Jason Blackwood above
Danny POV
"I'm stupid. I was so blind, and you warned me not to trust him so easily," I say as Jason sits in front of me.
"You are not stupid, Danny. You were smitten and full of trust and believed everything would be well because he was your mate. You tried, he didn't, and a relationship takes two to work."
"He tried; he tried too," I say shyly, and Jason sighs heavily.
"Exactly when he tried? When he abused you? When he cheated? When he forced marked you, or when he lied to you?"
"He didn't lie..."
"Yes, he did. He lied when he invited you to come to his pack. He said it would be only to meet his family, and he raped and marked you on your way here." Jason says angrily.
"I don't remember if he..." I say hesitantly.
"Exactly. He took advantage of you and made the decision himself. I can understand that his wolf was pushing to have sex, but he wasn't in a mating rut forced by a bond, so it's not like he couldn't control it. He made the most important choice in the life of both of you by himself. He gave you no choice, Danny; he didn't have your consent, and that is rape."
I blink my tears, tired of crying, and don't want to start again. Telling him everything was already hard enough.
"I care about Brandon and Bruce, I think even now... Why it turned that way? We are true mates, so why?"
"Danny, bond isn't the guarantee of a happy ending. Things between your parents turned out well, but they got through terrible times and had to work hard to make it work. Things turned out well between my uncle and my sister, but they also went through a lot to make it work. Though they were true mates, things didn't turn out well between my father and my mother. She didn't forgive him, my adoptive father was the love of her life, and Hayden respected that. After she made the final decision, he backed away because her happiness was more important than the bond for him. Brandon could make it work, but instead made at least a selfish decision."
"I just don't understand why I let it happen?"
"You didn't find it strange that you didn't like to have sex with him?"
"I thought something was wrong with me, that I just didn't like sex."
"Because of Jordan?" He asks, and I nod. "Well, I think Jordan and your sperm donor are the main reason you tolerated the abuse for so long. But it still wasn't your fault. I'm sorry, but I think marking you was Brandon's initial goal. He didn't just lose control; I think he was already planning to fight for Alpha's position in his pack or at least the Head Warrior's position and got scared that rejecting you would diminish his wolf's strength."
I gulp; I've never thought about it that way, I presume Brandon made a mistake under his wolf's influence, and that's why we ended marked.
"Well, it's good that your father doesn't know about it, or there would be blood by now. But we will find a way to set you free from him." Jason states.
I don't get to answer because there is a ring on the door, so I go downstairs to welcome our guests. But the moment I open the door, I'm met with a slap to my face. I look surprised at the furious Fiona storming inside, for now, the empty bar.
"I knew from the beginning that you are a lying bitch, not worthy of him!" she screams, and I back away, totally frozen; I have no idea what I should do.
"You cheated on him! You've never loved him, so he sought comfort in me, and you couldn't handle that! What happened at the party was your plan; you made it on purpose, didn't you? You set the table so you could badmouth him now."
"Fiona, Brandon hurt me," I say in a small voice as she snarls.
"Don't lie! He isn't like that. You and Julius probably colluded together with this story! You want to kill him, don't you? Did you think that your lies could convince Natasha to execute or banish him!"
Her fury makes me retreat; I have no strength to say anything; I just want to be left alone.
Suddenly she sniffs the air, and her head snaps to the side, where Jason stands. He looks at her with his eyes shifted, but his fists are clenched, and I know he is fighting to keep control of his wolf.
She looks terrified and presses her hand protectively to her stomach, and whispers:
"No, no, no, no, no" as a mantra, not able to stop.
I am not stupid; I know what is happening, making me want to scream "no," too. I glance at my friend, wondering what he will do. Jason was always the more impulsive of the two brothers. And yet he takes a big breath and closes his eyes. When he opens them, they are normal again.
"Your name is Fiona, right?" he asks.
"Yes," she whispers and backs away, wrapping her arms protectively around her stomach; Jason smirks mockingly.
