This Is Where I Want To Be

38. Things Keep Happening

Juliet

“You are tied to her, Marcus.” I heard Qadir go on and on. My head buzzed. “They chose exile after that because you allowed them to go… All you have to do is say the word, boy… You can take her back now as if nothing happened… What do you say? Shall we take her home and make her a part of the family.” Qadir laughed and grabbed my face in his palm, “What do you think he will say. I heard of his stunt two weeks ago, trying to catch you. He is so weak when it comes to you! Another situation has presented itself, son.”

Hearing Qadir call Marcus his son was his own undoing. He was desperate to get me back at the compound. But why? Had Qadir finally broken Marcus. When we left, there was no one to show him the way. Qadir was staring at Marcus—waiting. Marcus’s answer was clear and without hesitation, “She still gets to decide.” Qadir struck me. My already pounding head was crying out as I tried to breathe, my mind disconnecting from my body.

Qadir screamed, “I made it so that you could not have her!! I told you no! You strictly went behind my back and branded her. She was your act of rebellion against me.” He walked towards Marcus. My heart was pounding. I was so scared for him. He closed his eyes, bracing. I cried out when Marcus hit the wall. Qadir spun around, “No! Quiet! You don’t get to feel anything for him if you left him like that.” A sob escaped me—I did leave him. Qadir came closer when I didn’t want to calm down. I didn’t think I would be able to handle one of those blows Marcus got. Qadir slowly raised his fist. Light flooded the room; a silhouette at the door, and I couldn’t see who it was. My head was pushed back as he had me by the collar. Qadir had also looked back and dropped me, growling as he stomped out of the room.

Hands and knees, I crawled over to Marcus—he wasn’t moving. Softly, I took his face in my hands, kissing his lips, rubbing his cheek with my thumbs. He moved a little. I struggled to contain my emotions, holding back sobs of relief—he was still alive. Kubra walked over and haunched next to us, feeling Marcus’s face, head, and neck, “One day, that guy is going to kill his own kid.” I sat in the corner, my head resting on my knees, crying. “You know Juliet. When you left. And he was in his two-week sleep. Marcus had terrible nightmares … The whole time. Saying things that I can’t repeat. He really had no choice. We all knew it. You heard Qadir. Even he knows it.”

The door burst open, but I couldn’t lift my head. I was too afraid. Someone touched my shoulder softly. I flinched. The hand slowly pushed me forward, revealing my back. My eyes came up to meet Louis’s. Two fingers held my chin, tilting my head to the side—left and right. There was blood trickling down the side of my face. My lip was cut, “Oh, Baby!” his voice was almost inaudible. He lost it… Murder in his eyes, he ran out.

I heard Louis screaming, “You’ll pay for this Qadir! I’ll kill you! She is not on your compound anymore! How could you lay a hand on her!” Louis must have attacked him because things were breaking. Carl and Charlene came into the room. Kubra left quickly. Charlene was stunned seeing Marcus and me like that. She turned her body into Carl’s arms. Carl’s eyes were blankly fixed on me, holding back tears, “I’m sorry we’re late,” he whispered.

I heard more yelling from next door. “Marcus said you haven’t even slept with her! How could you claim her as your own! He has more claims than you… That means I can do with her what I want!”

“Did Marcus give you consent to touch her?!” Louis spat out.

They were both half right. Marcus didn’t do anything. I managed to get up, grunting, and dragged myself through the door. Walking into the box where they were fighting, more faces I didn’t want to ever see again stared back at me. Lucius was with his father, breaking up the two brawling vampires. Qadir would get the upper hand. I feared for Louis. The other spectators watched the drama unfold. “Stop it!” I yelled.

Qadir smirked, “Not bowing now? You will always be hiding behind someone. You can do nothing for yourself.”

My heart hardened. I attacked him; Louis grabbed me around my waist, “At least I will never be as ignorant as you! You inbred fascist!” He manifested coming at Louis and me. His eyes flickered over my shoulder at the door, and Qadir jolted to a stop. Who the hell was it that could control this freaking guy? And why? “I will show you what I can do!” I made Louis drop me, taking his hand and pulling him down the stairs that led into the arena. Kubra was waiting in the darkness. I didn’t have to say anything. He barked a few orders at the four men sitting at the table. Their eyes widened in confusion, but they obeyed their sergeant.

Because of the commotion, all fights had ceased. Kubra opened the gate for us. I kept pulling Louis forward until we stood in the middle, where everyone had a clear view of us. Louis stood in front of me. Even though he could just read me, he seemed confused, “Baby… what are you doing?”

