Kane
“It’s time,” a guard growled, and Kane left his cell without a word.
It was just after noon, the testimonies of Claire and Roman had caused a stir even Kane could sense across the pack bonds. Ghost’s presence in his mind alternated between chaotic worry and a reserved quiet that disturbed Kane more than anything.
His paws dug into snow and ice as he was led toward the pit. Four guards surrounded him, and he was thankful he was spared the chains in which Roman had been bound. One of his guards was in his human form and he opened a rusty, moss-laden metal gate that was attached to a rock wall. It must be the bottom of the pit, Kane could hear echoes of growls and voices coming from the dark void.
There was little he could see, even with his eyesight better as a wolf than a man. A growl from behind him betrayed his guards’ nervousness at being in the dark with him, and he grunted, satisfied he wouldn’t be jumped. He was larger than his peers by a great deal—these may be greater alphas, but none were comparable to him in size or power.
A short walk and a sharp bend brought him out into the light. Inundated by sunlight, scents, and the sounds of a few hundred wolfkin bombarding his senses, Kane shook his head in annoyance, ears flapping against his skull. He blew out a deep snort, and that drew the attention of the combined wolves of Red Fern and his tactical team from Black Pine. Kane wasted no time in searching out Ghost—there his mate sat between Gerald and Burke, surrounded by Black Pine wolves.
Ghost leaned forward, one hand on the ledge above the pit, his silver eyes wide, bright, and glorious. His guards prodded at him, but Kane shook off their attempts to drive him to the center of the pit, and shifted. His change was not as seamless as Ghost’s would be—but it was noticeably swifter than even he was accustomed to, startled gasps came from those watching in the seats. Ghost was about twenty feet above him, a distance he could jump with ease, even in his human form. He reminded himself that was not the best idea, given he had yet to give his testimony and face judgement. If things went horribly wrong, he would risk escaping, and Goddess help anyone who stood between him and his mate. Never mind what he was capable of –Ghost had no notion of Laws or propriety, his control over his shamanic gifts wasn’t hindered by inhibitions or tradition. Ghost could cut a swath through any force who sought to control him.
“Little wolf,” Kane murmured, and the smile that erupted on Ghost’s face was bright enough to rival the dawn. “Are you well?”
He remembered how Ghost fought to remain with him through the previous night and he was worried for his mate. Kane was not afraid of what might happen to him—his mate bond with Ghost was no longer under contest, and he would accept whatever punishment the council saw fit to dispense in regards to the other charges. Unless they sought his life or to keep Ghost from him, Kane would bow to the Tribunal.
“I’m okay,” Ghost said, his sweet voice making Kane smile despite being naked, dirty, and surrounded by angry alphas. Ghost always spoke as if words were unnecessary, his body language conveying as much meaning as the words he chose. He leaned forward so far Burke grabbed the back of Ghost’s waistband to keep the youngling from toppling over the ledge. “Are you well, my alpha?”
“I am, little wolf,” Kane assured. “This will be over soon, I promise. Sit back with Burke now.” Impatient growls and the snapping of teeth next to his heels told him his guards were working up the courage to force him to the center of the pit. Ghost gave an impatient sigh and sat back in his seat, Burke shaking his head in amusement.
Kane turned and strode through his guards, the wolves yelping and backing away. He stopped right in front of the Tribunal, eyeing the clan leaders arrayed in judgement before him. He kept his chin up, and made eye contact with each. Caius was reserved and disturbed, though Kane had a feeling none could tell but for those who knew him well. Royrick gave him a small nod, and Mercuriel met his eyes without hesitation, giving nothing away. Heromindes and Julian alternated between sneering and trying to meet his eyes—Hero glared at him before breaking eye contact, and Julian failed after a few seconds.
Andromeda walked from the shadows to stand over the pit. “Before Kane of Black Pine gives his testimony in regards to breaking the Laws governing proper usage of the Voice, the shamans are asked to testify to the nature of the mate bond between Ghost and Kane.” She gestured to the shamans, and Michael stood from their number and walked to the edge of the pit.
“I am Shaman Michael of Red Wraith,” he said, speaking loudly, the assembled wolfkin quieting to listen. “As we were summoned by our collective clan leaders to ascertain the nature of the mate bond between Kane and Ghost of Black Pine, we examined the bond yesterday. I can attest that the bond between Ghost, a shaman, and Kane, a greater alpha, is indeed Goddess-forged. It is a soulbond and immutable—the Clan Laws have no bearing in this matter.”
“So say your fellow shamans?” Andromeda asked, and a soft chorus of agreement came from the gathered shamans. Andromeda turned to the Tribunal next. “Clan Leaders of the Tribunal, you have heard testimony by the shamans in regards to the nature of the mate bond between Kane and Ghost. Are the charges of blasphemy dropped?”
Royrick stood, and declared, “As the mate bond is Goddess-forged, our Laws have no bearing. Soulbonds are not held to Clan Laws. All charges of blasphemy and coercion laid against Kane of Black Pine are dropped.”
