Chapter Six
I t was a long, creepy , quiet walk back to my clothes, and then to the castle.
Badr followed behind me, not saying a single word—though I felt his eyes boring a hole in my head the whole way there.
The castle had never been so still. My wolf ears told me no souls were about—sneaking, scurrying, or listening—and even so, it’d never been so loud.
My heart banged a chorus in my chest, clamoring to be heard over the roaring in my ears.
Getting my fates on my side wasn’t part of my plan when I came to the academy. The fact was they were all strangers to me, and a stranger was a wild card. I didn’t need any wild cards in the deck when it was already stacked against me.
But plans change.
Badr knew everything, and what he knew could bring the whole house of cards toppling down on me before I, or Hope, have a chance.
I couldn’t let that happen. I had to prove to him that my side was the only side, but he had a point. Why should he believe me without a shred of proof?
Honestly, him asking for and waiting for proof was a big improvement over our last interaction. The bastard skipped all that and called me a liar before bashing me over the head and burying me alive. If he’s finally willing to listen, I needed to make him hear me.
“Where are we going?” Badr demanded. “You’ve got your phone in your hand. If you need to call someone or show me something, do it now.”
“I’m not going to show you anything as important as this right out in the open.” My shaking hand held my phone tighter to my chest. “We’re going to my chambers. Edric reinforced the place to be worthy of a wind wolf’s standards. We won’t be overheard.”
“Meaning no one will hear when you and your boyfriend jump me.” Badr stopped dead. “Nice try, Volana. I’m not falling for your trap.”
“Trap? What the hell are you talking about, Divan? I’m not the one skulking through the woods at night, covered in manure!”
“It’s mud,” he gritted.
“This isn’t a trick or a trap. Edric isn’t even up there. He’s too busy trying to save the projection equipment that your buddy destroyed. I’m trying to end the war between us, so we can focus on the war that’ll save our lives.”
“It’s not happening. Tell me your supposed proof here, or forget the whole thing.”
“No.” Never had my voice carried more steel. “You’re the one who turned things nasty and violent between us, Badr. You attacked me. You tried to kill me. So it’s a real fucking joke you acting like I’m the threat in this twosome.” I threw out my hand, pointing at the staircase that led to my chambers. “You’ve already put too much of my life and my plan at risk. You are not ”—I felt my eyes shifting—“putting her at risk too. So get the fuck upstairs, or get the fuck out.
“Your choice.”
With that I stormed up, taking the stairs two at a time. It was inconceivable to me that Luame believed that insufferable, stubborn jackass was my soulmate. Or that she’d stop my heart for good if I blew up the bond between him and me right then.
“Even though it’s fucking tempting!”
“What are you rambling about?” Badr barked, stomping up the stairs after me. “Give it a rest with the voices in your head, and let’s get this over with.”
Stifling a scream, I strangled the air—wishing it was his neck.
The two of us flung ourselves into my room. As usual, I smelled the air, making sure no other scent barring mine and Edric’s lingered.
Edric did spend an entire day and night sealing up every crack, vent, and hole in our security, but that didn’t stop someone from picking the lock and walking through the front door—which a metal wolf like Ash could easily do.
I didn’t smell anything, so I went straight over to my laptop and desk. “Give me a sec. I have to call Lucia.”
“Another part of your fairy tale that made no fucking sense.” I heard him moving around behind me, checking behind all the doors for the fictitious trap. “Leaving our daughter alone in the cold, dead hands of a leech? Yeah, right.”
I sighed, shaking my head. I didn’t bother giving him the whole background on Lucia, and why I trusted her with my baby. Giving Badr more potential verbal weapons wasn’t a good idea when he was still determined to be an asshole.
It was quiet save for the tip-tapping of keys, and Badr’s bold snooping. I put in the call to Lucia. “Okay, they should be up around now for Hope’s nighttime feed, so it shouldn’t— What the hell are you doing!”
Badr looked around from his spot perched at the foot of my mattress. “What?”
