by A Lonergan
Blah, blah, blah.
I didn’t know what I was looking for. I didn’t know why I cared to read his words. What I felt betrayed over had happened too long ago for it to matter. But then… I found it. I didn’t know how I knew it was what I was needing but there it was…
She was everything I thought a mate was supposed to be. Adelia was what I had dreamt about for so long. Her beauty didn’t compare to any other woman I had ever seen. She was fair but strong. Her being a witch bothered me very little. Her family was gone and that was something I didn’t need to look into. It seemed like everything between us was fated in the stars. We were destined to be mates. I could feel it when I touched her skin and when I kissed her lips. Everything about her was perfection. She was my other half.
Maybe it was a good thing my mom wasn’t here to read this. She would have halted my reading immediately or maybe she wouldn’t have. Just because I was a jealous person didn’t mean she was. There was a smudge in the ink. No matter how much I squinted at the paper, I couldn’t make out what an entire paragraph said.
We had only been married for a month when I discovered her infidelity with my brother, Jared. For three weeks I visited a neighboring pack. They were having issues with the pups not wanting to be human, it was such a small matter that didn’t take very long but I insisted on staying to make sure it didn’t happen with the rest of the little ones. For the longest time, I berated myself over this. I should have come back sooner, I should have brought her with me. We had only been married for a week when I left.
I had always assumed Jared had feelings for her. She did well masking his scent from her body when I returned home. She wasn’t pregnant when I left. In fact, she had her first bleeding the week I departed. When I returned, she happily rejoiced the pregnancy of our firstborn but I knew. I never told her that I had put the pieces together. I always wondered if she had known that the child belonged to Jared. Even on her deathbed, I did not tell her that I knew. As she left this world and went into the next, I kept this secret. Even to this day, I haven’t told anyone. What was there to tell? All it would show to the world was that I was weak. I chose a woman that wasn’t faithful. It would also be a death sentence for my brother. As much as it pained me, I couldn’t do that to him. To our family. Our pack.
I stumbled back a few steps as I read the last line. He had never told anyone of her affair with my uncle. But that still didn’t explain how Damian had survived. How Duncan had found ledgers about her death in the woods. Her throat had been slit. I thumbed through the envelopes. They wouldn’t have been put here if they weren’t important. They wouldn’t have been hidden. They had to hold important information. The last letter caught my eye. The ink looked newer and the paper of the envelope wasn’t yellowed like the others.
I quickly unfolded the letter inside.
Cane,
My dearest brother, I write this letter for many reasons. The first being that I owe you an apology. I shouldn’t have caused problems between us. I should have never left to start my own pack. As I write this on my death bed, I want you to know that I forgave you for loving Adelia first. I shouldn’t have envied your bride. I should have never coveted her in the ways that I did. Not only was she unfaithful to you with me, but I was unfaithful to you as your only brother. I should have told her no. I should have walked away. I don’t know if you knew about this. I always wondered but was too afraid to ask. The only thing that I don’t regret is that I brought her back to my home after the midwives could do nothing more for her. I had my Soul witches revive her. Because of that, I have owed them great debts. These are debts you don’t need to worry yourself with. Only know that I wish you can forgive me. Maybe not today but eventually. Adelia and her child Damian were both revived that night that her body went missing. I don’t know how the witches did it but they lived. Though they didn’t continue to live out their days with me.
Damian never received a wolf. This caused great anger and suffering for me. All I wanted for him was to be like us. Like you. When we realized he would never be like us, I recommended Adelia bring him to a coven to live around a witch family. She didn’t take this kindly. She seduced my Beta and grew pregnant with his child. I banished all of them. I do not know what happened to her unborn child, but I do regret letting Damian suffer for her misdeeds. I do not regret getting rid of Adelia. After I banished my second, I came to find out that she slept with many in my pack. After everything I had done for her, this was an unforgivable offense. Please forgive me for doing the unforgivable to you. Please let our packs be united. Please find it in your soul to know how deeply sorry I am and how much regret I hold onto for doing this to you.
With the warmest regards,
Jared Crimson
The letter was dated a few weeks before my father had started to get sick. Had this letter been sent before Damian had poisoned my father? Had Jared been targeted by Damian as well? As much as this letter gave me answers, it also opened up more questions. All of this information knocked me off of my feet. I slowly slid to the floor and blinked back the moisture in my eyes. Uncle Jared had Adelia revived by witches and in doing this, it had also saved Damian. But Damian wasn’t my brother. He was my cousin. The box slipped from my fingers and clattered to the tile beneath me. I flipped back through my father’s journal. One of his last entries caught my eye.
