13. CHAPTER 13
These last two weeks, Helia and I have spent every moment together when she wasn’t working. We’ve brainstormed ideas on how to best tackle our current predicament. When we weren’t having sex, we talked about each other, using the opportunity to get to know one another.
The more time I spent with her, the more determined I got to find a solution to our problem. The witches and the wolves don’t need to be enemies. We can co-exist. Of course, there would have to be certain rules established, but if we do things well, it could work.
Humans do it all the time with all the countries they have, societies, and organizations. We wolves have kingdoms as well, plus we are separated by the continents. If I understand Helia correctly, the witches aren’t that different. They have their covens and alliances. As far as I can tell, we’re all the same, just that we use different names.
I enter the Grey Manor’s dining room. A quick glance around the table tells me that I’m not the last one to arrive. While Graham, Gavin, Leia, Mother, and Father are already seated, Garren and Alyssa haven’t arrived yet. I can’t say that I’m surprised because Garren has never been known for his punctuality.
“Hi,” I say in their general direction, not bothering to go around the table and greet them one by one.
My mother gives me a big smile that warms my heart. She’s the only one who I can say for sure will love Helia. I wish I could be a better son for her, but that’s just not who I am. I’ll never be a fighter like Gavin, or a tech whiz like Graham, or simply a firstborn son like Garren. I’m our family’s black sheep which is a role I embraced a long time ago. Surprising enough, even that I had to fight Garren for. It might’ve been the only battle that I’ve ever won. Either way, my mistakes have never stopped my mother from loving me. She is without a doubt the kindest soul that has ever lived.
Unfortunately, Gavin has already claimed the seat next to Mother. My Father’s on her other side, so that leaves me either sitting next to Leia or Graham. I like Leia just fine, but I’m in no mood for small talk.
Graham tears his gaze from his phone when I slide the chair out, but that’s about all the attention I get from him, which suits me perfectly. At some point, I will have to talk to my family about Helia, but I don’t know how to start the topic. It’s not like I can just tell them that we need to end the war because I’m dating a witch, and fighting could ruin my chances of getting laid.
Garren and Alyssa pick that moment to saunter into the dining room like they own the place.
He is the king now, you know,my wolf comments, picking at my irritation.
Garren walks to his usual place at the opposite head of the table when Father stands up from his chair and says, “No, Son. This is your seat now.”
Is this really happening? I ask my wolf, unable to believe my own eyes. My Father is offering his throne-like seat to Garren, which means that Mother would have to move as well to make space for the commoner queen.
“Please,” Father says with a proud smile on his face. He’s mellowed down in these last few months. “I insist. You’ve done an amazing job in a relatively short amount of time. Our people love you. Both of you. They love a queen that still goes to work, albeit part-time, and they love a king who knows how to delegate to get more work done. Consider me impressed.”
For fuck’s sake,I mutter to my wolf, who’s been rendered speechless by this whole scene.
Garren looks around the table, his gaze landing on me last. I narrow my eyes at him, unable to hide my disapproval. My lips are pressed into a thin line to keep me from saying something that would get me in trouble. Under the table, I clench my hands into fists, digging my nails into my thighs.
“Thank you, Father, but that’s okay,” Garren tells him. The bastard actually has the nerve to reject Father’s generous offer. “There’ll be plenty of time for that later. We’re amongst family, so there’s no need for a formal seating chart.”
Garren takes a chair next to Leia and pulls it out for Alyssa. I roll my eyes, just imagining the conversations those two will have.
“How’s the pregnancy going?” Alyssa asks Leia, speaking for the first time. I wouldn’t mind if she remained quiet for the rest of the evening.
“It’s harder than I thought,” Leia replies with a soft chuckle. “He seems to have developed a love for kicking me in the kidneys.”
Gavin reaches over and takes his wife’s hands in his. “Our little warrior. Isn’t she glowing? I keep on telling her that she’s radiant.”
“That’s one of the few good parts of pregnancy,” Mother joins the conversation, leaning forward to look at Leia.
