C61

"We wanted to tell you together. We're not alone, Tai, we're not freaks. There are others like us!"

"I know that there are others like us. But not everyone like us is good!" Tai shouted. "Brandon his not good. I don't care if he's your mate, Raiden, he can't be trusted!"

Raiden paled. "You know about mates?"

"They've told you everything," Brandon said quietly. He frowned. "They wouldn't do that if you were just a regular werewolf." Brandon nodded. "Ace. He's your mate, isn't he? It's the reason you've been spending so much time with him. It's the reason why you know so much."

Raiden gasped. "You have a mate?"

"God, Raiden!" Tai yelled. "You're so clueless and you don't even know it! Brandon has been probably been filling your head with shit!"

"I haven't," Brandon interjected. "I've just told him the basics of the werewolf world. I hadn't gotten round to telling him about this town in particular."

"What were you going to say?" Tai asked. "That you're best buds with a murderous psycho rapist werewolf that is terrorising his sister and her pack, faked killing her mate, kidnapped and abused your cousin and has done so many other horrible things!"

Raiden stood and took a step back, looking between Tai and Brandon with wide eyes. "You are not making any sense."

"Rai," Brandon said softly and reached his hand out, but Raiden shook his head.

"Someone needs to tell me what the hell is going on," Raiden said.

"Tai, you have to understand, Jason has helped me," Brandon said pleadingly. "I wouldn't be where I am without him."

"So that means you're okay with him being a complete fucking lunatic!" Tai shouted, throwing her hands up. "He's insane and I'm not letting my brother get involved in all of this! It's crazy and it's dangerous!"

"You don't think I know that?" Brandon said, shouting back at Tai. "I don't want him involved in any of this! He's the last person I want to get hurt!"

"Guys!" Raiden yelled. Both Tai and Brandon looked at him. "Explain, right now!"

Brandon groaned and ran his hand down his face. "I don't know where to start."

"You're starting to scare me, so you better start talking quickly," Raiden said. He was looking at Brandon with conflicting expressions. Tai knew the mate bond was messing with his head.

"There's a werewolf in town," Tai said. "Rogue. He's powerful, and he's mental. He wants control of everything. The whole werewolf world and he's started with this town. He's started with taking control over his sister's pack. Indianna's pack. He faked killing her mate. He's killed a pack member. He's kidnapped another and forced Brooke away from her mate, knowing she was pregnant."

Brandon let out a strangled gasp, holding his hand to his mouth. "Brooke's pregnant?"

Tai continued. "Your mate is working with him. He betrayed his cousin which allowed the werewolf to 'kill' Indianna's mate and take control. He's the reason why this town is so unsafe. All of the attacks you've heard of, everything wrong in this town is happening because of Rogue and his men. And Brandon is equally responsible."

"I never meant for it to get this far," Brandon whispered. He looked at Raiden who was staring at Brandon with fear. "Please, Rai, you have to believe me."

"You've not done anything to help!" Tai snapped. "Why would you work with someone like him!"

"He helped me," Brandon whimpered, his heartbreaking at the look Raiden was giving him. "I was alone and scared when I found out I was a werewolf. He mentored me. He helped me control my werewolf side. He stopped me from going crazy."

"He's the crazy one!" Tai exclaimed.

"You don't think I know that," Brandon yelled. "God, I know what he has done is horrible, but I've seen a side of him that no one else has-"

"That doesn't change anything!" Tai argued.

"Everything happened so quickly," Brandon said. "I was in too deep. I couldn't turn back. He expected loyalty for what he did for me. So I gave him it."

"You're weak," Tai spat.

"I didn't feel like having my heart ripped out!" Brandon growled. "That's what would have happened if I turned my back on him. I soon realised that eventually, Jason was going to get what he wanted. I thought I might as well help him, and hope it would mean that Brooke wouldn't be harmed too much in the process. I never wanted her to get hurt. I thought that if I helped it would all be over quicker. Eventually, Jason will have full control. He's too powerful. There's no stopping him."

Tai shook her head and looked at Raiden who looked lost for words. "You don't even know half of what has happened in this fucking town. Neither do I. But there's your explanation. This is who your mate truly is."

Raiden's eyes were glistening. "Were you ever going to tell me?" He asked Brandon.

Brandon swallowed. His face was red and he was sweating. "I didn't want too," he admitted. "You're the purest person I've ever met. I didn't want you involved with the horrors of this town. I want to protect you."

"By the sounds of it I need protecting from you," Raiden whispered.

"Rai-"

"Even if I was destined to fail at something if it was the right thing to do I would do it. I would never turn to the dark side just because I thought there was no hope. I will always fight for what is right." Raiden lifted a shaky hand and wiped his eyes. "I thought we were so similar, Brandon, but we couldn't be more different."

"Raiden, don't say that," Brandon gasped.

"Do you even feel sorry? Do you regret what you've done?" Raiden asked.

"I do. Of course, I do! I regret what has happened every day!"

Raiden shook his head. "I don't even know if I can believe you."

Brandon scrambled up from the chair and grabbed Raiden's hands. "Please, you can. We're mates. You can trust me. You can believe me!"

"You let your own cousin be harmed. How can I trust you?" Raiden said and pushed Brandon away from him.

"I have fought for her life every single day! There's a reason Jason hasn't killed her and that's because of me. Because I've stopped him!"

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"No, no. I just-" Brandon groaned. "I never wanted any of this to happen."

Raiden shrugged his shoulders. "But you let it."

"Rai, please, I'm begging you-"

Raiden turned his head and closed his red eyes. "You need to go."

"Don't do this!" Brandon begged.

"We need to go before he tells Rogue everything and our heads end up on a spike," Tai spoke up. Her heart was aching for her brother, but he needed to know the truth. Tai had no doubt that Raiden wouldn't side with Brandon. Raiden always did the right thing. It had annoyed Tai on many occasions in the past.

"No," Brandon gasped and shook his head rapidly. "No. I won't tell Jason anything about you two. I was never going to tell him that you were aware of what you were. I wanted to keep you out of this Raiden, I still want to keep you out of this. Even you, Tai. You're Raiden's sister. I wasn't going to tell Jason anything about you either."

"How kind of you," Tai said sarcastically, "but I think my brother asked you to get the hell out."

Brandon looked desperately at Raiden before walking to the door. "Please, Raiden, trust me. Trust that I do regret what has happened. Trust that I never wanted it to get this far."

"Get the fuck out of our house before I throw you out. You've never seen me angry, but you might in a minute!" Tai hissed.

Brandon looked at Raiden one last time and then he was gone.

Immediately, Tai grabbed her phone and clicked on one of the few contacts in it. Ace answered instantly. "Ace," Tai breathed and looked at her brother who was stood as still as a statue, tears streaming down his cheeks. He was staring at the door after Brandon. "Ace, I need you."