Ravers - CH 15 'Man' is what he loves

The evening Shalom gave birth...

Galen Morganason rotated slowly in the expensive leather chair behind his brother's mahogany desk. The office was expensively furnished with the finest wood and lavish materials. Gerard was such a show off because he loved the attention and influence living a lavish life brought him. Galen yawned as he waited, he was tired from using magic for several days straight, but grateful for having gotten Jake to go with Joshua and for tracking down a spy to make sure Quinn was still safe from his brother's insidious reach.

Jake was with Quinn for their son's birth, and it was a painful experience for both of them but a beginning to their life together. The first step on the long and difficult road they had ahead of them. Galen had felt hope for the first time in a long, long time, but there is nothing certain. Nicolea had gone with Saul and Will to "check" on the baby, because there are those out there who would try to steal him besides Gerard. Quinn and Justice would not be safe until Galen dealt with the one coming toward the door now. Smiling to himself, Galen would soon flesh out his brother's true intentions.

Gerard hesitated beyond the door, sensing his brother. It made Gerard angry that Galen would dare come to the place where he conducted his business within the human world. He calmed himself; he, their mother, and their clan had still not fully recovered from Sebastian's betrayal. Gerard, in particular, was weakened as head of clan and he hated it. He opened the door with confidence, hiding his discomfort. "Hello Brother. You really should make an appointment with my assistant. I am about to leave for a lunch date."

"You've replaced Seb already, " Galen mocked, "That surprises me, brother. Poor old demon placed his loyalty with the wrong one of us." The part of Galen's soul that was tainted by his brother's darkness gloated over Gerard's discomfort and anger.

Gerard glared at him so Galen goaded him further; he couldn't help himself, letting his brother's own darkness peek out at him, "OHhhh, you mean your human world assistant... My mistake, tell me how ever will you manage without Seb, he was so... so loyal."
Gerard's jaw ticked at Galen's taunts, then he gave his brother a tight smile, "Whatever your game is, Galen, I'm not playing. My darkness is showing, shouldn't you be off doing good deeds or something."

Galen snorted derisively. "Afraid you won't stay golden? Besides, you know you like games, Ger, the higher the stakes, the better. Dooo tell meeee, what exactly happened with Sebastian. I actually liked the old demon. One afternoon he was at your mountain chalet and by the next morning, his power was lost to our clan forever by his own choice. What happened, Gerard? Did your Beauty touch his dead heart?"

Gerard glowered at Galen like he wanted to attack and kill him, in a low deadly voice Gerard demanded, "Why don't you tell me what happened, little brother? I know you were there, I know you somehow did this."

"Now, you sound as paranoid as mother. Perhaps I am not siphoning enough of your darkness. You know I was at my engagement party with you, dear brother. I had nothing to do with Sebastian's choice," Galen reminded him, enjoying that he was telling mostly the truth without Gerard detecting the small omission. "I warned you about her soul."

Gerard sighed and ran his hand through his golden hair, it tremored slightly. He was craving, Galen knew he was. "How is your engagement?" Gerard inquired in a viciously mocking tone.

Not answering his question, Galen prodded him, "Tell me, brother, how long am I going to have to bear the burden of your darkness. I would like to be sealed to Bianca sometime this decade."

Gerard turned and gave him a malevolent sneer, and for a moment, Galen could see Gerard as he really was. "I wouldn't set a date in this decade or even in this century, little brother. I rather like being a golden one. Your engagement is going to be a very long one."

"I have carried your evil since before the last war, I want to be done with it," Galen growled in an unearthly deep tone.

Gerard smirked. "You will not be rid of me as easily as you were rid of Bianca's blessed sister. What was her name again? Oh yes, Bellatrix. I found out some very interesting things about your stripper and her many lovers; male and female; mortals, wolves, vamps, and even cursed ones. Perhaps it's time she was with a blessed male." Gerard already thought that her years of being cursed had left her tainted.

Gerard sounded so smug, but he didn't know Bianca was a soul-healer and immune to his charms. Galen forced rage out of his soul to tint his aura, and an angry scowl hid his own smirk. Gerard would believe what Galen wanted him to believe, that Galen believed Bianca would betray him.

