Chapter 128

#Chapter 128 – Snake Suddenly, two of Victor’s Betas explode from the treeline on either side of the black figures who approach Victor. Victor’s Betas shoot at the black figures, but they dodge, leaping forward and pulling knives from their hips. The men in ski masks tackle Victor’s Betas to the ground, pressing the knives to their skin to infect them with the wolfsbane.

“That’s two of Dad’s Betas down,” Ian whispers.

“Eight more to go,” Alvin confirms.

Victor’s Betas scream with pain, but four more come charging out of the woods behind them. Slowly, Victor turns in his place, leveling his gun at the two figures in black who stand and put their hands up, realizing that they are surrounded.

Victor nods and two of his Betas move forward, quickly taking the two captured men by the wrists and knocking them to their knees. Then, swiftly, they press knives to the captive’s throats, digging just deep enough to get the wolfsbane in their bloodstream.

The two mean shriek bloody murder and fall to the snow, agony in their limbs.

Ian’s face brightens with a smile and Alvin laughs. “That’s it!” he says.

“One of those men is Uncle Rafe!” Alvin cries, clapping his mittened hands, which don’t make much noise. “Papa has won!”

They frown, though, to see that their father isn’t partaking in their celebration. Instead, he walks casually over to the fallen men, pulling off their ski masks and consulting with his Betas about their next moves. They nod to each other and move further into the forest with military precision, watching their surroundings, working their way towards new defensive positions.

“Wait…” Ian says, peering at the men on the ground.

“Neither of those…” Alvin says, studying them. “…is uncle Rafe.”

The boys look at each other, rage and horror on their faces.

Ian spells it out. “If neither of the five fallen Betas is uncle Rafe, and none of the six we saw back there are him either…” His voice fades off as he shakes his head.

“Then,” Alvins says, angry and confused. “Where is Uncle Rafe?”

“He is cheating,” Ian growls, rage lighting his eyes. “What a snake.”

“Come on,” Alvin says, starting to climb down the tree. “We have to go tell papa!”

“No,” Ian says, grabbing him by the coat sleeve before he gets too far. “We have to go tell grandpapa.”

“Why?” Alvin asks, looking up at him.

“Because we have to catch him in the act,” Ian says, looking back towards the camp. “Grandpapa is in charge – he says who the winner is.”

Alvin nods, understanding. “Okay. Back to camp,” he says.

Quick as a flash, the two boys begin to move through the canopy of the trees, heading back towards the camp.

It is late, but the fire is still warm. Evelyn blinks slowly as she stares into the flames, fighting the urge to let herself drift to sleep. But damn, it’s hard.

Evelyn glances over at Bridgette, who is snoozing lightly in her own camping chair, her feet tucked up beneath her. Evelyn frowns, pondering this strange girl, worrying for her. She’s a sweet kid but she seems so…naïve. Just totally unprepared for the life which Rafe is wrapping her up into.

Still, they’re on opposite sides tonight. Evelyn is determined to help Bridgette, but…maybe, in support of Victor, she’d start tomorrow.

Suddenly, there’s a rustling from the forest and Evelyn sits straight up in her chair. She glances at her phone for the time – barely three hours have passed. Surely they can’t be finished already?

She watches the treeline closely and then leaps to her feet when she sees two figures hurrying into the light of the fire. She had been looking for men – Betas, probably – dressed in black. So imagine her surprise when the two emerging figures turned out to be not Victor’s soldiers, but her own sons.

“Ian, Alvin,” she hisses, and she hears the camp stir to life around her. “What the hell are you doing out here?”

Frantic, she runs towards them, falling to her knees in front of them, checking them over with both her hands and her eyes to ensure they are all right.

“We’re okay mama!” Ian says, his eyes wide with worry.

“We were safe! We just wanted to –“

“You shut your mouths right now,” Evelyn stays, her voice angry. The boys snap their mouths closed and stare at their mother, shocked. Hardly ever – perhaps never? – had she spoken to them in such tones.

“You listen to me, boys,” she says, glaring at them, now that she’s determined that they’re safe and unharmed. “That is a war zone out there –“ she says, flinging an arm towards the forest. “I don’t care how clever you think you are, or what you think you were doing, there is absolutely no reason for you to sneak out of your beds and into the forest on a night like this!”

The boys stare at her, scared, suddenly, to see their mother’s face red with rage, her anger directed at them.

Tears fill both of their eyes almost simultaneously.

“We’re sorry, mama!” Alvin says, bringing his mittened hands up to his mouth.

“We were just trying to help!” Ian says, nodding fervently, his lip trembling.