"I'm not cruel, Fiona," he says slowly. "But never speak like that to my friend. Now you should leave; I will contact you soon."
"What if I don't want ever to see you again," she snaps out of her petrified state, which makes him smirk again. He seems confident as always, but I have known him long enough to notice the sadness in his eyes.
"My name is Jason Blackwood. You know what to do if you don't want to see me again."
Her lips start trembling, and I see tears in her eyes, but she doesn't say anything; she looks conflicted as hell.
"Go home, Fiona, and take some time to think. I will contact you soon, don't avoid me. I may not be your lover and the father of your baby, but I think as your true mate, I deserve at least that much courtesy and respect."
"Why don't you reject me?" she asks tremblingly.
"I'm not cruel, if I do this now, I can kill your baby, and I don't want to risk it. And we both need time to think it through, at least. Because I know who you are and what you did. Being stupid is not a crime," he says.
"I'm not stupid," she whispers" I love Brandon, and he..."
"And he is using you like everybody else around him," Jason finishes. "But you are a grown-up woman who can make her own decisions. So stay away from Danny. Your or rather Brandon's problems don't concern him anymore."
She listens and runs away, literally, as I come closer to Jason.
"You okay?" I ask, and he nods.
"I think Mrs. Mae won't have to find a bed for me tonight. I think my wolf and I will be running the whole night." He whispers and smiles at me sadly.
Julius POV
Ravenswood Pack is for sure a strange place; although it looks neat and well organized, the way the Beta of the pack behaves for sure gives a bad vibe. He seems wary and unsure of his own Alpha, as if he couldn't predict what he could do.
The packhouse is empty. I have never encountered an Alpha who would live alone, which goes against Alphas' instincts, because the Alpha should live surrounded by the pack and should be close to them. If the Alpha avoids contact with the pack, their connection gets weaker, and that causes lots of distress to both sides.
Sometimes or more likely very often, Alphas are proud and feel above everybody else. Still, even then, they don't distance themselves and avoid contact, especially not to the degree Alpha Ravenswood does it. He is alone in the packhouse; even his food is prepared somewhere else and delivered literally in front of his door.
When we arrived, the guestrooms were prepared, but the wetness and the stench made it clear that they haven't been used in a very long time. Alpha pretends to be joyful and pretends that everything is normal. And yet when the wolves have distrust painted all over their faces when they look at their Alpha, that can't be good.
Natasha took it upon herself to deal with him during those three days; I'm here for something different.
Spirit Catchers, as we call them in our world, have particular abilities. The humans would call it extreme empathy because they can reach wolves inside others, understand their feelings and even see their memories to the point that even the host cannot sense them.
They have not been registered anywhere. Some Alphas keep them a secret and don't allow other packs to use their unique gifts, some allow it, and that's usually seen as a sign of goodwill. It is also very common if the packs are allies. But they are rare, extremely rare.
I saw the Spirit Catcher before; soon after, I had lost my legs, but she told me that Drake was too deep to be touched but would be back once the suffering would be over. It wasn't much of a help, but she assured me that my wolf wasn't dead and wouldn't be, and at that moment, I wasn't so sure about it. I couldn't return to her because she died some years ago.
That's what I think about as Beta takes me to the house of omegas. Omegas, if they don't have a family, they usually live in the packhouse, but not here. Of course, their house isn't in the best condition, but it's something all places in this pack have in common, but at least it's located in the middle of the territory, which means it's safe.
The Spirit Catcher goes down to see me. He is old, ancient, I would say, and...
"I'm old, that's true; that's also why I stay here now. My mate is dead, so are my child, and grandchildren and great-grandchildren have their own life, so I stay here not to be alone."
"You heard my thoughts?" I ask, a bit confused.
"No, but I know I'm old, and your face wasn't difficult to read. Come on"
I move after him to the small and dark room, yet I smell many forest scents; there are many fresh flowers too. He gives the vibe of calmness and peace.
