Chapter 162 STRENGTH AND FORGIVENESS
Edeline
A wolf’s mournful howl echoed within me. It was incredibly hard to see my mate so distraught. "You are not weak, Percival..."
We remained in each other’s arms. "I feel like it... First, I let my father control my life. Then I became weak because of a female... letting him make the rules again... only to discover that he never had it all together in his own life. My title goes to Nixx... And I do not even care about that now that I know you do not... but it feels like we are his fake family. He has a better son now. He once had a true mate... and all this time, I never knew," he said, bowing his head in strain. "And I feel weak, crying to you like this..."
"No," I said gently, taking his hands in mine and intertwining our fingers. "Do not worry about feeling weak. You are actually quite strong. And as for Nixx, I seriously doubt he has any interest in becoming Alpha, unless he suddenly decides he wants Tatiana. But let us not dwell on that. It is true that your father had a mate, your mother’s cousin Nyra. Unfortunately, she passed away right here on this very ledge. Her father, the Dark Moon alpha, blamed William for not taking care of her and controlled his life. He even sent your mother to him as a mate. Annabel, your true mate, was a lesser wolf, so her Alpha uncle forced her to reject him. That is how she ended up here. My mother shared all this with me, Z. Your father fell in love with your mother, and she helped him heal. And then, of course, they had you. Nixx was simply an unexpected surprise."
“But there is a reason he ended up here. The moon does not make mistakes,” I said, looking deeply into his eyes. I wanted him to see things from my perspective. His expression was one of surprise, his eyebrows lifting slightly as he processed my words.
“Nixx is like family now. And somehow, I am too... in a totally non-incestuous way,” I added with a light laugh, which made him chuckle. His smile was contagious, and seeing it made me feel weightless and good. “Percival, even Tatiana’s presence here has a purpose. I believe it is to uncover everyone’s deepest secrets. There is no room for doubt. Stand up for what you desire,” I said with conviction, believing every word.
His eyes widened in amazement, his lips parting slightly. We were still holding hands, and my heart began to race with anticipation.
“Huh? Do I have something on my face?” I raised my eyebrows in playful confusion.
He shook his head, grinning as he pulled his hands away to wipe the tears from his eyes. “Nah,” he chuckled, slightly out of breath. “You know, you would be an amazing Luna. Even better than my mom. You are just so understanding, always able to see things from everyone’s perspective. You are just... flawless.” The admiration in his blue eyes was unmistakable.
My wolf stirred with a surge of confidence as my cheeks flushed with embarrassment. I quickly averted my gaze, feeling my face grow warm. “Thanks!”
We chatted a bit longer, and I could feel my excitement building, though it was still manageable. He mentioned that he would start standing up for what he believes in from now on. He was furious with his father for punishing his mother after she had attacked mine. It felt as though his father was prioritizing Nixx and his own mother over them, making them feel abandoned. I had already explained to him what he needed to do. He felt weak in front of the pack and wanted to prove his strength to them. He had to follow his own rules.
I also told him about what had happened with Anita that night. I filled him in on her story and her connection to Tatiana’s parents. I noticed he looked genuinely sorry for me. Then, I brought up the incident with Darius. As I spoke about it, I felt a heat rising in my skin, intensifying with each word.
“I wanted to talk about Darius... I know it is a bit random, but I think it is important,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
He squinted, looking curious. “What’s the deal with that guy?”
He offered me his hand as I got back on my feet, and I took it, holding his hands in mine, our eyes locked. “You know, Anita was the one who poisoned him. That poison led him to do all those terrible things... the night he took advantage of my drunken state, which I cannot even recall... the poison he gave Mirabelle... the night he attacked me. He feels really terrible about it... like he was not himself. He was poisoned,” I said softly, feeling a pang of vulnerability as I shared this with him.
With a frown, Percival pulled his hands away from mine. “Are you seriously defending him?” he asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
I shook my head quickly, my hands moving to retrieve the teabags from my pocket. “He was being honest. I found these in his room... they contain the red lockheed. Tatiana gave them to him on Anita’s orders. It was an attempt to convince him to join their cause. It’s a weak dose of the poison. I know Darius well, and I have been terrified of what he’s done. But Percival’s memory is unreliable. It wasn’t him; it was Anita’s manipulation. Could you please just talk to him? If I can find it in my heart to forgive him, so can you. Please. I do not want him to suffer for Anita’s actions,” I pleaded, clutching at his shirt.
His anger flared, and he yanked my arms away, his voice seething with frustration. “He nearly assaulted you and separated us. I cannot handle this, Edeline. He might regret his actions and he might have been influenced, but it does not change the fact that he committed those acts.” His jaw was clenched so tightly that I feared his teeth might break under the pressure.