Page 40 of Branches of the Willow

“What if she does, and we’re wasting time being stubborn about things?”

“Then we’re wasting time.”

“Remember when you wasted time not believing Serena?” It was a low blow, but it would get my point across. Mikael flinched, and pulled back away from me.

“That was different, Jess.”

“Was it? What if Annabelle has information that can lead us to Malachi before he hurts someone else? Isn’t it worth it to find out?”

“You said yourself, it’s been too long. Any information she may have had is stale now, at best.”

“I’m going. You can be there with me, or I will get someone else, but I am going.” My mind was made up and there was no way I would allow my mate to talk me out of it. Someone had to get us answers instead of hoping that the rest of his family just came and turned themselves in too. That was as likely to happen as me growing wings.

“You’re pregnant, Jess. What if something happens? What if all she’s been waiting for is to get her hands on you?”

“I’m pregnant. I’m not weak. She’s been searched. There’s been no one in or out to see her aside from you, Evan, and my father. Hell, I’m conceding that one, or all of you, can play bodyguard for me, if you like. Meet me somewhere in the middle here, Mikael.”

“Fine. Get dressed.” Mikael finished tying his shoe, and then clomped down the stairs. Ashley came in just as soon as he left.

“Well, that went swimmingly,” I groaned

She laughed. “He’s worried about you. I’m sure everything will be fine. Find out what she knows, if anything, and then let’s be done with her once and for all. I want every one of those traitorous bastards stuck on a pike in my front yard.”

“Wow, tell me how you really feel, Ash!”

“You can’t tell me you don’t feel the same way after what that family has done to you.”

“Oh, I do. I have a different plan for her though.”

“I can’t wait to see what it is.”

“I said I would speak to you, alone, Jessica.” Annabelle managed to seethe out through her clenched teeth. Her haughty attitude only made me want to beat the shit out of her. Truthfully, the only thing holding me back from doing just that anyway was the tiny little life that I carried inside of me.

“Oh, I understood your request, but what you are not getting is that your demands don’t mean shit to anyone here.” Mikael, Evan, Asi, and my mother were all present in the room with us. Annabelle was chained, in silver. She couldn’t move from the chair she was seated in, even if her life depended on it.

I moved freely about the room, pacing for no reason other than I had the luxury of doing so and she did not. “No one cares what you think,” I told her as her eyes tracked my movements. “You aren’t a princess in anyone’s eyes here. You’re a traitor to your kind, and you should be thankful I came and acknowledged your presence at all. Obviously, I didn’t think you had anything of importance to convey or I would have been by sooner.” If she could shoot venom from her eyes, she would be doing it. I lazily pulled a chair forward and took my time as I sat in it and then looked her right in the eye. “Now, you will say what’s on your mind while I sit here amongst my people or you can go straight to the locks.”

Fear clouded Anna’s features. “You would send a female to the locks?” Her voice shook as she asked the question while trying to figure out just how serious my threat was.

“You sent me to Zach and Sophia knowing what they planned. I don’t know why you suddenly expect pity from me.”

“That was Leanna. I didn’t have a choice!”

“Except that I was paralyzed, not knocked out, at first. I heard everything you and Leanna talked about. Your choice was very clear.” It was a bluff, and one that she fell for immediately.

Anna blanched.

“Now, I have important things to attend today, so spit it out already. What do you have to tell me that I didn’t already know?”

“Clarissa is with Malachi. She went to him when Evan realized she was only with him for ulterior motives. My sister only ever wanted the top dog, and now she has him.” Anna sniffled as I laughed. “What? Why are you laughing?”

“First of all, Malachi may have been the oldest, but that certainly doesn’t make him the top dog! Every male in this room is in higher standing and wields more power. With exception of you, every female in this room is far more powerful than he is too!” I stood and waved my hand indicating the people in the room with me. “Mypeople are not hiding with tails tucked between their legs. They aren’t waiting for someone stronger to do their work for them. Any ofmypeople are worth far more than your precious Malachi, who secreted away a harem of women to abuse at his whim. He will be brought to justice, as will any who stood with him. That includes you in case you’ve forgotten.” I stood abruptly and turned to leave then.

“Wait! Please!” Anna begged. “Please, be kind and remove my bond to him. At least let me die in peace.”

“I cannot remove your bond, nor would I ask it of those who can. You will live out the rest of your days in the locks, bonded to Malachi. You deserve no more than that.” All the color drained from Annabelle’s face.

The locks were nothing to joke about. There were three sets of them world-wide. One was about two hours away, another was deep down in the jungles of South America, and the third was in the unforgiving frozen wasteland of northern Siberia. Each set of locks held the worst of our kind. The rapists, murderers, and the jerks who tried and failed to out our kind to the general populace in outrageously violent ways were all there. Each set of locks was self-contained. Supplies were dropped in, but no one who was ever taken there got back out. Being sentenced to the locks, for some, meant immediate death, because the others present there would see to it. Women were almost never given that sentence, because everyone knew what would happen to them once they were dropped in.

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