VALERIE'S POV
I know my comment has gotten to Damian. I just hope he doesn't catch on to the underlying meaning.
"Hold up. Why do you smell different? This isn't like you. Have you been working around it? Well, I don't care. You are returning back to the pack with me. That's it," Damian said.
Of course, how could I expect anything much? Has luck ever been on my side?
"Damian, what are you doing? You can't take her against her will! She is a rogue now! Will you take responsibility if the council comes for us?" It looked like Beatrice's words knocked some sense into him because he immediately left my hand, and I sighed in relief.
"I don't care, Beatrice. Wait. She is your sister. Does that mean you always knew she was powerful but hid it from me all these times?" Damian's question shut Beatrice, and even I looked at her questionably.
What the hell was I doing? Of course, she didn't know. Apart from Dad, no one knew what this curse was about, and he left me when I was six. I don't know if he was even alive.
He didn't want me to be afraid and the target of a species we couldn't fight. That's why he chose me getting bullied over my curse being revealed.
To protect me. It was all to protect me from the vampires, and look at what I did.
It only took one night of lust for me to unleash a truth I suffered so much for.
"Why are you blaming -" I started but stopped when Beatrice's words echoed in the quiet environment.
"I knew," Beatrice said, and my heart skipped a beat.
I felt cold sweat forming on my forehead as I looked at her.
What the hell was she playing on? There was no way she knew about this - My eyes widened when realization dawned upon me, and all the insults she used to throw at me started coming back at me.
'You are not even one of us. Does a monster like you even deserve to live? Our dad left because of you. You ate our happiness. You snatched everything from me like you are supposed to snatch lives from people.
Vegetarian, my ass, let's see for how long you will keep this facade. You are a meat lover. Stop pretending to be innocent when you are anything but that. Even demons would be ashamed of you. Why are you still living with us? Go back to where you came from! Go back to those people who made you!' Beatrice's every word started making sense, and I stumbled back in shock.
'Valerie, no. Please. I know you are hurt, but don't think about those things. I beg of you. This is not good for your body and ...and me," Adele's voice resounded somewhere in my mind, but my focus was on Beatrice.
"What did you say?" I asked, wanting to be sure I didn't hear it wrong.
"I said I knew it. About your curse, okay? Dad was worried about you day in and out after you returned from that trip to Heaven pack. One day I heard him mumbling to himself that you caught a curse from different species. Your powers will grow eventually, and you will be hard to tame. That your urges to drink blood and hurt others will increase over time if not held right," Beatrice said, and I looked at Damian, who was just equally shocked as me.
"If you knew she was bound to become strong, why didn't you tell me?" Damian asked, and I was honestly more shocked by his stupidity.
Does he still need her to say why she never mentioned it? Of course, she wouldn't. She had been eyeing the position of Luna ever since.
"I... No matter what you said or did, I always thought it was because you were hurt by my curse. Because you cared for me. I thought you were my sister," I mumbled. I honestly didn't know what else to say to her.
"Well, now we have everything clear. You were cursed under some mysterious circumstances. No one knew what it was all about. We can still undo things. Beatrice hid the truth because she wanted Luna's position. It will be her, but you, my dear, are coming with me. You have no idea how guilty I felt after doing that with you. I have beaten myself over it for -"
"Stop it. Both of you get lost from my sight before I do something I will forever regret. I am sure you must've heard about my adventures all along. After all, I was a rogue born from your pack. So don't test my patience, Damian. Even if I won't be able to take you down, I can assure you that I will hurt you in a way you won't get up," I looked at him sternly, my fangs hurting more than ever.
'Valerie! Get a grip!' Adele shouted, and I gulped before nodding.
"You are not going anywhere, Valerie Katya! I won't let you leave me after deceiving me for so long. You are -" Before Damian could complete his words, a loud growl echoed in the environment, and a large wolf stood in front of me protectively.
I looked into the eyes of the person and felt my lips trembling at the sight.
"Logan," I broke down, falling on my knees, and his eyes became soft for a few seconds.
"Logan, he -" I whimpered, feeling so many emotions clouding my heart that nothing mattered anymore.
"Ssshhhh," Logan whispered into my ears before he narrowed his eyes and growled at Damian, who immediately stepped back.
