Chapter VII

The beast inside growled as they walked towards the fortified home. Abraham did not like this. He could not see an escape for Abigail if violence erupted and he had to fight. She would be injured and then he knew that the beast would take over and destroy everything. Corbin was still suspicious and he knew that the man would try again to see if he was the beast that he hunted for all his life.

"What did he do to make you break him like you did?" Corbin asked Abraham as he quickened his pace to walk beside the giant man.

"He hit her. I don't like violence in my house. I have families that I protect and I will not tolerate that in my presence."

Corbin nodded. "I understand that. I too have families that I have to protect from violence."

"What would plague your family?"

Corbin smiled at the man looking down at him. "An animal that knows no loyalty."

"What sort of animal is that?" Abraham raised an eyebrow at the sneer that appeared on Corbin's face.

"It is big and vicious and killed my family for no reason."

Katrina could hear Corbin talking and rolled her eyes. "Oh Lord Van Brunt do not let him regale you with his stories of this massive animal that no one but him has ever seen. He thinks that it lives up in the woods by you. The only thing that lives up there is that old cat."

Caroline walked behind her Uncle. She knew that Abraham had killed the cat but she was not about to spill her secret to him.

Corbin waved his hand at Katrina and moved closer to Abraham and whispered to him. "She knows nothing because she is too blinded by her sense of goodness. If I were you I would keep your ward far from her. She speaks of rebellion but she is a liar."

Abraham frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

"She is not trying to save anyone. She takes her freed men and women to a slave trader in the lower states for money. I have intercepted some of her couriers and set her captives free. They do not return here because she would capture them again. My brother is a thief of lives and these people here are here to support him and his evil. I don't hunt men or women I hunt beasts. She is worse than I am. I would keep your ward very close."

Abraham could smell no deception in his words. Corbin looked at his brother Baltus and spit on the ground. "He is evil. How can he be this rich when the rest of us struggle?"

Abraham looked around and saw all the men shadowing them as they walked towards the Tassel home. he could sense their rising violence. They were intending to hurt them. Corbin saw him looking around and began noticing men following him. These were not his men. These were not Luke's men. These were his brother's men. He had invited him and the man that lives up on the hill for one purpose. Corbin stopped walking and grabbed Abraham's wrist and he stopped walking.

"What is this brother?"

Baltus stopped walking and chuckled. He turned and faced his brother. "Well initially we were just going to rob Lord Van Brunt but with you here we can kill you and him and no one will be the wiser."

Abraham looked ahead and saw Abigail walking into the house with Katrina. The men came from the shadows with guns and surrounded Corbin and Abraham.

Caroline began struggling as one of the men grabbed her and pulled her towards the house.

"Don't worry about your ward Abraham. She will fetch a very high price after I determine if she is a virgin." The men around them began laughing. The beast inside began growling as Abraham watched Abigail talking with Katrina just inside the doorway.

"You are a bastard brother."

Baltus smiled as his men came from the woods with Corbin's men bond along with Luke's men. "You are the one dragging our name in the mud. I don't know why my mother married your father. You will not humiliate out name any longer."

Corbin watched Baltus nodded to his men and they raised their guns to the back of Corbin's men heads.

*()*

Katrina slowed her walk and moved beside Abigail and smiled at her. "How did you come to be here?"

"My Uncle likes to move around a lot."

The pretty redhead looked at her hands and saw that they were soft and had not done a lot of hard labor. She must work inside of Lord Van Brunt's house.

"Lord Van Brunt has many maids already why does he need you."

Abigail frowned at her words. "There is only Mary and I? I don't know who else you are referring to."

Katrina looked back at Caroline as one of her father's men covered her mouth and took her around the house then returned her attention to Abigail. "Beware of Caroline she is after your Lord and will do whatever she has to, to have him."

"Why would I have to beware of her?"

Katrina chuckled. "Caroline is one that likes to be the only beauty in the house. She would get rid of you. You will need to escape while you can."

"She does not frighten me." Abigail took her eyes from Katrina as she took in the grandeur of the Tassel home. It was filled with beautiful things. Tall ceilings and expensive furniture filled the wooden floors and large rooms. Abigail looked towards the servants that were both white and black. She caught the eyes of one of the white servants and the woman slightly shook her head at her.

'What does your father do?"

"He is a collector and seller of jewelry."

Abigail returned her gaze back to the woman who had a warning for her. She lifted her hand and revealed the chain on her arm. Abigail turned bac k to Katrina just as the woman tried to clamp the end of the chain on her wrist. Abigail shoved her backwards and she fell over the table behind her. Abigail ran in the direction the maid told her.

