Edward POV
Winston is pacing the floor of the South pack house living room. His anger is palpable. Normally he is the calm one, but now he is losing his cool. Mom has gone too far, and I am afraid of what this means. A line has been crossed and I don't think Winston will ever recover. The way she commanded us to sit when she was grilling Macy was cruel and uncalled for.
"Would you stop pacing?" Mom snaps at him.
A threatening growl comes from Winston's lips, and Dad jumps to his feet. He tackles Winston to the ground and snarls in his face.
I wait for Winston to submit, but he doesn't. Snarls fill the living room, and I can see Winston's claws slipping from his fingers. If I don't break this up, Winston will kill him.
Father must realize it as well because he is attempting to pull Dad off Winston. Dad throws Father off of him, and he flies across the room. I let a growl rip from my chest, and everyone in the room freezes.
I grab Dad by the shoulder and pull him off Winston. He shuffles back and helps Father to his feet, but his eyes don't leave Winston.
Mom jumps to her feet and stands between us. "Everyone needs to calm down."
"Calm down," Winston scoffs. "You have imprisoned our mate!"
"I saved you," Mom shouts back. "I saved this realm."
"Mom," I sigh. "Winston and I were never planning on being the kings of the werewolf kingdom. I have been looking for the Immortal Realm."
"No," Mom shouts. "This is your birthright. You will do your duty."
"Then why haven't you told the rest of the Kingdom that we are lycans?" I demand to know.
Mom grits her teeth together. "There is a stigma around lycans. These things need to be done carefully."
"Are you even hearing yourself?" Winston growls. "You sound like the biggest hypocrite."
"Macy's situation is different," she replies quickly. "Fae are dangerous."
"Exactly how is my daughter dangerous?" Alpha Kai snarls from the doorway.
Alpha Kaden is right behind him, but Luna Tish is nowhere to be seen. Neither of the Alpha twins look happy, and I don't blame them. What my mother has done is abhorrent.
"Your daughter is not of this realm," Mom says with her head held high. "We have to protect werewolves and humans from her magic."
"Then let her leave!" Alpha Kai shouts. "Let her return to the Immortal Realm."
"She belongs to my sons," Mom says. "She stays where they stay. You know of the prophecy."
"Raven," Dad sighs. "I think I agree with our sons."
Mom looks at Father for help, but he refuses to meet her gaze. "You are treating Macy like property. Have you forgotten what you were like at eighteen? You would have never allowed anyone to call you property."
"What else would you have me do?" Mom cries. "Let her leave this realm and hope the world doesn't burn when my sons don't have their mate. The pressure on my shoulders is immense."
"The solution is simple. Let us all go," Winston groans.
"You are my children," Mom cries. "I cannot let you leave."
"What if Macy is right?" I chime in. "What if the Fae come through the portal looking for Macy?"
"The veil between the realms thins every year," Mom snaps. "If she is so important, why haven't they come for her yet?"
None of us have an answer for that, and the room goes silent.
"We should talk to Nyx," Alpha Kaden says. "She can be reasonable."
"I think Mom burned that bridge," I sigh. "She called her a parasite."
"Goddess, Raven," Dad groans. "You didn't tell us that part."
"I lost my temper," Mom admits. "But it doesn't change anything. I am sorry but Macy cannot be trusted to be free."
"What if we take her to the portal?" Winston pleads. "We will make sure she leaves."
"And give you the chance to disappear with her? I don't think so," Mom snaps.
"You have to do something," I raise my voice. "You can't keep my mate prisoner."
" See," Mom points to me. "Her magic has already started to corrupt. You hated her at the beginning of the week."
"You are blinded by your fear of some stupid prophecy," I groan but Mom does budge. I throw my arms into the air, and glare at my fathers. "Get your mate under control."
Mom gasps and throws the weight of her command over me to keep me from leaving the room. I feel it tugging at my free will, but my lycan, Dever, has taken over my mind. A snarl leaves my lips, and the shift happens.
Alpha Kai and Kaden stare at me with wide eyes. I don't think they were told what we are. I hear bones cracking beside me, and Winston's lycan, Graydon, joins me at my side.
Everyone but Mom backs away from us. "I forbid you to leave this pack house in that form."
A haunting chuckle comes from Graydon. "We are done hiding."
His imposing form walks on two legs out of the living room. The sound of the door being ripped off its hinges fills the silence.
"You did this," Dever growls at Mom.
I run after Graydon and see a crowd has gathered outside the pack house, but he is nowhere to be seen. The members of the South Pack are in shock. No one dares to move for fear that I might attack them.
"Kneel before your future king," Dever commands. The crowd's fear is fueling his anger.
One by one, everyone drops to their knees. Tears stream down their cheeks. They will never accept Winston and me. Fear us; yes. But never accept or respect us.
Dever lifts his nose into the air and lets out a howl. In the distance, Graydon returns my call. I head in his direction, not caring about the pack I just brought to their knees.
Dropping onto all fours, I race toward Graydon. We have to get out of the Human Realm, even if that means leaving Macy behind.
Suddenly, the shadow of a silver wolf appears before me. Her form is flickering in and out of focus. I instantly know this is Nyx.
"Go North West until the trees are too large to be real. Shift into your lycan, and the magic will guide you from there," Nyx instructs. " Once you make it through the portal, head North to the Fae castle. Tell Cassian I have failed."
Nyx disappears from the night, and I shift back into my human form. Winston joins me at my side.
"If we do that, they will come for Macy," I whisper. "The prophecy will come true. The ruin and destruction will all be at our hands."
"I am not leaving her here," Winston growls. "I love her."
"We head North West," I sigh.
"Do we say goodbye to Macy?" Winston asks.
"No. We leave now. Nyx will tell her where we have gone."