A/N: One more chapter after this one!
At the same moment, hundreds of footsteps sound through the woods. The salt line must have broken with Hayes' death, as Jaxon's face is the first I see. The Founders do nothing but stand in a clump, observing the scene as it unfolds. You'd think they would do something, anything, but I suppose they're used to being uninvolved.
Jaxon races down the side of the hill, surprisingly in his human form still. He stumbles back when he notices the towering white wolf, as do the others with him. I've never seen him hesitate, but he's doing so now. Does he know it's me? I shift back with ease, completely naked now in the light of the full moon and the fire.
Sarah offers me her cloak, which I wrap fully around myself before hurrying to where he's standing by the induction stone. It's in two pieces now and his eyes trace over the crack in the surface before landing warily on me. There's still blood on me, in my mouth. The runes are gone, healed by my shift and the power radiating through me.
"Jaxon!" I exclaim, barreling into him for an embrace. He takes me in his arms, but I sense the hesitance radiating off him in waves. "I've missed you. Did you see my wolf? I'm a white wolf. I-I have all this power, and Sarah said the prophecy was truly about meâ"
I stop when I notice the distant expression across his face. "Jaxon?" I call again, his eyes finding every piece of Hayes scattered in the yard.
"Did you do this?"
"Yes."
An uncharacteristic smile slowly crosses his lips as he pulls me into him again, "Good job."
"Thank you," My cheeks tinge scarlet at the praise, turning to look at the insanity of the scene. Yara is still semi-dead to the side, her neck bones slowly mending themselves. Jaxon follows my gaze and crooks an eyebrow.
"Your mother?"
"Yes. How'd you know?"
He's never met my mother, so he doesn't have any reason to recognize her. My brow scrunches at the thought and I suddenly feel uneasy. "Do-Do you...know her?"
His eyes track the emotions across my face, icy and blue and cold, before he finally settles on an answer, a lie, "No."
"You're lying," I immediately fire back, somehow sensing the deception. Is it because of my wolf? My new powers? Either way, I know it's a lie before it even leaves his lips.
He sighs, glancing around at the small crowd amassed near us. They can hear us, He links to me and I furrow my brow even further and scoff.
"So? I don't care if they can hear us. Tell me why you're lying. Now."
The expression that crosses his face is similar to the one in those first days, where I was only a burden to him. It dissipates quickly, however, as he replaces the attitude with a sigh. "I may have met her a few months back," His tone is straight. Impassive. Unbothered.
But I'm bothered. I clench my teeth and my fists as I begin to seethe, "You knew my mother was alive? Where she was? And you didn't tell me?"
"Your little friend knew as well," As if in defense of himself, he throws Jon's name out. I scoff again and shake my head, turning around then back to him again.
"Look where that got him," I point to Jon's dead body lying a few feet away from us. When Jaxon doesn't acknowledge it, I step closer to him, command, "Look."
His uncaring blue eyes flit across the corpse of my best friend before flicking back to me. "I'm sorry, Isabelle."
I narrow my eyes. He's not sorry. He's only saying so because he feels obligated to. I shake my head in disbelief at his attitude before I persist in my questioning, "Why did you meet my mother? Where?"
"We don't have to do this hereâ"
"Yes we do!"
The tone I use takes him aback and his eyes flit across the space of forest where the others stand and watch before moving back to mine. "Your eyes are purple now," His thumb grazes my cheekbone as he nestles in closer to me.
I slap his hand away, "Don't do that. You can't use closeness and gentleness to manipulate me, anymore. Tell me the truth."
It's his turn to growl as he realizes I won't be twisted or turned from the matter at hand. He drops his arm, turns away, turns back, then begins, "Not long after your induction, she came to visit me."
"You didn't tell me?"
He shrugs, "It didn't matter."
"She is my motherâwho abandoned me!"
"Precisely why I didn't think you'd want to see her. She abandoned you. You never talk about her. You don't grieve for her. You're angry at her. I could sense it before, as I can now. It wouldn't have done anythingâ"
"Why'd she visit you?"
He hesitates again and I push him. He actually stumbles back a few feet, caught off-guard by my newfound strength. "Tell me!"
His jaw sets. He's angry. I don't care. I don't care. He doesn't get to be angry, doesn't deserve to be.
"She wanted to talk about you," He pauses. "And your wolf form...and the prophecy."
Confusion washes over me, "What do you mean? What'd she say?"
Hesitation laces every sentiment now, as he obviously doesn't want to tell me what they spoke of. "She told me you are a lupus mystici, and that's why you hadn't shifted yet."
"And you didn't tell me?"
"I didn't believe her."
"And the prophecy?"
"She tried to work out an agreement with me...If I ceded you to Hayes, then I could partake in the power."
I scoff, not believing the audacity of my mother. I turn, shaking my head, "As if you'd everâ"
I stop when I turn back and see his face. So cold. No love. "Youâ" I pause, gulp. "You were going to do it, weren't you?" It all comes rushing back to me now. The real reason he wanted me to revoke the Council hearing. He wanted to be alive to reap the power. The real reason he's been being so kind, so I'd believe he really loved me, and not power. The reason he wouldn't wear the stone around his neckâhe wanted them to find us when the time came, to pretend he was powerless against them.
"Ohâmyâgodâ" Stutters from my mouth as I fall onto the induction stone, palms slapping either piece as I keep myself upright. Utter betrayal stings through me and I want to cry.
"I thought about itâ"
"Why didn't you tell me I'm a lupus mystici?"
