Page 6 of The Alpha's Fated Destiny

I stare at her, trying to stay calm.

There’s a lot to unpack and I don’t think I have the mental clarity to deal with it all.

“So, my father is dead, then?” I ask, trying to focus on one thing at a time.

“The item would not have stopped transmitting if he wasn’t,” Elsa replies heavily. “But your mother told me of what happened that night Robert brought them to his home. He attacked and killed your father and then he proceeded to kill his own mate, Noah’s mother. His intention had been to take the Silver Wolf as his mate, but your mother warned him that if he forced his mating mark on her, she would lose her powers. It’s a defense mechanism that all Silver Wolves have inside of them. It’s the Goddess’ way of protecting them from being misused. He tried to play nice with her and win her over but it wasn’t working."

She glances at the still figure of my mother on the bed and sighs, regret in her eyes. "Once Robert realized she would never accept him, he used you to threaten her into sharing her power with him. She was chained to the bed even during birth. She was in so much pain and all my pleas fell on deaf ears. He enjoyed watching her humiliated and in agony. She wanted to hold you once you were born, but he wouldn't let her. He took you away and I saw her soul shatter in front of my eyes. She told me towatch over you, to love you like she would. I did my best, Sophia. I couldn't save my friend but I tried to save you."

There are tears and heartbreak in Elsa's eyes.

I knew my mother must have suffered, but I had no idea of the extent until now. I feel sick to my stomach, and as I gaze at thewoman who gave birth to me. My determination to save her grows even fiercer. I've done the impossible before, and I'll do it again. My mother deserves to live her life happily.

I won't let her die like this.

"What about Noah?" I ask, tightly. "How was he able to use my mother's abilities? What role did Tina play in this?"

I see the way Elsa winces.

"I lived in the pack as you grew up. I wasn't allowed to see you, but I would watch you from afar. You must have been about two or three when I fell for an herbalist in the pack. We never mated but I got pregnant. We lived together till Tina was five. He disappeared one day. I never knew what happened and Robert told me to pretend he never existed. I assumed he had begun to notice my interest in you and had started asking questions. Robert never spared anyone who showed an interest in you."

I lower my gaze to avoid hers, guilt settling in my heart.

Elsa knows me better than anybody.

"Not everything is your fault, Sophia." Her voice is gentle. "You can't blame yourself for each and every thing that happened. Richard was an adult. I warned him but he wouldn't listen. That's not on you."

She's right but it's still a bitter pill to swallow.

"Tina resented me?" I ask, slowly.

"Tina never knew." There is a hint of pain in Elsa's voice. "Tina was a difficult child. She needed Richard in her life to discipline her. Shifter children need a firm hand. They understand the threat of violence. It's in their nature. Their wolves need a dominant adult around. That was Richard. But Tina was not only unable to shift, she also had a craving for violence inside her. It manifested into something terrifying over the years. I loved her. I tried to control the sadistic tendencies she was harboring but there wasn't anything I could do. I thought that letting her learn magic would help calm her down. She turned out to be an incredibly gifted witch, and initially, it worked. She finally had something to focus on."

I can see the way Elsa's hands are trembling as she talks about her daughter, and I part my lips to tell her that she doesn't have to continue, but the words are pouring out of her as if she's held her tongue for long enough.

"Things were finally looking good when she met Noah. She was fourteen then. The two of them were fated mates, and both of them had that same thing inside them, that…" Elsa struggles to speak the word, her voice breaking, "evil. There was evil in their hearts. As children, they couldn't hide their nature that well, but as they grew up, they did learn how to hide it. I tried my best to separate them, but it didn’t work. The fact that they were fated mates was something I couldn't fight against. And then Noah stumbled upon your mother. He found out about the Silver Wolves from Tina. He knew it wasn't a legend. The truth slipped from my daughter's mouth. I had always known that Grace was alive, but I never knew where she was. I went looking for herafter Tina let it slip that she and Noah had seen Grace. But Robert had also discovered that his son was on to his little secret and by the time I got to the old house, she had long ago been removed."

Her hand comes to wrap around my mother's hand, anguish in her voice. "Robert found out and had me sent to Oakrest Town, away from you. And later when he sent you there, I was under constant surveillance. He warned me that if I revealed anything to you, he would increase your suffering here. Noah, when he arrived, made a similar threat, only against my daughter. That's why, when I heard about Alex, I wanted you to go with him."

She gives me a regretful look. "I should have told you everything before. It would’ve saved you a lifetime of pain."

I shake my head. "I’m not upset with what you did, Elsa. You were trying to protect me. When I met Tina, I felt a connection to her. Maybe it was because I looked at her and saw a little bit of you in her. You kept warning me not to trust anybody and I did just that. She was such a good friend to me till she showed me her true colors. I have never been able to be close to someone like that before. As silly as it sounds, it felt like I had a sister. It makes me wonder how she could smile at me and be that way with me when she despised me so much.”

Elsa looks away from me, her eyes shining with tears. “She wasn’t always a monster, Sophia. She used to be a lovely child. But the beast inside her was repressed. There's a reason why latent shifters don't survive. They go half mad. If the situation had been different, perhaps you and her could have been friends. She’s very good at keeping up a façade. I’m sorry she broke your heart.”

I give her a wan smile. "I guess she did. But maybe somewhere inside her, there's some conscience left.”

Elsa doesn’t look very convinced. “If you say so, but I know my daughter. She’s beyond saving, Sophia. So don’t bother. I love her dearly, but she’s made her choice. She can never see anything evil in Noah, and she will blame everybody else for his faults. If she had any morals, she would not have tried to blame you. She would not have enjoyed your suffering. You don’t have to feel bad for me. I should have known better than to have a child with a shifter. There's a reason why shifters aren't supposed to breed outside of their species. The results are disastrous.”

She’s saying all this, but the agony in her eyes is unmistakable.

"I’m sorry, Elsa.”

His smile is tired. “You need to stop apologizing. Our actions have consequences, Sophia. These are the consequences of mine.”

There’s no more to say on the subject, but when I glance at my mother, something occurs to me. "My mother was from the Central Alliance. Why didn’t you reach out and tell them what was happening? They could have rescued her."

“I did.” A flash of anger sparks in her eyes. "I told her father. I sent him letters. And he got them. But he told me that Grace knew what she was getting into when she left the safety of the Central Alliance. He told me never to contact him or my coven again. And just like that, I was cast out from my coven as well.”

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