30. Chapter Thirty

The day was spent making sure we all had something decent to wear to the nest. For Heath and me, that was easy. We had both brought extra clean clothing and had nice enough outfits for a small political affair. I didn't have a dress or anything, but I wouldn't wear one of those into a vampire nest, anyway. Clean black slacks and a professional blouse worked and allowed for movement in case something happened. Heath went with a black suit I couldn't help but admit looked dashing on him. Jabari had to run out and find something, unprepared for a political affair, but he was ready by the time we had to go.

We loaded up into Jabari's SUV, and he drove the winding roads of Seattle. I wasn't sure where we were going, but we left downtown and stopped at a mansion that had an amazing view of the Puget Sound on one side and a beautiful forest on the other. I had no idea where we were, but it was a place I wouldn't mind living if it weren't for the vampires I knew were inside.

"This is it," he announced. "They're expecting us. Jacky, what did I tell you?"

"Don't make eye contact with anyone except the Master for long periods of time. Don't allow any of them close enough to bite me. Growling, snarling, and hissing are frowned upon but not offenses they can call me out for. None of these vampires will be juiced or riding death highs, so we can easily defeat them if it comes to it. If they threaten our lives, we threaten them with our family and complete annihilation."

"Good." He nodded once, satisfied with that. "Heath, all of that also goes for you as well."

"The North America Werewolf Council briefed me earlier today. I'm allowed to push the Council coming down on the nest if it's needed. They are also already talking to the vampires of the Tribunal about possible charges being pressed." Heath yawned, seemingly unworried.

"Hasan is also already beginning discussions with them," Jabari said. "Good. That means we're a united front. A first for our kinds."

Yay! Look, the big boys in the sand box can play together!

I snorted at my thoughts, and we all left the vehicle. Night had fallen a few short hours before, and together, we went to the front door and knocked.

I was kept in the middle of the two men, holding a black bag containing the heads. We had gone over this as well. While I might be stronger than Heath because I was a werecat, neither of the men wanted me in the vulnerable position of flanking another. It also put me in the talking position, something Jabari wanted to ‘test my political skills,' promising to help if needed.

I couldn't argue with both of them, so I didn't bother trying. I stood in the middle, and that was that. I held the bag because it was less likely to get stolen from me than it was from them.

The door creaked open, and a beautiful man smiled at us.

"Jabari and Jacqueline, children of Hasan and Heath Everson, Alpha?" he asked politely.

"That's us," I said brightly. "I'm Jacqueline, and this is Jabari." I gestured to the very tall werecat on my left. Then I moved my hand to the very tall werewolf on my right. "This is Alpha Everson. You are?"

"You may call me Kevin. I will be escorting you to the Master of the Nest. He's been waiting for you."

"Thank you."

Kevin ushered us in, and I went to follow first until Heath stepped in front of me, looking around. Jabari held me back for a moment until the werewolf seemed pleased and nodded. I was allowed to enter, then my brother.

We followed, ignoring the large double staircase that looked like it belonged in a palace in front of us and went for the doors underneath them. Everything was dark wood with dark fabrics and low light. It would have been sensual if it wasn't the home of vampires. That fact only made it reminiscent of several horror movies I had seen in my lifetime.

Kevin pushed the doors open and paused in the center of the doorway.

"Presenting Jabari, son of Hasan. Presenting Jacqueline, daughter of Hasan. Presenting Heath Everson, Alpha." Like any good movie, he spoke so loudly he echoed back, and everyone in the room was very aware of who was waiting behind him to enter. Around the room, I could see vampires feeding on humans, licking their necks as blood dripped down.

There was a smell that couldn't be ignored. Some of the humans were close to death. Many were much too pale. The vampires fed hard and well, taking their meals to the very edge. I didn't know if it was allowed, but I had a suspicion it was the reason four death-addicted vampires had come out of the nest. It seemed like it was all too easy to kill one of the humans and begin a terrible addiction.

"Thank you, Kevin," someone said in a whispered voice, seemingly weak, but I found the one who spoke and knew he was anything but. He exuded power and was definitely in charge of the room.

The Master sat at the center of a long table in the back of the room, directed at the door we walked through. Vampires parted in front of us, and Kevin led us to him. As we drew closer, I could see he had the same blood-red eyes as every vampire in the room. His skin was too pale, and his fingers were too long as he steepled them in front of his chest and waited on us. His dark hair was past his shoulders.

I realized what I didn't like about him.

He was a clichéd motherfucker.

"What important task has brought you to my home this evening?" he asked, not bothering to stand on our arrival. Jabari had told me he would stand due to our positions in the werecat world. Was this an offense I should be paying attention to?

Neither of the men with me spoke, so I went for it, quickly throwing together an idea based on Jabari's suggestions.

"We've come to discuss with you a problem we recently encountered in the Cascades and possible reparations between your nest, the Seattle pack, and the family of Hasan." I swung the bag off my shoulder and unzipped it as I began to walk up to his table.

"Why would I owe the werewolves or werecats reparations?" he demanded.

I didn't stop walking forward. We weren't offered seats to speak to him as equals, and he didn't stand, putting us in a position of lesser power. I pulled out one of the heads at random and put it on the table. Several vampires hissed.

"Do any of these belong to you?" I asked, reaching in for the second head. When it was placed on the table, I noticed the Master's still face twitched. With the third head, he couldn't stop his lip from curling up ever so slightly. With the last head, he was glaring at me. "They killed two werecats, three werewolves, and tortured a fourth werewolf for a month."

"No. None of them belong to me," he answered, a noticeable tension in his words.

