The Beasts and Brave - Chapter 4
#16 of Eben Black Series - The Beasts and Brave
© All characters and storylines surrounding these characters belong to me, Eben Black..
Time passed and soon we were all standing in the lounge. Donovan had asked we dress formal, but relaxed formal and not in suits like he'd made us do when we met the lions. It seemed the lions manor house was to be neutral-ground. That was fine by Donovan, he had never spoken to the cheetah alpha, and had only heard of him through Maximillian. I was anxious, but felt better having both Donovan and Kane with me. Snow was sat on the couch, the pleasant have-a-nice-time look across his face, but behind those blue eyes I could see the disappointment of not being allowed to go. I smiled down at him and ran fingers through his head fur. He rewarded me with a gentle purr and a sway of his tail. He was dressed in a simple white tank top and pale blue three-quarter-lengths. He'd told me that tonight while we were out he'd take a swim and watch some television. It sounded so normal. So human. He liked sports and could relax and watch television. Just because we looked like animals, didn't mean we acted like them.
I was dressed in a pair of black denim jeans, tucked into the pale blue high-tops on my feet. I wore a dark red tank top under a black dress shirt that I'd unbuttoned halfway down. I'd rolled back the sleeves passed the elbow, I had fastened a leather belt bracelet around one wrist, while a thick, silver chain was tied around the other. I'd also fastened the two silver loops through one ear too. I tousled Snow's head fur and looked around at the others who were now gathered. Kane was dressed in similar black jeans, black hiking boots and a rich, pale brown dress shirt that he'd left unbuttoned to expose his toned chest and flat stomach. He'd fastened a katana at his hip. The blade was an illegal custom, it had silver blended into the blade at fifty-nine percent. He could cut a wereanimal with that and even if the wound was shallow, it would burn like he'd slashed them with fire. I hoped he wouldn't have to use that blade tonight. Donovan stood beside Kane, hands buried in the pockets of his trousers. He'd put on black dress slacks, a pale green tee and a dark grey waistcoat fastened around it. He'd donned a tie that was loose around him as he stood in polished dark grey dress shoes. His cream-brown fur looked smooth and washed. Like the rest of us, he'd showered before we had gathered here. The silver loop through his eyebrow was joined with a silver ring round his left engagement finger. He had asked that we go in their armed, so while Kane had his katana in tow, both me and Donovan had donned shoulder holsters. The gun I was wielding was a customised Punisher 9mm, the guns I'd found out had been precautions made by Bishop and Donovan. Since Sawyer's attack we were to take weapons everywhere with us. The bedrooms had weapons in them and we were armed for whatever faced us.
The werelion who'd been told to take us to Maximillian's manor was called Eddie Harlan. He was the first werelion I'd met who had short head fur, it was a dark chesnut brown colour, his golden eyes held a gentle boredom about them. He was young, in his mid-twenties, around my age, but he was also a young werelion. He had been one for around two months. He stood dressed in a white tank top, dark blue denim jeans, the knees ripped to showed the rich light brown fur underneath. He wore dark brown hiking boots, leather wristbands around his wrists. The bottom lip of his maw pierced on one side in silver. His thick tail hung behind him, almost as bored as he seemed. But I'd seen wereanimals hide behind boredom like a shield before. When he'd seen us all gather, armed and dangerous, he'd smiled and seemed fine with the precautions.
"Are you all set?" Donovan asked, looking over at us.
We all nodded and followed Donovan and Eddie without a word. Snow's fingers found mine and stopped me dead. He stood and loomed over me.
"Something wrong?" I asked looking up at the adonis before me.
"I have a bad feeling about this."
"What do you mean? Donovan and Kane will be there, not to mention Maximillian and the other lions. I'll be fine." I hugged him and felt his muscular arms surround me.
"You know where I am," he breathed as he kissed me atop the head fur and then slowly stepped back from me. Our fingers trailed and then he let me go again.
"I'll be fine, I promise." I smiled back at the serious looking weretiger and then followed the others into the penthouse elevator.
