Werewolf Destiny Page 9

  She thought as if she had only now noticed that not all elements of the puzzle fit together.

  - Wait, Trein is Jasper's brother - she remembered. - So why didn't Vanessa mention him?

  The king looked at her with an unmistakable expression on her face.

  - This story has many branches, but Mrs. Keyligh told the truth," he assured her. - I don't know exactly the story of Trein, but as far as I know, he is not the son of Gregory Keyligh, or father of David, Vanessa and Jasper.

  - Oh, so he and Withell are connected to him by his mother - she understood. - This would explain his bitterness and selfish approach to power. He was simply jealous.

  She fixed her hair and got up to leave this conversation for later. She wanted Dagmara to be with her. She should have been the first to hear the news that the worried ruler was giving her.

  - Forgive me, ladies," she sighed with regret, "but I fear that loneliness is not given to us. We should return to the palace before my friend learns about her hybrid nature.

  Colin gave her an arm, which she captured slightly embarrassed.

  - As far as I know, your friend would like to stay here - she covered her face with her hair, guessing that if the king knows about it, she also knows about the idea she was going to seduce him with. - Seeing us together will make her forget about her aunt for a while.

  - I'm very sorry for that - she confessed, feeling how hard her cheeks were getting. - We would not want to abuse the royal hospitality.

  - All the pleasure on my side - assured Colin, before they started to move to the palace with a lazy step, admiring the beautifully blooming roses and enjoying a moment of respite.

  When they reached the terrace, they saw Dagmara screaming something agitated, throwing her acquired documents at Aunt Vanessa and the queen still sitting at the table, humming a cheerful melody under her nose and drinking herbal tea.

  - Oh, there you are! - She was happy to see the surprised couple. - Just in time.

  Amanda made a surprised face and looked carefully at the scene in front of them.

  - What is going on here? - She asked, having stuck a curious look in her friend.

  - Nothing of the sort - said the one with a hint of irony in her voice. - We are explaining family matters to ourselves.

  - Maybe we should all talk and share what we know? - She suggested shyly what the cloakroom snorted angrily at.

  - Good - she finally agreed. - I would be happy to learn something that has been hidden from me for twenty years.

  Taking advantage of a temporary truce, the king led them to a pleasant dark-colored lounge where, despite the season, they were horned in the fireplace. It was much colder in the palace than outside, but still not enough to require an additional source of heat.

  - Why don't we start with a letter? - The brunette sat in the free armchair, discreetly smoothing her dress. - Did you write it, ladies?

  Colin raised his eyebrow, surprised by her sudden formality, but decided to come back to that, when they will find a moment for themselves again in private.

  - Yes, I wrote it," he confirmed. - I handed it over with Dagmara to an orphanage where vampires worked. Not knowing what condition Vanessa was in and which side she was on, I had to do so.

  The cloakroom shrugged her shoulders to show that this information makes absolutely no impression on her. Inside, however, she suffered unimaginably, letting others recreate her story.

  - Why did Esther tell Mrs. Keyligh that the king would save them? - Amanda continued, without ever letting the king out of sight.

  She knew she would feel when she was lying. She couldn't explain it rationally, but she considered it a talent that had clearly strengthened with the transformation.

  - I promised her, when she was pregnant, that I would protect the baby when the werewolves would come for it - he sighed with sadness. - She was my cousin, but I loved her as my own sister. I kept my promise.

  - And that's twice - Dagmara praised him.

  Colin smiled at her, to which she replied with an equally beautiful smile. Amanda saw it and breathed a sigh of relief. The hatchet was partly buried.

  - How did you know that wolves would ask for a child? - Vanessa unexpectedly joined the conversation, although she should know the answer to this question.

  - Once upon a time... - a quiet vampire started - I was friends with Gregory, and then a moment with his youngest son.

  The friends held their breath, unable to believe the king's words. Besides, how could they do that? Inter-species relationships were forbidden and friendships no longer?

  - Gregory was angry when he found out that his son had been imbued with the vampire - he continued his story, Colin. - He told me to do something about it, threatening to kill them both if they consume the relationship. I talked to Esther and asked her to save herself and her beloved, but this feeling completely took over her heart and mind. She said she would rather spend those few moments together and die with him than live alone for centuries to come.

  - They were waiting quite a long time, since I was born - Dagmara muttered, looking at my aunt disgustingly.

  - Both species wanted to see if such a relationship would give birth to a healthy child - the king sighed. - Usually in mixed pairs it was not possible to report a pregnancy, and even if the baby died shortly after the birth. However, you were alive, which was just another reason for the increasing alpha rage. One day, however, he came to see you and you charmed him so much that he made the wolves leave the whole family alone.

  The cloakroom hid her face in her hands, so Amanda quickly approached her to comfort her.

  - He changed his mind? - She asked through tears, but the king twisted his head with a gloomy smile.

  - No, he assured the crying girl, whom even her aunt started to look at with sincere compassion. - He committed suicide shortly after he found out that his firstborn was brutally murdered. I think someone else had his fingers in it.

  The queen put the cup of tea on the table and looked her son hard in the eyes.

