~Avery's POV~
Alena and I were sitting on her porch. After she told me that her son was my father, making her my grandmother, I was stunned. I didn't speak or react for fifteen minutes. Alena had brought me coffee with milk and sugar and put it on the table. I took a sip and opened my mouth but closed it again. This same procedure carried on for another five minutes before I found my voice again.
"How?" That was all I asked.
"Love, that's how. Love is the most powerful feeling there ever was. It is from love that hate is born, and it is with love that we can truly live. However, losing love means losing a part of yourself, and for some people, it means losing all of yourself. This is a pain that not many can handle." I nodded my head as I took another sip of my coffee. I licked my lips and looked at Alena.
"Why?" I asked.
"That's the real question, isn't it? Because for a child to grow up without love, they choose to hang on to anything they can. In my son's case it was hate and revenge. It has consumed him and unfortunately, only death can save him." I looked at her baffled. She just said that her own son had to die.
"It's not easy, Avery. He is my son but I also know what threat he poses to so many people. An entire species will die on his hands if he doesn't die first."
"And mine." I said. Alena had told me how he was going to use my witch genes and manipulate the werewolf gene, tyingme to every werewolf in the country, he had worked on this plan for the last eighty years and perfected every part. They would all die on his hands, but also on mine.
"Yes, but you can stop him, only you can kill him, Avery." I bit my lip, letting everything sink in.
"Why do you look so familiar?" I asked her. She giggled and then a bright smile lit up her face.
"I actually have two grandchildren." That smile, I had seen that smile before, but where?
"Who is your other grandchild?"
"Natasha." She answered.
"WHAT?" And suddenly everything fell into place
Natasha's father, her mate died, she ran. Ever since the beginning, she has been nothing but kind and helpful towards me and nothing like what they all said that she would be like.
Because she was my sister. Natasha and I shared the same father.
"Holy shit." I said in an exhale.
"Language, dear." I coughed and cleared my throat realizing my mistake.
"Sorry." I said with a small smile. She smiled back at me.
"You seem to give me every answer I ask for, why is that?"
"So that you're not too surprised when he does." She replied.
"What do you mean?" I asked with furrowed eyebrows. If I kept furrowing my eyebrows this much, I would have wrinkles before I turned twenty.
"Once it begins and you come face to face with him, you will already have all the answers, so nothing he says will break your focus. He will use the information that he doesn't know you have in order to make you lose control, to make you vulnerable, to make you weak."
I understood where she was coming from, but how am I meant to carry on knowing all of this?
"It's okay if I talk about this with the others, right?" Alena looked down at her hands before answering my question.
"They already know. James has known for a while and the others found out just a while ago. But, Avery, no sweetheart, you can't speak of this to anyone. Everything has to be a surprise for my son. The less that knows the better." Alena looked through the window to her house where a clock was hanging.
"It's almost time for you to leave," she spoke as her eyes faltered.
"It has been a pleasure meeting you, Avery, and I can assure you that this is not the last time we will be seeing each other. Remember to keep all of this a secret. In the near future, you'll make a choice and I know that you will choose right. Just believe in yourself and believe in the people around you. Natasha made James promise not to tell you anything, for the same reason that you can't tell anybody, this is a secret that is best stayed hidden, for your safety above all else." I didn't want to leave her, she's my grandmother, I just met her and was already sad about leaving, my parents couldn't wait to get rid of me and my father only created me to be a killing machine, it was nice to have a family member who actually cared about you.
"Thank you for everything, Alena. It was a pleasure meeting you too." We both stood up and embraced each other in a big warm hug that ended way too soon. I wiped away the tears that were falling and looked at her, memorizing her facial features.
"Goodbye, Alena." I said as I was about to turn around and leave. Alena shook her head and grabbed my hands in hers.
"Until next time, Avery." I smiled and walked away. As I stepped off the porch Alena called from behind me.
"And, Avery, please, stay safe." She said with fear in her eyes.
"I will do my best." I couldn't tell her that I promised because that would be a lie. All I could say to comfort her, were those words, that I would do my best. I had too much to lose in dying, and too many to lose by losing.