Braxton clapped his hands. "We need to wrap this up now. All of us have to get back to our people and rally up some members to join the border patrol. We're going to need half a dozen or more from each of the races. Educate your people well and then send them across to George." He pointed to a sorcerer at the far end of the table. "He's working out the rotational schedule for everyone. In regards to the bears, they'll be given a strict warning tomorrow in the council meeting. The ones who are in the holding cell will remain there until we figure out this Kristoff thing. He does not need any allies roaming around."
Jerak stood then and gave us all a brief nod. "I'll send across a selection of demi-fey to assist in this matter. I know we keep ourselves slightly separate from the problems of the other races, but Kristoff is a blight on the world. You have our support to destroy him."
All of us returned his nod; he turned and strode from the room, an ogre and pixie trailing after him. Chatter filled the space as everyone got their shit together and started to leave. These supes were all leaders in Stratford. Each of them would go back to their race members and find those who wanted to volunteer their services. I had no doubt they'd have more than enough volunteers. Supes were brave by nature, and on instinct would abhor the demon-touched sorcerer who had chosen this path.
Soon it was just Louis and my brothers left in the room.
"I'm going to find these last ingredients," Louis said, shoving back his hair. "My gut is telling me that it's going to take something extra strong to take this particular demon down. I want to have six backup plans in place."
I nodded. "Keep us updated. Hopefully it'll remain quiet here until you return."
He left then, striding out of the prison and taking the entrance to the land above. He would open his step-through up there.
Despite the fact that I needed to see Mischa, I forced myself to remain in Vanguard. "I think we need to speak with the bears," I said. "Find out how far this extends and how hard we're going to have to come down on their pack."
My brothers nodded, each of them joining me as we left the meeting room and crossed into the outer zone of the prison. We wore magical marks across our chests now, almost like a brand or tattoo, which allowed us free access to every area of Stratford and Vanguard. The magic in the mark circumvented all securities and allowed us to touch and manipulate the energy running within the prison. As we walked, the four of us talked more about what Mischa had told me, how our souls touched all four races, and how we should be able to tap into each one.
Jacob looked thoughtful, his green eyes staring off into nothing. "That's why I don't fully fit with my fey brethren. I don't have all of their traits, and for the most part am grateful for that."
I nodded. "Mischa's my true mate, and this could mean yours could be from any of the four races."
Tyson gave a low whistle. "Still can't believe she's your true mate. I feel like absolute shit for the hell I gave her when she acted so weird in the Sanctuary. In hindsight, her actions were far above what I'd have expected from a true mate who had to watch her guy all bedded up with a nasty little vampiress." Another punch to my gut. "Not to mention that she was pregnant. And new to our world. She must have been in so much pain."
Tyson should have just stabbed me in the chest. Would have been less painful than his words. My chest was clenched so tight it took me more than a few moments to be able to breathe freely again.
"You speak only truth," I said to him. "This is a shame I'll carry for a long time. Even before the fake-mate spell from Kristoff, I was pulling away from her. Don't get me wrong, I always felt a draw to her, but a brief relationship wasn't worth causing possible unrest in our pack, especially since Mischa didn't know our ways. She wouldn't have understood. She was already attached and she was Jess's sister … I couldn't see how it could work."
A hand landed on my shoulder; dark blue eyes shot into me. "You have to stop blaming yourself, just do better by her now. Shit was outside of our control. There was no way for you to know that she would be your true mate."
Braxton was right, but that didn't change my pain. Speaking of …
"I'm going to ask Jess if she can get in touch with Josephina," I said to the dragon shifter. "I still feel tendrils of that fake-mate spell and I want to know how to purge it completely. Mischa and I have the physical connection, but our mental bond has not clicked in yet, and I'm worried it's partly to do with Cardia. The dragon queen knows much. Maybe she can help us understand."
"Good plan. I know she's been dying to see her dragon again. It's been too long," he said.
