholas was, his congress obviously held him in high regard, and anything that concerned him was truly a 'grave' matter.

"Specifically, it is about me and my lack of a mate," Nicholas continued.

The obvious relief that seemed to descend upon the table was -- to Cassandra, who knew what was coming -- quite premature. Yet, it was encapsulated in the words that Mary Elizabeth spoke.

"It hasn't escaped our notice," Mary Elizabeth said lightly. "It might have come up once or twice in our conversations."

Cassandra knew for a fact that they did not take this matter as lightly as they would have Nicholas believe. It had come up in meetings more frequently than Cassandra cared to remember; once or twice, it had even been the sole item on the agenda.

"Then, let us discuss it out in the open, shall we?" Nicholas suggested. He seemed relaxed -- confident. Cassandra could not help but admire the young man. "It is not for lack of trying that I am in this situation."

"That," Timothy interjected, "we know for a fact."

Nicholas had the grace to actually look rueful. "One can only try."

Cassandra understood why chuckles erupted from around the table; she herself was smiling. Nicholas had thrown more mating parties in three years than his father had thrown the whole time the latter had been alpha. Nicholas had also dated -- and later discarded -- more women than anybody else in the history of the pack.

"You may not have told us, but we are not fools," Victor said. "You are of age, and the lack of a mate, especially in an alpha, is quite glaring. We have speculated that Walter did not approve of your choice?" When Nicholas said nothing, Victor smiled. "She's human, then? If that's the case, you only need to approach the Council and tell them of your intentions. Then, you can reveal yourself to the girl and hope that she accepts you."

"It's not that simple," Nicholas said. "She's a slayer."

"A complication, for sure," Victor began, "but not insurmountable -- "

"She's half-wolf," Nicholas added.

"Well, then." Victor leaned back on his seat. "She's a disaster waiting to happen."

The reaction of the others in the room was not as understated, but Cassandra kept her silence. To her right, Conrad snapped, "What on earth is wrong with her pack? A half-wolf who slays vampires?" It was soon to be followed by Jacob's question: "Are they actively seeking to start a war?"

More of the same outraged comments followed, but it was Henry's statement that punctuated it all: "The Council will be all over her when they find out."

"The Council is already all over her, even before she was born," Nicholas said.

That one remark made the others stop talking. Cassandra felt something cold settle in the pit of her stomach. It was odd -- that reaction. She could not remember the last time she had felt it.

There was an unsettling stillness in Catherine's voice when she asked, "What do you mean?"

"She didn't know what she was, you see," Nicholas explained. "That is, until recently, when her transformations began."

"But you have been with her," Josiah commented; "surely, you must have told her?"

Nicholas shook his head. "I can't tell her something that even I was not aware of."

"It can't be," Mary Elizabeth protested. A confused half-frown marred her face, still beautiful in spite of the wrinkles of old age. "A wolf always knows another of its kind."

Nicholas took a deep breath before responding to that comment. "She is one of a kind." Then, fixing his eyes on Cassandra, he continued, "She is Johanna's daughter."

The room went so still -- deathly still -- that Cassandra could swear none of its occupants was breathing. Then, silence was gone as quickly as it had come.

"This is preposterous!" came Conrad's thunderous exclamation as he rose from his chair. His face was a red mask of anger. "The Council spent the last two decades looking for her, and you tell us that she accidentally crossed your path, became romantically entangled with you, and then found out about her heritage?" He turned to Cassandra, glaring. "I don't believe in coincidences."

Cassandra finally broke her silence. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You tell me," Conrad challenged. "We lost your daughter all those years ago, only to find out that she was with the vampires. And when we were finally closing in, she was gone again, along with her daughter. How very convenient it is, for Nicholas to cross paths with that very daughter, especially when he was in line to be leader of the pack."

An angry retort began to form in Cassandra's tongue, but her response died on her lips due to Nicholas's interjection.

"Enough!" the alpha growled, his face darkening.

