Chapter Twenty-Four
The Omega stepped back against the far wall. “Don’t hurt me.”
I tilted my head. “Have I ever given you the idea that I would hurt you Bernard?” He shook his head. “And I wouldn’t start now. I’m not even here for you.” I turned my focus on to the Luna. “I came here for you.”
She stepped back. “What do you want from me?”
I smiled wide and allowed my fangs to descend with a snap. “It’s honestly just a simple request. It won’t hurt you and anyone else. I can promise you that.”
She was already shaking her head. “I don’t think so.”
I laughed then. “Oh, silly.” I stepped forward. “I didn’t say I was giving you an option, did I?” The Omega whimpered, but I just released my aura. This would be simple. The two dropped to the ground in a second, both whimpering as they pressed against the floor.
“Please.” Bernard whispered, but I ignored him.
“Luna Brittney, I command you to walk Shannon down the aisle. Do anything she asks for her mating ceremony that doesn’t put you in harm’s way, or give her any power over your position.”
The Luna shivered for a second as the command took effect. She looked up at me with glazed over eyes. “Yes Alpha.”
I pushed more power into the next command. “You both will forget I was here, and if you see me again, you will both see me as another Omega. Is that clear?”
“Yes Alpha.” They both replied from the ground. I took my time putting my mask back on and then I slipped from the room and went into the next room, shutting the door behind me. I pressed my ear against the door, waiting for the two to snap back to themselves.
“You were as fantastic as always Bernard.” I heard a kiss from next door. “And if you tell anyone this happened…”
“You will make sure I am killed.” He replied, a smile clear in his voice.
They have weird foreplay. Megan grunted as she shook her head. Nix laughed.
I ignored my wolves as I waited for the door to open. “Where are you going?” Brittney hissed.
“I need to get back to my post before the ceremony starts.” The door shut again.
“Well, you have to wait here until I am back upstairs. I’ll pretend I changed my mind and go walk the fucking bitch down the aisle.
” She groaned. “I don’t want to, but Vince is becoming more interested in my activities.
” There was another kissing sound. “Wait here for a few minutes. Then go back to the ceremony space.”
“Fine, but hurry,” Bernard whined. The door opened, and I heard the confidant steps of the Luna fading away. A few minutes later, Bernard slipped away.
I slipped out after he did and made my way back upstairs. Might as well take the time to see what I can figure out before the ceremony. I slipped closer to the bridal sweet, and I heard Shannon crying. “You will?”
“Of course, sweetheart. You are mating my son. I said no before because I thought I had to help Vince with other duties. As you know, as the Luna, my duties to the pack come first over what I want.”
“Of course. I can’t wait to learn from you.” Shannon’s whiny voice she used to suck up to higher ranked wolves was still annoying.
I stepped away from the door. Nothing of importance there.
I drifted towards the other side of the house, and Vince’s office.
I muffled my steps, hiding the scent around my body when I was sure no one was around.
I found a dark corner next to the office door, behind a pillar, and some giant plant that Brittney brought in for a pop of color.
I used a soft spell to wrap darkness around me, making the corner dark enough to, hide myself in plain sight.
“I don’t want to do this,” Brandon whined.
“Well, you don’t have a fucking choice. You and Shannon planned this gaudy fucking masquerade so that you could fool around in front of Amy during your mating ceremony. Well now, you’re stuck with it.” Vince’s voice was harsh.
“Hey.” Morgan whined a little, but Brandon groaned.
“No offence, Morgan, but I don’t want to mate Shannon. She’s awesome, but she isn’t Luna material.”
“Well, that’s too fucking bad.” A dark voice called from within the room.
“You and the mutt ruined one of the brotherhood’s longest running plans.
You had won her over, and if you could have kept it in your pants for one more god damn year, you would have done it.
You could have syphoned the power from the strongest wolf ever recorded. And now you’re stuck mating a whore.”
“But.” Brandon tried, but there was a huge growl.
“I don’t fucking care. You fucked up. This is your fucking penance. This or death, your fucking choice.”
There was silence in the office. Then Vince spoke up. “Garith, I don’t think that is really necessary.” He tried to push back, but Garith was having none of it.
“Pick boy.” There was an edge to his voice.
“I would listen to my father, Brandon. It’s not the end of the world mating the girl, is it?
