Chapter 21 ~ It’s Enough For One Night

My head is foggy..and I am feeling grateful for my parents now! They did protect me from so much! The fear I could feel when Angel relived her memories were so real. I was back in that cabin…feeling everything. I am glad I haven’t had to live with those memories. I just want to sleep, but I need to be present… and we need to know everything there is to know!

Granddaddy holds the drawing of the man.. he stares at it, a long time. Finally, he says “I think I know this man! He looks like a frame carpenter who lives in the kingdom” Pulling his phone out, he calls Charles and tells him to get Theo Simmons and bring him through the portal in his office to Sterling Moon. Fifteen minutes later, they stepped into the room and I jumped up..my chair skittering backwards.. he looks like my kidnapper!

Daddy says “Please take a seat. We have a few questions for you” and the poor man looked scared to death. My grandfather took over the questioning, sliding the drawings over to Theo “Who is this man?” And without hesitation, Theo says “My brother, Avery.. the woman is his mate, Addy… and this is their son, Ethan.” Granddaddy nods “Same last name, I presume.. where is he and the boy now?”

Theo clears his throat and tells us “Avery was killed about three years ago.. He went rogue when you removed Jeremiah from the throne. I had heard he and some of his rogue friends attacked Harvest Moon, and got into a scuffle with some kids at a lake. He was killed, but Ethan escaped. I don’t know where Ethan is staying now.. they used to have a cabin..maybe sixty miles northeast of Sterling Moon. May I ask what this is about?”

Kendrick responds “You may not. We do thank you for sharing what you know. And it’s safe to assume you aren’t involved, so you are free to go.” And just like that, Charles took him back to the kingdom.

Alexander says “So.. Avery is dead! Killed by one of us the day of our high school graduation! Karma is a beautiful thing! But, Ethan lives. He is stalking Bella! And he has Amber.. that crazy chick. Two questions weigh heavy.. What does he want with Bella..and where does Amber fit in?”

I softly say “He just sat on the floor..eating his sandwich. Staring at me. he didn’t speak, his eyes never wavered from my face.. even when his father flung me into the wall.. he just stared..silently. Seeing it in my mind’s eye now.. it was unnerving..”

Daddy says “Bella’s favorite quote of no such thing as coincidence rings truer now, than ever before. Avery Simmons kept his distance, after his mate was executed.. as far as we know. What if he didn’t though? What if he has been watching from a distance, all that time…and decided THAT day presented an opportunity for him to kidnap Belle again? Making a miscalculation in traversing Kendrick’s pack to get to ours? What if his death.. and Adelaide’s death.. prompted a need to avenge them.. in the silently staring son? It’s feasible to believe he sees Bella as the catalyst for the loss of both his parents.”

Pissed, I snap “There’s a possibility this guy blames me for the psychotic actions of his deranged parents? That’s bullshit! And if that is actually the case, then I say bring it on, fucker! I refuse to cower in fear! I absolutely will not sit around, twiddling my thumbs.. worrying when he will strike again!”

Alexander then asks “Going on the premise of no coincidences, how does Troy Calhoun fit into this? He fixated on Bella at my ascension reception.. then stalks her for months…just to back down when Granddad calls him on it. It’s not making sense… he had an agenda..to just give that up makes no sense!”

I agree “I believe the time has come for Alpha Troy to be summoned to an audience with the King… just my opinion! Maybe there’s something there.. maybe not. But, I agree with Alex. He had planned forcing a mate mark on me.. right up to the day of my graduation. Then, he just decides to forget about it? He’s right.. it doesn’t make sense.”

Kendrick says “It makes sense, if we believe in conspiracy theories.. Let’s look at it this way.. Adelaide said she was mated to the Rogue Alpha. Obviously. Theo and Avery are brothers.. the resemblance is uncanny. Theo’s aura was the strength of a worker..an Omega.. that would bring us to assume, Avery’s aura was the same. Meaning Ethan’s would be slightly higher, due to his witch’s blood. What if, somehow, somewhere along the way.. Troy and Ethan meet up… maybe in high school.. something like that.. they’re about the same age..They, then, become acquaintances. Maybe even friends. Ethan mentions Bella to him.. something along the lines of wanting to abduct her. And they make a plan. Send Troy to the ascension, to scope out your defenses.. find out how well Bella is protected. But.. Troy sees her..and decides he wants her, too?! Now..we have two psychopaths chasing their tails to see who gets her first. As far as Amber goes…for all we know.. one of those idiots might be her true mate! Our best hope at protecting Bella is to have our mating ceremony! Which means, tightening security to the max!”

Granddaddy says “We have a Blue Moon Ceremony in two weeks…. We need to hold both Luna ceremonies on the same night! Let’s get through that, while sending trackers and hunters to search for Ethan and Amber. I believe while you ladies get those plans in motion.. the men will portal to Calhoun’s pack and have a little confab! I don’t want him aware of it. He’s cunning and to summon him, gives him time to fabricate lies and make a plan.”

Baron says “Jake and Corey are both getting teams together to scout and track Ethan’s scent. They will be ready to move out in a couple hours. I don’t know if you want to visit Troy tonight, but it’s already nearly ten o’clock..”

I shake my head “If y’all are going tonight, I am going to sit this one out. Angel is passed out from exhaustion and my entire body is crying for sleep. I am going to sleep in my old room..” Smiling, I kissed Kendrick and told him to join me when he was ready. Then I kissed my family and headed upstairs.

It’s enough for one night!