Chapter 87

“What did he do to make you distrust him so much?” I asked softly, Daniel took a deep breath and turned on the bed to look into my eyes.
“About ten years ago, when Eric’s uncle handed the pack to his son, none of us knew the hatred in Eric’s heart. His cousin Vali was the rightful successor, he was only twenty. Vali was a little green maybe, but he seemed like he would be a good Alpha, his people followed him, no one thought twice about it. But what you have to understand is, Eric was older than Vali, and he believed himself the rightful leader. Not long after Vali was given control of the pack, his father became sick, and the pack doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong. The next word anyone had from Harvest Moon, Eric, Vali, and the former Alpha Tarben had gone on a fishing trip, but Eric was the only one that came back. He said they had a run-in with a small pack of rogues and Vali died trying to protect his father, but their bodies were never recovered, and the doctor in charge of Tarben’s treatment, said he didn’t have the energy to walk around the pack house, let alone go on a trip. The doctor also let slip that he was planning on sending Tarben’s blood to a lab that specialised in poisons and toxins. The moment the pack made Eric Alpha, as he was the next in line, he started making threats. He said he was going to retake his father’s land, and pack members, he tried to start a war between Harvest Moon and us. My cousin Lander and the other Alpha in our state, Kasa, went to reason with him, and sue for peace, Kasa left with Eric’s sister, who was his mate and Eric believed that meant Kasa would fight alongside him. Lander had already declared that should Eric continue, he would fight alongside me, and three days after they left Harvest Moon, they attacked. We lost eight men that day, but they never got across the border. Kasa refused to involve his pack for Eric’s pride, and the treaty was tentatively reinstated, with the proviso that Eric never steps on Applewood land again. A few years went by, and things remained quiet, until an alpha in Wyoming, who happened to be Landers’ brother-in-law, met his mate, and invited half the Alphas in the country to the Luna ceremony. The girl was apparently very pretty, and as the guests found out, a hybrid, mostly when a Lycan mates with someone of another race, the children get their wolves and maybe some minor abilities from the other parent, like Elaina with her Nymph allure, or her brother can grow anything in nearly any type of soil. This girl was rare, a true hybrid, she had a wolf, and the ability to control water, which she demonstrated, with a little show the night before the ceremony for the guests. Now, every pack is different, and the tradition in the Wyoming pack was for the Alpha and Luna to mark each other at the Luna ceremony. I wasn’t there, I wasn’t Alpha, my father was, but the night before the ceremony people saw the girl with Eric, the next day, she was missing from her room. The whole of the Wyoming pack and the invited Alphas searched the lands, then further, finally after five days, they found her body, she was attacked by a wolf, her throat ripped out, and she had a mark on her neck, that didn’t belong to her mate, her body had been dumped outside of the pack lands, in a National Park. Her mate went crazy with rage and heartbreak, he publicly accused Eric of trying to take his mate by force. The theory was that Eric wanted her for her powers, and tried to mark her against her will. She fought him, refused to be his, and was killed trying to get away from him, but Eric left, returned to his pack and refused to be a part of the investigation into her death. The Alpha of the Wyoming pack was found hanging in his room after he buried his mate, and his younger brother became Alpha, the pack still hasn’t fully recovered, there have been challenges, fights with neighbouring packs, but none of it has been easy. Two years ago, another true hybrid became known, her father, an Alpha from South America, had her travel with an entourage through the States to find her mate. Eric made it no secret that he wanted the girl, sending her gifts and letters asking her to come see him, the minute he saw her he claimed she was his mate. However, the girl admitted to one of her former governesses, who had been sent with her as her chaperone, that she didn’t feel the same way. When they tried to leave Eric had his warriors stop them. He kept her in his pack for three months, trying to win her affection and convince her to be his Luna, again, the other Alphas stepped in, and under the threat of war with the packs from South America, Eric released her to her father. But when it came to her Luna ceremony, it was found she wasn’t a virgin. The governess, who had been entrusted to keep the girl ‘pure’, admitted to her Alpha that during their stay in Harvest Moon, she had been kept in her room under guard, while the girl had been kept in the pack house with Eric and away from her protectors. The Alpha of the pack from South America was enraged, he blamed Eric for corrupting his daughter, her mate was devastated, he had waited for his mate and believed she had waited for him. He also wanted to wage war, Kasa had to intervene, but Eric’s actions endangered everyone. If he were to find out about you, I don’t know what he would do, but I know I wouldn’t stop until he was dead, and you were back by my side.” I didn’t know what to say, Daniel’s story was heartbreaking, and I understood his fears better, I gripped his hand tightly.
“I don’t know what to say, that all sounds terrible, why hasn’t someone removed him as Alpha?” I asked, feeling nauseated at the horrible things Eric had done.
