Page 45 of Darkness Falls

"This may be hard for some of you to hear, but I believe both Callie and her mother may be involved in Gabriel's death." The room erupts in whispers and gasps all around me.

"Quiet, please! Let Damien speak," Austin yells out to calm everyone down.

"Callie was the last person known to be with her father before he died." I do my best to play the part of a sad husband and shake my head. "Gabriel was not always kind to her. I’m sure some ofthe guards can attest to witnessing some of his outbursts. He would take her to their basement and punish her fairly often. When I found his body, I knew it couldn't have been just a random person committing the act. I believe Gabriel took Callie back down there to punish her, and instead, it resulted in his death."

"Why would Callie kill her own father?" a council member speaks out.

“He hurt Natasha, too. I think Callie was trying to protect her mother," I tell them.

"If she killed her father, then that is a direct violation of one of our most sacred rules. We do not kill other members of our community," Austin yells out.

"I don't want to believe she did it, but there's no other explanation for her and Natasha's disappearance."

The members of the council mumble amongst themselves before Austin stands up and lifts his arms up to silence everyone. "Do you have any proof of this accusation? How was a woman able to take advantage of him like that?"

"I believe Soren may have also been involved. He’s disappeared. It's possible that he helped Natasha and Callie kill our great leader and flee the compound. I'm working on finding someone with the same skill set who can pull the video footage from the basement."

"Fair enough; we will continue this conversation once the proof has been displayed. It is definitely suspicious that Soren disappeared. If anyone is in contact with Callie, let herknow that the council has requested her presence." Austin looks them all over as they nod at him in approval.

This isn't how this was supposed to go. Austin is stealing my spotlight, and I don't know how to get it back without drawing suspicion to myself. My fists clench at my sides, but I have to try to keep myself calm.

"What should we do about the leadership role in the meantime?" I ask nervously.

"We don't need to make things complicated." Austin looks over at me before looking back out at the others. "You were Gabriel's second and Callie's husband. If we are all in agreement, you should hold the interim role."

My eyes roam over the room as they all nod and respond with an "aye." It's mine. It all seems a bit strange that Austin was so willing to let me have control, but it's mine, and I need to make sure it stays that way. I’ll get the video proof the council requires, and once I do, I'll put plans in place to track down my wife.

She will stand in front of the council to claim her fate. The best part about the whole scenario will be me intervening to save her before they can dole out her death sentence. Her punishment will be me for the rest of her pathetic life, and I'll be sure to make sure she secures my lineage before she dies unexpectedly. It's nice to finally have everything working in my favor.

Chapter 21

Sebastian

Callie came to me this morning to ask me if we could find another place for her mother to stay, and I couldn't find it in me to tell her no. The two of us are still working through our shit, but Barrett filled me in on the details of the conversation she had with her mother. Since then, she's been doing her best to keep some distance from her. I can't say I blame her. It's been a few days. I find myself wanting to try and cheer her up.

I don't know when it happened, but a switch flipped, and I started to feel things for her. It was almost like, as soon as she wasn't around, I missed her. There was so much going on with Kyler at the time that I didn't have time to process those feelings. I spent so much time keeping her at a distance that I refused to see how incredibly strong she is. She got under my skin just like she did with my brothers, and I have to face that reality.

Seeing her weak, alone, and chained to that bed really lit a fire inside me. She belongs to us, and nobody fucks with my family like that. Her father deserved a much worse fate than what he got. We won't make that same mistake with her husband. Damien will die a slow, torturous death, and when he dies, it will be by her hand. Shewill get her revenge. I'll do everything in my power to make it happen.

We haven't been alone together since killing her father because there’s been so much happening since we brought her back home. I've given her space for now, but eventually, we will need to figure our shit out. I thought she would want to spend time with Barrett and Ky anyway. Even sitting here like this and the way I've been thinking about her has me shaking my head in disbelief. I'm starting to remind myself of Kyler.

I come downstairs and see her curled up on the couch with a book. She looks so cozy I almost don't want to disturb her. "Hey, trouble. I'm going to take your mom to the safe house in a few. Did you want to come with us?"

We have two safe houses in the area that we purchased a while back in case we needed to relocate or disappear. They don't have the same level of security this house has, but, in a pinch, they’re perfect for hiding out. I'm taking Natasha to the one that's only a few miles down the road, just on the other side of Braxton Falls.

Callie looks up from her book, unsure of what she wants to do. I know she's been having a tough time with being at odds with her mother after thinking she was dead for so long.

She sighs and sets the book down beside her. "I don't know."

I take it upon myself to sit on the couch next to her. "We won't be there long. It's just enough time to get her settled and give her a quick tour. I think you should come. Things are strained between you two right now, and I'm sure itwould mean a lot to her."

"Seb, I'm trying my best to be around her, but she lied to me for my entire life."

She's acting like a child, and it triggers something in me. "Stop being a whiny baby about it, Callie. Your mother made an impossible choice."

"You don't get it."

"You're right, I don't get it. She's willingly leaving the house to go stay somewhere by herself to make you feel more comfortable, and yet, you're still being stubborn. How would you feel if she was gone tomorrow? If you never had the chance to speak to her again, would you feel good about how you're acting right now?"

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