As Juliet took a seat across from me, I couldn't stop staring, many questions bombarding my mind, yet I did not ask any. It was still difficult to comprehend that she was actually here.
How did she find Jack?
The second my mother walked into the meeting room, she froze and stared at Juliet in complete disbelief. Juliet rose to her feet and hugged my mother. When Mother stepped away, gaze on the ground, my eyes narrowed in confusion.
Aaron sat beside me, the necklace in his hands. "How did you find Jackson and the team? It seems suspicious that after such a long time, you decide to show your face now." Aaron shot Juliet a look, which she seemed to ignore.
"When Jackson and Kendra called out to the packs, I sensed it. It took me days, but I made it to the territory and that was when I ran into Jackson. At first, he did not believe me, but..." Her voice trailed off as she lifted the hem of her shirt to reveal a mark identical to mine.
"Jack is not my brother. If he was, my father would have sensed the blood connection." Aaron closed his fingers over the pendant, his knuckles turning white before meeting Juliet's gaze. "Explain that."
But before Juliet could respond, a sound like thunder made me jump. Eliot stood, hand on the table, the crack beneath evidence that he had slammed it against the wood surface. "How could you stand here and pretend to be the victim?"
Juliet's eyes turned amber. "And you believe your father is?"
Eliot's nails elongated to wolf claws and as his spoke, his canine were visible. "My father lives by the old ways. Years ago, a betrayal was paid by death. Your friend slept with many men—"
"My friend was no—"
"Then explain to me who is my mate's father?"
Juliet stayed silent.
"It wasn't my father or the vampire she cheated with."
"She was pregnant already when she met Nicolas."
Eliot raised an eyebrow. "And my father still accepted her as his mate?"
"I know what my friend did was wrong, but she ran to protect Jackson. We all know that he was to be executed as well."
"Jackson is my sibling—I feel like you are lying. You two knew he was my father's son and ran not for his safety—"
"We thought Jackson was Oliver's son, but then soon we realized he wasn't. And it was too late to return home. Your father destroyed our homes—Everything!"
"He had every right to! You betrayed him and deserved to be punished for your deceit." Eliot moved with unimaginable speed and stood inches away from Juliet. Catherine managed to match his speed and held him back by the arm. "That woman deserves to be executed. Not only did she betray my father, but turned her back on her children. Explain to me where she was as her daughter was raped over and over. Explain it!"
Catherine's eyes were enveloped in tears as she tried to push him away. "Eliot, please. Come on. You need to calm down."
He jerked away and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him closed. Catherine hesitated for a moment, but followed him soon after. I sat in silence, trying to process what Eliot had said. If Jackson's mother was alive, then why did she not try to save her children?
Why doesn't she face Nicolas?
Aaron set the necklace down on the table. "Clearly, she cares about no one but herself. If she cared for her children, she would have turned herself to my father long ago." He rose to his feet and tossed the necklace to Jackson. "A lot of things don't add up. Do not expect my siblings and I to trust you just because you are my mate's ancestor." Then, he was out the door, followed by his friends and Jezebel.
"You need to speak to him." Juliet sat down across from me. "Kendra, without him, no one will join us. Those who follow Nicolas would—"
"I have to admit that I myself find it difficult to trust you."
Her eyes widened. "Kendra—"
I turned to Jack. "We trusted Jocelyn and look what happened."
"Jocelyn?" Juliet asked, bewildered. "Jocelyn is long dead."
Jack's eyes widened as mine did as well. Everyone that was present from the pack seemed just as stunned. If Jocelyn was dead, then who had taken her place in the pack?
"No." A tall man I had learned was named Drake rose to his feet, shaking his head. "Jocelyn managed to escape from Nicolas and..." his voice trailed off. "How could we have been so blind...a shape-shifter."
"There is no other explanation, but then perhaps you might consider making sure everyone here is who they say they are," Juliet said, maintaining eye contact with Jack. "I know nothing will excuse what your mother has done—"
Jack rose to his feet. "Honestly, I am not interested in anything about my mother. This meeting is over." Once he left, everyone followed suit. I sat there, waiting until it was Mother, Juliet and I. Mother sat beside me and put a hand on my shoulder.
"You should go with Aaron."
"I have every right to know the truth."
Juliet smiled. "You know everything. You are the Alpha of our pack—"
"How did we get trapped and locked in the sectors?"