"Stay away from her, Gerard. She's mine." Galen hissed between his gritted teeth, faking rage. Galen knew Bianca would end her own light before sharing it with his brother.

"And Quinn will be mine," Gerard snapped back, a visible tremble shuddered his body.

Galen pretended shock and outrage. "You lost her? You fed from her and you lost her? Gerard...You're a fool." He shook his head judgmentally.

"I will find her again, she believes I am her friend, her savior," Gerard sounded so sure of himself, and then he narrowed his eyes at Galen. "And in spite of what mother thinks, I know you and our uncle were behind Sebastian's betrayal."

Galen barked a laugh, "I haven't spoken to Greyson since he let you kill Madeleine and make me... make me into this." He rose at the end, shaking and posturing like he was about to attack his blessed brother.

Gerard's intercom buzzed.

"Mr. Morganason, your dinner appointment is here."

Gerard looked disappointed as Galen turned away with his fists clenched, but Gerard couldn't resist taunting Galen as he strode past the desk to open the door. "Careful, Galen... You wouldn't want to accidentally strike me and be stuck like that forever. Be patient, I wouldn't really leave you like this, I miss what I was. Your magic is powerful but not as useful as mine. Just think, another century or so and you'll be free."

Aliza Abbott breezed in, and Galen resentfully thought, like the princess she delusionally believed she was; a corrupt corporate princess running her father's pet project of hate. Galen mocked them rudely, "A dinner appointment with a whore, you're moving up in the world, Gerard. "

Gerard sighed as if his patience was running out, but Galen was only speaking Gerard's true feelings about her, still Gerard politely introduced her, continuing his facade. "Aliza Abbot, my brother Galen."

She smiled politely, and it would seem genuine if Galen couldn't see her soul.

"Yes, of course, from the engagement party at the strip club." Her tone disapproving. She glanced between them and shook her head slightly, "I'm sorry, Gerard. I just can't get over how different you look."

Galen decided to be the person his brother really was. "That's because we are only half-brothers. Our mother was a slut like you and your mother."

She gaped at his rudeness and name calling.

Gerard groaned, "And that, dear Aliza, is why he was sent to boarding school at 8."

She eyed Galen spitefully. "Apparently, it didn't help his manners." Her tone was waspish.

"Apparently," Gerard agreed. "Excuse us, brother, we have dinner reservations and next time you wish to see me, make an appointment."

Galen let his eyes roam over her like she was a piece of cake, drawing out his words and tone in a condescending manner, "It was nice to meet you again, Aliza. Enjoy your meal and the hard screwing you're going to get afterward."

Aliza glared at Galen, as she leaned in to ask to Gerard. "Just. Vulgar. So, he's a dark one?"

Gerard smiled patiently, and answered in a long-suffering tone, "There's one in every family in every generation unfortunately. Balance must be maintained, but he's my brother." As they walked out the door, he looked over his shoulder with an evil glint in his eye, "My curse to bear, so to speak."

Galen clenched his fists, rage coming off him in waves like he was barely containing myself. "Go to hell, Gerard."

"Temper, temper, little brother," he called back to him.

Gerard was laughing as he walked away knowing Galen could do nothing to him. Aliza laughed with him, even though she had no idea why as they moved to the elevators. Galen felt them sinking toward the ground and hid his smile. It was almost too easy to get Gerard to believe Galen was losing himself as many cursed fae did.

VvvvvV

Aliza Abbott stood in her penthouse and stared out at the cloudy sky, muted grays and dull purples in the pre-dawn, in a while, the sky would be beautiful. The city lights sparkle like stars fallen to the earth, it is beautiful now. Not that she would care, the man she loved was dead, his life's work blamed for the disaster wrought by two petty scientists with grudges, all because their wives left them for men who cared, men who were not human. Decades of work destroyed because General Forster trusted them and they acted like two teenagers who found their father's gun. And now THEY had Dr Coylier and he was making everyone who worked with the Human Purity Project look like neo-nazi supremacists and terrorists who experimented on the public.