A rush of excited whispers surged through the crowd, and it took everything Kane had not to jump up and grab Ghost in a hug. He could hear Sophia and Burke cheering behind him, and the mate bond with Ghost opened wider. He felt his mate’s happiness and relief as if they were his own.
Royrick lifted his hand, and the crowd settled. “There is still the charge laid against Kane for improper use of the Voice. The Law is clear—the Voice shall not be used against a Clan Leader or Heir outside of an official challenge for rank. Kane has willfully admitted that he used the Voice against Heromindes of Ashland. We already have testimony of Heromindes as the victim of this crime. What say you, Kane of Black Pine?”
Kane took a moment, thinking of his options. He did indeed use the Voice on Heromindes. He broke the Law. “I am guilty. I used the Voice on Clan Leader Heromindes to prevent him from losing control. He was going to kill two human witnesses before they could be questioned. Those witnesses later gave information that helped in the apprehension of Roman and gave us information on Remus and his activities. Clan Leaders Caius and Heromindes both questioned the humans responsible for assault, torture, and trafficking of wolfkin. I used the Voice to halt Clan Leader Heromindes, and I immediately returned to him his free will after I used the Voice. It was unintentional; I reacted instinctively, to the urgency of the moment, and I apologized afterwards. I am deeply sorry for the affront and wish to make amends as Clan Leader Heromindes sees fit.”
The pit was quiet, and Royrick sat down slowly. Caius bore an odd expression, halfway between pride and worry. The other members of the Tribunal were either shocked, thoughtful, or angry, as was the case for Heromindes.
“Was there a witness aside from the involved parties?” Andromeda asked, making several wolfkin jump in surprise. Before Kane could offer a response, Burke rose from his seat.
“I am Burke, Speaker of Black Pine, and I was present. May I testify?” Burke spoke loudly, his words reaching every pair of ears in the surrounding seats.
Andromeda nodded, and waved a hand at Burke for him to continue.
“Kane’s use of the Voice was indeed unintentional and instinctive. I was in Kane’s mind, and Heromindes’ as well, orchestrating the raid on the humans’ complex. I could see every thought , decision, and action as it happened. Kane did so without malice or forethought, and returned to Heromindes his free will immediately. Heromindes suffered no permanent damage to his mind or free will.” Burke stood at the edge of the pit, one hand behind him keeping Ghost in his seat. Kane gave his best friend a nod in thanks, relieved and grateful that Burke stood up for him.
“He is a Speaker, and one which the members of the Tribunal know to be an honest and forthright wolf. Do you accept Burke of Black Pine’s testimony?” Andromeda asked, and Kane was never more thankful that Andromeda oversaw the trials. It was fast, to the point, and free of angry grandstanding.
The clan leaders spoke quietly to each other, Heromindes shooting glares at both Kane and Burke, while Caius remained stoic and remote. He gave a short answer and nod, and eventually Royrick stood again. “Speaker Burke’s testimony has been accepted by the Tribunal. We will adjourn for the rest of the day—all verdicts will be given by sunset tonight.”
The clan leaders got up and left quickly, Heromindes glaring at Kane for a long moment before Mercuriel blocked his view. Kane’s guards crowded in and started ushering him back to the tunnel.
“Kane!”
He looked back over his shoulder, and gave Ghost a small smile, trying to reassure his mate.
****
Burke took his hand from his shoulder, and Ghost melted into the milling crowd. “Ghost!” Burke called after him, but he couldn’t contain himself any longer. He ran, on four paws faster than thought, and ducked through the Red Fern wolves, soon finding his way into the woods.
Sophia and Burke called for him, but he refused to wait. He wanted this whole thing to be over with, done, and he had to wait to get his mate back? What was there to decide? He sat through the long, drawn out misery of a trial—whatever that really was—and thought he was surrounded by humans. Testimony, verdicts, guilt or innocence? The Laws, rules made by wolves long dead and gone—where were the wild dire wolves in their nature? The Tribunal were naught but old wolves playing at being human men. If not for the odd alpha named Roan and the presence of his Goddess, he would have thought he was fully in the human world. He’d watched enough television with Cat when he was stuck in his wolf form to recognize plenty of human customs, and the oddness of the wolfkin adhering to such things as Laws and trials left him frustrated.
He soon lost the desire to run, and found a tree to sit against, staring out at the forest. It was quiet, though he could hear the tiny sounds of life and motion. His ears flicked when a bird fluttered between branches, a rodent dug beneath the snow for its hoard. The wind rustled the tops of the trees, and trunks frozen in the deep cold on the mountain creaked in response. Clumps of snow fell from boughs, soft plops that came and went in waves as the wind blew.
A small scuffle to his right heralded the approach of a rabbit, and Ghost watched the critter curiously hop about, the wind blowing in the wrong direction keeping it oblivious to his presence. He was hungry. He hadn’t been eating enough, he knew that, too stressed out over Kane’s incarceration and the charges levied against him. He reached out with his mind, and could see that Kane was again back in his prison.
The greater alphas acting as his guards snapped and growled, and his mate ignored them all, indifferent to their attempts to rile him. Ghost huffed, pleased with his mate. Kane was a powerful alpha, and the wolves around him now were nothing compared to the might of Kane in his wilder form.
