5. Revelations
five
JAMES
Being healed is great, until we learn that Amber has escaped from the council’s custody. I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am. Garnet isn’t. She appears to have expected it. I have no idea what we’re going to do now. According to Ryland, no one knows where Amber is hiding, and her minions have been kidnapping more supernaturals as well as humans.
“I know what she’s planning, I just don’t know what her timeline looks like,” Garnet explains.
“An army of hybrids, we know,” Ryland responds. Her eyebrows raise in surprise, but she doesn’t comment. “Luca told us that you and he figured it out just before James got hurt.”
“It won’t work,” Trevan says quietly. “Not without your power. So, is she trying to steal your powers, or is she trying to make you complete the transformation for her?”
“She wants to kill me and take my power. I’m not as worried about facing her now that I know how much Fae power I have,” Garnet replies.
“You should still be cautious. She managed to escape from the council, and it seems like she’s figured out how to bypass the power-blocking cuffs you put on her.” I stand up and pace the room.
I start to feel dizzy, but don’t want to worry anyone. Instead of mentioning it, I lean against the wall and watch as the conversation continues.
“I understand that, and agree, caution is the way to go. But I’m not scared of her anymore. I think that was the thing that held me back when she was training me. I felt intimidated by her. I’m not anymore. That’s all I was saying,” Garnet explains.
“I think we need a plan. We can’t just chase after her. There has to be a way to find out exactly what her timeline is. Hybrids are rare, but they’ve been around longer than Delilah. Why wait until now to build that army?” Orym insists. I agree with him, but I’m feeling weak again.
“Orym is right,” Ryland says.
Luca takes my place pacing the floor. “But how do we get her to admit everything? We can’t get close to her without risking Red. And it’s not like she’s just gonna send us a letter explaining it all.” His frustration is evident. I feel it too, but getting caught up in it won’t help anyone.
“We start by catching a witch. Then we send a very specific message back to Amber with that witch. As many of them as she has scouring the woods for wolves, it shouldn’t be hard,” Ryland explains.
“That’s a good point. We encountered a lot of them when we were searching for Garnet. That’s actually how we found out that Amber didn’t have you,” Orym says.
“Okay, let’s catch a witch.” Garnet winks at me and smirks. I like that she’s feeling confident now, but I’m worried that she’s a bit too cocky and will put herself in danger.
LUCA
Our meeting goes better than I expect, except for Red. Her new attitude is a little disturbing. But if it helps her to control her magic, I’ll support it. I wish she was taking the risk more seriously, though.
It doesn’t really matter what I think, because I would never call her out for having a new attitude. Probably because I’m still hesitant about the strength of our bond. I know that Red loves me, and I love her. What I’m not sure about is being worthy of her. I couldn’t even keep from being captured by Amber’s followers.
Then I wasn’t able to escape without help from Red’s father. I think that was less frustrating when I didn’t know who he was. It was one thing for a friend to help me. It’s entirely another for it to have been my mate’s father. How weak does that make me look?
I can’t show weakness here. I have to be the alpha mate that Red deserves. As much as it pains me to think, I have to be more like Ryland. His big, bad wolf energy shows that he can protect Red and the territory. I have to prove that as well.
I’m so caught up in my own thoughts and feelings that I miss half the conversation. I look up to find James wincing in pain. No one else seems to notice. I slide an arm under his and guide him to the kitchen. “Are you okay?” I ask, grabbing a mug and making him a cup of Red’s favorite tea.
“I don’t know. I just got dizzy and then pain shot from my scar up my leg. Do you think they noticed?” He seems more concerned with the others noticing than with being in pain. I poke my head into the living room. They’re still talking and don’t seem to have noticed that we’re missing yet.
“I don’t think so. They’re still debating something. Honestly, I got lost in my own thoughts and missed most of what was said,” I admit. James nods in understanding. “You seem like you understand what I’m going through. I’m guessing it’s because you’re not a shifter.”
“I get it. You blame yourself for getting captured. I blame myself for getting injured. It is hard feeling like the odd man out. But you have to know that it hurt her when she couldn’t find you. She nearly destroyed Midnight when she found out you were being tortured and they wouldn’t let her storm the forest to go after Amber.” James’ words seem strange, but I’m certain he’s telling the truth.
“She blamed herself for you getting hurt. And she was terrified that you weren’t going to make it.” I don’t know if my words are comforting to him like his were to me, but I feel like I should tell him. “We kept looking for ways to heal you, even after she disappeared.”
