Alastair:
“Bodies have been dropping like flies over the last week and the increase in so-called animal attacks have increased as well,” Toran announced at the table as we sat down at one of my more higher-end restaurants.
The Veil, the restaurant was called; a namesake of our large town. On this night I decided to buy out the restaurant for the night to treat not only my active pack members but their family as well. For the night, the whole of Shadow Veil’s wolf pack would have a night fine dining. It was the least I could do for all the high-stress situations we’d been placed in of late.
When Toran informed me of the increase in attacks, it was almost a confirmation of Valene’s presence in or near Shadow Veil. My daughter…Valene.
It was still a shock to the system to find that Merari and I actually shared a child. What was even more amazing was the fact that it was someone as special as Valene.
I hadn’t even told Harlyn yet. I convinced myself that it was because she had already been traumatized by the fact that Valene was alive; telling her that Valene, was, in fact, her sister, would be extremely overwhelming. However, a part of me knew that it was more to it than that. How on earth was I supposed to tell Harlyn, that the girl that she’d known all these years was her sister? I couldn’t even wrap my head around it.
“Focus, Wade,” said my counterpart, interrupting my barrage of thoughts. “We can worry about our family life later. Right now we have a bigger problem to worry about.”
And he was right, we did. The attacks around Shadow Veil was causing its people to start to feel unsafe.
“Has anyone heard from Ares and his pack?” I asked as I had heard very little from the alpha since our little spat a while ago.
Toran shrugged. “He comes and goes,” he said. “The boy is in a dark place, and that dark place has led him to a one-track mind of vengeance. Lately, I find it more beneficial to let him go as he pleases rather than leash him. I’ve told Almeida to keep me informed on him, though. I can tell that the beta is worried about his brother.”
“Who wouldn’t be?” I replied. I too, was worried about Ares and I knew that Toran was as well. “Keep me updated on the boy, Toran.”
“Of course,” he replied.
“We really could use the lycan pack here in Shadow Veil if I’m being honest,” said John. “But far be it from me to interfere with his hunt. Although, I’m sure there is one way to get him back.”
Both Toran and I already seemed to know what he was thinking before he could say it. “I am not telling him about Valene,” I said without hesitation. I refused to lure him back with the reality of her being alive and not even knowing what mental state she was in. Although, Merari made it quite clear that she was not in the most sane state of mind.
“Fine,” hissed John. “But the fact of the matter is, we need help. These beasts are not like the ones of old, Alastair. They’re stronger, faster, and I daresay smarter. We’re doing all that we can to combat it,” said John. “There’s little else that we can do outside what we’ve already been doing.”
“We’ll just have to work double time to make sure that everyone is safe. I will call in a few favors,” I said. “Get someone to watch over things on the business sense of things while I join in on the hunt. All hands on deck is the best way to go.”
“Exactly,” said John. “All hands on deck, and I think that should include everyone else in the town, Wade.”
John Minken was a tactical expert. He didn’t just strategize around our pack and our capabilities but every single able-bodied person in Shadow Veil. He’d mentioned a long time ago that he thought the other members of our town could pull more of ther wait. It was a thought, but I had forgotten about it soon after he mentioned it. At the time Shadow Veil wasn’t in the crisis that it had found recently and I assume that’s why John didn’t bother mentioning it again after we spoke about it the first time. Lately, however, it was a different story. There was justifiable cause for concern, and my Delta had an idea on how to combat it.
“Listen, I’ve been observing the town’s perimeter, and its weakest points. The mages, they can reinforce the more vulnerable parts of the town with protective barriers. The shifters can scout in the sky, make sure that our perimeters are clear, and the vampires,” He grimaced. “Well, I say it’s about time Lucious made himself useful around here. They’re an extremely powerful coven who does nothing but laze about, getting dunk on the blood of their slaves. The least they could do is help defend the comfortable lifestyle we’ve afforded them.”
Nothing that John said was disagreeable; when it came to tactical measures, he was rarely wrong. Still, Lucious was a tricky ally to have. He was more invested in his personal interests than anything going on in the town and so far the attacks have done very little to affect his coven. Still, I knew when it came down to it, I almost sure that he’d be there if I needed him. One thing that Lucious loved above all was displaying his power.”
“Are we sure that we want to include Lucious? He’s…not the most trustworthy ally,” said Talon, visibly doubtful of the idea of going to the coven for help.
“Lucious may be a lot of things,” I said. “But he does love this town, and if I have to call on him, I know he’ll be there.”
“Whatever you say,” replied Toran after a moment of seemingly dubious silence. He’d obviously hadn’t decided whether he trusted Lucious to be as reliable as I thought him to be. “Strange relationship you two have always had,” he commented.
