The Beasts and Brave - Chapter 15
#5 of Eben Black Series - The Beasts and Brave
© All characters and storylines surrounding these characters belong to me: Eben Black..
Donovan made the phone call to the council. If you can call growling and shouting down a phone line a phone call. He'd assured us that Balthazaar would meet us. That worried me, but what worried me even more was the tirade that Donovan seemed to be fixated upon. We dressed and armed ourselves that evening. Donovan had demanded that we be met somewhere quiet, but as far from his home as possible. Balthazaar had suggested somewhere and soon we were padding across the sands of Balboa Beach. Darkness swallowed the world and the beach became deserted. Even at night it seemed odd that Balboa was deserted. Donovan soon explained what had happened. Fear. I realised that Balthazaar had instilled fear in the slackers on the beach and in time they'd left without a word. Now we were alone, or at least as alone as three wereanimals could be. Snow and Kane were still wounded badly, asleep in the Penthouse and unable to stand, let alone fight. Bishop had been asked to look out for the Penthouse and all those inside, and with Eddie the lions wounded too, we had no manpower to bring with us.
So here we were, just the three of us. Donovan was dressed in a pale-green tank top, a pair of denim jeans done in dark blue and a pair of white running shoes. He had a leather shoulder holster strapped around him. The GLOCK was fastened there. It was loaded with silver bullets. I stood in the clothes I'd worn earlier. The gun I'd started the day with was still fastened there in the shoulder holster too. Aleksander stood dressed in a white tank, a black shirt that was unbuttoned and had the sleeves rolled back passed his elbows. He wore black bottoms that were tight around the top and loose around the lower leg and ankle. He wore black running shoes and had his own gun loaded in a holster that fastened at the base of his spine. Something told me guns wouldn't do us any good tonight, but for now the firepower would make me feel better.
Balthazaar was standing near the surf, dressed all in black, the jaguar looked ominous and somewhat eerie standing there. His muscular frame stretched as he gazed up at the full moon overhead. He turned his attention to us, the lavender of his eyes shimmered as he watched us walk toward him. A smirk curled his lips as the sheer thickness of the fear that surrounded him smashed into us. I trembled and saw I wasn't alone. A fine line trembled throughout the two Kings as they continued walking forward. We were all frightened. We all wanted to run. That much was certain. But the fact this bastard had fucked with those who cared about was what made us stay, what made us walk a stretch of fear-filled sand and surf. When we were close enough we stopped and Balthazaar faced us with a broad smirk.
"You found me alright, then?" his deep voice called.
"Thank you for meeting with us, Balthazaar." Donovan frowned deep and growled.
"Is something wrong, Donovan Reed?" his voice was pleasant.
Aleksander sneered and said, "You have no idea what you've done, do you?"
Balthazaar considered Aleksander and grinned.
"You think its fucking funny!"
"Aleksander, calm down." Donovan's voice carried calm but still brewing with such anger. "Balthazaar. Just answer us. You were the one responsible for Noah?"
Balthazaar smirked wider and asked, "Whatever do you mean?"
"The wolves took Noah in when he never transformed, but we've figured out what you are and what your capable of. You frightened his beast and surpressed it." Donovan growled as he spoke. "You made him into your puppet, Balthazaar. You made an innocent newborn assault the cheetahs to warn them from joining us, and then you sent Noah to attack us!" he took a shuddering step forward. His anger raised his beast as it shrouded over him like some foreboding shadow.
Balthazaar smirked and said, "Consider it my way of testing the waters, so to speak."
"Testing the waters? Testing them for what?"
"The assault of your home was a test to see how strong you were as a unit, but the attack on the werecheetah. That was for another reason."
"Another reason?" Donovan repeated.
He nodded and said, "This coalition of yours is a bad idea, Donovan Reed. I don't agree with it and want it stopped now."
Donovan blinked and smiled back. "No."
"Excuse me?"
"I said no. The coalition is going to benefit all of us, Balthazaar. Even the council."
"Isn't the council made up of various species of wereanimal though? Sawyer was a tiger, and your a jaguar." I piped up.
"The council was needed when it was formed. Not like this pathetic coalition. This idea is futile, Donovan, and you know it. I can see the fear of failure looming over you."
"Yeah, your right." Donovan's words fell like a stone in a puddle, ripples echoed outward while Aleksander and I stared at the wolf King.
"You agree with me?" Balthazaar raised an eyebrow as he asked.
Donovan nodded and smiled, "The coalition may indeed fall and land us in hot water, but you can't blame a wolf for trying."
"Trying? Such a futile word."
"Your old, Balthazaar. Really old. You wouldn't understand what the newest generation is planning." Donovan ran a hand through his head fur and grinned, "We stand together, regardless of species."
Balthazaar looked at the wolf for a heartbeat and then threw his head back, a deep, rolling laughter echoed from deep in his throat.
Aleksander snarled, "Something funny?"
"Your idealisms are ridiculous and prepostorous!" he bellowed back.
"Like I said, Balthazaar. Your old and you don't even comprehend what's happened here in LA!" Donovan snarled back.
