King of Beasts

Chapter 26

"If you had to choose between the life of your mate, and the life of your entire pack, which would you choose?"

Jeremiah stood by the old oak where Barbara's rune was scratched out, leaning casually against the bark.  He glanced up from his nails, where he picked at the dirt with his pocket knife, to cast Gabe a curious glance.

"No answer?"

Of course not.  Of course Gabe wouldn't answer a question like that, not seething like he was, not so incredibly furious he felt like he could burn himself down to a pile of ashes frozen where he was.  There was something especially brutal about staring a monster down without being able to take a single step.

"No, I wouldn't suppose you'd have an answer to that." Jeremiah shrugged a thin, bony shoulder and sighed.  "Both are equally important, hold an equal space in you heart, your soul.  A pack.  A mate.  Life.  How could I ask such a silly question?"

Jeremiah glanced up once more, as if to see if Gabe was still listening, like he had any other choice but to do so.  No choice but to stand there, frozen, while Charlotte was probably being murdered that very second.

"You see, Gabe, the fault line is breaking." Gabe stiffened so slightly you would have missed it if you were some other person.  But Jeremiah wasn't some other person.  His lips quirked up into a half smile, the wrinkles on his face stretching.  "I have your attention now my king?"

Gabe snarled, fought to reign his beast in.  He just had to wait.  Wait for something, wait for anything.  He didn't know a lot about runes, didn't know if Jeremiah could keep him in this spot for eternity if he so chose, but he damn well hoped not.

"Our dear beloved fault line is splitting apart at the seams.  Has been for a little while now.  It's always so sad when this happens, so utterly defeating.  For my species at least.  Do you know what a fault line cracking means for me?  For my people?"

He quirked an eyebrow, but Gabe offered no response.  Just stood in his prison, crippled with unbridled rage.

"We die Gabriel.  The fault line breaks, and we die the very second it happens.  Very peacefully, very painlessly, our souls will float away.  It is our life cycle, it is our end." A look of foreboding so unlike Jeremiah came over the old man, made his face morph into a deep set frown.  "There is something equally terrifying about it too.  Can you imagine, Gabriel, knowing when you're going to die?  Knowing you've lived hundreds of years, and that it's all going to end quite suddenly?"

"That's what happens." Gabe snarled, his first words since Jeremiah started his rant.  "People die."

Jeremiah grinned a savage smile, one that had even Gabe shivering.  "Not if we can help it."

The frail man took a step, carefully moving away from a tree root.  "See, a few centuries ago we found a loop hole.  A brilliantly sadistic loop hole.  Lock ourselves to a land, but instead of throwing the key away, we took it with us.  Kept it by our side until the fault line breaks then we can get out of there, unscathed, with enough time to settle back down for another two or three centuries."

Gabe moved as though to lunge at the man, but of course he was unable.  Unable save for a small twitch, a less than noticeable movement that flew by the all seeing eyes of Jeremiah.  Gabe felt it though, felt the weight pressing him down shift.

"You made Charlotte your key." he accused.  "She's your way out."

Jeremiah showed his most humble face yet, sea green eyes darkening to a somber tone before he nodded.  "God help us, but we did."

"Either she lied, or she's not two hundred years old.  She can't be." Gabe argued,  even with Jeremiah telling it right to his face.  

"Certainly not." Jeremiah agreed.  "You would have found her centuries ago if that were the case.  Her soul is as old as she is."