Calypso was pacing, thoroughly distracted. Killian knew that nothing he said would get through to her – nothing except answers. That’s all she wanted, and he too wanted the same.
They’d been penetrated and he needed to understand how that happened.
Grant and Jethro had been called back into the office once Calypso had read the note. Edward volunteered to watch over the boys while the investigation was being carried out. He knew that his son’s attention would be occupied for at least a couple more hours.
Killian sighed, getting up to walk around his desk. He leaned on it, before pulling his mate into a hug. She didn’t fight him, and it wasn’t long before the first tear trailed down her cheek, but she fought to make sure it was the last.
She refused to give Jeremiah the satisfaction of affecting her in any way anymore.
“You should’ve let me kill him,” she growled lowly.
Killian brushed her hair. “You know why I didn’t.”
She pulled back to look into his eyes. “Killing him then would’ve prevented a lot of what is happening right now.”
“True, but it would also leave us without any answers. We hadn’t gathered enough information on him when your memories of him returned. We know that he’s been involved in some shady dealings. Killing him prematurely means that we lose our biggest lead to his operations,” he pointed out.
“And so, what? We just let him be? He threatened our son Killian,” she shouted.
“I know he did, and it’s not something I’m taking lightly. However, for him to be brave enough to do this, means he’s settled into his underground life. Coming at us like this means that he’s confident in his position,” he argued.
“You think he’s not serious?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I’m not saying that. I’m saying we should be careful about how we choose to react. I want nothing to happen to our sons either, but we cannot afford to be goaded into losing focus.”
“So, you’re saying we could possibly be getting played?” she checked.
He cupped her cheek. “I’m saying that our boys will be kept safe, and we’ll get to the bottom of this. I’m saying we need to think straight at all times. I’m saying that ultimately, Jeremiah will get what is coming to him.”
She believed him. Killian wouldn’t let any harm come to his family, and she needed to stay level headed so that he doesn’t have to worry about her losing control. She needed to remain level headed so that her powers stayed in control.
“Ok. I’m calm. What’s the plan?” she asked.
“Jethro and Grant will carry out the investigation without raising any suspicion. If we happen to have any moles in the pack, then we need to be careful about how we respond to any and everything, especially around our pack members. We’ll do a thorough sweep of any bugs in the pack house, and then limit any intel to our small group. However, we also need to make sure that we plant some misinformation where we can, even in our small circle,” he linked her to keep the conversation from being heard by anyone else.
She frowned. “You think the mole could be close?”
“Honestly? There’s only one way to find out. For now, like I said, we need to keep our heads level, and that also starts with making sure that we don’t come across as rattled, especially by this note,” he stated.
“What are you suggesting?” she asked.
“Let’s go and have a picnic with the boys.”
She wasn’t quite following, but she left the office with him as they went looking for their sons. They found them in the kitchen, and Killian suggested that they make snacks together as a family.
The boys were thrilled to be spending time with their parents, and once the snacks were packed and ready, the little family headed outside, walking for a while, until they reached a lake.
“I’ve never been here before,” Calypso commented as they lay the picnic blanket down.
“I haven’t really had time to give you a proper tour of the place,” Killian noted.
She nodded. “I’d like to do that, even if it’s in the middle of everything. Surely we can spare a few hours to do so.”
He smiled. “I promise to take you on the tour soon.”
She returned the smile before turning to their sons. “How have things been with the two of you?”
Xavier beamed. “Great! We’ve been having a lot of fun.”
Calypso laughed at the enthusiasm. “What exactly have you gotten up to?”
The young parents were entertained as they listened to the little ones animatedly tell them about their adventures. They’d missed spending time with them, and they realized that they couldn’t let everything that was happening around them take away from the time they’re meant to spend with their sons.
They were aware the kind of repercussions negligence like that could have on their behaviours growing up.
“Can you sense anything?” Calypso linked her mate.
They’d been at the lake for a while. “Not really, which means we either weren’t followed, or the person is good at hiding themselves.”
“That would suggest they’re getting outside help,” she pointed out.
He agreed. “We’ll have to ask my mother about it when she comes back.”
They spent the rest of the afternoon eating, talking, and playing with their sons. They’d achieved what they were trying to by not coming across as bothered, which Calypso realized was the point. The note lingered in both their minds, but on the outside, one wouldn’t be able to tell.
They’d just gone back into the pack house when Nathan linked his sister. “Cally, are you ok?”
“Why?” she asked, suspicious of the question.
“I don’t know. I felt strange and it feels like it’s coming from your direction,” he responded.
