Chapter: twenty-five

A world of white enveloped her. It was comforting, like a mother’s embrace.

A distant voice echoed in her ears.

She looked around, but there was nothing. Just emptiness.

A gentle hand touched her shoulder. She spun around, startled. “Mom?”

“Hello, sweetheart.” Her mother was exactly as she remembered. The same smile, the same eyes, the same hair color. It was as if time had stood still.

She glanced around again. The scene was familiar. The pond from the demon’s memories sparkled in the sunlight, and the forest was as vibrant and lush as ever.

Just like in the first memory, the only sound was the distant song of birds.

“Mom, what’s happening?”

Her mother sighed, took her hand, and led her to a large rock. The rock was warm from the sun, and it made Aylin feel good all over.

“I think it’s time for some honesty.”

“That would be a change,” Aylin retorted.

Her mother picked up on her tone and sighed. “I don’t know what he’s shown you—”

“I can’t trust anything he shows me. I need ~you~ to tell me what happened between you two.”

Her mother’s face fell. “Before I do, I need you to understand that this was never supposed to happen. I thought I had taken care of this a long time ago.

“And I never want you to doubt that I loved your father.”

Aylin raised an eyebrow, confused. “What are you talking about?”

Her mother took a deep breath and began. “I’m much older than I look. To be honest, I can’t even remember when I was born anymore.

“After a while, everything just started to blur together. But what I can tell you is that meeting Zagan was a complete accident.”

“I don’t understand. None of this makes sense anymore!”

Her mother squeezed her hands, steeling herself to tell the truth. “I am a direct descendant of the Moon Goddess, which means you are too. But, I was cursed to live a human life on Earth.”

“Hold on! Hold on! So, I’m only half wolf? What the hell is the rest of me then?” Aylin yelled, jumping up from the rock and throwing her hands in the air.

Her mother grabbed her hands, pulling her back down onto the rock. “I’ll get to that. What you really need to understand is the connection I had with that demon.”

“Weren’t you his mate?”

“No, I wasn’t,” she said. She looked out at the water, lost in her memories. “We met right here, and yes, for a long time, we were in love.”

“He told me he was a wolf, and he accepted that I was living as a human. But one day, everything changed. He met his true mate.

“And he did the worst thing a wolf could do. He rejected her. Told her he didn’t need anyone but me. I was always prepared to step aside when that day came.

“When he told me what he’d done, I fell out of love with him almost instantly. It was cruel of him. Wolves have mates for a reason. It’s the natural order.”

A pang of pain shot through Aylin’s heart as she thought of her first mate who had rejected her. She remembered how easy it had been for him.

Now that he was suffering, her feelings were a mess. She felt sorry for him, but she also knew she didn’t have to.

“Sweetheart?”

“Oh, sorry,” she said, quickly wiping away a tear.

“I know what happened to you, but I’m glad you found someone who truly loves you.”

She managed a small smile, and another tear slipped down her cheek. “Keep telling me about him. How did he become a demon?”

“As far as I know, he sought out a demon and made a deal with him. In exchange for his soul, he would become the Master Demon of Earth, eventually ruling over all beings.

“But his main goal was to wipe out werewolves, one pack at a time. At the same time, he was hunting me. I moved around, avoiding packs, always on guard.

“When I met your father, everything changed. Your father fought hard to get me into Dark Moon. I was overjoyed when they accepted me.”

“But then the demon attacks started, didn’t they?”

“Yes. I told your father the truth, and I expected him to reject me. I was shocked and surprised when he didn’t. Being one of their best fighters, he wanted to be honest with the alpha.

“Instead of turning me away, the alpha agreed. He forged the documents, saying that I was just a wandering werewolf who had found her mate in his pack.”

“So, it was all just lies and deception? He didn’t even tell his own son. He had to find out for himself. Now he’s dealing with the consequences of his choices!”

Her mother looked calmly at her. “He chose to reject you. You can’t feel guilty for that. Besides, you have your true mate in the Rogue King.”

Aylin took a deep breath, steadying herself to listen.

“Six months after I joined the pack, the attacks stopped. Around the same time, I found out I was pregnant with you. Looking back, I should have realized it then.”

“Realized what?”

“His plan.”

She remembered what the lower demon had told her at Dark Moon. “Why did a demon tell me that I have demon blood in me?”

Her mother looked shocked at the question, but she resigned herself to tell the truth. “When you were a toddler, you used to wake up in the middle of the night.

“You wouldn’t cry, but you’d wake up. The only time you would cry was if you dropped your special pacifier.”

She paused before continuing. “One night, I heard you cry, but only for a second. I thought you’d found your pacifier, so I didn’t think anything of it. Your father smelled it before I did.”

“Smelled what?”

“Your room had a demon visitor. By morning, the scent had faded, but it was still there. You were asleep, but there was dried blood on your lips.

“He’d slipped into the house and given you his blood. Your father was beside himself, and I was a mess. We prepared for a fight, but nothing happened. Life just went on.”

“Why does it feel like something’s clawing inside me when I get angry?”

“The blood of a higher demon is stronger than a lower one. You were always good at controlling your anger growing up. You’d act out sometimes, but nothing major.

“Right before the attack, you and your father had a big fight.”

Aylin, sitting there listening, couldn’t remember anything. “Why can’t I remember this?”

“Your fits were like blackout rages.”

