Chasity’s POV
Now that I was pregnant, I had to survive, no matter what. For my baby and for my triplet alphas. I had no idea which of the triplets was precisely the father but was that even possible to figure out? Identical triplets had the same DNA. It didn’t really matter. They would all be the father. I sighed. My head was throbbing. I wish Alex were here to massage my scalp. I got up from the tiled floor and a horrifying thought hit me. What did the kidnappers want in terms of my pregnancy? They had gotten me the test. Did they hope I was or wasn’t pregnant or did they not care? If the found out I was pregnant would they be easier or harder on me? I hadn’t thought this through. I threw the pregnancy test in the toilet after snapping it in half. I flushed it. Thankfully it went down.
Dante came into the bathroom without even knocking.
“Hey!” I said indignantly not able to fake nonchalant anymore now that I was worried for my baby.
He looked impassive. He stared at me.
“Are you or Arne’t you?
“What?” I asked.
“Pregnant?!” Asked Dante.
“Does it make a difference?” I asked, trying to gauge his reaction.
“This isn’t a game!” Snapped Dante.
A game? A game!
“I’m the one who’s kidnapped! I’m the one who’s sick and vomiting! Why would I ever think it was a game?!” I yelled, not able to play it cool anymore.
Dante sneered. “Are you pregnant yes or no?
I fixed him with s glare. “When my Alphas get here, they’re gonna rip you in half!” I said softly.
Dante glared back. He left the room and slammed the door. I breathed a sigh of relief for the time being.
Third Person
“Chasity’s grandfather?” Asked Felix, narrowing his eyes.
The man named Chance nodded.
Felix, Alex and Calix looked at him incredulously.
“So where have you been all this years?” Asked Alex, glaring at Chance.
Who would leave their granddaughter up to chance for so many years?
“I’ve been here,” said Chance, gesturing all around the room. “Running the Lucky Toad Casino!” He said grandly, his arms wide and outstretched.
He’s insane, said Alex over mind-link to his brothers. That’s why he didn’t come to look for Chasity even though he was nearby.
Calix and Felix looked the eldest alpha and nodded.
“I’m not insane, Alex,” said Chance slowly with a wide smile. The triplets recoiled a little. Was that a coincidence?
It’s probably just a coincidence! Said Calix.
His elder brother nodded.
“No, it’s not, I can hear you loud and clear,” said Chance.
The triplets were flabbergasted.
“How is that possible?” Demanded Felix.
“The witchcraft?” Offered Alex. “From the group you belong too?”
Chance nodded. “The Furina Ornata allows each of its members to tap into…special skills…my special skill is being able to listen to any mind-link within a certain radius. I can’t explicitly read minds but I can sense the truth and a lie with perfect accuracy and I can listen in on private mind-links,” said Chance, smiling.
“Ok, congrats, back to Chasity,” grumbled Felix. “You’re her grandfather how? Who’s Dad are you? Her Mom’s or her Dad’s?
“I’m Chalice’s father. Chalice was Chasity’s Mom,” said Chance sadly.
“Was?” Asked Alex. “So you know for sure Chasity’s parents are…no longer with us?”
Chance sighed.
“My daughter Chalice had her demons. She wasn’t perfect. The order of the Furina Ornata was trying to help her. The order helps people with a variety of things including addictions. She was never able to successfully detox. She kept falling back by the wayside. Her mate, Chasity’s Dad had better luck detoxing with our order but Chalice’s relapses were his relapses since they usually did everything together. Mates can be our saving grace or our Kryptonite, you know,” said Chance sadly.
“Ok, we already know her parents were drug addicts,” said Felix impatiently.
“Felix,” whispered Alex fiercely, nudging his younger brother.
Chance chuckled.
“You’re passionate about my granddaughter! I’m glad,” said Chance
“This doesn’t add up. Where have you been, Chance? Chasity’s childhood sucked and I’m sure you knew that if you knew her parents were drug addicts. Didn’t you wonder where Chasity was when her parents skipped town?” Calix questioned.
Chance sighed. “When my daughter ran off, leaving Chasity, I followed her. I was trying to track her down and bring her back. I tailed them for a while,” said Chance.
“And?” Asked Felix.
Chance looked away from the triplets sadly. “And…unfortunately when I finally caught up to them…they were…” Chance paused to take a deep shuddering breath.
“Please, I know it’s hard but please tell us Chance. It’s not too late for Chasity even if it was too late for her mother,” said Alex, gently, pleading with the older werewolf.
Chance nodded, collecting himself. His eyes were filled with tears. He took a deep breath. Calix patted him on the shoulder.
“I found them finally…I caught up to them in a motel miles and miles from here. I remember it so vividly because it was Christmas Morning. You know that song,” Chance said, his eyes glazing over.
“Walking in a Winter Wonderland by Dean Martin. It’s an old Christmas song. Beautiful. Chalice’s favourite. It’s so funny…the synchronicity…”said the older werewolf, chuckling sadly. He was motioning everything he did with his hands and his hands were trembling.
“I…I was listening to that song on the radio…Walking in a Winter Wonderland…as I switched off the car and took the key out of the ignition but the song never stopped!” Exclaimed Chance.
What? The triplets were confused. Chance laughed humourlessly.
“The song was still playing on the same radio station but somewhere upstairs in the motel! Chalice! Listening to the same Christmas song as her Dad on the same day at the same time on the same radio station!” Exclaimed Chance, tears beginning to fall down his cheeks.
“That’s wonderful,” said Calix sincerely, trying to encourage the werewolf. “So you followed the music?”
“Right you are Calix, right you are!” Said Chance.
Chance could tell them apart! The triplets were impressed.