My nephew, Damian, came to visit me today. I don’t know what to think about it. I still haven’t revealed that he wasn’t my child. I don’t know how to tell anyone, especially my mate. The pain of what Adelia did to me still feels fresh even though it happened so long ago. I didn’t have the heart to tell the poor kid that I wasn’t his old man either. I knew it would be better for him to accept that I didn’t know about his existence than to know that his real father had him banished. To me, I feel like this is a tender mercy for the lad. As much as I would like him to know the truth, he looked at me with such big expectant eyes. How could I shatter his world? Especially now that his biological father has passed. He wanted answers and I could give him very little. I didn’t know his mother very well. She had only been here for a short time and honestly, I was more bewitched with her beauty than anything else. It was lust at first sight. There was no love between us. Everything had been strictly physical. How could I possibly tell my mate that?
Oh how I had wished I had known. He could have grown up with people that had loved him. I could have tried harder to not be so angry with my brother. I could have patched up so many things between us. We had so much time and then it was gone. The regrets are heavy within my heart. I could have changed everything but now Jared is gone and Damian didn’t give me any way to reach him. He told me he would be around but I have a feeling, that won’t be true.
This changed everything? Didn’t it? This could change the tides of war, right? I wasn’t aware of Damian’s intentions but I had a feeling the only reason he was coming for my family and my home was because of revenge against my father. Did he have any idea what happened or had his mother lied to him in order to protect him? I shimmied my phone out of my pocket and quickly took a picture of all of the documents. I looked at the hole above me and wondered if they needed to go back. I shoved everything back into the box and then back into the hole. These things would need to stay hidden. Without telling my men a thing, I immediately went to work on the sheetrock. I would tell them later and we would figure out a plan, but until then, I had to tell my mother that Damian wasn’t my brother.
Chapter 45
Jade
Alice and I leaned back at the table and watched all of the children eat their food. Most of the pack families ate at their own homes unless Alice announced she was cooking for everyone. Tonight, it was just the witch children and a few wolf pups that had attached themselves to the group. I was honestly surprised by how well they all got along.
“Have you seen Rafe today?” Usually, he would pop in to check on me or pretend like he just happened to be in the area. I hadn’t seen him since
the previous night.
Alice frowned. “No, but I got a message from him saying that we needed to talk tonight.”
“Do you know what it’s about?”
Alice shook her head. “I have no idea.”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek while I thought about what it could be. “Would you like me to make sure all the kids are in bed so you can go talk to him?”
Surprise flickered across Alice’s face. “You would really do that for me?”
“Of course, just call me Den Mother.” We laughed together and I shooed her with my hands. “I’m serious.”
“Thank you!”
The kids all took baths and were tucked into bed by the time Alice made it back to the manor. I was sitting on the front porch reading a book about the history of witches when she walked up the front steps. I smiled at her but her face was void of color.
“Is everything okay?” I asked as I placed a bookmark in the center of the book and stood up.
She nodded. “Yes, kind of. Rafe would like you to go to his house tonight.”
I blinked and nodded my head.
“How were the kids?”
I smiled. “I don’t know how the hell you manage to take care of them like this every night.”
She shrugged. “You do what you gotta do, I guess. I would hope if the tables were turned, someone would take care of my children like this.”
Rafe was waiting for me on his front porch when I finally walked up. I wrapped my arms around my shoulders at his cool look. “Are you okay?”
He shrugged his shoulders in a similar fashion to his mother. “I really don’t know.”
“What happened?” I asked then backtracked. “You don’t have to tell me, actually. If this is something between you and your mother. I’m here for emotional support only. That’s why you wanted me, right?”
Rafe’s frown deepened. “No, I want you here because I have things I need to tell you. You are an important person in my life and you deserve the knowledge I have shared with others.”
No pressure. “Okay, what’s up?”
He held his phone out to me and confusion washed over me until I saw the pictures on the screen. They were pictures of letters. I skimmed over them quickly and the world seemed to drop from beneath my feet. I clutched the phone to my chest as my heart pounded. “Where did this come from?”
“I don’t know how it was possible. Yes, I punched the wall. What are the odds? But they were my father’s. My mother confirmed his handwriting.”
“Does this mean what I think it means?” Reluctantly I handed his phone back. This could change everything, right?
Rafe looked up at the stars. “I really don’t know, Jade. This has been a long game played by Damian. What if he already knows?”
“Then we do our best anyway.”
“Does this change our plan?” he asked.
“I don’t think so. This might be what we need in order to change things. Let him come and then shock him with the truth. If he wants to turn around and leave, great. If not, we continue to be prepared for what’s to come.” I slid my fingers against his. “We win.”
“You’re pretty confident,” he remarked.
“You have to be, mind over matter, baby.”
He kissed my cheek in response.
“Do the Guardians know?” I asked after a few moments of silence between us. The crickets had started to chirp and nature was having a full symphony.
“Not yet, I’m going to inform them in a little bit. I wanted you by my side when I did it.” He leaned his shoulder into mine. “The only reason I told my mother before you is because he was her mate. I would have told you first if it was anything else.”
“You don’t have to worry about me getting upset over that.” I paused. “I love your mother dearly. I’m very thankful I have her on my side as I can’t have my own parents here.”
“I wish they could be here with you,” he whispered before he got up and walked inside.
