22. Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Two
Bellarose
V iolet was my fucking hero. While I dealt with the mess that was the grapes, she saved my hide. Well, she and Cade. He and John were now walking Adam and Violet every morning after breakfast and bringing everyone lunch to the daycare.
I also had to tell Chris about her new job change after he barged into my office in a panic, stating Violet was nowhere to be found. I guess he must have not noticed when we left the pack house this morning. The relief on his face after I told him I knew where she was, and the look of pride that crossed his features when I explained what she was doing, told me all I needed to know about how much the man loved my little sister.
If he didn’t figure his shit out soon, he was going to lose her, though, because Violet and Elim were spending a lot of time together. Violet insisted that Elim was okay with just being friends, but I wasn’t so sure he’d given up now that Chris was out of the picture.
Things settled down a little after that. Violet was enjoying being in charge of the daycare, and I was still trying to crunch numbers on the loss of the grapes when I got a surprise call from Uncle Helios.
“Hi, sweetie. Do you have a minute?” he asked when I answered.
“Sure, Uncle Helios. Is everything okay?”
“I hope so. I got the drawing you sent from Cory. Are you sure this is what you saw?”
“I’m sure. Both Elim and I saw it. Do you know what it is?”
“I do, but I have no clue what it’s doing in Montana or in this plane, to be honest,” he answered with a nervous huff.
“That doesn’t sound good. What is it?”
“Well... the name will sound silly, but... it’s a chupacabra.”
I blinked, trying to figure out if I heard him correctly.
“I beg your pardon?” I asked when I determined I must have heard him wrong.
“I know, but it’s what people call it. I don’t name things,” Uncle Helios chuckled.
“You’re talking about the goat-sucking demons from Mexico?” I wanted to make sure we were both talking about the same thing.
“Yes.”
“I don’t even have goats, Uncle,” I answered with the only thought in my head that wasn’t laughing at the idea that my woods were the home of a goat-sucking demon legend.
At least the words made Uncle Helios chuckle.
“It’s not a creature that discriminates. If it has blood, the chupacabra will try to drink from it.”
“You said it wasn’t from this plane?”
My question made him sigh.
“No. There are several planes that exist essentially on top of each other.”
“Like the multiverse?” I asked, trying to understand.
“Yes and no?” he answered, his voice lacking confidence. “Each plane is nothing like this one. It doesn’t have a separate version of you that lives out a completely different life based on decisions or anything like that. The plane this creature came from is roughly translated to The Forsaken Plane in English. It’s one of the planes that was created after the gods decided to hide themselves, and their creations from the world of men. It’s a place for the creatures that couldn’t be tamed or controlled. It’s... not a nice place.”
“How did it get here?”
“That, I don’t know for sure, but I have a theory.” His words were slow and measured, and I got a sinking feeling.
“Am I going to like this theory?” I asked warily.
“No.”
I took a deep breath at his answer, wishing Cade was around to hear this with me.
“Alright, lay it on me,” I answered, bracing myself for impact.
“One of the things this plane houses are irredeemable rogues. My sister is a kind woman. She loves her children, but she gave them free will.” He paused, almost for dramatic effect, and I just needed him to continue. “Just like with humans, there are good and bad. The problem is that when magic is involved, when creatures go bad, it is usually disaster not just for the magical world, but for humans.”
“She sends people there?”
“Only in extreme cases. When the gods feel like they’ve given more than enough time and opportunities to see if there’s a chance for redemption or rehabilitation, and the creatures have the ability to affect and expose the supernatural world to humans. Think magical, uncontrolled serial killers but through multiple reincarnations.”
“So, what’s your theory?” I asked, already getting a headache.
“Well, there’s no one way out of the plane, but tears in the barriers can happen. Usually, though, this only happens in places of great significance on earth, places where wild magic or residues in great concentrations can be found. The magic attracts them, like catnip, and eventually, one of these creatures manages to break through if they find a weakness in the barrier. This is why it is perplexing to know one is in your woods.”
“You think there’s a tear somewhere nearby?” I guessed.
“No. I think someone created the tear.”
“What do you mean?”
“The council could never figure out where the rogues came from, or why there were so many in one location and attacked as a group,” Uncle Helios reminded me.