Cassandra could tell by Nicholas's countenance that there was a storm brewing inside him -- but it seemed that Conrad could not. The man had the audacity to sneer, turning his gaze to their alpha.

"Are you seriously telling us that you believe Cassandra does not have a hand in this?" Conrad snapped. "For all we know, she has always been in collusion with vampires, along with that granddaughter of hers."

Nicholas stared at the older wolf with an unyielding expression. "Cassandra came to me as soon as she found out about her granddaughter. She did not even know that I know the girl until I told her."

Conrad snorted. "Cassandra is a master manipulator, and you are a fool to -- "

He was not able to finish what he was about to say. In the blink of an eye, Nicholas had pounced on Conrad, a hand wrapped around the older wolf's throat. The alpha slammed Conrad against the wall, causing a crack that sounded thunderous to any wolf's ears. Cassandra and the other members of the congress rose to their feet in utter shock.

"Go on," Nicholas stated calmly as he slowly tightened his grip. Cassandra could not remember ever seeing his face that dark. "Give me a good reason to shred your body to pieces."

"Nicholas!" Cassandra cried. She flinched to see Conrad struggling in an effort to breathe and to suppress the wolf that must be threatening to come out. To show his wolf while in a confrontation with the alpha would be mutiny, and it would be all that Nicholas needed to end his life. "Please!"

If Nicholas had heard her plea, he showed no indication of it. Instead, he moved his face closer to that of Conrad's, saying, "You dared call me a fool?"

Knowing that time was running out for Conrad, Cassandra did the only thing she could as head of the congress: she dropped to her hands and knees, bowed her head, and pleaded for the life of the man who she once considered a friend.

"My lord Nicholas," she said, using the title that the young man so disliked. Yet, that same title was a reminder of who he was, and who they were to him, and that was what Cassandra banked on: that the young alpha would remember his vows. "Mercy."

Around the room, the other members of the congress echoed her words, doubtlessly prostrating themselves before their leader. For some painful seconds, Cassandra and the others held their collective breaths, for fear that a single sigh would give the young man cause for offence.

"You owe me a debt of blood," Nicholas hissed, all his emotions coming out in the venom that laced his words. "Know that I will not think twice about collecting it."

Cassandra did not dare look up, but coughs and gasps from Conrad were heard a moment later, while Nicholas's footsteps retreated toward the door.

"Rise, all of you," Nicholas snapped. His command was immediately followed by everyone in the room -- including Conrad, Cassandra was relieved to note. "Remember the first time you knelt before me. Remember the oaths you have spoken. I gave you what you asked of me, and I expected some courtesy in return."

In the face of the alpha's anger, none of the elders managed to gather up their courage to speak. Even Cassandra opted for silence. She had dealt with worse-tempered alphas, and if there was something she learned from experience, it was that such bursts of anger would always come to an end; all she had to do was keep her head low and her ears open.

"I bared my soul to you in the hopes that you will regard my secret as one of your own," Nicholas continued when nobody spoke. "Is it so wrong to expect that from the elders of my pack?"

In the heartbeat that followed, it was Conrad who answered. "No, my lord. Forgive me for my insolence."

Anger slowly vanished from Nicholas's face, replaced by a stony façade that Cassandra had seen in Walter's face more times than she cared to count. It reminded her once again that, despite his youth, Nicholas was a Collbreed, and it was his family's strength of character and will of iron that had kept the Ambercrest pack whole -- then and now.

"What would you have us do, my lord?" Melanie asked.

"Nicholas," the young man said irately.

"Nicholas," Melanie repeated. "Your orders?"

"Decide on the best course of action," Nicholas declared, already turning away. "But keep in mind that I have no intention of giving the girl up to the Council to receive a punishment that she has not earned. A parent's sin cannot be visited upon the child, or must I pay for the sins of my father, too?"

"No," Jacob agreed; speaking for all of them, "of course not."

"Then figure out a way of helping her," Nicholas said, heading for the door. "Do it for me, and I will consider your debts paid in full."