“Don’t even get me started about the ankles,” Leia lightly complains. “I’m scared to think just how much they’ll hurt if they’re already swelling now.”
Please kill me now,I beg my wolf.
Is it me or was the dinner with humans a lot more fun?my wolf wonders, making me wish that we were back in San Francisco.
Even Liam doesn’t seem too bad compared to this crowd,I agree, and my wolf snorts.
“I have a couple of ideas for that,” Mother tells her, helpful as always. “You don’t get to carry four boys without any tricks up your sleeve.”
“I’d really appreciate it,” Leia says, tucking a strand of her ashen-white hair behind her ear as she turns to Alyssa. “I’ll be happy to share them with you once it’s your turn.”
Garren chokes on his food and begins coughing violently. Alyssa immediately jumps to attention, patting his back several times.
Let him choke,I joke, saying it to my wolf because even I know they wouldn’t appreciate this piece of dark humor.
Darkness might be our ability, but it definitely stayed out of every other part of our life. In my case, even the power itself never truly manifested. If my physical looks weren’t like my brothers’, I would’ve thought I was adopted.
We have other skills that some might consider more useful,my wolf says, trying to encourage me as always. Besides, we want to stop the war not fight in it.
Yeah,I agree, without bothering to hide the disappointment because he has access to every part of us anyway. Including the one that has no idea about what skills he’s referring to. All we’re good at is spending Father’s money. That and charming the ladies.
I haven’t done anything that would make my father proud. I barely even graduated from the Academy, and even that was because my parents donated a shitload of money after I got in trouble for the umpteenth time.
“I’m okay,” Garren forces out, color returning to his face. “Thanks.”
Gavin and Garren exchange amused glances. They’re all being happy and enjoying their lives. It’s not right. It’s not fair that Gavin can be with Leia, even though she’s from another family because she’s of royal blood, and it’s not fair that Garren can be with Alyssa, despite her being a fucking commoner simply because she’s a wolf.
It’s not fucking fair.
“I can’t take it anymore!” I yell and slam the palm of my hand against the table. All heads turn my way and I’m aware that I’m making a scene, but I don’t fucking care. “Are you all fucking crazy? Are we seriously having a dinner with a fucking commoner like it’s nothing? Are we really voluntarily, and outside of an official event, sharing a meal with a foreign queen?”
“Careful,” Gavin growls.
Heads up,my wolf warns just in time for me to turn and see Garren rushing at me. He grabs me by the collar of my shirt and throws me against the wall with the pure force of a wolf. The impact dazes me, my head hurting like the day that I met Helia with my first hangover. I don’t trust myself to get up, but I do gather enough strength to lean on my left elbow, my eyes fixed on the floor as I try to sort out how I feel.
“First, you’re going to apologize to my wife, who is also your queen. You’re going to beg her forgiveness, and only if she chooses to grant it to you, you will have an opportunity to explain to us what the fuck is going on with you,” Garren says with a low voice, his hands clenched in fists so hard that his knuckles have turned white. He’s shaking with cold anger that I haven’t seen on him in a very long time. “If you get through all that, then you’re going to get your shit together and quit partying every night. I can honestly tell you that it leads nowhere but to rock bottom.”
They have no idea that we haven’t been to a party since we met Helia,my wolf growls, sounding upset that no one’s been paying attention. I remind him that it’s a good thing, otherwise they’d already know about my witch business.
I shake my head to clear the ringing in my ears and the slightly blurry vision, but Garren must’ve taken it as a sign of defiance. He takes a step forward, positioning himself to kick me. I shut my eyes and brace myself, but his foot never lands. I open my eyes again and see Alyssa kneeling next to me.
“While, under normal circumstances, I would demand an apology and even encourage an appropriate punishment to make sure this doesn’t happen again, I don’t believe that this will work here,” she tells me, her voice so gentle that I can’t look at her and turn my eyes downward. “You’re going to tell us what’s on your mind. You’re going to share with your family the burdens that you’re carrying, and you’re going to lean on them, lean on us, to help you get out of whatever mess you’ve found yourself in.”