An hour later we pulled up at the manor house where the lions lived. It was a grand old manor in the suburbs. Towering brick walls lined the grounds of the manor house. Beautiful gardens stretched along either side of the house. The manor house was two stories, tall windows lined the walls, a rich double door stood proud, a golden lion-knocker sat in the centre of the doors. Eddie walked ahead of us and unlocked the door. He pushed open the door, and revealed the entrance hall of the manor. A huge staircase stretched up the centre of the entrance hall. Thick red carpets lined the staircase, rich marble pillars reached for the ceiling, dark red doors lead to other rooms inside that manor house. I had a moment to take in what was before me before I was met head long with a big, furred chest. Huge, muscular arms wrapped around me and embraced me. I looked up and found the beaming maw of Max. He lowered me to the ground and grinned down at me. He'd been doing this for about three months now, he considered me something of a saviour considering what had happened three months ago. The feline responsible for the massacres had bespelled one of his lions and sent him on a rampage. In stopping the rampages, Maximillian had been indebted to me, in his own words.
Maximillian stood at six foot six, he was all muscle and confidence. His mane of brown hair cascaded down his back, bound in the familiar braid he normally wore. He'd donned a white dress shirt underneath a black waistcoat, he'd unbuttoned the top half of the shirt so that his chest fur spilled out in a warm line. He wore black dress slacks and shoes that were polished. His thick tail hung behind him, that thick flourish of brown fur at the tip. He grinned with golden eyes, as he lead us deeper into the manor house.
"Your looking well, Eben. You look more toned than the last time I saw you." He smirked as he spoke.
"You look taller. Did you grow an inch or so?" I replied with a smile.
Maximillian laughed, a deep, rolling noise from that beaming face. "I hope, Eddie, did not take your the long way around?"
"I brought them here as quick as possible," Eddie smirked back.
"You have been known to prefer the scenic route, though," Maximillian said as he lead us into the main living room.
"When are the cheetah clan due to arrive?" Donovan asked.
"Aleksander should be arriving at around seven o'clock."
"Aleksander? Is that the alpha's name?" I asked.
Maximillian and Donovan nodded. Maximillian explained, "Alek is a good alpha, he leads well, but he tends to jump in head first instead of thinking things through."
Donovan walked across the living room and sat down in an armchair, he reclined and looked well too relaxed, considering what we were here for. "Alek will be a challenge to work with."
Kane and I sat on the couch beside Maximillian. Eddie leaned against the mantelpiece and watched us all with a quiet boredom about him.
"You mean within the coalition?" Maximillian asked.
Donovan nodded and said, "He'll work alongside us, I have no doubt. But down the line rules will need to be made."
"Rules? What kind of rules?" Kane asked.
"Each animal group has their own regulations, laws, rules that they follow. But we will need to establish some between the three alphas and adhear to them."
"What did you have in mind?" Maximillian asked.
"Helping one another when its needed, thinking things through before acting on them. Those kinds of things. The cheetahs are proud from what I've heard," Donovan said.
"The cheetahs are not traditionalists, they do not work as real cheetahs do in the wild, but Aleksander does act with a cheetah's passion at times."
"Together, I believe we can reign him in and keep him under wraps. But cooperation is going to be needed, and Aleksander knows that." Maximillian nodded.
"You've explained what this coalition means then?" I asked.
"I proposed he join us, and when I explained our forces had been bolstered through one another, it intrigued him."
"He's curious about what we are now as a united force?" Donovan replied.
Maximillian nodded and said, "He's coming along to speak with us, nothing has been confirmed yet. Lets hope we can assure him we'll be a good force to work with."
"We do have one problem though," Eddie said from his place at the mantelpiece.
"What would that be?" I asked.
He smiled and said, "The last time two animal groups came together was because of trouble that threatened us all, but now that danger has ended. He has no need to unite with us right now."
I considered Eddie for a moment and realised there was more to him than what he looked like.
Maximillian nodded and replied, "Wereanimals are walking a fine line at the moment. The massacres three months ago almost cost us Walker's Law. I believe that alone should push Alek's decision."
"But if he is as proud as you've explained, he may believe he and his cheetahs will be enough to stand against any form of enemy."
