Healing The Alpha Collection (12 page)

"I can't budge his arm," one of the guards said helplessly.

"Motherfucker," the other said, yanking to no avail on his other arm.

He refused to move, refused to let them shackle him. He wasn't going to fight back, but he wasn't going to cooperate, either. If these two buffoons wanted to imprison Aster, they were going to have to earn it.

"Sir," one of them protested, looking back helplessly to Abaddon. The demon continued to ignore them. The side of his body was turned to Aster as he and Leena's body continued to taunt him with their public display of affection, but their eyes were cut towards him. They were mocking him and trying to wound his pride, a sin usually unforgivable in the face of a strong alpha.

Leena and Abaddon's tongues continued their tango as they mocked him and the guards fought and pulled with all of their might. Leena bit down on Abaddon's bottom lip, pulling it forward and clamping down as she growled and teased.

"Enough of this shit," the other guard said as he drew a baton from his belt. Aster still didn't budge as the guard brought it down across his back with all the power he could muster. The other took his partner's cue and drew his baton. Together they both began to beat Aster mercilessly. He tried to stay strong, tried to stand and ignore the hard plastic clubs beating him, leaving cuts and bruises all over, but finally his body gave out.

He collapsed into a heap on the ground as one guard delivered a steel-toed boot to the gut, driving all the air out of Aster's body. He rested his face against the cold concrete of the cell floor as they stood over him, sneering in triumph.

"Not so tough are you now, big guy?" the guard that first drew his baton said.

"They're all the same size when they're lying on the ground like a bitch," the second guard said.

"Enough," Abaddon said.

Aster couldn't see him, couldn't see if he had finally unhanded the body of Aster's only love. The mocking might have continued for all he knew, but for now he just wanted to rest his face on the floor and stare at the cinderblock that made up the cell's back wall.

He could feel warm blood pooling under his face. One of the shots to the head had broken his skin, causing his head to gush with the warm stickiness of his life force. As the blood continued to flow, a thought occurred to Aster. A thought that made him smile and almost laugh out loud, but he held his emotions in check and continued to lie on the floor like a wounded animal.

As the guards reached down and lifted him to his feet he stuck his hand in the pool of blood, getting enough on it to saturate his skin. The guards continued to sneer at him and giggle about their victory as they clamped the heavy shackles onto his wrists. There was a chain leading from his wrists to his ankles where they clamped two more heavy steel pieces.

"Now walk," one of them ordered, shoving him hard in the back with his baton.

Aster put his head down and began to walk, keeping his bloody hand in a fist as he went along. They had him in the jail, in solitary confinement. As he was shuffled out of the small corridor that held his single cell, he was led past the two doors that led to the Dawn and Guard hallways that were lined with cells. He looked up as he passed the large holding cell where they brought drunk humans who needed to sleep off a night of debauchery. His eyes grew wide and he felt his heart race as he looked into the cell.

They'd gathered up most of his friends and forced them into this cell so they could watch the dead wolf walking. All of them ran to the bars, not a one daring to open his or her mouth as the two demons looked at them. They were all there: Rowan, Thorn, Beorn, Hawk, Rain, Eva and a short, red-headed human Aster did not recognize.

"Brother," Rowan finally said, defying the glare of the demons. "You're hurt badly."

"Don't worry about me," Aster said, giving Rowan a knowing smile. "I'm going to be just fine."

Rowan smiled and nodded his head. The two best friends didn't need to speak any words to one another; they knew what the other was thinking just as easily as they knew their own thoughts. Rowan knew that Aster had a plan.

"Choke on your sentiment," Leena said, walking over and slapping the bars where Rowan's face had been pressed up against them.

"I know you're in there, Leena," Rowan said, not flinching as the demon woman got right up against the bars. "You can fight this thing. You can be you again."

"You know nothing," Abaddon said, stepping up to the bars as well. Both of the 'demons' backs were to Aster and the two guards were to his right laughing and mocking his captive friends. They were ready to spring into action at a moment's notice if the dangerous alpha wolf they were escorting tried to escape, but at the same time they didn't notice him innocently rubbing his fingers on his broad, bare chest.

