Chapter 41: Forty-one.

Colt sighed, as she leaned against the door frame. This was the last thing she needed, she had secretly hoped to have an argument with Calum, followed by snuggling up together, and falling asleep in his arms, everything forgotten. But now, she had to deal with the Highland's biggest dick head instead.

"What do you want?" She asked expectantly, her irritation shining through her eyes as she scowled at Angus, "Though I should warn you, neither Felix, or Calum are here to stop me ripping your throat out; so, be careful."

Angus frowned at Colt, irrationally irritated by her tone, "I'm here to give you a chance to pack up your belongings, and come with me willingly. Our wedding will take place; you will bare my children and act accordingly; as was agreed between my family and yours. There will be no more galavanting and whoring around, with Calum Macgregor, Colt. If you continue to refuse, there will be consequences, and I guarantee, you won't like them."

"Okay, first off that crazy old bat isn't my family. So her agreement means nothing." Colt snapped, waving her hand at an imaginary version of her grandmother. Then, she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, "Second of all, I have enough going on with two true mates, nevermind a pauncy little jackass like you, who keeps creeping up, giving me more hassle. Just go away, Angus, I'm am not in the mood."

"Colt, it's time to leave, now," Angus sneered back, ignoring her comments, as if they were nothing more than wind in the trees. Before he looked her up and down adding, "Put on some clothes as well will you, you look like a homeless banshee."

But, Colt just smirked back at him. "News flash, I'm not going anywhere with you," she spat, moving to close the door, officially done with this conversation.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Lass," came a cold and condescending voice, from somewhere outside.

Colt stepped outside to see a middle aged man, she recognised as Arthur Bruce standing off to the side, between her and her truck. But, what was most alarming was sat at his feet. Four gas canisters, were sat beside the man who wore a sinister look on his face.

"We will quite happily burn the house down, to get you out," he stated menacingly, while tapping one canister with his toe, "I doubt even magical dual shifters are fire proof, now."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Colt growled out, aggression coursing through her as she began to stomp towards Arthur, ready to knock his head off for threatening her home.

But, she hadn't taken three steps when she paused. Arthur's smirk only grew as she turned to see the seven other men, standing a little distance away, carrying a mixture of cattle prods and dog graspers, as she turned her head to take them in, while they walked closer.

"Well someone came prepared," Colt said, forcing a smirk, and ignoring the adrenaline rising in her system, begging her body to explode into a blur of teeth and fury. "You really need more men though, you are woefully under gunned, Mr Bruce," She blagged.

"I warned you, there would be consequences," Angus suddenly sneered, stepping forward, and grabbing Colt's upper arm, as if he was going to manhandled her into the car waiting off behind her truck.

But with Colt's free hand, she grabbed his wrist twisting it backwards until she heard a satisfying snap. Angus jumped away, while Colt looked at him like he was a moron, for even attempting such a thing.

"Keep your hands off of me, Angus," she spat at him, "I won't warn you again."

"You fucking crazy bitch!" He sneered, "You'll pay for that!"

"Oh shut up, Angus!" Barked Arthur, annoyed at his nephew's tantrum.

"Well that's the first thing we have agreed upon, Mr. Bruce, and the last. Leave. Now." Colt growled out.

"You only have two choices, Lass, either you get in the car willingly, or you try to fight us, and likely shift, then end up naked, unconscious and in the car anyway," Arthur sneered, licking his lips at the thought of the second option, as the surrounding men took turns setting off their cattle prods in an attempt to intimidate her.

Suddenly Colt felt trapped, she was surrounded by enemies on all sides, with no back up. She was desperate to descalate the situation, so she decided to finally voiced a truth she hadn't ever wanted to say, a truth that brought her nothing but pain, and a truth which she didn't believe was the business of any man standing here. But it was a truth that none the less might save her, and cause them to lose interest in her.

"I can't have children," she spoke steadily, but quietly. Making eye contact with Angus, "I cannot physically give any man children. My DNA is not compatible with reproduction, due to the duality of my nature."

Angus frowned, "What?" He asked, glaring disgustedly at Colt's stomach, like it held some hidden answer.