“You’re saying the rogues who attacked my pack last year, came from the Forsaken Plane?”
“That’s my theory.”
“How? Why?”
“Dark blood magic, but it’s been centuries since I’ve known of anyone doing it. The gods don’t look kindly to people trying to break these creatures out. Their magic is nulled once they step through, so even if they let someone open a tear, they tend to never be seen again. The why? I don’t know. If we are to believe Nochehuatl’s last words to mean he was attacking you, then it would make sense that he or Tezcatlipoca somehow organized the attack, and had someone open a hole big enough for the rogues to step through before a guardian could find it and close it.”
“Guardians?” I asked, rubbing my temples.
“Every plane has guardians that protect it. The Forsaken Plane has them to protect the other planes from the creatures that reside inside it. They can sense when a tear appears and can mend it with their magic.”
“So, this thing has been in my woods since the night the rogues attacked?” I asked, wondering how I missed such a threat in my own damn woods, for almost a year.
“I don’t know. If someone opened the hole at the time of the attack... well, opening it requires a significant amount of dark blood magic. It could be the chupacabra found the traces of the residual magic and broke through in search of it.”
“You’re saying there’s an opening to another plane of existence someplace in my woods right now?”
“The guardian would have hunted the chupacabra down before closing the tear, so if it’s still running loose, it’s possible.”
“If there’s a hole open to another plane, why haven’t I seen it?”
“Because it’s invisible to everyone but the guardians.”
“Of course it is,” I breathed out.
“I could be wrong, Bells,” Uncle Helios added.
“But your theory makes too much sense to ignore, doesn’t it?” I asked.
“Pretty much,” he mumbled.
“What can I do?”
“Hunt it down, and hope the guardian shows up pretty quickly. Keep your people out of the woods as much as you can.”
“Okay,” I answered, hanging my head as a migraine threatened to destroy my head.
“Bells, do you still have the bracelet I gave you when you turned thirteen?”
“The mal de ojo?”
“Yes.”
“I should have it somewhere in my jewelry box,” I answered, wracking my brain to remember when was the last time I used it.
“If you find it, put it on. Just to be safe.” Uncle Helios didn’t explain why, but it wasn’t hard to figure out his worry.
If someone opened a hole in the plane barriers from this side, what if they were still nearby?
“I’ll look for it.”
“I’ll talk to everyone over here, and see if we can think of any way to help.”
“Thanks, Uncle.”
“Please be careful, Bells.” Uncle Helios didn’t worry over small things, so I was planning on taking it seriously.
“I’ll do my best.”
After I hung up, I went up to the old alpha room to look for the bracelet Uncle Helios had given each of us when Cory and I were thirteen. Cory told me it carried a protection spell after it saved his life the day he was kidnapped. I used to wear it when I was younger, but as I got older, I’d taken it off as I began to worry about things like fashion, whereas my twin loved that thing. It was almost an anxiety soother for him. He played with it anytime he was nervous so he never took it off. Uncle Helios hadn’t told us it was spelled at the time, so none of us knew until it protected Cory.
I walked into the alpha suite and straight into the closet, pulling out a big box of personal stuff I kept there. I left as quickly as possible, doing my best not to look at the bedroom that brought so many bad memories for me. Once back in my room, I opened the box and looked through it.
I sighed, unable to find it. I would hate to have lost it, but maybe I left it in Crescent Moon. There were still a few boxes Cory had stored for me.
I thought back to everything Uncle Helios told me about his theory. It might be time to talk about that night. I needed answers, and holding back information wasn’t going to help anything. But, I wasn’t ready to relive that night with anyone. I wasn’t ready to explain my thoughts and feelings over it. I wasn’t sure I ever would.
I put the box in my closet and went to work. The wine needed to be bottled and readied for transportation. Everyone was enjoying a few days of rest as Eric and I prepared everything for the process.
To my surprise, Hugh showed up as we went over a list of things that needed to be done, and asked if he could take a few items off our list. I divided the tasks between the three of us, and when Hugh left to get started, Eric started taking his own pulse.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, dread filling me. I couldn’t do this without Eric. He was the only one who knew how everything needed to be done.