The rabbit got too close and realized its folly as Ghost leapt. He caught it in his jaws and shook hard, snapping its neck. He returned to the tree and lay down, eating the rabbit slowly. Steam rose from the kill as he licked the hot blood. He wanted to see his mate. Bring him a rabbit or two, share the kill, and run together beneath a bright moon.
****
Evening fell. He watched the sun set through the trees, the sky awash with fiery oranges and reds, the deep blue of twilight. The rabbit was long gone, his fur coated with ice, and Ghost felt alone despite the mental nudges he got from Burke and Kane. He wanted to reach out to Kane, but he didn’t want to cling, to fall apart. He was on the very edge of madness, the wait too much to bear. He found it all easier to endure as a wolf, and so stayed in the woods, avoiding the curious who tracked his trail through the woods. Eventually they left him alone, returning to their cabins.
The Tribunal would be casting their verdicts now, but when Ghost sent a wordless query to Burke, he learned the Tribunal would not be sharing the verdicts publicly with the whole clan at the pit. Burke told him the news quietly before Ghost could ask. He was both terrified and exhilarated. Claire and Roman’s fate was decided, but the Tribunal was still arguing Kane’s fate.
Claire would be punished and then banished from the combined territories of those on the Tribunal, all other clans informed of her transgressions. Ghost figured she wouldn’t last long—even in the wild, an exiled wolf, injured and weak, would fall to the fangs of other packs. She would find no welcome.
For Roman—death. The how and why of it Ghost did not care.
Ghost ran for the place his mate was locked away. The greater alphas guarding him were hunkered down around a fire, in their human forms and clothed. They were eating and talking quietly amongst themselves, Ghost snuck by them without being noticed.
Ghost crept forward, the flickering light from the fires camouflaging his approach to the cage where his mate paced. Kane was in his wolf-form, the great and beautiful beast almost too big for his prison. Ghost could see him with his Spirit-sight, Kane’s powerful crimson red star in his core a writhing storm of strength and resolute determination.
Ghost was within a yard or so when Kane’s head turned in his direction, his dark eyes glowing in the shadows, only the hint of his outline in the darkness.
*Little wolf, you must leave,* Kane said, the frantic concern he felt for Ghost’s safety coming through clearly along their link. *The guards might try to hurt you if they catch you here.*
*No!* Ghost retorted, stepping through dead pine needles and sticks without a sound. He pressed his head through the bars, only able to get his nose and muzzle inside. He was not afraid of wolves who went against the Great Mother’s will, wolves who wanted Kane punished for having too much power—power they couldn’t control or exploit. Kane licked his nose, whining deep in his throat. *I cannot stay away anymore. I need you.*
*Little wolf,* Kane said softly, pressing his head to Ghost’s, the bars keeping them from getting closer. *I am Heir and Alpha, and I cannot disobey the Law. I must see this through unless they give me no other option.*
*Law made by wolves who hold their will above the will of our Goddess,* Ghost whimpered, thinking he should just use his abilities to destroy his mate’s prison and free them both. Let them leave, live in the wilds, wolves unfettered by foolish Law and pettiness. *She gave you the Voice as surely as she made me a shaman.*
*No, Ghost,* Kane told him, reading his thoughts about escaping into the woods. *We will wait and see what happens. Do you know of Claire and Roman’s fate?*
Ghost was about to answer, when the scent of a new wolf nearby interrupted them. Ghost swallowed his snarl, instantly recognizing Andromeda’s true-gold star, shining intensely in her heart. The White Wolf padded silently into the small space around the cage, and sat beside Ghost, her wolf-form terrifying in its beauty and grace. Pure white, glacial blue eyes, and fangs sharper than the final cut of Death, Andromeda was the epitome of the wolfkin.
*My daughter is to be exiled,* she said gently to them both. *Roman is sentenced to death. He will fight Heromindes in the pit tomorrow. The Tribunal agreed that was best, as they will not ask Caius to kill his own son, and Hero’s kin and clan suffered last at Roman’s hands. No one doubts that Roman will die against Heromindes.*
*And Kane?* Ghost demanded, paws restless in the pine needles under his toes. Kane was breathing slow and sure next to him. The great white wolf gave a sigh, her shoulders dropping as she exhaled. She gave Ghost a nudge with her nose, almost knocking him over. Ghost was small compared to Kane, and Andromeda was easily a head taller than even his mate.
*Kane is to fight in the pit as well,* she answered at last, ears back, nose down, unhappiness disturbing her usually inscrutable expression. *Heromindes was given the choice—justice for his wolves by taking Roman’s life, or face Kane in the pit. Maiming as a punishment was tossed aside in favor of combat. Only Julian and Hero pushed for maiming, and they were outvoted. Heromindes chose not to risk facing Kane in the pit—Roman was a wiser choice.*
*So who is Kane to face then?* Ghost asked. He was afraid he knew.
“The alpha from out-clan. Roan of Sorrowfields has been chosen to face Kane in the pit. If Kane loses, Roan may choose to take his life or banish Kane. If Kane wins, he is exonerated from further punishment and the matter is closed.*