Marriage is Murder

Edward knew the spell that needed to be spoken to seal the rite, and he didn't trust their prisioner to do it. Edward passed Jack a piece of parchment. "Here's the spell. Cast it over the blood. As Robert's designee, you'll have the power to cast it just as he would. It will dissolve any hold he believes he has a right to have on her by pack law. Once thats done, how about disposing of him in whatever way you see fit? You can return to our weekend retreat then." Edward knew that the marker that their prisoner had cast on Khaat would still have 2 days to dissolve before they could return home without worry of a marker making her so easy to find after that.

"As soon as Jack casts that spell, you get her out of here," Edward told Michael and Robert and Brian.

"Gladly," Robert replied.

Jack took the parchment holding tight to his nephew he started to speak the spell soon he held out the parchment back to Edward. " its done " he said and looked at his nephew " now for you" he said looking he grasped him in both hands and ported away. Steven stood watching some what dumb struck at how quick Jack had taken his nephew away.

" Um he won't kill him or will he?"Steven said looking at Brian and Khaat porting back to the safe house and breathing out a breath of relief. " so is that it?" he asked " she's no longer his?"

"No," Edward said. "She isn 't. Not only was it nullified by the spilling of blood but by the spell being cast by Robert's choice of an alpha who just happens to, by pack standards, have the same blood as their alpha. That means the choice carries nearly the same weight as if the alpha had made the choice himself. Here's the other thing about pack law. Packs mate for life. That's why their version of divorce is so rare. And if a marriage is terminated, they don't go for remarriage. Cohabitation, perhaps, but not remarriage. Especially not an alpha.. The alpha has to prove he is loyal and that his choices are the right ones the first time around. If he buggers up a marriage, it questions his ability to make decisions and to be loyal. In short, an alpha can't afford to divorce. And if he does, he can never remarry her because if he does, it makes him look incompetent to the entire pack. So, I don't think she'll have to deal with the thought of him wanting to marry her again. That doesn't mean she's worry free from him but it is one less."

Robert sealed the wound on the palm of Khaat's hand and wrapped it again. He knew that the only thing holding her up was the combined effort of Michael and Brian.

"Are we done here?" Michael asked.

"Yes," Robert said. Michael immediately picked her up, and she hid her face in Michael's chest and sobbed. Michael didn't say a word. Brian folded himself around Khaat so that between Michael and Brian, she wasn't seen at all. They ported her out quickly.

"Thank you," Robert told them all. The danger wasn't over. The werewolf could still come and get her because of the markers he'd left, but he wouldnt' be seeking her as a wife. And for that, Robert was grateful.

Jack ported back walking straight up to the house and up to where Khaat and Brian stood " it is done , I had....words with him" he said showing him a large cut on his for arm. " my blood is his and his is mine, now I can track him and tell if he gets too close, it is an old wear tracking spell " he told them Jess walked over to him.

" I hope this means the stone will not think you a threat?" she asked him and he shook his head as he looked at Robert.

"There was no option, I could have killed him but another would have taken his place this way I can keep track of him" he told them.

Brian and Michael had taken Khaat straight up to her room and put her to bed. Robert had followed quickly. It had taken a few minutes but Brian and Michael came downstairs. Brian looked exhausted.

"Brian?" Kate asked, a bit anxious.

"Robert had to give her his most potent sleep potion," Brian said. "She's not going to wake until morning now, but he's decided he needs to be the one to stay with her tonight."

"It really is probably best now," Kate said. "The staff has dinner ready for us. Why don't you join us for dinner and then get a bit of rest?"

"Didn't Lee say there was a gym on the third floor?" Brian asked.

"Yes," Lee said, coming in. "Feeling a need to burn off some tension?"

"Oh, I certainly do," Brian sighed.

"Get some dinner and then I'm sure there are several people who would go with you. I have some young aurors, and I truly would be honored if they could simply join you in the gym."

"Bring them on," Brian shrugged.

"Get some dinner," Lee said. "That will give me time to assemble them. Don't beat them up too badly, will you? Most of them just graduated our magic academy this summer. Your dinner smells good. I think they made meatloaf and mashed potatoes and gravy and some sauteed vegetables, and I know I saw them making some sort of an autumn salad and some sort of dessert."