"I believe seeing you two standing together will be more than enough to bring him onboard," a cool, female voice said from across the room. We all looked and found Nirvana.
Nirvana was Maximillian's beloved and one of the most level-headed females I'd ever encountered. Her sleak, slender frame swayed toward us, squeezed into a pale brown summer dress that spilled out at the bottom around her. She must have worn high heels, but her feet were hidden from sight in the spill of silken material. Her tail swayed behind her with each step she took. Her long brown hair cascaded down her back, free from being bound. There was one side of her head fur braided, but the fall of hair was free and untouched. Her golden eyes held a knowledge and confidence just like her alpha's did.
"Nirvana, your looking well," Donovan said from his armchair.
"Thank you, Reed. As are you." She stalked toward her man and eased into the seat beside Max. The two exchanged a knowing smile as they sat.
"Is something wrong?" Donovan asked.
Nirvana and Maximillian exchanged a look, Nirvana blushed and Maximillian grinned. He looked across at Donovan and announced, "Nirvana is with child. My child."
Donovan went wide-eyed and grinned, "Congratulations are in order then."
"Thank you," Nirvana replied with an almost embarrassed smile.
"How far along are you?" I asked.
"Six weeks," she replied.
"What are you hoping for? Boy or girl?"
"A girl. There are too many dominant males around here," she grinned as she replied. Maximillian laughed, and Eddie grinned back.
"I want this coalition to work, Donovan. We need it to work. This will be the first time a werelion child has been born into a werelion household. Not just found on the street after an attack," Maximillian said.
"Does that happen often?" I asked.
"Eddie and I are both sponsor-lions, and we have both seen children as young as ten on the street, preparing for their initial transformation alone," Nirvana explained.
She touched a hand to her stomach and looked saddened for a moment.
"I have no doubt in my mind that you'll both be amazing parents," I beamed. This was wonderful news.
"Thank you, Eben."
"Tonight we meet with the cheetahs, and hopefully tonight we'll have a new ally to call on." Maximillian looked determined now.
"We may be calling on that ally sooner than you think." Donovan looked grim as he spoke.
"What do you mean?" Nirvana asked.
"The council has contacted me. They should be here tomorrow at some point," he explained.
The whole room went quiet. Eddie broke the silence and asked, "So what do you intend to do?"
"I will speak with them and hear what needs to be said. I'll have Eben and Snow with me too. I'd rather have them near me in case they are brought up in conversation," Donovan said.
"I heard the last council member who visited turned out to be an insane bastard," Eddie said with a grim look.
"Something like that," I murmured.
"I also heard that he became interested with Eben's abilities," Eddie continued.
I nodded. The fact Sawyer had become intrigued by me, was one of the reasons he had eventually stopped the massacres he was causing. He'd also stopped because he was scared of what I might do to him. In our last confrontation I'd almost killed him, encased him in ice and shattered it. He'd escaped and together with his interest in me, his fear of me had kept him away from me.
"Regardless of what the council decides to do, Eben's abilities have caught their attentions, and I intend to make sure they do not take him from me." Donovan looked defiant now.
"You do love him, don't you?" Nirvana said with a gentle smile.
Donovan blinked and a warm blush graced his muzzle.
Nirvana smiled wider and squeezed Maximillian's hand in her own, "I thought as much."
"Maximillian?" Eddie said suddenly. Maximillian looked up and nodded. The mood in the room changed from a happy one, to one of tension. Donovan and Kane had caught on to what was wrong. But I was still in the dark. Donovan sensed my confusion and stood up, gesturing me to come to him. I walked to him and wrapped a hand around his. He smiled down at me and then looked over to Maximillian.
"They are here," the lion said in a deep voice.
"Why do I feel like something's wrong?" I breathed as I stood beside Donovan.
He looked down at me with a serious expression and said, "There is something in the air, something hostile."
"Hostile? Like what?"
"The cheetah's are here, but they aren't happy about it." Kane touched a hand to the hilt of his katana as he spoke. He and Eddie lead the way out of the living room. Maximillian followed and I brought up the rear with Donovan's hand around mine.
Snow had had a bad feeling. Was this what he'd been talking about?