Winter's POV
As time went on, the sun started to fall. We all went inside to have dinner, and as we all start to get our food there was a knock on the door.
"I got it, everyone get your food and go to the dining room." They all listened, even Veronica. When I opened the door, I smiled at my boys. "Everyone is grabbing food, feel free to do the same." I smiled at the both who held begrudging looks. Each one kissed me as they entered. We were all soon in the dining room, eating our dinner.
"So, how was your trip?" Veronica asked all of a sudden, quieting the room down.
"Roni, I'm sure they don't want to talk about it." Parker stated calmly, maybe her potion wasn't working strong enough. He had distance between them, probably at her failed attempt to mark him unwillingly.
"Parker, I think they should. They've been gone for months and now all of a sudden they're back. I'd like to know how the trip went and I'm sure others would too." She snapped at him. Kaine gripped my thigh gently, calming me down. A knock on the door made me finally speak.
"I'll get it." I excused myself and went to the door. When I opened it, there stood my surprise and Issy. We walked to the dining room, but I entered and they stayed back. "I actually have a surprise for everyone, since I did leave this area. It's going to be amazing, and Veronica, you'll like it too." Everyone looked up at me confused. I left this part out. "Come on," I said and took Issy's hand which lead the surprise in. The group smiled and welcomed both of the people, Veronica looked like she saw a ghost.
"Hello." Mrs.Landry spoke with a smile as she entered, making eye contact with everyone but Veronica. "I'm Heather Landry, nice to meet you all." She had healed quite well from her wounds.
"As in, Veronica's mom?" Parker asked confused. Beck and Olly looked at Veronica in shock. "You said she had died." He looked at Veronica in shock. "You lied."
"She does that, nasty little habit of hers." Mrs.Landry put two bottles on the table and Veronica was panicking.
"What are those?" Beck said in confusion.
"Oh these little things?" She smiled and looked at her daughter. "Parker dear, do have two like these at home?" He nodded in absolute confusion. Veronica was getting angry and snapped.
"Shut up mother! You're ruining it all!" Now that was a give away.
"You see, on my venture 'home' I found some things out. One of them being, Issy?" I looked at her and she smiled like she was happy to say this.
"Veronica Landry is not who you think she is. She's a conniving little b**** who wiggles her way into a family to take it over and destroy it. Her eyes glow orange, she's a rogue, the worst kind too. Your dear Veronica, has attempted to take the life of my sister since childhood. These vials, these are potions. They cause a person to have veil of lies put on them, making them think a person is their mate." Everyone was silent. Parker was growing angry, but soon his mind was cleared. He looked at Veronica and got up and moved away from her immediately.
"Must have finally worked." Mrs.Landry spoke with a smile.
"What worked?! I never gave those to you, Park. We are true mates!" She pleaded with him. He shook his head.
"N-No. My wolf has been stuck, I haven't been able to think. It feels like something, a great weight, as been lifted."
"Veronica, I'm not an idiot. I taught you how to use herbs and potions. Olly unknowingly made food with the potion to rid Parker of the veil, in it. Really, Winter's idea. Perfect if you ask me. You didn't even know." She smiled. "I'm sick of you and your father getting me into situations that I have to inevitably clean up." She crossed her mind.
"This isn't true! You're liars! Parker, darling." She said, pleading with him. He pushed her away and hid behind Chase and Landon. "What have you done?" She growled and looked to me. "You're all good as dead now. My father will kill everyone, including that six year old bastard from the changelings in the Castle."
"Oh him? He's dead already. Unfortunately, your man killed him, Jensen I do believe." Mrs.Landry looked at me, I gave her a sorrowful nod. The small boy did end up dying, but only after Jensen died. It was binding spell, Veronica did it. The little boy was Jensen and the Changlings. Veronica seemed dumbfounded.
"You know, I've thought about this a lot Veronica. I've remember a lot, no thanks to your chemical lobotomy. I've thought of ways to kill you, to make you pay, to be vengeful. But right now, you look scared and alone. So here's another option, I let you leave to never be seen again." She held tears back, her body shook. "Oh, and your father." I held up a finger and pulled a bag from Issy's backpack. "His head." I tossed it to Veronica who looked and didn't know how to process the information.
"People back home took care of it all." Issy spoke smiling. "We made sure you didn't catch on, but we do know that you have people here. Around this house, your plan was to kill Winter while you were here. Make it look like an accident." She crossed her arms and stared at Veronica. "She's not stupid, why do you think she hasn't touched her food. Or her drink. I bet if Heather tested her meal and drink, we'd find something- wouldn't we?" Heather went over and did as she was instructed, and it was positive for poison.
"You've got to think quicker than that." Heather said smiling at Veronica. "Winter darling," She looked at me, "what about her gang." I smiled.
"Well," I took a breath and smiled at Veronica. "seeing as you aren't an alpha and never will be anything more than scum, the only way for you to contact your people would be a phone call, text, email, or messenger. Seeing as three of those is electronic, I've made it so no contact in and no contact out. Your messenger, it would be you. Now, either take my gift of you leaving unharmed, or die."
"Parker," She pleaded with him. He shook his head and moved closer to me. "please baby."
"Don't call me that, you tried to mark me against my will. You would have taken the only thought of solace I had when I was under your spell. You aren't anything but a nuisance to me." I can only imagine how he's feeling.
"I will kill you all." She snarled and shook.
