Chapter 32: Truth

Chapter 32: Truth
Vander

I’d never been this nervous in a while. Then again, I hadn’t done anything this shameful in a while either. The last time I felt this way… my name was put up on that bounty board. At least then I had Loraine to distract me with all of those raging emotions. But this time I was alone.

It was quiet when I got to Calina’s home, and I worried momentarily whether anyone would answer the door if I knocked. Nonetheless, I still tried, knocking a few times and even calling out, “Mrs Devan?”

I was just about ready to leave when the door finally swung open, revealing Calina’s mother. I wished in that moment that the ground could open up and swallow me whole. Even death would be preferred to this.

Her brows furrowed in confusion and she looked around, probably wondering why I’d come here alone. But I wanted this to be done right. I didn’t want to intimidate her or threaten her. I wanted to come here all by myself, and face what I’d done.

“What do you want?” Her tone was curt and cold. I could tell she really didn’t want to see me. To ease her into everything I reached in my pocket for the vial Mary had given to me yesterday and held it out towards her.

“This should help with your illness. I got it from our healers.” She took it hesitantly and then disappeared inside momentarily.

“Is that all?” She asked once she returned.

I shook my head, now fidgeting with my fingers as I cast my eyes down on the ground.

“The initiation went badly…” I should have perhaps chosen my words a bit more carefully because in the next instant, she collapsed to the ground and started wailing. I attempted to help her, but she swatted my hands away.

“No I- I didn’t mean that she was dead… sh-she’s definitely alive! It’s just that she’s been kidnapped!” That was when the crying suddenly stopped. Slowly, she arose from the ground. Although her face was tear-stained and her eyelids pooled with tears, I could see the rage behind her eyes.

“What did you just say?” Her tone was deathly low and calm, and it made the hairs at the back of my neck stand up.  

“Sh-she’s been kidnapped…”

Immediately her hand collided with the side of my cheek. Although she was a weak woman, her hand definitely packed a punch. I placed my fingers against my cheek letting it rest against the stinging flesh.

“Then what the hell are you doing standing here instead of looking for—”

“What the fuck is he doing here?” Said a familiar voice. There was no stopping my ever-growing misery. Slowly I turned towards the man I’d come to loathe. Calina’s ex-boyfriend. I don’t know why but seeing him made me feel so jealous. He seemed so smug. As though some part of him was so confident that he could reel Calina back to him if he tried. He was the last person on Earth I wanted to know about what was happening, especially when I was trying to keep it quiet for now.

Calina’s mother ran out the door, pushing right past me and aiming right toward Mason. She grabbed his hands and looked up at him pleadingly, visibly startling him.

“Oh, tell me you have her Mason! You have Calina, don’t you?” A small part of me hoped that maybe he’d say yes and put this all to rest. But I knew he wasn’t stupid enough to try that same stunt again. And so all he did was gaze down at her, very confused.

“Mrs Devan… what are you talking about? I haven’t seen Calina since you have,” and then he seemed to realise what was happening. He turned to look at me and gently dropped Calina’s mother’s hands before storming towards me.

“You lost her? You fucking bastard! What kind of Alpha can’t even protect his own mate! I knew giving her up to you was a bad idea!” he yelled, raising his fist to punch me. But I side-stepped and he missed. I could take the criticism from Calina’s mother gladly. But from him? Now that would just be beyond insulting.

“That’s really funny coming from someone who isn’t her boyfriend anymore and who’s instead dating Lilith from the depths of hell!”

“Who I date has nothing to do with you! And just so you know, I’m not dating her anymore! So I’m free to be as involved with Calina as I’d like to be you prick!”

I hesitated when he’d said this. If he wasn’t dating Jenna anymore that would mean that he’d have no reservations trying to win Calina back. And by the looks of it, that was his exact plan. It rubbed me the wrong way. So, I let my fist fly towards him. But before it could hit his face, Calina’s mother intervened. I let my fist miss him and retracted it quickly.

“Fighting about stupid things won’t bring her back. Now, let’s go inside and talk about what’s happened and the way forward,” she said before pointing towards the entrance of the door.



Calina’s mother had us sit in the living room and unfortunately left us alone to get refreshments. I didn’t think it was an act of politeness. Rather, I suspected it was to defuse the tension between Mason and myself. He didn’t read the room though, because he insisted on parading around like an ass.

“How do you know she ran away in any case? She could have just gotten sick of you and left,” he said all snarky.

I just rolled my eyes and ignored him. It was only when Calina’s mother returned that I retrieved the letter from my pocket.

“Thank you for your hospitality,” I said before sipping on the glass of juice she’d given me. She didn’t reply, however, making Mason smirk in victory. “I was hoping you would look over this letter for me. It was left behind to make it appear as though she’d run away.”

Calina’s mother took the letter from my hands and then glanced at it. Immediately she frowned and her brows furrowed.

“This isn’t her handwriting. Nor does it sound like her at all.”

“Let me see!” Mason said, almost childishly. She handed him the letter, and he too glanced at it.

“Yeah, you’re right. This doesn’t look anything like her writing. So, it’s definitely clear that she’s been kidnapped. Do you have any suspects in mind?” Mason asked. His tone was a lot more serious now and it was clear that he was now addressing me in his professional hunter capacity. I hesitated for a moment, wondering whether or not to say anything as yet. Though I knew it was Brutis, I had no concrete proof. And if I got the LHS involved in this I risked potentially having my efforts hampered by them. It was clear that they were ever ready to get rid of Calina. Her disappearance would only benefit them more.

“Look,” Calina’s mother said, breaking my train of thought, “I can see you’re hesitant to trust us. And perhaps that’s warranted. We don’t have a good reason to trust you either. But, for my daughter, I’m willing to work with you. And so, I can assure you that, if need be, we will keep this as silent as it needs to be.”

She then looked over towards Mason, her brows raised. He sighed and then nodded in agreement with her.

“I just want her back safe. The LHS can kiss my ass.”

I gazed between the both of them momentarily. Although it was clear that none of us got along, we all shared common ground. Getting Calina back. And so, I made the decision to trust them.

“I suspect Alpha Brutis from the Silver Crescent pack,” I said.

Both Mason and Calina’s mother had visible reactions of surprise before they both looked at each other.

“Before I comment on what you’ve said… could you explain why you think it’s him?” Mason asked.

I nodded and the proceeded to detail everything, from the Council of Alphas to Calina’s eventual initiation. That was the first time I let my guilt and fear slip, especially as I detailed how Brutis grabbed her and bit her while I watched, unable to stop him.

“… I really thought I’d be able to stop him. I thought I’d scare him off. But he’s always one step ahead of me all the time.”

When I’d finished, there was a heavy silence resting on all of us. And although it was clear that Calina’s mother still didn’t like me, I could sense a softness in her cool exterior. But there was something else as well. A conflicted look on her face.

“Mason, could you step outside for a moment? When we’re done here, you can walk him to his car and discuss what you know about Brutis from the LHS. But for now, I need to discuss something privately with him.

Mason looked between the both of us hesitantly before sighing and nodding. Once he’d left, Calina’s mother surprisingly moved close to me, a look of regret on her face.

“I fear I feel partly responsible for this mess as well. It seems your father hasn’t been forthcoming with you, and I haven’t been forthcoming with my daughter about what happened with your mother and Calina’s father. Though I doubt you’d believe me… I need you to at least open your mind to the possibility of what I say to be true.”

I hung on her every word, eagerly listening. The truth… finally.

“It wasn’t Calina’s father who killed your mother. It was yours.”