I press my lips into a thin line. She’s talking a good game, but they’ll never understand. No one will. I should withdraw the money from the bank, take Helia, and run as far away as we can, hoping that the local coven or the wolves won’t find us first.
“I can’t,” I reply after it’s clear they’ve been waiting for me to say something. I shake my head, looking for words to ask them to let me be. “It’s impossible to explain. You wouldn’t understand. Even I don’t understand it.”
“Try us,” Alyssa says and though her voice is soft and gentle, there’s a hint of challenge behind it.
I glance up when she offers me a hand. I’ve already pushed my luck more than it should be allowed and the only reason why I’m not getting beat up is because she’s giving me a chance.
Maybe we should take it,my wolf suggests.
Not wanting to dig myself an even deeper hole, I take her hand and allow her to help me up. Graham moves my chair a bit closer and I sit down, saying a silent thanks to my wolf for working his healing on my ribs.
“What’s going on?” Alyssa asks me again, looking determined to get to the bottom of it.
You would have to talk to them eventually, my wolf says. Maybe it’s better to do it fast. You know, rip it off like a band-aid or something like that.
The longer we wait, the angrier they will be,I agree, trying to hype myself up and gather the courage to tell the truth.
I scratch my itchy stubble. The stress of the situation’s been getting to me, and I haven’t properly groomed it in days. I look at Garren, who is also my king now.
“I’ve done something bad,” I say, hating myself for sounding embarrassed and apologetic. While I do feel guilty about betraying the wolves, I don’t regret saving Helia’s life. If I had to, I’d do it all over again.
“What did you do, Son?” my father asks me with a grave expression on his face.
With my history, they probably don’t even dare to take a guess. There could literally be millions of things I’ve done, but I’m sure that the one that I’ll tell them now is something that would never cross their minds.
You can do this,my wolf encourages. It’s now or never.
“I’ve warned the witches that you’re coming,” I confess, and though I have to force the words out at first, later they burst out of me like an unstoppable current that’s been held back for far too long. “I didn’t mean for any of the wolves to die, but I also didn’t want her to die. You have to understand that I love her. I know I shouldn’t, but I do.”
The shock on everyone’s faces is enough to get me to stop talking. I try to wait patiently as they process my words, but the silence stretches for far too long. The tension in the air is palpable. Even the dullest of knives would cut through it with ease.
My father’s already dark eyes are now pitch-black as he undoubtedly holds his Darkness at bay to keep himself from killing me on the spot. Graham’s eyes are wide, his arms limp by his sides. The phone is now forgotten in his hand though its screen is still lit. As if I’m an actual threat, Gavin positions himself in front of Leia and their unborn baby. His eyes are assessing my every move. Even the shadows around him have turned darker and thicker. My mother is the only one whose expression didn’t change, her eyes shining with just as much warmth as before my announcement.
“You’re...in love...with...a witch?” Garren asks, his face a picture of disbelief.
Alyssa’s a lot better at hiding her emotions. Her expression is a neutral mask. It must be the Alpha in her.
It’s a good skill for a queen to have,my wolf comments.
Maybe we didn’t give her enough credit,I reply to him.
I lock my eyes with Garren’s, hoping that he can see how sorry I am. My only goal was to keep Helia safe. I didn’t intend to betray them.
“Yes,” I confirm, forcing myself to hold his stare. “You have to believe me that I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
“You warned them that we’re coming!” Garren snaps, thick tentacles of shadow creeping up his arms. “Alpha Jenkins is dead. A lot of good wolves died. Do you understand how serious this is? While we’ve been trying to save our species from extinction, you had the answer for it this whole time.”
Shit,my wolf curses.
If Garren decides to strike me with his powers, there’s nothing I can do to protect myself. My basic education and non-existent fighting skills won’t help me this time.
You have other skills, my wolf reminds me, a hint of urgency in his voice. Use them!
