Chapter 87: ONE FAVOUR, FOR ANOTHER

12 YEARS AGO.

THIRD PERSON'S POV.

"I just don't get it." Sonya mumbled. "Why does everything always have to revolve around her?"

"Shame on you, Sonya." Elsa glared, her eyes holding worry and tears. "Shame on you, once again. Your sister goes missing before her first cleansing ritual, and this is what you have to say? How much more sadistic could you be?!"

"I am sadistic?!" Sonya snarled like the rebellious teen that she was. She may have been rebellious, but her kindness wasn't debatable. All through her childhood, she always had to forfeit most things she desired or wanted, for the sake of her elder sister; Brenda.

Brenda was the next in line to become power custodian of the Kennedy family, after their father; Angus. For that reason, she was the favoured child, over Sonya. When they were little, their parents provided the better things for Brenda, even down to things as little as toys.

All Sonya's life, she knew she had great energy within her. She may have been the younger sister, but it was undeniable that she had a stronger energy source, than Brenda.

From the age of six, she had already discovered her natural ability to control the Kennedy Relics.

The ability to do that, normally came about after one had been successfully made power custodian.

Angus and Elsa knew that Sonya was most certainly better suited to be power custodian, but they'd rather Brenda was. It was her birthright as the first born.

Today was a very auspicious day, seeing as Brenda was supposed to begin her first cleansing ritual, as future power custodian. The cleansing ritual was a special rites of passage, carried out annually for three years in a row, until the expected year to be officially made power custodian.

Brenda was 17, and according to the calculation of things, Angus was supposed to hand over the position of power custodian, when she turned 20.

She was going to be 20 in three years time, and was required to undergo the cleansing rituals every year, until then.

"Yes, you are, Brenda! You are very sadistic!" Elsa yelled in her younger daughter's face.

"Okay, maybe I am." Sonya shrugged, tears clogging her eyes. "Maybe I am sadistic because for 16 years of my life, you and father have refused to see that I am just as good as Brenda. Probably even better!"

"Are you trying to covet your sister's position?" A different but familiar steely voice sounded in the room, and they both looked up to see Angus standing by the door. Sonya dreadfully observed as her father walked further into her room, anger in his eyes.

"I would never try to covet what was hers, father." Sonya mumbled. "As long as it was rightfully hers."

"So you think Brenda is not worthy of being power custodian?!" Elsa yelled, sounding like the worst had happened.

"Not the way you make it sound, mother."

"How does she make it sound?!!" Angus' voice boomed.

"She makes it sound like I'm a thief!!" Sonya yelled back, unable to hold back her emotions anymore. "Meanwhile, I have been here all my life, forced to live in the shadow of my sister, even when there's a lot more to me. I can conveniently control the ice relics belonging to our clan. Something that Brenda cannot dream of doing, until she is officially made power custodian."

"The fact that you have potentials, doesn't make you the chosen one, Sonya. Understand that, and learn to live with it." Angus angrily said.

"I just hope you haven't done anything to harm your sister." Elsa suddenly muttered, making Sonya's heart fall to the pit oc her stomach. She could be a lot of things, but definitely not that. And the fact that her mother thought she was, simply broke her fragile heart.

"Wow." Sonya whispered, the tears finally dropping from her eyes. Angus shared a look with Elsa, shaking his head in disagreement with her earlier statement. "Fine then." She nodded. "I will get out of your way. I just hope your precious daughter returns in time for the cleansing ritual." She muttered in between her tears, before walking out of the living room.

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Meanwhile, Brenda sat in the dark alcove somewhere in the garden, crying her eyes out. How could she have been so careless? How could she have let herself get lost in the temporary bliss that she found herself weeks ago?

Now she was carrying the product of that mistake.

Mistake?

No no no. It couldn't be a mistake. He couldn't be a mistake.

Her Adrian could never be referred to as that. He was the one wonderful thing that had happened to her in a long while, and it was just such a sad thing that their love was a forbidden one. It was a taboo for her to have fallen in love with him.

All her life, she had been schooled about one same thing. Being the power custodian of the Kennedy clan.

Not that she thought that position or life was small, but something within her just felt like she was meant to lead a completely different life.

Though she never saw or thought of what they shared as that. A taboo. The reality remained that their relationship was one.

She was a Honourable supernatural werewolf of the coldmoon park. Next in line to be the Power Custodian of her clan, after her father.

Whereas, he was a.....

He was a...

