Chapter 10

Viola’s POV

The information from my father was almost unfathomable. I knew some of it, like Dalia not being my mother given Vex’s memories. It became clear to me though that my father had no idea what Dalia had done to me. To Vex. My blood was boiling.

I wanted to tell him so badly. But Derek was right. There was no way that I could without proof. It didn’t matter that he loved me, because he loved Dalia too. He was heartbroken when my mother left and even more so when she died. 

But, I did learn something new. A hunter.

‘Vex? Anything to add to that?’ I asked her as I walked across the grounds.

She gave a mental head shake that I could feel. Having a wolf was so interesting.

‘Viola, why don’t we talk to Cade again?’

‘I don’t know Vex, I’m worried about involving him.’

‘Well I trust Cade.’

I rolled my eyes. ‘You know I didn’t mean it like that.’ My mind moved to Trenton. ‘Why do you suppose our eyes are red like his when you are there? Do you think it’s a hunter thing? He was pretty big too. Dad said that hunters were bigger.’

‘I think you’re awfully curious about a guy who was initially going to get rid of me.’ Vex huffed.

I smiled. I knew she was practically jelly near his wolf, pretending to be disinterested. Near Derek there was electricity, and I couldn’t deny our attraction, but he was more calm, a gentleness and a touchstone when we felt chaotic. Trenton was more dangerous, unpredictable even, we liked that too.

I shook off the thoughts as Derek came near us. He strode up with a smile and grin that said he had information.

I smiled back not able to help it. His smile just made everyone smile.

“Guess what I found out from Cade?” He rubbed his hands together.

“Not something bad I hope.” I squished my brows together. “Was it about my mom?”

His smile dimmed just a little. “No, but I did learn some interesting things about hunters. More specifically, the fact that there were only three bloodlines.”

My eyes widened in surprise. “Three? That’s not a very large number.” I started to feel some hope rise in my chest.

“Yeah, three packs carry the bloodline, they were the Midnight Pack, the Trinity Pack, and the Daemon Pack.”

None were from Shadow Pack. “So that means the hunter aspect came from my mom also.” I started pacing in the courtyard by the fountain. Then recalled the rest of his words, and how he kept saying was and were rather than they are. I stopped and looked at him. “Why do you refer to the hunters as past tense? What aren’t you saying Derek?”

He sighed. “Most of the hunters were wiped out about thirty years ago. They were dangerous to rogues, to people who had higher authority.”

I shook my head back and forth. “But I don’t understand. How were they dangerous, I get that they hunted and had keener senses, I feel like that would be an asset to most packs. Particularly when dealing with rogues.”

“I know, but they had other abilities, they could see things that others couldn’t. I don’t completely understand the logistics of what they could or couldn’t see, some kind of aura maybe, darkness surrounding someone’s soul. Some of their abilities were similar to witches.”

I took a deep breath in and then let it out, desperately trying to process.

“This is why my mother was killed, wasn’t it?”

“More than likely, yes. But Viola, it isn’t-” Derek was cut off at some commotion by the gates. Someone was coming.

My father appeared out of nowhere heading to the gates. “Open the gates!” He shouted at the guards.

His pace quickening, I followed wondering what was happening given my father’s sense of urgency.

The gates opened to reveal an entire pack outside of the gates. They bore the mark of the Trinity pack. A mark my father requested all packs to wear upon arrival to Shadow Pack.

In front of the rest was a man who was similar-looking to Trenton, black hair, tall, similar face structure, but his eyes were blue. He held someone in his arms who’d been severely wounded. It was impossible to see who it was or if it was male or female. There was blood everywhere.

“Get Amy!” My father yelled as one of our fastest runners ran to the hospital. “Alpha Jake, what has happened?”

“My son was wounded by the rogues on our way here. His healing hasn’t started yet.” The alpha of Trinity Pack looked at me and his eyes widened momentarily before he stepped through. My father walked him to the hospital meeting the pack nurse about halfway to the hospital. Cade and Kiersten, his mate, brought the rest of the pack in and took them to one of the guest quarters. 

Derek and I went to the hospital with my father as they did.

We found them outside of one of the rooms, whoever had been injured was in the room with Amy and her assistant.

“Alpha Jake, this is my daughter, Viola, she’s grown quite a bit since you last visited.” 

The other alpha looked at me, I couldn’t decipher the look on his face.

“If I remember correctly, she didn’t have a wolf when I was last here.” 

My father sighed. “She was bound and poisoned when she was three.”

Alpha Jake’s eyes flitted between my father and me. “Well that clearly didn’t take, huh?”

“Much to my great pleasure.” I said evenly. I felt Vex trying to break through and was sure my eyes had turned red. She recognized his scent.

Jake sighed. “Trenton had ran straight to the wolf attacking us, I was on his heels to help and then there were two others on his flank out of nowhere.” He looked through the window to the hospital room. “My beta helped me take them out and the rest of the pack finished the one Trenton had been gunning for, the big one.”

“Trenton? Your son is Trenton?” Derek asked his eyes wide.

Jake looked at him curiously. “He is.” His brow furrowed. “What do you know of him?”

“He’s my mate.” I said while my body trembled.

Jake looked quickly at me then to Derek.

“She has two.” Derek answered as he draped an arm over my shoulders as Jake and my father’s eyes widened in surprise.