"Or what?"
She had me there. As pissed off as I was, there were lines I would not cross. I would not harm a child. Ever.
I had to take a deep breath and step away from the ledge. Persuade her. Be reasonable. I could do reasonable.
"Look, Julie, I am trying to be a nice guy. I've asked you nicely to release me. I could break out of here, but you would not like that, I promise you. That would be scary and loud, and nobody wants that sort of thing. This is the last time I am going to ask you. Please free me before I do get angry and do something we will both regret."
"You're doing it right now. I'm not stupid. I know you are mad and I know that if I let you out you'll hurt me and try to make me tell you where Kate is."
"No. I don't hurt little human kittens. Never have and never will. I give you my word."
She looked at me, thinking about it.
I leaned forward. "I know where Kate is and why, but I don't know why she left me in this cage. I would not hurt her and she knows that."
I broke into her place, I kissed her, I've indulged her beyond what any of my people could get away with. Any sane woman at this point would know where we stood. I would never harm Kate. I might roar and threaten, and I might even pounce when occasion called for it, but she knew damn well that no violence would follow.
But then again, we were talking about Kate. Nothing was sane about Kate. That's why I was sitting in a loup cage, trying to reassure a frightened child that I would not rip her to pieces.
Julie drew her knees to her chest. The kid looked like she never ate. A stiff wind might knock her over. "Kate thinks she has to save everybody, duh."
"Who is she saving by keeping me in here, Julie?"
"Her friends and you from having to hurt them. She knows you will feel bad if you do."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
She paused for a moment and then continued slowly, "She knows you're pissed and you will do your Lion King thing, punishing them for…" She paused considering her words. "Disobeying you. You will regret it when you calm down but then it will be too late. Dead is dead."
"Why would she think that I would regret it?" I was actually curious. Also what the hell was my "Lion King thing?"
"Cause she likes you and believes that you're a good guy."
"She said that?" A good guy, huh.
"No, but I can tell. The way she looks, when she talks about you."
Getting more interesting by the second. "Looks like what?"
"She looked the way my mom used to when she talked about my dad. And they are dead now."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"Everybody always says that, but it doesn't mean anything. It's like saying hello or something."
"It means something," I told her. "My parents are dead too, and I was about your age when I lost them."
Julie looked like she was about to cry and waved her arms. "Whatever. Look, I'm not stupid. I know things! Adult things."
"Like what?"
"Like sex. I know about sex."
I just stared at her. I wasn't opening that can of worms.
"The point is, she likes you. She likes you – likes you. She was going to kill Derek for you, if he went loup, so you didn't have to do it."
Now it started to make sense. So that was what all of this was about, Derek was Jim's responsibility and both Jim and Derek f**ked up royally. Now Kate was caught up in this mess. In her mind she was as accountable for the boy as we were. Derek had come to her for help and she had been unable to refuse. Unfortunately it had all gone to hell as things tend to in our world and the kid had gotten hurt bad. Now she blamed herself and the only thing she could do was to go all in and hope for the best. She took it all on herself, as an alpha would do. I had to give her credit for trying to see this thing through to the end, but it should have been me. It was my job to know what was going on, to save, to protect, and to kill when there was no other way, and I dropped the ball.
I couldn't undo the damage but I could step up and take charge. I could make sure that while there was breath in my body, not another of my people would be harmed. Whether or not she knew it, Kate was mine now and I would save her or die trying. That is what I do, I am the Beast Lord. I stood and locked eyes with the girl.
"Julie, if you release me, I swear that I will not harm you, Kate, or any of my people."
"Will you help them, in the games?"
"Yes, I will."
"Even Derek?"
"What?" What could I do for him that Doolittle could not?
"He is with them, fighting the creatures who hurt him. He is very brave."
Damn idiot. "Yes, but foolish as well." I wonder if she knows the whole story?
Julie grimaced. "Yeah, I know. It's about the girl. I will take care of her later, but I need you to promise about the others."
"Julie, I give you my word, I will do everything in my power to help our friends and punish our enemies."
She let out a breath she had been holding and smiled finally.
"Ok, deal."
MAGIC BLEEDS
I have been the Beast Lord of Atlanta for half of my life. I am responsible for the lives of several hundred Free People of the Code. Some people will tell you that being in charge means telling other people what to do. That is only a part of it. Leadership means doing what you know is the right thing. In my experience it rarely involves doing what you want or like.
Tonight was no exception. I was attending a meeting between the Pack Council, the alphas of all the clans, and the People, necromancers who piloted the dead. Bernard's was neutral ground, a sanctuary where all of Atlanta's players came to be seen and feel important.
Violence was strictly forbidden. No problem we could dress up and play nice with Nataraja's corpse f**kers. For now there was no need for open conflict between the Pack and the People. The peace would not last forever and one day I would watch the light go out of his eyes while the Casino burned down around him.
Pushing that pleasant thought aside, I entered the main floor. Jim was waiting there with the other alphas, I nodded to him and he led the group upstairs. I started to follow them when I detected a familiar scent. It couldn't be. Why would she be here?
She had broken into my place, messed up my weights, and even put catnip into my bed. In retaliation I had glued that cute butt of hers into her office chair. In short we were doing the mating dance.
For a while I thought I had lost her for good, but in our own f**ked up way we had swallowed our pride and reached out to one another. We both knew it would never be easy, but we were willing to try. I knew that Kate wasn't universally loved by the Pack, but they owed me. I bled for them, I fixed their petty squabbles. I had given them everything, they would give me this one thing. Or I would break it all apart.