Adrian. Her sweet Adrian was a rogue. Someone who wasn't even supposed to be seen or felt anywhere within the territory of the supernatural kingdoms.

When she had met him, he was one of the guards recruited to be a part of the Kennedy army. Every Honourable family had an army, but definitely not the kind that consisted of random rogue wolves, posing as soldiers.

It came to her as a shock when she not only found out he was her mate, but that he was also a rogue.

It never occured to him that a random lady would be able to sniff him out, regardless of the cloaking potion that Guilford Kennedy had shared to him and the other rogues who were also secretly recruited into the Honourable Kennedy army.

It was only later that he realized she could identify him because they were mates.

Brenda had no idea how he had gained access into the Kennedy estate, or how she was going to reject the one person who was made just for her... He was her mate.

How could she even introduce a rogue to her family, as her mate? She would never be able to live down the shame and complications of being mated to a rogue.

Also, she'd end up putting Adrian in big trouble, because he would be interrogated about how he got access into the kingdom's territory. Something he never really explained to her, until he died eventually.....

Initially, she wanted to reject him and act like they never crossed paths. But every single minute she spent deliberating on her situation and thinking of the best decision to make, ended up only pulling her closer to him.

It was only a matter of weeks, before young Brenda became swallowed up by the deep depths of their fast growing love.

She would always sneak out of the house at night to see him, because that was basically the only time they could spend with each other, without bothering about watchful eyes.

Soon enough, Adrian introduced her to the unmatched bliss of intimacy, and she found herself always going back to him for more.

Now she was pregnant with his child, and that was the worst thing that could possibly happen to her in that period. Today was supposed to be her first cleaning ritual, but she dared not partake in it, for the fear of being found out.

Parts of the things used for the cleansing ritual was the voika stone, which was certainly going to mess her up.

The stone was supposed to be placed on her belly, while enchantments were being made in favour of her future offspring, who would take after her as power custodian.

There was no way in hell, that the voika stone wouldn't reveal she was pregnant. She was done for. So done for.

Her cries increased considerably, and her body shivered in a combination of fear, regret, and sadness.

"How long more would you cry for?"

Immediately Brenda heard the familiar voice of her uncle, she jolted in shock, looking up at him.

"Uncle Guilford." She muttered, quickly cleaning off her tears. But it was of no use. He had seen her crying already. For a couple of minutes actually. How did he locate her here?

"What troubles you, little one?" He asked, locking eyes with the scared ones of Brenda. "You know I'll always be here for you, regardless of what Angus thinks." His calm and manipulative tone, had Brenda nodding like a little child.

Guilford was her father's younger brother, who thought he was better suited to be power custodian.

Angus had always been weary of Guilford, and would occasionally warn his daughters about the man, but Brenda never thought it was anything to be so uptight about.

"Uncle Guilford....." She whispered, her secret seriously weighing down on her. She had no one to talk to, and he seemed to be her best bet. He was at loggerheads with her father, and had little tendency of going off to spill to her family, after she confided in him.

"Yes, love. I'm all ears." He lowered himself to sit beside her, his warm breath fanning her neck.

Asides the awareness of being around him as a result of her father's warnings, Guilford has always made her feel so aware. REALLY aware.

It was something she'd never speak of, and something the man would probably never confess to, but she knew deep within her that his gazes always sent forbidden messages.

She was not delusional, she knew what she felt whenever he looked at her, or was within close range with her.

"You should speak to me." He nudged, his hand streching forward to touch her face.

His fingers caressed her skin, making nerve wrecking shivers run down her spine. It was then she was supposed to have thought otherwise, and return home to tell her parents the truth. But her fears got the best of her and in no time, she was spilling her secret to the wrong person.

"I'm in love with someone." She blurted. A part of her felt a bit of relief as a result of releasing her burden. On another hand, she thought she was sending an indirect message to her uncle. She loved another.

"In love, you say." He whispered, looking indifferent.

"Yes." She nodded gingerly. "And I'm pregnaaaant...." She broke into fresh tears, her heart beating frantically.

She did not realize it, but she had been wailing for over five minutes, while Guilford just stared at her. At first he was shocked, but eventually he grew amused.

He couldn't believe his little niece was already indulging in the act which was capable of putting her in the family way.

For the very same reasons he had harboured impure thoughts towards her for some time now, his cock grew bigger within the confines of his pants.