"Iâ"
"For months, I agonized over being unshifted. You called me weak, over, and over, and over. And you knew what could change it. You knew and you didn't tell me."
"She could've been lying, Isabelleâ"
"No," The truth hits me at full force. "You knew it was true. You've seen what I do with the trees. You knew. The only reason you didn't tell me, was in case the prophecy wasn't true. If I simply stayed with you instead of being taken by Hayes, and I remained unshifted, you could control me. You didn't want to have a mate that was stronger than youâ"
"Let me explainâ"
"Don't lie to me now," A bitter laugh escapes me. "Did you ever love me? Did you ever mean anything you ever said to me? Tell me!"
I'm still not facing him, unable to take in that cold look on his face. I never meant anything to him at all.
"It's not that I don't love youâ"
"You just love power more," The realization dawns over me as all emotion drains from me. I go numb as I stare into the trees beyond. He's still talking, but I can't hear anything. My eyes escalate down to the stone, the knife used in Hayes' induction still there and still bloody.
Next to it, however, is a new item. Another induction knife. As if by magic, it appeared there, by my hand. Upon a closer focus, I realize what it is. The Moonlight induction knife. The one used to place me in the pack. The only thing that can sever my bond and kill him.
"The knife that was used to induct you...you take it, and you plunge it into his heart." Sarah's words clang inside my head.
I'll never be free of him, if I don't do this now. My power will only be diminished by having to cower in his shadow. I don't want to cower anymore. I shouldn't have to. I don't hear anything he says as my fingers slowly grip the handle of the silver dagger. I weigh it in my hand against the stone.
I know I want to do it, there's no hesitation there. The only hesitation is in how to best catch him off-guard. I don't care that his pack is here. I don't care that the Founders are here. They can't do anything to me, now. I'm the white wolf. The lupus mystici prophesied of ages ago. I have more power than any of them.
Without any more waiting, I whirl around and bring the knife up from below, plunging it straight into his heart. Those icy blue eyes are on me still, never leaving my sight as he sputters and coughs up blood. "Fatum circulo facit," I mumble. "Terminatum est." He grabs onto me, for support, but he easily slides down to the ground and I let him, watching him choke on his own blood. It's seconds before the choking stops and he dies, those blue eyes staring at nothing in particular.
My time with him flashes behind my eyes and I realize that all he ever did was control and manipulate. He can't do that anymore. Not to me. Not to anyone. When I turn back to the crowd, there's shock on the faces of his pack, but the Founders don't seem surprised. Sarah, in particular, smirks to me, and part of me realizes that she knew this would happen. She prophesied of my power to Hayes 400 years ago; she's seen it all.
"I'm the Alpha now," My tone is gravelly when I turn back to his pack. Instead of fight or yell or challenge, they exchange glances. The first to step forward is Grant, his eyes lingering on Jaxon before they turn back to me.
He kneels, bows his head, says, "Long live Alpha Isabelle."
I smile as I examine him, finding only authenticity within him. As always. Neil comes forward next, followed by other warriors until everyone is kneeling. I don't see Jason anywhere, and I know in my heart that he's run. Jaxon was his best friend, after all. I won't do anything to pursue him, but if he comes back, I don't know how forgiving I'll be.
Or maybe I will be? I don't want to be like Jaxon. I don't want to rule with fear and an iron hand. I want people to love me and to be loyal because of that devotion, not because of fear or pain.
"Nice work," Sarah's voice sounds to the left of me and I turn to look at her, those purple eyes reflecting off my own.
"You knew this would happen," I say as I turn back to the men and women kneeling before me.
"I saw it," She shrugs. "I knew it would happen one way or the other, but I didn't know the particulars. Paths of the circle may change, but the ultimate end doesn't."
"Are they upset?" I motion to the Founders, who are still watching on in silence.
"No," She laughs. "They hated Jaxon and Hayes. Our guard has already rounded up the other Mistletoe members as well."
"My mother?" I look to her motionless body.
"They're going to take her as well, for questioning. She's been performing illegal magic, especially tonight. The Council can't stand for that," There's mirth in her toneâprobably because she used to utilize the same magic.
"I understand," My tone is emotionless. I couldn't care less. They could string her up by her toes and bleed her out in front of me, and I'd still do nothing.
"They would like to extend an invitation," She continues, "to become a Founder. I don't know if you realize this, but you're immortal now." When I look to her, she smiles, "White wolves always are."
"Are you..."
"A white wolf?" Her mouth quirks. "It's certainly a possibility."
"Would I have to leave Moonlight, to be a Founder?"
"The Founders form a pack, so, technically yes."
The idea of being penned in by another Alpha makes me want to die. I don't want to be controlled anymore. "I'll decline the invitation for now," I sigh as I look back at Grant, who's smiling at me now.
"I understand," She flicks her blonde hair over her shoulder. "Why do you think I'm not in it? Or in any other pack? I won't be controlled." She whispers the last sentiment before bidding me goodbye and disappearing into the trees along with the rest of the Founders.
I admire those kneeled before me and beckon Grant to rise. He sidles up next to me, taking in the same view I am. "What now, Alpha Isabelle?"
I sigh, contentedly, and nod, "Let's go home."
A/N: OH DANG. That was wild, for sure.
1) How did you like the turn of events?
2) Do you think Jaxon deserved to die?
3) Will Isabelle ever find love again?
Thanks for reading!
xoxo,
I. C. Judah