She furrowed her brow, thinking that it made sense. The one time she got angry with Ezekiel, her memory started to blur. He was the only reason she didn’t lose her mind.

“What did we argue about?”

Her mother smiled. “You wanted to be like your dad. Strong, independent. A warrior. Your father, trying to protect you without revealing the secret, told you no.

“When you got upset, your eyes changed from emerald green to black. A black mist surrounded you with a deadly aura.

“That might be why your first shift was so hard. Your body is always fighting between the wolf and the demon.”

That explanation didn’t make sense. “I only have one voice in my head, as crazy as that sounds. Shouldn’t there be two?”

“Normally, yes. But if it’s dormant long enough, it would take a lot of energy to emerge, and it could override the personality you have now.”

“Well, what do I do if that happens?”

“Nothing. You can’t come back from that.”

***

Back at the castle, the king was trying to figure out a plan to get his queen back. They still didn’t know where Zagan’s lair was, and there had been no demon sightings for almost a week.

He tried everything to reach Aylin, but the link was useless.

All he knew was that the longer she was away, the weaker he would get without her. He couldn’t sleep, and he couldn’t eat. There was a gaping hole in his chest where his heart was.

“Zeke, you need to rest. You’re no good to us if we find her, and you’re dead.”

“What do you know?” he asked gruffly.

“I know that she wouldn’t want you to wallow like this. She’d want you to be out there searching. Doing something. How disappointed will she be when she sees you like this?”

Annoyed with his brother, he turned and left.

***

He lay back on the bed, grabbed her pillow, and inhaled deeply. “Aylin,” he whispered. Closing his eyes, the king fell asleep almost immediately.

“Hello, Rogue King.”

He woke up with a start. There was no one there. It was completely silent. After looking around the room, he confirmed he was alone.

The windows were locked, and there was no sign of entry at the door.

Shaking it off, he blamed it on his lack of sleep.

“You want your mate back; you should listen to me.”

He turned around to see a woman standing there. She looked eerily like his mate. “Who are you?”

“Which name do you want? My original name or my human name?” She teased him for a moment.

He gave her a look, and she gave in.

“Okay, okay. My name is Candace Turner.”

“Aylin’s mother? But you’re—”

“Dead? Yes, I know. What you see is something Zagan created to pass the time.”

“I don’t understand…”

“Basically,” she started and pulled down her shirt to reveal a beating heart, “this heart belonged to the physical being that was her mother, but the rest of me is made up.

“To sum it up, I came from nothing to fill the void in the demon’s life until he got his prize. Which he did.”

He slammed his fist into the wall in anger. “Get to the point.”

“The point is, I can help you.”

“And why would you do that?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know myself. But I’ve learned a few things over the years.

“I guess the downside of having her mother’s heart is I have a mother’s emotions.” She paused for a moment.

“What I’m trying to say is that if you want your mate back, you’re going to have to listen to me and listen good.”

“Where is she?” he growled.

“I mean, I could tell you,” she taunted.

Before she could finish her sentence, he wrapped his hand around her throat, slamming her into a wall. “Tell me, or I’ll break your fucking windpipe.”

She turned into black mist in his hand, floating away to materialize by the window. “See, that doesn’t work on me. Remember, came from nothing?”

Frustrated, he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just tell me where she is.”

Candace could see the desperation in the king’s eyes. Judging by his state, he would be in no condition to kill Zagan. “Fine, I’ll tell you. And there’s something you should know.”

***

Ezekiel ran to wake Quill, Angus, and Daemon. He had the information Candace had given him. She’d told him things that made his blood run cold.

They had to move quickly if they were going to be successful.

“Wake up! Wake up!” He shook them in turn, and they groggily focused their eyes on the frantic king.

“What is it, Zeke?” Quill yawned.

“I know where she is.”

They snapped to attention, shaking off the remnants of sleep.

“How did you piece it together?” Daemon inquired.

“He had a bit of assistance,” a feminine voice chimed in.

The men instantly assumed defensive positions.

“Hold on!” he implored. “She’s the one who aided me.”

“I’m somewhat let down you don’t remember me, Daemon Morris.”

“Mrs. Turner?”

The other two exchanged puzzled glances. “Hold on, wasn’t she supposed to be dead?” Quill questioned, his confusion evident.

Daemon, equally perplexed, scratched his head. “She is. Her body was never discovered.”

Candace stepped forward, sizing up the men. “That’s because Zagan was gracious enough to rip it apart and toss it into the fire. All that remains is this.”

She tugged her shirt down, and all three men gaped in shock.

“Is that—”

“Her mother’s heart? Indeed.”

Angus was seething, his fury mounting as he stared at the imposter before him. It was taking every ounce of his self-control not to pounce and tear her throat out.

His fists were balled up tight, his anger threatening to consume him.

“Your Majesty, I recommend you rein in your hound before he attacks,” the woman suggested nonchalantly, gesturing towards Angus.

“Keep your cool. This is our only shot at getting the queen back.”

“Why are you doing this?” Daemon questioned.

“Perhaps this is my way of doing one last favor for her. I’ve watched for years as Zagan was driven to insanity by his thirst for vengeance. The only place he belongs is back in hell.”

“Where is my mate?” the king demanded, his teeth clenched.

“Pay attention. I can’t linger much longer. Zagan will start to suspect.”