“Chase is innocent,” Colton said. “And this video proves it.”
“Come on, Colton,” Mason said, stepping forward. “We can plainly see that’s Chase up there. He’s the only wolf here with all black fur. It couldn’t be anyone else.”
“Dad, stop,” Holly demanded. “Look.”
She paused the video and pointed up at the wolf’s paw. There, on the back of the right foreleg, was a bright white heart-shaped mark.
“This isn’t Chase,” she said.
“Then who is it?” Mason asked.
I shook my head bitterly. I recognized that mark. “That’s Persephone!”
All eyes in the room turned to her. She threw her head back and laughed haughtily. “Do you seriously expect anyone to believe that’s me?”
Holly advanced on her. “Yes, I do. I’ve seen that mark on you. And as my father said, Chase’s wolf is completely black. It couldn’t be him.”
“You moron,” Persephone said. “I may have a similar mark, but my fur isn’t that color. Everyone knows that. Just like everyone knows Chase is a rogue wolf. His pack was killed for that very reason.”
“I know it was you,” Holly said, a growl rising in her throat.
Persephone crossed her arms over her breasts. “Prove it.”
“The paint,” Holly said.
Persephone flinched for half a heartbeat, and then her face returned to its confident expression. “What paint?”
Holly walked over to a sprinkling of black flakes near the door of the hall. I was then that I noticed that there were traces of it all around the room. It hadn’t been all that noticeable with all the decorations that were shredded and strewn around. “Here. And, if you’ll notice, there are flakes all throughout the room. This is the paint you used to make your fur black. I saw it last night, but I didn’t realize what is was until I knew it was you. It was a good plan, but you either missed the mark on the back of your leg, or that was the part the flaked off first.”
“I don’t know what that is,” Persephone said. “It could be anything.”
Holly shook her head. “It’s paint. Paint that came off your wolf form when you shifted back to human form.”
“This is ridiculous.” Persephone said. The crowd didn’t agree with her. They were starting to turn on her. She looked around at everyone, the first sparks of panic showing in her eyes. “Oh, come on! You’re not buying this nonsense, are you?”
“It’s not nonsense,” Colton said. “You’re my cousin, and I want to believe the best of you, but I’m convinced that is you in the video. And I want to know why you did it. Why would you try to hurt me and Zoe like that?”
Anyone in the crowd who was still on the fence became convinced of Persephone’s guilt once Colton accused her. His word carried weight in the shifter community. They knew he wouldn’t turn on his own family unless he was absolutely sure.
“Colton, please,” Persephone pleaded. “You know me. You know I would never do anything like this.”
“I do know you, and I know you’re capable of quite a bit. I also know you have a warped sense of entitlement. I hadn’t thought you were capable of this, but I stand corrected.”
Persephone was backing away, but the people behind her wouldn’t let her pass. “Colton, it’s not what you think.” She pointed at me. “He’s the monster. He’s the one to blame. Punish him.”
“No more lies, Sefi,” Colton said. “The truth comes out now. Confess. In front of me. In front of everyone. Here and now.”
She shook her head. “It was just a bit of fun. I didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt.”
The gathered crowd erupted at her admission. I had a feeling they were going to tear her limb from limb at any moment. Colton seemed to agree. He strode forward and grabbed her arm. “Come on. You’re going to tell us everything.”
Colton took her to the room that had so recently served as my prison. Holly and Zoe were with us, along with their father. We’d left the rest of the guests outside and the guards at the door to keep things from getting out of hand.
“Start talking,” I said. “What did you do to me? How did I end up in the reception hall?”
Persephone sat on the couch, her back ramrod straight, like a queen before peasants. “Well, duh, don’t you remember the drink I handed you for the toast before the last competition? I drugged you, of course.”
“So that’s why I felt so out of it during the competition,” I said. “But you didn’t drug me just to win, did you?”
She barked a laugh. “Like I needed to drug you to win.”
“You cheated on the second event,” Holly said. “So, don’t act all high and mighty.”
Persephone shot her a contemptuous look. “Holly Winters, this is all your fault.”
“What? Why?”
“Because you’ve always tried to pretend you were as good as me. Like you were fit to breathe the same air as I do. Please. You’re trash, and you’ll always be trash. You never deserved a man like Chase.”
“Is that what this is about?” Holly asked, her eyes wide. “Jealousy?”
Persephone rolled her eyes dramatically. “No, you silly girl. This was justice. I was just putting things back in their natural order.”
“Call it whatever you want,” I said. “But you did this to keep Holly and me apart?”
“Yes,” she admitted. “I waited until you passed out from the drug. Then I had Tyler paint my fur to look like you. Although, the stupid fool couldn’t even do that right. I destroyed the reception hall and stashed your unconscious body in there so it looked like you went rogue again.”
“How come no one saw you?” Colton asked.
“Oh, Colton, I know where all the cameras are. They’re easy to avoid—if and when you want to. But I want you to know I didn’t mess up your lovely party to hurt you. That was just an unfortunate side effect.”
“Unbelievable, Sefi,” Colton said. “Unbelievable how you could possibly try to justify something like this.”
