Nicolas POV
“I don’t blame you for Beta John’s death,” she said warmly.
Her words startled me, and an audible gasp escaped my lips. There was no resentment in her voice.
No anger. No pain.
Claire slowly pulled her warm hand back, leaving me feeling cold.
She looked at me with only love and acceptance. There were no traces of hatred in her eyes.
“My mate fulfilled his destiny and can now return to the Goddess’s side,” she went on explaining.
“What do you mean by that?” Ronan asked, his face twisted in confusion.
“Beta John was not my fated mate,” she answered. “He is not my boys’ biological father.”
“Wait, what?” Levi lashed out, in surprise and jumped to his feet. The bewildered expression on his
face indicated that he had never been part of this huge family secret.
“What are you saying?” He ranted on. “Beta John is not my father?”
She shook her head calmly, while Levi shook with anger.
“Then who is my father?” He lashed out. “Do Jack and Frank know?”
“Hush! And sit down,” she calmly commanded. The order made Levi immediately shut up and sit
down like an obedient puppy. “Give me a chance to explain.”
Claire placed a hand on Levi’s shoulder; she pinned his gaze, forcing him to calm down.
It surprised me that she had so much control over Levi.
When Levi settled down enough, Claire spoke again.
“The year I was pregnant with Levi, the packs suffered the worst drought in years,” Claire said, her
blue eyes darkening as she recalled the memory. “The rivers had dried up; there was no water. Our
crops were nothing more than dust carried away in the wind. Even our livestock were dying of thirst
and hunger. There was no food left. Most wolves started moving to the city, weakening our packs
and Alphas.”
Claire closed her eyes, her face twisted in pain.
She released a deep breath before opening her eyes.
“Rogue attacks were becoming a regular occurrence,” she said. “They were starving, just like us.”
“You lost your mate in a rogue attack?” Ronan whispered; the irritation in his voice was audible, and
anger crossed his eyes.
Claire simply nodded.
“It was the most difficult time of my life,” she answered, her voice shaking. She didn’t like to discuss
her past or pain.
Levi moved to sit with his mother. He pulled her closer to him, rubbing her shoulders gently.
“Are you okay, Mother…?” He gently asked. “Do you like to stop and discuss it later?”
“I am fine,” she stuttered to reassure him. “I need to tell you all this. We kept everything a secret for
too long.”
Levi nodded and tenderly smiled at his mother. The love between them didn’t go unnoticed. My
mother and I used to be like that. I miss her kind words, her gentleness, and her warm,
unconditional love.
“The rogues managed to cross the pack border unseen. They stole our last bit of food and
resources,” Claire looked up at me. “They set the pack on fire, burning it to the ground.”
“How did you escape?” I asked, interested to know.
“Levi’s father managed to help us escape on time,” she said. However, an attack occurred as soon as
we crossed the border.”
Claire turned to Levi. “Your father fought bravely, but there were too many. He held them off while I
escaped with your brothers. His death caused me immense pain. I witnessed his final moments flash
before my eyes as he tore a rogue to shreds. However, they both tumbled down the cliff, falling to
their deaths.”
The room fell silent. It must have been horrible to have seen that.
“His last thoughts were that of only love for me, my unborn pup, and his boys,” she whispered,
shedding tears.
Levi’s face turned ashen and twisted in pain and horror. He never knew about his mother’s past, nor
about what pain his mother suffered losing her home and fated mate.
“Your father prepared me for the worst,” Claire continued. “It seemed as though he had foreseen a
specific consequence. He said that, should something happen to him, I would need to find Beta John
for the safety of the unborn pup. Beta John would know what to do… I did just that. I fled fearlessly,
unsure of my destination. I’ve been wandering unknown woods for days with your brothers tied to
my back.”
Claire swallowed hard as tears welled up in her eyes as she recalled the old memories.
“John eventually found me. An allied Alpha informed him of my mate’s death. He came looking for
me.”
Claire wiped the tears from her eyes.
“When he initially discovered me, I was in disarray, yet he was able to discern that I wasn’t a rogue.
He took pity on me. On us.”
“Why did you lie about him?” Levi asked. He suddenly sounded tired. “Why didn’t you tell me he was
not my father?”
“He is the closest thing to a father you will ever have,” Claire defended. “Besides, he is the goddess’s
daughter’s biological father.”
My gaze snapped toward Claire, surprised at what she revealed.
“Zara?” I whispered.
Claire turned her attention toward me.
“Yes, you heard right,” she stated, turning her attention back to Levi. “Your father…”
“Beta John,” Levi hissed.
“As you wish,” she said, preferring not to argue with Levi. “Beta John welcomed us into his home.”
Claire wiped a stray tear.
“But things were not easy?” I said.
It wasn’t a question, but I could imagine that having two pups and a pregnant she-wolf in your home
suddenly would create issues.
“No,” Claire replied. “I had a difficult pregnancy with Levi.”
“Because of the stress and pain of losing your fated mate?” Ronan asked.
“Yes,” she replied and sighed. “On our way back, I went into labor. I was only four months pregnant.
There was no doctor close enough to stop the labor pains….”
Claire’s words trailed off as she stared at nothing.
“John tried everything to help me,” Claire said as her gaze shifted to me. “His only concern was the
pup in my belly and my survival. He had no other choice but to sink his canines into my neck and
mark me as his.”
Levi gasped, surprised at his mother’s words.
Ronan cocked his head to the side and asked, “He forced-marked you.”
She shook her head.
“Not in the way you think,” she replied. “He saved me. He saved Levi. He took it upon himself to be
the boy’s father and be my mate.”
I shifted my head to the side and knitted my eyebrows together.
“Why are you telling us this?” I asked.
“Beta John was no saint,” she replied with a smile. “He needed me just as much as I needed him. The
Goddess blessed our relationship, even if he loved her with all his heart, but he knew he couldn’t
fulfill his destiny without me at his side. We loved one another like any other chosen mates.”
Claire released a deep breath.
“When John marked me, all his memories of his past life flooded over into the bond. I knew who he
was. I knew his purpose. I knew why he didn’t want to mark me, but I also knew why he did…”
Her gaze shifted toward Levi, and what she revealed next made me gasp.
****