Sephora felt like the air had been sucked out of her. Her hand shook slightly as she replaced the coffee cup back on the saucer. The porcelain rattled. Mercy? At the warehouse? With Gabriel’s beta? But why? Was it…because of what happened to Jonathan? The potion? Sephora had been fairly confident she’d covered up that accident. Of course, she’d had no idea that Vivenne was giving the poison to her own son! Vivenne had asked for a sex potion. Sephora had given her a new potion they’d been working on. They’d only given it a few test runs – sold it to a few wolves, wolves they could trust. Mascu. That’s what they were calling it. It basically turned the user into a super wolf, with heightened senses and enlarged muscles. Extra speed. It made whoever used it feel superior, like they could conquer the world! Unstoppable! At first, she’d thought she’d hit a homerun with the drug. It was genius. It was perfect.But like all d
“You’ve never been down here?” Logan as he and Mercy descended a long staircase. It was dark and damp and the smell of mold permeated the air. “Never,” Mercy confirmed. “I knew there was something going on down here. Behind the red door. I just didn’t want to know what it was.” They reached the end of the stairs and came to a narrow hallway. It was lit with a few sparse lights that buzzed and flickered. There was a bad energy in the place – a sense of foreboding. At the end of the hall was another door. “Do you have any idea what’s down here?” Logan asked. “Yes,” Mercy said. Then she turned to Logan. The flickering lights cast shadows across her face. “This is where…where they make the bad potions.” She looked down at the floor. “The addictive ones. The ones that are meant to hurt people.” Logan studied her face. She looked pained. He knew this was hard for Mercy. This was her pack, after all. It wasn’t easy admitting that her own
“Holy shit,” Logan gasped as their eyes swept the room. Mercy instinctively put her hand over her mouth. It was a large room with a bed in the middle. The bed looked like a hospital bed, but it had thick leather straps dangling from either side. The scent of blood was thick. The cement was stained everywhere, a deep red.And along the perimeter of the wall – werewolves. Some were sitting, some were lying down. They were chained to the wall with a large metal cuff around their necks. There were at least fifteen of them, maybe more. They sat in their own filth, as the scent of urine intermingled with the smell of blood.A few of them were in full wolf form, but their fur was filthy and matted. Their paws were a bloody mess. Mercy looked closer and saw that their claws had been removed, ripped right by the looks of it. One whimpered when it saw them. The others were lying down. They tried to lift their heads but the effort seemed to be too much. Their heads dropped back to the
Mercy’s heart was beating a mile a minute. Logan protectively placed his hand on her shoulder. “It’s called Mascu,” Tamara said, her eyes suddenly dull. “She’s been working on it for a really long time. We were all just…just experiments. Botched ones. Broken ones.” “What is she talking about?” Logan asked. “Mercy?” “A potion. Sephora’s created some sort of potion,” Mercy said. This all made sense now. Jonathan’s behaviour the other night, when he went crazy. The people in here shackled to the wall. The day the pack split. It was a lot to process, but Mercy was starting to make sense of it all. “A potion for what?” Logan asked. “I think…” Mercy sighed. “I think she’s built some sort of army.” “Why would she do that?” Logan asked. “Why does anyone build an army?” Mercy asked. “Power.” A man on the other side of the room moaned loudly. He pulled at his shackles, foam dripping from his mouth.
“Is this seat taken?” The voice cut through their conversation. Sephora and Lucas looked up to see Sofia standing at their table. Her shirt was extremely low cut in the front, revealing a glimpse of her black lace bra. She had a full face of make-up and was smiling brightly at them. “Yes.” “No.” Sephora and Lucas said it at the same time. But before Sephora could respond again, Lucas was pulling out a chair for Sofia. He didn’t care what his mother said – this girl was smoking hot! Sure, he’d rather have Amelia. He’d never had a princess before. But Jonathan was in the way and Amelia clearly had no interest. So he’d given up on that. And when one door closes… He couldn’t believe his luck! A smoking hot wolf like this? To hell with Amelia! This wolf oozed sex. “I don’t think we’ve met,” Sofia smiled, coyly extending her hand. “I’m Sofia.” He was even hotter up close. He smelled of wolf musk, expensi
“Magnus,” Sephora whispered. She had a feeling he might make an appearance, given it was his precious daughter’s big launch party. Magnus could hardly resist a chance to flaunt how wonderful his daughter is. A half-smile tugged at Sephora’s lips. This was perfect. She was thrilled. Jonathan and Amelia could announce their relationship and then Magnus would be forced to accept Sephora. “Would you like to go see the Alpha King?” Lucas asked, his eyes flitting between Sofia’s face and her breasts. “No,” Sofia said, biting her lip. “I’m still waiting for my fruit salad.” “Mother?” Lucas asked. “Perhaps you should go greet the King.” Lucas hoped his mother would leave. He really wanted to be alone with this hot little piece in front of him. Maybe he could lure her away…up to his room? He was getting hard just thinking about it. “I hardly think Magnus wants to see me,” Sephora said. She knew Lucas wanted her gone. But she hadn’t finishe
“Sephora’s son! Amelia!” Magnus was aghast with the news. How could his own daughter, a princess, fall in love with the son of the Blackseed Pack Alpha? Blackseed! Of all packs! Magnus shook his head and sucked in air. He couldn’t make a scene, not here. Not in the restaurant with every wolf watching. He tried to steady himself. From across the restaurant, Sephora smiled slyly. That’s right, Magnus, she thought to herself. Our children are ‘in love’. Sweet, isn’t it? You can’t ignore me any longer. This whole relationship thing just made my plan ten times easier. “Daddy,” Amelia said. She knew her dad would be upset when he found out that Sephora was Jonathan’s mother. But he was REALLY upset. “Blackseed’s mistakes aren’t Jonathan’s. Please. We need to talk.” “You don’t understand,” Magnus said, anger flashing in his eyes. “Blackseed has done horrific things! Unimaginable things, Amelia. I can’t condone any s
Sephora's hand cracked across Derek's cheek, the sound echoing into the warehouse."You idiot!" she shrieked. "How could you let them escape?"Derek recoiled, one hand pressed to his reddening face. Sephora's mind raced. Logan and Mercy, gone. They could be anywhere by now! They knew way too much now. Derek told her they’d been behind the red door. If they revealed her secrets, all her plans would be ruined! She had to find them before it was too late. They couldn’t have gone that far…"I need men!" Sephora yelled. Instantly, heavy footsteps pounded down the hall as half a dozen men appeared. They were the guards of the warehouse, always on standby just in case anyone found the warehouse or tried to get inside it. Most of the time, they did nothing but play on their phones. Today, though, they finally had a mission. "Find Logan and Mercy. Bring them back…unharmed!" The men shifted into wolves instantly, fur sprouting from their skin, jaws elongating. They were a menacing sight. The
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