Beasthood (The Hidden Blood Series) (14 page)

“
Enough!” Thorpe roared. His face aged as it exposed his grief.

             
Eliza stepped towards her husband, grabbing his hand from behind and squeezing it gently. He half turned and produced a smile, but it was full of sorrow. She swallowed a lump in her throat and cocked her head to her brother-in-law. If he wasn't so poisoned by enmity he might have felt sorry for his brother. “What did you do to her? Did you
kidnap
her?” she accused.

             
Garik scowled. “You abandoned her knowing what she was and what she was capable of, and yet you make me out to be the bad guy?”

“
Answer the question, Garik!” she snapped.

             
Garik tutted her. “Can you imagine the damage she could have done had she Changed before we found her? Without any knowledge of how to control it? Didn't you ever think what that would do to her?” He didn't sound like he cared one bit about her daughter, he just wanted to make Eliza squirm. “It's lucky we found her when we did.”

“
Garik.” Thorpe spoke, pleading. “Don't do this.” “I've lost one daughter, don't take my other one too. Think of her, think of us. Please.”

Garik frowned at him, glanced down awkwardly,  then glared at his brother. “You gave up your right to speak for her when you abandoned her to a human family.”

“
I didn't know what else to do.”

“
You can't wish this away, Thorpe. She is what she is, you know better than to pretend otherwise. It's dangerous. We'll help her, teach her what we know and when she's ready, she can go about her business. Leave if she chooses. I'm sure she'll be interested to meet you two.”

             
The dark amusement in his voice enraged Eliza.“Get out,” she commanded in a low, menacing tone.

             
Garik raised an intrigued brow. “The truth comes out in the end, eh Liza?”

“
OUT!” she exploded.

             
Thorpe strutted towards his brother until he had to look right down to make eye contact. Garik stood. The two men were in each other's face. Garik was egging him on with his eyes.

             
Through teeth that would've made an orthodontist green with envy, Thorpe growled, “I think it's time you left.”

             
Garik stared tigerishly for a long moment before he released a haughty breath. “Well, thanks for having me.” He headed for the hallway. Eliza followed slowly; Thorpe was on his brother's heels. “I suggest you rethink your complete dislike for our community if you plan on seeing your daughter... for the second time in your life.”

“
Don't
push me, Garik,” Thorpe warned.

             
Garik smiled. It wasn't a pleasant expression. “You know, before today I thought you didn't have it in you, but after you nearly knocked my head off, I guess you proved me wrong.”

“
Just because I live amongst humanity doesn't mean I've forgotten how to fight back, and don't you forget it.”

             
Garik countered Thorpe's threat with his own. “Oh, believe me... I won't.” The words were ominous in the once welcoming hallway.  Garik caught Eliza standing half hidden by the lounge door. Their eyes met and she stared. She was scorned, hurt and afraid. That much he could see. He didn't want to make her feel any worse so in his politest voice he announced, “Nice seeing you Liza.”

             
She turned her face away.

             
Garik then locked his gaze on his brother. They stared at each other intently for a short moment before he concluded, “Thorpe.” He then stepped over the threshold of the open door and swung round to face his younger brother.

“
Garik,” came Thorpe's response before he shut the door hard in his face.

             
Garik grinned to conceal how much that had offended him.

             
He put his wide back to the door and headed for his black jeep.

                                                                      *

“John? It's Thorpe.”

“
I've been trying to get hold of you!” came the strained voice on the other end.

“
We changed our number last year when we moved house. I've been meaning to call but I wasn't sure it was safe.”

“
You don't know what we've been going through over here!” John began, distressed.

“
I think I do.” The edge to Thorpe's voice made John frown and pause. His wife,  Rachel, was watching him intently. She mouthed, 'What'? He held up his index finger, 'Wait'. “Garik paid a visit,” Thorpe finally said.

“
As in, your brother, Garik?”

“
The one and only.”

“
How'd he find you?”

“
It doesn't matter. He's gotten better over the years it was bound to happen. He told us they have Jasmine.” John nodded gravely and closed his eyes. Rachel was itching to grab the phone. “So it's true?” Thorpe asked edgily. He knew Garik wouldn't gloat about something that was a lie. It wasn't his style, but he needed to be sure.

“
Yes. A woman called Erica was posing as her aunt.”

“
Shit,” Thorpe cursed.

“
We weren't sure who she was. We've been trying to find you.”

“
She's my sister. Goddammit I should have left you a letter or something. But after Lora, I just couldn't risk it. I thought Jaz would be safer if I cut off contact for a while.”

“
Don't blame yourself. I couldn't drive your sister away. She's a tough nut.”

“
You have no idea,” Thorpe said drolly, with a hint of bitterness as he remembered something in the past.

“
I didn't know what to do but keep an eye on her. Then she mentioned this trip and Jaz was so excited. It's the most excited I'd seen her be about anything in a year.”

             
John had told Thorpe about the incident at the hospital when it had happened. Thorpe had found out hours before that Lora had died in the same way; her child had been a stillbirth. He'd suggested to John to let Jaz believe it was a miscarriage and go along with it, even when she'd come to her senses later on and had said she was a virgin. 'Convince her otherwise. Say she could have gotten drunk at a party, anything! Just don't let her know the truth. Not yet,' Thorpe had told John.

