Chapter 107

Phoenix

"And you're sure he wasn't lying?" Luke asks, his expression dark as he leans on the desk, his fingers digging into the wood. The whole time I was talking, he stayed silent, his jaw working like he was chewing on glass. I can't tell if he's angrier or more in shock.

I nod curtly. I already knew this would be hard for him to believe. Shit, I barely believe it myself. But my mom...she was hiding these secrets from everyone. Even her own brother.

"No," Luke growls, his voice rising slightly. "I refuse to believe Penny would do something like that. Yeah, she was miserable in her relationship with Philip, but to cheat on him and frame him for money laundering? That can't be fucking true."

"It's the truth, Unc," I reply, not really knowing how to make him believe it. It sounds like he's doing everything he can to convince himself that it's not true.

"And then she killed herself? Why? She could've just left Philip, or came to me for help or something. But she committed suicide over some human she was having an affair?" He pauses, shaking his head in disbelief. "How did I not know any of this?"

I exhale sharply. "It seems like both of my parents were distant, secretive assholes."

Luke's eyes flash with hurt, then anger. "I say we confirm this shit. If she was having an affair with a human, there has to be records of his existence somewhere. And I want to see the real autopsy report. The one I found concluded that she died from natural causes, which was a goddamn lie."

"I agree, we should confirm it for ourselves," I tell him.

Although, I'm still 100% sure my father was telling the truth. But I know my uncle needs to see some actual proof for his own peace of mind. I don't know how close he and my mother really we, since she didn't really open up much to anyone, but I can tell that he's hurting. Probably even more than I am.

I change the subject, trying to lighten up the mood a little. "Oh, I know this is kind of a bad time, but....congratulations on finding out you're a dad."

He smiles weakly. "Thanks. I hope you're not jealous, you'll always be my boy," he says, patting me on the back.

I chuckle. "I actually wasn't worried about that. You can't replace me that easily. Just like I'll always be closer to you than my own father. We have an unbreakable bond."

His eyes darken again. "Philip can still go rot in hell. He knew all of this shit this whole time, and he never even thought to tell me? She's my sister, I should've known."

"And she was my mother, but he didn't bother telling me either," I mutter, the words bitter on my tongue. "But I guess it was for a good reason. He said he wanted to protect me. The Council would've gone after me if they found out that I knew."

Luke's jaw clenches again. "After what we saw last night, they're already coming after you. Whatever reason that woman was there at the bar last night wasn't an accident. They must see you as a threat that needs to be watched. We need to figure out why."

"Maybe it's because I threatened the Devils' the night before the Alpha Ceremony. If I get rid of them, they have no one to openly blame for the crime around here."

He hums, deep in thought. "That sounds about right. And they're likely in the organization themselves, or maybe, they're also blackmailing the Devils into taking the fall for them too. And your father? He's their backup."

I drag a hand through my hair. Holy shit. This a deep rabbit hole we've found ourselves diving into.

Luke shakes his head, still struggling to process everything. "Well, I promised I'd take Makayla out to breakfast tomorrow, but after that, we should go to the police station. See what we can find out about this human Penny was sleeping with. There has to at least be a record of his death, or at least something about where he lived. We can ask his neighbors if they ever saw anything."

It's pretty rare that werewolves venture into human territory. We stick to our own, where we can shift freely, let our wolves run without fear of being seen. But now...I understand why my dad thought this pill he was trying to make was a good idea. You know...before my mother used it to commit suicide. It would allow werewolves to not only work but live amongst the humans, to not worry about randomly losing control and shifting and exposing our entire fucking existence. I don't care for doing that, but obviously my mother did, and she was willing to leave me and my dad for a regular life as a human.

The thought hits like a punch to the gut, but I shake it off. I have to.

"I'll meet you tomorrow then," I tell my uncle. "Of course, Selene's coming."

He laughs softly. "I already knew that. I love that girl though, she's feisty. The Moon Goddess must've saw that you needed someone to give you hell every day."

My lips twitch. "I love it. She's perfect."

"I never thought I'd see this. There was a point in time where a girl like her would've sent you running to the hills. Now look at you, completely whipped."

My smirk widens. "When you finally feel the mate-bond, you'll see why I'm whipped."

That makes him shake his head. "I'm getting old, Nix. I don't see myself finding my mate, but who knows, maybe I'll still settle down one day."

I nod in agreement. "I think you should. I'm glad you found out Makayla's your daughter, but I know you need a woman. The world's too dark and depressing to be single."

He snorts. "That's definitely something you wouldn't have said before Selene."

I chuckle. "I know, but she brings out the best in me. I didn't think I could be anything but a miserable asshole, but here I am."

"Goodnight, Nix," my uncle says, giving my shoulder a squeeze before leaving the office.

When I go upstairs, I find Selene lying on the bed, waiting for me in a blue lace teddy that hugs her body perfectly.

Fuck. My dick stands to attention as I rake her over. "Goddamn. You look good enough to eat," I groan, already stripping off my clothes.

She smiles softly. "I thought I'd surprise you, since we're about to get really busy with all this Council bullshit."

I pounce on her, trapping her body beneath mine.

"I guess you will be thanking Makayla later," she giggles.

"Yeah, I think I will be too."

And then I kiss her, devouring her mouth as I fuck her through the night, forgetting everything for just a little while.