Alex and Bella run into our bathroom after hearing Hope’s screams.
‘Bella! get the pack, doctor! Alex, help me get her in the bath!’ I shout.
Hope thrashes around, trying to free herself from my grip as Alex runs the water over her. But she still feels hot to touch. The cold water isn’t helping.
‘It burns!’ she screams.
‘What’s wrong with her Alpha?’ Alex asks with concern.
‘I don’t know, but the cold water isn’t doing anything! I don’t know what to do!’ I panic.
‘Kiss her!’ Alex says.
‘What?’ I ask, tilting my head.
‘When she was in her weird trance earlier, it was your kiss that snapped her out of it!’ he says.
Alex is right. I kiss her lips. The moment they touch, sparks flow through my body. Hope would be feeling them too. She suddenly relaxes and cups my face, not wanting our lips to part.
I caress her face as she lays exhausted in my arms.
Alex brings some towels over and places them around Hope, ‘The kiss worked!’ he smiles.
‘So now we just have to figure out what is going on,’ I say to him. I stand up and pass Hope to Alex, all drenched, ‘Here, hold her while I dry and redress myself,’ I say to him.
I tear my wet clothes off and dry myself, putting on my black trousers and white long-sleeved cuffed shirt. I call for Alex to bring her into the room.
‘Lay her down here and see where that doctor has gone too. If he’s not around, call Kayla,’ I say to him. Alex lays Hope on the bed and leaves the room. I remove her wet dress and dry her with the towels. I find a fresh nightgown and dress her. I sit by her side and hold her hands until the pack doctor arrives alongside Bella and Alex.
‘What took you so long?’ I growl at the doctor.
‘I’m so sorry, Alpha, I was caught up with other patients,’ he says apologetically.
My fist slams on the bedside table as Chaos tries to take over, ‘I don’t care if someone is dying. If I call you, then you are to come immediately!’ I say to him.
My eyes are black. Chaos is trying to take over so he can kill the Doctor.
‘Chaos! That’s enough!’ Alex warns.
‘Let Alpha Maximus back in, or we won’t be able to help Hope!’ he warns.
After a moment of hesitation, Chaos stops fighting against me. My eyes return to their natural colour. I let out a deep breath of relief.
‘Doctor, please do your check-up before Chaos tries to overtake again,’ I say to him.
The Doctor nods, approaches the bed, and checks Hope’s vital signs. ‘What’s wrong with her?’ I ask.
‘That’s the thing, Alpha… I can’t find anything wrong with her. Everything seems to be fine,’ he says in confusion.
Alex and Bella shrug.
‘Thank you, Doctor, you can go now,’ I gaze back at Hope and down at her ruby heart pendant.
‘Bella, stay here by Hope’s side. I need to have an urgent meeting with Alex in my office,’ I say to her.
‘Of course, Alpha,’ she says and sits next to Hope.
Alex follows me into the office. I take my seat and stare down solemnly at the desk.
‘Alpha Maximus, are you okay?’ Alex asks.
‘No, I’m not okay. Hope said some strange things, and I’m trying to figure it all out.’
‘What did she say?’
‘She thinks Alpha Cal is her grandfather,’ I tell him angrily.
‘Alpha Cal! As in the Alpha that killed your parents? The Alpha of the Dark Moon pack?’ he says in shock.
I nod my head.
‘But how?’ Alex says as he scratches his head in confusion.
‘She’s also wearing a necklace I’ve never seen before until today. It’s a heart-shaped ruby. Hope said it belonged to her parents. After she had gone missing in the castle, she had all these questions about the Dark Moon pack. She became very defensive when I explained that a witch was condemned to death for being in love with the Alpha of the Dark Moon pack,’ I say to him, ‘Wands!’ I say in sudden realisation.
‘What is it?’ Alex says.
‘It’s all making sense now. If Alpha Cal is her grandfather, then that means Alpha Levi is Hopes….’ I trail off.
‘Father?’ Alex says.
‘And if Alpha Levi is her father and he was in love and mated to the witch my parents tried to protect, then that means Hope is half…’ I gulp at the thought. I couldn’t even say it.
‘Witch?’ Alex says.
We stare at each other in shock.
‘Alpha, this means Hope is the first of her kind and explains her healing ability, but hybrids are illegal! She will be killed if anyone finds out!’ Alex says.
‘Technically, your relationship with Hope is also against the law because she is a part witch!’ Alex points out.
I stand up and angrily punch a hole in the wall, ‘Wands!’ I shout and begin throwing items around the room.
‘This can’t be happening! I’m mated to the granddaughter of my parent’s killer and to a hybrid that shouldn’t exist!’ I yell.
‘What’s going to happen now?’ Alex asks with dread.
‘I love her, Alex. I love Hope with all my heart. If anything ever happened to her, I could never live with myself. I don’t care that she’s a hybrid! She’s my mate, and I love her for her, and I accept her as she is, just like she accepted me, a Lycan that everyone else feared and shunned. She didn’t even hesitate to love me when she saw my Lycan. No matter what people find out about her, I will protect her with my life! Hope is right. Why should someone be punished for loving someone else, regardless of who they are?’
‘Alpha, Hope is our Luna and your mate. That’s all that matters. This pack has fallen in love with Hope as our Luna. No one here will care that she is part witch. If anything, it will make us more protective of her,’ Alex says proudly.
‘She wants me to take her to the Dark Moon pack, and now I know why… her father is still alive. My guess is she will want to fight for his freedom, and even though her grandfather killed my parents, he also killed her mother. So I think it’s only fair we give her the revenge she desires for her mother’s death, which will also avenge my parent’s death.’
Alex nods in agreement.
I notice a folded-up note on the floor under my desk. I pick it up, open it and read it out loud.
‘Anna, my love,
They can try and keep us apart, but love will always conquer.
You are my heart, and I gift it to you now and forever,
Eternally yours
Alpha Levi of the Dark Moon Pack.’
‘It’s a love letter from her parents,’ Alex says.
I nod and re-read a line, ‘You are my heart, and I gift it to you now and forever.’ I pause for a moment. ‘Hope said the heart pendant was from her parents. Perhaps her father Alpha Levi gifted it to her mother?’
‘That would make sense,’ Alex replies.
‘Tell the pack warriors to prepare themselves. We will leave as soon as possible,’
‘Yes, Alpha’, Alex says, bowing his head and leaving the office.
I return upstairs to check on Hope.
‘Thank you, Bella. I’ll take over from here,’ I tell her.
‘No worries, Alpha,’ she says and leaves the room.
I caress Hope’s face and kiss her cheek, ‘I don’t know if you can hear me, Hope, but I love you, no matter what,’ I whisper to her.
‘No matter what,’ she whispers back.