             
Thorpe knew now it had been the wrong thing to do, but he'd only been trying to look out for her. Twice he'd done this and twice he'd failed because of making the wrong decision. It comes with being a parent- even a distant one.

             
He just didn't want her to know Lora had ever existed. It would have crushed her already fragile state. How would she react when she found out? He was sure they'd tell her eventually, if she didn't work it out herself before then.

             
The bonds between twins were strong and that was the only explanation for her dream. Their bond was even stronger than the bond between mates. He glanced at Eliza as he thought this. Her expression was strained. He smiled at her and instantly her muscles relaxed. She smiled back. “I can imagine,” was all he could say.

“
I really didn't think she'd take her away. I mean, I never thought she'd just- I-I don't know, I should have stopped her, forbade it, or something. Told her never to see her aunt again.”

“
No. Erica would have still come. It would have driven Jaz away for all the wrong reasons. She'd have gone if it's what she wanted.”

“
I'm so sorry Thorpe. I really am.”

“
I know. Me too. I should never have given you such a burden. It was not yours to bear.”

“
She was never a burden to me,” John replied in a strained voice.

             
Thorpe held back the tears that were threatening to break free.

             
He'd missed out on his daughter's life, all for nothing.

             
He would have met up with Jasmine in time. Taught her what she needed to know. But when Lora had left -though she'd been willing, it had felt like she'd been kidnapped too- and then a few years later she'd died a tragic death that had also taken the life of her baby son; they'd had to put their plans to meet Jasmine on hold.

             
After Lora died -because it was at Deer Creek, under their care, he felt like the Deer Creek community were completely responsible and at fault for her death- he didn't want to risk Jasmine suffering the same fate. Especially when Lora's death had confirmed his suspicions that he had been wrong about his daughters. He'd made a huge error in judgement; though it hadn't been his fault but more his ignorance that had led him here. If he'd known back then what he knew now, he'd have never allowed Lora to go to Deer Creek. He'd have died trying to prevent it.

             
He didn't know for sure, but he suspected Lora's death was no accident.

             
Sure he'd heard the horror stories. It was difficult not to when they drilled into your head from a young age about the dangerous risk of a pureblood mating with a halfblood, halfbreed or hybrid. Also know as the 'human' child.

             
They -the community elders and teachers- had told him and everyone else for many years that the child of the mixed blood parents would usually die before birth regardless of whether the child itself was pure or not.  The elders had also warned that if both mother and child survived throughout the pregnancy, the mother still had a high chance of hemorrhaging or having other complications. Their chances of survival were extremely low; in fact he hadn't heard of a case where mother and child had lived apart from his daughters and his wife. It was unheard of.

             
Or so they say.

             
One thing he was certain of now, was that Lora hadn't been a pureblood. 

             
She'd gone to Deer Creek with her parents' reluctant acceptance. She'd been curious and excited about it and they hadn't wanted to hold her back. They had warned her of the risks but had understood her desire to go.

             
She'd promised to stay for a short time but had fallen in love. She'd told them she was going to get married and had asked her parents to come to Deer Creek for the ceremony. After much heartbreak and hours of painful contemplation, they'd refused. Not because of her, but because of
them
.  The community. He didn't trust them. There were too many skeletons hiding in their closet. Mysterious deaths, missing people. Evidence of gangs within the Packs joining together for midnight prowls with humans as their prey. It was against all their laws but he knew they did it. He'd seen it for himself and that was one of the reasons he'd left.

             
And he'd suspected twenty years ago that someone higher up was covering the gangs' backs, even pretending they didn't exist. Now twice his age then, he still had the same suspicions.

             
What would stop those killers from murdering an un-pure blood?

             
Everyone there had believed Lora was a pureblood. Why would they have thought otherwise?

             
Unless they found out. Unless she'd been spied on.

             
The cogs in his head began piecing together the parts of the puzzle. Something was definitely off. He feared now for the only daughter he had left.

             
A self-pitying voice in his head told him, if she walked past him in the street she wouldn't even know who he was. He was a stranger to her. And in some ways, she was to him. He didn't care, she was his daughter; nothing else mattered.

             
He thought back to tactics and said, “For now, sit tight. You haven't gone to the police?”

“
No, I was trying to get hold of you. I thought you'd know what to do. I hoped that someone would let you know soon and you'd try to contact me. Thank god you did. But, should I have called them?”

“
No, you did the right thing. We don't want the police involved. It could get ugly. Tell no one that she's gone missing.”

“
As far as they know she's gone with her aunt on a spa holiday.”

“
That's good,” Thorpe concluded.

“
It's supposed to be for two weeks. Her friends have called the house several times saying they can't get hold of her. She doesn't answer her phone.”

“
Tell them she's lost it. I'm sure they plan to keep her longer than that so when it gets nearer the second week, tell her friends she's going to get medical treatment over there. She's suffering depression. Ask the university to give her some time off. She may have to retake the year.”