Charles had just come back from over two months on the road, where his father had sent him again. He'd been annoyed to leave that mission because he had wanted to see Mimi's Australian ranch. And not gonna happen because it was always work first. Charles knew his reputation, and he knew his father liked to exploit that reputation.
Take this mission in Argentina as an example. Bran claimed that the North American wolves were enough, and he had no need to expand his territory, but cooperation was power. In Argentina, many wolves think like Bran, and then some, minority think differently. Bran wanted a pack or a task force or some kind of committee to be set up that would work if there was a problem. It would be American wolves and Argentine wolves. That's all right, but when you had to pick the wolves. Bran himself had chosen who he wanted, and it was up to Charles to carry it out at any cost. That minority had been a thorn in the local Alphas' side and they weren't so keen to work with Bran, either.
Bran had spoken to the Argentine alpha the other day, and they had a list of wolves that were not needed. These were the wolves the opponents were trying to get on the committee. Charles was to kill all of them and, in the process, strengthen his father's power and his word. Charles was getting tired of doing the same kind of semi-political assassinations all the time. He was also in the fleas, and they were a whole different thing. They made sense, but this, this didn't make sense.
The fleas saved and helped and in a few years, Charles had really gotten to know those people in Fleas, had been on gigs where there are actually saving people, not killing them had been an eye-opener for him too. That there was something good to be done and his unique Skillset was very useful in what came to those missions on fleas.
And of course, this had been a big issue for Bran because he wanted Charles to remain his private contract killer and do as he said and not ask any questions, also Charles didn't tell him anything about fleas, or give him any point of contact to them. He could have been part of the fleas.
For Bran, fleas would be his private army, against all and every enemy, and all those who were rescued would be grateful for him. But it had never worked. Mimi had been stubborn, the same with Adam, and now even his own son had gotten in and not given him anything.
Charles knew his father well enough that he had seen this little plot to get a private army and an excellent reputation with humans, too. Once Bran had been the one who kept a low profile, trying to assimilate werewolves part of society and get accepted by humans, but then vampires and other supernatural got out too, and showed their powers.
So Bran had to change his tactics to show everyone that werewolves weren't weak, that they were good allies and he was a good guy, except he wasn't so good guy anymore, too much had happened, he was too old and time had corrupted good inside him for a long time ago.
Charles parked his car. He was tired and sometimes he felt millennia on his shoulders, too. Charles had once been happy with Anna, but then well, he didn't have the heart to go reminiscing about the old ones as he carried his bag upstairs to his room and went downstairs to report to Bran. He didn't always like to call him Da. Bran was enough when he was so fed up.
He'd been too many jobs since then, but when there wasn't a better one. Charles knew that once upon a time, Bran could stop him in his tracks no more. He hadn't advertised it to Bran, but he knew how much stronger he was now. If Mimi was free now, he could go to Australia for six months. Mimi, Mimi was a fascinating case. He had saved Mimi on more than one occasion whenever she was in any condition.
He always remembers that one flight, though. Mimi is in a silver madness. All the time, asking if he was the president of America and if they were going to make a scene... Charles was still laughing, although he wasn't really laughing at the time. He'd almost broken Mimi's neck several times during that flight. He wondered what she was up to all this time. Charles knew what it was to be an old creature, a powerful creature. What had been tortured, and what had had women.
He was as old almost as Damon and he had been a werewolf his whole life. He had never been human whereas all the others had been, Bran and Samuel too. So Charles had always felt that he didn't belong. He was always the different one. Maybe Mimi fascinates him for that reason as Mimi was unique too, her own species.
Charles often reminisced about the early days with Anna before their half-fae adopted child had come along. It had been the child of Samuel and Ariana, an old and strong fae princess. The trouble with fae children is that they often become more powerful than their parents. Well, especially the half-fae. The child had been immensely strong and power-hungry from the start, so old Fae blood in her veins has consequences. Fae power doesn't look at age.
An infant can be as dangerous or more dangerous than an adult fae because an adult fae has morals, a code, customs, and rules. Call them what you will, but. A baby doesn't. The baby just knew what it needed and took it. At first, the baby had Anna completely enchanted. Completely, Charles was nothing, just the baby was everything and its needs.
Of course, Baby had been everything that Anna had wanted. She had been turned into a werewolf by accident and it just didn't suit her so well as Anna had planned her entire future from the start beginning with her future husband, but this guy didn't want Anna because she was the wolf and that had gotten Anna quite depressed. Anna had gotten into trouble with one pack that had eventually taken her. She had been depressed, not getting into heat, and the rest of the pack had bullied her. Tried to rape her into the heat.
Charles had saved her, and taken care of her, and it had been wonderful until her obsession with having a baby started. When she had learned how Charles had been born, she had been convinced that she was strong enough to carry the baby to term, but Charles kept himself infertile. He knew better.
She had talked about in length to Samuel and Bran too but behind Charles's back. When then Ariana got pregnant and had a baby, they gave it to Anna and Charles as Fae did not recognize half Fae child and had probably killed it. Charles thought bitterly that had been the right thing to do, but no.
Ever since the baby had come into their life, it had been everything for Anna. The baby liked to drink blood because blood gives you strength. The best blood was Bran's, but Charles was a very good runner-up. Anna insisted Charles give blood to the baby. Charles had given it.
