127

127

WRITER

Diana stared at Jay Cross, shock ebbing its way through her. She couldn't believe his words.

She had read in the papers, had seen the funeral that had been performed for him. Maybe it was all in his mind?

She began to think then that it could be a way of Jay Cross hiding his own involvement, after all, he was JC as well.

“My father's name is Jael Cross. From the information I've gotten, there have been a couple of letters with his initial." It was as if Jay had read her mind.

She looked at him refusing to believe what it said now, that it really was his father. Dead people didn't just come back to life.

“How is that possible?” She asked doubtfully.

Jay shrugged, that was an answer he didn't have either and he had spent the past four days trying to figure it out. He had gone to the healers who had embalmed his father's body.

He had asked everyone who had been there when his body was found, besides his mother's, and they had all confirmed the same thing.

They had seen the dead body of Jael Cross, lifeless. But then, Jay knew what he had seen. He would never forget the face of the man who had terrorized him for years.

He had very well seen Jael Cross inside that house that day and heard his voice and everything before that made sudden sense.

“You're being serious?" Diana asked, the truth was written all over his face and she had no choice but to begin to believe it.

After all she had seen so much more than this, but then a dead man coming back to life, that was impossible. The moon goddess didn't hand chances out like that.

Jay sighed, “It's hard to believe it and if I didn't suspect it before and then saw and spoken to him with my own eyes then I wouldn't have believed it either"

Diana's eyes widened, and James beside her was frozen as well. Both of them exchanged brief glances.

“You saw him?” James asked the question on Diana's lips.

"Yes, I did, and he spoke to me, and from what I know, Diana, Bradley needs all the army he can get. My father is cooking something under his sleeves, and I fear it's bigger than all of us,” he said gravely.

He had thought about it for a while but he wasn't sure what it was. But without doubt, he knew that his father must have been successful in whatever he had been planning; his tools were ready for war, and neither of the packs would see him coming.

Diana sighed, deflating into the chair. She didn't have any words really. But things had become more than just a war between Loras and Bradley.

It was more than that it seemed. She would have to tell Bradley when she reached.

“So your army is assured?" She asked changing the subject.

“Yes, of course, and all my allies as well. I'll be sending the troops in before evening tomorrow, so yes," Jay answered. He knew she felt nervous and didn't push the topic.

He had been ready for this, already deciding to join the war as soon as his father confirmed his involvement. He wouldn't let another pack fall to his father's schemes.

That was all Diana needed to hear before she left. They spoke more about how many packs, and it was clear it was more than enough. They would come with weapons, and they were almost ready.

James and Diana headed back to Crimson State, assured of backup being ready.

Still, the information they had just learned weighed heavily on them.

….

Loras was out in the woods for a run that evening. He had been busy, along with his mom, in preparations.

Jael Cross’s troops hadn't all come in yet and they needed to accommodate and feed them at least until the war that had been drawing nearer reached.

He thought about the success his mom had in drawing the Underwood pack to join them and a few others.

He was confident now that he would win, he already had the support he needed. Victory was assured.

News of Elias's death had travelled across packs, the death of Bradley's beta signified a sort of weakening but Loras wasn't stupid enough to realize the truth.

It didn't signify a weakening as much as the others thought. In fact, he thought the opposite; it was a strengthening. He could imagine the anger Bradley would be experiencing and could almost compare it to losing Roseline.

Still, there wasn't a silver of pity in Loras' bones for him. He had killed his mate and nothing would make enough sense until he killed his.

He went back into his private quarters, this was separated from the pack house and he had stayed here for a while to think for himself.

He would need to be back in the main house before evening, war was approaching really fast and they had plans to make.

He took a shower, refreshing himself and his mind, taking out his phone to see if there was any news. There wasn't, his beta hadn't sent any new information which meant everything was still according to plan.

He had been about to eat when a knock came on the door. It startled him. He hadn't expected any visitor any time soon and his pack members knew not to disturb him.

Still, he went to check. He swung the door open to see a woman standing, a small parcel in her hands. She looked young, and there was something to her that Loras couldn't pinpoint.

He raised an eyebrow, “How may I help you?"

Marian drew her eyes away from his. She hadn't been able to go to the main pack house because it had been crowded and she didn't want to be recognized.

She handed the parcel to him, and Loras recognized immediately Bradley's familiar insignia.

He looked up, surprised. "What is this for?”

Marian cleared her throat, "It's for Celeste. She should please get this,” she said.

Loras looked back down, wondering what parcel his sister was receiving from Bradley.

When he looked up, she had disappeared, but her scent still lingered in the air. It was then he realized what he had sensed.

The scent was the Blackwood scent. She had been from there. Which meant she must have been working for Celeste among them.

Leave it to his sister to have eyes everywhere.

He shook his head, the parcel was light and finally the temptation to open it won. He opened the letter, as softly as he could without damaging the package.

He began to read through it. One by one the lies unfolded themselves, everything that he had thought was his, the reason he had thought he deserved this war.

One by one, each came crashing down. Right in front of his eyes, the castle of revenge that Loras had built up in his mind came falling down.

It had all been a lie, every single part of it. The people he had held closest to him, whom he had trusted with his secret, had lied to him.

Roseline's death was a lie. No, not her death, the cause of her death. It hadn't been the elaborate plan of Bradley Blackwood, it had been his very own sister's.

His twin, with whom he had shared a womb. She couldn't take it that he was in love with Roseline and he had planned it all.

His mother had supported Celeste for her own selfish gains. Her desire was to keep control of the pack and make sure he got married to a woman of his choice.

Because of all this, he had lost his beloved and made the innocent ones pay for sins that weren't theirs to pay for.

Along with the pain of betrayal came the heat of anger, burning, red, hot anger that welled up inside him.

He picked up the glass box beside him, the closest thing to him, and smashed it to the ground.

The betrayal stung as much as the anger that his family's inability to be accepting of change, and realizing that control couldn't always be theirs, was poor.

There was a disbelief still lingering but he knew that was just his heart not wanting it to be true. It was here, all in Celeste's words. Yes, she had sealed it with Bradley's insignia but he was sure this was supposed to be a letter sent to him as a sort of inciting the anger between both packs.

They wanted his fire to burn brighter and they had just done that because Loras' heart burned with deep hatred.

He was going to do it, he was going to end it all the way he saw fitting and he would make sure his mom and sister paid for it.

Because he didn't care if it was his own blood that had killed Roseline, she was his mate, he had loved her more than he had loved anybody or anything. Her death had destroyed him totally.

He would make sure they both felt it before they died. In Loras' mind, the plan had just changed, an entire one-eighty.

He would take his revenge, rightfully so, and against those who had wronged him.

He picked up his phone and dialed his beta's number, who picked up immediately.

“I want you to arrange a feast, huge enough to accommodate everybody, celebrations must be for the forthcoming victory" he forced the wicked l
Augh into his voice.

It was time to play the games that his family had been playing but this time with all the cards on the table.