I shake my head over and over and the only noises are my pathetic gulps, gasping for air. My wails of shock as my entire life history burns to the ground and crumbles to ash. Everything I thought I was. Who I thought I was, it was never real. I was never a Whyte, I’m not even bigger percent wolf anymore. I was never Jasper’s sister…I was an invading half breed, and they all knew and kept it from me the entire time. I can’t sense any lies or deception in him and even I know he has no reason to tell me this if it wasn’t true. Jasper was never a liar.
“Alora, your father is the vampire who has been waging a war against the wolves for two decades, taking over where his ancestors gave up. His wrath and hatred are completely fueled by the thought that wolves took his lover and his child, not once, but twice. He thought you both perished almost two decades ago and created an army to fight a war. Only then to find that no, she was cut down in the war of his own doing and his child was taken at ten years old.”
His words stop my uncontrollable deterioration and I grasp Jasper’s clothes as what he says pulls together in my head. Reason and sense bringing sudden calm to my body, and I jerk my face up to meet his eyes on mine.
“He started the war because of her…. us?” I blink, instantly still. My brain hitting some weird lull of hysterics to really get this and realize Leyanne is standing right behind me now. No longer waiting in the car, but here to confirm what he says.
“He did. She ran to protect her baby from her own pack, and he never knew what happened to her. When she imprinted she never returned, thinking he would forget her. But he never….. he thought she was dead and so was his bairn, so he came after your kind to avenge you both.” Leyanne touches my shoulder and makes me jump with the contact. Weirdly soft for her, as though she’s explaining to a fragile mind and all I can do is shake my head. My eyes round out in bewilderment as I stare at her and then Jasper and then swallow hard as it hits me again
“And ten years later….” I blub, grasping at it all.
“He rebuilt his army after finding out the truth, with intentions of avenging you both once again. This war is all about you. He knows she fell on that battleground; he thinks you were murdered on the mountain right after.” Jasper releases me from his tight embrace to give me room to breathe and it gives me a moment to pull myself together. Stunned by this new history, no longer capable of feeling anything more while so much hangs inside of me.
“I don’t believe you…. it can’t be real…. I couldn’t be the source of all this death and pain. All those who have died in the battles.” I don’t want to carry the guilt or believe this.
“Lorey, vampires have kept me alive and safe for a decade. On the strength of being Marina’s adopted son and your sole living wolf family. The high lord favors me and gave me Darrius as my eternal companion to make sure I remain unharmed….. he takes no part of his son’s war. He doesn’t care what he does but if he knew his heir is still alive…. He would intervene.”
“You could end a war by merely existing… the high lord would exert his power and recall his son. His son…. would be tamed with the knowledge his child lived. You, my pet, are literally the one to bring peace to two kinds, by just breathing.” Leyanne’s words sit heavy on me, and I stare between the two of them at the long distant road we came here on. Mind spacing out as I pick apart and process every single detail with eerie stillness. The prophecy that I would end a war was always within my grasp, and it was never anything to do with my gifts at all.
Almost twenty years alive on this earth, all my losses connected to this enemy, only to find they’re all linked, and my loss was for nothing. I was the center of the storm and if the fates had only revealed me sooner to the vampire lord, then maybe no one would have died at all. It can’t be that simple. None of it can. My mother died for her own cause, and my pack continue to suffer because of my existence. All I ever needed to do was stand up and be seen.
“I can’t….. I need to think.” I spew out my rush of words and push away from Jasper’s proximity as though he’s causing my lack of air. Dizziness overtaking me as my vision blurs while I stumble to the verge and crumble into the grass to sit down and put my face between my knees. Taking deep breaths to cool the sudden heat crawling over my body like fire ants. It’s all happening too fast and it’s so beyond crazy and farfetched. My brain is close to exploding and it’s all too much to compute in such a short time.
“Not all vampires are at war with your kind. Some of us just don’t care. The lord has been left to run rogue for twenty years…. it’s’ time my people took their kind in hand.” The low rumbling voice of the dark stranger pulls me out of my posture, lifting my chin unsteadily and I realize I’m being shadowed by the one from the car in all his huge glory. He’s tall, wide, and impressively terrifying when standing like an imposing tower over me. Yet, he’s standing in full sunlight, even if he is wearing a dark hood and gloves. That’s the only part I seem to focus on.
“Your kind? Aren’t you all the same? Vampire is vampire.” I hesitate, trying to gauge if his clothing is enough to protect him but stare in shock as his naked tanned wrist peeks out from under his coat as he stretches and pulls his hood back down without a single reaction to the light. He smirks and somehow despite all that’s going on with me, I gawp at his sudden exposure and complete lack of pain.
Blinking in daze that it does literally nothing to him, and swallow hard with this new piece of information. We’ve seen Vampires in the sun when we caught some as prisoners to extract intel. They burn and die in horrifying cries and screams of pain, then dissolve to ash like a bursting powder puff. We have an upper hand because of this weakness, and yet here’s one, and he’s fricken fine. Walking in sunlight could be a complete game changer to the wolves upper hand.
“Vampire is a loose term for a varied species… we can be born or made, and it makes a difference. Birth keeps us pure and strong…. it’s also heavily monitored to ensure no child is born without purpose… except the occasional accident. The ones who are turned, they’re weaker, slower, and they have nothing of our gifts and abilities. Also, easier to kill with such basic things. Lord Varro’s army is borne of turned halflings. Pale eyed, weak, blood thirsty, sun fearing …. pawns. Consider them an abomination and an embarrassment to our bloodlines. My kind are royalty, and we stay far from the mongrels to preserve our existence.” His superior tone, that weird accent and his blood red eyes all surround me with a heaviness that causes me to pause and listen with no response. My heart thudding and head swirling, taking in his words.
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