The demons' pride had taken over and now they were busy arguing with Rowan over whether Leena could break the hold or not. Aster had seen that look on Rowan's face before; he wasn't going to back down, and he was ready for a fight come hell or high water.

"I'm going to make an example of your brother," Abaddon said to Rowan. "He's going to hang for his crimes against us in front of you all."

"You'll never get away with this," Eva said, piping up from her spot at Rowan's side. "There are humans in Bucklin. Do you think the police in the surrounding towns are going to stand back and let you take over our town?"

"We're not taking anything over," Abaddon said. "We're only here to kill your alphas and end this town forever. We won't be sticking around. If the local police figure anything out, we'll be long gone by the time they get here."

"Fight, Leena," Rowan said softly, resting his forehead against the steel bars. "Please fight for me."

"You still beg for your sister to take over and save you?" the demon who controlled Leena's body said. "She's the reason we're even here. If she had stuck to the pact and been good then we would have continued to leave you alone."

"You broke the pact," Rowan said. "You weren't supposed to come back."

"As long as I kept my mate," Abaddon said, a deranged gleam in his eyes. "Your buddy Forrest saw to that."

"Because you asked him to!" Rain screamed, jumping up from her spot at the back of the cell and running to the bars. "You set us up!"

"I'm innocent," Abaddon said, putting his hands out to his sides and laughing. "Completely innocent!"

"You son of a bitch," Rain spat. "You know damn good and well what you're doing."

"So does Leena," the female demon said. "She knew it was over, yet she's been reaching out to her old mate for ten years. She's constantly trying to defy me, no matter what we do to try and break her. Well, you know what? If she won't give up, then we
will
break her. Seeing everyone she's ever loved die a horrific death will be quite enough to shatter her resistance for the rest of time. I like Earth folks and I'm not going anywhere."

"Speaking of her old mate," Rowan said, looking past the demons to Aster. "Why don't you ask him what he thinks about this?"

The two demons turned, their eyes growing wide as they looked at Aster. He relished this moment. He had been waiting for it since he had read the tome at the Order of Apollo so long ago. As he stood there, chest heaving, Leena almost fell backwards into the bars in shock. Abaddon was compelled to read the words scrawled in blood on Aster's chest aloud. The ancient codes required it.

"I challenge Abaddon's vessel to mortal combat," he said, the color draining from his dark face.

Aster smiled and cracked his knuckles. His injuries were quickly forgotten as the adrenaline pumped through his veins. This was the fight he had been waiting for for ten years.

Chapter 15

He's going to do it!
Rowan thought as Leena and Abaddon both recoiled in fear.

Aster had told Rowan about his plan ages ago, after he had returned from one of his study sessions with the Order of Apollo. Rowan had thought he was crazy, but now, if the demons' reactions were any clue, Aster had just made the correct move. Checkmate.

"No," Abaddon said, his voice starting to sound like two people talking rather than one. The demon was beginning to separate from the person. "You can't take my power."

It was a disturbing scene to watch. There were shadows dancing around Abaddon now as his face began to stretch like he was a piece of taffy being pulled to its limit. He grabbed at his head and roared, trying to fight the ancient code he was bound by, but neither man or demon had a choice.

"I have not been challenged!" Leena said, stepping up and puffing her chest out. "I will put an end to this before you can destroy my mate!"

"No!" Abaddon screamed, his voice sounding like two mechanical entities fighting for control. "You cannot interfere or we will both be banished!"

"What?" Leena asked. "Then I'll just have to kill his friends. Revoke your challenge or they die!"

Aster looked worried for a second, glancing back at the cell. Rowan shook his head, making eye contact with his old friend. "You can't worry about us, buddy! You have to finish this!"

The determination returned to Aster's face and he nodded, dropping back into his combat stance again.

"Then the choice is made," Leena said, laughing. "They all die."

She turned and faced the jail cell, smiling as she advanced with fire in her eyes. She held out one arm and flames began to dance across her skin, snaking and combining to form one long blade. Rowan had seen this magic once before, when Crow was killed by Abaddon. Rowan didn't know what other magic she had, and he didn't want to find out. It was still Leena's body; he couldn't kill his own sister even if she was possessed.

