Davison was fully aware that a strange women was staring at him. He’d reached out to Alfred and asked to meet. Alfred had suggested the pool. Davison thought it was a little weird, meeting at the pool, but he needed to talk to Alfred, so he’d agreed. It was paramount that no one overheard them. Turns out, the pool was the perfect place. All the splashing – it covered up their conversation. “Thank you for meeting with me,” Davison said when he saw Alfred. They shook hands. Alfred’s palm was sweaty and he shifted from foot to foot nervously. Davison’s call had come completely out of the blue. Alfred had panicked for a moment. “It’s of the utmost importance that I speak with you as soon as possible,” Davison had said in a low voice over the phone. Oh shit oh shit oh shit, Alfred thought. This is about Olivia. It has to be! Davison knows! He knows I’m in love with her! Alfred had no idea what the conversation wou
Alfred was already waiting for Olivia in the forest. She scurried down the path towards the place in the forest that held ‘Olivia’s Garden.’ She knew the way by heart. Alfred didn’t know, but Olivia had been to her special art installation many, many times since he first showed her during Amelia’s failed surprise party.She liked seeing the Olivia figurines in all the different places in the world. It made her feel special. She broke through the forest and into the clearing. Alfred was standing in the centre of it. She stopped the moment she saw him.There was something different about him. His clothes were strange and flamboyant as always, so that wasn’t it. His hair was the same. He was holding a flask filled with whiskey, which was nothing out of the ordinary. Then Olivia saw it. She locked eyes with his.There was an intensity in his eyes that she’d never seen. Without breaking his gaze, he took a massive swig of his flask. Then he put it down, his eyes still on her. She felt her
Jonathan was definitely not himself. Everyone saw it. He was agitated and had a really short fuse. The smallest things were setting him off. Jonathan was usually so patient. But not the past couple of days. He avoided his mother like the plague. He didn’t have time to confront her. He knew she was up to something, she’d gone to great lengths to work her way here. She’d tampered with his car, for crying out loud! But Jonathan had so much to do and not enough time. Plus, there was the other issue. He wasn’t healing. It was obvious by now. He had no idea how long it took an average human to heal from a sprained neck, a couple broken ribs, and a broken back, but he knew it was a lot longer than a werewolf. The humans all around him thought nothing of it. In fact, they thought he was doing amazing! ‘Look at him! Wheeling himself around, working day and night! He’s one tough cookie,’ the humans said. They applauded his work ethic and his mental re
Olivia’s face paled. What is true? Was there really something wrong with Jonathan’s wolf? She looked to Mercy. Mercy wouldn’t lie, not about this. “Shit,” Olivia said. “And Amelia doesn’t know?” Mercy shook her head. “Okay. Yeah. I’ll tell her. She might be able to help.” Olivia took out her phone and called Amelia. She told her what was happening in whispered tones. Then she hung up. “What did she say?” Mercy asked, wringing her hands together. She was really hoping Amelia could help Jonathan. She knew that Jonathan’s wolf would come back – eventually. It was just a matter of time. But she feared that Jonathan would do something stupid or drastic in the meantime, like leave the resort. But maybe if Amelia talked to him… Of course, there was another way. Mercy knew which potion to use. She knew where to get it. She could just slip it in his drink. But there were risks… Patience and time were much better options. Amelia
Mercy and Olivia took a seat at the far end of the bar. The place was packed! Jonathan had planned this. It was a party to celebrate all the hard work that everyone had put into the Star Shine Program. He figured they all needed to blow off some steam. Plus, this way his way of thanking people like Olivia who had really stepped up and helped. All the finalists were there in full form, decked out in their own personal styles. Jonathan had also invited both Alfred and Gabriel, too. Gabriel had invited Logan. Vivenne and Sofia had not been invited, but they showed up all the same. They couldn’t resist the urge to crash a party. And, since it wasn’t a private party and Jonathan hadn’t exclusively reserved the bar, Davison and his men were also there. They’d stopped in for an after work beverage. So the place was REALLY hopping. Olivia’s eyes darted towards Alfred across the room. Ever since their meeting in the forest, she couldn’t stop thinking about him. It was dr
Sephora knew everyone was staring at her, and she didn’t give a flying fuck. She was used to it. In the wolf world, werewolves sensed her authoritative presence and knew she was an Alpha. The human world was different, though. Humans knew there was something different about her, something majestic, but they couldn’t place it. They called it ‘natural allure’, and ‘charisma’. As such, she drew eyes wherever she went, both in the wolf world and in the human one. She lit her cigar and inhaled deeply. “You can’t smoke in here, Mother.” “Don’t be ridiculous,” she said to Jonathan, who had come up to the bar as soon as he saw her. “It’s the law,” he said. “Human world. Human laws.” Sephora saw that he was, in fact, being serious. Then she rolled her eyes and reached for a half-empty drink beside her. She dropped her cigar into the drink. It hisses. “Happy?” she asked. The bartender slid her whiskey across the bar.
Mercy went back to her table after the shot with Jonathan. There now, she said to herself. He drank the potion and his wolf will come back. Vivenne watched, smiling, as Jonathan finished his drink with her potion in it. Perfect, she said to herself. Now we just wait for it to take hold. Vivenne turned her attention back to Davison, watching Jonathan from her peripheral vision. Mercy resumed her conversation with Logan, also watching Jonathan. Jonathan sat with Stella, who began flirting quite aggressively with him. It made him highly uncomfortable and he told her so. “I have a girlfriend,” he said bluntly to Stella. Stella pouted her lips.“Well where is she then?” she asked.“We had…we had a fight,” Jonathan replied. He blinked once, twice, three times. His vision felt a little blurry. He shook his head.“If you were MY boyfriend,” Stella said, sliding her hand up his thigh. “I would let you out of my sight for a s
Jonatha bit Stella? Seriously? Sofia rolled her eyes. Why the hell kind of drug did Vivenne give him?Sofia wheeled Jonathan right through the lobby as though she were steering a car in the Formula One race. She knew she had to get him up to his room before anyone else saw his crazy behaviour.“Weeeee!” Jonathan cried, holding out his arms like he was on a roller coaster. “Faster! Faster!”Sofia landed in front of the elevator and frantically pushed the button.“Come on come on come,” she said under her breath.Jonathan caught her scent then. He lifted his nose, sniffing the air. Then he turned to her and smiled wickedly.“My oh my,” he said. “You sure do smell good.” He licked his lips slowly. His eyes were glazed over, and he was having a hard time focusing. Her delicious scent lingered in his nose. “Come here,” he said. “Come sit on my lap. Let me have a little nibble.”Sofia shot him a disgusted look. Sure, he was gorgeous, but his behaviour right now was pretty gross. He was acti
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