They arrived back at the hotel. Jonathan slept the whole way but when the car came to a stop, they were able to wake him. This reassured Amelia that he would be okay. They arranged for a room next to Amelia’s. He was still very drunk, but he could walk. He was quiet as they walked through the hotel. In the elevator, he wrapped his arm around Amelia and whispered:“Thank you.”“You’re welcome,” she said softly, aware that Olivia was watching her every move. Once inside the room, he made a beeline for the bed and fell asleep again. “I gotta say,” Olivia said, “that man can drink. I can’t believe he drank all that alcohol! That was an insane amount of vodka.” “I don’t know how he kept it all down,” Amelia agreed. “Especially since Rick couldn’t.” “He’s kind of a pleasant drunk, isn’t he. Most wolves I know are assholes when they drink that much.” Amelia nodded. Olivia was right; Jonathan had remained a perfect gentleman despite being really, re
Amelia arrived at the office early the next morning. She was somewhat bothered by Olivia’s comments about Rick and the wedding, but the wedding was still a few days away. Best to focus on business right now, she told herself sternly. She only had one month to prove her worth at the company and the clock was ticking. Amelia walked down the hall. She had made an effort to be early, but there were already quite a few people there. They avoided eye contact with her, averting their eyes as she walked past. But given the werewolf’s sharp hearing, she could hear them whispering about her in the office kitchen. And they were not saying nice things… I’m determined to earn your trust and respect, she said quietly to herself. She tried not to let the harsh words and rumors hurt her, but they stung a bit. I deserve to be here. You’ll see… In her office, she took out the document that Jonathan had organized for her. It was a complicated case and she had
The hotel of Brickroll Holding was impressive, to say the least, even to Amelia who was used to the lap of luxury. She and Jonathan walked through the lavish lobby, past the cascading indoor fountain, and to the front desk where a concierge greeted them enthusiastically and guided them to the grand ballroom. “This place is amazing,” Amelia whispered to Jonathan as they walked through the ballroom. “It’s all right,” he shrugged nonchalantly. She jabbed him in the ribs. “Just all right?” she laughed and he broke out into a huge grin. At the other side of the ballroom, heavy, solid wooden doors were opened and they entered a spectacular VIP room. A decadent chandelier sparkled from above and a mahogany table sat as the centre piece of the room. A man in a posh suit rose from a leather seat when he saw them. He was round in the belly (fat if Amelia were being honest) and very short. Jonathan towered over him as he approached. “Richar
You knew you’d have to see Gabriel sooner or later, Amelia reasoned with herself while they waited for the second course. I just didn’t think it would be so soon. Even though she didn’t particularly like Richard, a trip to the wine cellar would give Amelia a brief respite from the building tension at the table. It was becoming increasingly uncomfortable trying to avert Gabriel’s glances. “That’s a very nice gesture,” Amelia said to Richard. “I’d be happy to pick out a wine for my father.” “I’ll join you,” Jonathan said quickly. Too quickly, Gabriel noticed. But Ricahrd brushed Jonathan off. “Nonsense,” Richard smiled. “There’s no need for a chaperone. We’re just going to pick out a bottle of wine. Continue eating your meal. It’s not like I’m going to eat her!” Richard laughed loudly at his own joke. No one else laughed along. “You and Gabriel can discuss business,” he said to Jonathan. “It’s a good opportunity for both of you.” J
Amelia and Richard whipped their heads towards the door just as it broke down.It’s Jonathan, Amelia thought. He’s come to save me. Just like he did at the bar that night. But Amelia was shocked to see Gabriel. He stood in the doorway, breathing hard. The strong scent of wine wafted into the small room. Clearly, he’d broken a ton of wine bottles to make his way inside here, some of which were probably really expensive.Amelia gasped. Richard instantly let go of her, panic written all over his face.“How – how did you get in here?” Richard stammered. But then his fear and shock shifted to anger as he recognized Gabriel. “What are you doing?” Richard demanded. “You’re supposed to be my business partner? And you just barge in here? Breaking God knows how many bottles of wine?” Gabriel was breathing heavily. He’d seen how close Richard had been to Amelia. “Just bill Stormfang Incorporated. My company will pay for the wine.” Then he fixed his eyes on Amelia. “Come,” he said,
Back in her room, Amelia flopped down onto her bed. Her head was buzzing from the night’s events. Thoughts of Gabriel, Richard, and Jonathan all jumbled together. But one thought separated itself from the others – her mom. She went to her bottom dresser drawer and took out a small, velvet pouch. She had retrieved this when she’d gone back to the Eclipse Packhouse after Gabriel had rejected her. She hadn’t cared about anything else – clothes, gifts, pictures. She only cared about the contents of this pouch. She pulled out the first one. A necklace - pearls. It had belonged to her mom – a gift from her father. He’d given it to after her mom had passed. She set it aside and reached back into the pouch. The pull-tab from a pop can. Amelia smiled to herself, letting the memory wash over her. It was a warm summer afternoon, and the air was thick and still. They were sitting under a willow tree, their backs up against the trunk, relaxing in the sh
Where the hell did that come from? Amaya thought to herself, shocked at the letter. She opened and closed her mouth a few times to speak, but she didn’t know what to say. So instead, she looked like a fish out of water trying to breathe. “I told you,” Jonathan said smugly. “It’s a personal invitation from Mandrake.” Amaya looked to Amelia. “Doesn’t mean anything,” she shrugged, forcing nonchalance. “Just because you have a meeting, doesn’t mean you’ll seal the deal.” “We’ll see,” Amelia said in a challenging tone. Amaya decided not to say anything further. Amelia still had to prove her worth at the company; she still had to prove that she could make the company better. If she couldn’t, the board of directors would surely initiate a vote to get her out of there. It was just a meeting. So what? Amaya excused herself and strut out of the office Amelia turned to Jonathan then. Truth be told, she was just as shocked as Amaya. And a little suspi
“I’m sorry, M’am,” the familiar sweet voice on the other side of the phone said. “We don’t have an appointment anywhere under that name.”Amelia sighed heavily. This was the third time she’d called Mandrake Enterprises this week and every time the answer was the same – no appointment. She was beginning to wonder if there would be a meeting at all.“I called Mandrake again,” Amelia told Jonathan over their lunch break. They were sharing Chinese food, the little cardboard boxes spread out on her desk. “There’s still no appointment.”“Right,” Jonathan replied, helping himself to more chow mein noodles. “My friend is on holidays. Went to Greece for a few days, for a quick vacation.”Amelia eyed Jonathan suspiciously. There was nothing in his body language to suggest he was lying. It seemed strange though. Since when do company executives just leave for a holiday in Greece during the week? Amelia was beginning to wonder about this so-called ‘friend’. But she couldn’t admit that to Jonathan
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