She was baffled by his newfound ability to track her feelings. “I’m fine Nate.”
“Because that sounds so convincing. Did you at least make it home safe?” he asked.
She hesitated, turning to her mate. “Should I tell Nathan about the note?”
“Not yet. He needs to be focused going into the meeting with Marriott. We’ll let him know about it after,” Killian replied.
She nodded before turning her attention back to the link with her brother. “We made it home safely. How are things on your end? Did Marriott agree to a meeting?”
“He actually did. I’m meeting with him tomorrow, so we’ll hear what he has to say then. I’ll let you know everything once he’s gone,” Nathan informed.
“Alright. Killian and I will probably head out tomorrow afternoon to talk to Hunter and Wayne. I guess we’ll give each other reports the next time we speak,” she noted.
He chuckled. “Cool. I love you sis, even if you hide things from me.”
“I love you too bro, even if you’re grasping at straws,” she teased.
He laughed at that before closing their link. “And?”
She turned back to her mate. “He got the meeting with Marriott for tomorrow. He said he’ll let us know how it goes, and I told him we’ll also report back about our talk with Hunter and Wayne.”
“I don’t know if it’s such a good idea to go to them, but it’s also risky having them come here,” he noted.
“Then there’s only one way to eliminate the mole knowing they were here,” she responded.
He raised an eyebrow. “How?”
“We’re going to have to abuse my brother a little. We don’t exactly have any magic at our disposal at the moment, and the last thing I want is for us to disrupt Sam’s training, so until then, we’re going to need Zen to teleport us to different meeting points when we need to have serious discussions,” she explained.
“So, he’ll fetch us, take us to another location, and then fetch Hunter and Wayne, and do the same?” he checked.
“Exactly! It would be foolish of us to assume that if there is a mole, then the mole is only in this pack. If we’re being targeted, then we have to assume that we’re being targeted from all points, which in this case means both packs. Us going there, them coming here, all of it makes no difference if we’re being watched from all corners. We need to counter this attack on us,” she elaborated.
“You called,” Zen announced his arrival.
“None of us called you, so it must be that weird power of yours. We need to go back to your place,” Killian told him.
Zen teleported them to the Vampire house instantly before asking any questions. “What’s going on?”
“We think there’s moles in the packs,” Killian told him, catching the attention of the other vampires.
“What makes you say that?” Caiaphas questioned.
Calypso took the note out of her pocket, handing it over. “This.”
The Vampires read over it, each of them reacting instantly. “When was this delivered?”
“While we were away, and that’s not even the worst part. It was delivered to Xavier directly. He told my father that the man who gave it to him had a mask on, so we can’t exactly trace them,” Killian informed.
Zen looked to his sister. “Did you tell Nathan?”
She shook her head. “He can’t be distracted right now. He’s got a meeting with Marriott tomorrow. We’re dealing with this on our own for now.”
“It’s one thing to threaten you, but this? And to give it to the child to deliver no less?” Roxanne growled lowly.
“I swear I’m going to twist every bone in that man’s body. I’m going to torture him before I kill him,” Calypso mumbled.
Killian put his arms around her. “And no one will stop you when that time comes.”
“So, what now? Since I sensed the need of my presence from you both, what is it that you need from me?” Zen asked the mates.
They explained their dilemma and request, and the Vampire Prince happily obliged. It didn’t take much energy from him to teleport, and for as long as he was available to do so, he would happily assist them.
Because he knew that when he needed them, they would show up for him as well.
He teleported them back home just in time for Jethro and Grant to give their reports. They hadn’t found anything suspicious as of yet, and it was agreed that they would continue monitoring the situation.
The mates were preparing for bed when Killian noticed that she was still looking over the note. He put it down, carrying her over to the bed before he joined her, pulling her into his side.
“Don’t worry nymph. I won’t let anything happen to you guys, and to our people,” he assured.
“I know. The whole thing is still fresh in my mind. I’ll let go of it eventually,” she replied.
He let it go, knowing that nothing else needed to be said, and he eventually drifted off to sleep. She stayed up the entire time, playing the words of the memorized note in her mind, over and over again:
Xavier is my son. Return him, and he’ll live. Keep him, and he’ll share in your doomed fate. I am coming for you Calypso, and you get to decide if our son lives or dies. We’ll see who the better parent is.