“No one has enough proof, so the only way to remove him as Alpha is to challenge him but he has refused every challenge, and to go onto his pack lands without permission is an act of war, whoever did that would be risking his own men, it’s not something any of us would do lightly. Most of the other Alphas have refused to trade with him, in the hopes that it keeps him from making alliances and curbs his ability to get too powerful. But that’s all we can do.” Daniel explained as he stroked my knuckles. “Do you understand now why he can never find out about your powers?” He asked softly, his fear evident.
“Of course, I just wish there was something I could do to make you feel better,” I replied sadly.
“Just promise me you will stay away from him, and when you’re with Dermot you will stay hidden inside. You won’t take any risks, and you will stay safe, please?” He asked with such sincerity.
“If it will make you feel better of course I will, you only had to ask,” I whispered, his lips crashed into mine, he moved between my legs and pushed me onto the soft mattress. He ran his hands up my body making me mewl, as his tongue danced with mine.
“I love you so much.” He breathed against my skin as his lips moved down my neck.
“I love you too.” I moaned as he unbuttoned my pants. He ran his nose along my shoulder, inhaling my scent.
“I want you so much right now.” He growled lowly, as he lifted my shirt over my head. He knelt between my thighs, removed my boots, and peeled my jeans down my legs, his hot breath on my wet panties. “Fuck, you smell delicious!” He groaned as he ran his nose along my stomach, his fingers gripped my panties, tearing the thin fabric away from my skin.

Evie Henry had planned every second of the encounter with the man she could no longer avoid, she needed his help before it was too late. She ran through her speech again in her head, she was determined to get what she needed and get away from him. She walked into the quiet coffee house, she was early, she didn’t know the city well enough to risk leaving on a later bus, and buses out of the pack lands were rare as it was. She ordered a latte and sat at the back, her eyes on the door at the front and aware of the fire exit behind her, should the man attack her. Her whole body trembled when he walked through the door, her every instinct told her to run, the only thing that kept her in her seat was the grip she had on the table in an attempt to remain upright.
“Don’t look so terrified, you aren’t my type, sister.” He laughed as he took the seat opposite her.
“Let’s skip the small talk, I want to know what you remember of the stories Uncle used to tell you, nothing else. Then I will resume pretending you don’t exist, and I would ask you to do the same.” She replied briskly, she took a sip of her latte to appear calmer than she was.
“I’m not the one who looks like they’re going to wet themselves at the sight of a beloved family member dear sister. One would think you were afraid of me?” He responded smugly.
“I am afraid of you, I saw what you did to that poor girl, remember!” She snapped through clenched teeth. “And I know there have been more. Mother may have been stupid enough to cover for you, but I won’t. So, tell me what you remember, now, it’s important, or I wouldn’t be here.” Evie whispered, furious she had to be anywhere near the creature that called himself her brother.
“Fine, I’ll tell you. If,” he paused for dramatic effect, setting Evie’s teeth on edge, “you tell me, everyone, you think I’ve killed.” He laughed at her outraged face. “Oh, Evie, if you could see your face right now!” He laughed almost falling off his seat. “I’m going to grab a coffee while you recover and start thinking of some names.” He hissed almost demonically in Evie’s mind, as he slid off his stool and up to the barista. Evie panicked for a moment before taking a breath to calm herself, she was only an omega, and her brother had been trained by warriors his whole life, he was an Alpha. She wouldn’t win in a fight, or outrun him, and she needed to know if Charlie really was the one, without tipping her hand to her brother. He retook his seat, sipping his iced mocha through the straw. “Why do you want to know about those silly stories anyway?” He asked furrowing his brow and narrowing his eyes at her.
“My son had a near miss, he’s an Eta, and I haven’t told any of my children the stories, I didn’t want to burden them, but it made me realise that if I don’t pass them on soon, I may not get the chance.” She recited her story, praying to the goddess he bought it.
“Ugh, boring. Whatever, what do you want to know? He repeated them so many times Vali and I had them memorised.” He replied bored
“I need to know the story about the woman with the purple eyes, please Eric. And you will never hear from me again. I’ve kept Mom’s secrets for you, I didn’t even tell my mate about her.” Evie whispered. It didn’t mean as much now that she was gone, but if anyone found out that she was from their mother’s first mate, and Eric’s father had been her second mate, and a chosen mate at that, not a fated one. It could cause the pack to turn against him, but she had to be careful, she didn’t want it to seem like she was blackmailing him, or a threat of any kind.
“That’s true, I suppose you have kept your end of the deal, disappearing with our sister, how is Maria? By the way, I noticed you didn’t mention her, what’s to stop her blabbing about our shared heritage, and making life difficult for me?” He asked with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Evie felt sick for a moment but swallowed her bile and a sip of coffee.
“She died in childbirth; I raised her daughter after her mate couldn’t.” She whispered softly, a disgusting taste in her mouth.
“Hmm, that’s I want to say... sad, but either way she isn’t talking, so it means nothing to me. Fine, I will tell you the story.” He said with a shrug, and Evie released the breath she had been holding.