Alex licked his lower lip and turned to Mira, not really following what was going. “What the fuck are they talking about? What union, mage?”
Viessa sneered at him. “Some things just don’t change no matter what, right? Like your dirty mouth and arrogance.”
But before he could bark back at her, Lord Aleister gently raised a hand to stop him. “Alexander, I’m sorry if I’m not being clear with you. I meant to say that your family is coming to plan your union with my lovely niece,” he explained calmly, then looked at Mira.
“Mira is your niece?” Alex stood up.
“Yes, she is. And before you were captured, you and Mira were intended to wed.”
He looked at Mira. “You’re all lying now, aren’t you?”
“We’re absolutely not.” Lord Aleister stood up.
“Of course, you are!” Alex screamed, standing face to face with him. “How could I be marrying her when I’m engaged to Harper?”
“She lied to you, Alex,” Mira snapped.
“What?”
Viessa rolled her eyes. “Oh, boy.”
“No!” He exclaimed, refusing to believe and quickly shaking his head as he began to back away from them. “You’re lying. All of you.”
Viessa sighed loudly and raked an exasperated hand through her hair. “How I wish we were so we could all move on and let you be, Alexander. I mean, you were an arrogant prick, and I think you still are. If we could have it our way, we wouldn’t let Mira anywhere near you, but guess what? We can’t! Why? Because you’re her fucking mate. This shit is completely messed up, I know.”
“No.” Alex took another step back and glanced at Mira.
“It’s the truth, Alex,” she said. “I’m your mate.”
“Harper lied to me?” As he thought this, his eyes slowly turned into the darkest shade of blue, mentally questioning everything that everyone had said to him before. If Harper lied, could Dr. Miller have lied to him too? And everyone he met?
“We know it’s hard to take. But, I’m sorry, the human lied to you. Obviously,” Viessa said from her seat
Yet, Alex found himself shook his head in disagreement. “She can’t be.”
“Stop it, Alex!” Mira yelled and slammed her hands on the table. “She lied to you, okay?”
“But why?”
“Maybe because of your money? I don’t know. But the point is, she lied to you. And you have no idea how much you’re hurting me right now with your denial,” Mira suddenly said quietly, yet her demeanor carried so much conceit, and her sincerity lack depth.
Thinking for a moment, Alex said, “I can’t believe it.”
“This is all a lot to take in, Alexander,” Lord Aleister interjected. “That’s why I’d recommend that you prepare yourself for what’s to come in the next few days.”
Alex slowly looked at everyone in the room. “What’s going to happen to Harper?”
“I know what you’re thinking, and let me tell you now that, no, we won’t hurt her. Although we can’t let her go back to her father just yet.”
“Why not?”
“We need her to bring Lucas back.”
“Lucas? Why is that guy involved in a lot of things in Harper’s life?”
“He’s been involved since the start, Alexander. He was your best friend, after all.”
“You are clearly fucking with me now. There’s just no way.” He stared at Lord Aleister, mouth hanging open, stunned to learn this about the man he was in constant competition with to win Harper back.
“As soon as your family arrives, you can fact-check all of this with them,” Viessa suggested.
He thought she had made a valid point, so he asked instead, “Why do you need him back? And why do you need Harper to bring him back? Where the hell is he anyway?”
“He’s committed quite a crime before he fled this world. Unfortunately, your fake fiancée is the only one who could bring him to come back,” Lord Aleister responded.
Viessa and Mira shared a quick look. While neither of them said a word, it was apparent to Alex that they were somehow thinking the same thing. When they noticed that he noticed, they turned their attention back to him and Lord Aleister, steadfast expressions on their faces.
“Alexander, I know you’re still tired. We can continue this later,” Lord Aleister gently advised.
“Let me show you to your room,” Mira offered.
“I know my way up,” Alex promptly declined. He walked out of the door and loudly closing it behind him.
“His memories are all wiped out, yet that son of bitch hasn’t changed at all,” Viessa muttered.