“What’s going on here.” All three turn to see Henry rolling out onto the porch of his cabin. Evelyn had thought he had gone to bed, but he was still dressed and alert. Apparently, he, too, was determined to stay up to hear the results of the trial.

Marissa goes to stand with him and Bridgette sits up in her chair, suddenly awake, confused as everyone else is about what’s happening.

“Sir,” Evelyn says, moving quickly to stand next to the boys, her mind working rapidly to come up with some kind of excuse for them.

“None of that,” Henry says, shooting her a dark look. “I want to hear it from the boys themselves, before you can think up something clever.”

Seeing herself routed, Evelyn shuts her mouth with a grimace.

“Boys,” Henry says, leaning forward in his chair. “I can tell that you’ve done something that your mother isn’t happy about. Now, you’ve always been honest, so even if you’ve done something bad, you’ll tell me about it now. The truth. All right?”

The boys nod, not daring to look up to their mother for confirmation.

“Go ahead, then.” Henry says, sitting up straight in his chair, ready to listen.

Ian steps forward first. “We went into the forest, sir,” he says simply.

Henry narrows his eyes.

“But we didn’t interfere in the trail!” Alvin adds, his eyes wide with his desire to be believed. “We promise we didn’t! You can ask any of them – nobody even knew we were there, and we didn’t talk to anyone, or touch anyone!”

Henry considers this. “You boys were not expressly forbidden to go into the woods. But you knew you weren’t supposed to go.”

Ian hangs his head. “Yes sir,” he confirms. “We knew.” He looks up then, suddenly angry. “But we had to make sure uncle Rafe was playing fair!”

“He cheated at the second trial!” Alvin says, interrupting Henry when he opens his mouth to scold them further. “And you let him do it! Uncle Rafe cheated then, putting something in papa’s tea, and we just wanted to make sure he was playing fair this time!”

Henry closes his mouth, then. He knows what the boy is saying is correct – Rafe did cheat at the second trail, and he did let him get away with it.

The women all look at Henry, then, frowning. The Betas who are guarding the camp turn cold eyes on Henry as well. Everyone knows that Henry has been favoring Rafe’s claim to the pack, largely because he knows that he has larger sway over Rafe and his actions. But this was the first proof that he’s been supporting Rafe in more than just spirit.

Henry moves on from this point, knowing better than to publicly address it.

“All right then, boys,” he says, leaning forward again to look at them closely. “And what have you come here to tell us tonight, halfway through the trial.”

“Uncle Rafe is cheating again!” Ian says, his hands in fists by his sides.

“It would be beneficial to you father’s game,” Henry points out, “to send you two to cry wolf, to accuse your uncle of cheating. What’s to suggest he’s not doing that?”

“It would be beneficial if he was losing,” Alvin counters. “But papa is winning right now – he’s got two down, and Rafe’s got,” he takes a moment to count on his fingers. “FIVE down.”

Henry shoots a glance at a Beta who presses a hand to his ear, communicating with soldiers on each side of the game. The Beta looks up to Henry and nods, confirming that the twins’ statistics are right.

“I see,” Henry says, folding his hands in his lap. It’s true. Why would the boys come and try to halt the game if their father has such a significant advantage?

“No, you don’t see,” Ian says, running forward to his grandfather’s cabin and stopping at the steps.

“Uncle Rafe still has six people left in the game, but none of them are him.”

Henry frowns at Ian, not understanding. Alvin comes to stand next to his twin, explaining. “We checked,” he says. “We were very careful. But we looked at everyone and we know – Uncle Rafe is not on the field. We don’t know where he is.”

Henry narrows his eyes, looking out into the forest. What the hell was his youngest son playing at? He opens his mouth to speak again, to order the remaining Betas to confirm this claim, when Evelyn suddenly gasps.

She presses her hands to her heart, spinning and looking out at the forest. Her face goes white as a sheet as she stares into the darkness of the woods.

“Mama?” Ian asks, suddenly scared.

Evelyn doesn’t turn to look at any of them, her eyes focused on the forest. “Something’s wrong,” she says, looking around frantically. “I can…I can feel it….” She gasps, then, and doubles over, as if she’s in great pain.

“Mama!” Alvin cries, running for her. But Evelyn holds out a hand to stop him.

Marissa grabs Alvin on his way, pulling him close to her. He struggles against his grandmother’s grip, but she whispers to him to be calm.

Evelyn turns, then, still gasping in pain, but her face rigid with determination. “Marissa, Bridgette,” she says, “keep the boys here.” It is a demand, rather than a request.

Marissa tightens her hold on Alvin and nods.

Evelyn gives one last glance to the boys and then turns back to the trees, her lips raising in a snarl.

Then, without another word, she hurtles into the woods.