The media circus has turned the stones he threw to save himself into a landslide. All her family's efforts to preserve pure humans have been twisted into something worse than racism. They just wanted to save their species. She sent a team to the western labs, to find out what Strawford and Coylier had changed in the formula, what they had done differently that may have caused this unexpected development then had the building burned. There was nothing to explain the madness that killed so many except that they were monsters, abominations of nature to be caged and put to death.

She sipped her coffee as she watched color coming into the gray world, remembering all the sunrises she had watched with Troy from this very room, from the bed behind her. They were supposed to be together, but he had run back to save his family after demanding to know why she hadn't stopped the airborne testing of A.S.H. in his home state. He had also demanded to know what she knew about something he called Elm. Aliza claimed she had never heard of it, but Troy didn't believe her. He accused her of trying to murder his family and threatened to destroy her if anything happened to them.

She had been over all the work, all the research, everything gathered. Every bit of data from before, during, and after the Revelation Night. The Environmental Level Modification plan was to simply increase the amount of A.S.H. in the area by using spray planes. There was only one conclusion: what occurred was simply impossible. There is no way Troy's aggression suppression hormone caused what happened at any dose. She still didn't know what went wrong.

It hurt Aliza that he died with his belief of her betrayal. General Forster's recon team went to his house, he and his family were dead. All had been killed by Them on the Revelation Night. Those abominations that wear human bodies and walk among normal people like they are human too. Aliza would never have harmed his children, she knew how much he loved them even if they weren't pure. He was a good man and a good father, he was going to be the father of her children someday. But he left her and he died with them. She tried to tell herself that she didn't miss him at all, now that he was gone forever. But that was a lie her heart refused to let her believe.

"You look lovely standing before the dawn," The deep gentle voice almost startled her.

She turned to smile at the god-like man sitting up in her bed, knowing he wasn't a man at all. He was too beautiful to be human. His golden hair mussed, his skin practically glowing in the morning light. She felt lust pooling in the apex between her thighs. He must have sensed it because he just smiled, before rolling over to type something into his phone. It always surprised Aliza how human he seemed, but when he was in her bed and between her legs, it was easy to know he was something more.

His kind had always been the humans' ally against the monsters and fallen dark ones. Since the first civilization called Eden, the angelic ones had stood with the humans against the monsters of their world. She didn't really believe in angels and demons, until he had shown her his golden white wings.

"I've moved all my meetings to the afternoon, come back to bed, Aliza. Let me worship you." He was the stuff of myth and daydreams and the envious imaginings of any romance writer.

Dropping her silk robe on the floor she let him pull here against his body. As his hands and lips played Aliza's body like a potter molding clay, part of her wished he were Troy. But Troy never made her feel like this. With Troy it was different, it was love, but with her angel, it was lust.

A quick thrust filled her completely and she gasped in pleasure and pain, as her hips rolled to meet his. "Oh Gerard... make me scream..."

No one had ever sunk into her as fully or deeply as her angel. Creatures of light, such as he, fed on ecstasy, on passion, on love, just like the dark ones feed on fear, and rage, and power. Their bodies bucked and writhed together, he held her arms over her head. His lips sucking at her breast and kissed her neck between moans and coveted breaths. She felt like she was going to explode as he thickened, preparing to pour himself into her. Every time the burning heat of his seed shot against her walls she came apart over and over in an earth shattering way that she could never get enough of and let him feed from her pleasure.

Her late father may have hated the non-humans, may have murdered her mother because she had a werewolf mate, but Aliza saw that a few could serve their cause, and there was nothing wrong with enjoying herself while she worked to bring her father's plans to fruition.

Languishing in a hot bath to soothe her overtaxed body later, she wondered what her father would think of the things Gerard did to her and made her feel. It may be a sin, but it was one she wanted to keep doing. Closing her eyes, she dozed off as she wondered again how to get her father's plan to keep humans as the rulers of the world back on track.

VvvvvV

Every wolf under the Monarchy felt it. The new monarch was born less than 24 hours ago. James swallowed the clear of vodka from a cup of melting ice. His time as Monarch had an expiration date. He decided his nephew must be found and he must be the one to find him. He picked up my private line on the first ring.

"Jonah, have you found them?"

James was not expecting the voice he heard, "No need to find anyone, big brother, or should I say uncle."

He slumped into his chair in relief, "Jacob, you son of a bitch. Please, tell me you are all safe."