The world around us exploded once again just as we made it through the front door. The house shook and pictures clattered to the ground. My ears screamed in protest to the loud bombs landing around Rafe’s home. Rafe threw himself on top of me as one landed closer to the house and the ceiling fell out above me. His body went limp. There was screaming and yelling of orders all around us but no one got to us in time. I rolled my body out from under my mate’s and smacked his face. Dust floated in the air in thick clouds. My vision blinked in and out with the electricity. Finally, Mav made it to us and helped me pick my mate up from the floor. Mav’s cheek was cut but he looked good. Rafe was bleeding from his temple and was still unconscious. With the toe of my boot, I kicked the sheetrock that had landed on his head.
Mav led the way to the basement. The electricity was out but I was thankful for my wolf senses. Nalia was perked up and ready to go. My fingernails itched where my claws wanted to tear through.
We have to keep a level head. Our mate is unconscious.
Nalia nodded in my mind. They will be looking to us for guidance.
I scoffed internally. Doubtful.
My senses sharpened when Nalia was fully awake and aware inside of my head. Mav laid Rafe on the couch and I sat down beside his head. I brushed his hair from his eyes and used the edge of my shirt to clean the blood from his temple. We were both covered in white dust.
The explosions had stopped outside but the ringing was still loud in my ears. “Where are the others?”
“They’re going to make sure the rest of the pack is safe and heading to their appropriate placements during this.” Another explosion rocked the house and dust rained down on us. Mav blinked. “I don’t think this is going to stop like the other attacks. I think this is it. They’re coming.”
Rafe laid prone on the couch but at least the blood had stopped. Mav looked at the both of us and his face softened. “He would do it again.”
“What?” I frowned.
“He would save you or destroy for you. He will do whatever it takes to make sure you’re okay.”
I knew that. I had seen the look on his face before he covered my body with his.
“What do we do?”
“We wait. Knox and Gabriel got all the witch children to safety. Granny, Tracey, and Alice are there with them. Carden and Lucas are headed this way. Carden is going to look at Rafe’s head. Duncan and Archer are headed to the border.”
My body trembled as I tried to mentally prepare myself for what would happen next. What would we do? How would we move forward? Would we survive this? Our numbers weren’t looking good. I knew this, I had calculated the risk for all of it even though everything was telling me not to. I knew that we wouldn’t make it out of this. I fished my phone out of my pocket. Mav frowned. “You don’t need to be making calls right now.”
I held my hand up. If we weren’t going to make it out of this alive, I needed my parents to know how much I loved them and cared about them. I didn’t bother with my mother’s number. She hardly ever answered her phone. My father picked up on the first ring.
“Hey, honey, it’s kind of late,” someone said something in the background and the speaker muffled as he put his hand over it. I could practically picture it in my head. He had done it so many times when I went into his home office growing up.
“Dad,” my voice broke. “I just want you to know I love you so much.”
“I’m at the office, but if you need anything, I will be right there.” His voice went hard like he was expecting my call. Like he had been preparing himself for this moment. The moment he would come to the rescue for his little girl. Maybe every dad prepared themselves for that moment, whether or not it would come at all.
I cleared my throat. I didn’t need him to worry. “I just want you to know how much I love you and Mom. I always appreciated everything you did for me growing up.”
“What’s going on, Jade?” His voice took on a darker tone than I was used to.
“This isn’t any of your con
cern, I just need you to know that no matter what happens, I always loved and appreciated the both of you.” Just as I was finishing the sentence, another bomb landed and my cell service went dead.
Mav sat down beside me on the couch and pulled me in for a hug. He was still holding me when Carden and Lucas came down the stairs. Carden wasted no time and was immediately beside Rafe. He held his hands over Rafe’s head. He barely took his hands away fast enough. Rafe shot up with a deep inhale and looked around the room. He instantly scooped me into his arms and ran his hands down my face.
Mav stood up and posted himself beside the door. “This is it, bud. They’re coming.”
Chapter 46
Jade
The explosions had stopped, thankfully, and we were able to leave the basement. It took Damian no time to walk through the woods. He had only a few people posted behind him but I knew more were waiting for his signal.
“Hello, brother!” Damian grinned like he was revealing something we didn’t already know.
Rafe took a step forward. “Took you long enough, though I wouldn’t call us brothers yet.”
Damian rolled his eyes. “I know who my father is.”
“Just like you killed him,” Rafe didn’t miss a beat.
Damian looked stunned. “Someone has been doing their homework, I see.”
Rafe shrugged. “What can I say? I was always an overachiever.”
Damian ignored the comment and took the moment to look me over. His eyes snagged on the scarring on both of my arms. “I see you are growing comfortable with the gifts I bestowed upon you.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “I don’t know if I would say comfortable but they show me how much stronger I am now.”
“You’re welcome,” Damian chuckled. He had two men and a woman standing behind him. The men wore ski masks like they had when I was captured. But it was the woman that caught my interest. She had long blonde hair like my own, but her roots were starting to grow out brown. Her build was similar to mine and her eyes were green. It was odd, to say the least.
