Chapter 5

Zephyra

I stormed into the pack house and grabbed Olivia by her skimpy shirt and slammed her against the wall “let Toni and his family go! Your problem is me. I see that now!”

Olivia laughed and then tsked at me “I would not be making demands if I were in your position Zephyra” she looked over my shoulder and smirked, I turned and looked in the same direction and there was Toni; bound by his hands and legs. He had cuts and bruises on his face and body, I let go of Olivia and rushed to Toni, tears welling up in my eyes.

“Toni where is Alba?”

He looked at me, his eyes looked lifeless and that scared me

“They took her away from me, they won’t tell me whether she is alive or dead; I can’t feel our bond anymore and my heart is scared Zephyra…”

I stood up and clenched my fist; I looked Olivia dead in the eye.

“What do you want from me?”

I asked through gritted teeth. Olivia straightened her shirt and brushed her fingers through her long wavy red hair and made her way over to the stairs, she then turned back and called for me to follow. I knew we were going to her “study”. The top floor of this giant pack house always scared me as a kid; this was Olivia’s layer in the pack house, it was unkept and dark, the once magnificent landscape paintings now hung crooked. The corridor was long; the remaining lights flickered, and I remember the first time I was brought up here. I was seven years old when one of Olivia’s goons brought me up here, I had just broken a thirteen-year old’s nose after he pushed me off the swing and laughed at me along with his friends. Olivia did not shout at me, instead she placed me in advanced combat training with the pack warriors and by sixteen I was wielding every gun possible. The other girls my age in the pack were dressing up and going out on dates or to parties… I was going out hunting down double-crossers, I had never been on a date either.

The door to the study creaked open and the smell of sex, sweat and stale cigarettes reeked, I wanted to vomit. I had not been up here in years after that incident in the pack playgrounds. I held my breath and entered the “study”; the windows were open a tad, the fireplace was black with soot and the couch looked like it had a number done on it; the cushions were sunk in, there were rips on the back of the couch and paperwork scattered everywhere, nothing seemed to be in order and the light on the once beautiful crystal chandelier was now starting to fade.

Olivia cleared her throat and my head snapped in her direction, she opened her palm and gestured for me to sit on the couch as she sat down. I looked over at the couch and noticed some dark stains on the leather; I had to hide the look of disgust on my face, and I turned to Olivia, faked a smile, and sat on the chair by her study desk.

“Olivia, can we just get down to business; you called me up here to talk about letting Toni and his family go”

“I will let them go; I just needed to get your attention and I also know what kind of information Toni has been feeding you while training you” Olivia looked at me and I kept a straight face.

“What information are you talking about Olivia, is there something that perhaps you are hiding from me?”

I could see she was trying hard to keep her calm composure, she needed me for something. Olivia shook her head and then spoke.

“I guess this is what I get for taking you in and giving you a home after saving you from that wretched pack back in South Africa”

My eyes widened “what do you mean saved me?! You always told me I was abandoned! And where did South Africa come from?” I asked

“Zephyra, I will let Toni and his family go on one condition”

“wait, you cannot tell me that you saved me and then switch to letting Toni and his family go and place conditions!”

“Zephyra, would you let me finish?”

I waited till this brat stopped throwing her fit and then I continued.

“You will have to listen to my story and how I saved you from being killed in South Africa when you were only an infant.”

Olivia began and I listened.

Olivia

I had to regain Zephyra’s trust in me if I wanted her to finish of Dominic and Athena; I had waited twenty-four years to execute this plan, but this brat has subtly been rebelling against me ever since she turned eighteen and I forbade her from shifting into her wolf form. I had to now make up a story and execute my plan.

“Zephyra, I will let Toni and his family go on one condition”

“wait, you cannot tell me that you saved me and then switch to letting Toni and his family go and place conditions!”

“Zephyra, would you let me finish?”

I waited till this brat shut her trap and I started

“I saved you from being killed in South Africa when you were only an infant.”

I looked out to the distance and took a deep breath as if I were recalling the past.

“I was part of an abusive pack called Blood Moon, ruled by the Luna Athena and Alpha Dominic; they were ruthless and anyone who made the mistake of questioning them were killed. Your mother Cassandra and I were dear friends, and I was so excited when your mother told me that she was pregnant with you and that I would be the godmother; but our happiness was short lived. One of the pack elders had prophesied the end of our pack and it would be a girl child born in the next 3 months, all eyes focused on your parents and your father gave his life thinking it would protect you and your mother from the cruelty of the pack and our rulers, that was not the case, I was exiled from the pack for trying to protect your mother. My mate Jake was my inside man, and he would keep me informed as to how   was killed once they found out that he was giving information; I was devasted when I felt our bond break and I mourned his loss. I stayed close to the pack borders and when I heard a few days later that you were born I came to see your mother and just as we were about to escape when the Alpha and Beta barged in the house. Your mother put up a fierce battle to the end; I managed to escape with you and left the country and came here to Mexico. That is why I forbade you from shifting, if word were to get out that the child blessed by the moon goddess lives and is thriving, they would be here in no time and try to kill you. I have kept your powers hidden from the world”

I looked up at a shocked Zephyra, my story had worked, and she thought my tears were genuine. The brat burst into tears.

“I am so sorry Olivia; I wish you would have told me the truth earlier!”

“I am sorry Zephyra, but you were too young to understand, and I feared you would have tried to flee the country and seek revenge. Now that you are older and well-trained, I knew you would be able to handle this kind of information”

“Will you now let Toni and his family go?”

She asked me in a shaky voice

“I will, but they will be exiled, and you need to go on a mission for me; I will tell you more about it in the upcoming days”

She nodded her head and left. Not long after there was a knock on the door and entered my “best friend” Cassidy entered.

“Do you think she bought the story?”

I nodded

“I have her in the palm of my hands.”