"How dare you touch her!" Logan's voice echoed as he changed into his human form before hiding me behind him.
"Logan, you don't know anything about what's going on here. Stay out of it, will you? This is not a council's matter," Damian tried to look tough, but I could see him becoming a bit fidgety in front of Logan, and why wouldn't he be?
Logan has the power to snatch his alpha title with just one order, and no one would question him twice.
"Alpha Damian, I am still being respectful because you are a reputed Alpha. If it had been anyone else, who had touched Valerie, I would have dismembered him by now," His words made me look at him in shock and guilt.
Guilt because I mated Ambrose before consulting Logan and -
"Don't you ever dare to be sad because of anything related to me, stupid girl. I know what happened," Logan cupped my cheeks out of nowhere, and I looked at him with wide eyes brimming with tears.
"I am sorry," my lower lips whimpered, and he smiled before pulling me in for a hug.
"Ssshhh, I know. You never have any control over your feelings," Logan hugged me, and I tightened my grip on him, his warmth strangely calming me.
"So this is it? Is that why you protect her? You have your eyes on her and want her for yourself, no? And why wouldn't you? Now that you know the truth about her and how powerful she has grown, you would go for her like the bloody opportunist you are. However, let me make it clear, Logan. It's my mate we are talking about," Damian said, and I felt Logan's muscles stiffening.
"Mate? Last time I checked, you rejected this mate. She was left in the woods to tend to herself with no one around her. Do you want to know why I always end up protecting her? That's because I love her. Did I know about her? Yes. I f*cking knew it. We had observed those symptoms before she could tell us. Her father had sent us the letter demanding her protection because he knew you would never be able to give her that," Logan explained, and I looked at him.
I don't know what it was. What kind of connection we had, but nothing he said hurt me. Even when I knew he also knew the truth and didn't tell me, it didn't bother me. In my heart, I was sure he did it to protect me. Logan can never be wrong.
"Out of all the people, you should very well know why I love her so much, Beatrice," Logan's question to Beatrice made me scrunch my brows.
"What do you mean?" I asked, and he sighed before pinching his brows.
"That's because you are my f*cking sister!" Logan's words shocked me, and I looked at Beatrice for answers, who looked away.
"B-but how is that possible?" I looked at Logan, who gritted his teeth.
"You are my distant cousin, including Beatrice. I heard about it yesterday when I left your apartment to check on the vampires' invasion. Dad found out about it recently too. Your mom is my dad's distant sister, and so are you mine," Logan's words made me sigh.
Why was everyone hell-bent on revealing everything to me one after the other? At least give me some time to get used to one thing. First, I found out about myself, my dream unraveled, Beatrice knew everything, and now Logan is my brother, which she knew about too.
Just how much truth has she hidden from me, and for what?
This wasn't a protective or selfish decision to get to the position of the Luna of the pack anymore. She wanted me to suffer. The realization alone made me want to wretch my guts out.
I was hurt and hated her for some time, but never did that hurt, and the hatred went as deep as it was today.
What would've happened if I had fallen for Logan and given in my desires for him? I shuddered at the thought.
"I think I need some time alone," I whispered.
"You are not leaving anywhere, Valerie. I won't -'' Damian started, holding my hand, but before he could pull me towards him or I could jerk his hand away, someone beat me to it.
The force was so loud that I stumbled back harshly. Damian's whole body hit the tree before I was scooped into someone's arms.
"How dare you touch what's mine?!"
I widened my eyes when I saw who it was.
"Alpha Ambrose," Damian's eyes widened in shock and a little fear.
He looked between Ambrose and me before taking a deep breath.
"I am not sure if you are under any misunderstanding, but she is my mate and -"
"Your mate? Last time I checked, you rejected her. How dare you call my Luna your mate?!" Ambrose shouted, and his growl made the hair on my neck stand while everyone looked at me for answers.
"I... " I didn't know what to say.
Hadn't he left in a fit of anger? I thought he wouldn't return and ask for rejection instead.
"Just because I left to clear my head, you got yourself not one but two suitors? Don't you think you are testing my patience?" Ambrose turned to me before grabbing my chin, and I looked at him with animosity.
How dare he make it look like it was my fault?
"Ambrose, you -" I couldn't complete my sentence as his lips crashed on mine, making me gulp, the pleasurable shocks rendering me speechless.