they only ever knew this family. I resent him for making you and expecting us to care for you as a sibling when we’d never even heard of you.” Jabari looked back over at us. “He didn’t even get your permission to join this world. You still don’t know whether you want it, and because of that, you do as you please, living the life you want without considering other werecats follow rules for a reason. That’s why I resent him…and you.”
I didn’t miss the change in his tense. His resentment wasn’t past tense. He still resented that I was in the family…could possibly always resent my existence.
“Then why did your family help her with the Tribunal if you don’t want her?” Heath asked, once again growling as he spoke. “Sounds like you would be just fine with her—”
“Don’t say those words, wolf,” Jabari snarled. “Don’t ever say those words. I might resent him for making her, and I might resent her, but I will never abandon a family member to die. None of us are that cruel.”
“I could have told you that,” I muttered to Heath. “Don’t push his buttons, please.”
Heath huffed, shaking his head. Jumping up, he walked away, frustration apparent in every line and angle of his posture.
“And you, Jacky, hang with wolves,” Jabari muttered. “The only reason I don’t consider that a betrayal to the family is because you didn’t fight in the War, nor were you alive when Liza died. He’s not the worst wolf, but he’s certainly not one I want around. He’s moral and strong, but he doesn’t know when he’s not the strongest male in the room or when something isn’t his business.”
“Not every wolf is the bad guy or the enemy,” I whispered, rubbing my arms as the night grew chilly. “He’s not a bad guy.”
He grumbled in disagreement but didn’t try to say anything against it either.
“Change. They will come soon.”
I stripped and did as ordered without an argument. Tonight was important. Nothing could go wrong. If that meant he and I had to stop arguing for a night, we would. I was willing to let him ignore me for another seven years if it meant getting through the damn night.
“Remember, it will be okay if one or two get away. We’re aiming to capture one, use it to find any remaining vampires and find out where they came from.” Jabari continued to talk, and I could hear the old general in him. “Keep them from getting on your back. Like always, that is our biggest vulnerability except for our underbelly. I don’t want them to get their hands into those wounds again, either.”
I nodded as I walked up to the mouth of the cavern and stared out into the trees. Even though wehad hiked up the cliffside to get into the cavern, the trees were tall enough I couldn’t see the tops. While I watched the entrance, Jabari Changed. Heath was the only one staying in human form for the night. We needed someone with opposable thumbs to help restrain the captured vampire.
The plan wasn’t difficult. Jabari was certain the vampires wouldn’t be able to resist coming after us again, even though we chased them off the night before. We were a threat to whatever they were trying to establish, and it was either them or us dying in these mountains under the light rain that now refused to stop. If Jabari’s assumption about their killing addiction was correct, they weren’t in the right mind to truly consider what possible risks they were facing.
Which meant all we had to do was injure them as best we could before they retreated, and keep one from leaving.
“I’m ready,” Heath called out from near the fire. Jabari huffed and jumped out of the cavern, leaving us alone. I stepped back from the entrance, going into the darkness behind Heath to lie in wait. Our scents were around everything, which would make it hard for the vampires to tell which of us was actually in the cavern. Their noses weren’t nearly as good as ours.
The night grew darker until it blanketed the world, the only light from the fire. The cloud cover and rain blocked out the moon and stars, making the world outside the cavern seem just as dark as the cavern where I was hidden. I knew everyone could see well enough, but it was still a pitch black night, and Jabari had said the vampires wouldn’t be hindered by it.