“I should’ve done this that first night in the car when I couldn’t keep my eyes off you.” Louis could only conjure up a weak smile. “I love you, Louis! You asked me to marry you. I’m asking you to do this for me.” His smile fell as I dug into his pocket, where I knew I would find it. The four men brought in the bonfire pit from outside. “Accelerate the fire, Kubra. We don’t have time!”.

“Baby! Not like this!” Louis whispered.

Never had anyone been branded, let alone had two marks on them—I think. I talked to my dad about it, long after I forgave him for his part in it all. In that one regard, Liam felt I needed to know everything. “I won’t ask again, Louis,” I whispered in my most pleading voice. I was begging. His breathing was heavy as he struggled to hold it together, deciding if he wanted to tie himself to me until death. Mine was ragged, knowing what was coming. I had decided the day I got on the plane. Louis’s hands trembled, seeing the fire. It didn’t really compute on a human level. Any level. We weren’t raised with branding as a tradition for married couples.

Kubra and my eyes met for the briefest moments. Every day, Marcus was with me, Kubra was somewhere close; having him there was, in a way, soothing. Qadir had come running into the arena, “Juliet, you can’t do this!”

I scoffed, “I wouldn’t have, but you have only yourself to thank.”

Kubra took Louis’s emblem from me and pinned it onto the front of the poker. How was Kubra that prepared? I would have to wait to find out. The poker was held in the fire as they stoked it with accelerants. It only took a few minutes. The whole arena filled up with vampires. Only the older ones went down on their knees. I guessed those who knew of the secret. The young ones, like Lucius, stood on the outskirts. The ones that didn’t come from our home planet. The last one to bow down was Qadir’s. His lips pulled back in a snarl. Was that sweat I saw on his brow? The recognition dawned on his face—he had no control. His body was moving for him. Supernaturally, they were all forced down.

“Your son bound me to a chair. Gagged me and branded me while I wet myself… I was only a child.” Louis’s head jerked up… eyes wide, mouth open. I had never let him in there. That was the first time I spoke the words out loud and let him see the images I had of that morning. “Because of you, his father! He needed to protect me. I always blamed him for being like you… Marcus is more of a man than you would ever be! But thanks to you… I’m not a child anymore… “Belt…” I struggled to get the word out. Louis’s eyes drifted towards the sky for strength. His hands reached for the one around his waist. “Chair…” Tears rolled down my cheeks. I pulled down my pants and kicked them away, standing only in my boy shorts. I exposed Marcus’s emblem. There were gasps and murmurs of the Ahmed crest tattoo on my ass. I bent over the seat of the chair. Kubra got down on his haunches in front of me, tying my two hands to the chair so I couldn’t move. He went to the back and did the same to my legs. Our eyes didn’t meet again. “I’m sorry,” was all I heard.

I bit into the leather. My body involuntarily fought my mind, trying to get loose. I didn’t want to feel that kind of pain again. Kubra knew and pressed down with his knee on my back. Louis read my screaming thoughts.

That time, I didn’t wet myself.

***

Louis

The vampires roared around me. The werewolves were strangely quiet as if they knew… I fell to my knees as the crippling pain rippled in waves through my body, corroding its way to my heart. I held back an agonized moan with every biting gnaw. My hands dug into the sand as the scorching fire surged into my veins. I felt what she had felt. My hand jumped to my heart as the tears rolled down my cheeks. Every last one of the vampires came over to touch my shoulder. They were, after all… rebels who wanted to overthrow the king, and even if I didn’t understand it, something told me we would be able to. Qadir was the only one who didn’t get up. That was the moment he knew he had f—up.

I tried to get the pain under control but couldn’t. Samuel said it was worse for the men. But Juliet was unconscious, hanging over a chair. It didn’t feel like a victory. I saw Marcus staggering towards us. He fell on his knees beside me, putting his hand on my shoulder, “That was a first, Louis. She must love you very much. Looks like I will have to get used to you.” Marcus genuinely meant it. Juliet would be okay. Did it all mean something?

“Don’t leave her side. Not for a second.” Those were my last words. Charlene and Carl came running over with a first aid kit.

“I won’t. Sleep now. I know I did.”

***

Michael: Earlier That Day.

My phone rang. I picked it up off the table, answering the call. I didn’t recognize the number, “Michael, it is Julius Bertram.”

