Her second chance

The moon hung heavy in the sky, casting its silvery glow upon the dense foliage below. Shadows danced, obscuring what should have been a clear night. The woman moved through the verdant forest with unwavering confidence, her grace suggesting an otherworldly connection. Even the ancient trees appeared to bow in deference, their gnarled branches drawing back to avoid any contact with her as she passed. She held her head high, ignoring the dangers lurking in the shadows.

As she approached a moonlit clearing, three shadowy figures awaited her. Their forms seemed more ethereal than real, their features obscured by the shifting darkness. One of them, identifiable as female only by her voice, broke the silence.

“You’re late,” she complained.

The woman with golden waves of hair responded with irritation. “Remember who’s in charge here. Have you got what I asked for?” Her blue eyes bore into the middle figure—the one who had spoken.

“Of course,” the other female replied, her tone laced with ire.

The blonde woman’s smug smile revealed her satisfaction, amplifying the speaker’s anger. She gestured to the silent duo, commanding them without a word. They dissolved into the night, their shadowy forms dissipating like mist.

Curiosity got the better of the remaining figure.

“Why do you hate her so much?” she asked, nodding towards the blonde woman.

The anger that had been displayed earlier now seemed to fade.

With another hard smile, the statuesque blonde transformed. Her form shifted, becoming shorter and losing the curves that had defined her before. Midnight hair cascaded down her back, replacing the light curls.

“I am Nemesis,” she declared, tossing her hair negligently.

The shadowy figure regarded her with suspicion, which seemed to shimmer in the air rather than be seen on her still-shadowed face.

“That can’t be the only reason,” she pressed. “You’re going to great lengths for something more.”

Nemesis’ pale face hardened. “She took everything from me,” she said, her voice low and venomous. “I will pursue her across her many lifetimes, breaking her until she realizes she is nothing but a parasite.”

“So you allied us with the good gods?” the other woman demanded.

“To make the goddess of love suffer? I will align myself with the king of hell himself.”

The remaining figure hesitated, then muttered, “O-o-kay. I’ll just go and check if my minions are doing what we want.”

And with that, she too faded into the night, leaving Nemesis alone in the moonlit clearing—a force of vengeance against her unsuspecting adversary.

* * *

The doorbell had him instantly open his eyes. He was ever alert as an alpha should be, even in his sleep. Gritting his teeth, he checked to see if his mate had been disturbed too and smiled at her closed eyes and even breath.

He heard her whimper as he got out of bed, but she did not wake. Walking to the door of their bedroom, he opened it and found one of his warriors at the door.

“Yes?” he asked, projecting the calm of an alpha in charge, although his mind was still very much enslaved by thoughts of his mate.

Even though they had been together for centuries, he still found her irresistible and would rather be woken up by her instead of whatever this was. Had something happened? Maybe with the dragons who seemed interested in their packs for some reason. That was the last thing any of them needed.

“The beta heir is on the line for you,” the warrior informed respectfully.

Bryce frowned, but made sure it did not show on his face.

“Did something happen?” he asked as he led the way to his office.

“He seemed angry,” the warrior stated.

“Hmm.”It could not be the dragons, then.

Bryce could not think of any other threat their pack might be under, especially not one that would need to be told to him instead of his father.

When they reached his office, the warrior took up a position beside it, and Bryce gave him a nod of approval before he closed the door, walked to his desk, and picked up the phone. All the rooms in the Alpha’s pack house were soundproofed, even against were-hearing. So, he had no worries about being overheard.

“C.J.?” Bryce said.

“Did you know?” his friend demanded, belligerent in a way he had never been in all their lives.

A frown marred Bryce’s face. “Know what?”

“That your son rejected Cari for her sister?” Loathing laced those two words, and Bryce felt the punch of the statement all the way to his bones.

“Tell me you had nothing to do with that. Tell me I didn’t confide in you my worries for my little girl while you were telling and showing her she wasn’t good enough,” his friend continued.

“What are you talking about, C.J.?” Although the words his friend spoke were clear despite their anguished aspect, Bryce could not believe it—not of his son.

“Xander wouldn’t do that,” Bryce stated.

He growled his warning down the line, his wolf arising at the foul language his beta replied him with.

C.J. did not heed his warning as the scalding words continued unabated.

Even though they were friends, Bryce could not allow the disrespect. He growled louder, a sharp sound that would discourage any member of the pack. He understood his friend’s pain and a father’s need to protect his child if Cari was telling the truth.

