The silence in my head was welcomed.
Avery's head shot at Natasha and I saw blood drain from her face as she grew pale under Avery's intense gaze.
" You're a witch. Cant you find out who it was?"
Natasha looked at me pleadingly. But I leaned back and crossed my arms over my chest. Karma is a bitch.
" I'm sorry, Avery, not all witches know each other... I could look around if you'd like me to but I'm telling you, the chances of finding the witch are low"
" Please, just see what you can do. If we find the witch responsible perhaps they can help us stop the marriage,"
Ouch.
I didn't think they would but those words hurt. I never put much thought into the whole marriage. To me it was obvious after my parents explained. They also told me when I was a child that she was a very special girl and that once I had her in my grasp, I would never want to let go. As if they knew we would be mates.
Alpha Dominics words repeated themselves in my mind.
' Tell her the truth. It's the only way.'
I did. Sort of. I left out a tiny detail regarding a tiny contract that may or may not result in our deaths. However, the majority of this conversation has been all truth.
" Avery, we will get married. That's it." Sorry little girl.
" But if-"
"NO. You and I will get married. End of discussion. There is not other way." I was losing my temper. It wasn't Avery's fault. It was everything else going on, but she was about to be the recipient of my rage.
" WHY! If we can find another way around this, we don't have to get married!"
We were both standing at this point. Me towering over her and her hands flying everywhere while she spoke. She was mad too.
" BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY AROUND THIS. YOU WILL MARRY ME THAT'S IT!"
What the fuck was happening?
Avery's eyes lowered and she cowered back... I had used my alpha tone, not thinking it would work but it was the one I used in serious matters. Why was it working on her?
Avery sat back down on the couch and kept her eyes at her feet.
" Avery... fuck,"
" I'm sorry. There just isn't anything we can do. Not right now at least."
Everyone else had pushed themselves as far back into the couches as possible. Their eyes touched the floors as well, except for Natasha's. She wasn't a wolf so she wasn't affected like the others were. She only felt the power of my voice.
But Avery. Now that was a mystery.
" Please look at me."
"WHAT THE FUCK?" Alex exclaimed in a not so subtle tone. Dumbass.
Everyone's eyes widened and Lydia's and Amber's hands flew to their mouths.
When Avery looked up at me. Her nose was bleeding and her eyes were white again. Completely, eggshell, no iris, white.
"what's happening?"
I asked no one in particular.
Slowly but surely, Averys eyes turned back to their normal, honey brown color.
She looked at me and in her eyes were so many emotions swimming around. Anger, sadness, confusion and shame. She squinted her eyes and shook her head in disbelief.
" I wasn't affected. By your command. I didn't want to back down. But a voice in my head yelled at me." She spoke like a child. With a soft and quiet voice. She was scared, in fact, she looked terrified.
" What did the voice say, sweetheart?" Natasha asked her in a soft manner.
" He yelled for me to submit. I couldn't fight it."
She cast her eyes down again, looking ashamed.
I looked back at Natasha hoping she would have an answer. However I was met with her eyes nearly bulging out of her head and she was lost for words.
Really? You always have a snide, bitchy thing to say but now you choose to lose your voice? I thought to myself.
Amber grabbed a napkin from the table and handed it to Avery so that she could wipe her nose.
Who was that voice? How could someone inside her mind command her to do things? As if she was not in control of her own body nor mind. She didn't have a wolf. Her eyes had turned this way once before when we were speaking earlier but Avery didn't say much about it.
We need to figure out what was going on, or this could turn disastrous.
" Wait a minute-" Avery's angelic voice broke me from my thoughts and all my attention went back to her.
" My parents were werewolves. Does that mean I am one to? The spell that was put on me, you never told me about why it was cast,"
Oh fuck me.
" When your mother was abducted, she was...raped by her captor. Your biological father. The witch who put the spell on you, did so to strip you of your powers. Of your wolf. You're not a wolf Avery. I'm sorry but they took that away from you."
With the last words came spits of venom. I was seething. The thought of punishing an innocent child for something that was not in her control. And the witch responsible was sitting in this room.
Had she had her wolf she would have been stronger, she would have been able to protect herself. She would have known I was her mate.
I looker over at Natasha who was squirming in her seat under my gaze. Good.
I remembered my uncle Carlos telling me about why he asked Natasha.
He said my parents wanted a witch that could be trusted. But what difference would that have made?
The result would be the same. Avery would be without identity either way.
" Who is my dad?" Her smooth voice broke my thoughts once again. Probably for the better. I was feeling this eagerness to rip of Natashas head.
I shook my head and took her hand
" I don't know. No one does really. Except for your mother." I answered her truthfully.
Who her biological father was, was unbeknown to all of us.
" She said it was because of revenge."
I saw the tears slipping from her eyes. I knew what she was thinking.
" Whatever reason that it happened, at least something pure came from it. I can only imagine how horrible it must have been for your mother, but you're here, and you're safe. You may have been made out of vengeance, but that doesn't define you. You are your own person, and we will all help you figure out who that is."
She smiled up at me. She wrapped her hands around my neck and leaned in, hugging me, while placing her face in my neck.
" Thank you," It was merely a whisper. But I heard her loud and clear.
' Told you, you don't have be a jackass'
Don't go telling me 'I told you so' yet. This fight isn't over
After the meeting was done, the sun had set outside.
" Hey, are you tired?" I wanted to take Avery on a little walk around the territory and talk to her about everything that had happened.
" Yeah a little bit, why?"
" I was thinking we could take a walk." She nodded her head and so I grabbed her hand. After bidding everyone goodbye I realized I needed to speak with Natasha without any extra ears.
"Why don't you go wait downstairs and I'll be right there?"
"Sure."
Avery stepped out of the room alongside Lydia and Amber and I watched as she turned down the corridor.
As if knowing I needed to speak with her, Natasha stayed seated on the couch. I closed the door and locked it before walking over and pouring myself another drink.
Anytime I was speaking with this woman, I needed something strong to calm my nerves.
" This is bad James." My head snapped to Natasha who had a serious look going. She never batted an eyelash, but right now I could sense some fear radiating from her.