“I know. You guys are my family.”
GARNET
While listening to Trevan and Ry argue about the best way to lure Amber out, I notice that Luca and James have disappeared. I shift a little on the couch and see them in the kitchen. I won’t interrupt their bonding session, but I make a note to ask them about it later. James still looks a little green, and I’m worried that I didn’t completely heal him.
It bothers me that he’s less durable than the rest of us. Being human is a vulnerability that Amber can exploit when we go up against her again. If only there was something I could do to protect him more. I’ll have to give it some thought and do some research on ways to make him stronger.
There has to be a spell or a potion. Something that will give him more protection. I just have to figure out what it is. I can’t focus on that right now, because it looks like my mate and my father are about to start throwing punches.
“Let’s take a beat and calm down a little,” I offer, stepping between them. “You go into the kitchen and get a cup of tea,” I say to Trevan. “And you, step outside for some air.” I shove Ry a little to get my point across. I plan to join him outside and try to diffuse the situation. It only takes a glance at Orym for him to realize that I’m going to need his help here.
“Trevan, why don’t we get that cup of tea, and you can tell me about the Fae realm?” I know he’s only being nice to appease me, but I appreciate the gesture. I make a mental note to tell him that later. I know he struggles with Fae beings because of the ones who killed his family.
It seems that I’ve been causing trouble for everyone for longer than I realized. I know that the Fae who killed Orym’s family did so because they were searching for me, and no one would give me up. Instead, they made the ultimate sacrifice. And now, it’s time for me to stand up for everyone who kept me safe as a child. Even if they’re gone, they deserve justice. If not for Amber, I wouldn’t have been hidden away. I would have grown up with my parents and learned to control my powers as a child.
It’s unreal to me that my aunt is the cause of all of my problems. If only she hadn’t been in love with my father, she might have let my mother be happy. If she hadn’t been jealous of my mother’s powers, or if my mother had fought back, things might be different now. But I can’t live in the past. I have to focus on defeating Amber. And to do that, I need to get everyone on the same page.
I follow Ry out onto the porch. “That guy really knows how to push my buttons,” he growls. I slide behind him and wrap my arms around his waist, pressing my cheek to his back.
“I know he’s frustrating, but please, for me, will you just try to get along? He’s only going to be here for a couple of days. We need to get a plan in place and set things in motion so this can end. I’m so tired of worrying about Amber.” I hate admitting that to anyone, but I also know that Ry will understand.
“I’m sorry. I get that he’s your dad, but I just want to punch him so bad,” Ry says as he turns in my arms. “I missed you.” He drags me closer and presses his lips to mine. I let myself sink into his kiss, melting against him. The only thing that would make this moment better is if I had all four of my guys around me. Ry breaks our kiss and smirks at me. “You know you’ll have that later. We have to get all of this planned. Remember? You just told me that we only have Trevan for a few days.”
“Oh, shit. Where’s he gonna sleep? I can’t have sex with my mates if my father is sleeping on our couch.” I make a face and Ry laughs at me.
“I think Grammy will let him stay with her. She understands that we need some time alone after you’ve been gone so long.”
“Thank the goddess,” I breathe, dropping my head onto his chest. “I hated being away from you guys. It was nice to have James with me, but he was mean and wouldn’t have sex with me. I was denied orgasms.” I pout a little as I complain to Ry about my time in the Fae realm.
“You poor baby. We’ll have to make up for that tonight. The guys and I will give you all the orgasms while James watches. How does that sound?” Ry’s voice against my ear makes my core contract.
“That sounds amazing. But we have to go back in there and work out this plan first, don’t we?” I ask, disappointed.
He kisses the top of my head and laughs. “Yes, we do. The sooner we get this handled, the sooner you get orgasms. So, let’s get moving. I’ll try to control my temper and work with your father.”
“Thank you. I’m not sure how I feel about him, but I think he can help,” I admit. I’d much rather stay out here with Ry than go back to discussing Amber. This problem isn’t going to solve itself, though.
I let Ry drag me back inside where we find everyone in the living room waiting for us. “We need to get as much of this sorted as we can. I’ll be staying with Grammy while I’m here and would rather not be traipsing through the woods after dark if possible.” Trevan’s announcement catches me off guard. I wonder if he was listening to Ry’s and my conversation outside.
