Chapter Thirty-Five

Jared's words make my heart drop. The old Bea returns to the surface, just a fragment of her. Reed notices my excitement, but doesn't comment. Could Raphas be among them?

Reed begins following Jared out the door. I follow, but he whirls around and grabs my arm. "You're staying here. This is no place for a female."

"Let go of me, Reed. You know you can't make me stay here. If you lock that door, I'll run it down. Nothing will stop me from seeing this."

The lack is gathered around the entrance of the house and they make way for the Alpha. I stay hidden behind them. I'm surprised to see Dantes standing tall in front of his pack.

Dantes and the Nameless Pack. I can't believe they're actually here. He stands tall and proud. I didn't think I would see him again, and I'm surprised that I don't feel like ripping him apart. I'm oddly neutral to everything he did to me. I scan the crowd for Raphas. Dantes is standing alone. Would Raphas have stood beside him to face his own brother? I scan the crowd desperately. He isn't here. I look for Max, too, but there's just no sight of them. Where is he? He was supposed to be here. If he isn't here, where else will I find him?

There are so many of them, but I don't see Sandra and the children either, or Penelope. I'm relieved. That bitch Amanda isn't here, either. It's incredible how I still can't stand her, even after all this time. Now that I know what a real pack is, I can see them for what they are. They're all overweight and most of them are just too old for this. What was Dantes thinking? Maybe he wasn't. They're never winning this battle. This is a fool's errand.

Reed laughs. "A year you had to plan this, and this is what you came up with? By the Moon, Dantes. You really are a useless wolf."

"You underestimate them? You shouldn't. The Moon is by my side, Reed. I've come to take what you took from me." His blue eyes are narrowed.

"StoneMoon never belonged to you!" Reed hisses. "You traitor. You impostor. How dare you lie before the Moon? You killed my parents. You destroyed my pack and claimed it as yours. After everything they did for you, you ungrateful mongrel. Do you deny it?"

Dantes doesn't say anything and Reed fumes. I need to find out what happened to Raphas. Did Dantes do something to him? Is that why é isn't here? There's this growing despair in me and I step from behind the pack. I love to stand next to Reed. Dantes' gaze falls upon me. "Where's Raphas?"

He looks surprised. "Ah. Here you are. I was wondering where you ran off to. So you left one brother for the other? My, you truly are a whore."

"You will swallow that forked tongue of yours, Dantes." Reed promises. "That is no way to talk to the Luna of StoneMoon."

"I didn't leave anyone. You wanted to have me killed! You asshole!"

"You were ruining my plans. I had to get rid of you. And I succeeded. But it was for the best, wasn't it? Such a shame that you'll die with your mate today."

Reed chuckles. "You're delusional."

"What for? You claim Raphas is your nephew yet you would kill his mate?" The crowd behind me grows agitated. I don't think they knew I was Raphas' mate, but I couldn't care less. "What did you do to him? Answer me!"

"He did to Raphas what he wanted to do to me a year ago." Reed's face grows dark. "You made him an offer, didn't you? And he left you because of it, which is why he isn't here."

I turn to Reed. "What offer?" He knew about this? Why didn't he ever say a thing? Why would he hide it from me?

"Dantes wanted to mate with me." Reed answers, and it feels like my ears failed me for a second. "What?"

"It isn't uncommon for two males to mate. Or two females. I found out Dantes wasn't my uncle when he made me that offer. I refused and I challenged him, and he undoubtedly offered Raphas the same thing. That is why he kept us alive when we were pups. He was planning to mate with at least one of us and validate his claim as Alpha of StoneMoon."

I turn to Dantes. My heart is beating fast. "I'll ask you again, where is he?"

"He left me, with that rogue boy he found wandering the streets. I haven't heard from him since."

My head spins. I'm relieved that Dantes didn't kill him, but there's also fear. Where could he be? Why didn't he ever come looking for me? Did he think I was dead? Would Dantes even know such a thing?

"That isn't the main concern at the moment." Reed is irritated. "What have you come to do here, Dantes? Challenge me?"

Dantes shakes his head. "You're unbelievable, Reed. Claiming your own brother's mate? You always were envious of him, weren't you? Always wanting what was his. I tried to whip it out of you, but you never learned."

"Shut your mouth. You don't get to say anything. This is my pack, and at my command, they will rip you and these mongrels apart. Tell me once and for all what you want so we can end this. I'm sick of looking at you."

"Fine. I want to challenge you. I want to return to my rightful place as Alpha of StoneMoon."

"So be it."

I'm surprised at how fast Dantes is killed. It didn't even take a minute. Reed removed his shirt, threw one punch at Dantes, who fell, and then dug his claws in Dantes neck. He's twitching and bleeding to death right before us, but the sight of it doesn't bother me. As soon as Dantes stops, the Nameless Pack runs in the opposite direction. They run through the woods, and Reed wipes his hands on his pants. "Cowards. They thought they had a chance against me?" He looks at Dantes' body and groans. "Get this body out of my sight."

"What should we do with it?" Desmond asks.

"Leave it in the woods for the animals, but make sure I won't get a whiff of his rotting corpse."

Desmond nods dutifully and asks another pack mate to assist him. They carry his body to the woods and the pack disperses and everyone returns to their duties. Reed turns to me and runs his hand down my face. "Did you fear for my life?"

I push his hand away. "Don't. Why did you tell me about Dantes' offer? You lied to me again."

"It wasn't a lie, it was an omission. And those are two completely different versions of the truth."

I shake my head at him. "All you do is disappoint me."

"Don't say that, Bea." He pleads. "You're my mate now, I can't have you concerning yourself with Raphas anymore. What you had was in the past and we will not speak of it. Besides, he must be mated to another by now."

I hiss at him. "Raphas would never betray me."

"It isn't betrayal if you aren't together, Bea. You're mated to another. What he does with his life is no longer your concern." His tone is bitter, and he walks away, leaving me alone. I stare at the sky.

Raphas. Where are you?