Chapter 146 A New Plan-- Esme POV
Chapter 146 A New Plan-- Esme POV
Esme POV
“You can’t just waltz into my pack and demand my powers! They’re mine,” Rina said, staring at Reya with wild, untrusting eyes.
Reya kept her palm open. She wouldn’t take no for an answer. I feared she would unleash her power. There was something unsettling about the way she spoke and the calmness in her expression. She’d already made up her mind about the powers. However, I couldn’t find the strength to open my mouth and speak! I held my breath.
“Yes, I can, especially when the powers don’t belong to you,” Reya insisted.
“Anything related to the De Monte family belongs to me,” Rina snapped.
Reya laughed. “Feisty. I guess all De Monte women have a version of it. Hand them over, or I’ll just take them.”
Zeron stepped between the sisters. His movement was quick, as if he’d felt the tension in the room tighten. Gosh, this is so weird. Reya looked exactly like my mother but behaved nothing like her. It was like watching my gentle mother arguing with a stubborn Rina.
Rina and Reya shared some similarities. However, the age gap was evident. Rina was born twenty years after her older sisters.
Rina shook her head. “I won’t allow this.”
“Everyone, relax. Why do you want her powers, Reya?” Zeron sighed.
Reya blinked. “Because I do.”
I almost laughed, but now was not the time.
My mate frowned. He wasn’t satisfied with that answer. However, Reya offered up no further explanation.
Rina got up from the chair and raced to the door. Zeron reached out and caught her. “After everything you’ve told me, you think you can just run off? You’ve got a funny sense of humour.”
“Ah! What do you want from me?” Rina screeched. “Let me go. Fine, I won’t make the divorce hard for you.”
“That doesn’t mean your mother’s plans will stop,” I said.
Rina growled. “I have some of her essence. I’m supposed to help her do her spell. She’ll be weaker without me. Let me go, and that’s an element of her plan that faltered.”
“You must think we’re stupid,” Reya spat. “I would have come up with that same plan when I was your age.”
Rina rolled her eyes. “What are you going to do with me?”
An idea popped into my mind. “House arrest didn’t work, and locking her up won’t work either. If you really want to help us, you’ll follow my plan,” I said.
“Yes, I’m committed,” Rina groaned.
I smiled. “The eclipse is in a matter of hours and won’t last an hour. Take a sleeping solution that I’ll make you.”
Rina’s jaw dropped. “Are you insane? Scratch that! You must think I’m stupid. What if you kill me?”
“Esme would never do that,” Zeron frowned.
“I would,” Reya commented nonchalantly.
I’m not out to kill anyone. “It’s just mushrooms. They’ll make you sleep for a few hours. Your mother won’t be able to do anything until the mushrooms are out of your system. I won’t kill you.”
“I don’t trust you!” Rina yelled. “You’re all insane if you think I’ll agree to this.”
Zeron and I locked eyes. He straightened his spine and sighed. “If that’s what you want, then I’ll be the fool to let you run free. I’ll order Rowan to take you one of my tribe packs. You can’t say goodbye to your mother.”
“But,” Rina bit her tongue.
She argued enough. It was time to concede before Zeron really lost his temper with her.
“Fine,” Rina mumbled.
“Stay here,” Zeron ordered.
He strolled out of the room. Reya took my arm and guided me out.
“What are you doing here?” I whispered once we were in the hallway.
“Kinslee got in touch, and I knew what I had to do.”
I knew she was worried, but I didn’t think she’d do this.
“You don’t have to be here,” I said.
“Why? I wouldn’t want to miss all the fun.”
“What about your husband and your pack?”
“I brought him. He didn’t want to miss all the fun either. Esme, Kinslee didn’t want you to be here alone in a foreign pack. Neither did I. You couldn’t keep me away.”
For the first time, I saw concern in her eyes. In the short time I’d known her, she heavily guarded her emotions. Even though she smiled often, she kept the heavy stuff under wraps
She touched my shoulder. That was the most affection she could afford right now.
“Besides, my darling husband wants to show Zeron how much progress his troops have made!”
Oh great, so there was a mini army of rogues running around the West End pack. Good for backup, I guess.
“How are your powers behaving? Reya asked.
I’m pretty sure they tried to take over my body, but on the bright side, I’m good.
“Fine,” I lied.
Reya nodded, but by the way she stared at me, I doubted she believed me.
“I see that. I’ll be around. Keeping an eye on you and my father’s former fling.”
“Esme, how fast can you make that tonic?” Zeron asked.
“Didn’t she say she wouldn’t take it?” Reya asked.
“She doesn’t have a choice,” Zeron replied. “Esme?”
“I… uh… maybe thirty minutes. She doesn’t have to drink all of it,” I said.
“Leave that to Rowan. We don’t have time. Dana will start asking for her daughter soon.”
Reya smiled brightly. “Leave that to me. I’m sure she’ll love to see me.”
As the sun went down, the pack’s business didn’t fade. The pack house was too noisy for me to work in. Vivian told me to go down to the river. The waters in the West End pack were clean and contained precious minerals.
I’m not trying to kill Rina, and if she ends up sick because of the water I used, then there will be hell to pay.
When I arrived at the river and took off my clothes. I left my bra and underwear on. I made a little fire to turn the mushrooms into liquid. Each time I stirred the mushrooms, I remembered Vivian’s warning about the mushrooms being poisonous too.
“I wish she hadn’t told me that,” I mumbled.
The mushrooms turned to a brown, grainy liquid.
“There you are,” Zeron said.
He walked through the bushes to get to me.
He noticed my clothes piled beside me and frowned. “Princess, what if someone else found you before me?”
“I’m not naked, Zeron.”
He frowned deeply. “You’re not naked? I can see everything!”
I had my feet in the river while I cooked on the side. Zeron sat behind me, squishing me between his thighs. He put the pot aside and wrapped his arms around me.
“Did I take too long?” I asked.
Zeron planted kisses from my shoulder to my neck. “Everything else can wait.”
“Zeron! We’re busy, aren’t we?”
His hands moved down my shoulders and rested on my thighs. He pried my legs further apart. He tugged on my underwear.
“The world can’t wait for a moment, Princess. I just need this moment with you.”
My lips parted, and a gentle sigh escaped. “You can’t leave me like this.”
“We’re spending the night together, Princess. I want you in my bed. Rina will be gone.”
I had many questions, but none were worth it.
“Dana demanded half of my land for the inconvenience of the divorce,” Zeron chuckled.
My eyes popped open. “No way.”
“She knew we’d all say no.”
Zeron’s arms moved from the pleasure zone to the safe area of my chest. He held me tightly.
“We should go, but I like it out there,” Zeron said.
“I like being in your arms. I swear if you don’t show up tonight, there will be hell to pay.”
He kissed the side of my head. “You’re the last person I want to cross, Esme. You blew up my kitchen.”
I laughed, but my laughter was quickly stifled by a blood-curdling scream.
“What was that?” I gasped.
My mind instantly went to Reya. My biological mother was causing chaos! She unleashed her powers and burned something that was the only logical explanation. I’m going to be banned from this pack by sunrise.