“It’s not like that,” I argue, hoping against hope to make them see my side. Maybe, just maybe, if I tell them about her, they might understand where I’m coming from. “She doesn’t have anything to do with it. She’s nothing like her sister. She’s good, and kind, and compassionate towards all species.”
Garren takes a step toward me, but Gavin stops him, lifting his index finger in the air as his brows furrow in thought.
“Wait a second,” Gavin says, tilting his head to the side ever so slightly as he narrows his eyes at me. “Who exactly is this witch of yours?”
They’re paying attention,my wolf says. This is already going better than we could’ve ever dared to hope for.
“Her name is Helia,” I reply, then shut my eyes to hide myself from the disappointment on everyone’s faces and conjure up the image of her beautiful face instead, taking the strength from her wide smile and her beautiful green eyes. I gather all the courage I possess to finally say, “She’s Hekate’s twin sister.”
With my eyes still closed, I don’t see Garren leave the room but I hear the door slamming shut and Alyssa calling after him, “Garren, wait up!”
The final push,my wolf says encouragingly. It’s now or never.
I take a deep breath and open my eyes to face the rest of my family again. I need to get them on my side. Without their help, Helia and I have no chance of a future together.
“I’m very sorry for everything that happened,” I tell them, my eyes moving from one to another.
Father is angry, Mother is sad, Graham is in shock, and Gavin is looking at me as if he doesn’t know me. Leia’s bright blue eyes are the only ones who look even remotely sympathetic to my situation.
Could be the hormones,my wolf says, keeping a firm lid on our hopes to make sure they don’t get too high.
“Do you love her?” my mother asks, surprising everyone by speaking up. She usually lets my father handle this type of business.
“With all my heart,” I reply without missing a beat. “I don’t know how or when it happened, but it did. Hell, I didn’t even know she was a witch at first. I started hanging out with her to get her out of my head, but the more time I spent with her and her friends, the more I realized that humans and witches aren’t so different from us.”
“For fuck’s sake, Grayden,” Gavin curses with a heavy sigh and runs his fingers through his black hair.
“We can’t pick who we love,” Leia says, hooking her arm through Gavin’s. “It’s the Universe’s biggest mystery.”
“But she’s a filthy witch,” my father hisses. “Even a human would be a thousand times better.”
“Yes, she’s a witch,” I confirm with a nod. “But she’s also a doctor. She works way too many hours in the ER, putting her patients’ well-being above hers. She is gorgeous but she’s too humble to even realize it. She’s kind and caring, willing to risk it all for a stranger without thinking twice about the dangers it might cause her. She’s compassionate and fair, treating everyone as equals. She’s the exact opposite of her sister which is why Hekate needs to be stopped.”
“What do you suggest we do?” Garren asks, entering the dining room with Alyssa in tow.
“I want you to meet her,” I reply. “If after talking to her you still want to sweep this matter under a rug, I’ll have no choice but to let you do it. I’ll leave you to your war and your hate but don’t expect me to stay around or even help you with it. Whatever you decide, I’ll be leaving with Helia.”
Garren’s eyes lock on mine with the intensity of a king. I do my best not to falter. For Helia, I’ll become the alpha my family always wanted me to be. For her, I’ll become a fighter. For her, I’ll leave everything behind and go live among humans.
I sure hope we won’t need to,my wolf chimes in.
“Okay,” Garren says at last with a nod. I’m not sure what he saw in my eyes, but it must’ve convinced him to give us a chance. “We’ll meet with her, but that’s the best I can promise.”
“Us as well,” Gavin says, glancing at Leia, who nods.
My brows furrow as an emotion I’m not used to feeling threatens to overwhelm me. They’re willing to put their hate aside to meet the woman I love. If that’s not family, then I don’t know what is.
For the first time since I found out that Helia’s a witch, I can actually see a sliver of light at the end of this long and dark tunnel. With her by my side, we’ll have a lot better chance to negotiate the peace. Maybe there’s a future for us yet.