Chapter Eleven:
Reese

 

The pack hall smelled of death.

Though there had been no orgies of murder and chaos since he’d taken over as pack leader, the stench still hung in the air, tainting it and reminding him of the pile of bodies at the last party he’d attended.

He still remembered the way hearts had beaten within that stack, humans alive but discarded and stacked like firewood once the ‘wolves had had their way with them.

It made Reese sick.

If he thought he could get away with it, he’d have put everyone responsible to death, but this was the era of the status quo. It was impossible to act. Humans were valued less than objects, below four-legged pets, and the enforcers would surely destroy him if he tried.

Elias had already prevented them from hauling him in to be tried under some twisted version of pack law for killing three members of his pack. It was the only reason he hadn’t slaughtered the other two responsible for Ashton’s rape.

He wanted to. Every time he saw them, Reese’s vision flared red with murderous rage. It didn’t seem right that they could’ve gotten away with what they’d done while continuing to survive — and in Mays’ case in particular, to prosper.

The slaver was still doing business at Bound, the place Ashton had been abused and almost killed at by one of his pack. Scott had forced Reese to choose between saving his lover or chasing the human’s would-be murderer. He didn’t regret his decision not to pursue Scott, but he did wish he’d found and slaughtered him before the enforcers had caught on.

That was all that saved them. If he killed them and the price was too high, he wouldn’t be able to protect Ashton or Leo. He wasn’t worried about ending up in a role like Jace had. He’d never break. He would die first. But he had to protect the humans he’d marked for their own safety.

Reese sat down at the head of the communal table, listening to the faint sounds of others talking in different rooms. He was only waiting for the last two anyone might’ve suspected him to summon — the last two he could barely stand seeing.

Mays and Scott, who were entering even as he struggled to keep himself from shifting and destroying them both. They were both smug motherfuckers, knowing Reese’s hands were tied behind his back. Even being ordered to come hadn’t made them less sure of themselves, though there were still things Reese could do to them.

This was the best chance he had. If he had to obey Elias — and he did, for all that he hated the idea — then he’d set it up so that he won no matter which way the dice fell.

If they succeeded in the task he was going to assign them, he would satisfy Elias’s thirst for blood.

If they failed, he would have an excuse to put them to death.

He still felt the faint stirrings of unease at the idea of sending them after an entire family, but at the same time…

Ivers had so very casually mentioned the fact that this particular branch of the Eastin family specialized in curses. He’d known perfectly well that a curse had ended Reese’s former lover Daniel’s life, that Reese had had to watch the witch die without being able to do anything for him.

He couldn’t trust Ivers. No one ever could, because he lied and manipulated as easily as he breathed. But at the same time, if he was right…

Reese would finally get revenge for something he should’ve gotten vengeance for so long ago. No one should’ve had to die like Daniel had, suffering from one disease after another until they’d finally overtaken him. No one should’ve had to suffer like Daniel had before the end.

If the Eastins were responsible… But he didn’t have time to find out for sure.

“What do you want?” Mays asked without preamble.

“Sit down,” Reese told the two of them, his eyes narrowing as he fought not to shift then and there and rip their fucking throats out. His gaze went to Scott, the psychopath who had slid a blade through Ashton’s gut, and the urge grew stronger.

Scott smirked at him, knowing perfectly well that Reese couldn’t do a damn thing to him without risking the consequences.

Scott Eastin, the almost pretty man who had been a witch before he’d been bitten, who had been thrown out of his family for the crime of turning furry once a month. He was a good choice all around for this sort of task, even if Reese didn’t really want to do this.

But he reasoned that it was necessary, that he didn’t have a choice, and it was true.

Mostly.

“I’ll stand,” Scott said — just to be contrary, Reese was sure.

Mays rolled his eyes but sat down, cracking his knuckles like the brute he was. “Well?”

“You two are going to do something for me,” Reese said, not faltering despite the lingering uncertainty.

Scott barked out a laugh. “We are?” He exchanged a smirk with Mays. “You don’t tell us what to do.”

“I’m your fucking pack leader,” Reese snapped. “You may not want to listen to me, but you know there will be consequences if you keep fucking with me.”

Scott didn’t seem impressed.

“What do you want?” Mays asked. “I don’t have time for this shit.”

“Yvonne and Frank Eastin,” Reese said slowly, aware that he was condemning the couple to death. “You’re going to kill them.”

That might not have been the most graceful way to request an assassination, but was there even one? How did you tell people to go off and murder others?

This time, Scott did seem taken aback. He laughed. “Wait, you’re telling me that you want us to go kill a couple witches for you? Oh, this is fucking rich.”

Mays peered suspiciously at Reese, running a hand along his bald head. “You’re just trying to set us up. I’m not going up against a couple witches.”

Scott glanced at him, and there was eagerness in his eyes he couldn’t hide that even Reese couldn’t mistake for anything else. He’d get off on killing, no matter who it was… and Reese was sending him after people to kill them.

“Why d’you want them dead?” Scott asked. “They go after your precious human?”

A low, bestial snarl emerged from Reese’s throat, and he slammed his hands against the table. “Shut the fuck up about him,” he growled.

Scott stopped talking, but the lazy smile lingered on his lips.

