Chapter 34
Charlotte turned away from the open window.
She and Danielle had stood there to watch and listen to the meeting with the Leons.
Behind the sheer curtains, nobody had noticed them, and the men had spoken loud enough for them to hear every word.
Charlotte was still in shock from the revelation about Danielle’s past.
She turned to Danielle now and watched her sit down on the edge of the bed, tears filling her eyes. Charlotte didn’t have to ask to know that the accusation Bruno Leon had made was true.
“I had to kill him, or he would have killed my mother,” Danielle sniffled.
“He’d knocked her unconscious before she even knew what was happening.
She didn’t have a chance to shift into her wolf form.
But I did. I tore him apart.” Danielle lifted her head and locked eyes with her.
“I don’t regret it. He was a violent drunk. ”
Charlotte put her arms around her sister-in-law to console her, even though she needed consoling herself.
The threat the Leons had issued had flipped everything on its head.
Now it didn’t matter anymore if they found evidence that proved that Steve was evil.
There was no need to convince her father or the Werewolf Alliance not to force her to mate with Steve. The stakes had just been raised.
They’d been given two horrible options. It was an impossible choice to make.
If she refused to go with the Leons to become Steve’s mate, Danielle would be ripped from her mate’s arms and imprisoned.
And if she went with the Leons, Steve would eventually kill her.
She didn’t doubt that in the slightest. She knew what he was capable of.
His attack on Danielle had confirmed her worst fears.
A sob tore through Danielle. “I should have left when I had the chance. I should have never mated with Jude. Look what I’ve done. I’ve dragged you all into my mess.”
“Shhh, it’s not your fault. You have nothing to be sorry about. You hear me?”
She swallowed her own pain and fear for Danielle’s sake, even though inside, she was devastated.
The day had started with a huge disappointment when she’d found out about Byron’s ulterior motive, and it had gotten progressively worse.
She knew in her heart that she couldn’t allow the Leons to destroy Danielle and Jude’s love and life together by refusing to give in to the Leons’ demands.
She was only one person. The Leons wouldn’t rip apart a couple because she wasn’t in a relationship, not after she’d ended things with Byron.
It was only one life that would be destroyed, not two.
Or maybe even three. For all she knew, Danielle could already be carrying a child.
It would be cruel and selfish if she didn’t save her sister-in-law by agreeing to the Leons’ demands.
“Danielle, I won’t let them destroy your and Jude’s life. I’ll go with them. And maybe it won’t be that bad after all.” She shrugged. “It’s not like I have such a good track record when it comes to figuring out which guy is good and which isn’t.”
“What?” Danielle stared at her in surprise.
“Yeah, I mean…you know, I broke it off with Byron when I found out that he only slept with me because he wanted to get back at Jude by breaking my heart.”
“But Byron loves you. You must be wrong. I know him; I’ve known him for over six years. He’s rough on the outside and quick to anger, but he has a good heart. I know it.”
Charlotte shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. He only wanted me because breaking my heart would hurt Jude. It doesn’t matter now. I’ll go with the Leons, and I’ll mate with Steve.”
The thought of having to let him touch her made her sick to her stomach. But she pushed away those thoughts. She would survive it somehow.
“You can’t mate with Steve. He’s evil to the core. No, I won’t let you do that,” Danielle said firmly, her voice stronger and more determined now. “I’m not letting you destroy your life for me. There has to be another option. We’ll find it. But you mating with Steve is out of the question.”
“Danielle is right.”
At the sound of Jude’s voice, Charlotte looked over her shoulder. He entered the room and closed the door behind him, then approached the bed.
“I won’t allow you to mate with Steve,” Jude added. “It’s suicide.”
He reached for Danielle and pulled her into his arms.
“How are you feeling?”
Charlotte noticed that he put one hand on Danielle’s stomach. She knew it then.
“You’re having a baby,” Charlotte murmured.
They both looked at her.
“We haven’t announced it to the pack yet,” Jude said. “Nobody needs to know right now.”
Charlotte shook her head. “This makes it even more important that I go with the Leons. If I don’t, they’ll destroy all three of you! Do you really want your child to be born in a prison?”
“No!” Jude replied. “That won’t happen, nor you mating with Steve. We’ll find a way to prevent both. We have a few hours to come up with a solution. We’ll work together. This is not the first time we’ve had to deal with a seemingly insurmountable problem.”
“You have to think of your family, Jude,” Charlotte demanded.
“I am. All of you are my family. I can’t sacrifice one to save the other. It’s not an option. And I know that Danielle feels the same.” He exchanged a loving glance with her. “We would never be happy knowing that we used you as a sacrificial lamb.”
She sighed. It appeared there was no arguing with her brother. She wished she had his confidence.
“So you’re pulling the big brother card, huh?”
“Yep. And there’s something else you should know.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“I spoke to Byron. He’s—”
She lifted her hand. “Don’t! It’s over. He wanted to use me in his little game just to retaliate against you. I can’t be with somebody like that. Besides, you didn’t want me to be with him in the first place. You and Dad should be happy that I broke it off.”
“I’m not happy about it. I’ve underestimated Byron. I didn’t realize until now that all he wanted was to belong. And when I took over as alpha, he felt he was being pushed out. It was my fault as much as it was his. I understand him now. He has a good heart. I hope you can give him another chance.”
Slowly, she shook her head. Giving him another chance would mean she’d make herself vulnerable again, and that was the last thing she wanted to feel right now.
She was vulnerable enough knowing what the Leons could do to her and her family.
Hoping for love only meant she had more to lose.
She couldn’t do that. She wasn’t strong enough for that.