Chapter 24: A suspect

**Alice’s Point of view**


After explaining everything to them, not mentioning our meeting and our hunting parties, of course, they remain silent for a moment, in shock.
"So the convocation at the Palace was not a coincidence." Says my mother.
"Are you angry with us?" I ask, contrite.
"No dear." Luna Lily replies. "Thanks to you, we are finally going to cooperate. You have done very well."
"Thank you, Luna Lily."
"Just Lily. Leave the title." She tells me with a smile. 
"Don't tell dad." I say to my mom. "He'll be very upset and he'll think I betrayed him."
She cups my cheeks to force me to look at her. "You thought of the pack before you thought of yourself or your father. Those are the qualities of a great Alpha. I am very proud of you." She says as she wiped away a tear that escaped my eye. 
"Thank you, mom. That means a lot for me."
"So you're saying you were marked by the Moon Goddess?" Lily says.
We nod. "According to Prince Benjamin we're going to have a decisive role and he thinks it's related to the rogues who attack us."
"Still. Being marked by the Moon Goddess is no small thing. And you say Owen, Simon, Sam and Melanie are mate too?" Asks my mother.
"Yes. That's why we think something bad is going to happen." Says Elliot.
"I think She's been trying to bind us for longer than that." I interject. They look at me, surprised. "I'm talking about you. She has destined two sisters for two enemy Alphas. What's the point if not to push them to make peace?"
They remain silent for a moment, thinking of this disturbing evidence. That She has intervened so much on our behalf is worrying enough, but that She tried to resolve the conflict a generation before is truly alarming.
"Do you think the threat was born long before us?" Elliot asks me.
I shrug. "I just wonder. But the more answers we get, the more questions emerge."
"So that would mean that the Alpha who wants to destroy us is older than we are. He had the title of Alpha at the same time as Alpha Vincent so he must be your grandparents' age." Deduced Lily.
Elliot frowned. "But by now he must have left his place. His son or grandson must be the Alpha."
"Maybe his successor has taken over and continues this war." I say.
Suddenly my mother gasps, and I see her thinking hard. "Or maybe he doesn't have a successor and he's still the Alpha."
Impossible. A strong pack comes from a strong Alpha, that's why as soon as the young Alpha turns 21, the title is passed on. So there's no way this old man can lead a pack strong enough to take on the three most successful packs in the country.
"Even if he didn't find his fated mate, he must have picked one to have a pup." Says Elliot.
But our mothers don't listen to us anymore. "Are you thinking the same thing I am?" 
Elliot and I look at each other without understanding. "What are you talking about?"
"And he attacked all three of our packs at the same time!" Exclaims my mother.
In front of our confused look, Lily explains to us. "We don't know the details but I remember that an Alpha attacked our three packs and lost. But I don't think he was killed."
A silence follows. "Is that all you know?!" I ask. "You don't even remember the name of that pack?" 
They look at each other and shake their heads. I gasp in anger and cross my arms. "I'm sorry sweetie but we weren't even born you know. We just heard Alpha Vincent talking about it to Luna Sophie when we were 15 and it sounded pretty secret." My mom says to me.
"What exactly did they say?"
 "I don't know much more. Just that it was a good thing he took the Alpha role earlier than expected or it would have been a war between the three packs or something."
We look at each other with Elliot. "Wait, are you saying that Alpha Vincent's father was angry at our grandfathers?"
"I don't understand. Silvers have been keeping the peace between us forever and here you are saying that Alpha Vincent's father was angry at our grandparents? Enough to let someone destroy us?" I ask. 
My mother shrugs. "I don't know. Like I told you it was pretty secret."
"Do you remember the name of this pack?" Elliot asks. 
They think for a moment before shaking their heads. Elliot slumps back in his chair, disappointed. Lily puts a hand on his forearm. 
"I'm sorry, but I don't think he named the pack or even the Alpha. And like we told you, we weren't even born."
Her phone rings and she quickly sits up. "Damn. Mary we have to go if we don't want to be late."
My mom nods and quickly gets up and kisses me before walking away and Lily does the same with Elliot. When they get to the door, they turn around and Lily speaks up.
"We are very happy for you both. I feel that thanks to you, everything is going to work out."
After their departure, we remain silent a moment, each in its thoughts. 
"In any case, they reacted well for us. That's something." Says Elliot with a smile.
"I still can't believe they grew up together like that. And we never knew!"
"They did everything to hide it, you heard them."
I nod. "How do you think your dad would react if he knew they are still seeing each other?"
"I don't know. That ultimatum was before they really knew each other. They've been together for over 20 years now. I don't see him kicking her out. I hope not at least. What about yours?"
I huff. "I love my dad, but loyalty is more important to him than anything else. He was already accusing me of disloyalty when I said that maybe you weren't our enemy but someone else, so if he finds out that my mom has been lying to him all these years ...." I shiver to think about it.
"In any case, we have a suspect and that's a big step forward." He exclaims. 
I nod. "We need to know which pack it is and there are only three people who can tell us."
"Yes. We need to talk to our grandfathers."