“I’m checking to see if I died, and didn’t notice. That’s a goddamn Christmas miracle in October,” he motioned to the door Hugh used to exit. I laughed, relieved and amused by his comment.
As much as it seemed like Hugh was turning a new leaf, I wasn’t all that convinced he was committed to change. The list I gave him were tasks that I could afford to get done a little late in case he went back to his lazy ways.
When lunchtime came, I walked toward the daycare with John, Cade and a bag of food. Cade felt it was only fair to give my sister at least some sort of a break from the kids during lunch, so after eating, we spent time playing with the kids to ensure she got a little break to just breathe.
John only started joining us a few days ago. I wanted to say I felt a little jealous of how fast Violet got comfortable with the man, but I was beginning to understand that it wasn’t about trusting someone faster than she trusted me, but the fact that she was managing her trauma better. It made me proud and happy to see her pushing through so many hurdles. I had a sneaking suspicion that Cade invited John so it wasn’t so obvious that a person was missing at the table, though.
I caught movement as I approached the building and turned my head toward the little grouping of trees a few hundred yards from the daycare. I looked away and sighed internally when I realized it was Chris, forever guarding the person he pushed away. I was going to end up having to talk to him if he kept it up. It was all well and good while I thought Violet might still forgive him if he got his head out of his ass. If she moved on, though, then I’d consider it stalking, and she didn’t need that shit in her life.
“I see him, too. He’s been there all week.” Cade leaned over and whispered in my ear, making me shiver at his closeness.
“It’s getting a little ridiculous, don’t you think?” I asked.
“I told you, he cares about her.”
“Then, he needs to get his head out of his ass. All he’s doing is giving Elim the time to woo Violet.”
“Would that be so bad?” John asked, giving me a sidelong glance as we walked.
“I don’t care who my sister ends up with as long as they make her happy. But I care about Chris, too, even if I’m mad at him right now. He deserves a good mate, and no one is going to be better for him than Violet. They balance each other. He’s an overprotective bear of a man, and that’s the type of person my sister needs in her life. She makes him smile and laugh. I know you don’t know him very well, but that alone is a fucking miracle. She brings light into his life, and he brings comfort and courage into hers.”
“Can’t one of you guys talk to him about it?”
“Violet put a gag order on us.” Cade pouted.
The very first thing Violet did the morning after Chris broke up with her, was make Cade swear that he wouldn’t say anything about it to Chris.
“Should I?” John asked. “I could have Cade feeding me info through the mind-link.”
“I don’t think that will fly,” I laughed, grateful to see my sister had another person in her corner.
We arrived at the door, and Violet let us in when we knocked. Adam ran into my arms when he saw me, making me melt.
“Mom! Violet said I could go pet her rabbit after work!” I froze, my heart thudding so hard in my chest with love at Adam calling me Mom.
He didn’t appear to realize he did that, though, as he grabbed Cade a second later, and dragged him over to where Nate and another little boy were building some sort of structure with Lego. Cade sat down cross-legged as Adam began to explain what they were building.
I shook my head when John went and joined another set of kids playing with dinosaurs, while we began to plate our food.
“I’m not sure how much of a sacrifice it is for them to spend their lunchtime playing with Lego and dinosaurs,” Violet giggled.
“I think they’re the same maturity age,” I agreed.
I helped Violet dish out the kid’s snacks and lunch, then we all sat down to eat. The topics were light, considering our audience, but when we started talking about movies we’d seen, I noticed Violet got quiet, and looked down at her food.
Once lunch was over, Cade and John started cleaning up while Violet took the kids out to the small fenced area. I went to stand beside her as we watched the kids running around.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
“You got a little sad in there.”
“It’s nothing,” she answered, not looking at me.
“Vi...”
“The movie you were talking about was one Chris and I talked about watching together. That’s all, Bells. I swear, I’m fine. I’m dealing with it.”
I put my arm over her shoulder and kissed her temple, making her sigh and lean her head on my shoulder.
“Everything is going to work out,” I assured her, though right now, I felt like I was saying it more for my benefit than hers.
