Amelia and Jonathan drove along the tree-lined road. The windows were down and the fresh air whipped through the car. Amelia smiled. They’d had a lovely time so far on this road trip, spending the night in a quaint bed and breakfast overlooking a large river. They’d slept in separate rooms, of course, but they’d shared a decadent dinner of prime rib and assorted sides. Then they’d sat outside on the small porch, sipping champagne side by side, under a blanket, and played cards until it was too cold to sit outside anymore. This morning they nibbled on croissants and enjoyed an espresso before they hit the road again. They could have done the trip in one day, but breaking it up like that had made it feel more like a vacation, and neither complained about the extra time together. “Almost there,” Jonathan said, as the scenery became vaguely familiar to Amelia. She had the sense that she’d been here before, which made no sense, since she’d never visited Jonathan’s hom
Jonathan saw the look of fury on Logan’s face. He assumed seeing Jonathan’s wolf would make Logan back off, but it only made him crazier. Logan’s face contorted into a look of pure rage; his eyes were wild. “Your wolf!” Logan seethed at Jonathan. “When did your wolf come back?” Jonathan didn’t answer, he only fixed his with a steady glare. Then Jonathan laughed maniacally and shook his finger at Jonathan. “You’re a bloody liar! That’s what you are! Just like your damn mother!” Logan lunged at Jonathan, but Jonathan held out his arms and shoved him back. Amelia took a step back, afraid of what would happen if these two men unleashed their wolves. “I don’t want this, Logan. I didn’t come here for you. I came to see Mother. Calm down,” Jonathan said, his words measured and steady. But Logan only laughed again. He mocked Jonathan’s tone. “I don’t want this!” He rolled his eyes. “I just came here to see my mommy. Bah!” Logan’s eyes tu
Jonathan and Amelia walked into the grand dining room at precisely 7:00. This wasn’t the same place they’d had lunch. This dining room was expansive, with an enormous dining table at the centre of the room. It could easily seat thirty guests, but only one third of the table was actually set. They walked across the large room and Amelia noticed a grand chandelier overhead. It sparkled with hundreds of crystals. The table was lavishly decorated, with bouquets of cascading flowers and silk napkins. Crystal champagne glasses sparkled like the chandelier overhead. The butler had brought Amelia’s suitcases up to her room. It was a lovely guest room, with fresh flowers and sheets of the highest thread count. She’d had a nice hot shower and then applied her make-up excitedly. She was looking forward to dinner, even if Logan was going to be there. He could go to hell. It was Sephora that Amelia was interested in. She owned and ran a very successful business. Amelia had en
Logan laughed. Amelia was embarrassed and he was loving every minute of it. Served her right, stupid little bitch. He couldn’t say anything, though. His mother had already scolded him for almost getting in a fight with Jonathan earlier. He promised Sephora he’d ‘leave it alone’ – at least for dinner.Sephora needed to know more about this ‘Amelia’, and she didn’t need Logan’s petty jealousy and distractions getting in the way.So, like a good boy, Logan kept his mouth shut. “Mercy is back at the resort,” Jonathan said. “I already told you that. She’s part of a new program I’m launching.” What the hell is going on? Amelia asked herself. His mother had LITERALLY just implied that Amelia was some sort of low life whore trying to steal his fiancé, and Jonathan didn’t even defend her? Amelia looked at Jonathan, shocked. He mouthed ‘I’m sorry’ at her. Amelia understood then. His mother was clearly upset and that made sense. As far as Sephora knew, Jonathan
“I’m so sorry, Amelia. I never should have brought you here.” Jonathan shook his head as he led Amelia down a long hallway.Stupid stupid stupid! They stopped in front of his bedroom door. That dinner couldn’t have gone any worse. Although, at least he’d told his mom that he was breaking off his engagement to Mercy.But still!Poor Amelia! She’d been forced to sit through his mother’s onslaught of passive aggressive insults.“Where are we going?” Amelia asked.“To MY room,” Jonathan said.There was no way Jonathan was letting the maid escort Amelia back to the guest room, even though Sephora had told the maid to. Dinner had been extremely stressful and Jonathan could tell Amelia was uneasy. Plus there was Logan. Who knew what he would try? He couldn’t be trusted as far as Jonathan could throw a stick. Jonathan opened the bedroom door. Amelia glanced around the room. She had to admit, she was a little shocked. The room was really small, with just a simple bed, a night stan
Amelia stopped mid-bite, holding the cheese at her lips. “My father?” Her eyes were wide. “Yes, Magnus,” Jonathan confirmed. So Jonathan’s father had been in love with a human who didn’t love him back because she was in love with her father? Holy crap! This was turning out to be some story. “But my father loved my mother,” Amelia said, shaking her head. It was true. Amelia didn’t have very many memories of her mother, but they were all fond ones. Magnus doted on her. Even now, people still commented on how much Magnus loved her. When she died, he swore he’d never name another Luna, and he’d kept that promise. His heart would always belong to her, he said. “Magnus didn’t return her love,” Jonathan shrugged. “And honestly, Agatha had only met him a few times. It was enough though, I guess. Because she fell for your dad really hard.” Amelia nibbled away at the cheese, enraptured with his story. “Just as she didn’t return my father’s love. It’s