As much as he loved the girl, she had been distant lately. Bryce had assumed the she-wolf was resentful that her mate was taking too long to come around and that she was taking that resentment too far. He would never have thought the sweet girl he knew could do this.

“Bryce?” His gamma came on the line, and Bryce could hear C.J. still swearing in the background.

“What?” His wolf was still in his voice.

The gamma sighed. “C.J.’s father confirmed that he and your father made sure Xander mated Claire and not Cari.”

“That can’t be,” Bryce denied.

His friend sighed. “Cari didn’t say anything, Bryce. The beta told C.J. that your father commanded her not to say or do anything to show that she was the true luna.”

He groped for his chair, pain gripping his heart like a vice. It was an abomination to deny a mate, more so for an alpha. But to take your true mate’s sister as your own? That was more than vile. How could his son do that? What had he done wrong as a father for Xander to become that kind of man?

And his own father? No! The Alpha was not like that. His father would not destroy an innocent child in such a way.

“Why?” Bryce asked, a feeling of defeat washing over him.

“She’s not a shifter.”

He closed his eyes, his head hanging in despair and shame. It was all his fault. He must have done something wrong for Xander to be capable of such an act. And his father? What had happened to the man he had admired all his life?

“I’ll. . . I’ll. . .” Bryce was at a loss for words. What could he do?

His gamma gave a defeated sigh. “C.J. plans to inform the Alpha king.”

Although his friend had nothing to apologize for, his tone was apologetic.

Bryce shut his eyes, pain easily overwhelming his strength. What could he expect from a father whose child had been wronged?

“Can you give me time to talk to Xander?”

Bryce had to talk to his son to confirm everything. He could not believe his boy would hurt his true mate like this. A goddess-given mate was everything to their race. Bryce could hear his gamma conferring with his beta and heard C.J.’s emphatic no in response.

“My daughter has suffered for too long! I’m not going to let them hurt her more!”

This was going to be a nightmare. What had possessed his father and son? Could they really have done this? Had they thought they could get away with such evil?

“Bryce . . .” His gamma sounded even more helpless.

“I understand,” Bryce replied tiredly. “I’ll still ask Xander for his side and see what to do from there.”

“You know the Alpha king will still send someone to investigate, do you?” his gamma cautioned.

“I hope Xander didn’t do this.”

“She was suffering from a mate’s betrayal when C.J. got her here,” his gamma informed.

“Okay.” Bryce straightened in his seat and took a deep breath. “I’ll talk to my son.”

Once he had hung up, he looked at the time and gave a rueful smile. Though it was the middle of the night here, the king’s pack were eight hours ahead, which meant their day had long started.

Just his luck.

“Xander?” He mind-linked his son.

“Dad? What is it?”

He felt his son come alert with the clarity expected of an alpha, though sleep still echoed his thoughts.

“Tell me Cari isn’t your true mate.” His demand held a plea, a need to keep the version of the son he thought he had.

“D-dad.” The hesitation in his son’s voice confirmed it all.

Bryce had wanted to believe the beta was trying to discredit his father for some reason, maybe to take over the pack. He wanted to believe that Cari had turned from the sweet girl he remembered into a manipulative, conniving schemer. But this? He had not wanted to believe his son could do this.

“Please tell me you didn’t.”He could not help but plead again, weary hurt lacing his voice.

“Grandpa told me. I had no choice.”

For the first time since he was a child, Bryce felt tears fill his eyes. He closed his mind to his son. The man could not even own up to what he had done. At twenty-nine, his son was still very young, but he should have matured enough to at least own up to his mistake and his decisions. Bryce sat there for a long while, lost in his pain and disillusionment.

With great reluctance, he reached for the phone again, knowing he had to report to the king. If he did not, it would be worse for him and his pack. Not to mention he owed it to his friend and his friend’s daughter.

“This is Alpha heir Bryce Lockhart of the Darkpaws,” he stated the moment his call went through.

“The king has been expecting your call, Alpha heir,” the female at the other end replied. “I’ll put you through.”

“Alphaheir,” the king acknowledged as he came online.

“Your Majesty.”

“What is this mess I’m hearing?” While his voice was benign, there was steel in his sovereign’s tone.

“I didn’t know, Your Majesty,” he replied, like a pup without any sense of diplomacy.

“That is what I’ve been led to believe,” the king stated mildly.

“My son confirmed that he chose his true mate’s sister instead of her.”

“Twins, as I understand?” the king questioned.

“Yes.”

“We have so much to talk about.”

“Yes.” Bryce sighed.