Page 104 of Red's Beast

Lily. My Lily. Just smaller.

"Mom, we need to talk. There's something that's happened and I don't know what to do." Her son looks at her with a worried expression, his green eyes looking around wildly before settling back on his mother.

Grandmother's face droops. "She's a pure white wolf, isn't she?"

Her son and his mate nod, tears lining both of their eyes. His mate finally looks up with a faint smile. "She shifted this morning into a ball of white fur. I know you all can't tell me what you know, but we have to do something to save her. If the alpha family finds out that she is the white wolf and an alpha, I’m not sure what they’ll do to her. What if they make her mate with the alpha heir?”

That's right. The binding that doesn't allow them to speak of it if they know. I had almost forgotten about it.

Grandmother shakes her head. "I hate to say this, but Nigel's mate might be who I have to talk to. She dabbles in some unsavory things, but it may just be what we need to suppress her wolf. When I moved in here, I found books from when the other family that ruled beside ours, but there is nothing in there about our situation. The only knowledge I have is from what my own parents told me in bits and pieces.”

"Wait, there might be another way," the woman says. "Maybe we could say it's for me? Do you think she'd buy it?"

"Why would you want to suppress your wolf, though? You’d have to be convincing enough that she will do it."

Her son's eyes light up. "I'll say it's for me. This way Nigel might feel more comfortable and will know I won't ever challenge him. You know he’s been a little uneasy since I’m an alpha as well. It may work.”

His mate and mother both cry out, "No."

“What else can I do, then? It’s not like I will be the one taking it.”

Grandmother glances down at Lily as she plays with a doll. “He will find out, though, and then he’ll kill you. If you fight back and show that you still have your alpha ability, then he’ll know you didn’t take it and go for your mate or Lily. We have to be smart about this.”

"It can always be broken, right? Can you find the herbs and make something to break it?" He asks, a look of hopefulness washesover his face. “It’s this or she will have to mate with Corbin and I don’t trust them.”

Grandmother shakes her head. "I don’t know what we can do, but yes, there are herbs I can use to break something like this. At least, I hope they work.”

The woman steps forward. "She is your granddaughter and strong. We know she's an alpha and hate to do this. It's the last option we have. Please reconsider."

Grandmother's eyes become teary as she looks at Lily. "For her, I will do anything. Go. Ask for the suppression as a sign of loyalty. I'll figure out how to break it when the time comes. But please, be careful and don’t get caught.”

Her son and his mate nod in agreement.

"We'll go ask right now. The sooner, the better. We can't chance her shifting in front of anyone. We'll be back here in a few minutes."

When they close the doors, Grandmother looks at Lily with another smile. "Well, looks like it's you and me for a bit while mommy and daddy go take care of business. How about we play?"

I watch as they play for a few minutes and then I remember what day this was. This is the day her parents were taken from her.

The screams fill the air and Grandmother goes on high alert. "No, it can't be."

She rushes toward the village, Lily in her arms. When she arrives, Nigel stands there covered in blood, pointing toward the woods. "The beast. He took them. I tried to save them, but he took them."

Grandmother looks toward the woods and finds the trail of blood leading into them. "No, not my son and his mate. No, not them."

She knows immediately without Nigel ever saying to confirm it.

I hear the twigs snapping in the woods as I carry them deeper into it. Not killing them, but saving them because pushing them into the village would be a death sentence for sure.

Nigel says, "We can raise Lily if you feel you are unable."

Grandmother shakes her head, rising to her feet quickly, clutching Lily to her chest. "No, I can raise her. She's my granddaughter, after all,. and I’m not too old to do so."

Nigel nods. "Fine, but when she is eighteen, she will move into the village. I will provide her with housing and take care of her from there."

Grandmother agrees, then walks toward the path back to home. I follow behind her, while keeping tabs on my other self in the woods.

As she carries Lillian toward the cottage, she almost misses the book and pouch near the woods. Lily becomes feisty and jumps out of her arms, running toward them.

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