“Why are you sitting your disgusting, manure-covered ass on my bed?”
“It’s mud!”
“What were you? Raised by—”
“Wolves,” he drawled.
“Pigs.” I shoved back, went into my closet, then returned carrying a towel. “Here. You know where the bathroom is. Clean yourself up.”
“So you can attack me while I’m naked with soap in my eyes? No, thanks.”
“Once again,” I forced through gritted teeth. “I’m not the one attacking people when they’re vulnerable and can’t defend themselves. I’m also not asking. You’re not talking to Hope while you’re dressed up like a swamp monster. You’ll scare her.” I shoved the towel at him again. “Clean yourself up. There’s another closet attached to the bathroom. Borrow someone of Edric’s clothes.”
Badr still looked me up and down suspiciously, but he took the towel and went. Edric spoke in my head as soon as the door shut.
“ Are you sure about this? Should you be giving up even more secrets to him when he doesn’t trust you, and we damn sure don’t trust him? ”
“ I’m not sure what choice we have. I already have an enemy in Orion, and look at how spectacularly he fucked up my plans for the forum? The worst part is, I know he did it, but I can’t do a damn thing about it. ”
“ No, the worst part is that Ash won’t do a damn thing about it. For all we know, she wants your fates to fuck this up so that you can’t strike back and she can turn a blind eye. ”
My stomach turned. If that is what Ash wanted, it was already working in her favor.
Edric and Nyx were on my side, and Paxton had given up the fight, but Orion and Badr were plenty dangerous to me all on their own. Badr already admitted he came back because he knew he could wreck my life, and there was nothing I could do about it.
“ Nothing I can do except for convincing him right here and now that we’re on the same side, ” I replied, “ so that’s what I’m going to do. But ignoring him for right now, what about the sketch? Did your sister recognize the shadow? Has he ever come into Sunella’s office? ”
“ I’m sorry, Daze, but she said no. She’s never seen anyone who looks like him before. ”
I deflated, flopping down on my bed as the shower kicked on. “ Where is this fucking guy! Want to know what’ll end the war this week? Finding him and biting out his heart! ”
“ We can do that if we go wide with the sketch, Daze. Do you remember that trick your vamp friend did to text the video to every cellphone in the known universe? ”
“ Yeah, what about it? ”
“ Everyone was freaking out about it, but it was actually a very simple hack. All she had to do was get into the database of our cell providers, and send a message designed as an emergency alert. ”
“Huh.” I nodded slow. “ It is kind of obvious when you explain it like that. ”
“ My point is I can do the same thing, but more precise this time. Making sure that certain numbers don’t get the ‘emergency alert.’ ”
“ Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting? ”
“ Daze, I know you’re worried about revealing our hand too soon, but it’s different now. Before we didn’t want the shadow to know we were onto him, because we had no idea who the man was. He could be standing right behind us, and we wouldn’t know we were about to get our souls ripped out.
“ But we know what he looks like now. He can’t sneak up on us. He can’t hide in the shadows anymore, so let’s drag the bastard out. Let’s show this sketch to all of Wolf Nation. We say he’s an escaped child murderer—because that’s exactly what the fuck he is—and we’re looking for information that leads to his capture. We’ll attach a hefty award to get everyone motivated, and I’ll make sure the alert doesn’t go out to the clan leaders or alpha council. ”
I worried my lip, mind racing with all the possibilities, and Edric hearing them all. “ Even if we leave out the leaders and the council, can the million-dollar search for a child killer really be kept under wraps? They’re going to find out. The shadow is going to find out! ”
“ We need to take that risk, Daze. We have to bring the fight to him, and I know you know that ,” he pressed. “ Seriously, I never understood why you’re so determined to kill everyone when you only have to kill him. He’s the problem. He’s the cause. And killing him is the solution. ”
I shook my head, finally understanding why Edric thought I was crazy. He truly believed only one person needed to die, when I knew the number was north of thousands.