Adam spent the evening with Violet in her room, feeding the rabbit and playing with it. I had to promise to bring him back every day for the rest of the week to avoid a temper tantrum. He was loving the little thing, hopping behind it as it roamed Violet’s room. He fed it, cuddled it, helped Violet clean the cage and asked if he could have one. I had to put my foot down on that and explain that the rabbit belonged in the forest. I told him Violet was only making sure it was healthy before she let it go, and he finally relented.
It was during bath time with Adam that I decided it was time to address what had been on my mind all afternoon.
“Adam, do you want to live with me?” I asked him while he played with the little floating boat and shark.
"You’re very hot. I can’t sleep in your bed. I get all icky,” he answered.
I snorted. During the first weeks, Adam kept having nightmares, and I ended up sleeping in his bed after he woke up to make him feel better. Clearly, he didn’t enjoy it as much as I did.
“I didn’t mean sleep in my bed,” I clarified, thinking there wasn’t much room in it right now, anyway.
Cade had been sleeping there every night. He only went to his room for clothes. Thank the goddess I made sure no one was allowed in the alpha floor because of Violet, or everyone would figure out what was happening between us.
“I meant, do you want me to be your mommy? I could adopt you so you never have to leave.”
The happy look he gave me will forever be engraved in my memory. It was one of pure love and shock. Adam stood and hugged me, and I didn’t even care that I was now covered in suds and water.
With a kiss on my cheek, Adam whispered, “I don’t ever want to leave.”
“Then you won’t, okay? You’ll stay with me no matter where I go. I’ll be your mommy for as long as you want me to,” I promised him.
Adam gave me another big hug and continued to play with his toys. I put him to bed, happy that I had walked in here as Bells, and walked out as Mom.
Thanks to werewolves having their own laws and societal rules, I could adopt Adam without going through the entire costly process humans did. Wolves only needed to get permission from the kid’s pack alpha to adopt. As I was Luna, only needed to let the council know of my decision to keep Adam, and fill out some paperwork for the adoption to be recognized by the US government. It was sent to a special division within the government that took care of supernatural matters.
My heart felt a certain amount of peace knowing I’d made that decision. Cory and Cade were right. I had a lot of love to give Adam, and I would make it be enough. I walked into my room to find Cade sitting in bed, working on his laptop. His shirt was off, and he was wearing boxer shorts. When I closed the door behind me, I looked up and smiled at me.
“You look like you had a nice splash with Adam,” he chuckled as he took in my water-soaked clothing.
“We were having a heart-to-heart, and a hug was called for,” I chuckled, beginning to remove my wet clothes.
“Oh? What heart-to-heart?”
“I asked Adam if he wanted me to be his mom.”
“You’re serious? You’re going to adopt him?” Cade’s face was lit up with happiness.
“Yes. I’ve been afraid of not being enough for him. Life is so uncertain right now, but you reminded me all a little boy needs in his life is love, and I have plenty to give him. Cory was also right. This past year has been one of the worst of my life, and I’ve still managed to take care of him and show him how much I love him. I may not know how good a mother I will be, but as long as I love him, we’ll find our way.”
I made my way to the bathroom, but Cade cut me off. He picked me up and lay me down on the bed.
“I’m so proud of you, Princess. You’re more than a good mother. You’re an amazing one. Adam is lucky to call you Mom, and his love for you will only grow.”
There was so much emotion in Cade’s eyes that I felt the tears stinging mine. I placed my hand on his cheek, knowing that he spoke from experience. It was so easy to forget, from the easygoing way he was in his personal life, how much Cade must have been through at a young age; easy to forget that while he looked so put together and confident now, it wasn’t always that way. I leaned up and kissed him, wanting to say with the kiss the things I was too terrified to voice in words.
I woke up too early the next morning when Cade’s phone rang. I quickly dressed, and still too excited from my conversation with Adam last night, went down to my office and printed out the forms I needed to officially adopt him. I bumped into Elim heading toward the kitchen. When he saw me, he sighed with relief.
“Luna, can I have a moment of your time?”
“Is it bad news?” I asked. I didn’t think I wanted to deal with bad news this early in the morning.
“No,” he chuckled. We walked to my office, and once the door was closed, he got down to business immediately. “I did something, and I would like your help and your blessing to finish carrying it out.”