"Thank you, Lee," Brian said. "You're always there to help when we need you."

"As you all have been for me," Lee said. "Its my pleasure." Lee called everyone to the dining room for dinner.

Jack listened and looked at Brian " mind if I join you, I have... tensions of my own I need to work off and I'm not hungry right now. " He said " if you don't mind of course? " he asked feeling the need to work off a few things on his mind. Looking at Jess for a moment he then turned and walked up to the gym. Jess headed down to eat dinner with the others. Cassidy headed down after she had washed and changed into jeans and a tee shirt both still professional, Steven joined them too.

Kate had tensions of her own, but she wasn't going far from Khaat. Dinner was delicious. Kate hadn't had meatloaf in a long time, and this particular recipe was wonderful. Lee joined them after summoning his rookies and had the staff take up a dinner tray to Robert.

"Kate, do you think Robert would appreciate some time in the gym with the rest of us?" Lee asked. "He's had his share today too."

"Yes and no. Yes he'd appreciate it, but no, he won't leave his daughter," Kate said.

"I'll go and relieve him for a little bit," Michael said. "He might leave for a few minutes if he knows Brian is almost done with his own workout by then."

"Good thinking," Kate said. "He might. He knows Khaat's comfort zone is a little bit limited right now and that she trusts him and Brian and you to be close. Robert might go for that."

"She'll come around a bit tomorrow I think," Michael said. "Might not be leaps and bounds, but I expect her to make some effort towards being herself again." Michael heard some of Lee's rookie troops arriving and saw one of the aurors who had been working in the kitchen take a tray upstairs to Robert.

Jess enjoyed her food as did Cassidy and Steven " that was Delicious thank you" she said to the cook as she placed her plate in the dishwasher " I know its been a while for Kate since they had meatloaf " she said moving back out she looked at Kate and listened.

Jack moved up in the gym punching the punch bag that hung from a rafters he had seen Brian working out and he sighed he knew if his nephew came close that would end his life jack would see to that . " hows she doing?" he asked him as he threw another punch his body glistening with the sweat he'd worked up.

"She's resting," Brian said, laying hard into the punching bag. He'd done a quick warm up and was taking his frustrations out on the bag. "Robert doesn't expect her to even move much before daylight at least. But thats for the best. Its been a long day for her. I'll tell you what, if anyone even has a remote idea he's going to mistreat one of my kids, I won't be responsible for my actions. I would gladly spend the rest of my life in Azkaban if it kept one of them safe."

"Khaat will do her best to draw that sort of attention to herself and not to her children," Michael said, taking to the weight bench. He saw Lee bringing in the newbies.

"Do they know how to warm up?" Brian asked.

"Not like you mean the term," Lee laughed.

"Jim," Brian said, "lead them through the basic stretches, please. Then we're going to take them on a little run." Michael didn't say a word but they all knew that the rookies were in for a surprise. Brian's idea of a 'little run' didn't meet anybody else's definition. And the run was never the end of the workout. Never. He kept his thoughts to himself but they were in for a bit of a surprise. Personally, he wanted to free Robert up to join them because he could tell they thought Robert was too old to keep up. And Michael knew Robert's team needed something to laugh about. He got up and left his place in the gym, and talked Robert and Kate into joining the workout, promising to call Robert if Khaat woke in any way whatsoever.

Edward was glad when Robert and Kate joined them. Clearly, the rookies expected the 'Over 50' crowd to not keep up in the least. Well, they all had a lot to learn.

Jack nodded "don't worry I'm with you on that score " he said punching the bag into the wall " oops" he said and moved to sit down at one of the weight machines and started his lifting watching as the new men walked in he chuckled as he hard they were going for a run " good luck guys on keeping up , we work, train and play hard" he said lifting a weight above his head. Jack chuckled seeing the look on some of the men's faces , he how ever looked at Brian. "I'm up for that run, you think the Rookies can keep up?" he said then turned to face them " ow and appearances can be deceptive."