Who is Magpie?

“Don’t go mom,” Oakley begged.

After breakfast she had shown him and the other kids the soft spots on the body to aim for if someone tried to hurt them. They had cling to every word eagerly and she warned that if they used what she told them against the people in their pack that she would be very angry with them. The part of them that was happy to finally have a Luna and grand motherly figure for the whole pack agreed easily.

“I’m sorry Oakley, this is very important. I want you to have the safest future possible, and that can’t happen until we stop the bad people who had me for good.” He looked sadly at her and she hugged him with everything she had, nuzzling into his neck to make him giggle. “This is just a meeting, we’ll be back soon.”

She kissed his nose and handed him off to the elder who would watch him before she approached Mina. The other woman was surprised when she moved in for the hug, but not as surprised as when she felt her slip something into her back pocket.

“Take care of them?” Jessamine asked.

Though Mina had meant to give her attitude for asking something she would do anyway, she nodded, caught up in the look of lost control that Jessamine wore.

“Of course Luna,” she replied earnestly instead.

Jessamine got into the car with Azural, who told her his beta and the fighters, who weren’t currently staying in the town, would meet them along the way.

“I want you to come back with me,” she spoke suddenly, keeping her head down this far during the car ride.

“What?”

“When this is over, come back to the Ashford pack. Bring everyone. We will take them in and they will be safe, can eat until they’re full everyday, can get any education they want… don’t look at me like that.”

He chuckled. “You’re not even looking, how do you know I’m looking at you like anything.”

“I can tell,” she muttered. “You’re feeling smug as hell right now.”

“Then you can also tell that I’m very unsure of what you are suggesting. I have spent a lot of time finding a place for my pack to live and grow.” His tone was light but she could tell he was incredibly wary.

“I knew you wouldn’t be keen on living under another alpha, but there are so many positives. Not limited to but including me getting to see Oakley every day.” She knew that was a selfish thing to add in, but also that this would be beneficial for everyone anyway.

They pulled up to a large warehouse with other vehicles pulling in behind them. “We’ll talk more later, let’s get this out of the way first. We’ll wait here while my men go in and check it out, your friend should be here soon.”

She nodded getting out of the car and waited beside Azural on the hood. He was talking to Kizer and she was looking around the area. In the bush she caught movement, and focused her attention there. After a moment she saw two large wolves peak out and her eyes grew wide.

Delano and Kai looked at her, she was sure they were willing her to run to them while Azural was distracted. She was about to tell Azural she needed to go speak to them when he reached for her hand.

“Come on, they will park at the other end and meet us in this building, my men say it’s empty inside.” He spoke softly even though he could feel the edge in her emotions.

She nodded. “I’m okay with that, seeing Kay again will be… hard, but it won’t be a long chat…I just.. I don’t know how much she knows.” She was trying to talk loud enough for her friends to over hear, but as she thought about it she grew nervous.

Azural wrapped his arm around her and she shrugged him away. “I know you don’t need me, but let me be there for you.”

She glanced back toward Delano and Kai, smiling and signalled for them to wait. Jessamine figured they would find a way to report to Ezekiel anyway, but hoped he wouldn’t act rashly before she could explain.

Inside they walked through two short hallways connected by fire doors to a large room with a skylight as the only source of light. Azural’s other men were already inside pacing the space when they entered.

“I don’t like it,” one of them said. “I feel claustrophobic in here. There’s not enough room to shift and fight in here.”

“He’s not wrong,” Jessamine muttered. “Did you pick this spot Azural? I have a hard time believing Kay did.”

“Actually she did,” he returned.

A door to another hallway opened and Kookaburra enter followed by four others.

“Four?” Jessamine scoffed. “I could take out four of you by myself.”

“Magpie!!!!” Kay squealed and closed the gap between them as fast as her feet could carry her.

They collided in the middle of the room, and Kay wrapped her arms around her fully. She held her there for a few moments, rocking her back and forth before she remembered where they were.

“Right, you’re not a hugger,” Kay giggled, moving to let her go.

Instead Jessamine wrapped her own arms into the hug as well and kept her there. “Magpie didn’t understand hugs, but Jessamine Hemlock loves hugs.”

She could hear Kay quietly whimpering on her shoulder. “I thought you were dead.”

Jessamine chuckled. “Yea that’s been going around a lot lately.”

“You have your wolf!” Kay remarked, backing up to look her over. “And you look good. Fuller, it’s hot.”

Azural growled behind them and Jessamine tsked her tongue. “Oh enough out of you. And your hair!” Jessamine commented, pulling the long dark brown strands out to examine them. “Where’s the colour gone?”

“It wasn’t seen as professional,” she sighed. “I tried to save your plants…. I managed three.”

“That is more than I thought would live. Let me guess… a pothos, a spider plant, and little cactus?” Kay nodded affirmatively and Jessamine hugged her again. “Thank you for trying, and for my flashlight. It saved my life, and my best feature.” She stroked her face lightly and snorted.

“It’s so good to see you like this,” Kay smiled, and Jessamine remembered this smile from the night they went out into the garden together.

“What? Unabashedly unfiltered?” Jessamine grinned again.

“Free,” Kay grinned back. “I’m so glad you got free.”

“I as well am glad you got free.”

The cold, gruff smokers voice sent a chill like an ice chip down Jessamine’s spine and her head darted quickly to the source. The Martin had brought many more people with him and Jessamine recognized them all by name.

“You didn’t pick the location, did you?” Jessamine asked Kay.

“What? Of course not, the layout was atrocious, but I was trying to make the wolven happy so went along with it.” Kay muttered in return.

“Mmhmmm..” Jessamine drew out. “So he’s likely tampered with the sprinkler here as well. Wolvesbane in the water Martin? You are one to butcher a bit until it’s old and grey.”

