“You can never wage war against my people again, for as long as my children and I live. We bind us together. No weapons, no invasions, no more fear of being attacked.” I stand firm, pushing my chin up to meet his unbreaking gaze and he nods. My fire growing strong now an end is within my grasp and elation starts to grow from a tiny ember in my stomach.
“I have no reason to play with mutts if the intent is gone. They make excellent guard dogs now I have three lives to protect. I give you my vow, that once Juan is delivered to me, and his loyal…this is over. We have a future to discuss at a more pleasant time and venue. I’m bored with war and mongrels. I have a nice castle waiting for me back home.” He can’t even admit this is a decision he’s made from the heart. For a moment I find him amusing.
I stand and inhale slowly, my brain whirring with everything he’s saying. It feels too easy, and I can’t believe it really is this simple. That he’s willing to end it all right now, and everything we hoped for is happening. My gut says though, this isn’t a dream, and I shouldn’t question it. My worthless persona of many moons ago ingrained this idea into me that I was never going to be enough for anyone…. This just proved it all wrong.
“I want my brother left with me.” I add in afterthought, grasping quickly at one extra detail that means everything, seeing Jasper sudden spring back to life at my request. He looks confused and then resistant.
“No. I won’t live with these…..” he blurts out, his voice husky with emotion.
“Deal!” Varro cuts him off without hesitation, shutting him down with that non nonsense booming command and Jasper spins on him in a flare of anger.
“What the fu……?” It’s obvious this is the last thing he wants.
It’s Over
“Be quiet. You don’t belong among my kind, you never have, and it’s become tiresome to protect you against others. You can be of more use with my daughter and her babies than constantly watching your back and shadowing Darrius. I believe it’s where fate always intended to put you. To protect my blood in place of me.” Varro turns to him and heavily places a hand on his shoulder, his aura emanating sheer authority. It’s clear he doesn’t like to be questioned.
“You want me to live among those that took everything from me?” Jasper spits it at him and winces at the pressure applied on his shoulder as punishment. I get the vibe you don’t question or disobey this one at all.
My heart aches for my brother though, knowing that at the root of his resistance is an inability to let go of his own pain. With good reason. Being all alone among their kind for a decade with only Varro as his source of comfort. To have someone spurring on your sadness with their own. Torn from his own kind for survival and left to fester and forget what it is to be part of a pack. Both so focused on revenge and he knows nothing else. I get it, I understand, but it doesn’t make it any easier to deal with. My soul still hurts at his venomous words.
“No, he doesn’t. Because those who took it all will leave with him. The rest of the pack has nothing to do with this, they didn’t know…. Carmen has nothing to do with this. The fates would never have linked her to you if they wanted it like this.” I point out, reaching for my brother’s hand in a bid to draw him to me but he pulls it away to avoid me. Another cold glare and a show of amber eyes.
“You need to come back to living as a wolf to be able to move on and heal. Jasper, the pack you knew back then isn’t the pack you’re hating now. So much has happened and changed. Just give us a chance. Take time to see for yourself that it’s not the same as it was.”? Colton moves close behind me to try and reinforce my sentiment. His genuine need to bring him back into the fold and accept a pack member who has gone astray. The alpha in him will always fight to bring our kind home.
“Whether you agree or not, I am ordering you to stay by your sister’s side until I see fit. Protect my child…. Be my eyes and presence. Refusal is pointless.” Varro interjects. “This war ends tonight and only you will be left to stand and fight if you don’t give a little. My goal was always revenge, but before me stands a reason to stop all of it. A future beyond this battle. I can’t win if I lose my daughter to satisfy my need for revenge.”
His words make me falter within myself, a sudden thump to my chest as I blink at Varro, suddenly seeing something else in him with just the briefest of words. I have pushed down and tried to ignore any feelings I might harbor for this stranger, because it’s a can of worms I don’t want to examine. Yet here in a blink of an eye, the fact he is my father is staring me in the face and I’m too afraid to really let those emotions break the surface.
I don’t know how to process them when I really have never gotten to grips with the fact the dad I knew, was never my bio dad at all. Caged feelings, swirling thoughts, all swallowed as quickly as they surface so I can ignore them until I feel able to really explore all of it. My heart says it’s a betrayal to my dad to have affection for Varro in his place right now and I’m so confused with what I’m experiencing.
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