' Verity sighed. “I mean, look at your father. He still has his fun.” There was a pause. “Matings don’t have to be this sacred thing that some people make it out to be. Sometimes it’s just a way to leverage your position. ”
“Leverage my position?”
Verity murmured an agreement. “Yeah. You use this one to entice others. When they see your bond isn’t something held in reverence that others are, it will give the stupid ones the idea that they could win you over, and they can become Luna.
” She laughed. “But keeping this one around might be better than you think.”
“How is that even possible?” Brandon sounded like a whiny toddler. I sneered where I stood.
“She is ambitious. But also dumb. She will do whatever she can to keep her spot as Luna.”
Brandon was quiet for a moment. “Like my mother.”
Vince laughed this time. “Exactly. She has her uses. And she looks the other way instead of getting angry about the other women.”
I could hear Brandon’s tiny brain ticking away from here. I just shook my head. I wasn’t learning anything here, and I went to move on, but then I heard Rowan’s name.
“Did Rowan actually send a response to the invite?” Garith growled out.
Verity sighed. “He isn’t going to actually show up.” She moved across the room, her voice fading away as she moved. “Believe me, he has been locked up in his office, knee deep in reports of the rogues and their attacks. He’s trying to map out their plan.” She laughed.
“I don’t know why you think that’s so funny.” Morgan sounded aggravated. He probably didn’t like how Verity was talking about Shannon. “If he figures out that every attack happens to a pack that lives by the caves, then we are fucked.”
Verity laughed again. “Who would think that all those caves are connected?”
The caves…
Holy fucking shit.
I pulled out my phone out and sent a quick text to my father.
Amy: Dead caves are connected to others. Any pack that was attacked, there should be a cave close by. Be careful when you go in.
Three dots popped up, the soft sound that accompanied the dancing dots popped along as I waited for his response. Suddenly I heard someone in the office shush the room. “What was that?”
I silenced my phone and cursed myself for making such a stupid mistake. I stuffed my phone into my pocket as the door slammed open, and everyone rushed out. The five of them searched the hallway and back, but Brandon sniffed. “I don’t smell anyone out here.”
“Can someone hide their scent with magic?” Vince turned to Verity.
She shook her head. “I’ve tried, and I wasn’t able to change my scent at all. My sisters learned to change their scent, but neither was good at it. It is possible to alter a scent, but not remove it completely.”
Brandon just shook his head. “Maybe you heard something from farther away than you thought.”
Garith growled. Verity walked over and laid her hand on his arm. “Can you scent someone?”
He looked down at her and I watched the hatred behind his eyes flare. This man has hated both of his children. But the emotion was gone in a flash, and he considered her words. “No. No, I don’t smell anyone near here. Do you sense anyone close using magic?”
Verity closed her eyes and I could feel her magic prodding against the shield.
But I used my own to project the image of the wall behind me to her.
Hopefully, if it worked, she would only see the solid wall behind me, and not that I hid in the shadows.
I held my breath as I waited for her to make her declaration.
She forced more power into the probing, making sure they were alone before her eyes opened.
“There’s no one around.” I breathed slowly out and closed my eyes in relief.
Nix snorted. She couldn’t feel us. You would think that her power would recognize ours.
Thankfully. Megan bumped into Nix. It’s a good thing that she isn’t strong enough to find us.
I agreed silently as my eyes tracked everyone there.
But my eyes kept jumping back to Verity and Garith.
I kept searching their faces and matching similar facial features to my father.
To my own. I shivered when I realized that Verity and I shared the same nose. I had Garith’s lips.
Luna Brittney came around the corner. “The ceremony is in five minutes. You all have to get to you spots.”
Brandon turned to Vince. “I don’t want to do this.”
Vince opened his mouth but Garith stepped up to Brandon and clapped him on his shoulder. “You either do this…or I kill you for ruining the brotherhood’s plans and your parents have another pup to start over.”
I grabbed a tray of champagne flutes and stood at the end of the walkway, allowing guests to grab a drink before they found their seats.
Brandon was reluctantly standing at the end of the path next to a priestess.
Derek stood beside him, and I watched as he leaned over to whisper something in Brandon’s ear.
Another Omega walked over to take my now empty tray and to hand me a full one. “Are you okay here?” Her voice was soft, but I could hear the tremble in it.