Beta James snorted, “Dylan, you sent me a text that said two worlds collide and your Alpha may foam at the mouth. Do be a dear and get a Fairy ride here. That does NOT tell me what’s going on. It told me I needed to show up despite Theo saying I didn’t.”
Dylan whispered, “And all of us Beta brothers know you were coming after he said no, because you knew from his tone you needed to come. Your secret is safe with us.” Dad snorted, “We can hear you.” Dylan whispered, “Duh. You were supposed to.” Lacy rubbed his shoulders.
Anne said, “James, Melanie found some evidence that Ezra had something to do with what happened to Aaron.” James paled. Dylan cleared his throat, “I’m just saying this for posterity, but his name is Beta James.” I rolled my eyes before I heard a thunk.
Alpha Theo growled because Dylan had hit him in the head with a few mini whiskey’s. Dylan winked at him. My heart sank listening to Melanie lay it out. Ezra sold Aaron out to the Ring to try to break up my dad’s alliances.
Oden growled, “He has no honor!” I agreed. Ezra just wanted Aaron’s territory. They’d spelled him to go mad. The poor manwasn’t even in control of his mind or body. Alpha Theo roared and broke the table. Beta James ran to his Alpha trying to comfort him while Anne cried silent tears.
Dylan produced a very large bottle of whiskey and handed it to Alpha Theo. He whispered, “I’m really sorry, man. You know I loved Aaron. What happened hurt us all, but we loved him too.” Alpha Theo took the bottle and guzzled it.
Anne said, “Theo.” Alpha Theo brokenly whispered, “He was my baby brother, and I didn’t protect him. I knew Ezra wanted his area. Hell, we all did. I fucking knew Aaron would never hurt Felicia. He always saw her as a little sister.”
Theo pulled at his hair saying, “She just went to visit like she always did. Felicia did nothing wrong. Her visit was simply piss poor timing, and a fucked up goddess ruling over our people. How could Selene allow this to happen to my little brother?! Could we have fixed Aaron? Does anyone know the answer to that? Could I have saved my baby brother after they spelled him?”
Uncle Aiden answered, “No, you couldn’t have fixed him. You needed Emmaline and my sister to reverse a spell that erodes the mind and soul. Good Witches would have to research the counter to that, but Aaron would not have lasted that long.”
“The more one tries to fight the spell, the sooner they lose their mind. They become trapped inside themselves. The person is still aware of their actions, but they cannot control them. Emmaline would have to fix his soul first and that would’ve had to have been done quickly.”
“From what I know, Aaron was acting erratically for months before Lucas was forced to step in. That would’ve been too far gone for Emmaline to fix. Aaron’s soul would’ve been eroded by that time. He was locked away inside himself probably furious at what was happening to him.”
Alpha Theo growled and punched a wall. Lux came into the room next. He frowned asking, “Dad, what’s wrong?” I quickly explained as Harrison stepped in behind Lux. “Your Uncle Aaron was spelled to go crazy. He couldn’t have been saved because they needed to know Cousin Emmaline and my mom back then. Aaron wasn’t in control of his actions by the time he died. Actually, it sounds like well before he died.”
Lux and Harrison growled. Lux snarled, “Who did that to him? Who spelled my uncle?” Beta James asked, “Lux, why did you come?” Dylan whispered, “I know that you know the answer, my buddy Beta James.” Lux answered, “Melanie said my dad might need me, so I came.”
I answered Lux’s question, “Ezra did it. Rather he had it done by the Ring and a bad Coven.” Lux snarled. Harrison growled, “That bastard has wanted my uncle’s territory my entire life from what I can remember.” Lux ground out, “He’s wanted it longer, Harrison.”
Dad put a hand on Alpha Theo’s back, but he didn’t say anything. There were decades of friendship between them, so I trusted dad to know what to do here. Alpha Theo turned to look at Lucas and the two men stared at each other.
Alpha Theo eventually said, “I have blamed you for my brother’s murder all this time. When in fact, you saved Aaron when no one else could. I’m not saying we are ok, but I will no longer advise my son not to be in an alliance with yours.”
Lucas nodded, “I understand your feelings. I am so sorry, Theo. I have been sorry since I had to act against Aaron. He was one of my best friends and it physically hurt me to do it. It was just a string of erratic behavior, and he refused to give Felicia back to us. She called me and begged for help. I never wanted to fight Aaron, but I had to protect my pack member.”
Alpha Theo nodded. Oden informed me, “Their wolves are actually talking for the first time since that day.” Well, thenmaybe they would be ok with each other in a few centuries. Dylan announced, “I’ll organize the barbeque with my good buddy Beta James!”
Alpha Theo snorted, “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Dylan somewhat pleaded, “But think of the pack members between our groups who haven’t met. More mate options for them have hope to see the light of day. YAY!”
“More importantly YAY for Dylan who would be responsible for throwing the next mate’s day! It’s MY moment to shine! Don’t take this from me, Alpha Theo! Don’t be LSGAP and his no fun fuddy duddyness.” Alpha Theo rolled his eyes.
Melanie and Ezra drew our attention back, arguing how she was the Ring’s perfect revenge. Cayden snorted and linked me, “Not only is he dead wrong, but he’s dead wrong at the top of his voice.” Yes, he was. Gage linked, “Shut the fuck up.” I didn’t reply.
Melanie taunted Ezra with how wrong he was. Oden snickered, “It’s happening. Mate’s going blurt it all out. Freya wants to take over and tell him. She is very upset at how he’s speaking to her human, and she hates him for the role he played in locking her away.” I couldn’t say I blamed Freya or Melanie there.
I didn’t think Oden was wrong either because his words implied that even if Melanie managed not to say it, her wolf was going to. Micah snorted, “Did Ezra really just say Melanie wouldn’t dare to give us information? She literally gave it up the second she had an in with us. Hell, Mel barely waited for Cayden to agree to her terms. She even gave us something before he agreed. This dolt actually said she wouldn’t dare. Has this guy met Melanie?”
Gage said, “Yeah, no. All of them are stupid because there was no way in hell Melanie should’ve been near a meeting if a supposed Hackura was there. Anyone with a quarter of a brainwould realize that she’d jump on that chance for something. Even if they thought she was working with the Hunters, they had to wonder if she’d ask for help.”
Drake argued, “No, they made her think people hated her. Melanie has always worried she’s too much and too direct. We always told her that wasn’t the case, but she still felt that way.” I snarled, “That’s not true!”
Tristan said, “Yeah, well there were teachers, peers who insinuated otherwise, and Mel even thought at one point that’s why we wanted her to go to New York at one point. Melanie doesn’t think she makes friends easily. Black Path hating her for being right would have cemented that.”
“It would be easy for someone who didn’t understand Melanie, to think she’d run from a Hackura instead of to them. Thankfully, because she desperately wanted their acceptance because Alexander has Hackura blood.”
Phil said, “I mean, it’s still faulty logic. I’m not saying I pieced it together, but they saw her. She wasn’t backing down. They had to be concerned Melanie was friends with them. It wasn’t a secret in the pack.”
Mom interjected, “The Ring doesn’t like to admit when they are wrong. They craft their realities and make people’s actions line up to them. In their minds, Melanie was taking longer to break down, but they had small victories. We know that’s not true, but they will never admit that. Even if they suspect now, until they have it thrown in their face they won’t believe it.” Idiots.
We listened as Melanie countered every point the man who embodied evil for me now made. Ezra’s face was turning red with anger, and he lost it when my wife mentioned Talia. I asked, “What exactly does he hold against a Warrior’s daughter?”