Jeremiah
Cassidy woke up early, leaving her mate in bed. He’d come to bed late, prepping for his meeting, and she’d fallen asleep without him. She left the bed and quietly got ready for the day. He was still asleep when she left, heading for the kitchen. She understood better than anyone just how important the meeting with Garrett Marriott was, despite her joking manner. She arrived in the kitchen to find the royal kitchen staff preparing breakfast. She’d already been introduced to everyone, with them looking forward to working with her. She told them that she didn’t know much about cooking, and they said they’d take her under their wing. They, together with the other castle staff, were just happy to have her in the castle. Apparently, Nathaniel’s aunt hadn’t exactly treated them well. She’d ignored them, leaving them to run the castle on their own. They were happy to finally have a queen who was at least willing to learn where she had shortfalls. Nathan’s aunt was also on the run. They di
Garrett had imagined different scenarios going into this meeting, and while he wouldn’t admit it out loud, things were not going remotely as he thought they would. What was being revealed to him had him shook.“Nathan is the rightful heir to the throne, and he’s nowhere as toxic as Phillip and Jeremiah. As I’m sure you’re aware of the happenings in our kingdom, Jeremiah, together with Tyson Cannon and Jordan Williams are running an underground ring of sorts, and we intend to weed it out and put a stop to it. You can be a part of actually helping fix the kingdom, or you can step aside and shut up,” Cassidy told them.Remy was shocked, expecting to see Nathan furious at how his mate was addressing them, only to find the new King proud of what his mate had just said. He was starting to realize that they may have gotten in way over their heads.“What exactly are you proposing?” Garrett asked.Nathan sat forward. “The last thing I want is to push aside anyone who has the same goal that I h
“Focus Samira.”Samantha breathed in, allowing her witch to take over. She felt the change, felt everything consume her, before she felt the energy swirling around her. Everything felt like it was moving around and through her, and it was an experience she couldn’t put into words.“If you don’t focus, that feeling will overwhelm you and supercharge your powers,” her mother warned.“How come?” she asked.“I can’t say I know exactly, but it has to do with our bloodline. I’ve come across many other witches in my years of existence, and they have no idea what I’m talking about when I describe this. It’s a power that only you and I have,” Amaya informed.“I mean, I’ve never seen anyone else fly, so I would think it’s not something other witches can do. I doubt it would remain a secret for very long,” Samantha commented.“You’re probably right, but we’re not flying either. We’re simply manipulating the energy around us to enable us to float at the very least,” Amaya corrected.Samantha gigg
With Jeremiah having had the access he had to Xavier, Calypso didn’t feel right leaving the boys behind on their trip to the Dark Moon Pack, and Killian couldn’t argue. He knew that this was the only way to calm his mate’s nerves.“Mommy, where are we going?” Aiden questioned as she packed their clothes.“We’re going to visit Uncle Cain and Aunt Ivy,” she responded.Both boys were amped to hear that, making Calypso laugh. They continued helping her pack, while telling her all the things they looked forward to doing. It warmed her heart to see them so close.Despite everything happening around them, she was at least comforted by their unity.When they were packed, she sent them to look for Grant, while she headed to find her mate. He was in their office, looking over some matters that needed his attention, and she stood at the door, watching him for a while.She thought back to the first days of their relationship. He loved her, despite her not being as sure as he was about her. He’d t
Garrett was a bundle of nerves as he waited. Cassidy had told him to wait in the gardens for her. She was initiating her plan to get his mate to talk to him. She’d refused to share the plan, so he didn’t quite know what to expect.Penelope had received a link from her friend, asking her to meet at their spot in the gardens. The last thing she expected was to find her mate there, and with his back to her, she turned to quickly leave.But he’d already caught her scent.“Penelope, wait, please.”The plea in his voice pulled at her heart, enough to get her feet to stop moving. “I won’t hurt you.”“I never thought you would,” she said softly, knowing he could hear her.“Why avoid me then?” he asked.She sighed, before turning to face him. “Nathan and Cassidy are my closest friends and they’re good for the kingdom.”He cocked his head to the side. “And you’d risk a mate you’ve been waiting to meet for them?”“For the great of the kingdom, yes, I would. I wouldn’t want to be with anyone who’
Samantha received a link from her brother, alerting her of Nathan and Cassidy’s engagement party, and with her mother’s blessing, they paused her training and headed back to the Dark Moon Pack to join the celebrations.When they arrived, Amaya excused herself, while Samantha was teleported away. She didn’t expect to find herself in a room with Zen, Killian, Calypso, Nathan, Cassidy, Cain, Ivy, Vera, Hunter, and Wayne.“What’s going on?” she asked.“We were waiting for you so that we could get started on updating everyone of recent developments,” Killian told her, instantly warming her heart at the gesture.“Right, before we go far, we should probably start with Hunter and Wayne. Guys, we need you and the White Star Pack to move closer to Nathan and Cassidy and join the royal pack,” Calypso told them.Hunter nodded. “That’s fine with us, but do you mind me asking why now?”“We realized that the royal pack as it is isn’t the strongest. While we’re undoing Phillip’s legacy, we also need
