Fang fought as Markus pulled Anya's body out of his arms. He didn't want to let her go, but with the collar on, he was virtually human with no powers and no strength to do much more than curse at them.
Stefan grabbed him and with the help of his bastard cronies, he was able to knock Fang to the ground and tie his hands behind his back. He tried to use his powers, but the collar prevented it. And in human form, he wasn't nearly as strong as he was as a wolf.
Vane was on the ground a few feet from him, also bound.
Fury pushed his way angrily through the crowd around them. His face was a mask of disgust as he looked at Markus. "May I speak on their behalf?"
Markus answered his question with a vicious backhand. Fury staggered back from the blow, his lip and nose bleeding profusely. "Only if you want to join them in their punishment."
The raw rage inside Fury's eyes was scorching. He met Fang's gaze and the sorrow and grief there caught Fang off guard. Why in the world would he give a shit if something happened to them?
Wiping his hand across his mouth, Fury stepped back and looked away.
"Sir?" Liam stepped forward this time.
Markus gave him a quelling glare and like Fury, he retreated.
"Is there another one of you bastards who wants to die with them?" Markus cast his furious grimace to all of them.
Fang expected no one to stand up for them and he wasn't disappointed.
Even Petra tucked her chin to her chest and retreated. So much for wanting to mate with him. Cowardly bitch.
Markus laid Anya's body down while Stefan and George hauled them to their feet. "As Regis of this clan, I proclaim Vane and Fang traitors to our people. Vane helped a Dark-Hunter to protect a human," he spat the word as if it were the most disgusting thing imaginable.
There was a sharp intake of breath as those words were unleashed.
Fang turned to Petra who refused to meet his gaze. Her cheeks were bright red. And his own anger mounted that she'd betrayed him. Why had he ever told her that?
Damn it, I should have known better.
When would he learn that people and animals only betrayed? No one was ever as loyal to him as he was to them.
Markus pointed at them. "Both of them fought against the Daimons to aid Dark-Hunters and both of them have been seen conspiring with those who hunt and kill our cousins, the Daimons. In retaliation for their action, the Daimons have now attacked our people and threatened the existence of us all." He gestured down to his feet where Anya's body lay unmoving. "My daughter is now dead because of them."
The hypocrisy of that statement set fire to Fang's wrath. "Daughter? You've never before claimed her as such. We did nothing wrong! The Dark-Hunters tried to protect us while you ran."
"Silence!" Markus threw his hand out and a gag appeared over Fang's mouth. "As the leader and protector of our clan, I command all of you to a timoria."
Markus ripped the shirt from Fang's back while George ripped Vane's.
Fang met his brother's gaze. "I'm so sorry, Vane," he projected mentally to him.
Vane offered him a tentative grin. "We'll get through it. Don't worry."
Fang wanted to share that optimism, but he knew the truth.
They were both going to die tonight.
Fury turned aside as his brothers were tied to a tree and then beaten. Angry and bitter memories tore through him as he remembered their mother's people doing the same to him. Only in his case it'd been their mother who called for his timoria.
The reason for it had been the same as this one. Not that they were a threat to the clan. Not that they'd done anything wrong.
It was the fact that they'd been born to parents who hated them.
Guilt ate at him. He wanted to stop this. To protect them. But how could he?
The pack would turn on him too. And while he and Liam had tried to speak up for them, no one would speak up for him. It would be as before and he would be attacked and left for dead.
If he was lucky. . . .
So he stood back, his inaction making him as guilty in this as their actual crimes against his brothers.
At least it's not you this time.
The excuse of a coward. Fury wanted to be better. To be as brave as they were and to stand by and take it.
But he wasn't. His fear overrode his bravery and he stood back even though he knew he should act. He tried to ease his conscience by saying that they wouldn't have defended him either.
Maybe it was true.
Fang hated him, he knew that. Since the day Fury had joined their clan, they'd never gotten along. They were too much alike.
And that made this even harder. He saw himself in Fang's eyes. Saw the pain, the betrayal. The brutal hatred.
Most of all, he saw the injustice.
"This is ridiculous," Liam growled beside him. "We should do something."
"Like what?"
Liam looked away, his lip curled. "It won't go well for the rest of us once they're gone. Stefan will be in charge now. Undisputed."
"Then challenge Markus."
Liam snorted. "I'm not strong enough."
And neither was Fury. While he could take Markus on pure animal strength, he was no match for his father's magick. Because he'd been kicked out of his mother's clan shortly after puberty, no one had tutored him on how to control his powers. He could change forms and travel through time and space, but that was about it. And even those he couldn't always control well.
Fury flinched as Fang and Vane were finally cut down. Their bodies were ravaged by the barbed whips to such a degree it sickened him.
They fell to their knees, panting and bleeding. His stomach churned at the sight. To be trapped in human form while a wolf was torture in and of itself. To be wounded while holding that form . . .
He could only imagine how excruciating their pain was.
And still they stood united. Neither was tearing at the other-blaming him for what was happening to them.
That was what Fury envied. It was a pure, loving bond that he'd never experienced or understood.
Vane and Fang were brothers.
To the end.
His hand trembling, Vane reached for Fang, who lay unmoving. His features were contorted by anguish. "Fang?" The torment and fear in that one weak call brought tears to Fury's eyes.
Fang closed his hand around Vane's.
The relief on Vane's face was potent. And short-lived as Stefan and George hauled them to their feet, then retied their hands behind their backs.
There was no pity or remorse on Markus's face. "Take them out to the swamp and leave them for the gators."
Those brutal words told Fury that he'd been right when he decided to never let his father know he was his son. That lack of mercy. Lack of love . . .
Their mother had been right. Markus was an animal through and through. But then, she was every bit as brutal. Maternal instinct had passed her by so fast, it'd left a skid mark over her intolerant heart.
Fury started to leave until he heard a whisper on the wind. He turned to see Markus speaking into Stefan's ear.
"Hang them from a tree and then summon the Daimons to finish them off and tell them to take their time with it. I want them to suffer."
Stefan bowed his head in submission as anger tore through Fury.
And in that moment, Fury knew what he had to do. . . .