"Veronica," I sighed. "the goal of this is for me to not have to fight. That is not what was intended from this because you are not the battle the Gods sent me here for. I believe that the battle is change. It started with me being marked and given to a family who did not understand me. It started with abused older girl to use my kin against me, and abuse someone else, being me. It started with me losing the only motherly figure I had because of your mercenary, Jensen. The middle is this family, my family. The middle is finding people who I can love, and not be hurt by. The end, that hasn't begun because I was not sent here to kill anyone. I was sent here to protect and believe in something better for my people." She glared at me. "I understand the resentment for being thrown away like you are nothing to anybody. Trust me I do." She and I didn't break eye contact. "My job here as a White Wolf chosen by the Gods, my job is to protect my people from those like you. Those who wish to do any harm to those who cannot do the same for their protection. My job is mercy, honor, and change." She snarled at me and I saw her eyes shift. "I'm not better than anyone, I am equal. I don't know why you hate me so much that you ruin everything good around me. What did I do?"
"You were favored by everyone including the Gods. That's what you did wrong. And Winter, don't think you won. I did, because I still have a trick up my sleeve. I didn't just poison you, I poisoned your mates and your father Beck." She smirked at everyone's reaction. I stood unbothered. "You can expect the poison to work within an hour from now. My people are far and wide, you did not kill them all. My father wouldn't give that much information away." She looked at the head in her hands. "You've made a very big mistake, Winter. You're as good as dead."
"You can see yourself out now." She growled and moved, we all watched her go to the patio. She and I stood on the deck.
"You shouldn't have been chosen, I should have." She was angry, and I could see her features because of the moon light shining down like the sun. "You are always and always will be the bottom of every scum on Earth. You're monstrous and evil, you just don't know it yet. I pity you, I really do. Not knowing that the only reason why your mates deal with you is because of your powerful family history, and your body." She was on the steps, leading down to the ground.
"Nah, B****. I am the f****** top, get on my level." With that, I sent her colliding into the cold dirt of my back yard. "I gave you chance, should have taken it." Eden growled out in pleasure as I commenced the second to last part of the plan, kick Veronica's a**.
Snarls and roars sounded from the woods as she and I fought. When I had her throat in my hands, I faced the Lycan's, rogues, changelings, and blood suckers with a smile.
"I really don't want to kill anyone tonight." I sighed.
"Winter!" Issy's voice rang out from next to me, "It's 12:03 in the morning. Rip her f****** throat out!"
"Ah, there we go." Her body was tossed to the group of random beings in my yard. They all looked at her dead body, then me. I took off my jacket and tossed it to the side, along with my belt. "Shall we?"
After the very last being was on the ground, unable to move, Eden shook off the rain and went to the porch. She sat and howled at the moon so loud that the Earth had to have shaken. This right here, this is the result of a plan carried out perfectly. Those who died, those are the ones most deserving of meeting Hades. I just helped the appointment along a little bit.
Silently I watched figures form and clean up the mess I made. Poor Olly, he worked so hard on getting his yard perfect. Unfortunate really.
"Winter, what's the last step to the plan?" Kaine asked in shock, sitting next to me. Eden shifted me to human form, a blanket was thrown over my shoulders to cover me by Beck.
"Give them proper burials at the Castle." Everyone scoffed in shock, "Forgiveness." I nodded and stared at the yard being cleaned by my pack.
"They went against you entirely. They've hurt you and done so many things wrong!" Issy said in shock, Mrs.Landry sighed and shook my hand.
"You are meant to change things, Winter. I will happily serve under you." She bowed down and showed me submission.
"Everyone deserves forgiveness. They were just a little lost in life. Now maybe, they can find what they truly need and move on. It's up to the Gods now, what happens. For now, they're given proper burials. This way, they can get their peace just like us." Silence enveloped us all, and the sun started to rise.
"I suppose now we go back to the Castle?" Lincoln said in wonder.
"I suppose so, maybe Parker will meet his true mate." I said smiling up at my brother. He nodded at me, and I stood. "Heather, you can stand. I'm not superior, I'm an equal." I helped her up and she hugged me tightly.
"Thank you for this second chance, Miss Winter. Truly I am grateful."
"Everyone gets a second chance, for change. You helped us, you helped keep my family alive after all the wrong your daughter did. You are deserving of a second chance." I nodded and left them all outside. Spoofy followed me up to my room and laid on the floor of my bathroom.
I looked at myself in the mirror, and the tattoos I got from the nymphs glowed. I tried to give Veronica a second chance, she didn't want it. Shaking my head, I entered my shower. After a long needed shower, I dressed and sat on the foot of my bed for what seemed to be hours. That is not the battle that I imagined after all of this, but I'm glad it wasn't as ruthless because everyone is safe.
"Winter?" Kaine knocked on my door, then entered with Lincoln. They looked at me and I smiled gently at them.
"You're safe." Lincoln said hugging me tightly. I buried my face in his neck, holding him. Kaine was on my right and he pushed the hair from my face.
"You are going to be an amazing Royal Alpha." He smiled at me.
"Can I say something?" They both looked at me and nodded. I took each of their hands and sighed. "I didn't need you both to be here to help fight. I needed you here to remind me-" My voice cracked and I cleared my throat. "to remind me to have hope. To remind me that I have two people in my life that will never leave me. I wanted you here because I knew that of all things I had to do, killing takes a toll on a person's conscience and mind. I knew that if you didn't see it first hand, that you'd have judgements and doubts that I didn't do everything in my power to offer another chance." The looked at each other, then me.
"I think that- I love you both."