Chapter 304

When Eli tells me he’s spent most of his life without parents, I’m shocked. | wasn’t expecting that.

“What happened to them?” | ask. If I’m telling my story, he should tell his too.

“My mother died giving birth to me.” He stops, his jaw tightening.

“And your father?” | ask quietly. | can tell that this won’t be as simple as his mother’s death.

The muscle in his jaw twitches before he answers. “The short version is my father challenged our Alpha heir to a duel after he caused the death of my older brother, the future Beta. The Alpha forbade it, but his son agreed. My father in his grief, killed the Alpha heir, the only child of our Alpha.” He stops and takes a sip of his tea before looking back up at me.

“The Alpha forced me to watch as he beheaded my father, blamed him for the death of my brother and the Alpha heir, called him a traitor, then he banished me. | was 12, so | understand your mother’s concern about not surviving alone at that age. | almost died as well.”

| swallow hard trying to get past the lump in my throat. Our stories are very similar, only he didn’t have a mother to help him.

“How did you survive?” | ask him.

He looks away from me, a small smile gracing his face. “The Luna of a nearby pack found me after | had been on my own for six months. | was starving, dying really. She brought me clothes, food and would bring stories and read to me. Those few months with her were the only time in my life I've ever had a mother figure.”

There’s obviously more to the story. “What happened.”

He sighs. A deep, heavy sigh that seems to come from his soul. “The Alpha that banished me wanted more power. He wanted another heir. So, he attacked the pack. | heard that he planned to kill the Luna in order to weaken her mate so he could kill him more easily.”

His voice becomes strained like he’s choking back tears. “I tried to save her, but | was too late.”

He drinks his tea, and we sit in silence for a few minutes. “Did your previous Alpha defeat the Alpha of the other pack?”

“No, Alpha Leander killed him. However, they thought | was the one that killed Luna Estella, and they hunted me for almost 20 years. I'd only recently been released from Liam’s dungeon when | found you.

Okay, that took an unexpected turn. “Who is Liam and why were you in his dungeon?”

“Liam is the only child of Alpha Leander and Luna Estella. When his father passed away, he began hunting me.”

I'm at a total loss for words, | don’t even know what to say. His life has been worse than mine and | didn’t think that was possible.

“How did you escape?”

He gives me a rueful smile. “I didn’t. His mate, another Guardian, could tell that | was speaking the truth when | said | didn’t kill Luna Estella. After that, he bought me some clothes, gave me some money and put me on a bus that led me to you. “So you see,” he continues, “I know all about shitty Alphas. But | also know that they aren’t all that way. Alpha Liam and the Alpha | spoke to about you, Alpha Rik, they are good Alphas. They are both mated to Guardians, and they all seem very happy.”

We sit in silence for a while, both of us lost in our memories and the stories we've told each other. | finally break the silence.

“Where did you go? When you left a couple weeks ago. It seemed you left in a hurry.”

He nods. “I was listening to the humans in the diner. They were talking about the animal attacks in the area.”

“Yeah, | remember. | was a huge problem. Animals were attacking and killing people and then as suddenly as it started, it ended.” | tell him.

“They weren't animals, they were vampires. The same vampires that were heading south to kill Alpha Liam and Alpha Rik’s packs and take their Guardians hostage as blood bags. Alpha Liam’s mate, Luna Angel, was held captive for seven years by a vampire prince. | had to warn them.” He takes a deep breath. couldn’t save Luna Estella, but | could and did give her son sufficient warning so he could save himself.”