Sighing, I sat up. “ Edric, I’m going to tell you the rest. I’m going to tell you everything, and when I’m done ”—Nyx’s words floated through my mind—“ I need you to believe me. That’s it. Just believe and trust me. ”
All the racing thoughts at his end of the bond quieted. “ Okay. I’m listening. ”
Taking a deep breath, I held it, then slowly let it go. “ You and I both agree that the shadow isn’t a werewolf, correct? ”
“ Absolutely, ” he replied without pause. “ No werewolf alive has the power to steal souls. Some other kind of god cursed someone with that horrific power. ”
“ Exactly. I can’t completely rule out a fae, but I’ve suspected for a long time that a demigod is responsible for all this. ”
“ A demigod? ”
My head bobbed stiffly. “ It’s the only thing that makes all the pieces fit together. The demigod dominion is the only dominion the werewolves are friendly with. We’ve done the interdominion exchange program for decades. My dad did it when he was young. He told me about the demigod world, Olympia, and their amazing powers.
“ People that can boil your blood with one touch, or shapeshift into dragons. People who can make you fall in love with the first person you look at, and people who can see the future. ”
“ The Golden Age Prophecy! ” I didn’t have to see Edric to know he bolted upright. “ Badr asked how the council could know the outcome of Luame’s prophecy before you did. But a whole fucking world of prophets could’ve known. ”
“ A werewolf who can steal souls? No. But a demigod with terrible power, knowledge of prophecies, and a werewolf bestie they made when they were young? That I can believe, ” I replied. “ That is very, very possible. ”
“ How possible? How many members of the alpha council did the interdominion program? ”
“ All of them except for Sunella, and yes, that includes Cygnus. ”
“ By the gods... So, you’re thinking this isn’t a war between alphas and omega. It’s a war between werewolves and demigods? Even though they’ve been our allies for centuries? ”
I shook my head. “ I believe it’s much bigger than that, Edric. Think about it. Luame is a wolf goddess, and if we’re honest, a weak one. She’s not half as strong as she was back in the day when everyone on the planet believed and worshiped the old gods. That’s why she has to live on in us, just like the Olympian gods live on in the demigods.
“ I think that the only part of the future that Luame sees is our future. The future of the werewolves. The Golden Age of the Werewolves, ” I explained. “ But what if the Olympian gods are showing their people a different prophecy? A different future. I mean, they’d have to be because otherwise— ”
“ —why would a demigod help the alpha council fulfill a prophecy that has nothing the fuck to do with them, ” Edric finished. “ A prophecy that hurts them. Because if we’re the ruling species on earth, it means they’re not. ”
“ And they want to be the ruling species on earth, ” I cried. “ Edric, my father told me that the demigods believe the only way to return the Olympian gods to Mount Olympus is for the demigods to spread far and wide, and repopulate the earth with true believers and worshipers of their gods. But all that spreading and repopulating is impossible for them for the same reason it’s impossible for us—
“The fae,” we said at the same time.
“Yes,” I shouted, throwing my hands up. “ So, imagine for a second that you’re a demigod and you get a vision of a whole generation of werewolves born with incredible, amazing, FAE-killing powers. What would you do?