He felt the sweat beading on his forehead as he began to back away from the bars, his mind drawing a blank for action. For the first time in ten years he felt completely helpless. He wasn't in control of his destiny at all.

"No!" Beorn roared, pushing everyone out of the way and stepping up to the bars. "Listen here, you crazy bitch. These other pitiful wolves might have a sentimental attachment to you, but I sure as hell don't. You want to kill us, then you have to go through me! Remember what I did to your buddy in the grocery store? I'll do the same thing do you, only I'll crush your head with my bare hands!"

With those words Leena stopped and backpedaled, her bravado suddenly dissipating. Beorn sneered at her and put his face against the bars.

"You don't think Rain told me about your conversation? If you destroy the vessel's head, then the demon is expelled. I know you can't just leap from body to body, you have to be placed. I'll crush your tiny head with my bare hands and spit on your spirit while you return to hell. Just watch me."

Flames shot up Leena's arm and the sword completely disappeared, but her smile remained. "Even being as powerful as I am, I can't kill you all at once. Just wait until reinforcements get here." She turned to the two armed guards. "You two idiots! Gather everyone!"

Rowan swallowed hard. They were sitting ducks if someone returned with guns. This had to end quickly. Still, he couldn't let Beorn get away with threatening to end his sister's life. Somewhere inside that mess was Leena. Rowan glared at the bear, letting him know he wasn't pleased with his threat.

Beorn turned to Rowan and tried to stare a hole through the powerful sheriff. If the two of them had been in a different situation they might have come to blows, but for now they just postured. Finally Rain stepped between them, trying to push Beorn back. She turned to her surrogate father and gave him a pleading look. Rowan looked at the ground, pissed that he was being the bigger man and backing down, but it would do them no good to fight amongst one another now.

He turned and looked at what was happening outside their cell. Abaddon was still on the floor, still staring up at Aster while running his mouth. Aster was just standing there, his hands calmly at his sides as he watched the demon's struggle.

"He's stalling, Aster!" Rowan shouted. "Finish this now!"

Aster nodded and began to slowly advance towards Abaddon, who was still struggling. He had dropped to his knees and the dark spirit of the demon was trying to keep its hold on his back as it was being ripped from his body. It was like a shadow was exiting Abaddon's back but fighting and clawing to stay inside.

"The challenge has been issued, demon," Aster said. "Do you accept or will you be banished back to the hellfire you came from for eternity?"

"I am my own master!" the two voices screamed. "I will not be forced by these ancient rules!"

"You have no choice, demon," Aster said. "Power out of your control compels you right now. If you accept you may get lucky and win the fight, and you'll stay in our mortal world. If you lose you can try again centuries from now."

A black cloud rolled through the room. There was a tremendous flash of light and then the darkness took over, blocking Rowan's vision completely. The cloud began to dissipate and re-form in the air behind Abaddon. Slowly it took shape, looking like a twisted, stretched amalgamation of Abaddon. The demon was separated from its host, waiting for the results of the battle. Its face was twisted in unholy anger as it watched, unable to affect the mortal world in any way until the battle was complete.

"Hello, Abaddon," Aster said, smiling down at the mortal man who waited on his knees.

"You son of a bitch," the man responded, his voice a little softer than the one that he had used since they had met him. He looked up at Aster with hate in his eyes as he clenched both fists. "You took it from me, you bastard!"

"Then take it back," Aster said, putting his arms out to the side. "I'm right here."

Abaddon began to laugh as he rose to his feet. "I'm a stronger wolf than you, Aster. Even without the demon I will finish you."

"Then make your move," Aster said. "Talk is cheap."

"Can he do it?" Eva asked Rowan.

"I don't know," Rowan said. "I can smell the strength coming off of Abaddon."

"How's that?" Eva asked.

Thorn stepped up to the bars beside them, his eye still swollen shut from the beating he had taken the night before. "Usually wolves can smell the strength in another wolf. They can tell who's an alpha just by scent. Alphas smell different."