Jonathan continued, but his voice dropped low, barely above a whisper. “He snuck in, my father, armed with a vicious poison called Emerus Sands.”“I’ve never heard of it,” Amelia said. “It’s unique to our pack. It’s…it’s really awful. Like, one of the worst. When administered, the victim just feels sleepy. At first, anyway. They don’t even know they’ve been poisoned. At this stage, there’s still time for the antidote. The effects can be reversed. But not for long. Because the victim will start to feel so tired, they’ll HAVE to lay down. And once the victim falls asleep…” Jonathan’s voice trailed off. He wasn’t looking forward to this next part of the story. He looked to Amelia. She sat happily, nibbling her cheese, waiting for him to continue. She had no idea what was coming. “The poison takes hold while they sleep. It pumps quickly through their veins. It’s said it feels like fire flowing through their body. The poison forms little stones, like little grains
“My, my mother?” Amelia let go of Jonathan’s hands and took a few steps back. “But how? How is that possible?” “When she saw Agatha, and the condition she was in, I guess she fainted. So your dad, he reached for the water on the bedside stand. To help her when she came to.” “The poisoned water?” Amelia asked. Her hands were sweaty and her heart pounded in her chest. She knew her mother’s death had been untimely, and she’d heard whispers of ‘treason’ and ‘poison’ and ‘murder’, but she’d blocked them all out. And now? Now Jonathan was here confirming everything. “They didn’t know it was poisoned.” “With Emerus Sands?” The weight of the situation hit Amelia so hard it literally made her dizzy. She stumbled over to the bed and sat down. Jonathan hurried to her side. He knelt down on the floor at her feet and looked up at her. The look in her eyes said everything. Her mother had been murdered
A hush fell over the crowd. Jonathan stood strong. At once, he possessed the air of authority that only an Alpha had. “But you didn’t want it,” Lucas cried, shaking his finger at Jonathan. “You never wanted to be Alpha. You told me that. It’s MINE. I’m the new alpha. Not you.” “I changed my mind,” Jonathan said. Then he looked to Magnus. Magnus smiled at him and nodded. “Are you sure?” Magnus asked. “I am, your highness,” he replied. “Then it is with great pleasure that I introduce to you the new Alpha of Blackseed,” Magnus declared. The crowd burst into applause and Jonathan beamed. True, he had never wanted the role before, but things had changed. His people, his pack, they needed his help. “As the new alpha of Blackseed, you have my word that Blackseed will no longer be dealing with illegal potions. We will find a new enterprise, a new business. We will become a media conglomerate, under my rule.” Amelia s
“Everyone, gather around,” Magnus said, his Alpha King voice reverberating around the room. Everyone stopped and stared in his direction. Mercy’s news had been most shocking indeed. Magnus knew that Sephora was up to something but without tangible proof, there was no way to charge her. He had planned on launching an investigation into Sephora and her Blackseed Pack dealings, but now that Mercy had come forward, he didn’t need to. He had all the evidence he needed, and he knew where to collect more.The DJ cut the music. “I have an important announcement to make.” Magnus had wasted no time. He waited for the crowd to settle, some in wolf form, some still in human form. This was odd? What announcement? Right in the middle of the party? It must be very important if Magnus was announcing it in the middle of the party. “Something has recently come to my attention,” Magnus declared. “And it is something we MUST address immediately. There is a traitor amongst us.”
Gabriel pulled Mercy back to the party. He told her to wait here, he was going to talk to Jonathan. Mercy nodded. There was something about Gabriel that made her feel safe. She didn’t know him well, but he was an Alpha, and a strong one at that. So she did as she said. Gabriel made a bee-line for Jonathan. He pulled him aside and started talking to him. Jonathan’s eyes grew wide and he looked over at Mercy, shock on his face. Then Gabriel pulled him in closer and kept talking. Jonathan’s face changed and he started nodding along, obviously agreeing with whatever Gabriel was telling him. Then he smiled. The two of them came back to Mercy. “Mercy,” Jonathan said, reaching for her hands. “You could have told me. You SHOULD have told me. You can trust me. I’m one of your best friends.” Then he brought her in for a hug. It felt so good to be in Jonathan’s arms. He was her oldest friend. She had been terrified that he wouldn’t accept her when he found out sh
Gabriel and Mercy walked over to a quiet spot by the edge of the forest. “You know, don’t you?” Mercy asked, her eyes concerned as she searched his face. “Yes,” he said. “How did you find out?” she asked, already knowing the answer. “It was while you were playing. I realized, you were enchanting us. Mercy, you’re an enchantress?” Mercy looked away for a moment and he could see the pain on her face. “Not exactly,” she said. “Well, yes. But I didn’t know. I honestly didn’t know. It was Sephora. She kept my secret and then, at the warehouse, she…she told me.” “Your secret is safe with me, Mercy,” he told her. “Don’t worry about that. I won’t say anything.” She looked at him with gratitude on her face. “Is it..is witch blood then?” Mercy sighed. He already knew, so she might as well tell him. “Yes,” she said. “Sephora told me. I guess my mother was a witch. She fell in love with a wolf and they, they had me.”