Juliet broke gaze for a moment. "I watched over my family for centuries, but when the vampires and werewolves rose against the humans and won, I could do nothing to protect them when they were all picked up and sent into the sectors."
"So you did nothing to help them." When I tried to stand, Juliet grasped my wrist, gaining a growl from my mother. I jerked my hand out of her grasp. "You could have helped them."
"I stood no chance against the kings' armies."
"Where is Jackson's mother? Why doesn't she face Nicolas?"
She said nothing.
"Perhaps Eliot is correct."
Juliet's eyes turned amber. "I will not excuse what my friend did, but she does not deserve to die and neither did everyone else."
"Why lie?" My mother asked. "For centuries, you were believed to be dead."
"We had to fake our deaths for Nicolas to stop searching."
My eyes narrowed in bewilderment. "Nicolas knows Jackson is his son, doesn't he?" I remembered when I was shot. How easily that bullet could have been driven into Jackson's chest, killing him instantly, but it was me. "He knew I was royal and about my powers. He knew I would survive the gunshot."
"Nicolas gained the crown because he is a very smart, wise man."
"Why would he lie to his son?" I asked.
"I do not know of the reasoning behind the decision to tell Aaron you were dead. Perhaps he thought it was the best than for him to know you had joined the enemy. Betrayal is paid by death."
"I never betrayed Aaron." When I glanced at mother, she looked away. "I never did."
Juliet clasped her hands on the table. "Then what would you call letting another man touch you? Aiding the enemy against him?"
I sat in silence for a moment before I stood up and exited the room. In the isolated corridor, I ran my hands through my hair. I remembered the first kiss I shared with Jackson, that feeding that almost ended in us making love. I had betrayed the mate bond with Aaron. How could I demand for Jack's mother to face the consequences of her actions when I too betrayed the man I loved?
When I pushed myself off the door, Ana came to me, her curls bouncing with every step. She grasped my hand and tugged me forward without a word. I was about to ask her where we were heading when we reached the end of the corridor and I spotted Jack with Lana.
"We are going for a run," Lana said. "I want you to join us."
I hesitated for a moment. "Sure."
She smiled at Jack. "I told you she would say yes."
I stood in silence between Lana and Anna. Once outside, Lana shifted into her wolf form and sprinted through the forest, followed by Jackson. I decided to stay in human form and run along Ana, who seemed to have the speed and agility of a wolf. She moved through the forest as if she was part of it, laughing.
I had to admit that it felt amazing being outside.
Lana returned and when she shifted, she was dressed as an act of magic in a floral dress that fell down to her knees. Giggling, she twirled over and over, her hair fanning out around her. Then, Ana joined her. They held hands as they sang and danced.
When we headed back, the girls walked in front of us while we walked side by side.
"Do you trust Juliet?"
"Yes."
I folded my arms over my chest. "Without Aaron, no one in Bevelon will turn against Nicolas. That was your plan from the beginning, wasn't it?" He met my gaze. "You used me as bait and it worked out perfectly. He is here, not because he believes in your cause, but because of me."
Before he could say anything, we reached the entrance of the safe house. Once inside, I headed with Lana and Ana to the showers. As we were finishing taking a shower, a ruckus caught our attention. I told them to stay in the showers while I went to check out what was going on.
When I found everyone in the living room, it seemed as if a tornado had gone by. My eyes widened when I saw blood spatter everywhere and I recognized the aroma. I whirled around and returned to the bathroom where the girls were waiting.
"Is everything okay?"
"I don't know." I grabbed their hands and walked outside to find Jackson at the door of the room I knew led to Aaron's. My heart clenched with pain when I saw the blood leading to it. I took the girls into the library, where I found my mother with Juliet and Samy.
"Kendra, why is there blood on the floor?" Lana asked.
"I don't know. Stay here, I'm going to go check what happened." I was out of the door, my heart beating too fast. Jack moved out of the way and when I tried the knob, it didn't turn.
"Go away."
"Aaron is me. Open up."
"I'm fine."
"Your blood is all over. You are far from okay." I glared at Jack. "Did you two fight?"
Jack shook his head. "Eliot and him did."
My eyes widened. "Why?"
"They won't say a word."
I tried the nob once again and knitted my eyebrows together. "Aaron, please open up."
"I said I'm fine."