“It’s an understanding,” I clarified. “Besides, Lucious saved my life once or twice, and I his,” I told my beta and delta who already knew this, but I thought it was worth reminding them. After a moment of silent eating, I decided to decree John’s idea. “We’ll have a meeting at the town hall tomorrow afternoon. I expect all town leaders to be in attendance but no one else. The smaller the crowd the more tameable they’ll be. We’ll leave it up to the leaders themselves to relay the message to their people.”
“And what if they refuse?” asked Toran. “What if they do not wish to involve themselves or cooperate?”
John sighed. “That is true. Some people may have decided that they this problem has nothing to do with them-”
“This crisis has everything to do with them!” I hissed. “They’re already involved by association alone. John’s right, the wolf pack cannot be the only ones that feels the need to protect our home. “When I make the announcement, it will be law. There will be no refusal without condemnation,” I said. “And I will make that very clear when the time comes.”
The conversation tapered off after my declaration, alluded to less stressful situations. The families were seated at the front of the restaurant while the more integral members were seated at the back; which only consisted of John, Toran, and myself. The other active pack members didn’t need to hear about our plans until it was officially announced later. So, our conversation couldn’t be heard which was how I wanted it to be. Those who needed to be concerned for the time being were right where they needed to be.
“So,” John initiated. “Merari,”
The name itself made me stop eating. I could see Toran pausing from my peripheral. We both should have known that the subject would arise sooner or later. “What about her?”
“Valene’s mother?” he asked curiously. She made that known before I could, the night that I came to see Harlyn at the medical center.
“Yes,” I replied. “She is.”
“And you know her.”
John was getting at something, I could tell. I’m not sure that I liked the path that he was taking. “I do,”
“Intimately,” assumed my delta, and he wasn’t wrong.
I looked up at him, a grimace catching my expression. “What are you getting at, delta?” I asked, subtly reminding him to remember who he was and remember who he was talking to.
I already knew where John was going with this line of questioning, though. I’m sure we all did. My delta was in love with my beloved Caris, and he seemed to have already put two and two together that there was infidelity at some point in our relationship.
“I think we both know what I’m getting at, alpha,” John said in a mocking manner, practically letting me know that he knew very well who he was talking to. Since he was giving me space to assume that I didn’t know at all what he was talking about, I started to evade his question, but John was quicker than that. “She’s your daughter too,” the delta accused.
“Delta,” Toran tried to interfere with the line of questioning. “There’s no need to-”
“I think there is though,” said John insistently.
“John, you’re treading on thin ice,” I stated impatiently as I took another bite of my rare filet mignon.
“Alastair, those attacks started around the same time Merari came to town looking for the vassal daughter of yours. I think that this is the one subject that absolutely cannot be avoided.”
Once he worded it that way; a way seeming that he wasn’t just trying to confirm that I had cheated on his best friend and the woman that he’d loved two decades ago, I knew that I had to speak further on it.
“I won’t even hold it against you…you know, the part of you cheating on Caris,” he noted snidely. “As much as it pains me to say it, I think there is a bigger conundrum that needs to be addressed.”
He was right. I had to tell the truth of what happened between Merari and myself. Maybe in voicing it aloud, I, too would be able to come to terms with the reality of who Valene was to me, and the fact that the love of my life had come back into the picture.
“When Caris and myself were going through difficult times, we both veered off the path of fidelity. I…shamelessly sought my pleasures in other avenues-ones considered taboo, I daresay.”
“She’s a human…isn’t she?” asked John. “Her scent is strong and…sweet, just like that daughter of yours.”
“I don’t know what she is, John. I do know that she was once a human. She was during the time that I had the pleasure of knowing her.”
“She must have been something for you to actually have a child with her,” said John. In truth, I wasn’t sure whether he was being petty or genuine, though I would bet on the former.
“I knew nothing about the child,” I quickly clarified. “I am just as surprised as you are that she’s mine.”
“There something more to it though, isn’t it?” John asked. “Merari isn’t just some female that you had entanglement with is she?” my delta asked in a seemingly knowing way. “You would never have been so careless concerning Caris. So who is she really?”
I sighed, “In all the years of my life, I never thought I’d love anyone besides Caris. Regardless of the fact that I had never found my true mate. I was convinced that the myth of true mates was just that-a myth. I could never feel a love so strong as when I was with that woman.” I shook my head as I thought about how once so foolish my mind was. “Then I met a human…a woman that…actually took my breath away.” I remembered the moment that I first saw Merari as if it was yesterday. “The night that I met my true mate.”