"The scent of nature helps me to concentrate; it's also calming for most of the wolves; they open easier to me," he says, sitting on the floor, and I move to do the same.
Like the last time I remember, I should lie down and try to relax as he starts playing with my hair; physical contact is crucial if it is supposed to work. I see his eyes shift, and his nostrils move rapidly as if he is sniffing. He takes his time but looks highly concentrated. I remember doing this kind of thing was tiring and painful for a Spirit Catcher. I don't know how long I have been lying there, but I can sense Drake, who is close, very close, but for me, still behind the glass wall.
"Well, you can sit," he says, taking his hand away from my hair," It will be easier for me if you ask questions, and I will try to answer them."
"Why Drake takes over my body without me knowing?" I ask.
"Because he believes as your equal, he had the right to do it after so many years of you being in charge."
"Why was he hiding it from me?" I ask, honestly; that is what I'm curious about the most.
"Because he wanted something and believed you didn't want it as much as him, you wouldn't let him have it. And he couldn't communicate with you so he couldn't ask for permission."
"Was it Danny?" I ask, and he nods. "Danny told me that Drake was showing himself to him since almost the beginning; why?"
"I wouldn't call it showing, more like seduction. Do you remember the boy in the hunters' house many years ago? That was Danny, Drake recognized his scent, but you haven't realized it because he couldn't communicate with you properly. When you were hiding under Danny's bed, Drake felt safe and cared for. For you, that event was important because your life was saved, and you felt gratitude, but for Drake, it meant more. Our wolves are extremely sensitive to acts of unconditional kindness, and that's what you two got that day from that boy. What your soulmate did later to you both and her wolf was extreme selfishness. It wounded Drake deeply, so when so suddenly he got to recognize the scent of someone who was once so selfless with him, it made him curious, it made him leave his stagnation."
"But why it happened without my knowledge?"
"You two were for so much time next to each other, so just like you, Drake couldn't get to you, so he kind of found a way around to get close to Danny."
I clench my teeth; the boy who saved my life was Danny. So why didn't he tell me? Because he would also tell me about his hunter's origins, and for sure, he didn't want to reveal it ever.
"During the night I had sex with Danny, did Drake force him? Has he...?"
"No, he didn't force anything. And you may not remember everything perfectly, but you were there too, and you participated too. And you shouldn't call it sex. Three of you didn't have sex; you made love."
I gulp; I didn't expect it to be interpreted that way.
"When your mate's wolf died, Drake felt that, which caused him lots of pain, but because she was dead, he also allowed himself to open his heart to someone else. We are used to believing that bond is what determines the wolf's love, and in a way, it is, but wolves can also have feelings of their own, and it's actually interesting that without any connection with each other, both of you fell for the same person."
"How, if, of course, it's possible, can I rebuild my connection with Drake?"
He takes a moment to think about it; I guess he has problems finding words.
"The connection is almost there, but you must be in perfect syncs, like when you protected Danny from his mate. But that moment was also full of trauma, so I think you must find something that gives you the necessary sync and happiness."
I nod, I understand his words, but I wonder if something like that is possible.
"Well, that's actually it. I doubt I can tell you anything more," he says after a long silence.
"Thank you for everything. I'm in your debt."
"Not a problem. I like using my gift to help, although it's not the biggest gift. I heard that in the werewolves chronicles was mentioned a Spirit Catcher capable of getting a vision from the bare scent and nothing more."
"Your gift should be more appreciated," I say. But, actually, I wonder why those like him aren't respected more, especially since they are so rare.
He smiles, for the first time sadly.
"And do you know why it will never happen? Because, as werewolves, we don't really seek to understand our wolves, more than often, we seek control over them. It's easier for your consciousness to control someone when you don't know their feelings perfectly. And one more thing, you didn't ask about it, but I think you should know."
"Know about what?"
"The wolf of Madison died, but what Drake felt wasn't the death. It was a murder. Madison's wolf was murdered."