Shadows of Destiny

Brighton’s festival ~Tamia~ 1 Avery and I insisted on sharing the same room.

Alpha Jake offered to have his pack doctor examine me, but I refused.

I planned on managing the condition until I got back to the north.

“That went well; too well, I must say,” Avery linked me, trying to be cautious, and I smiled at her.

“He believed Leo when he told him but still felt insulted until I showed up,” I linked her back, explaining my deduction.

“Alpha Jake Brighton is an old-fashioned man.

He expected word to have gone to Sylvester’s ears of the atrocity in Brighton, and he expected Sylvester to apologise personally even though he had no hand in it.

It is an ego thing for the old man, nothing more.” I linked Avery, and she laughed.

1 “What do you think about Councilwoman Pamela? The woman reeks of treachery,” Avery said aloud, and I laughed.

It would be unwise for us to remain silent all through the room.

Being former Lunas of top packs, we understood the politics.

Alpha Brighton wanted to keep an eye on us and our activities in his territory, so he offered we stay in his house; I was sure people were listening to our conversation.

We had dinner with Alpha Jake, Mikail, his nephew, Iris, his daughter and Donald, his son.

His son and nephew were about my age, and I figured Donald would succeed his father soon.

His daughter, Iris, kept staring at us during dinner, and I was a bit uncomfortable, but I let it be.

We ate in silence and returned to our room.

“Donald did not seem to like us.

I do not know what his deal is.

Jake’s nephew, Mikail, was worse.

He kept staring at us.

Honestly, I can’t wait to be out of this place,” Avery said, lying next to me, and I smiled.

The feeling was mutual.

“I am missing Marcel,” She said and sighed.

“He didn’t want me to come, but I insisted.

Right now, I just want to head back to the north and never leave his side.

It has just been a few hours, and I am missing him so badly,” She said, and I smiled because I felt the same way.

I wondered what Sylvester was doing.

As much as I wanted to place a call, it was best I didn’t.

I was about to fall asleep when my phone.

rang.

I did not need to guess who it was.

I answered in a heartbeat.

“Miss me already, Green eyes?” he said, and I giggled on the phone.

“More than you can imagine.

Would have returned in the morning, but Alpha Jake invited us to a festival tomorrow evening, so we will return after the festival,” I said, and he grumbled on the phone.

We talked about his day, and I handed the phone to Avery to speak with Marcel.

Apparently, she did not come with her phone.

We said good night and fell asleep.

We had breakfast in the morning with our host and his children, and it was a very uncomfortable one.

“When are you two leaving?” Donald asked with a very disrespectful tone, and his father cautioned him.

“You might choose to be silent, but I won’t.

They are marrying the men that attacked their people and took them away from their husbands.

act of social climbing, then I do not know

them to eat at our table and

because of the Dark Alpha; my mother was taken from

Yet we are here.

I say these eastern.

themselves, “He said, and I put down my

to

names and judge them when you

speak about loyalty and moral values when you have not experienced certain things, and judging people looking from the outside

call us

vile and

his fated, and I lost my rights and standing as luna? Where was your moral compass when Avery’s husband abused

love and gave us the strength

my tears and gave me hope when I

up; I gave myself

aunt, I sympathise with you, but Sylvester is nothing like

to look into the mirror and question your

No one said anything.

Brighton gave us a tour of the

that needed improvement, and I

to Sylvester when

offered my people part- time work to

a nice man.” Jake said, and I smiled at

always known Leo

the things that happened didn’t take it from

I asked, eager to know how he was doing but reluctant to

seen better days; Alpha Corrigan

and I was hurt to learn that my letter did not give him

breakfast, I figured he did it

think he is finding it hard to forgive

anything you can do to help

you seem

would have used

Jake said, and I thanked

Mikail will

that is the reason I haven’t handed the pack over to Donald yet; he is about twenty-six and ready to take over, but I am afraid he would

“He will heal, Alpha.

all do,” I said, and he

sorry about the

honoured that he sent you,”

looked

a lot and

the strength you can manage

a political jungle of people wrestling for

never secure, so you have

many people want to be affiliated

council is only partially loyal to

needs to

that was why he was

do not have a

be a certain way so there would be

to be stern, keep an eye open, and ears

might be suffering a spillover

am not sure, but some of us old Alphas know of the power struggle between the six ruling houses of the north,” He said, and I absorbed every word and then used that opportunity to

telling me about the power struggle?” I asked,

start with Stephanie Volkov,” He said, and my

her family and her

“Nothing, but I would like to know more about her, and you seem to be in the best position

is nothing special

She wasn’t so bright.

was why Maurice preferred his fated to her,” he

ever mentioned that Maurice had a fated or that Stephanie had to share him with his

asked the man, and

was a

the Belyaev family,

name was Lady Alissa

from a small merchant

Lord was and still is allowed to have

she always ensured the woman was

it often, but when the Belyaevs threatened to divide

became

man wanted

one would be able to threaten him as

Belyaevs and their supporters, which were the Babanins and the part of