On their walk back to the house, Cassidy spotted her brother outside, staring up at the stars, and she told Samantha to head on without her. It had been a while since she’d spoken to Isaiah, and she walked over to him. He picked up her presence, but didn’t immediately turn to look at her.“I remember this one time when you were five. Mom wanted you to go with her to the mall, but you wanted to stay home and draw. She eventually forced you after threatening to take away your art stuff. You were so pissed off, and you insisted that one day you’d have enough power to say no to her without being punished. Now look at you about to become the Queen of our kingdom,” he said before finally looking down at her with a smile.She shoved him. “I didn’t come over here for you to be so mushy with me.”He chuckled. “I’m so proud of you Cass. I know there are people who never thought you’d amount to anything with that personality of yours.”“I resent that,” she kept from laughing.“But you know it’s
Garrett couldn’t believe what they’d been told. Celebrations had long been underway, and he was still stumped. This trip was proving to be way more than he’d expected. He’d assumed that he would get an audience with the man he was slandering and further push his agenda.And yet everything had been thrown out the window for him. Instead he’d been introduced to revelation after revelation, and he realized that he’d been let in into something big, bigger than he could’ve imagined.He’d watched as everyone mingled, and he could see just how they all got along with one another. The Dark Moon Pack members all seemed comfortable not only around the vampires, but around the royals as well, and that’s when he realized just how tightknit they were.What he’d been presented was the opportunity to not only be a part of something great, but to really put his purpose to work with people who were clearly on the same page with him.Nathan found him standing outside, where he’d gone to take a breather
Sage’s inquisitiveness was eating away at her. She never did well with just sitting still, and while she understood why she’d been brought where she was, the curiosity to find out where that was, was greater.She was going crazy with all the scenarios she’d already played in her mind, so she got up and tiptoed over to the door. She had no idea what awaited her outside of it, but nothing like that had ever stopped her before.She was met by a long and dark passageway, and she tried to listen out for any indication of life, but she found none. She had never wished for enhanced hearing much like she did in that moment.She left the room completely, heading down the passageway. All of the rooms she passed were locked, until she finally reached the last room. There was a fire going at the fireplace, but there was no one inside.She looked around the room and found that it was a mini library of sorts. She strode over to one of the shelves at the side of the room, running her hands on the sp
Tyson was sitting in the middle of the empty room, trying to channel his thoughts. He knew better than to question the process, despite it being years that it had been going on. It was just one of those weird things he learnt to make peace with.He had grown up being compliant, and that wasn’t going to change any time soon. He grew up knowing that for as long as complied, he would soon have everything he’s ever desired in life.The silence carried on for what felt like forever before smoke finally started to fill the room. He got up to and waited to be addressed as the door opened. The man walked in, walking right up to him, before putting his hand on the younger wolf’s shoulder.“My son.”Tyson bowed respectfully. “Father.”“I thought you’d bring your sister along,” the man spoke.“I have Isla on a different task right now. Things have changed a little since we last spoke,” Tyson replied.The man nodded. “I have been away for some time, but now I’m back. It’s time to kick things into
Antoinette was frozen in place, with those remaining not sure how to comfort her. Nathan was eventually the first person to move towards her, and she didn’t expect to be engulfed in a hug by him.“They’re just shocked. It’s nothing against you,” he told her.“Nate’s right. They’ve waited a long time for this day, but I don’t think either one of them really thought about what that would look like. It doesn’t help the circumstances you were reunited under,” Cassidy added.“Does anyone know about Calypso’s childhood specifically?” Antoinette asked quietly.“That would be me. I don’t really know much about before we found her, but I know we found her in bad shape. She didn’t have her memories when we did. I only learnt much later that she’d been taken and imprisoned after they killed her dad. By the time she left the pack, she was still in bad shape but she said it was needed,” Samantha recalled.“And then she met Zen, before she eventually found her way to her first mate’s pack where she