RYLAND
The moment Trevan makes his announcement about staying with Grammy, I know that one of them was listening in on our conversation. I can tell that Red is embarrassed by it, but I don’t care. It gets her father out of our way so that we can take care of our girl. She needs our attention, and if I’m being honest, we all need hers.
This situation has everyone on edge. The sooner we get a plan in place, the sooner I can spend some time with my mate. “We should eat and get a basic plan together. We can work out the details in the morning, then prepare to execute the plan within the next day or so. That way Trevan can still be here to help, without abandoning his people for too long.”
Red smiles at me, showing appreciation for me including her father in our plan. I know she’s hesitant about him, but I also know that he could be helpful to us. If he wants to be. I can’t tell if he means it when he says that he wants to defeat Amber or if he’s got something else planned. I’ll keep an eye on him and deal with it if I have to.
I make a mental note to discuss it with Orym later. He seems to be the only one besides me who isn’t sure about our Fae companion. Between the two of us, we can keep our family safe. I’m sure of it.
“Don’t we already have the basic plan figured out? We have to grab one of Amber’s witches, then we send our message back to the bitch. We can figure out details tomorrow, after everyone has had a chance to rest,” Red says.
“I’ll get dinner going, then,” Orym insists, heading to the kitchen. I exchange a look with Red, then follow him. I want to talk to him alone and can’t do that if she follows me.
“Can we talk for a minute, Orym?” I ask, walking up behind him as he pulls ingredients out of the fridge.
“Sure, Ryland, what’s up?” He turns to me and freezes. My expression probably tells him that this isn’t a joking matter.
“How do you feel about Trevan?” I keep my voice low, so that Orym has to take a step closer to hear me.
“I’m not sure. I don’t want to upset Garnet, because he’s her father. But I don’t know if he’s here to help or if he’s got ulterior motives.” Orym’s words confirm my own concerns.
“We need to keep an eye on him. I agree with you, but I don’t think Red, Luca, or James sees it that way. I’m not sure about Grammy. She may have invited him to stay with her for the same reason.” Perhaps I should talk to our pack elder and see what her reasoning was.
Orym nods and continues getting dinner prepped. “It’s possible. She is very perceptive. I guess we’ll see soon.”
ORYM
My conversation with Ryland puts me on edge. I’d nearly convinced myself that my fears were unwarranted, but if he’s got the same concerns, then maybe we’re picking up on something the others just don’t see. I’ve never hoped so much to be wrong about someone before in my life. I want Garnet’s father to be the man she deserves him to be. I don’t want her to deal with another betrayal from her family. It’s bad enough that she’s going to have to kill her own aunt to stop the chaos that’s coming.
Since Ryland and I agree about what needs to be done, I refocus my attention on making dinner for everyone. Tacos are quick and easy, so that’s what I make. I wonder if Trevan eats tacos. Oh well, if not, he can make himself a salad with the veggies and lettuce. I’m not going to go out of my way to pander to him.
When the food is done, I place everything on the table. It’s not fancy, but everyone will be able to put what they like on their tacos. As soon as we all have plates of food, we settle back in the living room to eat and chat. With the basic plan in place, we don’t have to focus on Amber right now.
“So, Trevan, what’s it like in the Fae realm?” I ask before taking a bite. I need to interact with him more to tell if he’s being sincere.
“Well, you know, it’s like here, but with magic,” he responds. I glance at Ryland, who seems to understand my annoyance.
“Okay, but some of us have never been there. We’d genuinely like to know,” Ryland interjects. That gets our visitor talking. He describes the forest that mirrors our own, except in different colors. Then he tells us about the palace where he lives and the courtyard garden where he trained Garnet.
She, Luca, and James all chime in at different points to explain something different about the unfamiliar realm. I can’t help feeling a little jealous that they’ve all shared this, and I’ve been left out. One glance at Ryland, and I know he’s feeling the same. He’s not as good at hiding his emotions as I am.
You might want to relax your expression, alpha. Your jealousy is showing.I nudge him through the bond.
Thanks. I can’t help feeling that way. But they don’t need to see it.I’m a little surprised that his response is so sincere. We haven’t always gotten along so well.
Same here. And you’re right; they don’t need to see it. We can talk about it later, when they’re not around. I offer, though I’m not sure why. Maybe I’m softening a little toward my alpha. He’s proven that he takes the position seriously and doesn’t let it interfere with caring for our family.
While I listen to Trevan’s stories, I realize that I care a lot about these people. My pack. My family.
