I advised, “Pass that warning along to your goddess pals. Everything I know about Alpha Eric Conners and his wife Princess Luna Haley Conners, says they will be more than a little angry about this. Don’t stand there and tell me Selene and the other goddesses didn’t actively help their rotten children hide from the good. I know she did. There’s no other way it didn’t get discovered by Alpha Eric.”
Charmeine thought about it then explained, “Some goddesses believe that in order to give their children chances to turn from their path they must help them to hide their actions from those that would kill them.”
I laughed, “What kind of crap logic is that?! Do you even understand the suffering that has been allowed to befall those who do not deserve it? The atrocities committed against droves of people… for a rotten person who deserves death.”
“Because they do deserve to die. They are absolutely corrupt, and they WILL get what’s coming to them. They WILL die. I will dismantle the Ring piece by piece. No one will suffer that does not deserve to by the time I’m through with them.”
Charmeine admitted, “I believe you, but you need other pieces. You are the key.” I told her, “I have an army.” She nodded, “And you have Alexander for a reason.” The thought of Xander getting hurt was unfathomable to me.
Charmeine sighed, “I’d give you advice about that, but I think that it’s best to leave that to Aesir. I think in your heart of hearts, you know you need your mate. The ONLY thing you lack is the resources of the Conners and their allies. You know, the allies of your home pack.”
I snorted, “I have no home… and that pack made it very clear I’m no member of theirs.” Ajax and Apollo howled sadly. Gosh, she really was bringing us down. I told them, “I was banished… I’m not supposed to call Red Run my home pack…I mean I do…but I’m not actually supposed to so…”
Charmeine insisted, “You do have a home. It’s almost time for you to return to them.” I reiterated, “I still don’t have a home. Is the goal of this meeting to get me to make a mistake or something? Do you want me to die? Red Run hates me. If I go there, I'll be sentenced to death. I will not go back there and cross the boundary line. Ever. It ceased to be my home when they banished me.”
Charmeine sighed, “I must go.” I snorted, “Must and want to are different, Charmeine. You could answer my questions. You don’t want to answer me because you want to play a game. The game of the goddesses. Give someone enough information to make them go crazy. Then make them fall apart when they put all the pieces together… but probably not in time.”
I shrugged saying, “That’s all your games. Sadly for you, I’m not playing. I don’t have that kind of time in my life to obsess and worry over your words. I have actual people who depend on me. Something you’d know if you remembered what your job was. I’m not your play toy with your cryptic words.”
I turned my back on her and spotted the white wolf. She was laying on the ground. I knelt down and pet her fur. I asked her, “Are you ok?” Charmeine answered, “She’s fine, just a little weak. She will be fine.” I rolled my eyes but refused to answer her.
I told Apollo, “She acts like I was talking to her.” Apollo’s eyes were bright, and he nudged me. I heard Charmeine apparate away. Good. She finally left. I began to pet him. I whispered, “I’ve missed you, Apollo.” I felt something wet on my arm. I frowned asking, “Apollo?” I pulled back.
I gasped, “Are you crying? What’s wrong?” I searched him for an injury but found nothing. The white wolf took off again and dove into a pond. Of course there was a pond. I shrugged and chucked Xander’s hoodie off and jumped in after her.
When I surfaced Ajax and Apollo were growling. I asked them, “What’s wrong guys?” I turned around and they growled again. I cringed realizing why they were upset. It was because they’d seen my back.
I told them, “It’s fine….mostly…I’ve kind of accepted it. I’m ok. I can make most of them disappear for a time. Some though... they stay. It was a whole magical spell… well… the staying part, anyway.” Both looked at me like I was crazy.
I began to swim laps while the white wolf swam beside me. I smiled and asked her, “So... you brought me here?” She nodded. I asked, “Why?” She just tilted her head. I laughed, “I’m asking a wolf for answers… knowing you can’t answer me.”
I asked Apollo, “Did you come back yet? Do you have a new human?” Apollo shook his head no. I assured him, “I’ll keep looking for you then.” Apollo looked sad. I swam to the side and put Alexander’s hoodie back on after I got out.
Ajax came over and sat beside me. I rubbed his fur. I told him, “I’m not mad at you, Ajax. You didn’t do anything. You protect Jason like I do. Kai is a beautiful pup.” Apollo purred while Ajax thumped his foot when I scratched the right spot.
I raised an eyebrow at Apollo because that was weird. Apollo never met Kai. I sighed, “I want to meet Kai, you know? I did…get him some presents he accepted over the years….so…hopefully no one is too mad about that.” Ajax whined.
I bumped his shoulder, “I know it’s not your fault that I haven’t. Jason thinks I’m part Huntress. Do you think it will be different now? I have Freya….so…it’s different. Drake McAlister is my dad and… now Red Run will know that.” He whined sadly.
I continued, “Charmeine, if she can even be trusted… which is unlikely… they usually don’t lie directly though…well from what I’ve read. Anyway, she did say Alexander wouldn’t leave me. Maybe… Maybe Jason changes his mind once he knows he’s my full blooded brother.” Both wolves whined now.
I sighed, “I just don’t know how to be around Jason anymore. There’s so much between us. I’ve always said I’d do anything to change things between us…”
“But I just don’t know if there can be forgiveness for a decade… or… a quarter of century…. maybe a whole centuries…. Gosh. We have centuries though so… gosh. It’s not just him. It’s all of the McAlister’s. None of them have been to see me. They all wrote letters saying I wasn’t their family… and wishing me dead.” Both wolves howled into the night as if in pain.
I wiped away tears because it had hurt me deeply to get those letters. Grandpa Ben and Grandma Esther disowning me along with MaryBeth and Melinda. The aunts I’d known about… even Aunt Allison…. my uncles…. Well, Uncle Duncan was just sad. He didn’t ever disown me in letter form… he just didn’t want to see me. My cousins… all of them abandoned me too.
Could I forgive them if they even asked for it at this point? I sighed, “Maybe for T, mom, and dad I can… Jason and I… I mean… I feel I keep saying centuries will help. He’s my brother. Maybe I just like, get an option…. on the rest of them. That feels fair… and Xander is a Fairy… and he’s my mate… that has logic.” I swear they were smiling at me while looking sad.
I admitted, “I just don’t know guys. There’s so much hurt. They turned their backs on me for nothing. I have a wolf….and I always had one. Did they know? Do they care? They didn’t even come down to see if I shifted. They took the word of others. Would they be proud if they knew what I’ve done for mom, dad, and T?”
I explained, “I fight in their names. I fight for them. The Ring took them from us, and I’ve been systematically tearing apart their entire operation from the inside. Would they even let me explain everything? I doubt it. They’d probably hear I was with Hunters, and they’d say they knew it. That I was bad all along.”
I winced, “It probably wouldn’t matter that I’ve never killed a Werewolf who wasn’t bad. I kill Hunters that won’t return to their true purpose and save wolves. They undoubtedly wouldn’t care. They’d see a monster. It’s always what they wanted to see.” Maybe not Uncle Duncan, but definitely the rest.
Apollo and Ajax nudged me. I hugged them both, “It’s neither of your faults. Apollo... if we cross paths again, I’ll stand by you. Ajax… I may be mad at Jason... but I’m not at you. Ok?” Ajax looked sad but nodded.
The white wolf jumped out of the pond, howled, and tilted her head at me. I knew it was time to go. I asked, “Do I have to go? I’m not ready to leave them.” My arms tightened around my brother's wolves. The white wolf walked over. Ajax and Apollo seemed to have some sort of bond with the white wolf.