Jake laughed, he hadn't laughed since the Revelation Night. "We are. Grandpa Joshua sends his regards."

James couldn't keep the relief from his voice, "Thank the Goddess. Call our kin and tell them to come get you, I'll send a plane. We need to get the heir someplace safe."

"Actually James, Saul and Will arrived a few hours ago. Don't send the jet; I think we'll be staying right here for a while. My mate is working with the Ravers on trying to get them back. She helped me, and Rob's son has his wolf back. She is amazing," Jake said proudly.

"Jacob, this isn't open for discussion, you need to..." James started, but Jake interrupted him.

"You're right James, it isn't open for discussion. Quinn may have found a way to save our Grandfather and Richard and the other survivors of our pack, and the ones on the plains and in the cities. I won't give up on them like you gave up on me." Jake's voice sounded completely calm, no accusation or resentment, just factual.

"We have no choice. The Ravers are dangerous, we have hundreds of thousands who can't go home until they are dealt with," James reminded him just as calmly.

"James, give us time, give her time."

"She has a newborn pup, and not just any pup, the heir to the Monarchy. Every wolf on the continent felt his birth yesterday. He needs to be kept safe," James insisted.

"Justice Julian," Jake announced.

"What?" James demanded.

"Your nephew, his name is Justice Julian, after Quinn's dead brother and Julia's lost son. He isn't an object." Jake was starting to sound angry.

James refused apologize or make excuses to Jake; it's a waste of breath. He knew he would feel the same and wouldn't change him mind either. They let the silence stretch, a lesson they had learned from their grandfather.

"You have a year." James finally said, "Take care of them. Good bye, Jacob."

"James." One last word and the line went dead.

James poured another glass of vodka, his nephew was the most powerful wolf born in generations. He silently raged that Jake thought they would be safe hiding on their ancestors' mountain with only him, Jonah and Saul to protect the heir. Again, James wondered just who Quinn Shalom Phillips really was. James turned his chair to look out into the late afternoon, considering if he should take matters into his own hands for the sake of the Monarchy's survival. Things were nothing like they thought they would be when Jake found his mate. Jacob's mate and his son were supposed to be the monarchy's future, now they could be its destruction.

James flicked the intercom, "Petra, get my Beta Commanders, and get me everything we know on the Monarch Mountain territory."

"Yes, Monarch Vanguard, anything else?" Petra's voice had the lilting, soothing quality that all Fae's spoke with. James had never figured out her accent or how old she really was.

"Yes. I want everything on Quinn Phillips brought to me, and two steak dinners to my office."

"Pulling an all-nighter, James?" Petra sounded amused.

"Yes," was his curt answer. He must get things sorted before he made a final decision.

"I'll have it all in an hour, and our usual from the Riverboat Steakhouse." She was always so efficient, so eager to meet his every need, and even willing to work side by side with him for all his crazy hours.

James could already hear her fingers flying over the keys of her computer. If he wasn't the American alpha of alphas, and she wasn't a Fae, he could love her, but he loved his title and his kind above all else. The kingdom came first and preparing the continent's werewolves for the war someone was trying to start was his main priority. Werewolves were too few if the humans decided to hunt them into extinction. James had vowed his species would not end up like the Ursus Spelaeus (cave bear shifters) or Vāgha lōkō (tiger shifters), werewolves would endure. His wolf growled in his chest in agreement.

James looked out into the bright afternoon. Dark and ominous thunderstorm clouds were rolling in from the west as they every summer day, but he can't shake the feeling a storm was coming that has nothing to do with lightning, wind, and rain. Someday Jake's son would be his heir, until then he must protect the Monarchy at all cost. Even if it means war. Even if it meant betraying his brother and taking all that was Jacob's to keep it safe.

VvvvV

Bianca was waiting for Galen at the Mirror Mirror club and she wasn't alone. Greyson looked as surprised as Galen; they weren't expecting to see each other. The uncle and nephew stared at each other for a long moment before Bianca blurted out, "Oh, just hug already!"

The only father figure Galen had ever known held him as he cried like a child. Tears poured from ancient silver eyes as Greyson ran his fingers through Galen's ebony hair. It seemed like forever, but it was only a dozen minutes that they comforted each other.

