Chapter 5

I closed the books and sighed. Looking at the genealogy book, I pulled it closer and opened it up. Flipping through some of the pages, I decided to go from the back and worked my way in. The last page that had any writing on it was my name, sitting at the top of the blank page.

The next page was full of Dad. Logan Everfell and a fairly detailed recount of his time as Alpha King. It included the information that the High Council requested to collect him as a child. As a result, his entire pack was nearly wiped out. I could understand why my dad had no love for the High Council. It spoke of the war between his pack, the fake Alpha King, and the BloodHunter coven.

It wasn’t unless you pulled my mom’s journals on the war that there was any detailed information of what happened. Though, all of it was missing the parts about her being the Alpha King. I flipped through the pages further in.

Alpha King Reinard with his Luna Bethany.

Alpha King Callus and his Luna Courtney.

Alpha King Killian and his Luna Ophelia.

I kept flipping through pages until I stopped at one.

Alpha King Odin and his Alpha Eros.

My eyes widened. I read through his page. It didn’t have much personal information though. I stood up from the table and leaned over, reading and rereading.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” Keeper Thomas was leaning over me. “Ah. Alpha King Odin. Some people say the dark ages of our kind ended with him.”

“Do we have any of his journals or the journals of his…” I looked down at the page.

“…his mate? I’m not sure give me a moment.” He scurried off.

'He called him his mate.' Naresh wagged.

I nodded. 'I mean. I don’t know if it was chosen or fated but hopefully we can find out.'

All I could do is reread the pages I had in front of me. There was nothing I could use but it still gave me some hope.

“It looks like there are three journals from the Alpha king himself and one from his mate.” Keeper Thomas put the books down on the table.

“Thank you. So much.”

“I’m assuming the first part of your research is done?”

I nodded and flipped through the books he just brought. He started to grab the other books.

“I can put them back!” I looked up at him.

“And lose my job? I think not Alpha King. Those books you can take with you. Have them back in a couple days.”

I nodded and smile. “Thank you.”

Grabbing them and the book I had started today, I took off to my room. My eyes were focused on the floor, thinking about how I was going to explain this to my mom, when I smelled him. My eyes widened and I quickly turned to my right. I grabbed the door handle and wrenched it open. Luckily, it was an empty bedroom and I locked the door behind me.

I could hear Naresh wheezing. 'Are you hiding from our mate?'

I growled. 'So what if I am?'

'He’s our mate! He will…'

'…immediately reject us, nitwit. I’m telling you. We need to wait. Be patient, Naresh.'

I heard their footsteps and I leaned against the door.

“What the hell is wrong with you, Zeke? You have been on edge since the meeting.”

“It’s nothing. Let it go."

My heart quickened as a listened. Their footsteps stopped outside the door and I froze. I held my breath for a moment. Naresh was still wheezing.

“It’s not nothing. Look at you. You’re shaking like a fucking leaf.”

“I said stop worrying about it!” He snapped at his Beta and even I winced. I could hear him sigh. “Look, a lot is going on. I’m worried that the High Council won’t do shit. I’m worried about Rose. I’m worried about the pack. I’ve got a lot of shit on my plate right now. I don’t need you hounding me, Leo.”

There was a quiet moment until his Beta spoke up again. “Look, we knew the High Council would be a long shot. We had to try anyways. They dealt with this family before. If anything, the itty bitty little twat of an Alpha King seems more an an issue. He looks like he still goes to frat parties. You think he dyes his hair that color?”

Naresh almost stepped forward but I pulled him back. My fists clenched but I heard a growl erupt from Alpha Ezekiel that shocked me. It must have shocked his Beta too.

“What the hell?”

“That’s our Alpha King. He might look young but don’t say shit until you’ve met him. The fucking vampire councilor was ready to pawn us off or even just kick us out. He stopped them from doing that.”

My eyes widened and a smile crawled onto my face.

'He defended us.'

I nodded, my heart inflating. I almost opened the door right there and planted a kiss on his lips. My fingers itched to open the door.

“Look. I’m just saying. We can’t control this right now. So don’t worry about it. Rose is strong as well. She’s our Luna and she’s going to give birth to a strong and healthy pup. We just need to get this shit over with for us to get back. We will figure this shit out, Zeke. With or without their help.”

“Thanks.”

They started to walk off again but my feet were frozen. I felt like I had flown too close to the sun. My heart taken flight into the sky with hope before it was shot down and came crashing to pieces. My hands started to shake and I could feel the prickle of tears in the corner of my eyes.

'Vale.' Naresh whined.

With a deep breath, I threw open the door and bolted down the hallway and up into the dorm area. I raced through the different corridors until I flung open my door. Slamming it roughly behind me, I slid down with my back against the door. The books falling to my side. My head fell to my knees and I just wrapped my arms around my legs.

'I can see the headline now. Grown ass Alpha King, brought to his knees and crying over a broken heart.' I chuckled but stopped when I felt my eyes fill with tears.

'You did say he probably had a Luna. A pup. We knew…'

'Shut up Naresh. Just…shut up. I know. I fucking know alright. Sometimes, I don’t want to be right.'