GARNET
I know that Ry and Orym are having a private conversation along the bond, but I have no idea what it’s about. It seems odd that they got my father talking, only to ignore him. I decide that it’s not worth worrying about. They’ll tell me when they’re ready.
Trevan’s stories make me a little sad for missing out on so much as a child. I want him to be a better man than he is. I know he’s only here because we pressured him into it. If he was left on his own, he wouldn’t fight Amber. He would hide in his own realm and pretend that none of this was happening. I hold no illusions about my father or his ethical leanings.
I wonder what he has up his sleeve that’s making him stay a few days. I’d expected him to go home as soon as we healed James. Yet he found a way to stick around and intwine himself into our plan. I consider Orym and Ry again. Perhaps this is what they’re discussing. I’ll have to ask later.
For now, I’ll be content having dinner with my family and listening to stories of happenings in the Fae realm. He’s still talking when we finish eating, and I find myself amused by it. Orym’s initial question wasn’t enough to get Trevan to open up, but once he did, it’s been difficult for anyone to get a word in.
After telling us about the obvious differences between our realm and his, he launched into stories about my mother and their courtship. I want to ask him how Amber fit into all that, but I hesitate to steer the conversation back to her. We’re having a pleasant evening, and the last thing I want is to ruin it.
So, I let him talk, without bringing her up. There’s always time to ask about that later. After all, it’s possible that Amber lied about everything. Maybe he never was interested in her at all, and she was obsessed with him. I don’t know, but that thought makes me feel a little better about everything. I’ll let myself hold onto that for a bit.
It doesn’t really matter how it all happened, anyway. Amber became jealous of my mother and ended up killing her. It’s a sad truth that I have to accept. Even if Trevan was romantically involved with Amber before my mother, that doesn’t excuse Amber’s behavior.
I realize that I haven’t been paying attention to Trevan’s story because I let my mind wander. “Am I boring you, daughter?” he asks with a smirk.
“No, I was just thinking about something rather unpleasant. Sorry. Your stories are fascinating, really,” I insist. I’m not sure if he believes me or not. I still don’t want to offend him, if he actually is here to help.
“Sometimes she gets a little distracted, thinking about all the things we’re going to do to her later,” Luca says, making me blush while pulling attention away from me. I’m not sure if I should be mortified or relieved. On one hand, he just implied to my father and Grammy that we have some kinky stuff going on in the bedroom. On the other, he did get them all to stop staring at me as if I’d done something wrong by not listening.
“Think nothing of it, child. With four mates, I’m sure it’s hard not to focus on the depravity that happens in the bedroom.” Trevan’s response makes my face warm even more. At this point, I’d like to crawl into a hole and hide.
“Now, now. Let’s stop talking about Red’s sex life. Can’t you see that the poor girl is embarrassed. Not that she has anything to be embarrassed about. I’m sure she’ll be relieved when we finally leave for the night and she can get some attention from her mates,” Grammy says with a wink. I know she thinks she’s helping, but it embarrasses me even more. I duck my head and try to hide behind James.
Of course, he’s amused by this situation and doesn’t let me. “Oh, no. You can’t hide from this. It’s too amusing,” he says, pulling me to his chest.
“You guys are too much. I got distracted. I’m sorry. And no, I wasn’t thinking about sex. I was thinking about what Amber told us about how my parents got together. But I wasn’t going to bring it up, because I don’t want to talk about her again.” I hate that I just blurted all that out but feel relieved that it’s out there now.
Trevan looks at me for a moment, considering. “What did she tell you?”
“That you were dating her until my mother swooped in and stole you from her,” I answer reluctantly.
He laughs. My father actually laughs at that statement. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but it catches me off guard.
“What?” I ask. Everyone is staring at us now.
“I did not date Amber. I was never interested in her, though she did throw herself at me several times. I explained to her, on more than one occasion, that I was not romantically interested. There was no spark there, even when she forced herself into my embrace and kissed me. I offended her by pushing her away. Your mother apologized for her sister’s behavior, and after we talked, I realized that I was interested in Ruby.” Trevan pauses, then continues. “She was kind and sweet. Of course, she was beautiful, too, so that didn’t hurt.”
“Wait, so you weren’t with Amber?” I ask. The relief that washes over me is instant. Sure, he could be lying, but why would he? It’s not like we would have treated him any different if he had been with Amber before my mom. But his explanation makes me feel better anyway.
“Not at all. I tried to be her friend after Ruby and I started dating, but it never worked.”