"Are you sure?" I asked, pretending to be confused.

"They don't belong to me because they left of their own free will. What they did with their time after leaving here isn't my concern." He didn't move, didn't lean forward, didn't do anything. His gaze was blazing hot, though. I could tell he was pissed.

"One of them claimed her Master in Seattle didn't want to kill her, so he threw her and the rest of the gang out, along with the ringleader." I gestured to all the heads then pointed at the one that died with a serene face, the one Jabari had questioned. "This one said it." I frowned at him.

"What else did that one say?" he asked softly, his eyes narrowing. "She was always unstable."

I pondered, not taking him or his anger seriously. "That her Master told her no one would miss some campers, but that Seattle wasn't safe for her anymore."

"And you say they killed five supernaturals and kept another hostage to torture?"

"Well, they were using him as a feeding source after all the other wolves were dead. You know the penalty for these things, of course. Decapitation by sun burning and brought back to their nest of origin. Reparations are to be paid if the Master is found to be negligent in his duties." I leaned in close. "And you were."

"You have no right to say that to me!" he snapped. Still, he didn't bother standing up for me. "You have the word of a dead vampire who was known to be—"

"Master, I know someone who can perform the ritual to reanimate those heads and make them talk in front of the Tribunal," Jabari called out from his place behind me. "Do not push me to it. Reparations for the wolves lost and injured will be paid to the Seattle pack. Reparations for the two werecats, Gaia and Titan, will be paid to Hasan directly, and he will make sure it is delivered to any family they might have."

"Why should I? You don't have a case." He reached out to grab the head I pointed out. Before he could reach it, I snatched his wrist and snarled viciously.

"That belongs to me," I warned him. "Heath, Jabari, come put these away."

Both men rushed up and quickly stored the heads again.

"If they used to belong to me, they belong to me in death to make proper arrangements for their disposal," the Master hissed. "Unhand me."

"No." I yanked him, forcing him from his seat onto his feet. "And while I have your attention, when guests of equal rank walk into your home, you fucking stand up and greet them. Now, I might be a rough American, but I am a daughter of Hasan, a member of the Tribunal and leader of the werecats. Jabari is his oldest son and heir. We aren't equal to your rank, we're above it. Alpha Heath Everson is an Alpha who once served on the werewolf Council in North America. He is equal to your rank if not higher."

Words I never thought would come out of my mouth. Social ranking was something I had avoided and run from for years. Now it served me. If it meant getting what was due for the deaths of several innocents minding their own business, I was going to wield it like a sword.

"You're an upstart who hasn't earned her place," the Master retorted. "Everyone knows you should be without your head and would be if not for your father."

"She might not have earned her place yet, but I have," Jabari growled, leaning over me. "You will pay reparations. These heads shall be sent to the fae Tribunal members, an uninterested and unbiased party, for their interrogations."

"The fae aren't unbiased!" He tried to yank his hand from me, but I squeezed, my grip growing tighter and tighter.

"Maybe you shouldn't have been so callous with your creations," I hissed. "You might have still had an ally at the end of this. As it stands, your Master and Mistress of the Tribunal are going to have to smooth over your mess. Pay the reparations."

"Screw you," he growled.

I shoved him away. "Jabari?"

"That's his only chance of smoothing things over before they get worse. If he doesn't want to, the Tribunal will make him. Let's go. We're done here." He turned and held out an arm for me. I rolled my eyes and walked past him. When I reached Heath, who had backed off a few steps, I gestured for him to keep moving with me.

We walked out of the ballroom and the mansion together.

As we loaded the bag into the back, all staying together, I heard rustling in the woods. I wasn't the only one. All three of us snapped to attention and stared at the woods to find several vampires with sickening red eyes. One hissed as I made eye contact with it.

They drew closer, some skittering across the ground on all fours, some walking slowly.

"Halt," Jabari snarled.

I went for something a bit more intimidating.

"If you start this fight, we're going to kill as many of you as we can before we fall. You won't win in the end, though. Kill two of Hasan's children and their ally, and he will bring the entire weight of our family down on your head and every werecat that respects and follows him. You will be dust. Your Master will be dust. Everything to do with you, including your home, will be dust. Then our family will build a mansion in its place and eat holiday meals together, knowing they earned the spoils of war, not ever giving you a second thought."

Heath and Jabari turned to me, both surprised by my words. Maybe I was being a little too dramatic…it was possible.

The vampires didn't continue their approach, several hissing viciously at my threat. We hurried into our SUV, and Jabari hit the gas, screaming down the driveway like it was a racetrack.

After the mansion disappeared behind us, I breathed again. Once we made it out of the gates, officially off the driveway, I relaxed completely.

"They outnumbered us bad enough, we could have gotten killed," I said softly.

"The Master was considering his options. If he killed us and destroyed the heads, there would be nothing for the Tribunal to use against him, even our deaths. We would be unfortunate accidents, or he could say we threatened him unduly, and no one could say otherwise. He plays a dangerous game inside his nest and doesn't want anyone to know it." Jabari's voice was tight.

"You noticed that?"

"I noticed it," Heath said softly, looking out his window with a frown. "He lets them nearly kill humans. I bet many die after those sorts of parties, and he just disposes of the bodies. I'm going to call Geoffrey and fill him in as we head back."

"I'm thinking the same thing. I'll report it to Hasan, then we shall go home," Jabari said. "We're done here. The rest is up to the Tribunal."

"That it is," I whispered, looking at the trees as we drove. I could hear Heath already on the phone, rattling off the meeting as I considered Jabari's words.

Home sounded good.

Then our ride flipped as something slammed into the side of it.