Chapter Sixteen
Asher
I was still troubled by the attempt to ignite a war between the clans. I still didn't know who was behind it or what their goal was. The only thing I knew for certain was that the Sheriff was somehow involved, but until I had some concrete evidence of what was going on behind the scenes – and with whom – I knew I couldn't move on him. His time was going to come, but I needed some solid intel first. The war had been averted, but just barely. Somebody had to pay for that. And they would.
I could tell something was wrong with Rose, but considering all that she'd been through, I couldn't really blame her. As soon as we got to the car and climbed inside though, she burst into tears.
“Shhh, it's going to be okay,” I said, pulling her close to me.
“No, Asher, it's not,” she said. “How can it ever be okay? Look at me. I'm weak. I couldn't even defend myself earlier. And I had the advantage. If it hadn't been for Mariana, I'd be –”
“Stop it,” I said. “You're not like us, Rose. That much is true. But I love you because you're different. Because you're nothing like them.”
“But we can't be together,” she said, wiping her nose on her sleeve. “Because we're different. Let's face it, your clan needs someone strong. Someone like Mariana. Not a pathetic human who can't do anything when the chips are down.”
“You're anything but weak, Rose,” I said. “You're the strongest woman I know.”
“I'm nothing compared to Mariana,” I said.
I lifted her chin so I was now looking into her eyes. I held her gaze for a long moment so she knew to listen to what I was saying. So she knew I was serious.
“I don't want Mariana. I want you,” I said. “And strength is more than just being able to battle. We're not mortal like you are, Rose. It's not weak to be mortal. It's not weak to be human. You have an inner strength that rivals anyone I've met – including Mariana.”
“Really?” she asked, as if she didn't believe me.
“Really. You heard her back there,” I said. “Even Mariana agrees that you and I are better together than she and I would have been. And for her to admit that? You impressed her. I don't know what you did, but you impressed the hell out of her. Mariana is not the type who hands out compliments. Like ever.”
That made her smile a little bit. “I was just in the right place at the right time,” she said.
“Nah, it was more than that,” I said. “And I want to hear all about it. But for now, we need to get you somewhere safe and comfortable. You need to rest.”
I drove out to our cabin, where my father was waiting. He'd heard about what happened, and was prepared to defend our property if needed. He was standing on the front porch, but had many of our guys stationed outside as we pulled up. The tension in the air was thicker than the smoke from a forest fire. Everybody was amped up, ready for a fight. But there was no fight to be had. At least, not at the moment. It was over and we were all safe.
The minute he saw Rose getting out of the car though, he tried to pick a fight with me about it.
“No, we're not having this argument right now,” I said, ushering her inside.
We pushed past the wall of bears and into the cabin. Once inside, I took her to my room and we settled into my bed. She curled up next to me, and I comforted her the best I could. We just laid together, her head resting on my chest as I stroked her hair gently. She seemed content enough, but I could hear her wheels spinning. I knew she was still consumed with her thoughts. And knowing her like I did, I just knew she was listing off reasons she wasn't worthy of me. When in truth, it should have been the other way around.
“I just hate that I'm so weak,” she said.
Deep down, I knew there was something I could do. Something that might help her. If she really wanted to, she could become one of us. It was often frowned upon to turn humans, but mainly because we wanted to keep the bloodlines pure. It was stupid, outdated bullshit if you asked me. But the means were there for her to shed her human skin and become what she wanted to be – strong. All she had to do was take it.
“What if I said you could be like me?” I asked, giving her a serious look.
“Could I?” Her eyes lit up as she stared back at me. I saw something in those eyes – a sense of hope I hadn't seen from her in some time. “I mean, would you?”
I nodded. “I'll have some work to do behind the scenes, but if you want to--”
“I do, Asher,” she said.
“Okay, let me see what I can do then.”
~ooo000ooo~
The attack on our cabin never came. I credited it with taking too many of their side out over at the N'gasso cabin. The attackers, whoever they were, would need to regroup before they came after us again. And now, they didn't even have the element of surprise.
With Rose still upstairs in my room, sleeping off the day, I approached my father. I knew I wasn't going to be able to avoid him forever and that eventually, I'd have to face his wrath. It was what it was. But I wasn't going to let him bully me or push me around. Especially when it came to Rose. If he wanted me to take his place on the throne, he was going to agree to some accommodations.
“We need to talk,” I said.
“I heard about you helping the N'gasso today, son,” my dad said, scratching his beard. “That's not something they'll likely forget. You did a lot of good out there today.”
“No, it's not something they'll forget,” I said. “And I believe we might actually be able to work with them again – without me having to marry Mariana. She's eternally grateful for my help. And she's smart enough to realize we're never going to get anywhere against our enemies unless we work together.”
“There's not much of the N'gasso left, I'm afraid,” he said. “Last I heard, her entire family line was wiped out and they're no longer as strong as they once were. The attack on their sacred lands did a number on them.”
I nodded. “Which might mean we should consider working with them,” I said.
My father looked shocked, almost offended that I would dare suggest such a thing. He opened his mouth to speak, but I raised my hand to cut him off. I wanted him to listen to me for a change.
“Hear me out,” I said. “We need some new bloodlines in our clan. If we don't, eventually, we are going start to inbreed if we're not careful with our matching. We need new blood, and we could combine assets. Mariana was the only one of her family left alive. The only one not to be killed in the attack. Which means she will need help with the family businesses if she wants to survive.”
“I'm just not sure she'd go for that. Not without a marriage.”
“I think so now,” I said. “But I'd have to talk to her, obviously. We haven't discussed the details yet, but it's worth bringing up. We're on friendly terms once more.”
“Great. Sounds like you've taken care of everything,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “Which brings me to my next topic – if this attack and all the drama surrounding it has showed me anything, it's that I'm ready to Walk, son. This is a young man's game and I'm obviously no young man. You were born for this. You have a head for the political games and a sense of peace and calm that allows you to think clearly when needed. I no longer have those things. Though, truth be told, I never had much of a head or the patience for the political games.”
My heart dropped into my stomach as he spoke. “No, you're not ready for that yet –”
“Yes, yes I am,” he said, a gentle smile touching his lips. “But most importantly, you're ready to take over now. I trust you to lead the clan in the right direction. To lead us to better days. To help the Q'lapa flourish. And I know that my time has come to an end. The ceremony will be this evening. And afterward, you will become Chief of the Q'lapa. It is your time to rule, son. And I know that you will rule well.”
The moment was bittersweet. I'd always wanted to ascend to the throne. To become a Chief. But the idea of having to lose my father in order to make that happen tore me apart. At the end of the day though, it was his choice. I couldn't stop him. Taking the Walk was a personal decision and not one anybody could object to. No one could stop a bear once they were ready to Walk.