The demands became more frantic. Now, they had to have the blood of the certain fae. it had been Charles's job to get that blood for the baby, the best option was to imprison that fae so the baby could drink blood as much as it wanted, Or a designated crystal to give the baby more strength and growth. Fast. At three years old, it was the size of a 12-year-old, strong as an ox. It had turned Anna completely against Charles on its side and even got Anna to have sex with Bran when it would calm Bran's rage.
Once upon a time, Charles had vowed that when Anna died, he would follow. But no. Charles had finally found a powerful enchanted sword and killed the child. And tore it apart. Anna never forgave him and never got rid of the enchantment because she didn't want to. Anna had always wanted the child, and it hadn't bothered her if the child was a bit of a monster.
Anna took a silver knife and slit her throat in front of Charles. And Charles made no move to stop her, even though Anna talked for half an hour about how she was going to kill herself. Charles sighed. The past is the past. You can't live in it.
Charles went downstairs to the living room, poured himself a bourbon, and went to sit down. Alcohol wouldn't affect him, at least not to this extent, even though it was super strong and made for werewolves. Bran sat in the living room with Adam. They were discussing something, and Adam was clearly irritated again. Charles felt exhausted and thought of warm Australia. To see what kind of mischief, Mimi had done in there brought some solace in his weary soul. If only everyone would understand that he was Mimi's friend, not her suitor.
Charles listened for half an hour while Bran instructed Adam to go on another job. Adam would be leaving in an hour, and there was no stopping him. This job was important. Again, some alpha crisis that Bran hadn't dealt with in time. It was often this way. Alphas had a disagreement, and they asked Bran's opinion but he didn't reply and let those alphas, quite often hotheads and reckless, get things in a good knot.
And then when border war was imminent, Bran would send Adam to clear up the mess that would have been Bran's job from the start, but no, his father liked to discuss female heat and marrok taxes, he collected every pack taxes because he protected them. But those taxes were something that no pack liked to pay and Bran had blackmail right about every pack to pay them. Adam was just leaving, and Charles was enjoying another bourbon when Damon walked in.
Damon carried one of his sports bags. He looked well, but he did not smell like strange women, booze, and sex, instead, he smelled a little like a medical facility. Something in his expression, in his behavior, made Charles very nervous. But he controlled himself fully, sipping his bourbon. Damon looked at Bran for a moment, who nodded ever so slightly and he looked at Charles coldly, emotionless, then lowered the sports bag he was carrying to Charles' feet. " Take care. Try to learn your lesson, Cornick. I don't share. But if you want Mimi. The contents of that bag will help. "
Then Damon walked out. Charles leaned over to the bag and pulled the zipper. Skin? He opened the bag. Inside the bag was Mimi. Mimi appeared to be unconscious. Skinnier than a skeleton. She was shaking and smelling of infection, medicine, and sickness. Charles closed the bag for a moment when Mimi seemed cold. Charles could not fathom what had happened. Had Damien struck again or what? Do they need to call Dresden?
Bran said in a weary voice, " See what happens now if you piss off Damon? Well, you'll have to try to help Mimi then, because Damon just walked out and drove off. Samuel is in Bangladesh. There's an epidemic. I've got my hands full with the alpha heat problem, and Adam's got to go deal with that looming war in the Midwest. That was Damon, not Damien, so there was no need to call Dresden. This lesson is for you, too. "
Bran looked at the bag for a moment. Charles saw a flicker of regret in his father's expression, but only for a moment.
Bran continued, " Take Mimi somewhere and see if you can help. I know you have talents. If you're in a tight spot, why don't you take your time, beg, and get Damon to help? Mimi is not in good shape and she is difficult to treat. So you might want to talk to Salvatore. Make some kind of deal with him."
Charles decided at that moment that he would not ask for Salvatore. Charles looked at his father coldly and said, "Now this will take time and I won't answer any of your phone calls for a year, so this a promise, actions, and consequences, Bran, I saw you are involved in this so you are now on your own. You can sure that I am working less for you and more in fleas. You damn idiot. What comes to beg Salvatore? You can forget it. I have skills, fleas have many medics who can help and there are places where I take Mimi."
Bran was silent. He had hoped different outcome, some humility or maybe shock from Charles, but instead, there had been steel in his son's voice, steel that he had never heard when Charles spoke to him. He looked at his son and knew this was for real, but he understood all too well actions and consequences. He sighed and understood that once again, Damien doublecrossed him, made things quite damn bad and he had not much what he could do. Well, maybe Charles would see Mimi in a different light once he got her out of that bag.
Charles was furious with his father. He knew directly who he was asking. Charles carefully closed the bag and carried it to his car. He would get her in shape, he had saved her so many times before and there was army saving her.
Charles spoke calmly to the bag. It weighed little. "Mimi, I'm going to put you in the car now and strap you in, so you stay in your seat. We have a short drive ahead, but hang in there. I'll get you to safety and help you."
"Whoever that speaker was," I thought, "I'll get away as long as someone lets me go." I tried to make a move, but I didn't have that much muscle, so I decided to bide my time.
That guy's going to meet his fate. I no longer cared about the fever, the pain, the ache. I had already broken my arm in two places, and one of them had a bone through the skin, but I didn't care. I needed to get to safety, to hide. Get away. My mind was full of panic. I felt very cold. And the only thing that kept me going in some sort of way was my white hot supernatural rage. But my inner killer and vampire side were calm, it was just my rage, nothing more.