Chapter 545
I screamed. It wasn’t even a thought. It must have surprised everyone because they all turned to me. Garith chuckled as he wrenched the knife out of Rowan’s leg. My mate just grunted as the blade was ripped from him. “I love Omegas. They are always so theatrical.” Garith mimicked my scream. “Ah!” Then he doubled over laughing. Everyone else around slowly joined in, but I caught a few women who weren’t laughing. “Come close.” Garith waved everyone closer, but no one moved. “Oh! Right. Itsi blugh dor not ihnas provon ti.” The remaining people all closed in with Brandon turning away from Garith and heading straight for Lynn.
“I’m going to kill you.” His threat hung there as he reached for Lynn. Her eyes flashed to me, and behind the slight panic, there was acceptance. I watched her eyes as acceptance won over. She was okay with this outcome. She nodded once towards me.
Then she turned to Brandon and smiled. “Sure you are.” She cackled once more before swinging on him. I screamed again, no words, just pain that I couldn’t get there. This wasn’t right, but I was stuck in place. I felt hands on my arms.
“You can’t.” A soft whisper was the only thing that held me back.
“Stop.” Garith slapped the command on Brandon, and I watched him almost fall. “I released everyone to come watch the downfall of our king, not so you could get revenge on a fucking she-wolf boy. Either you come watch, or you stand there and glare at the botch, but until I’m done, you don’t fucking move. Understood?”
Brandon glared, but then he nodded. He turned back to Lynn and smiled. “You get an extra bit of time, but I swear here and now, I will kill you.” He snapped his fangs, trying to intimidate her.
She laughed. “You think you are scary? You look like a little boy trying to play werewolf.” She laughed again, and a few joined in. “Enough.” Garith turned back to Rowan, who was just watching everyone with glassy eyes. Something close to panic curled in my belly, but I trusted my mate. “Now, I don’t want anyone interrupting me when I am having my fun. So….it lor kina sizet.” I felt the spell settle on everyone again.
When a murmur went through the crowd, I whispered the counterspell. “Itsi blugh dor not indi ahsa.”
“My king.” Garith twirled a knife. “It must be tiring being the last of your kind. Lonely even.” He smiled as Rowan seemed to slump down, acting as if the silver they pumped into his body was taking effect. “Look at you. Barely holding it together. The burn in your stomach? The silver we slipped into your drinks. It should have made it throughout your system by now.”
Rowan just smiled. “Doesn’t matter.”
Garith laughed. “Why do you say that?”
Rowan tilted his head as he slipped another inch. “I can still shift. Lycans will always shift when they feel threatened.”
Garith nodded. “As I learned with your mother.” He pulled down his shirt and showed a scar on his chest. “She almost got me. She sadly had horrible aim.” He laughed. “Missed my heart by a fraction. Can’t blame her though. Hard to aim while you are fighting for your life.” Garith laughed.
I felt my arm tremble. Thankfully, the long sleeves were hiding the fur that was rippling down my arm. Rowan growled. “You bastard.”
Garith nodded. “I am. But it’s okay; my mother knows all too well. And if I kill my own mother, I mean, what does your mother hope for?” He turned to me and grabbed another knife. “While I would love to just kill you, sadly I have to take my time, heartbreaking I know.”
“Why not just kill him and get it over with?” Shannon asked, boredom creeping into her voice. “We still have to eat.”
Garith chuckled. “You would have been worthwhile if you actually had a rank.” Shannon struggled with his almost-compliment. Her face teetered between a scowl and a smile. “But to answer you, we need information. I need to know who his mate is…and who the first family is.”
Rowan grunted as a second knife slid into his leg. “You think I’m going to tell you?”
Garith smiled. “I don’t think you will have a choice. You see, I sent men to the capital. And to the cabin in the woods. My mother’s place. The one you spent so much money rebuilding. The one you thought was safe. Yeah.” He took out his phone. “The men are in place, and they are chipping away at the shield you managed to erect. Impressive.” He grabbed a third knife. “Who is your witch? Is it Amy?”
The growl that left Rowan was loud and terrifying. Garith froze for a second. “Is your witch my granddaughter?” Rowan remained silent this time. Garith leaned in, chasing that tiny lead. “Is she your mate?”