Chapter 4

Kent’s POV

I was honestly expecting a fierce, charming, mysterious woman, and all I saw was a scared—albeit somewhat bratty—girl. No doubt, it was because she had no idea who she was. All the mother’s doing. Though if I spawned one of those things, I’d keep it a secret too. I may not even let it live.

Once the noise of the two dimwitted girls left, I snapped at Max, so he could leave too. He followed my instructions as he always did, and once it was just Madam Amelia and I, I let me guard down.

“On top of everything, she is half human? You know her kind are not allowed in Astoria.” I informed her. Perhaps she was under the impression that Astoria, which my great-grandfather founded, allowed humans just because we took a vow not to hurt them. Well some of us took that vow. Others, like my dear brother, didn’t care.

“She is the safest here.” Madam Amelia shot back. For a werewolf in her old age, she was quite a thing to witness. She had kindness in her eye, but her actions and words were calculated. I could tell, everyone in this house—including that mishmess of a creature—did what she commanded. “I also know you won’t hurt her because she is human.” See, calculated.

“It does ruin my plan.” I said.

“Was your plan to kill my daughter, Alpha Kent?” Madam Amelia asked.

“My plan was to render her powers useless.” I diplomatically said. Though, as I did, I felt the copper dagger I had bought with me. The one I was going to stab into her heart. The real answer, yes, I was going to kill her daughter. Madam Amelia seemed to know this as she nodded her head at me.

“Now what? You can’t break your vow. What will you do? You can’t have a Wolf Rider running around Astoria.” There it was. She knew what her daughter was. The half human part of it was the least of it. The fact that she was a Rider—a creature that could control a werewolf with a simple command. A creature that ruined my family's life. A creature, who must be destroyed before it gains power. There hasn't been a rider born in half a century, and even before, there was only one that ruled Astoria.

How could I destroy her now? Her being half human, and Astoria’s vow made this complicated. “Now what indeed.” I sighed out loud. The best thing I could do was keep her in sight and make sure she didn’t realize her powers. Snuff it out before she did. I had Max. He was the most knowledgeable in werewolf law. He could help me.

“I want—what’s the thing's name—?

“Jezebel.”

“I want Jezebel to come live with me. She will stay under my clan, as my ward.”

Madam Amelia’s eyes widened. Like she couldn’t believe my audacity.

“You know she isn’t safe here. Max saw her out in the forest, roaming. She is aware of her attraction to the wolves. She isn’t sure of her powers, and wolves will try to attack her. I can protect her.”

Protect her? I couldn’t believe I said those words out loud.

Madam Amelia said nothing. She stared at me, trying to figure me out.

“I’ll go a step further—if you let me keep Jezebel, in three full moons I'll take Marianna as my mate. She is a beautiful girl. It would be my honor.” I added, and I meant it. Marianna with her fiery red hair, and freckled face, was very attractive.

Still, Madam Amelia was trying to size me up. She said nothing for a long while. “You can’t tell her what she is. If you can make her lose her power in three moons, I take her back and you can have Marianna. If not, I want both my daughter’s returned to me. I’ll leave Astoria.”

“How can I trust that you will? You already have broken vows of the land. Having relations with a human. Having his child.” I spat. “If I can’t figure out how to take her powers away, I will have to hand her over to my brother. He has no problem murdering humans.”

“Charlie? No!”

Odd. She knew my brother. How?

I didn’t have to wait for the answer long. “He found out about Jezebel’s father and me. He killed him.” She cried.

“He already knows about her. The wolf that attacked Jezebel last full moon—the one Max saw her at—he belongs to Charlie.”

Amelia gasped.

“She would be safer in my care.”

“Says the man who came here to kill her and is promising to hand her over to his murderous brother.”

“Charlie may find her now. In fact, it won’t be long before he finds her like I did, and he won’t hesitate to kill her. As soon as Max told me there was a woman commanding a full moon wolf to stop, and he listened, I knew we had a Wolf Rider on our hands. Now you have to pick—would you take a chance with Jezebel’s life here now, or would you take it with me. I may be able to help her.”

“How?”

“Max, my beta. He is well versed in wolf law. I have no doubt he can find a loophole. I just need her under my nose. I need to make sure she isn’t practicing her craft. Getting stronger. I use the three full moons to save her, and in return I become Marianna’s mate. You win. I win. It’s the best option.” I hopefully said.

The silence was as long this time before she said, “fine. I won’t agree to you giving her to Charlie if you fail.”

I figured she wouldn’t. What mother would. “Could we agree to cross that bridge when we get there? I won’t do anything without warning you.”

Madam Amelia nodded. Though her eyes were wandering. Still deciding if this was a good idea.