I jumped up from my chair to move to a more quiet location, “Yes, sir. What can I help you with?”

“It’s that Juliet girl. Seems she is at that cage fight near Argenta. Carl called, and I confirmed with Kubra. Things are going south quickly.” I swore under my breath. I had lost Juliet earlier that day. The last time that had happened, she got infected by Rodrigo’s experiment. I wasn’t taking any more chances… It was a low point in my career, and personally, letting her down like that. She went into the women’s toilets and never came out again. I had been waiting on Campus for her. Went back to my van when it got late. “She disappeared on you again… Tough job you have with that one… Well, the thing is that Qadir is there… You, out of everyone must know the history. If he gets a hold of her, well… The baby is at this stage… Our number one priority. Do you understand? Under no circumstances is he allowed to go too far.”

Immediately, I became tense. What if I was already too late, “I understand. I will sort it out right now.” I hung up the phone. Concern drove me to use the technology the vampires gave us for situations like that. In an instant, I teleported to the man we had on location. Although I would have to write a three-page briefing on using it… I didn’t think I would get into too much trouble. I appeared before the watcher assigned to oversee the event. With raised eyebrows, he recognized and saluted, waiting until I addressed him. “How many watchers are here?” I asked as I walked.

“We are a few. David is still in that group of Werewolves, monitoring Ben. He lost against Marcus,” I smiled, thinking about the tenacity Marcus possessed. There was a commotion upstairs. I heard someone screaming. I ran for it, knowing the voice well. Nearing the room, I heard Qadir talking down to Juliet. She was sobbing... trying to hold it in. I felt like an idiot for not being there earlier. I should’ve followed Charlene or done something.

From the outside, I had to assess the situation without interfering unduly or her seeing me. I quickly glanced through the door, going from one side to the other. Qadir was walking over to Marcus and hit him. I winced as his body hit the wall. He didn’t stop. Qadir moved back over to Juliet as I peeked. He picked her up by her jacket, lifting his fist. Blood was trickling down her brow—a broken lip. I swore under my breath. My first thought was to kill Qadir and go have a drink. I walked into the doorway and cleared my throat. Qadir saw the movement quickly. Heard the rumbling in his ears. His manifested features jerked back, making eye contact. I warned him with a sign that he should walk away. He dropped her instantly, knowing what his punishment would be.

She fell to the floor sobbing, trying to catch her breath. I swore loudly, seeing her like that. Qadir pushed past me. I didn’t interact with him any further; we both had a role in the greater scheme of things. That was mine, and he had his. As I turned around, I came face to face with Bertram’s boy and Charlene, “Thank you for being here, Michael.”

I didn’t even see Louis come or go. I heard him screaming at Qadir. Juliet strutted out of the room. I hid myself behind the door, watching her—always watching her. I listened as she insulted the man; a small smile made the side of my mouth quirk up. It also made me jump into the doorway to stop Qadir… because I knew there was no way he would stand for her speaking to him like that. He was frustrated with my constant interference. Juliet’s eyes flickered to the door, but I wasn’t there anymore. I was in the next room, pushing things into Kubra’s hands, telling him not to leave her side and to help her. I would take over with Marcus. I didn’t need to ask twice; he was already out the door. A moment later, Louis was pulled by the arm down the corridor. I knew it was coming. The implications of her choice were enormous. But… I wanted her to do it. No, I needed her to do it.

Carl and Charlene were sitting on the couch, “Juliet is going to have a very rough night. You should go and see what happens and look after her….” I pushed a first aid kit into their hands. “Oh, and she’s pregnant. Will you guys tell her?” They both nodded. “We will let Liam and Cindy know. Let her tell Marcus… I’ll tell Louis.”

Neither of them seemed shocked. I pulled Carl up and pushed them out the door. I needed Marcus awake, and the only thing I could do was stab a vile into his neck. He gasped instantly and sat up. I put my arm under his shoulder, helping him to his feet. We made our way outside. The four of us look down on Louis, claiming Juliet. Marcus’s body stiffened next to me. “This is for the best, Marcus. She is free,” he relaxed, “You’re free,” his shoulder shook. He felt he had lost her. The cost was too great. I didn’t know if he did… I helped him down the stairs. “You must find the courage, Marcus, in the next minute. It will determine the rest of your life. That was the last time he touched her. Do you understand me?” Marcus pulled off my body. I knew how he felt. All of it was his own fault. He glared at me, but only for a second. The words sunk in; he turned, walked into the arena, and fell down next to Louis.