Page 61 of Taming the Alpha's Daughter

Mom's gaze softens. “You weren’t meant to, Eziah. That night, when you followed me to the Moon Goddess realm, I only realized too late. I saw Vince's wolf in the fountain of life, you insisted on coming.”

“So, you saw him, and you saved him, then what. Just ‘whoops’?” Jonah scoffs.

It's Jonah’s eyes that hold me, though. They’re a whirlwind of fury, his blue irises swirling with darker shadows of betrayal. As much as my own confusion hammers within me, it's hard not to feel the weight of his pain. After all, isn't family the one thing we're supposed to protect?

“You brought that bastard back to hurt Rose?” Jonah snarls.

“He saved Rose, you have no idea what you're speaking of, don't blame him, he was only doing as he was told.” My mother steps in. Jonah scoffs and grips his hair.

“For once can you fucking speak and say what you mean, Katya?” Jonah sneers as the tension grows higher. The auras in the room are like a supernova, terrifying when charged the way they are now.

Dominic, ever the voice of reason, attempts to defuse the situation. His massive frame steps between Jonah and my mother. “Jonah, let’s all take a step back. Shouting won't solve this. We need to listen.”

But Jonah’s rage is a burning inferno. His face is a contorted mask of anger and confusion. “Listen? Listen to what, Dominic? More lies? More games?” His gaze shifts to my mother.

My mother takes a deep breath. Her golden eyes shimmer with deep emotion, betraying her strong exterior. “That night, I fully intended to let Vince meet his fate. But things didn't go as planned.” She hesitates, swallowing hard, her gaze locking onto mine. “Eziah, you followed me that night. I didn't realize you had stepped through the portal with me until we were both in the Moon Goddess realm.”

There's a weighted pause before she continues. “I saw Vince's wolf flickering, hovering on the brink of existence in the fountain of life. I knew what I had to do. But when I reached out to save him, I felt my strength leaving me.” She takes a moment, fighting the raw emotion in her voice.

“Eziah, you were the one who saved him for me. It was your energy, your life force, that pulled Vince back from the brink. I didn't want to bring him back but the consequences.” She shakes her head.

The room is silent, the weight of her confession settling over all of us. She looks pained as she confesses, “When we returned to the Moon Goddess realm, I had Bain help me erase that memory from you. It wasn’t something I wanted to do, but I had to protect you. If I hadn’t intervened with Vince, the consequences for all of us would’ve been catastrophic.”

I try to digest her words, searching deep within my memories for any recollection of the events she describes. The idea of Vince fleeing had always gnawed at my mind, but hearing this revelation? I never saw this coming.

“What consequences? It seems Rose is the only one that paid any consequences for yours and Eziah's actions!' Jonah yells.

“Your mother, Jonah. The moment I touched him, I saw a vision, one of about your mother and a man.” Confusion washes over all of us as we take in her words.

“What man, what are you talking about?” Jonah demands.

“I don't know, all I know is he isn't human, he also isn't a werewolf, he's something else. I searched for years trying to find out who and what he is. Vince owed him money, a lot of it, in my vision he came looking for Vince, but when he did, he recognized your mother from somewhere, it wasn't until I saw more of the vision I figured out how he knew her.”

“You're making no sense, like always, speaking in your riddles,” Jonah growls angrily.

“You say that like I have a choice.” My mother snaps, pointing a finger at him. “That same vision I watched him wipe out all of my brother's pack when Adrian tried to stop him taking her. Everyone died, Jonah! Everyone, whoever he is, he is something else.”

“Who?”

“From what I could tell he worked with the Reaper Wolves, ran it with some woman.” Dominic falls quiet, and we all know the history of his wife and how he enacted vengeance on her behalf. Except when he found the man who ran it, he found something more horrifying, it was a woman who orchestrated and ran the Reaper Wolves, making me wonder if it was the same woman.

Mom’s eyes dart to Dominic. “He and this woman. They were working together.”

The weight of Dominic’s next words is palpable. “Why keep us in the dark?” He nods, knowing himself exactly how visions work.

Her response is fierce, “Sometimes my visions are just glimpses, you know this and so should Jonah. Changing the future could make things even worse.”

Jonah's response is cutting, “You manipulate our lives, but yours remains untouched.”

That hits hard. Mom, always so poised, starts to crack. Shadows dance in her eyes, the room grows cold, and her anger is a palpable force. “You think I enjoy this? Holding everyone's fate in my hands?”

“Spit it out, Kat, I haven't got time for fucking games, I am sick of the riddles, sick of the curses and moon goddess bullshit!”

“Jonah, stop!” Marabella growls at Jonah for how he addresses our mother.

“No, Marabella. One thing I know is her visions aren't always accurate. Fuck it changing the future, it's the present I'm worried about!” Dominic puts his hands out in a placating gesture, and Kyan reaches out for Jonah, trying to calm him down. But he is livid.

“So, you're telling me you have no idea who he is, that some psycho is after my mother, and you didn't think to warn us?” My mother says nothing, but I can see her aura growing angrier and angrier when I see the tremors of her curse line the edges before she snaps.

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