Katrina screamed for help.

Baltus looked towards the house and saw his daughter getting off the floor and running down the hall after Abraham's ward.

"She will not get away. We have never lost our product Abraham. She will be sold for a hefty price after I have had my fun." Baltus looked into the dark eyes of the Lord upon the hill and smiled.

Rage boiled in Abraham's body and threatened to boil over but then he smelled the sweetest of scents and relaxed. His pack was there watching and waiting to attack at the right time.

"Do you think that she is will be so easily caught."

Corbin looked at Abraham. The man was totally calm. He had no weapon that he could see.

"I have always gotten what was due me Van Brunt."

Corbin saw some moss on one of Baltus men's shoes. "How did you come here?"

Baltus frowned at his annoying brother. "What are you asking?"

"Did you come through the Hollow Woods?"

"One of the men snickered as he turned his gun towards Corbin who held up his hands. "What other way is there?"

"You have trespassed on their land. The beast that I tracked lives there and you have led them here. They will not tolerate trespassing on their land. I would know."

Corbin began unbuttoning his shirt quickly as he laid his scars bare for the men to see. Many of them turned away others looked at the oozing scars with horror. Abraham kept his eye on the house as soon as his pack attacked he was going after Abigail.

A howl filled the air. Everyone turned towards the tree line and stared at the blackness beyond the trees. Abraham could sense his clan preparing to charge across the field towards them. His gaze slid to Corbin when he began breathing strange as he held his silver ring in his hand as a dagger. He was afraid of his kind. He was afraid of meeting her again…. Chloe.

Abraham looked towards the tree line and then turned and ran towards the house. The pack broke though the foliage to screaming men and bullets. Corbin began running towards the house after Abraham but one of his own men tripped him trying to get in front of him. Wolves ran by him and after the scattering humans as they ran into the woods. Baltus ran into his house. The man that tripped Corbin got up and followed Baltus. The fat wolf hunter lay face down on the soft grass listening to the deep growl coming closer to him. He knew that it was her.

*()*

Abigail ran down the stairs and into the cellar. She hid behind cases of wine. She calmed her breathing when she heard frantic footsteps heading down the stairs. "What are you talking about?"

"Those things are outside. Corbin said that we brought them here." The man ran down the stairs and ran past Abigail's hiding spot. Katrina walked down the stairs still wanting her money for this woman.

"I know that yo are down here. I am not one to give up." Baltus grabbed her wrist.

"We have to go."

"Father she is down here. If we find her, we can still get our money."

Baltus stared at her for a moment and then sent two men in the basement. Abigail heard them come down the stairs and moved deeper into the back of the cellar.

Abraham followed his nose and ran towards the back of the house. Some of Baltus men jumped on him in their haste to escape the wolves running around outside. They did not come inside for fear that they would harm Abigail by accident. Abraham punched one man in the stomach and threw him off while the other tried to put him in a headlock. Abraham threw him off and then grabbed him and threw him through the window. The master of KnightPhall continued towards the back of the house and towards the cellar. He ran down the steps and found it empty. He could smell a fight and fresh blood on the floor.

The sounds of horses whining and running told him that they were outside and had Abigail. Abraham ran back upstairs and outside and saw the carriage streaking away from Tassel manor. He ran after it but he would never catch it in this form. He began removing his clothing as he ran into Hollow Woods to cut it off.

*()*

Abigail kicked her feet and wiggled her body against the two men that held her. She was bound and gagged and laying across the laps of her abductors.

One of the men holding Abigail held a cloth up to his head. Abigail had hit him with a wine bottle and almost knocked him out. He wanted revenge but could not see straight enough to hurt her yet.

Katrina and her father sat across from them with Caroline on the floor glaring up at them. "I can't believe that you would do this to your family."

Katrina rolled her eyes at her cousin. 'Why does she have to come? Who is going to buy her?"

Baltus chuckled. "I don't know but Abigail will fetch us a nice coin. We will be able to get away and start again with the money that she will bring."

The carriage suddenly stopped and the horses bucked and whinnied with terror. The roaring coming from the front of the carriage made the men inside stand up and Abigail rolled on top of Caroline.

The carriage tipped over and the door was pulled off its hinges. A huge white haired wolf's head came through the door and growled. Those inside looked up at the beast and began screaming as he opened his mouth and revealed his long canine. One huge clawed paw appeared in the doorway as the beast made his way inside the carriage. The screaming became frantic and a moment later there was silence.

Author's Notes

Thank you reading and I hope that you have enjoyed this chapter. ~Frostbytefire