Sephora grabbed Lucas by the arm and hauled him away.“I’m very sorry, Jonathan,” Olivia said. “This must be a bit shocking.”Jonathan nodded then he shrugged. “Not really,” he replied. “I think I’ve always known, deep down, that Lucas wasn’t her real son. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t change anything. It does explain why he was so awful to me all those years, though. I guess he knew, too, in his heart of hearts. He was afraid I would take the Alpha role away from him. I still don’t want it though. He can have it. He’s still the son of a previous Alpha, right?”“Uh, I just thought of something,” Olivia said then, her face pale. “Lucas is my half-brother.” Everyone let that sink in. Then Alfred broke the silence.“Tough break, kid.” He laughed. “But you know what they say? You can’t choose your family.”“No, I guess not,” Olivia laughed. “But you can choose your friends.” Amelia and Jonathan smiled at Olivia.“I feel like I should go,” Agatha said. “I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”
Sephora recognized Agatha the moment she walked in. That bitch! That human that stole her husband’s heart with her seduction? What was she doing here? Sephora’s mind flashed back to the day she found her husband was cheating on her was a human! Sure, Agatha claimed that he was keeping her there against her will, but she was lying. Sephora knew it. She was perfectly content in her little love nest. The cottage her husband gave her! And now she was pregnant? If the pack found out, Sephora would be the laughing stock of the entire pack! So she had quickly devised a plan. She would keep the baby and raise it as her own. Her husband could keep his pretty little human. Whatever. It didn’t matter. As long as NO ONE KNEW! But then she’d run away and people had found out. She’d gone straight to the Alpha King himself. Sephora had rejected it all, called Agatha a liar. Why would her husband, the Alpha of Blackseed, love a lowly human. It was preposterous! Most people had b
“Davison,” Agatha smiled. “Come, sit with us.” “Oh no, I can’t stay long. And neither can you. Olivia’s friends are waiting for her at the gala. I just thought I’d check in to see how the little reunion is going.”“Reunion? Dad, did you…did you know about this? That she was coming here tonight?” “Of course. I’m the one who invited her.” “What?”“She looks just like the pictures,” Agatha said, stroking Olivia’s hair.“Pictures? What pictures?” Olivia asked. Something wasn’t making sense here. Agatha told her she had left when Olivia was little. But these two were talking like old friends? “He’s kept in the loop,” Agatha smiled. “Over the years.” “Really?” Olivia asked. This was all news to her. “Yes,” Davison confirmed. “I’ve been in contact with Agatha over the years. She made a huge sacrifice, leaving you. So I made it my mission to keep her updated on you and your life.” “He sends me pictures. And tells me about what you’re u
Lucas. Of course. Olivia nodded. There had been rumors that Lucas wasn’t Sephora’s son by birth, which is why Lucas has been so mean to Jonathan over the years. Jonathan had told Amelia that his brother had even tried to kill him once. That’s why Jonathan had left the pack. It was ironic, because Jonathan didn’t even care about being Alpha. He didn’t want it. But it made sense now as to why Lucas was so aggressive and hated Jonathan so much. Deep down, Lucas must have known that Sephora was not his birth mother. Which meant he wasn’t the rightful heir to the pack, Jonathan was. So Lucas had tried to force Jonathan to leave, to get him out of the way, so Jonathan wouldn’t be a threat. This was all starting to make sense now. “It was a secret, one that I swore to keep.” “What happened after Lucas was born?” “I stayed. For a bit. I didn’t know what else to do. But he…he got worse. Meaner. More forceful. I told him I wanted to leave, and he threatened me.
Olivia stumbled backwards, shocked. “Mmmm, mother?” she stammered. Amelia grabbed Olivia’s arm to steady her. “That can’t be.” The woman looked uneasily at everyone in the wings. “Can I talk to you?” she asked, stepping towards Olivia. “Will you walk with me? So I can explain?” the woman asked. Olivia shook her head in disbelief and turned to Alfred. He smiled gently at her and nodded his head. “Give her a chance to explain,” he told her. “Trust me, I’m just as shocked as you are, love. But she deserves a chance to explain herself.” Amelia and Jonathan agreed.“I don’t know what’s going on, but I agree with Alfred. You should talk to her.” So Olivia left the wings of the stage and followed the woman to the bench overlooking the lake.The gala was in full swing inside and they could hear the music and the people laughing. It was a calm evening, and the water was so calm it looked like glass under the light of the moon. “I know this must be quite the