Athena's POV
The moment I walked past my family and mates my stomach began to churn. I had killed my sister, the baby in which shared mum's womb and the girl I was once inseparable from. Though those memories now replaced with nightmares. She had been my biggest tormentor, the one to make me hate myself the most. Rounding the corner, I could hear Axels screams as the mate bond he had with Vanessa snapped. I had forgotten he would feel the pain of her death, though a small slither of me felt he deserved it. I remember Uncle Nick telling us how it felt when he lost Aunt Marie. He said the pain was so intense he felt as though he couldn't breathe. That every part of him ached, his heart broken, and a feeling of emptiness consumed him. It wasn't something he had ever wished on anyone, except the man that took his mate from him. That's how I felt about Vanessa. She took everything from me, my mate, my chance to give him a first born and a love that would have been epic. The mate bond kept my feelings for Axel alive, but with everything that has happened I wasn't sure whether I loved him or not. Whereas Hector I can say with certainty that I loved him.
Running into the bathroom and locking the door I barely made it to the sink before the contents of my stomach reappeared. Was it the pregnancy or was it what I had done finally sinking in that made me feel this way? I wanted to hide away from the consequences I knew I would now face but I refused to give anyone else that power over me. The decision I made was one based on pure anger and hatred, and now I wished I'd thought it through first. The council of elders wouldn't be pleased with what I've done and would likely want to punish me to save face. To remind others that their rules are final.
'Don't think like this' this had been the first time in a while that Venus had spoken to me. She had been there the whole time just silently watching, no advice to give, nothing.
'How can I not. She may have been a traitor, a bully, and an evil sadistic whore, but she was still their daughter, my sister and his mate'
'Athena... it needed to be done. She was a threat. One that had gotten away with too much. Yes, she was their daughter and yes, no matter what they would love her, but it didn't change the fact they were still going to hand her over to the council. The council would have prolonged her suffering so take comfort in that you got closure while ending her life quickly' closure? Is she for real right now? I didn't need closure I needed revenge. I needed to know she could never hurt me again, would never hurt anyone again.
Venus just lowered her head, nothing she could say right now would make me feel any better. Once I was sure my stomach had settled, I rinsed my mouth out and headed back to the packhouse. I didn't know how much time I had left before bitch number two would arrive, but I needed to find out more about this power channelling. I found Hector in the library, his eyes puffy and tired while he tried to focus on whatever book he held in front of himself.
"Hector?" He wouldn't even look at me. What had I done to upset him? Vanessa wasn't his mate not since he rejected her.
"Athena don't. I just want to deal with the witch nothing else" his words were cold just like the look he gave me. Walking around beside him I went to reach for his hand, but he pulled away from me.
"Why are you being like this?" A cold shiver shot through me at the rejection.
"Seriously? Why do you think?"
"Well I don't know Hector that's why I'm asking"
"When you killed your sister did you not think about the repercussions? Did you not care what pain it would cause me? What that pain could have done to our unborn pup?"
"What are you talking about? She was his mate not yours" I was getting extremely agitated; he was acting like I should already know.
"We are bonded to him Athena. He feels pain so do we. When he felt that bond break it was like a knife to my chest. His pain became my pain. Did you not feel it?" He gave me a look of pure disgust before shaking his head and looking back down at his book. I hadn't felt any pain, yet I knew what he said was true. If you were marked and your mate was in pain, we would feel it to. How was it possible for me to have not felt it?
'I took it all. You have suffered enough Athena, so I took every ounce for you. You know my back story, what I went through in my previous life. I'm no stranger to pain and I would take every bit of it if it meant you wouldn't. If it meant our pup would be ok' Venus didn't even raise her head, instead she just retreated further into the back of my mind. A feeling of guilt flooded into me; how could I have been so inconsiderate to those around me.
"Hector I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking straight. All I could see was her and him together. We trusted him, I trusted him and he threw it back at us all for one more fuck with her"
"She was his mate Athena. Regardless of the circumstances they were marked and mated. He didn't cheat. You know how much it took for me to accept him, and you know that if I even had an inkling, he had been unfaithful I'd have the bond severed. The only person he ever cheated on was Vanessa, and that was with us. They may not have been fated mates, but they were still bonded before the three of us. Remember what your mum said when your heat finished? How every time Axel kissed, touched or even fucked us before he marked us it caused your sister pain. We didn't feel that pain because HE DID NOT CHEAT. Yes, I'm fucked off that he fucked her after everything but how can we possibly hold it against him? You know as well as I do how powerful the bond is. I'm not condoning his actions at all, but we can't abandon him for it. Don't get me wrong I'm not going to roll over and let his poor decision slide, but technically all he did was be with his mate. One that just wasn't us"
"Ok, I'm sorry!" I just stood there for a few minutes in silence. We had never fought before so this was all new to me. I didn't know what to say or do. I could cope with anyone else in this miserable world hating me, but not Hector. We had always been close, ever since we were pups so all I wanted was us to be ok again. "So... what are you reading?" I asked taking a seat opposite him, he wanted space fine I'd give him space, but I wasn't going to walk away.
"Your mum was right. The power can be shared between mates. But too much can kill. You're not going to be the one to wield it and neither is Axel. This is something I need to do"
"What? No Hector. You just said to much power can kill the one that holds it. You're not dying for anyone"
"I'll be fine. If you hold it with the power, you already obtain and along with that of our pups you'd be dead within minutes. If Axel holds it with how unpredictable his wolf and emotions are it would be a fucking apocalypse. I'm doing this and I'm not asking for your permission" he slammed the book shut as he stood and turned to walk away. Grabbing his arm, he stopped.
"Please Hector..."
"You didn't think before you acted Athena. I get you were hurting, and I get that you felt everything was lost to you. But you could have come to me. We could have talked it through. We're mates Athena, fucking mates. I'm always on your side, always have been. But not this time. Your parents are beside themselves. Not only have they lost one daughter but now they risk losing you. I risk losing you. I love you so fucking much and the mere thought of losing you kills me. If the council find out it was you that took Vanessa's life, they will punish you. And if you think they will care that your pregnant then I'm sorry but you're an idiot. You acted without thinking what effect this would have on me, on your family. I'm sorry Athena I am, but right now all I want is to deal with the high priestess and then I think we need space. The stress isn't good for the pup and us together right now is stressful for both of you"