CORALIE
The euphoria of last night was bound to fade, and reality was bound to catch up. The leaders of the coven and pack were on their way to meet us, and I just got word that Darius and his advisors had arrived. Jordan escorts me into the grand hall, where everyone is waiting with bated breath for our arrival.
Despite the palpable tension, Iâm met with warm smiles from those who have sought my help in the past. I take my place on the elevated platform at the front of the room, raising a hand to hush the murmuring crowd.
âThank you all for coming, though I wish it were under less dire circumstances. I wonât sugarcoat this, so I apologize if my words upset you. The councils are flawed. Theyâve caused the deaths of thousands of innocents, and I know because Iâve carried out many of their orders.â
A wave of gasps sweeps through the room from those unaware of my past involvement with the witchâs council. I glance at Jordan, offering him an apologetic look as I prepare to disclose information heâs not yet privy to.
âI was employed by both the witch and were councils to handle delicate situations. For years, I didnât question my orders. I killed without mercy, without regret. The last job I was contracted for was to eliminate a group of wanderers who were supposedly a threat to the local covens. But they were just mortal men, women, and children. I couldnât do it, but the council hired Hector Altier to do what I wouldnât. When I went to warn the group, I found them massacred. I ended up killing Hector and his men.â
A few members of the coven who remember the stories scoff, disbelieving that I was responsible for the bloodbath that our history claims his death to have been.
âLegend says that Hector was found torn to pieces, scattered across three miles of forest. We witches arenât monsters, Coralie,â Andrus, the head of the Wither Stone Coven, speaks up.
I take a deep breath and step toward the edge of the stage, moving away from the comforting presence of my mate.
âMost witches arenât, but Iâm not just a witch, Andrus.â I summon my beast, letting her reveal herself to the room, which results in gasps and a few high-pitched screams.
Having made our point, she retreats, and I quickly revert to my human form.
âIâm a hybrid, and as far as I know, the last of my kind. The council hunted my kind to extinction, so when my mother realized what I was, she hid me. I didnât call you here to scare you. I called you here to ask for your helpâ¦to help your people. Caleb Altier is coming, and he has Alpha Laurent assisting him. Laurent has been taking the mates and children of the rogues and using them as leverage to wage a war. Heâs forcing them to attack this pack, and he wonât stop there. Caleb is even more monstrous than Laurent. Heâs wiped out entire covens for power and to satisfy his bloodlust. Weâll be facing them both, and that means weâll be up against the council.â
Heated discussions erupt around the room, and I long to reach for Jordan, but I can feel his anger radiating off him, so I stay still. I feel a cold hand on my shoulder and look up to see Darius standing beside me, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.
âMy people owe none of you any loyalty. We donât follow your laws, your beliefs. Weâve watched your people stain the earth red with blood in the name of power for centuries. Everyone here has thought, or still thinks, Iâm a monster, yet you let your councils and leaders slaughter innocents without a second thought. Coralie wants to end the bloodshed, but to do that, more blood must be spilled. My people will stand with her in this war, and if you want to see an end to your peopleâs suffering, you will too.â
He looks down at me and gives my shoulder a gentle squeeze.
âThe Wither Stone Coven pledges its alliance to the hybrid queen!â Andrus announces, placing his fist over his heart and kneeling, his men following suit.
âThe Ember Shield Coven pledges our allegiance to you!â Liera shouts, and she and her people also kneel.
âThe Crestmore Pack will fight with you,â Alpha Curtis announces, following our newfound alliesâ lead.
âThe North Ridge Pack will be honored to fight at your side, Queen Cora,â Alpha Richards announces. He and his men also take a knee.
âThe Moongate Pack will defend you to the death, my queen,â Alpha Michaels shouts as he and his men kneel before me.
The last three covens and two packs follow suit, but I canât help wondering why theyâre calling me queen. I glance at Darius, and he gives me a knowing smile.
âI need a moment with our queen, then weâll meet in the war room to discuss our plan,â Darius says.
He takes my hand and leads me quickly out of the room, through the foyer, and out the front door before stopping. The door he just closed swings open and slams shut as Jordanâs scent fills the air around me.
âAlpha, I know you learned some unpleasant things in there, but we have a lot to discuss with those people, and I need to be honest with Coralie about something before you lose it,â Darius says.
His eyes are locked on Jordan, who gives a curt nod and crosses his arms over his chest.
âDarius, what the hell is going on?â I ask.
He gives me an apologetic look, his red eyes softening.
âI know you donât remember much about your parents, and thatâs how they wanted it. Your mother was a high priestess of her coven. Itâs your fatherâs lineage that allowed for your creation. He was the last of the lycans, the lycan king. The title of queen is your birthright, one youâve been denied for too long. That ring you wore, it didnât just suppress your lycan abilities, but it also dampened many of your witch abilities. Youâre much more powerful than you realize, and now that the enchanted object isnât suppressing you, youâll quickly discover just how incredible you truly are,â he explains.
I drop to my knees, struggling to breathe as his words swirl around in my head.
âYou knew? All this timeâ¦you knew! It wasnât an accident that you found meâ¦was it?â I exclaim.
He shakes his head slowly.
âYour mom and dad were my pals for a good chunk of years before the council figured out their true identities. They entrusted me with your safety if anything ever happened to them. But it wasnât easy to pry you from the councilâs grip,â he says.
His eyes meet mine, and a sudden understanding crashes into me like a runaway train.
âLucaâ¦â
He drops to one knee, resting his hand on my shoulder.
âLuca isnât your dadâs kid. Heâs a full-blooded witch. Heâs your half-brother, but that doesnât make your bond any less powerful. Have you ever wondered why youâre the only one he can connect with after all this time?â
My gaze shifts to Jordan. His eyes still burn with anger, but now thereâs a whirlpool of confusion and sorrow stirring within. His gaze remains fixed on the forest, the darkness beyond the pack house driveway, refusing to meet mine.
A sharp pain pierces my chest, a longing to comfort the one man who canât even bear to look at me. I push myself to my feet, Dariusâs hand gently steadying me on my shoulder before falling to his side.
âI need to head back. Weâve got a war to strategize,â I say.
I stride past Jordan without a second glance, unable to stomach the rejection in his eyes.
As I step into the war room, Darius stands tall by my side, my silent yet formidable guardian.