“You’re not old and grey yet,” he husked out. “But you will be before you stop being useful to me.”

“You will not get wolven to fight for you anymore.” She continued to talk, glancing over the weapons carried in. “Oh Gull look at you, did you forget your weapon. Or is it… ah yes as I thought, the knuckles.”

Jessamine was sure they were hedging their bets on the tainted water and burns slowing them down. The exits were blocked, but that wasn’t the problem. Even passed those doors there were long hallways before they would be outside.

They wouldn’t barter, there would be no bargaining, only stalling and trying to make a mad dash to the exits as soon as possible.

“You did a good job training me. Did you hear of the deaths?” Jessamine antagonized, moving to lean sarcastically on a piece of furniture long left behind.

“I did,” the Martin coughed. “I also heard that your skills as a bed warmer kept you alive, much to our chagrin when we thought you’d be put down.” Azural growled and the Martin wagged his finger. “Now now, none of that. The adults are talking. I also heard of the ruin their pack house is in thanks to you. The number of people dead, thanks to you. The man you shot barely hanging on, thanks to you. Your alpha is furious by the way on that one. Shooting his own brother with silver.”

Jessamine felt the lump in her chest grow. “It was an accident, I gave him everything I…”

“You answer to me!” He demanded and Jessamine’s back went straight.

“No, no no no. Jessamine no,” Kay whimpered, moving to her side and tapping her face with her hand to try and distract her.

Jessamine wilted at the touch. “It is, it’s all because of me. If I had just died in that car crash or never been born so many people would be better off.”

“No they wouldn’t, Jessa,” Azural begged. He pinched the back of her neck and the touch sent sparks through his bite but it wasn’t enough to override the guilt. “He would have always found a way and there would always have been deaths.”

Her whole body shook in place. She felt like she was trying to run and stay still at the same time, but there was nothing she could do otherwise.

“She was on those drugs too long, she’s still affected by his words,” Kay gasped, trying to hold Jessamine in place.

“My lovely granddaughter, and biggest disappointment, you are only mostly correct.” She turned to him wearily as he continued. “A wolven is just a wild dog, and with the right time, training and… motivation, a lot can be accomplished. The teas were a big help, but nothing is better motivating than fear and pain, isn’t that right Magpie.”

Her mouth trembled as she spoke, “my name is Jessamine.”

He chuckled. “I took that name from you Magpie, I took everything. I broke you down to nothing and rebuilt you. You belong to me.”

“She’s not your pet,” Azural spat, having moved behind her to wrap his arms around her.

When she didn’t even attempt to smack his hand he understood the danger of the Martin being there and immediately regretted not bringing more people.

“Tell you what, you put down Azural for me and I won’t put you back in the kennels, as a wolven this time. I’m sure that will draw an interesting crowd, not the kind you were use to.” He smiled dimly, the yellow of his teeth visible even on the other side of the room.

Jessamine was shaking her head. “No, absolutely not.”

“He’ll die anyway, give yourself a break,” he continued on but she didn’t stop shaking her head. “Fine. I tried to show you mercy. Go on, get her.” He commanded his people and they rushed forward, ganging up in groups of six or seven on the wolven.

“Keep them away from the fire alarms!” Jessamine commanded, dodging a swing from Gull as Azural moved in front of her.

“I’ve heard of you,” Azural hissed at the large man. “Nothing good I assure you.”

They sent two people after Kay and each person she brought, and Jessamine had eight running at her.

“How do none of you realize how wrong this is?” Jessamine gasped, kicking and punching those away from her.

Two arms wrapped around each of her arms and she saw Bluejay approaching her. “You should have ran farther,” he muttered before landing a half dozen hits to her stomach, and core, and one to her face before she managed to reach out and kick him with a foot.

She spat blood on the ground and glanced around to see that everyone else wasn’t fairing much better. Those Kay had brought had already been subdued, and, like Jessamine, the other wolven would get ganged up on, escape for a moment and get recaptured.

If they had been outside and could shift, even their numbers wouldn’t have been a problem, but their weapons and numbers created an unfair advantage they couldn’t overcome. Azural hated how underprepared he had been, expecting this meeting with Kookaburra to go as smoothly as their others. He watched them beat on Jessamine in a helpless anger that made his own fighting sloppy.

Azural had been knocked to the ground briefly by Gull, and Jessamine had called out to him. The desperation in her voice had surprised them both, enough for Gull to get an extra swipe in and a black bag to go over Jessamine’s head.

A thick wide cuff was fitted over each wrist by what felt like a pit crew of assailants, and when they touched she couldn’t separate them. The next thing she knew someone had swept her leg and she was falling backwards into what felt like a duffle bag.

Jessamine thrashed against everything that touched her, hell even Leti had tried, but the cuffs were made from silver and it prevented her from escalating their defensive efforts.

She heard Azural and Kay yelling her name as the bag was zipped closed and then the soft patter of water bouncing off it.

“No no, Azural!” She called, hearing their pained sounds as the tainted water burned their already battered flesh, and she was dragged off while flailing wildly.

She felt all of Azural’s pain and it showed as her movements slowed. His pain felt like her own, but despite knowing she was reaching her energy out toward him he wouldn’t take it.

She could feel herself being dragged down the hallways and across the rough gravel. She forced the bag off her head, panting heavily as the sweat gathered in her brow, and tried to cut her way out with her claws to no avail. Jessamine could feel the irony at being brought back in a body bag as she was loaded into a vehicle.

“So how’s classes been going?” She said after a minute. “Any of you made it anywhere near my high scores yet?” A kick to her head sent her seeing stars even in the darkness. “I guess not.”