Chapter 26: The Great White Wolf

GIANNA

I sat waiting in our usual café with Liv. Emily was late like always. Liv shuffled nervously beside me. We both knew Emily would be pissed. She’d always had a savage jealous streak.

Liv wasn’t like me; she was quiet and compassionate. She didn’t like to cause trouble or fight with anyone. The sound of the bell chiming above the doorway signaled to us that someone was coming in.

We both looked up, and sure enough, there she was. Emily. Her dark hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, and she’d dressed casually in a blouse and jeans.

“Hey, bitches! Sorry I’m late. Got tied up at home with Mom. So what’s new?” She flopped into the chair across from us. I glanced at Liv and saw her gulp.

“Liv has some pretty exciting news, actually.” I nudged her, her eyes looking at me as wide as saucers. “Don’t you, Liv?” I pressed her.

She gulped again and turned to Emily. I braced myself for the bitch fit. Emily had been throwing herself at my brother for years to no avail.

“Yes, I do, actually” she whispered. Another gulp; deep breath. “I’ve mated.” Her voice was now barely audible.

“Oh my God, Liv! Amazing! Tell me everything, babe; who’s the lucky guy?” Emily looked genuinely happy for her.

I scoffed quietly to myself. ~In about five seconds flat, that will all change.~

“It’s um—” Liv looked at me for support; I just nodded at her. She took a deep breath and started again. “It’s Diego. I’ve mated with Diego.”

We both looked at Emily, and ding, ding, ding, I was right on the money. “When?” she spat.

“About a month ago,” Liv mumbled.

Emily scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Well, clearly, he’s not your mate, then.” She sat back, crossing her arms.

“I’ve seen them together, Emily. They are in fact mates.” I glared daggers at her; she just glared back.

I knew something spiteful was going to come out of her mouth. I found myself wondering why I was even friends with her.

She leaned in close to Liv. “How can he be mated to you when I’ve been fucking him the last six months?”

I slapped the table with my fist, a growl building deep in my chest. Emily didn’t skip a beat. “He fucked me good this morning, even. Twice.” She cackled.

I jumped up from my chair, kicking it back, the growl becoming ear splitting. I didn’t even care that there were humans in this café who were looking at me like I was nuts.

I was going to rip this bitch apart. “Open your mouth again, Emily, and I promise you it will be the last time.”

I made sure I laced my words with power as I spat them at her, reminding her who I was, but what happened next surprised me.

The normally shy, quiet, compassionate girl who I called my best friend stood up and leaned into Emily’s face, her eyes dancing with fury.

“I find it so sad that you’re so desperate for dick you’ll lie about who you get it from. We all know you’ve been throwing yourself at him for years, and we’ve all seen him tell you to fuck off.

“Thing is, Emily, desperate isn’t a good color on you, and you reek of it, babe. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go home to my man and tell him the bullshit that just came out of your mouth.

“If you so much as think his name in the future, I’ll kill you myself,” she snarled.

Emily’s mouth fell open in shock. I felt pride in my chest. She was meant for Diego. I just knew it.

~CRUNCH.~

My hands shot to my mouth in shock as Liv punched Emily square in the face, breaking her nose. She then grabbed her bag and stormed out.

We drove to my parents’ castle, mostly in silence. Liv apologized for her outburst. I told her not to, that she’d had every right and that Emily was just jealous because she’d always wanted Diego.

We pulled up outside, and I saw our mates on the training grounds. They both stopped and started walking toward us. “Hey, you.” Kol wrapped his hands around my waist, pulling me in for a kiss.

“Hey,” I mumbled into his lips. Stepping back, I looked at Diego, pride welling in my chest again. “You won’t believe what Liv did today.”

His eyes lit up, and he looked down at her. She blushed the color of a stoplight. “What did you do, babe?”

“She defended your honor. Well, actually, first she defended it, and then she punched Emily.” I laughed.

Kol’s eyes widened “What? Why?”

Diego pulled Liv in closer. “What happened?” he whispered to her.

Liv rolled her eyes. “’Cause I told her about us being mated, and she got all spiteful and bitchy and said that you two were fucking the last six months, and that you guys did it twice this morning.

“So I called her desperate, told her she’s not to even think your name, threatened to kill her, and then I punched her. Think I broke her nose, actually.” She shrugged like it was nothing.

Kol buried his face in my neck, hiding his laughter. Diego’s face was a picture, a mixture of pride and lust.

I didn’t know if he was gonna strip her and take her there and then or if he was gonna burst; he was so proud.