"Oh Galen, I am so sorry. How are you not insane from your brother's evil?" Greyson asked concerned.

"You taught me well, Uncle Merle," Galen struggled to regain his voice.

Greyson hugged him again, whispering into his dark hair, "My light longs to heal you."

Galen could only nod, they both knew the moment Greyson tried, his half-sister, Galen's demonus mother Morgana would know and send their entire clan to kill Galen before dawn to preserve his brother's blessing.

"What did you find out?" Bianca demanded. She wanted Galen to be free of his cursed state as much as he did.

"Gerard says he won't release me for a century, but on the plus side, he doesn't know where Quinn is, or that I helped her but he suspects me because he can't believe Sebastian would be swayed by her. Seb's magic is protecting her so we have sometime unless he finds out through another source. He's going through withdrawals from feeding from her soul..."

"He what?" Greyson interrupted, shocked, "She would never allow such a thing voluntarily."

"He took her to the mountain chalet. He tried to use the whole La Belle et Le Bete ruse, but she resisted for weeks. It frustrated him, the calming teas to sedate her wolf and lull her, weren't working, and even the magic of the place wasn't swaying her until the last. I don't know what happened that day, but the afternoon before Monarch Joshua rescued her, she submitted. She let him feed from her soul, but I doubt it will happen again. Seb told her the truth when he enchanted a red cape to protect her. I watched his passing through Joshua's eyes." Galen revealed.

"At least she's safe from Gerard," Bianca breathed out, "I still can't believe the old demon did that."

"I can. He was a good fae once. Morgana's influence changed him." Greyson was quiet for a moment, "I am still concerned, she feels she owes Gerard for saving her and he gave her his blood, so she will feel a connection to him until she is marked by Jacob again. Quinn doesn't know he only went there to save his spy, her husband. I have seen Gerard's nickname in Dr. Phillips' notes. I cannot give her this information. But you can, Galen. You need to convince her that Gerard is her enemy and that he has a spy in the Monarchy. She needs to flee with or without her mate."

"Nicolea will protect her from Petra," Bianca assured him. "And Jacob needs to be with her to heal."

"And we left her a book on the truth of our species. I told her that just because something is golden doesn't mean it's a good thing. Quinn is very clever and I am sure she has begun to doubt Gerard's intentions." Galen added.

Greyson frowned slightly. "Nicolea is countering Petra, a far older and more devious forever blessed one who has the ear of the Monarch himself. No, the Heir of the Werewolf Monarchy must be hidden for now. The Alpha Commander may need to choose, his duty to the Monarchy or his mate. He needs to decide what he loves more."

"He will choose her," Bianca offered confidently.

Galen frowned slightly, "But she might resist because of her fear of him."

Greyson sighed. "He knows the harm he caused, his guilt is eating him. The same as her fear is eating her. Life isn't always what we think it should be. I have seen many make unexpected choices after facing their deeds." The ancient fae was quiet for a moment then asked, "Now, have you found Morgana?"

Bianca nodded again. "In the Appalachians."

"Good, we must discern a way to retrieve the Princess of the Covenant Rosesea Vampires from them..." Greyson announced.

Galen and Bianca's eyes widen as they glanced at each other. The lost royal was thought killed with her mother. "She's alive?"

"Yes, and unless I misinterpret my sister's intentions, the child has been enchanted so that she will be the mate of Quinn's son and he, her beloved. That was why they needed Quinn while she was pregnant. Putting those two children together will allow Gerard and Morgana to control both kingdoms and if they can't rule that way, they will get the mortals to kill them by using the Dust of Rage a second time to convince the humans that Vampires and Werewolves are too dangerous to coexist with. We must precede cautiously, my children." Greyson's intense silver eyes cannot veil that he has seen the end of everything and everyone if they fail. "Now, let us talk about how we shall get Galen uncursed and Gerard unblessed without killing them both."

Galen swallowed the lump in his throat. He felt true fear for the first time in decades. If they made a single misstep, the backlash of the magic that bound his soul to his brother's would reduce them both to ash or trap Galen as a forever cursed one and that he couldn't endure much longer.