*****

Awkward silence enveloped the room as soon as Nicholas left. Catherine used that opportunity to look around.

As she had suspected, not one of the congress members was seated. Nicholas's outburst was unexpected, but not uncalled for. Conrad Randall's words did sting. However young their alpha was, Nicholas James Collbreed was no fool. Catherine did not doubt that Conrad knew this, too, but he made the mistake of letting his emotions get the better of him. Friendly and approachable he might be, but, as was proven again today, Nicholas was a Collbreed through and through -- willful, authoritative, and very, very powerful.

"Who is she, Cassandra?" Melanie Forrester broke the silence.

Catherine glanced at her sister-in-law, who was presently leaning against the chair at the far end of the table. However much she disliked Cassandra, Catherine could not help but admire the woman for knowing exactly what to do in the face of Nicholas's anger. At sixty-four, Cassandra was among the youngest in the congress, and it was her propensity to do what was necessary that probably caught Nicholas's attention.

Ah, yes. Cassandra always knew what to do, to Catherine's great dismay: she had no problem bending her knee when the situation called for it, and she had no problem rushing to danger when it would serve them best. It was part of what made Cassandra so despicable.

"Raine," Cassandra answered Melanie's question. "Raine Amethyst Reinhart."

"Of course," Victor drawled. "It has to be one of the best slayers out there."

Without speaking, the others agreed with Victor. They had a database of slayers, and they knew exactly who made up the cream of the crop: those who were sent out as pairs instead of groups. Besides, Raine Amethyst Reinhart had a claim to fame that no other slayer had: she single-handedly took out the renegades who were part of Boris and Eliza's group -- a breakaway couple from a family of vampires that had lived for centuries. It was a foolish and dangerous task, but Raine made it through.

She's so much like her mother, Catherine thought, remembering her niece and the foolish and dangerous decisions Johanna had made in the past.

Breaking out of her own reverie, Catherine spoke directly to Cassandra for the first time in decades. "Where is she?"

If her words surprised her sister-in-law, the younger woman did not let it show. The answer came as though the two of them had always engaged in this sort of conversation. "She's a guest in the Collbreed mansion."

"That's probably the safest place for her, considering the circumstances," Josiah commented. Then, to Cassandra -- his long-time friend and ally, he asked, "When did you find out about her?"

Catherine could only assume that Cassandra would have much more of those questions to answer, especially from her closest allies: Henry Cadwell, Josiah Ridley and Fiona Macgregor. Catherine doubted that her brother's widow had time to tell her friends about the peculiarity of the situation before Nicholas convened the meeting.

Cassandra gestured for all of them to sit down. The woman even looked at Conrad, who gave her a nod of the head, before speaking. "Several days ago. The vampires approached me for help. Raine is starting to transform, but it is a challenge for both herself and her hosts."

From across the table, Henry Cadwell closed his eyes and rested his head upon the back of his chair. To Catherine, Henry had never looked so old and tired. He was the oldest member of the pack, close to a hundred years of age. At one point in his life, he ruled as the right hand man of Nicholas's grandfather. In those days, Henry had also been commander of the elite Ambercrest warriors.

"The Council will descend on us like crows on a corpse," Henry remarked.

"Then it's a good thing that we are Ambercrest," Conrad said. He sat beside Catherine, rubbing his neck. "And we have Collbreed as alpha."

The others around the table nodded, conceding to Conrad's point. Ambercrest was probably one of the most -- if not the most -- powerful packs around, and Nicholas was its uncontested leader.

"What does Nicholas plan to do?" Catherine asked Cassandra. It would be best if they all knew what was on the table, and it seemed that her sister-in-law was the authority in this matter. "I'm assuming you keep his confidence in this matter?"

"He's been trying to help Raine fully transform into a wolf," Cassandra answered. "Apparently, however, it is not as easy as he first thought."

"Is that even surprising?" Mary Elizabeth asked. Her green eyes twinkled with laughter. "Considering who her father is...." She then shrugged, as if to emphasize her point. "If the decision is up to me, I would suggest returning her to the vampires. The Council could go after her as much as they'd like, but attacking her would mean instigating a confrontation, and the Council won't do that."

