Be careful, Vince
VINCE
“Have you ever morphed into your wolf form?” The sorcerer asked, ruining the silence.
“Yes. Back when I was a teenager.”
“Why did you never do it again?”
“It wasn't sophisticated.” Saying those words made me wanna go insane. Because I was quoting my elders. They literally said those words to me.
MORPHING INTO OUR WOLF FORMS WASN'T SOPHISTICATED.
And I lived by it, like a fucking mantra.
The sorcerer laughed lightly. “I thought as much.”
“Could you tell me why they didn't want me turning into my wolf?” I might hear something shittier than everything else I've heard. But I need to hear it all. I need to know how much of a fool I've been.
“Because then you'd find out. You look exactly like a rogue in your wolf form, Vince. Almost no difference.”
What?
I tried recalling what my wolf form looked like but nothing came to mind. It's been so long.
“I doubt that,” I said, feeling an intense ick about myself.
He didn't argue. That made me feel even worse. It was like he didn't bother arguing because he's right and I'll eventually realize that.
“So yeah, you were such a great Alpha and they were super proud of you and the insane development you brought to the Pack. But one thing bothered them.”
“What's that?”
“Your mannerism, Vince. You are very intense. Very ruthless. Very twisted. Scary. Hard. Like a true rogue. It terrified them. They dreaded the day you'd find out the truth about yourself. They dreaded your reaction. So they decided to make sure that never happens.”
“What did they do?” I asked icily.
“You're smart, Vince. Take a guess.”
I could already tell what they did. I just don't wanna believe it. But it seems like it's true.
“They tried replacing me with Trent?”
“Correct.” The sorcerer smiled. “They held lessons for him. Taught him everything they taught you. Except they went a hit harder. They poisoned his mind. Told him the only way he'd ever have a true Alpha identity is if you're gone. You're covering his shine and he needs to fix that. His mind was already poisoned before you both began fighting over that girl.”
“Watch it.” I cut in sternly.
“Over the Luna.” He reiterated without the spite that was in his voice the first time.
“How many elders did this?” I was angry down to my wits.
“That's not what you should be asking, Alpha Vince. The question should be, what are you gonna do with everything you know now?”
I stared at him blankly. His question echoed in my head and honestly, I don't know.
I got no fucking idea. It's all so huge and messy. I don't know where to start fixing and where to start destroying.
“You can start by rescuing your Luna.” He added carefully.
“What are you talking about?”
“I shouldn't be telling you this, but they're trying to do some rituals on her. Replace her soul with another.”
“Elena?”
“Yes.”
“Whose soul are they trying to replace hers with?”
“Prince Declan's older lover.”
Lucia? He's trying to bring her back to life? He's insane.
“Where are they? In her father's pack?”
“No. They're in the deeper part of the woods. I'm sure you saw the men with the casket?”
Oh, shit. No wonder I felt weirdly pulled in by that sight.
I sprang to my feet quickly. “Thanks for tonight. I'll be seeing you.”
“Be careful, Vince.” Those words went beyond just mere cautionary words. He was warning me not to end up like Ace Rebel.
Well, I'm not my grandfather and Elena's not the princess. I wanna believe Elena and I are gonna have a different, better ending. I really wanna believe that.
We rushed out of the cave and headed into the deeper woods. Luke was panting tiredly behind me.
I'd slow down if I could but I had to get to Elena before they do any more damage to her.
We arrived at a pile of rocks and from there, we could get a clear view of what they were doing.
Luke and I crouched behind those rocks, trying not to be seen. Goosebumps were on my skin as I watched them.
Elena was kneeling on the floor, tied up with her mouth gagged. The sorcerers were going around her, making some nasty incantations.
The poor girl. Her eyes were already way past puffy. She already cried a river. My heart arched seeing her looking so lost in despair and terribly scared.
The sorcerer's words replayed in my head. I'd be an idiot if I tried to deny the similarities between my story and my grandfather's.
The part where my grandfather couldn't pull out of the love, regardless of how insanely hurt he was getting from it, had to be the most relatable part of that history.
Because I'm at that point right now. And I don't see myself pulling out.
“Is that Trent?” Luke asked behind me.
My gaze shifted from Elena to the figure kneeling next to her. My heart gave a mixed reaction seeing him again.
A part of me was filled with poisonous rage and the other part of me arched indignantly.
“What are we gonna do?” Luke whispered behind me.
I glanced at him. “You'll wait here. I'll go rescue Elena.”
“You? Alone? Are you insane, Vince? You're greatly outnumbered.”
I know that. I already made a head count of Declan's men securing the premises, they're half an army, including Declan's sidekick.
I know what I'm planning is suicidal. But I'm curious. I wanna know just how much of what the sorcerer said was true.
I wanna know exactly what I really look like in my wolf form. And most importantly, I'd take on any risk for my baby.
“Take a good look at me. Tell me what I look like in my wolf form.”
His eyes widened in confusion. “ What?”
I didn't stay to answer that. I already left him and headed to the crime scene.
“You're insane, Vince!” I heard him whisper-yell.