Chapter Twenty-Seven-I’m your huckle bearer
All the remaining BlackRiver warriors walked back in the direction of their camp. Leaving roughly 60 Rogues..and Armand. He hasn’t been heard from yet. Rafe stood tall in the clearing. He said “Ahhh Duncan! There you are! What a coward you turned out to be! However did you achieve the title of my Head Warrior? Instead you threw your lot in with a man who wanted a woman that was not his. Oh wait! That is you, too isn’t it!!? Thought you deserved another man’s mate. Pity, that! She never wanted you!” And that’s when Duncan lost his shit… he charged the line.
And Jax shifted right in front of Rafe.. Duncan lunged and Ajax leaped…latching onto his throat and held him down. He pushed and applied pressure waiting for submission. It never came so Ajax snapped his neck! Rafe once again spoke.. “I am bored now. This hasn’t been a fight. It was a massacre! Armand, you cowardly piece of shit show yourself! Ohh I get it. I’m not a frail woman just giving birth to my most precious gift so you can’t choke me to death…you’re scared! Well come on! Show yourself!
The rogues parted like the Red Sea and there he stood. In all his arrogance! He starts walking toward Rafe.. talking as he neared… “I only came here for my daughter. It is time for her to come home. All this running can’t be good for her. She has a null wolf, you know. She was flawed since birth!” He was almost to Rafe and he just let him keep coming. Andrea walked her way over to Rafe.
She said “I’m here Armand. What is it you want me to do…because I can tell you what I Want to do..and that is to sever your head from your body and laugh while you bleed out at my feet.”
Rafe laughed and pulled her close and whispered “my bloodthirsty pixie” Her father stared at them both. He said “You need to come home. Your grandmother is sick and she needs you” She screamed “Liar! I can see your lies! My grandmother is dead! You killed her didn’t you!? Why? Because she loved me? My mother died because she loved me! You want what? Someone to carry your coffin to your grave? Well, I’m your huckle bearer!” And she yanked her katana from its’ sheath and swung in an arc..then just watched his head roll down his body as he crumpled to the ground! She just stood there and watched him bleed out like she wanted him to do!
Rafe turned to the rogues and said “ Well..looks like she means what she says and does what she means. All right now! Who’s next? Chop Chop!” They all turned and ran like the hounds of hell were at their heels. And Jax said “Well, that’s that. What now?” Rafe said now we build a fire and burn all these bodies. It was a huge undertaking and took several hours to get the bodies burned. They sat around munching on peanut butter sandwiches and drinking bad coffee from the triage tent. Tent! She looked at Rafe and said “now hear me out…”
And he pinched the bridge of his nose saying “this seldom ends well!” She said “ Hey! Sometimes, it does! Anyway.. we can’t find a venue large enough for the mating ball right? What if we set tents? Big white circus type Big Top tents? We can rent flooring for a band and dancing. We could have one tent for cocktails and dinner. One for dancing and one for mingling, Madi, Maggie, Marcia and me! We can decorate with whatever theme is voted on. Fairy lights and vining flowers! It will be romantic and elegant! Stop thinking hoedown!” Rafe laughed and said how did you know I was thinking that?
She scowled and said “it was written all over your face! He said “okay moonbeam! We will run it by the elders” She mutters great a whole group of old fucks to poopoo on my idea! And all the guys cracked up. Gavin says “poopoo?” She shrugs and said I already said one cuss word in that sentence. I’m trying to cut back! And again, they all crack up…. Jax said “Hey Ariadne!” And she just beamed! She squealed at Rafe and clapped. “I get to be me now?” He laughed and said “yes baby you get to be you”
Damon said “I’m your huckle bearer? I don’t get it” and Gavin said “it’s a line from the movie Tombstone. A quote by Doc Holiday. Most people think he says ‘I’m your huckleberry’ but that doesn’t even make sense” Ariadne climbed into Gavin’s lap and said “you’re the only one who gets me, DorkTwin”
Rafe laughed and pulled her into his lap. He kissed the top of her head and said “I love you, my little Pixie moonbeam!” She said “I love you, my gargantuous walking tree!” And he just grinned at her..kissing her nose. He stood her on her feet and said “let’s run home” and she nodded. She walked around the side of Gavin’s truck and stripped. She called Adira out. Andddd nothing. She said Adira? Shift? Adira says no. Ariadne said come on! Let’s run home! Shift for me. Adira still says no. Ariadne says what’s wrong? How can I fix it? Adira says No! Pup! Ariadne says wait..we’re pregnant?
Adira nods in her head. Ariadne dresses and sits on the tailgate. Rafe runs over to her and asks what’s wrong. She just sits there staring at the ground. Rafe says “Baby? What’s wrong? Are you sick?” She shakes her head and looks up into his eyes and says “I’m pregnant. Adira refuses to shift”
Rafe stands there looking at her for a long second and then… he faints! She looks at him for a few minutes then yells “Jax! I broke your boss! Might wanna come help me get him into triage.” Jax runs over to her and looks at Rafe. He said “what’d you do?” She shrugged and said “I got pregnant “ and Jax busted out laughing.