"Won't it?" Catherine asked in challenge. "Shall I remind you of what happened twenty years ago? It was a disaster -- "

" -- averted," Fiona chimed in.

" -- averted, yes, but with the loss of a life," Catherine conceded.

"A vampire's," Jacob said as a reminder.

"Of course," Catherine insisted. "But how certain are we that the vampires will make the same sacrifice the second time around? Especially considering that Johanna's child is a slayer?"

"Has it been established, then, that we are helping her out?" Victor asked.

It was Josiah who answered. "Do we have a choice? You heard what the alpha said. We are doing this for him, and considering the magnitude of the debt we owe, we should be thankful that Nicholas asked for this, and only this."

Victor nodded his agreement, returning his gaze to Catherine. "What do you propose, then?"

Catherine threw her sister-in-law a cursory glance before fixing her eyes on Timothy Bingham, who was sitting across the table from where she was. "If we are to honour our debt to Nicholas, we need to assist him in keeping Raine safe until such time when we figure out a way of getting her to fully transform into a wolf."

Timothy nodded his agreement. "The Council will think twice before touching one of our kind, especially when her only crime is being born to her parents. Besides, if the girl could fully transform into a wolf, she would be able to defend herself in the unfortunate case that they go after her."

"But how on earth are we going to keep the Council out of this?" Henry Cadwell -- always a voice of reason -- asked. "I hope you have not forgotten how precarious the situation has become. The Council is closing in, what with the vampires coming together so close to home."

Catherine looked at Cassandra again. "You mentioned that the vampires approached you for help. I imagine they are the same vampires who now attract the attention of the Council?"

"Yes, but they are not as friendly as they were before I gave up my granddaughter's identity to Nicholas," Cassandra said. She then proceeded on telling everyone the unfortunate mess that Raine found herself in: having been claimed by a vampire, and sleeping with a wolf. "I doubt that Hayes-Crowe would like to talk to any wolf right now."

"We have no choice, then," Fiona said. "We have to give her back to the vampires."

"Nicholas will not take kindly to that suggestion," Conrad warned.

"Yes, but that is the only way to protect the girl from the Council," Fiona explained. "If she could talk sense into Hayes-Crowe and ask him to disperse his army, then, we buy ourselves some time before the Council decides to look closely into our affairs."

Josiah disagreed. "The vampires will not give her back, and then we'll be left with a very upset alpha on our hands."

"Nicholas cannot be as unreasonable as the vampire," Melanie said. "Surely, he will understand -- "

"How would you know?" Victor cut her off. "In case you did not notice, he's not beyond killing one of our own in order to get what he wants."

"Oh, please, Victor!" Melanie snorted. "Give our leader the benefit of the doubt."

The discussions continued -- an onslaught of reasons for and against handing Raine over to the vampires. Catherine joined the discussion from time to time, arguing for the logic of giving Raine back to Ashford Hayes-Crowe to convince the vampire that calling his blood children was not the most prudent thing to do in the face of the threat of a Council's inquest. She had her own reasons as to why she wanted her brother's grandchild with the vampires, but it was not something Catherine cared to divulge to the others.

"Let's put it into a vote, then," Fiona suggested when it was clear that they would not be able to reach a consensus. "I am in favour of the hand-over."

"I am not," Josiah said.

"I am not, either," Henry seconded.

And just like that, Catherine thought, the alliance finally broke. It was not lost on her that Josiah Ridley, Henry Cadwell and Fiona Macgregor were always on the same side, but this issue seemed to have broken the groupings that had been in place for the last three years -- and not only among those who had been Cassandra's strongest supporters. Conrad Randall and Victor Hartwell voted in favour of keeping Raine, but Catherine could not. With Jacob Avery siding with the keep side, opposed by Timothy Bingham, Melanie Forrester and Mary Elizabeth Wallace, the votes were tied.