"When the humans turn on us and abandon that pathetic Law, the truly powerful will survive, Reed. Not the weak, but the strong."
Those words were so familiar. Sawyer had said the same thing. He believed the coalition and Walker's Law were absurd and that when the humans abandoned us again, we'd be tested and only the powerful would survive all of the mobs and massacres that would take place. At one time wereanimals were hunted like true animals, shot on sight and murdered in cold blood without remorse or repent. But Walker's Law protected us. Discrimination lived on, but the hunts had stopped and blood had stopped being spilled in such a casual manner. But the things that both Sawyer and Balthazaar desired seemed to be the same thing.
Fear built and built like something tangeable and real. It rose up like water and swam over us in a rush of absolute terror. I trembled where I stood and clung to the beast inside me, I cowered with her huddled against me. Stood in a rush of his own feral beast, Aleksander stood strong, facing Balthazaar. The tremble was there in his shoulders, but his pride along kept him standing and prevented him from backing up. Noah had been a low-ranking wolf who had been susceptible to Balthazaar's fearful methods. Donovan, Aleksander and even I were stronger than that. The beast inside me breathed deep and my breath clouded in front of me. Balthazaar considered me for a brief moment, when Aleksander rushed in front of him. Aleksander stayed low, hands slammed into the ground as he sailed upside down into a handstand and launched a kick at Balthazaar's head. Balthazaar blocked with a raise of that broad forearm. His muscles tensed as he shoved the blow back. Aleksander flipped and skidded back in the sand. He grinned up at Balthazaar as he reached behind him. He yanked the gun free from its holster, and Donovan's gun rose to mirror the cheetah's. The two focused on Balthazaar as a burst of gunshot echoed over the beach.
Balthazaar disappeared as the bullets thudded into the sand where he'd been. He reappeared between the two of them as he turned full circle, arms extended, fists clenched. He spun. One fist smashed the back of Aleksander's head, while the other fist collided with Donovan's chin. The two were sent careening in opposite directions. I reached under one arm and pulled the gun one-handed. I took aim and fired point blank. Balthazaar took the shot clear in the chest and shuddered as blood spilled in a fine arc. I glared up at him and watched him grin back. The wound healed instantly and the bullet was pushed out of the flesh with such ease.
"Is this how you accelerated Noah's healing factor?" I demanded.
A large hand blurred and grabbed my gun hand, pushing the gun aside and holding me in place as he leaned close and breathed, "Its amazing what the body will do when its frightened to death."
I glared back at those lavender eyes. That colour should have belonged to someone who was peaceful, honest and understanding. Not someone as lethal and dangerous as him.
"Do I frighten you, Eben Black?" he breathed as he leaned closer.
I nodded.
He looked confused and replied, "Then why do you antagonise me like this?"
"Because your corrupted and dangerous. You threaten those I love and that alone is enough for me to face you. For all three of us to face you."
"I can sense a renewed binding within the cheetah. You did what he desired after all?" he purred with a satisfied grin, "Did he force you into bed?"
"You mean did Aleksander rape me?"
He nodded.
"Aleksander wouldn't be standing there if he'd raped me. He'd be dead."
"Such a passionate fire. Sawyer had the right idea about you. Your a unique, interesting fellow." He grinned and added in a harsh whisper, "But uniqueness doesn't mean you can go on living."
Balthazaar headbutted me. Something broke and for a moment I wondered if he'd broken my muzzle. Before I could respond, his hand found the back of my head and he pulled me down, his knee rose in a blurred black shape. He grinned at me as he aimed to break me completely. There was a rush of speed and two things happened. One minute I was looking at Balthazaar's knee, and the next I was airborne, huddled against Donovan while he carried me. The second thing that happened was Aleksander was in midair, foot pressed into the side of Balthazaar's head. The whole world stopped in that second, and then with a rush of speed, the world sped up again. Balthazaar went skidding across the sand and splattered into the shallow sea water while Aleksander turned full circle and landed, crouched and grinning from ear to ear. Here was a male who was never more happy than when he was either having sex with the male he loved, or on the battlefield doing what he did best.
Balthazaar stood up and had a brief moment to catch his breath as Aleksander closed the gap and swung round, he performed a perfect roundhouse but was blocked and stopped dead. Balthazaar, grabbed at the cheetah's ankle a second later and pulled back, Aleksander staggered forward and somehow managed to use his hands to block the elbow Balthazaar had almost smashed into his face. The force along sent Aleksander down, and the cheetah lay on his back as Balthazaar straightened up, turned and swung an ankle down. He blocked again, but Balthazaar grinned down as a rush of fear thrilled through the cheetah and made his eyes widen. I had no idea what Aleksander saw. But he pushed Balthazaar back and screamed out, a high, piteous sound as he scrambled back across the sand and stared at Balthazaar wide-eyed.
"Aleksander!" Donovan called as he lowered me to the ground.
"What happened?" I asked.
"Balthazaar instills fear in others right?" I nodded. "Well I think he just gave Aleksander one Hell of a nightmare."
Great. So now the big bad guy we needed to stop could now inflict nightmares with one touch? We needed to end this soon.