“We obviously have our own personal issues to deal with, but the point of this trip was to find information that can help us deal with Tyson and his crew. We have delayed that for way too long. We need to go back.”The statement surprised everyone since it had come from Samantha. “Are you saying you’re done with Ameran?”Samantha turned to Queen Hyacinth. “I’m saying that Ameran has been compromised. It’s not a dead end since we did actually learn a lot and I’m sure there’s a lot more to actually learn, but we’re also all aware of the tampering that has occurred.”“In that case, I can’t leave. I need to figure out how we got compromised in the first place,” Queen Hyacinth pointed out.Hale shook his head. “You have people you trust that you can put on that case. You are needed back with us. We can’t do this without you.”Yael could see that her sister wasn’t reconciling what her son was saying. “He’s right Yara. It’s not like if you stay here, you’re going to personally be in charge o
The creatures had long returned to the base, while Jordan was still sprinting around the territory. Besides the magic working on him, he felt like he was going insane. There was something going on and he couldn’t understand what it was.He also couldn’t get the redhead out of his mind.There was something about her, but he also had flashes of the blonde going through his mind as well. Both Samantha and Sage plagued him and he didn’t know what to believe. With everything going on with his body, he couldn’t bring himself to slow down.Slowing down also meant confronting his thoughts, so he chose to run instead.“What the hell is going on with him?” Tyson asked Jeremiah as they watched him pass by them.“I don’t know man. He’s been at it for hours,” Jeremiah commented.Tyson frowned. “The thing is supposed to have worn off by now.”Jeremiah shrugged. “Like I said, I have no idea what’s going on there. Anyway, where have you been?”“I was checking up on our allies,” Tyson responded.Jerem
Killian stood outside, trying to understand why his Lycan had led him to where they were. He had left the room under the guise of consoling Hale, but no one had actually seen him go in a different direction to his sister and her mate.He knew that he was treading dangerously in that Queen Hyacinth could easily find his wandering of her territory offensive, but he had no choice. His Lycan had full control, and he could only follow along.His Lycan had navigated them all the way outside the castle, and they had managed to avoid being spotted by any elves, much to his surprise. He understood better than anyone that getting as far as they did in the territory they were in was no small feat.He was surprisingly given back control, and he looked around to find that he was at the edge of a huge lake.Except he’d seen the lake somewhere, and that perplexed him even further because he’d never been to Ameran before. He tried to remember the small details about what he’d seen before, and he foun
“How was your trip?” Zen asked his little sister.She sighed, putting down the cup of coffee. “As with everything around us, complicated.”After Hale asked the question he did, silence had descended on the room, with Yael failing to find the words to answer him. As a result, he stormed out of the room, with both Samantha and Killian following him out, leaving everyone else behind.It wasn’t long before Queen Hyacinth suggested that they take a break, with her arranging for a separate room for Willa and Amaya as per their request, leaving Zen and Calypso behind. They were served refreshments and left alone while Queen Hyacinth and Yael attempted to do their own bit of damage control.“Anything useful?” Zen questioned.Calypso nodded. “We just need to decode some stuff first. When Lian and I first went in there, we were shown the day the Lycans turned, but when we went back with Sam, she seemed to see the day they were wiped out. The three of us still need to actually comb through every
Cain was aware of the attack happening at the castle, but he had been given strict instructions to keep the pack where it was. He was pacing in his office when he received word that someone was looking for him outside.The last person he expected was Charice with a man he didn’t know.“Charice?” he called to her.She turned to him, an unexpected smile on her face. “Hey Cain.”“What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be hidden away?” he linked her.She looked at Sebastian, who nodded, before turning back to him. “I’m here for Isla.”Cain raised an eyebrow. “Considering everything that’s going on around us, I’m sure that your request is unauthorized.”“We want to offer her protection,” Sebastian spoke up.Cain didn’t expect the power in the man’s voice, especially given that he couldn’t pick up anything else from him. “And you are?”Before Sebastian could respond, Charice cut in. “You don’t know who he is?”“Your location has only been known to Nathan and whoever he entr
Queen Hyacinth was still gathering herself while her guests awaited her in the grand dining hall. Hale had arranged refreshments for them. A silence had settled on them, with everyone’s trail of thinking in its own direction.For Yael, she could only think back to the last time she was here. She’d just been banished by her sister, but as she sat there, she realized that too much time had passed for her to still be angry.She’d long ago forgiven her sister.If there was anyone who understood how complicated her twin could be, it was her – that, and Willa had helped her see the truth. Growing up, everyone would highlight just how different the twins were. Yael had always been the free-spirited twin, while Yara was a lot calmer and demurer.A fitting queen.Yael never wanted that life. Even before the debacle with her mate, she never wanted to be tied down. It was always strange to Willa how she was never truly affected by losing her mate – only losing her sister truly broke her.She spe