Damn it. They were getting to him too easily.

“It doesn’t fucking matter. You’re going to do what I tell you. You’re going to kill them, and you’re not going to get caught,” Reese said with more conviction than he actually felt — and really, he was ambiguous on the whole “not getting caught” thing.

“Ohh,” Mays said with a bark of laughter. “I get it.” He nodded slowly. “You really are the new bitch boy.”

“I’m not a bitch boy,” Reese snapped back.

Mays snorted. “So you’re gonna try to tell us that Ivers doesn’t have you in his back pocket? He had Pat there. Like hell was he gonna let the pack go.”

Reese’s heart pounded fast in his chest. He’d never be able to get the pack to listen to him if they knew who he was answering to, but then… Mays seemed to be more accepting of the idea now that he’d drawn the conclusion.

“No,” he lied.

Mays shook his head. “Don’t even try to lie. This has Ivers written all over it. You’re shit at this,” he noted. “Hope he doesn’t get you to do his dirty work often.”

“We’d know if he did.” Scott sneered. “You wouldn’t be able to keep that kind of secret, Dorsey.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Reese told them, not expecting them to listen, but to his surprise, they both fell silent. He knew it then, that it wasn’t him they were listening to. It was Ivers.

That pissed him right the fuck off, because as much as he hated them, they were his pack.

In theory.

“You two can handle the details,” Reese said.

“What, never planned a murder before?” Scott mocked him. “Or is it just that you don’t want us to use guns?”

His vision exploded with fury, and he was snatching for Scott’s shirt before he could stop himself. He caught the man by the collar, growling in his face. “Shut. The. Fuck. Up.”

He didn’t need a reminder of how he’d coldly assassinated Patrick or how it had bothered him after — of the way Noah and the rebels had so casually disposed of enforcers they’d run into during their trek through the sewers.

For once, Scott did what he was told, though his eyes sparked angrily as he was manhandled.

Reese shoved him down, forcing him to sit. “I’m sure you two know how to do this,” he snapped. “So just figure it the fuck out, and get it done within the week.”

“Supposed to look like ‘wolves?” Mays asked, his own eyes narrowing as he looked between Reese and Scott. “Or what?”

“Yeah.” Reese nodded slowly. “Just don’t leave tracks.”

Mays rolled his eyes. “No, you dumb fuck. We’re gonna go murder some witches and leave all sorts of traces there so they can find us and rip us apart.” He sneered at Reese. “You might want that, but we don’t.”

Reese said nothing, afraid he would lose his temper if he had to talk to them any more than he had to.

“Whatever,” Scott said, lip curling into a snarl. “We’ll get it done, but let’s just be fucking good and clear about this. It sure as fuck isn’t because you’re telling us to. You’re just a goddamn mouthpiece and a pawn, and that’s all you’re ever gonna be.”

The worst part was that Reese knew he was right. It made everything hurt, and he had to grit his teeth to keep from snapping out a response. “Just get it the fuck done.”

He stood up and stormed off toward the doors of the pack hall, leaving an open target on his back as he walked away. But unlike them, he could shift instantly, and he’d know if they were about to attack.

They didn’t.

Instead, he could feel them staring at him all the way until the doors closed behind him.

The drive home had him shaking, and he kept wanting to contact the two and tell them never mind, to call off the assassination. It was too late now. He’d already set it into motion, and he wasn’t even sure they’d listen if he told them to back off.

Not when they thought it was Ivers calling the shots.

Not when they were right.

Reese found Ashton in the living room when he got back to the house, and he instantly went to the human and pulled him into his arms. He buried his face in the crook of his neck, breathing him in.

He felt Ashton’s surprise, and the human tensed a little. He was still acting a little weird, but he didn’t usually get upset about Reese touching him…

That was the last thing he needed right then, to lose Ashton, too. He needed him more than ever — needed him safe more than ever.

“What’s going on?” Ashton asked, finally hugging him back.

“Just… pack business. That’s all,” Reese said, breathing out slowly. “It’s hard.”

“What happened?”

Reese shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Ashton sighed heavily, shoving at him until he let go.

It hurt, and he stared at Ashton, not understanding.

“You never want to talk about anything,” Ashton said. “You say you want me, and you want me around, but you find out crap about me… and I never get to know you.”

“There’s nothing to know,” Reese said uneasily.

Ashton snorted. “There’s plenty to know. I don’t know the first thing about you.”

“That’s not true,” Reese replied. Ashton knew a lot about him. He’d been living with him, for fuck’s sake. Reese had saved his best friend and saved his life, too. He’d even told Ashton about the senseless deaths — and the way a vampire had been able to stalk them the entire way, unnoticed, like Khaz had.

“Yeah. Okay,” Ashton said.

Reese sat there in silence, feeling desperately lonely and wishing he could talk about it, any of it. But he couldn’t admit to Ashton that he was Elias Ivers’ bitch boy, or that he’d sent two of the people who had hurt Ashton the most to kill a witch family that may or may not have been responsible for Daniel’s death.

“I’m going to… go upstairs and shower,” Reese finally said.

Ashton nodded, going back to the book he’d been reading without a word.

It didn’t feel like there could be any more distance between them if he tried.