“She’s insane,” I said.
“What’s insane is you and Holly getting back together after I worked so hard to break you up in the first place.”
An icy chill ran through me. “What the fuck did you just say?”
Persephone sighed. “Well, shoot, now the cat’s really out of the bag. I suppose I might as well tell you everything. What happened here last night wasn’t the first time. I did the same thing to you ten years ago. Surprise.” Persephone wore a smug grin, looking as though she thought she was the smartest person in the room.
I shook my head, trying to put the pieces together. “I don’t understand. Are we talking about my going rogue back then?”
“You didn’t go rogue, you moron! It was so ridiculously easy to fool everyone. I just made it look like you did, and no one even questioned it.”
Mason stepped forward. “I found Chase in town after the attacks. I saw what he did.”
“What did you see, old man? You saw what I wanted you to see,” Persephone smirked. She turned to look at me. “Remember when I came to see you earlier that day?”
“Yeah, you tried to convince me to dump Holly. You said that I should be with someone like you, whatever that meant.”
“Yes,” she said. “I was giving you one more opportunity to see reason. When you refused, I slipped a little something in your drink. The rest was brilliant in its simplicity. I went into town, caused some trouble, and left you there to take the blame.”
“Caused some trouble?” Mason repeated. “People died, Persephone. You killed people. You almost revealed our existence to the humans.”
“Well, I needed it to look real,” Sefi whined, “if you were going to believe Chase had gone rogue. All’s fair in love and war, as they say. People die in war, too, but the end justifies the means, does it not? Everyone knew the rumors about why his pack was killed. That their blood was tainted. I was confident you would connect the dots, Mason. A little anonymous phone call to get the ball rolling and you di
d the rest for me.”
Mason scrubbed a hand over his face. “You used me. How could I have been so blind?”
Persephone laughed. “You never thought Chase was good enough for your daughter. It was your own prejudice that tainted you. All you needed was the slightest nudge and you were more than willing to think the worst of him.”
“I could have been killed, Persephone, put down.” I was having a little trouble believing that anyone—even Sefi—would do something like that. “That’s the accepted solution for a rogue. The only reason I’m still standing is because Mason took pity on me. Is that what you wanted?”
“Ah, Chase, Chase,” Persephone shook her head, “You’re cute as hell, but slow on the uptake. You’re missing the point.”
“And what is the point?” I was getting angrier by the second.
“Now you know how much I love you, Chase, the lengths I would go to so you and I could be together. Would Holly do all that for you? No, she would not. She wrote you off like the rest of them. She’ll never love you like I do.”
“What you’re describing is not love, Persephone. It is obsession. Warped, psychotic obsession.”
“Isn’t that what true love is? Madness. Obsession. We all go a little crazy for the people we love.”
I shook my head. “I’m done here. I can’t listen to any more of this.”
Persephone got to her feet. “Fine. If we’re done here, I’ll see myself out.”
Colton thrust a hand out to stop her. “You’re not going anywhere, Sefi. You’ve committed serious crimes. You’re being detained here until your sentencing is determined.”
“Oh, Colton, you can’t be serious! No one was hurt. So, I tore up some party decorations. Sorry. I’ll pay for the damage. Send me a bill. I’m a Sky Valley wolf, just like you. Surely that deserves a full pardon?”
“You really are insane.” He shook his head, “Guards!” At his word, guards entered and flanked Persephone, each grasping one of her arms while she struggled against them, kicking and screaming.
“I’ll deal with her later. She’s spoiled enough of this happy day. Right now, I just want to marry the woman of my dreams.”
18
Chase
The weather was perfect. Thick, fluffy white clouds floated across the deep blue sky; golden rays of sunlight shined down on us. A slight breeze ruffled the leaves of the surrounding trees. It seemed to whisper approval of Colton and Zoe’s union from Mother Nature herself.
I stood beside Colton and the other groomsmen, trying to focus on the ceremony, the reason I’d come in the first place. It was hard not to let my mind stray. I was barely able to believe everything that had transpired in the last twenty-four hours.
We were grouped out in the courtyard in front of the main house. White chairs that had been set up for the guests were filled with bottoms, and the harmonious sounds of a string quartet wafted through the buzzing excitement.
When the Wedding March began to play, the crowd silenced and all eyes turned to Zoe as she began her walk down the aisle. I was sure she was a radiant bride in her flowing white dress. I, however, was focused on Holly, imaging what she would look like walking down the aisle on her wedding day, our wedding day.
Holly was gorgeous in her bridesmaid dress. It clung to her figure in just the right way to accentuate her curves. I couldn’t help but marvel at what an incredibly lucky man I was. And to think, I’d almost lost her again, all because of a crazy woman’s obsession.
We watched as Zoe and Colton exchanged vows, promising themselves to one another. It was a beautiful thing to see what real love looked like, especially after hearing Persephone’s twisted version of it.
This marriage was a reminder that good things existed in this world. That bad guys didn’t always win. That no matter how dark things got, there was always hope.
When Colton kissed his bride, the guests clapped in celebration. No one clapped louder than me.