We sat in silence for a while and I lifted my head, staring at the books next to me.

'I guess we don’t need them.'

Naresh huffed. 'It would be good to know? Research always helps you. Plus, we still need to call Mom.'

I took a deep breath. Getting up, I took the books and placed them on my my nightstand. Walking into my bathroom, I stripped down and took a cold shower. Naresh left me alone and I was grateful. Today turned out to be more of a shit show than I ever wanted or needed. I closed my eyes and felt the water pelt my back.

The door opened to the shower but I didn’t acknowledge her. I had heard her come into the room but I wasn’t in the mood.

“Shite! That’s fucking freezing!”

I chuckled. Leaning forward, I turned up the heat a little. “Sorry.”

“You look like you’ve been beat up.”

Nodding, I still had my eyes closed. “You could say that.”

Jess started to run the soap over my body, scrubbing it with fingers, massaging as she went. “Wanna talk about it?”

I shook my head. “I need to call my mom tonight. Grandpa asked me.”

“I don’t think I can get used to you, a werewolf, calling the Morgan Russo, Grandpa.”

“I mean, it’s weird calling him Morgan. He was never Morgan to me. Not even to Mom. I think the only person who called him that was my dad and maybe Bryan. Hector didn’t even call him that.”

She stopped for a moment. “Your dad’s Gamma?”

I nodded. Though a slight moan escaped me as her fingers found a particularly sore spot on my back.

“You were in the library again, hunched over books. You always get a knot here.”

I winced and moaned as she kneaded the muscle in my back. “I found the documentation in regards to what happened with previous council and the Alpha that was killed.”

“Ah. Alpha Ezekiel’s proposal. What did you find?”

“This falls under the jurisdiction of the High Council. High Councilor Oran was bank rolled by the BloodHunter coven. He specifically had the Beta and Gamma pardoned. The Beta continued to work and was killed by the Alpha King fifteen years later for the same crimes. He was the one who raised Darkry’s son. If his line and his leadership were held accountable, instead of pardoned, we wouldn’t have had the issue in the past as well as the one now.”

Jess sighed. “Well fuck. I don’t wanna deal with this.”

I chuckled. “Now you get to. The crimes of the past High Council keep rearing their ugly heads.”

“If your mom hadn’t killed most of them, I’d take them out now. Retired or not.”

My back cracked as I straightened up to look at her. “What?”

Her eyes went wide and she clamped down on her mouth with both hands.

“Jess.” I growled but she shook her head.

“That wasn’t supposed to come out. You didn’t hear that. For the protection of your mom, you didn’t fucking hear that, Vale.”

Sighing, I turned and rinsed off my body. I made quick work of my hair and left the shower.

“Vale…Vale, come on. You know there are things I can’t tell you from the High Council.”

I dried myself down with a towel and wrapped it around my waist. Getting out, I slammed the bathroom door behind me. Grabbing my phone, I walked out to the balcony and plopped down on the couch.

It took three rings but my mom answered.

“Hey, Mom!”

I noticed the frown on her face but it was quickly replace by a bright smile. She set up the phone on the counter and backed up, signing. “How are you, my dear?”

I sighed. “I don’t know, honestly. A lot is going on here. Grandpa wanted me to call you though? Is there an issue?”

Her mouth pursed in a line but she waved. “No. I’m fine. Your grandpa likes to worry too much. You sound down.”

'You’re going to chicken out, aren’t you?'

I wrinkled my nose. “I was thinking about coming out. I have to give notice but the next two weeks are meetings and then I’m free for a few months.”

It looked like I just gave her the winning lottery ticket. She signed excitedly. “Oh Vale, I would love to have you. I’ll buy your ticket and pick you up from the airport.”

Laughing, I shook my head. “Mom, relax. I’ll give you the dates after I clear it with everyone. It will be nice to be back home for a while. I miss you, miss everyone.”

There was a flash of sadness or anger in her face but before I could say anything Naresh scoffed.

'You’re running away.'

'So what if I am! I don’t care. I haven’t gone home since I came here. Now just happens to be the perfect time.'

She signed again, her hands now listing off the things I needed to bring.

“Mom…mom! I got it! I can pack my own stuff. I’m not twelve.”

Her eyebrow rose and I watched her start to sign all the things I forgot when I first got here and I shook my head.

“Okay! Okay! I get it! I’ll remember.”

“Oh, don’t forget condoms if you’re going to hit up the city anytime.” Her hands started to continue down the train of thought.

I coughed. “Mom! Fuck! Stop! I get it! Goddess!”

She laughed. Pushing air out of the side of her cheeks almost sounding like a hissing chuckle.

“Incorrigible. You would think you were the twenty-one year old.”

Her hand came under her chin and she smiled.

I laughed. “I’ll send you the details later. Okay?”

She nodded. Finishing off with a heart, she blew a kiss at the screen.

“I love you too, Mom. I’ll talk to you later.”

She reacted forward and the phone disconnected.

'Coward.'