By My Hand

Untitled Part 14

Chapter 16

Fred paced in the kitchen. It had taken all of them, to convince her to come back to the pack's house. It was the last place in the world she wanted to be, but Morgana had insisted they be someplace less recognizable than the estate.

Morgana... Fred still couldn't wrap her mind around it. She'd watched her die, fever had eaten her up within a day, and they had buried her. Morgana had been the cost, the life she'd had to loose in order to save Rafael's... or so she had though. Fred still didn't quite believe it, but had agreed to meet with her anyway. If it was really her, Fred could riddle out the how and why of it later, and if it wasn't... she needed to tear something apart anyway.

Vincent's blood still soaked her pants, her shirt, the smell was churning her stomach but she refused to change. Fred wanted Rafael confronted with what he'd done every time he so much as glanced at her. They'd left him there, left Vincent's body in the kitchen and Fred was still being shredded apart by grief and anger. Tamsin had sworn that it was safer, let the authorities sort out that mess, assume he'd been murdered and his wife kidnapped or likewise dead and just unaccounted for. It was the easiest way for her to disappear.

Tamsin staged a few things before theyleft adding to the chaos, after she'd scoured the house for allthose relics. There wasn't one left in the house, Tamsin hadn'tbeen able to find a single one and they didn't have time to searchfurther. Tamsin's grief was as raw as Fred's and she had keptherself distracted with tasks until they'd gotten back here. Tamsin had disappeared with Rupert, who had refused to leave herside, half an hour ago. Fred didn't know her well enough to guesswhether it was to cry, kill or loose herself in Rupert's body for awhile but it didn't really matter.

Tamsin and Rupert emerged from hisroom just as there was a knock at the door. Morgana strode inwithout waiting for an answer beaming. Her long black hair wasbraided to the side and draped over her shoulder. Morgana's brightblue eyes as warm and welcoming as Fred had ever seen. She wouldn'thave looked out of place at a concert, or a PTA meeting. A simpleblack leather jacket covered her white button down blouse, and herblack heeled boots were edgy without being ostentatious.

Morgana's eyes filled with tearswhen they landed on Rafael. She devoured the space between them injust two strides and wrapped him in her arms. "Oh my boy. I missedyou so much." They held onto each other for several minutes,Morgana on her tiptoes, Fred had forgotten how much shorter she wasthan her children.

Morgana extended an arm out towardsFred, inviting her into their embrace. When Fred didn't moveMorgana's eyes found hers questioningly. Her glance flitted toFred's blood soaked clothes, still not fully dried and then toRafael. She gave Fred a warm smile, "Later then."

Rafael had made no move beyond whatFred would expect of a son seeing his mother alive after believingher dead. If his wolf senses picked up anything off about herhe wasn't showing it. Fred couldn't smell much over the blood,and nothing hissed at her in concern, so for now she'd assume itreally was Morgana. As much as she wanted to embrace her as well,today had taken every ounce of Fred's energy and Morgana'sreappearance was just one thing too many for her, she didn't haveenough space in her brain for this. "You both look well,considering..." Morgana said looking between Fred and Rafael.

"All clear Morgan." The growlseemed to echo through the house before he even set foot into it.

"I wasn't really worried to beginwith." Morgana retorted to the stranger making his way towardsthem. If Fred didn't have room in her brain to deal with Morgana'sreappearance this man certainly wouldn't fit either. The universeitself seemed to be trying and failing to accommodate him.

This man was a warrior. Tall, densewith muscle and permanent scowl on his sharp features. One largescar ran then length of his face from scalp to jaw and where itcrossed over his right eye Fred was surprised he still had it. Itwound looked as though it should have blinded him. He looked like hebelonged on some ancient battle field swinging an ax, and with howold he felt Fred suspect he probably had been at some point. Hisdirty blonde hair fell past his shoulders, adorned with small braidsand some ornate flecks of metal. He hardly made a sound as heentered, despite the heavy boots he wore, predatory silence. He ranhis hands over his goatee that was threatening to become a beard fromlack of maintenance, smoothing it down as he stood beside Morgana.

Fred hated him on sight.

The pack all took several steps backand bowed slightly, instant unquestioning submission, even fromDavid, in the presence of this man, Fred's wolf instincts werehowling at her to do something similar. He raised his brow slightly,the only flash of emotion he showed, approval of their reaction tohim. His gaze fell on Fred expectantly, waiting for her to bow downas well.

Fred was too tired, too angry and toosad to care. The serpent in her chest was fuming that any creatureassume her submission to it, seethed at the arrogance of him deemingher anything other than superior to him. Fred held her ground, andtipped her chin up. You bow first buddy.

It happened in a flash. Fred foundher back against a wall with him snarling in her face, his blue andsilver eyes furious, his forearm across her collar bone. "I'llbet you bare the pretty little neck of yours to just about anyone, noone has ever been threat enough for you to care. We'll I'mthreat enough. I made you and I can break you." Even if hehadn't said anything, Fred knew, whether her wolf side recognizedthe scent or that serpent assessed, she could just feel it, his biteis what turned her. The werewolf toxin in her veins seemed to callto his.

"Submit!" He growled. The coppertang of Vincent's blood on her still filled her nose. She hadnever blindly submitted to anyone in her whole life, and shecertainly wasn't about to start now. People had bowed to her. The serpent coiled in her chest. Submit indeed, certainly not toa stranger, and not to someone who demanded it absolutely, someonewho had not earned it. She let her canines elongate, and her upperlip curl enough to show it. Fred tipped her chin up even further,exposing more of her neck to this animal, proving what littleconsequence to her he was. "Make me." Fred snapped.

He managed a sharp inhale beforeMorgan stepped in. "Endre! Have your pissing match later! We havebigger things to discuss." Fred watched the war in his eyes. Hewas aching to bring her, a flippant wolf pup, to heel, but whateverMorgana was to him gave him pause. Endre dropped his arm from herchest and turned his back on her, dismissing Fred as soundly as shehad him.

"This bitch doesn't look strongenough to rip a shirt, never mind ripping through the fabric of thisworld to get us home."

 Fred had been seconds from chockingthe air from his lungs but his words stopped her cold. Endre cast asnide glance over his shoulder as if he knew she'd been about toattack him. "What? You didn't think any of us belonged in thisgodforsaken reality did you?"