Garren’s POV:
I looked at Ian furiously, while Roman remained silent. He was beyond shocked by his story.
“Let me get this straight. Are you fucking implying that the coven I willingly serve killed my beloved parents?” I shouted.
“He isn’t implying, kid. He is telling you,” the pureblood, whose name I had learned was Samantha, answered.
“I don’t want to hear this from a weakling,” I spat. She hissed at me but stopped when the fairy grabbed her hand.
“Just so you know, Samantha isn’t a weakling. She isn’t at her best right now because she avoids drinking human blood. She doesn’t kill unnecessarily to feed, and she can’t feed on me because who could survive being fed on for years?” The man defended her. From his words, I could tell they were either partners or sleeping together.
“That’s the exact definition of a weakling. She can always drink from bad guys or even the clinic if she’s playing the righteous card,” I mocked.
I knew she hated the coven, but there was no way she would come up with such a lie because she had nothing to gain. If she wanted to kill the elders, she would have done it a long time ago, considering how her group had great ranks and power.
“You know what, you asked for a minute and your time is up. The only reason you walked past the shield of my mansion is because Roman had accepted to let you in. Now that we are thinking things through, I suggest you see yourself out and never cross paths with me ever again,” I said coldly.
“Just think about it. Does it make sense how two elder vampires could die in a fire? They are vampires who are capable of speed and strength. The only way to burn them down is if they were both severely injured that day. The fire that was started there spread quickly, but it wasn’t like a rapid wildfire that would burn every damn house in a second. We believe and know that the fire was not only manipulated by the coven elders, but it was used as a way to kill your parents who could have made it out alive,” Ian answered.
I didn’t want to believe it, but I could feel Roman’s anger towards the coven. He accepted their words easily.
“Fine, if what you say is true, then what would they gain in doing that?” I asked seriously.
“Besides making you their obedient puppet, they would be making you deliver Ian right into their hands. Not only is he a threat to them, but they know he has all of us who are capable of taking them down, not to forget how they must want revenge for my parents’ death. And seeing how you are a hybrid, they must hate your guts as much as they hate me. We both understand well how the coven works, don’t we? Their job is to make sure everything falls into perfect order. Your father being bonded to a lycan was an eyesore and an imperfection they wanted to clear out,” Samantha answered, then went on.
“Your father made it worse when he brought your mother with him, and the elders’ last straw was when you were born. You might think that I’m bluffing when deep down you understand what I mean. They want no one to surpass their power and rule, but you and your parents did just that, so they needed to get rid of them one way or another, like they would have done with me if I had stayed back there. The choices they put on the ground were two for me. Either to walk away from all I had known or to serve them as you do,” she said.
My breath was labored, and my chest was rising and falling.
“Did you come all the way to offend me?” I asked furiously.
“We didn’t. A seer looked into everything,” he answered as I growled at him in warning.
What did he take me for, a kid?
“Fine, if you don’t believe that a seer told us the whole truth, then how the fuck did we find you? This place is protected by magic, isn’t it? Yet we came right here. Lee may be a warlock, but the witch who put a shield around this house is way more powerful than he is, so his magic was blocked. Look, Garren, if we wanted to take you down, don’t you think we could have fought you with everything we had? We didn’t, and that alone should show how we came in peace and not for war,” Ian said.
Their words made so much sense that now, thinking back on everything, it was clear why the coven was keeping me next to them.
Bianca wasn’t by my side because of how she felt towards me. That’s what I told myself every day, but now I could see it. Her purpose was to make sure I was in check and still under the elders’ order. She must have known all along who was behind my parents’ death, yet she played innocent and dumb.
Was Thelma also a part of it? Was that why she always had her guard up in front of Roxanne?
I felt so confused, and my heart was aching badly. No matter what, I needed to confront them and hear it from their own mouths.
I was about to move when Samantha blocked my way.
“Where are you going?” she asked seriously.
“To the coven. Now step aside,” I answered with emphasis.
“You can’t just confront them like that. They will kill you if they have figured out your weakness,” she said.
“I don’t care. Now step aside,” I demanded.
“I do care, okay? If you die, Roxanne will be broken-hearted,” she exclaimed.
I turned and looked at Roxanne, who had a sad expression on her face. Although she looked calm, I could sense that she was trying her best to hide her anger and pain.
“I just have to do this. What do you expect me to do, sit still and hope that they will one day confess?” I asked in a cracked voice.
It was getting hard for me, and a lump was forming in my throat.
“No, we need a plan on how to take them down. By now, they must have known that you are with either her or us. After all, they have a powerful witch who can easily trace where you are or eavesdrop on our conversation,” the Beta responded.
What was he saying? Was he asking me to team up with them? They were my enemies too.
Roxanne moved and sat on the couch, extending her hand to me.
I looked at it, then at her face hesitantly. Taking her hand would easily align me with her family, and I didn’t want that.
“Are you willing to hurt her, then?” Roman asked silently.
Leaving her behind would hurt her badly, and considering how she had cried a few times because of me, she would break down and her emotions would soon turn into hate.
I moved and took her hand, sitting next to her with a low sigh.
“I want nothing to do with you people. You might be my mate’s family, and you might not turn out to be the enemy I seek, but that doesn’t mean I like all of you. I still don’t think highly of you,” I said honestly.
“Well, that goes for me too. I hate the fact that my beautiful little girl is mated to you and that you kidnapped her,” Ian answered as I looked at him coldly.
“But I also accept the fact that her world revolves around you. That’s why I’m willing to help you in any way,” he said as I frowned deeply.
He was the Ian I knew facially, but not the Ian I had heard about all my life. Standing in front of me wasn’t a cold-hearted killer Alpha who had made a name for himself throughout territories. In front of me was a man who would gladly die for his family and child.
“Fine, what do you suggest I do, Alpha Ian?” I asked sarcastically.
“Come with us to our pack. There, we will talk through everything and decide on our next move. They wouldn’t dare to attack my pack because they would easily lose their lives,” he answered.
I hated his offer, but going with him wasn’t a bad idea because Roxanne could be safe and well-protected.
Rushing to the elders over my parents’ death would only anger them, and if they did have a secret weapon against me, they could use it.
I lightly squeezed Roxanne’s hand, then looked at everyone seriously.
“Fine, I will go with you guys. But that doesn’t mean I’ll be a part of your pack or stay longer,” I answered as they all looked relieved.
“But if that warrior gets close to my woman, I will kill him,” I spat seriously as they all looked at Roxanne.
“What?” she asked loudly.
I wasn’t messing with them because I meant my words. If he were to even touch her hair or any part of her body, I was going to kill him.