"Are you deaf?" Colt snapped, tears of humiliation in her eyes, that she had to reveal her darkest skeleton to these men, "I'm barren, you idiot! Infertile! My womb can't bear fruit!" She spoke down to him in anger, "Do I need to spell it out further? I thought you said you were a solicitor? Doesn't that require an education in this country? Would you like me to get you a dictionary? Maybe I can bang you on the head with it, till it sinks in." Colt vented out at Angus' expense.

But, it was his Uncle's hair-raising voice, that answered her.

"Do you think that will stop me from collecting what is owed to me, Lass?" Arthur sneered, with a malicious look on his face.

"Uncle, you cant be serious! I need a wife who can bare my young," Angus protested, horrified, and backing away, "This mongrel is useless," he spat out.

Despite knowing he was a waste of space, a part of Colt crumbled at his words. However, before she fell apart Angus' Uncle, dropped an even bigger bombshell.

He was laughing, laughing at Angus, "You're a fucking imbesile boy! She was never going to be yours anyway! Colt Merrier belongs to me, and only me! As soon as she became a Bruce, it would be my bed she was tied to, night after night! Just like your own mother was for a time, and every other female who married into the clan! How else can I be assured of the strength of the Bruce name? Although with you, the apple fell pretty far from the tree." He hissed out, adding, "But this bitch? She was always mine!" He sneered.

Angus stumbled back, like he had been stabbed. The betrayal was so many layers deep, he didn't even know where to begin; he was rendered completely speechless while Arthur continued totally unaffected, by his nephew's distress.

"The best bit is," he spoke, with malicious glee, "Now, I dont have to give you back! It's the best revenge I could have on your father, for taking what was mine!"

Colt's face was a picture of horrified disbelief, this man was a narcissistic psychopath, as far as she was concerned. There was no way she was going anywhere with him. She would breathe her last breath before he laid a hand on her.

"You do realise, there is a major fault in your plan? I will never let you lay your disgusting hands on me." She asked, suddenly feeling renewed with fight. If she was going down, she would take as many of them down with her as she could.

"Let me? What makes you think you have a choice, Lass?" Arthur smirked, "You see humans have their uses, they have come up with some nifty little inventions, like the cattle prod, or the dog grasper; both of which are also very useful in controlling a wicked litte she wolf, who needs to learn her place."

Colt's growl echoed around them in the otherwise mostly silent night, it reverberated in the area drowning out the only other noise of the charges emanating through the cattle prods. Her anger was rising, and her body was shuddering with the need to shift and maul.

"Oh, please don't stop on my account. Shift. Actually, I dare you, Colt" Arthur goaded her, "Just know, that as soon as you do, we will capture you, and I will send as many volts of electricity through your wolf's hide, as it takes to force you to shift back, and then I will put my favourite toy around your pretty little neck. It's a modofied electric collar, can't be removed, and it zaps at a much higher charge. Anytime, you so much as think of disobeying me, I will gladly remind you of who is in charge! Also when we get home, I for one, would definitely enjoy the sight of parading you nude through the Bruce clan lands, I bet I wouldn't be the only man hard at such a sight. You are an extraordinarily beautiful woman. Just like your mother. Maybe of the others please me, I will let them use you for a night too." He mused, trying to provoke a reaction.

Colt froze, noticing for the first times the strategic positions of the men circled around her. They had blocked her every exit. The only questionable one was Angus, who looked like he was about to vomit. Colt felt unnerved, her eyes flicking to the road where the drive disappeared towards the main road. She could really do with some back up, because for the first time she didn't know which way this would turn out.

Colt was truly at odds with who would become the victor in this challenge, and that terrified her just as much as what Arthur Bruce was suggesting did.

*Author's Note: The Anystories upsree challenge has begun. What it means for you is that although my chapters may be a bit shorter, there should be more of them coming tabs quicker rate... Anyway, things are heating up, and you thought Angus was the threat...*

*Also thank you to those for your kind wishes and thoughts over the loss of Taco, it meant a lot. B x.*