  - You should find him and avenge Esther - she spoke with a strong tone. - Vampires accepted that love does not choose, but these savages... - she interrupted by looking at Vanessa, who was stuck with a murderous gaze - whatever. Justice will sooner or later reach the traitor.

  Amanda looked with hope at Colin, who could not refuse his beloved. He would do anything to make her happy. Besides, he promised to guard Dagmary too, so if she wanted to avenge her parents, he would accompany her until the very end.

  Chapter XII

  Two weeks have passed since they arrived at the palace of the king of vampires and now they could not even pretend that they did not like it.

  Dagmara began to talk normally with her aunt, and thanks to the ruler's kindness and care, she also found out more and more about her parents, especially her mother, who was after all his cousin.

  However, Amanda had the impression that it was all just silence before the storm. She still felt the restless gaze of the palace's inhabitants, who, having found out who she was, completely changed their attitude towards her. To a less friendly one, of course.

  Recently she also approached Colin, to the delight of her friend, but every day she regretted that she let him into her heart. She did not want to hurt him, but there was still a bite on his shoulder and the fullness was not far away. She knew that without Withell she would survive in unimaginable pain, but she did not intend to give up. The pain was nothing compared to the devil himself in the skin of a wolf.

  - I was looking for you - Dagmara emerged from behind the bookshelf, smiling happily.

  - Something happened? - The brunette put aside a thick volume about the history of vampires and now she was staring at a friend intrigued. - Did you find anything else in the documents?

  The girl turned her eyes over because a few days ago she told Amanda that she gave everything back to the king. She did not want to keep these papers any longer because they only brought back painful memories.

/>   She couldn't quite have had as many of them, because when the tragedy happened, she was just a tiny child, but while digging through a ton of information about the traumatic events and the Keyligh family, Dag discovered her hybrid talent.

  She was able to evoke the most distant memories and describe exactly what her parents were wearing when they were bending over the cradle. This amazing coincidence made the cloakroom recall all the details of the wolf, which was then in the children's room.

  Unfortunately, no one knew who the murderous werewolf was anyway, but everyone knew who he definitely was.

  - Lately, you've been absent - the girl started, but when she saw Hale's eyesight, she quickly returned to the subject. - See what I got from Colin.

  Delighted, she stretched out her hand in the direction of a friend, and she was curious to find a colorful photo of a couple of young people in love. Esther was tall and slim, wearing a pink T-shirt and dungarees, and her golden hair barely reached her shoulders. David was as tall as his partner, but he had strong muscles and dark beard, and blue eyes were looking at the photographer with a bright blue eye.

  After a longer look, one could come to the conclusion that Dagmar's mother did not inherit anything at all from her father's outward appearance, but certainly an intense azure look and black hair, slightly twisted at the ends.

  - Nice picture - admitted Amanda, smiling gently. - They were perfect, almost like a movie couple.

  - It is true - the girl nodded. - Now that I know so much about them, I miss them more than ever before. That's why I decided to find the murderer and tell him how much I hate him before he goes into royal custody for decades for killing a half-breed vampire.

  Hale sighed and gave her friend a magic photo.

  - You can always count on me," she assured me.

  A few tears appeared in the eyes of the cloakroom, so she quickly wiped them off with her hands and went out, wanting to go back to planning revenge.

  Hale understood her feelings and wanted nothing more than to bring those responsible for the death of the Dag family to justice. However, she was afraid of the intimacy that was forming between Uncle Colin and niece Dagmara, because it might have made the girl want to stay in a safe place forever, and Amanda was moderately responsible.

  When a friend closed the door behind her, Hale also got up and came up to the shelf to put the book away. She decided to take advantage of the weather and walk in the garden, where she was sometimes caught by the ruler.

  Kiedy była już na dole, wpadła na Klarę, niosącą tacę z herbatą i dwie filiżanki. Od razu domyśliła się, że królowa Victoria ucina sobie jedną z tych babcinych chitchat with Aunt Vanessa. Both of them, to the surprise of the others, were very much to their liking.

  - Good morning, Miss! - greeted her with a broad smile by a vampire. - If she goes, Miss, to the garden, she will certainly meet the king there. Please be careful, because he is not in a particular mood today.

  Amanda wrinkled her eyebrows, because it hasn't happened yet that Colina was upset enough to show negative emotions to others.

  Intrigued, she ran out onto the terrace, almost broke her legs on the stone stairs and only stopped by the familiar rose bushes, where in the half-shade on the bench sat a worried vampire. He did not look at her, although he heard perfectly well that she came.

  She sat next to him, waiting patiently for him to speak.

  - I already know who murdered Dagmar's parents - he said quietly, using the girl's real name.

  Hale lifted up her eyebrows and hardly stopped to ask who at once.

  - I don't know how to tell her that - he sighed. - I don't want her to live only with vengeance that won't bring her parents back to life. Justice will be done, but I am worried about my niece's fierceness.

  - I know Dag very well and I know that she wouldn't raise her hand on anyone," she assured. - She is not seeking revenge, but peace. She wants to look the guilty man in the eye and make sure that he is responsible for what he did.

