The Past

Stefan

She stares at me. She didn’t expect me to confirm it; I would have said it years ago had I known for sure Harlyn was safe.

“You love Harlyn?” She looks at me, waiting, almost like she didn’t hear the words right. Part of me still feels like this is a trap, and if I confirm it again, something bad will happen.

“Yes.” I watch her and wait; she glances around the room and then back to me. I wait, unsure of what to say now, so I wait for her to speak instead.

“Stefan...” She stops and looks at me again, her head shaking. Why is she struggling to talk to me? I wait, and I can see she is considering what to say.

“Tell me about the Earl Mother.” I want to know about him. I know he hated that Harlyn didn’t have a wolf, but I didn’t know just how bad it was.

“I don’t understand why he hates her so much. Samuel has spoken to your Father for years, trying to figure out a way to protect Harlyn from the Earl. He never physically hurt her, but his words were very expressive.”

“Why, though?” That is what I don’t get.

“We don’t know. Your father tried. He told the Earl if you wanted to marry Harlyn, he would let you. The Earl said he would rather kill her, and as much as we would like to, at the time, we couldn’t protect her.” She sighs and looks at me.

“Because he’s stronger.” I know that. I have thought about it repeatedly. “If Dad tried to protect Harlyn, it would cause a war, and the kingdom would have sided with The Earl, knowing he would win and become Alpha of our pack and ultimately king.” Then Harlyn would be dead.

“Exactly, we were still going to let you marry her if you chose to, Stefan, even if it meant both families died in his war. You showed your strength, and we began to realise you were stronger than him. You were a Lycan, but you never made her your partner.” So I’m the only one to stop him?

“Stefan, when did you sleep with her?”

My body runs cold at her words. “Mother...” I have to tell her everything, which I’m happy about.

“I’m your mother, Stefan, so don’t even try to deny it or lie. If you weren’t going to accept her, why sleep with her?” She looks at me, waiting.

“I didn’t know it was her.” She stares at me. “At the Countess’ birthday party, I felt off, like I was drugged. Jacub, at the time, told me that Father had been warned he was a target, which is why he sent me. I didn’t see the woman that night; I didn’t know it was Harlyn.” I should have just turned on a light or spoken to her.

“How could you not know who it was?” She looks at me, waiting.

“Jacub said he would find a woman to agree to spend the night with me. Before daybreak, I left, keeping the room dark. I asked Jacub who she was, and I planned to find her. He told me that Father had said to find a woman who wouldn’t remember, and so he did. He confirmed she was intoxicated and wouldn’t remember me.”

I jump, feeling her slap me. I deserve that.

“How could you know and not have fucking told her.”

“Mother, you swore.” What the hell? I stare at her.

“Sorry.” She shakes her head. “As soon as you knew it was her, you should have told her, why haven’t you?”

I’m confused right now. “You slapped me for not telling her, not for what happened?” I laugh slightly, feeling confused.

“Yes, the events of that night were out of your control to some extent. You know the truth and pretend you have no idea, which is wrong.” She looks at me and is waiting for my response.

“She hates me. As soon as I tell her it was me that night, she will despise me for life, Mother. To her, she couldn’t say no. To Harlyn, it was rape. There are other things to consider, and me telling her pushes her to run, which is more dangerous.” I can’t tell her now, not until I know if Wayne and Jacub were working together.

“What else don’t I know?” she asks.

“Jacub, we think he drugged me and possibly Harlyn. Do you remember Jacub, Mother?” I look at her, and she shakes her head. “He looks just like Wayne, Harlyn’s fiance. That is bad. What is worse is he’s already trained the pups to react like soldiers, like the dog of soldiers, not the higher ones, the lowest who respond to whistles.”

Her face pales. If I say the wrong thing to Harlyn, she’s gone, and I don’t want that. I don’t want to risk it until we know if there is a link between Wayne and Jacub.

“So you win her back.”

I laugh at her words. “How do I win her back when she hates me?”

“You’re smart; you can make her yours again, Stefan.” The door opens, and I look up to see my father enter. I stand instantly.

“Wayne has brothers. I can’t get the names yet; it will take time. While I was digging around trying to find links between Jacub and Wayne, I found something else.” Walking in, he sits and looks between us. This isn’t going to be good, is it?

“I knew Wayne’s father, and so did the Earl. He was dethroned, and their family lost their royalty, their pack, and their kingdom after they were caught using dark magic to try to conceive a Lycan.” He looked at us, and I considered his words.

“Why, Harlyn? What about us, the kingdom? What’s the link?” I need to know the link.

“Because this was his father’s kingdom. It was myself and the Earl who removed him and the brothers. They were forced out of the kingdom before you were even born.”

Standing, I go to leave, and he stops me.

“You can’t use this,” he looks at me.

“Are you joking? He’s using Harlyn for revenge. I can prove that to her,” I explain.

“How? All there is the story. There’s no evidence, and you will look like a foolish man, trying everything to destroy her relationship. You need proof.”

Surely she would believe me? Surely she would realise if I told her the story and not leave with him?

“Son, your Father is right. You have no proof; it’s just an old story from nearly thirty years ago. Even if she believes it, where’s the proof Wayne is using her?” Mother looks at me.

“But Wayne is Jacub’s brother. I can tell her that and then the truth about that night.” Surely that will work?

“No, where is the proof Jacub and Wayne are brothers?” She looks at me.

So I’m stuck. We know he’s part of a plan and is using her, but we have no proof.

“I’m taking a walk, I won’t say, just let me leave.” I looked at them and waited, watching as they stepped back. I was so sure it would either come back that I was paranoid and Wayne and Jacub weren’t related, or I would get proof.

Instead, I get deadly news and find out there’s no way to prove it yet.