“ My guess? You call up a certain soul-stealing friend of yours, and hatch a plan. ”
“ Fucking hell, Daze. Are you saying the shadow is manipulating the council? Steering them into committing these horrible acts against their own people, all because it’ll achieve the ultimate end of wiping out the fae? ”
“ That’s exactly what I’m saying. The only future we’re seeing is the Golden Age of Wolves, but the shadow sees what comes after. When they make the wolves strong enough to kill the fae, and then they suck the souls out of the wolves and make themselves strong enough to kill everyone, then they’ll rule all dominions on earth and on Mount Olympus. ”
“ But why? Why like this? Why turn us against each other? Why not just steal our powers now if they’re going to do it anyway! ”
“ Because they’re weak and overstretched by their own never-ending war. They don’t have the money, time, or resources to be at war with us and the fae. And because if it all goes wrong, no one will ever know they were even involved. It’s the wolves that’ll go down in history as the monsters. ”
“ I— This— What am I supposed to say here, Daze? How can you even know this? It’s all a guess. ”
“ When you’ve stewed and pickled in hatred and vengeance for as long as I have, you get a peek into the vile, depraved minds of the enemies you’re determined to destroy. ” My fists balled. “ This is more than a guess, Edric. I know this is what the shadow’s planning, because as someone who’s planning to slaughter all my fucking enemies and take over the world... it’s exactly what I’d do if I were them. ”
Edric’s lips were closed, but his mind was loud. He rushed through every alternative, justification, and explanation he could think of, but in the end—
“ Okay. ” Resignation hung heavy in his mind. “ I believe you and... I trust you. ”
A tight knot of frustration and pain unwound in my throat. Even though I asked this of him, I didn’t think he’d give it to me.
His trust.
“ But, please, Daze. Explain to me why this means our war can’t stop with killing the shadow? ”
I tipped my head. “ Killing the shadow might be enough to stop the demigods and what they’re planning. I mean, if their plan hinges on plausible deniability, ripping that away might be enough to send those roaches scurrying back to their holes to die.
“ And after that happens, we’ll be left with the alpha council. ” My lips twisted. “ The same fucking alpha council that loved the shadow’s plan so much, they plotted to kidnap and imprison us the night of the mating ceremony. The same alpha councilman who sanctioned the murder of his own son so that their plan couldn’t be discovered and stopped. The same alpha council who’ll institute the forced breeding programs and sacrifice innocent omega babies along with ours.
“ Tell me, Edric, do you really believe those sick-in-the-head bastards will just pack up and quit on the Golden Age just because one fucking shadow gets their throat ripped out? No, ” I said, shaking my head. “ Because it’s not what I’d do if I was one of those sick-in-the-head bastards. If it’s me and I couldn’t have the power for myself, I’d do the next best thing, and wrap it up in chains. ”
“ You mean... enslavement. ”
“ It’s not that farfetched, Edric. Just look at how the omegas are treated now. They’re raped, and no one gives a shit. They’re thrown out of their homes onto the streets and no one gives a shit. They’re allowed only the worst-paying jobs and half an education, and again, no one gives a shit. Is it really a big leap to think if the alpha council is willing to breed and kill them? They’d also be willing to force them to use their powers only at their command? ”
“ No. It’s not a leap. ”
A mirthless smile stretched my lips. “ But again, you could say all of that is a guess. Again, you could say we don’t have to mute all the alphas, or slaughter everyone who doesn’t accept Wolf Nation will be ruled my way and my way alone. And you could say we don’t have to kick off a violent, bloody war that’ll forever change Wolf Nation as we know it— ”
“ I do still think that, Daze. Okay, yes, the fight won’t end with killing the shadow, but that doesn’t mean— ”
“— and then I’d have to tell you, ” I finished, “ that Hope’s an omega. ”
Deep, profound silence fell on the other side of the bond.
“ I’d have to tell you, Edric, that all the horrible experiences you’ve heard from omegas over the last couple weeks will be in her future, but for Hope, it’ll be a thousand times worse, because she’ll have something the alphas will want more than money, sex, or service.
“ So you tell me, Edric? Do you think we should hang Hope’s future on the innate goodness of the people who’ve been oppressing wolves like Hope since Wolf Nation began? ”
“ We go with your plan, ” he cut in before I finished my sentence. “ No changes. No substitutions. You just tell me what you need me to do. ”
I dropped my head, relief filling me even as it tinged with sadness. “Thank you.”
“ No one’s gonna fuck with our daughter. ” I didn’t need to hear him growling to know he was. “ Not unless they want to find out what it’s like to breathe with no throat. ”
“ Oh no, my sweet mate. We won’t be half that easy on them .” I raised my head. “Ahh!”