“Viessa, please. He’s my mate.”
Her eyes flickered, and the corners of her mouth turned up. “Yeah, right.”
* * *
As soon as Harper opened her eyes, she was immediately stunned by the sudden change of her surroundings. She got up from the bed, and with the flickering flames in the hearth, she surveyed the room where she was and soon figured she was in a castle. And the moment her mind caught up and remembered what had happened, she quickly tried to look for Alex.
She was just about to reach for the brass knob when she heard a knock on the door. Thinking that it was Alex, she quickly pulled the door open only to be met with an unfamiliar face.
“Good morning, Harper. My name is Aleister.” Lord Aleister greeted and casually walked into the room.
“Where’s Alex?”
“I suppose with his mate.”
“His mate? Like a friend from Australia?”
With a slight chuckle at the unexpected simplicity of her mind, he replied, "Oh, you poor clueless thing. He’s with Mira. His mate. Each werewolf has a mate, Harper. I’m sure you’ve already read about this in books.”
“Wait―what?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to start your day with a little shocking revelation.”
With a fixed gaze at Lord Aleister, Harper’s eyes narrowed. “Did you just say Alex is Mira’s mate?”
“I did. You look upset.”
“And he’s with her now,” she thought loudly.
“You know what? I really tried to think of reasons why you would lie to Alexander. But it just escapes. Then again, now that he knows the truth and he’s already reunited with his mate, the reason should no longer matter now, right?”
She took a few steps back and sat on the edge of the four-poster bed. “He knows?” she asked, which almost came as a whisper.
Lord Aleister nodded, smiling down at her. “I’m sure you have your reasons. But like I’ve just said, don’t worry, it doesn’t matter now. And so, I guess, what’s left to do now is to proceed with the plan.”
She looked up to Lord Aleister with a pale expression on her face.
“Are you okay, Harper?”
She held up her hand while shaking her head. “I’m okay. I just―I need to get out of here. I shouldn’t have come.”
“Well, I’m glad you have, and I’m afraid we can’t let you leave.”
She gasped. “What? And why not? Mira obviously has what she wants now. She wants Alex, and now that he knows that we’re not really engaged, and he’s with his mate now, what’s the point? Why can’t you let me leave?” Panic was almost evident in her shaky voice.
“Because you also deserve to know the truth.”
“What truth?”
“About you and Lucas.”
She swallowed hard at the mention of his name. “What about him? Where is he? Mira said I could see him again.”
“And she’s right. You will soon see your *mate* again.”
Harper’s hand came up to her mouth in shock. “My mate? You must be mistaken. I’m human. And Lucas…”
“He’s a Lycan, Harper. And you’re his human mate.”
“I…what? I…” She stood up from the bed and started to pace around the room. “This is crazy. This can’t be happening. This is too much. You must be messing up with me right now.” But then a fleeting look at him told her that he wasn’t.
“Don’t worry. Being human puts you in a better position than he is.”
She snapped her head at him. “Better position?! Have you seen them transformed? And when Alex―they’re not in total control!” She stopped pacing and whirled around, then bit her lower lip in utter aggravation and dread as she thought back on that night. “Wait a minute. You’re one of them, aren’t you?”
Lord Aleister smiled. “Not really. I’m a vampire,” he casually said.
“Great! Just great!” She stared at him for a moment. Her stomach churned with nerves, although, from her view, she noticed his teeth were perfectly aligned in a flowing curve.
“Contrary to popular belief, we’re not savages, Harper. We’re just like you. Only stronger and better at almost anything,” he said with such pride. “But I didn’t come here to stomp on your little human self-esteem. When I say you’re in a better position, I only mean you have the ultimate power to choose. Humans are immune to this whole mate nonsense, if I may so call it myself. So, you can either reject Lucas or spend the rest of your human life with him.”
“I have the right to reject or accept a werewolf in my life, but I can’t choose to leave this place?”
“That’s right.”
“And why not?!”
“Because, Harper, we need you to bring Lucas back.”