“I followed the faint music. It grew steadily louder. There was an echo to it. The Marigold Motel not the hotel, the seedy motel. I went up the rickety side steps. Found one of the doors to the rooms left open. The music was coming from there. I walked in. The place was small and reasonably clean, nothing spectacular. Minimal Christmas decorations. I followed the Christmas Carol to the radio. I turned it off. I shouldn’t have turned it off. The music has been off ever since. When I turned a corner, Chalice and her mate were sitting, staring at the table in the kitchenette. Eyes wide. Just staring. There were fang marks on their necks,” Chance said, lost in the story and shaking.
“Vampires?” Asked Felix worriedly.
“Snake bites. Furina Ornata. The venomous Moon Snake. The order has special snakes that are a thousand times more venous than usual,” said Chance.
“So it was the order! It is something to do with the tattoo!” Exclaimed Alex.
“No…not quite,” said Chance. The triplets were confused. “We give snake bites on purpose. The venom makes us stronger when administered correctly and under supervision. That’s how I got my powers. They were seeking help to get stronger. To fight whoever was chasing them!” Chance explained.
“But?” Prompted Felix.
Chance gulped and wiped the sweat on his brow with a handkerchief.
“But the Furina Ornata member who had come to administer the snake venom was dead on the ground too with a bite bark on the neck. Someone had come upon them and interfered with the ritual. The person or people they were running from interrupted the venom ritual so they couldn’t take the antidote and finish it. They died with venom flooding their systems unchecked. The antidote is usually kept in a metal briefcase with our symbol on it. I found the briefcase on the floor open and the antidote missing. Someone took the antidote and ran off. We usually bring many vials of antidote. The person took all, about half a dozen and left. Or people. The administrator of the venom, our member, she was dead on the ground near the empty briefcase with the snake still crawling about,” Chance finished his story in hushed tones.
The air was heavy. So Chalice and her mate were trying to get strong enough to fight back whoever was threatening them. Ironically, in the middle of a ritual to get stronger, that someone accosted them, took the antidote, leaving them to die, poisoned with venom but without the life-saving antidote. The person left the snake behind and even the antidote administrator was killed. More questions. The triplets sighed. However they had one big answer for their lovely little Luna Chasity. Her parents really were dead.
“So…what did you do after that, Chance?” Said Calix gently.
“I called the police. They came with an ambulance. I sat there and looked at Chalice staring at me sightlessly. She looked peaceful, hopeful, perhaps about the ritual. She herself had undertaken it successfully once before. We all did, numerous times. The ambulance people couldn’t revive them. They were pronounced dead and so was the administrator. The people who were chasing them. I had no ides still who they were or where they went. I buried my daughter and her mate with my own money. I even included the administrator in the funeral. It was a quiet little funeral in Marigold,” mumbled Chance.
“Why didn’t you tell anyone?” Spat Felix, furious, his eyes darkening.
Chance looked shocked.
“Who was the administrator?” Asked Alex.
“The administrator was Deidre Binx, Chalice’s friend, and a fellow order member who used the venom treatments for her skin and whatnot like a beauty regime. She wanted to be a model,” said Chance.
Chills crept through the triplets.
“Deidre Binx isn’t dead. She is a model, was. She’s a retired supermodel. She’s in LA, still schmoozing and again why didn’t you tell anyone? Chasity? Our parents? You left her in the dark,” Felix said.
Chance stared at him, dumbfounded. “The real Deidre Spinx is dead. I know that with a certainty. I don’t know who that woman that models and has her name and looks just like her is. She’s not Deidre Spinx. I was never able to catch her and talk to her. She eluded me for years and I grew tired. I don’t think she actually killed anyone. Just benefitted from the death of Deidre. Took her spot in the modelling agency. Doppelgängers? I really don’t know. It’s creepy but my focus was Chalice. I buried her and I did tell your parents. Alpha Romeo and Luna Ronnie. I begged them to bring her to the funeral. I spoke with them on the phone. They hung up. They ignored my letters. I used to show up at the pack house after I got back from Marigold. They got a restraining order against me. Look it’s there!” Said Chance, pointing at the wall.
The triplets looked. It was there! Framed! Chance had framed his restraining order. Chance chuckled.
“Your asshole parents. I sent toys and letters and things. Tried to get to see Chasity. They kept returning them. They threatened me. Told me to stay away from Chasity. The Luna blamed me and my daughter for her step-brother’s death. I ran my casino and figured when Chasity turned eighteen she’d do her own digging and come back to me. I became…depressed honestly. This room it’s filled with stuff they returned. Stuff for Chasity,” said Chance, tears in his eyes.
The triplets took a second glance at the room. Alex felt his heart constrict. Many of the knickknacks that he’d mistaken for ornaments were figurines and little dolls. There were teddy bears amidst the clutter, jewellery, clothes even. There were perfumes and antiques that would suit a girl’s room. The papers on the floor and on the desk were scribbled haphazardly but he could make out many instances Dear Chasity and I’m sorry and See You Soon and Merry Christmas and Happy birthday and Grandpa Loves you.
Calix had not realised he was crying until he felt the wetness on his cheeks. Felix sat in one of the sticky chairs, breathing deeply. Alex remained standing up, more determined than ever. The eldest alpha would confront his parents about this atrocity. Get the two sides to this story but until then he wanted an Aly in Chance, his grandfather-in-law to be.
“Chance, I am so sorry for everything. I had no idea,” said Alex.
Chance just nodded feebly. The gambling debt story? Was that all bullshit? Did Chasity’s parents even owe money? Probably not. The casino was a family business.
“But I need you, Chance. We need you. Chasity needs you!” Said Alex.
Chance sat up a little straighter, adjusting his too-small blazer.
“Your ability to tell when people are lying! Your mind-linking reading! Those are amazing! Danny needs you! That’s our private investigator. Team up with him, with us, please, for Chasity!” Said Alex.