I scrambled half across the bed, heart thumping through my rib cage. Badr, the bastard, just reclined against the dresser where he’d been standing there watching me for Luame knows how long.
“Will you stop fucking creeping around!”
He cocked a brow, looking like the effortlessly handsome douchebag he was. His blond hair turned dark with the damp, and messily hung around his sapphire eyes. Edric’s clothes were too big for him, so he skipped the shirt entirely and chose sweatpants that barely held to his thighs.
Slow and lethargic as she was, my wolf still revved her engine, getting ready to pounce.
“I wasn’t creeping anywhere,” Badr returned. “It’s not my fault you didn’t hear me come out. Did you know you get this horribly unattractive constipated look on your face when you’re overworking that one brain cell too hard?”
“Did you know those pants are doing nothing to hide that teeny-weeny-beany pencil dick? Yikes, I thought you were a walking, talking Ken doll for a second there.”
Badr smirked, far from insulted. “At least that’s an upgrade from a walking, talking piece of shit.”
“It would be if you weren’t both.”
I turned away from him and went to the desk, checking to see if Lucia was ready. Anything to stop me looking at Badr.
Fact was, the thin sweatpants he borrowed from Edric did give way to his package, and that beast was far from teeny-weeny. It wasn’t right that he didn’t have a stack of dimes in his pants to match his small-dick energy.
Lucia flashed onto the screen—her face coldly beautiful, and pissed. “Do you have any idea what time it is? Why are you calling me this late?”
“Drop the fake outrage. You don’t sleep.”
She sniffed. “That’s hardly the point. Manners are manners.”
“I apologize profusely.” My tone was the opposite of apologetic. “Anyway, we called to see Hope. Is she awake? Has she had her late-night feeding yet?”
“She’s awake,” Lucia said slowly, eyes narrowing. “Who is we?”
I waved Badr over. “Behave.”
The command was pointless. Badr started growling before their eyes connected, and the second they did—his orbs dipped in gold, beckoning his wolf with growing fangs and claws.
Lucia hissed at him—her eyes turning bloodred and fangs elongating to match.
“Both of you, stop it,” I snapped. “You’re hardly going to jump through the screens and attack each other, so quit posturing.”
“Why does that want to see our Hope?”
“My Hope,” I corrected, not for the first time.
“Which one is it anyway? The wet one? The mud one?”
“It’s the sun one.”
“Urgh,” she gagged.
“Watch it, leech,” Badr growled. “I know exactly where to find your fucking carcass.”
“Come by any time.” She hissed. “I dare you.”
“That won’t be necessary,” I spoke over their nonsense. “Badr’s here because he wants to see Hope’s new game.
“It’s so cute,” I gushed, grasping Badr’s arm without thinking. “The other day, when Lucia was playing peekaboo with her, she went invisible, can you believe it? Not only did her first power manifest, but she was playing with her.” I couldn’t stop smiling. “Disappearing just like Lucia ‘disappeared.’”
“Impressive that her powers are manifesting this early.” He peeled me off. “But a moon wolf turning invisible is hardly news.”
“Yes, it is. I’ve told you, Divan. I’m the only moon wolf that can turn invisible, and I can only do it on a moonless night. Hope turns invisible whenever she pleases.” I nodded at Lucia, signaling for her to turn the camera on Hope. “Not only is that news, but it’s proof. And once you get your proof, the war between us is over. You stop fighting me, and start fighting for me.”
The laptop swiveled around the room, landing on a little bundle of chub reclining in her bouncer.
“Scratch that,” I said, smiling at the first sight of my girl. “You fight for her.”
Badr had no reaction to seeing his niece by blood, and his daughter under the pack. I wanted to say the resemblance was there for him or Castor, but truly, my baby girl looked like my mother.
She had her soft, wavy curls; mahogany eyes, little button nose, and wide gummy smile—although Mom had teeth. The only thing I kicked in were Hope’s big-for-her-head ears, and my white-boy boyfriend, Castor, stole a little of the melanin from her skin.