Mason approached me after the ceremony. I cringed inwardly as I noticed him, out of the corner of my eye, heading my way. I didn’t want to discuss anything with him at that moment. I was on a cloud having had the burden I’d carried for so long suddenly lifted, and my spirits were soaring. I didn’t want it to be spoiled by Mason’s rantings about staying away from his daughter. But, as he got nearer, I noticed he had tears in his red-rimmed eyes. In all the years I’d know him, many of which he’d served as a father figure to me, I’d never seen the man cry before. These did not look like tears of joy.
“Mason, what’s wrong?”
He threw his arms around me and embraced me. “Chase, I’m so sorry, son. For everything.”
I patted him gingerly on the back, not knowing how to react. He let me go, pulling away like he was embarrassed.
“I don’t expect your forgiveness,” he said. “Lord knows I don’t deserve it. Hell, I don’t think I can ever forgive myself. But, I want you to know that I regret every unkind word I ever said to you. I should have believed in you, had a little faith in you, rather than immediately assuming the worst.”
I was taken aback by his words. The man was so open and honest, sincere in a way I’d never experienced from him before. It was impossible to hold a grudge when he was making such a genuine effort, so I responded with the same honesty.
“Mason, I’ve been so angry for so long. Angry at you, angry at the world, angry at fate for keeping Holly and me apart. I don’t want to be angry anymore. Not even at Persephone. Now that we know the truth, I’ve feel as though I’ve been given a second chance, and I intend to snatch it up with both hands and never let go.”
He lowered his eyes to the ground. “Well, son, I was a fool to get tricked like that.”
“You were a fool, and so was I. I believed I was a rogue wolf, too. I’ve spent the last ten years believing it. I was ready and willing to die because of it. Persephone had us all convinced. We were all just victims of her deranged mind.”
Mason’s expression darkened, “I’ll make damned sure she pays for what she’s done.”
I laid a hand on his shoulder. “Let go of that hate, Mason, at least for today. This is a joyous occasion, your daughter’s wedding, let’s not allow Persephone to be credited with any more damage.”
Mason looked at me thoughtfully, like he’d never seen me before. “You’re a damn good man.”
“Well, I don’t know about all that.”
“I do,” he insisted. “For what it’s worth, I was wrong about you and I’d be proud to see you with my daughter. I couldn’t dream of a better man for her. I’m proud of you, son.”
“Thank you, Mason. That means a lot.”
Colton’s booming voiced raised above the crowd. He was standing on a dais, speaking into a microphone.
“I just want to say a few words before we get this party rolling, all raucous and rowdy, on into the night. I know I’ve been giving a lot of speeches lately, but this is the last one. I promise. It has been a long and crazy week. I have a feeling we’ll all be talking about this wedding to our children and grandchildren.” A few chuckles and snickers arose from the crowd, and he continued, “But now it’s time to crown our true champions of the wedding games. Chase Stone and Holly Winters, come on up here.”
The crowd cheered as I made my way to the stage. It was hard to believe that a couple of hours ago, most of them were ready to hang me from the nearest tree as a rogue. Funny how the tide of popular opinion can be swayed so quickly.
I ascended the stage to the left as Holly approached from the right. Our eyes met and our gazes held as we walked to one another, until we stood side by side. She’d never looked more radiant to me. I entwined my fingers with hers, holding her tightly.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Colton said. “Let’s hear it for the king and queen of the games!” Colton placed crowns of woven branches on our heads. “And don’t forget the big prize. These games only come around once every few generations so it’s only fitting that the reward be as special as the games, the
mselves. You two are now and forever honorary members of the Sky Valley Pack, and I’ve set aside a house and a plot of land for you, here in Sky Valley Territory,” his gaze met mine expectantly.
Conniving of him to pretend that it was a prize for winning the games. Zoe probably had something to do with that, what with wanting to keep her sister nearby and all. It was also appreciated, though. It was good to have true friends. “Congratulations,” Colton continued, “It couldn’t have gone to a more deserving couple.”
Well played, Colton, I thought. Well played.
Things moved quickly after that. There were pictures taken, toasts made, and a sea of people coming up to congratulate Holly and me for winning the games. Finally, I dragged her out to the dance floor just so I could get a moment alone with her.
“What a week,” she said.
I smiled. “What a last ten years.”
She laughed. “No kidding. It still doesn’t feel real. I keep thinking I’m going to wake up from a dream.”
“This better not be a dream. I’ve been through too much shit to wake up still locked in that room, awaiting my fate.”
“Speaking of fate, I keep wondering if there was a bigger reason for everything.”
I looked down at her. “Beyond Persephone being bat shit crazy?”
“I mean, yeah. I always knew deep down you were my true mate. That we were destined to be together. So, why the hell did we have to go through so much tribulation to get here?”
I shrugged. “Maybe it was the universe’s way of teaching me to never take you for granted. I wished for this. All those years we spent apart I dreamed of us being together again, yet the dream was painful because I knew it was an impossibility. I guess nothing is truly impossible.”
Holly leaned her head against my shoulder. “No, it isn’t.”
I kissed the top of her head. “You saved me, you know? You believed in me when no one else did.”
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