I couldn’t be. I killed Vera out of anger. Athena, did it? No, I could’ve taken control of that situation before it got to that but I didn’t. I’m the human here.
Reginald’s screams pull me out of my thoughts and I pull my hand out. Yes, I wanted him dead. Yes, he deserved it but I can’t be him. I couldn’t let myself to go so dark because there won’t be a way back. Especially now that I was bringing a child into this world, I had to approach it all differently. So, there was only one thing to do.
I roughly grabbed his face so he was looking at me and I looked into his past. In that moment, it all changed for me.
He had a rough past. With my nana leaving him with his father, she threw him in the den of hyenas. He spent most nights going to bed hungry, they beat him up for the fun of it. My nana let new uncle grow up in human territory when he was clearly a wolf. His healing abilities helped him a great deal but that didn’t change the fact that he felt the pain when they hit him or threw him around when he was a child.
He ran away when he was a teenager after shifting in his backyard when his father and stepmother were passed out drunk so they didn’t hear his screams. He was traumatized because he thought he was a beast, a monster and actually believed that he deserved all the abuse he got because of what he was.
He wasn’t taught to be proud of being able to shift. Who could teach him?
My eyes got so glassy just looking through his past. For the first time since using this power, I’d wished I had not gone through someone’s mind without permission. I now understood his anger towards nana. I would be angry too.
Just a few minutes ago, I blamed him for my heartbreak.
I looked back at him as we locked eyes again. He knew what I did and he looked defeated at the revelation. I decided to allow him to hold on to his anger but I erased his plans to kill even more people and create a monarch so evil.
After manipulating his memories and erasing his plans, I put the guilt there for killing innocents for his own gain. I said a silent prayer to the moon goddess to deal with him now. My job was done.
“That’s it! War is over.” I say as I stand on my feet and dust myself off.
I look back down at new uncle, who is looking up at me too.
“Now you know who I am and what I am capable off. Next time, I’ll end you.”
I say to him. I walk up to my grandmother as I loosen the roots that are holding her in place.
“Your son had a terrible upbringing and you left him to be raised by humans who abused him every chance they got. I don’t blame him for hating you. Go make things right with him and if he doesn’t let you, just apologize and take accountability.” I say to her and she just nods.
I’ll accept a nod for now. I walk away from her and to my grandfather who’s been crying just holding onto his little girl’s lifeless body.
This was utterly heartbreaking.
I knelt down in front of them and my grandfather laid my mother down. I kissed her forehead and then got up.
“Let’s take her home grandfather.” I say to him and he nods. He picks her up and makes his way back to the pack house. Probably to put her in the car and then take her back to the house and bury her there. I looked at my nana who was knelt beside a healing Reginald. I was not going to bother them there.
I walked up to new uncles two sons and knocked them out. I then linked Cj to bring warriors so they can put new uncle’s kids in the dungeons until we figure out what to do with them. I took Josey’s hand as we walked back to the pack house.
I was tired and emotionally drained. We just needed to freshen up and go lay my mother to rest. I hope this is not the last time we see her. I needed her, even if she didn’t raise me. I need my mother.
We got to the pack house and I made my way to Max’s room so I can just take a shower. I walk in to find Max standing at the door to the bathroom.
“Come here.” he says to me and I just run into his arms and break down. The tingles already soothing my already broken heart.
“He killed her and I couldn’t kill him Max.” I say to him. I couldn’t finish him off when the moon goddess told me to. Even after killing my mother, I just couldn’t but now after seeing his past, which is no excuse, I knew I could never kill him.
“Shhhh it’s ok baby. Let it all out.” He says to me while rubbing circles on my back. A pang of guilt hit me as I remember me screaming at new uncle for ruining my life with my mate.
I had Max.
How ungrateful of me.