“What? Did I do something wrong?” Liv looked nervous; he just shook his head and kissed her.

“I love you,” he mumbled.

Charles appeared before us. “Your parents ask that you join them for dinner.”

“Tell them we are on the way, Charles.” He disappeared with a popping sound.

Father sat at the head of the table with Mother to his right. After our pleasantries were exchanged, we all sat and began eating.

“Gianna, darling. It’s time we tell you everything,” Father said, and cleared his throat. I felt Kol stiffen beside me.

“Should we leave, Mr. Gray?” Liv mumbled, rising from her chair and looking at Kol, who was doing the same.

“Nonsense, darling, you are family now. Sit, both of you, please.” Mother waved her hands. They shrank back into their seats and waited in silence.

“Well?” I pressed. “I’m listening.”

FRIEDA

The moment I had dreaded her entire life had finally come. I knew from the moment I had conceived her that my darling girl would be different. I knew she was the prophecy that my mother had spoken of.

Everyone’s eyes were on my husband and me. I took a deep breath and cleared my throat. Gianna’s eyes flashed to mine. “Well, darling, I’m going to start at the beginning.”

Her eyes narrowed. “That would help,” she growled.

I hushed the growl rumbling in Raphael’s chest. “No, darling, she needs to freely express her emotions now. I know she means no disrespect, my love.”

They glared at each other before he retreated and nodded silently. She looked at me again, curiosity brimming in her magnificent eyes.

“When I was a young girl, my mother told my sister and me stories of these foul beasts, savage men who could transform into even more savage animals.

We grew up in fear of the unknown, and yet I was curious. I wanted to see these men for myself. As a teenager, I began to wander, mostly at night.

This angered my little sister, as she feared and hated them. One night, I wandered too far and came across a camp of what I later found out were rogue wolves.

Since I was a young woman, and they were mostly men, you can imagine what was on their minds—” Growls from my children and husband interrupted my words. I couldn’t help but smile at how lucky I was.

I waved my hands to shush them. “Calm now, calm. I made bits of them. There wasn’t much left to find when I was done—”

“Mom! You badass!”

“Mom! I’m impressed! Who knew you had it in you?!”

“You didn’t think you got your tempers only from your father, did you? Anyway, one of the wolves had slashed me pretty badly.

“I managed to make it home, where my mother healed me, but my sister was furious. She began to dabble in dark magic. Forbidden magic. She became obsessed with taking down these beasts.

“It was just after I had met your father that things had gotten worse. At first I didn’t tell them who or what he was. My mother, your grandmother, was happy for us.

“She could see he would never harm me.” Raphael took my hand and squeezed it. I could see the wheels turning in my children’s minds as they struggled to see where I was going.

I sighed and continued, “My sister soon figured out that your father was no ordinary wolf, and she blamed him for the attack on me years before.

“Unfortunately for her, she had to get through me first. It was soon after I had Diego that she planned her attack. I was weak from labor.

“It had not been easy pushing him, but she had threatened my son, and I could not have that.

“So I met with Mother, and she talked me through banishing her to the spirit realm. Although looking back now, I realize I should have just burned the bitch’s body.”

I watched their mouths fall open and heard Raphael’s chuckle beside me. I watched Gianna, the realization slowly kicking in. “Who is your sister?” she asked, her eyes staring into mine.

She was seconds away from entering my mind; I knew it. I shook my head at her. “Merrida. I believe you met her the other night.”

Diego and Kol lunged from the table, shaking from anger. Gianna’s eyes widened, and the darling Liv looked pale.

I raised my hands, calming the room, and the boys slowly sank into their chairs.

“Merrida came after you because of a prophecy my mother predicted once I had conceived you. You, my darling girl, are more powerful than you know.

“You are rare and precious, but in the wrong hands, your powers are catastrophic. You have power inside you that could level this planet and wipe the universe.

“You can roam freely in death, a gift many who practice dark magic would murder to possess.

“Your wolf is rare and strong, and that, darling, is why your body hasn’t caved under the sheer force of power that flows through your veins.

That is why your mate is not only an alpha but a berserk alpha. He is strong, and he calms you like you calm him.

“There is so much I need to teach you about what you can do, but now that Merrida is back, we can no longer hesitate.”

She looked up from the table. “What was the prophecy?”

I closed my eyes and recited the words my mother had spoken to me twenty years previous as she clutched my bump.

~“Behold she who holds the power; behold she who will rule the world. Behold she who walks through the valley of death into life unscathed. For she is reborn. The Great White Wolf will rise again.”~