"You were intimate with a man?" He asked, and she was quick to get his underlying message. She never meant to expose the actual identity of Adrian, but she was overwhelmed with the feeling of defending herself.

"He is my mate. I have the right to do that with him." She subtly glared, her cries temporarily dying down.

Now, Guilford was shocked. He had thought it was just a random teenage crush. It was more.

"But you haven't come of age to find your mate?" His brows furrowed in confusion.

"My situation is different. You know it's not completely unheard of, right? People even younger than me find their mates."

"Then why couldn't you tell your parents?!!!" Guilford's voice boomed, surprising her. He seemed quite pissed, and that was the first time he was ever reacting to her in that manner.

She had seen him and her father bicker and quarrel a couple of times, but had never personally been at the receiving end of his anger.

"I'm sorry." Guilford apologized almost immediately, realizing himself. "Sorry, I didn't mean to." He took her smaller hand in his, patting it gently.

In that moment, Brenda felt her heart going calm. Maybe she was mistaken. He was just reacting like every elderly person would. He was her uncle, so....

So she grew the courage to tell him more.

"Uncle, I couldn't tell them because he is a rogue." She finally let it out, everywhere going calm around them.

In her mind, she thought about what he could be possibly thinking. Had she indirectly put Adrian in trouble?

"Uncle, please don't let any harm come to him." She pleaded, fresh tears brimming up her eyes.

"Did you just say that your mate is a rogue?" Guilford finally found his voice. He pondered on the new situation of things, and how exactly one of the rogues he had smuggled through the kingdom's boundary, had come across his niece.

Considering how things were meant to be, she wasn't even supposed to cross paths with the soldiers. They were secluded to their own part of the estate.

But now it had come to this, he definitely couldn't act like he was against her. He had to cover up his own ass.

And in a way, he realized things were going to benefit him.

"Of course, little one." He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "No harm would come to him. I'd never hurt you in any way."

His words sounded very unreal to her, she had to look deeply into his eyes for some stronger form of assurance.

"You meant that?" She sniffled.

"Of course, I do." He nodded. "But you also have to keep this between us. No one else must know." I ordered, looking into her eyes, which held uncertainty.

"Bu.... but.... but what about my pregnancy?" Her lips quivered. "My parents will definitely figure everything out, when the voika stone reveals I'm with child. They will also find out Adrian is a rogue!"

Oh. Adrian was his name.

Guilford made a mental note to have a chat with the reckless rogue soon enough. He couldn't let Adrian spoil things for him.

"What is Adrian saying about the babe?"

"Nothing. Haven't told him. I'm scared he might react rashly and end up putting us both in trouble."

It was already a hassle hiding their relationship from everyone. Adrian would definitely not agree to hide their child too."

"Enough of your tears, little one." Guilford whispered, loving the way it made him feel to call her that. He had always loved the abnormal and forbidden kinds of attraction.

"How badly do you want this baby to go away?" He asked, and she sat speechless. Was that even possible?

"If I can turn the hands of time...."

"There is no need for that, Brenda." He cut her off, sounding quite serious. "How badly do you want this baby gone?"

"Very very badly..." She paused, deep in thoughts. "If I had my way, it would never have even come." She sniffled, cleaning the lone tear that fell from her eye.

"Fine then. I would make it go away."

"What?" She whispered, looking way beyond shocked.

Was what he was saying even possible? She was still a novice when it came to magic, so she definitely couldn't pull such off.

She also couldn't search for a herbal remedy to abort, because that would mean putting her situation out there, to whoever was willing to help her

But could he? Could Guilford truly help her?

"C.... C... Can you?" She stuttered, very hopeful.

"Do you think I can?" He asked, and she thought about his question deeply, before giving a nod. "Fine, then. I will."

"Really?!" She asked, as her eyes lit up in relief.

"Absolutely!" He grinned. "It would only take a short while to pull that off. You should return just right on time for the cleansing ritual. When I'm done, no one would be able to tell that you were once with child."

"For real?" She cleaned her tears with the back of her palm.

"Absolutely. But you have to do something for me in return." He demanded. Just like every other person in her position, Brenda let her desperation take the best of her.

"Yes, I will do anything you ask." She nodded, wringing her hands in fearful anticipation.

He had gotten her just where he wanted.

"Anything?" He repeated.

"Anything." She affirmed.

"Good girl." A smile appeared on his lips, as he trailed his finger over her lips, pulling down the lower lip seductively. "That's my good girl." He grinned, making cold shivers run down her spine.