"Stop being so darn stubborn!" I pulled on the nob and held back a laugh when it shattered apart. After I pushed the door open, I held a gasp at the blood all over the floor. Aaron was leaned against the far away wall, holding a hand against his stomach. His shirt was soaked in blood and it was dripping everywhere.
"You need a healer."
He glared at Jack. "I said I'll be fine. I'll heal on my own."
"Fine." Without another word, Jack left. I tried to close the door, but it wouldn't, so I left it ajar before turning to Aaron. After I was close enough, I grabbed his blood stained hand and pulled it away so that I could see how deep the laceration was. Blood poured from the wound and I held back a sob. He returned to put pressure on it and would not meet my gaze.
"Jack is right. You need a healer."
When he finally met my gaze, his eyes were amber; the wolf was in control.
"I'm in no need of aid from anyone. This will heal on its own."
"Why did Eliot and you fight?"
He shrugged. "We had a disagrement."
"So you fight?"
"We've been like this since children."
"Well, your adults now...you should behave as such."
His eyebrow rose. "Perhaps Jackson should speak to my father instead of attacking Bevelon for power."
"What was the argument about?"
Once again, he would not meet my gaze. "Aaron—"
"He believes we should leave."
"And you disagree?"
He walked away from me and gave me his back. Even though I could not see him checking, I was certain he was examining his laceration.
"What do you think about everything?"
"About what Juliet has said? I agree with Eliot. My father is the way he is because he was betrayed by many he thought as allies. Would you be capable of trusting anyone after such betrayal?" He paused for a moment. "When she got in bed with the vampire, she knew of the consequences."
"Do you believe your father is a hybrid?"
"I don't know what to believe any more." He headed to the bed. When I noticed him cling to the end table beside the bed, I grabbed his arm and forced him to face me. My hand clasped over my lips when I saw the blood was not stopping.
"I'm going to get the healer." Not wasting time, I headed out and returned into the room with one of the two healers in the safe house. After Aaron was stitched up because that was all he permitted the healer to do, we were left alone once again.
I sat down beside Aaron and grasped his hand, lacing our fingers together. "Stop believing that you are invincible. That wound could have made you lose too much blood before it managed to heal."
He gave me a smile. "Noted."
When he sat up, I tried to stop him but he did not listen. He wrapped his arms around me and I felt as if nothing could ever hurt me, but then it felt as if it was a silent good bye.
"Is everything okay?"
He nodded before kissing the mark on my neck.
"Are you certain?"
"Yeah." When he actually bit my shoulder, I growled at him. He seemed not fazed by the laceration any more as we played with each other, until we ended up doing more than just tickling and nibbling. Once again, the pain was there, but still I enjoyed every second of it.
Hours later, we lay entwined in each other's arms. When I tried to get out of bed, Aaron drew me closer, kissing the top of my shoulder. I smiled, feeling a soothing electricity rush through me.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm hungry."
"At this hour?"
I kissed his chin. "Yes." He let go of me and I heaved out of bed. "Do you want anything?"
Eyes closed, he shook his head. I was certain before I closed the door behind me that he was already asleep. Once in the kitchen, I decided to warm myself some left overs from earlier. At the clicking of a door closing, I glanced toward the entrance, but saw nothing. When I walked toward it, I narrowed my eyes in confusion, then a hit to the side of my head sent me into oblivion.
As my eyes fluttered open, pain enveloped my body. All I could see was a figure standing in front of me, then the darkness seized hold of me. This happened over and over, until I finally was capable of keeping my eyes opened.
I blinked over and over, trying to focus. My eyes widened when I tried to move my hands and legs, but couldn't. I was tied up to something. When I glanced down at my arms, they were tied up with silver that burned into my skin to the armrest of a chair.
"Finally, you awaken."
My heart began to hammer against my rib cage as I lifted my gaze to stare into electric blue eyes that matched that of Aaron; Nicolas.
He sat down on the chair in front of me. "It is time we had a chat."
Author's Note: I apologize if it might seem as if I am rushing things, but soon I will have even less time to write as I do now, so I am trying to finish the story. Hopefully, the next chapter is the final one for Book 1. Please keep in mind that this is a draft. It is not edited by a professional. I know there are many mistakes.
Yes, someone betrayed them at the end, knocked her out and handed her to Nicolas.
And I think its pretty obvious who it was. Lol.
Thank you for taking the time to read this unedited draft.