Our conversation ended as we'd reached the holding cells. A few guards were scattered around; they gave us nods but didn't approach. We were the ultimate authority here, which is why it had been so easy for Kristoff to manipulate all of these supes when he was in charge. No one would have ever questioned him, and he'd done everything in his power to keep this prison hidden from us. That way we'd never see the shit he was pulling.
The holding cages were outside of the main prison, in the same row as the offices for the wardens and such. There were four bear shifters being held there at the moment, each in their own cage. I recognized all of them by sight. Stratford was not a huge city, and for the most part didn't have members join or leave regularly.
The bears were all big bastards, as was standard, but I was bigger than all but one – Donnie, the alpha of the Tressa pack. He was also the uncle of Melly, the douchebag male who had it out bad for Jessa. She wanted to be the one to take Melly down ever since he'd punched her while her back was turned. Jessa definitely liked to fight her own battles, but I knew Braxton was dying to rip that particular bear limb from limb. He was working on his patience too.
I focused on the alpha douche. Near seven feet high, he had the general hairy ruffled look one would expect from a bear who'd been hibernating for six-months. His beard was almost to mid-chest, and the dark coarse hairs went everywhere as he started roaring at us. I strode right up to his cage, and before he could say anything more, reached through the bars, clutched his shirt in my fist, and yanked him forward, slamming his head into the bars.
His roars choked off as I repeated the action twice more. Damn, that was satisfying. I'd had pent up rage and fear living inside of me for too long. It was nice to let the vampire free and enjoy some good old fashioned bear bashing.
"Shut the fuck up," I growled, noticing the daze leave his eyes and his mouth open again. "If I hear one more goddamn noise from you, none of you will make it to trial. I'll see to it personally."
He spluttered, but something in my gaze must have clued him in on how serious I was, because he knocked my hand away and took a few rapid steps back.
"You can't do that," the one to his left whined. "You're council leaders. Bound by rules."
Tyson snorted then. "We have lots of friends. None of them are council leaders. Most of them don't like rules. Won't be a problem."
Jacob started flicking his fire around again. That was usually the prequel to him using his flames to keep a supe extra toasty warm.
The general power we exuded was working its magic now. All four bears looked like they were about to piss themselves in fear, and that was exactly where I wanted them. No one talked louder than those trying to outrun our wrath.
Jacob took the first line of questioning, his fireball casting shadows across his refined features. "Why are you trying to push your people onto a council seat? You know it doesn't work that way, so what's your endgame?"
No one spoke for a moment and the ball of heat grew larger, encompassing both of the fey's hands. That seemed to be enough to kick one of them into gear.
"Kristoff teamed up with-"
"Shut up," Donnie roared at him. "Do not speak one more goddamn word. We have pandered to these weaker races for too long. Now it's our time." He turned to us again. "You'll get nothing from us. We know Kristoff's plan will come to fruition and our rewards will be great. My father, and then myself, should have been the council leaders. This has been a long time coming."
I could tell by his set features that he would not break. Not easily anyway. But he had let quite a bit of information slip in that last little spiel. This was why there was so much animosity between Melly and Jessa. Her father had been council leader in place of his uncle, and there would have been much hatred in him about that. He influenced his entire pack, gave them grounds to fight against the traditions, gave them the heart to rebel.
We were going to end that now.
"You'll face trial in a week. Think during this time what you hope to achieve with this rebellion," Tyson warned them. "You're dividing our community, and for what? Even if you managed to usurp us as leaders, they'd never follow you. You lost all their respect when you spat in the face of our traditions. In the face of the previous council, and all the elders. The Book of Guidance will never accept you. Not to mention you're now allied with a demon-touched sorcerer who's wanted in multiple countries for crimes against supes."
With the truth of those words ringing through the cells, each of the bears paled. We turned and walked away. There was scuffling behind, and no doubt one of the bears wanted to talk, but for now they heeded their alpha's command.