Behind Hope was the full view of her massive, over-the-top nursery. The room started out with the wolf pup theme that I chose. All over the walls were little werewolf pups chasing each other through painted forests, all underneath the full moon starry sky I painted for my baby on the ceiling.
Literally all of it was gone and painted over by the acrobatic bear carnival that Lucia wanted and argued hard for while I was preparing the nursery.
Bears on the sheets. Bears doing the trapeze on the walls. Stuffed bears of all sizes all over the room. Hope even had a stuffed bear on her chest, gently propping the bottle she was draining. I looked for the stuffed wolf Edric sent her, but it was nowhere in the frame.
“I swear you’re the overbearing mother-in-law I never wanted.”
Lucia’s chuckles hit the speakers. She didn’t even bother to ask what I meant. Lucia brought the computer closer to the baby. In doing so, we were granted a glimpse of the baby mound poking under her ruby designer dress.
Badr’s popped brows were his only reaction to the discovery.
“Hey, baby girl,” I cooed, flicking Hope’s gaze to me. “How are you, beautiful? You’re getting so big.”
Hope started kicking and waving her arms, responding to the sound of my voice.
My heart melted and spilled down my rib cage. People would go on and on about how they’d kill for their kids. I thought that was just a sentiment until my little girl was born. I literally would raze the whole fucking planet to ash to protect my baby.
And I planned to.
“Okay, baby,” I sang to her. “Show Uncle Daddy your new power so that he finally stops being an asshole.”
“Even if this is real, that will never be what I’m called,” Badr snapped.
I just laughed.
Grumbling insults that she knew I could hear clear as day, Lucia rescued a baby blanket from the chaise—both covered in bears—and plopped down in front of her.
Her irritation washed away the second she looked at my baby, transforming from the cold and deadly vampire princess to a soft and squishy vampire auntie. “Ready, Hope?” She threw up the blanket and brought it down. “Peekaboo. Peekaboo,” she cried.
Badr leaned in, brows furrowing, and shoulder brushing mine. Neither of us did anything about it as we watched Hope and waited for her to turn.
And waited... and waited... and waited...
Hope blinked, giggled, cooed, and flailed her arms as Lucia, loving the game, but what she didn’t do was wink out of sight.
The clock ticked the thirtieth minute since we’d been waiting when Badr’s satisfied grin got too heavy to bear.
“Will you wipe that smile off your face?” I snapped. “Just because she’s not doing it now doesn’t mean I’m lying! I—”
“Give it up, Volana. You and your leech put on a good show, but if you wanted a cute face and chubby cheeks to sway me where your lies couldn’t, you shouldn’t have trotted out this ugly little brat.”
Lucia hissed, launching at the screen, but I was a step ahead of her.
I punched Badr square in the face, knuckles crunching on his cartilage. Blood spurted from his nose as his head whipped around, spraying across the screen. “Don’t you ever speak about my daughter that way.” The icy chill in my voice scared even me. “I’ll rip your fucking throat out, Divan, and you know that’s no bluff.” Inside me, my wolf roared and thrashed against the confines of my soul, eager and willing to tear this bastard to shreds. Oh yes, her obsession with him was evaporating quick.
Badr spat blood on the carpet, snarling. “That was your last fucking mistake, Volana!”
“Get out. We have nothing to prove to you.” Claws erupted from my fingertips. “GET OUT!”
“Gladly!” He whipped the towel off his shoulders and it swung across my desk, knocking half the contents on the floor. “You and I are going to finish this, Headmistress, and that’s a promise! I’m going to put you right back in a maggoty, manure shithole where you belong.”
“Keep shouting your bluster and ignorance louder, pencil dick. Whatever it takes to make you feel like a man.”
Badr slammed out the door, his hatred for me resounding louder than the splintered doorjamb.
I turned on a curious, watching Hope. “It’s okay, baby, the mean man is gone.”
She cooed at me, beaming that wide, gummy smile. In a blink she disappeared, leaving only a moving onesie and a floating bear.
***