Page 79 of Father of the Wolf

“Do you think Bequlf will try something?” Hope still stared at the traitor and Athair searched her emotions to see how she was holding up under the strain.

“Dàn thinks he will.” Athair shared his pride in her as he felt the controlled anger causing her to tremble. Anger, not fear.

Hope watched Bequlf laugh at a comment made by the woman at his side. He stood grouped with his supporters for quite some time before turning to finally face those waiting for his attention.

He stared at Hope with a malicious grin twisting his lips. “I know you, but from where?” Suddenly, his green eyes widened in recognition and his glowing gaze confirmed her own memory. They were the chilling eyes of her attacker.

Bequlf moved closer with an intimidating, stalking gait. “So, we meet again. It would seem the fates are laughing at us.”

She straightened and faced Bequlf squarely. “If the fates have any sense of humor, they are howling with glee. But somehow, I don’t find it funny at all.”

“Why are you at this meeting?” Bequlf asked with a puzzled look.

Ella looked surprised and a bit worried. “Hope is my grand-daughter. She will be the next Keeper. When did you meet her?”

“When he attacked and tried to kill me,” Hope said. Athair’s hand came to rest on her shoulder, and she was sorely tempted to back into his support. But she wouldn’t allow herself to run from this monster again.

“When he did what?” Ella’s voice hardened, and she glared at Bequlf.

“She saw something she shouldn’t have seen,” Bequlf said without explaining more, as if he could have a valid reason to hunt humans.

“I saw him, and his men kill a young woman. They were hunting humans.” Hope challenged him to argue the point, to deny his actions.

“Things are not always as they appear,” Bequlf answered enigmatically.

“Just what does that mean? Are you saying I didn’t see you attack Sarah Collins? Or are you saying she wasn’t killed?”

“I’m saying you should mind your own damn business. Or will you need another lesson before you learn to stay out of my way?”

“Perhaps if I didn’t have assholes like you attacking me for no reason, I could live a nice quiet life,” she snapped. “But no. You think you can walk all over other people. Well, I’m through being a doormat. So, if you still have anything more to say to me, say it now.”

Bequlf growled low in his throat in response to her shouted accusations. His face darkened and he stepped toward her as if to attack her right in front of everyone.

Hope almost stepped back, but she was so livid at all the problems Bequlf had caused and all the people he’d hurt, she stood her ground. Athair tensed beside her, and his hand tightened on the shirt at her back. She fought his effort to tug her backwards. He intended to meet Bequlf, who was now right in front of her. Athair’s strength reinforced her own courage. She was in the right and had no need to take any crap from Bequlf. Not now, or ever again.

“You are walking a dangerous path, little girl.” Bequlf’s voice lowered to a rumble, and she realized he was trying to use his empathy on her. Trying, but not succeeding.

“Does that mean I’ll have to bite you again?” Hope mocked Bequlf, even as he seemed about to wring her neck. She pressed her hand to Athair’s hip, restraining him when he would have pushed past her to confront the other man. She could easily feel his protectiveness and knew he would be happy to defend her if the need arose. But she needed to show Bequlf that she would not back down, that she was no longer afraid of him.

Bequlf’s hands clenched, and his face reddened with anger. The quick tensing of his muscles was the only warning Hope had before Bequlf pulled back his fist to punch her.

The blow never landed. Belquavir interrupted Bequlf’s swing by spinning his nephew off balance. “Think, boy,” he growled at Bequlf, giving him a hard shake and pulling him away from the others. Whatever the older man said in silence didn’t sit well with Bequlf.

Athair wrapped his arms around Hope, and she leaned back against him. He reveled in the contact. He would have enjoyed tearing Bequlf apart for threatening Hope and he would have. Even though she had been courageous enough to stand before the man’s raised fist, Athair had still pulled her back. He wished Belquavir had been slower to pull the cur out of his reach. Still, there surely would be other times he could repay what was still owed.

He was proud of Hope’s courage in standing up to Bequlf, but he was concerned about how Bequlf might retaliate for his loss of face at this gathering. Bequlf and Belquavir now stood apart and appeared to be having a heated mental debate, reminding him of two bears in a staring match. Talking them into a truce at this point seemed very unlikely. At least the failure could not be blamed on Hope. Bequlf had been the one to attack her, and now that his actions were public, he could be brought before the council for his heinous crimes. Athair reached for Hope’s mind and shared his pride with her. “You did wonderful.”

“I was terrified.”

“It didn’t show, not even empathically.” Athair rubbed his hands down Hope’s arms, sending her a tingle of energy. “Are you all right now?” He allowed his pride to soothe her, sliding his hands over her skin until her gooseflesh disappeared, and she relaxed against his body.

“I think so, but I don’t think I helped our plans to arrange a truce.”

“An honest truce wasn’t possible anyway, given the situation.” Although, he had figured that the traitors would agree to the truce, and then break it.

“I still feel responsible for making it less likely. What can be done about Bequlf? What will keep him from hurting anyone else?”

“He should be brought before the council for his crimes. Sandulfr suggested it also for his attack on Dàn and Rath. But it will probably do little good. Bequlf and Belquavir have many friends among the ruling council.” According to Sandulfr, they’d been trying to build supporters outside the clan, especially among anyone with ties to the ruling council.

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