  - So you think I should tell her? - Colin smiled at her poorly, and she answered.

  - I think she should know the truth - she put unruly strands behind her ear. - Whatever she is.

  The king gently touched her cheek and then leaned over and gave her a tender kiss on her forehead.

  - Thank you," he whispered, and she was blushed by those gestures of love which he gave her more and more often and boldly.

  They sat in silence, enjoying their presence and watching the birds playing between the thorny bushes of tea roses.

  - Maybe I shouldn't ask - dared the girl - but who actually committed such a terrible crime?

  - Christian Hopkins.

  Amanda barely swallowed her saliva and blood flowed away from her face.

  - I know him - she choked him. - He called me to offer me a job at the Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology.

  The vampire did not seem to be surprised by this fact, because he observed the development of events before the brunette even knew about its existence.

  - He served the Keyligh family for a long time, was George's loyal betrothed, but he refused to accept the idea that his son had wasted years of his education on a future successor to bond with a vampire - he sighed quietly.

  - I would never suspect him of such conduct," admitted Hale with regret. - It is true that he has been rough and unpleasant, but I had the impression that he doesn't want it at all.

  - I'm inclined to think that he regrets what he did - Colin closed his eyes and breathed deeply. - In the end, this led to the death of his best friend, and that was not his goal. He wanted to get rid of the only worry of his alpha, and inadvertently took away everything he had ever loved from him.

  Neither of them said it out loud, but they both feared that Dagmara would not understand that not every murderer was heartless.

  She tried to explain to her in all known ways that it was not the best idea to contact Jasper Withell, but her friend insisted that she wanted to meet Christian Hopkins in person and look him in the eye.

  For this reason, four days after the unpleasant news and the identity of the murderer was known, there was a ceasefire, in which Amanda did not even believe for a moment.

  - You can stay if you're scared - Dagmar fucks. - My aunt will come with me.

  She sighed because she didn't want to argue with the cloakroom. It was not a good time and the negative emotions did not help anyone yet.

  - I promised you that you can count on me - she provided a smile with a shadow - so I'm going. Maybe I can take advantage of that and talk to the alphabet in human terms.

  She knew perfectly well that this would not happen. She was surprised by the trust that the king bestowed on Withell, because she could not imagine that he would miss such an opportunity. After all, she deserved him, because she was bitten by him. She could have tried to defend herself, but the truth was that there was little she could do about Jasper's sick plays.

  - Come back as soon as possible - Colin made sure they took with them everything that could protect them from wolf attack. - I hope you are a good driver - he turned to Vanessa, who was sitting rigidly behind the wheel.

  - I certainly don't have hundreds of years of experience, but I'm doing fine - she joked, fastening my seat belt. - See you tomorrow morning.

  Amanda looked at the king with regret, letting him kiss the last time. She felt that she would probably not see him again.

  - See you, Amando - he whispered tenderly and closed the door, letting them go to Withell's fortress.

  She closed her eyes, not wanting to think about it. Luckily, Vanessa played calm music, with which she fell asleep easily and her mind could rest from abstract guesses for a while.

  They drove about four hours to find themselves in the middle of the forest under the main house, from which they managed to escape three weeks ago. Her heart was beating like crazy and she couldn't calm down on the thought that she would soon see him.

  Dagmara squeezed her hand tightl
y, but this is because she was afraid to meet Hopkins. She did not know the details that the rulers had agreed on over the phone, but she wanted to look the murderer in the eye only and see that... she was sorry.

  They got out of the car and walked to the door with an uncertain step.

  - Nice to see you again, Amanda - they didn't even manage to knock when the door opened violently and Jasper stood there himself. - I invite you inside, dear ladies.

  Hale tried to calm the trembling, but was barely able to answer the man's greeting.

  - It's good to see you, Jas - your aunt purr, but by the tone she used, it sounded completely the opposite.

  She closed the car and the last one crossed the threshold of the house, reluctantly looking around.

  It was obvious that she knew this place, but she did not want to remember it. It was here that she and David grew up together when they formed a loved, caring and true family. When his mother died, his father fell into despair, but Christian forced him to find a new partner and keep a strong herd alive. Gregory did not want to, but he did what the pack required, and soon afterwards Jasper was born.

  The new laun was terrible for her children, especially for those who were not biological mothers.

  When Vanessa turned fifteen, she ran away with her older brother and never came back.

  - We have redecorated a bit," Withell joked, seeing his sister's wandering eyesight. - And we added two floors.

  - I want a room upstairs," Vanessa said immediately. - There will be no memories.

  The werewolf wasn't so sure about his head as to call himself a random omega.

  - Take Mrs. Keyligh to her new room - he ordered and waited for both women to disappear upstairs.

  Amanda was breathless, still squeezing Dagmara's hand. She felt that Withell had planned something, and she will heroically play the main role in this performance.

  - Hopkins is in the dungeons - Jasper sighed, tired of the prolonged silence. - The deal with the vampire king was that you will decide what happens to him.

  The cloak-and-dagger opened her eyes wide in amazement. This is not what she expected.