Chapter five

Chapter Five

　　Deciding who would take over the Black Vale pack wasn't a difficult task. Luca was a close advisor and acted almost like a second beta to the king. Despite not having a pack to lead, Luca was content with his position, as most anyone would be. His sister was old enough and strong enough to take over the pack while Luca continued to serve the king.

　　Luca knew the king just wanted him out of the palace for a while. With the seeker, mate ordeal, the king knew having him there wouldn't help matters. So, Luca left with his mother and returned to Black Vale. He helped clean things up and prepared Rae for her new role. Being back at the pack did their mother some good. Some color returned to her cheeks, and she ate a little more than she did while in the palace. Being surrounded by her pack, the wolves she's known and led for years, made her feel a little more at ease. Still, Luca couldn't relax when it came to his mother.

　　He knew what losing your mate did to you. He knew she wanted all of the pain to end, and the only reason she was waking up every morning was because of her unborn child. Luca worried that as soon as she gave birth, she'd give up. He had always seen his mother as strong. Unbreakable. As much an alpha and leader as his father, but now...he could hardly recognize her. The loss of her mate had changed her in such a short amount of time, and he worried day and night for her.

　　The evening of Alice's induction ceremony, Luca walked his mother back to her room as the festivities started, to celebrate Alice. She stayed for the ceremony but felt too tired to stay much longer. As he helped her to bed and prepared her a glass of water, along with the medicine the royal doctor prescribed, she brought up the seeker, asking if he had met him.

　　"Yes. And Leon isn't going to do anything to punish him. In fact, he'll do the opposite by making him his seeker and giving him a position of power."

　　"What did he say? Why did they do it?"

　　Luca sighed and sat on the edge of her bed.

　　"He claimed he was blackmailed."

　　She pursed her lips and nodded as if she understood.

　　"You believe him?"

　　She shrugged.

　　"It's more exhausting not to believe him."

　　Luca gripped the comforter in his hands and squeezed his eyes shut. He wanted to argue with her and be angry, and he wanted her to be angry too, but instead, something else came to mind. He took a deep breath and faced her.

　　"Mom...the seeker is my mate."

　　For some reason, she didn't seem surprised. She didn't show any emotion to the statement. After several minutes of silence and grabbed her hand.

　　"What do I do?" he whispered, ashamed he was even considering giving in to the bond. After seeing his mom like this, he was afraid of what it would do to him if he denied it. But he hadn't spent a lifetime with his mate like his mother. They hadn't raised kids together and led a pack together. They were nothing more than strangers.

　　"What do you want to do?"

　　Luca shook his head.

　　"I want to meet him."

　　Luca's eyes shot up to hers.

　　"When we get back, I want to meet him, properly."

　　"Mom, no. He can't be trusted I don't want you to—"

　　"I'll be fine, Luca... I know you're worried about me. But please, I'm trying my best to fight the heavyweight pulling me down. I need you to help me up rather than hold me down. Let me make my own choices. I'm still a Luna, and I want to meet him."

　　Luca sighed, knowing he wouldn't win against her. He eventually nodded and pulled the covers over her. After kissing her on the cheek, he left. Outside her room, he ran a hand down his face and sighed. He could hear everyone laughing outside and didn't have the energy to join them. He turned and jumped when he saw Rae standing in the hallway.

　　"What the hell Alice. You scared the piss out of me."

　　She gave a crooked smile and crossed her arms.

　　"Good. So, mate, huh?"

　　Luca groaned.

　　"You heard?"

　　"Yup." They started walking down the hall together. "What are you going to do?"

　　"I don't know, Al." He thought for a second and cleared his throat. "Any suggestions?"

　　"Yeah. Reject him. How can you be mates with someone responsible for killing your father, and now look at mom? He's done enough."

　　"He says he was blackmailed."

　　"So? We all have a choice in life, and he chose to hurt people."

　　"To protect someone, he loves." Luca surprised even himself. Why was he defending him? Maybe he wasn't. Maybe this was him convincing himself not to reject the seeker. "Forget it. I don't know what I'll do yet, and the king's pissed at me, and I'm worried rejecting him will make him even angrier."

　　She scoffed.

　　"Please. The king is our uncle. He won't do anything to you but slap you on the wrist. You and I could get away with murder. Just like that seeker, apparently. Except, we don't actually murder."

　　Luca didn't have the energy for a party, and he certainly didn't have the energy to argue with his sister. When they reached his room, he bid goodnight and closed the door before she could speak anymore.

　　***

　　Two days later, Luca returned to the palace with his mom. He received a letter stating the induction of the seeker would be at the end of the week, and he had to be there. Luca preferred being in the palace. He enjoyed spending time with his uncle, and he felt he was making a difference in Winter Moon on a larger scale than if he were at home. The only thing he didn't like about it now was the seeker.

　　After making sure his mom was settled in, he went to meet the king, hoping the seeker wasn't there. Unfortunately, he had no such luck. He walked in on the two men playing a game of chess and laughing. Why were they laughing? Luca couldn't begin to guess why considering he found the game boring. He knocked before entering and waited at the doorway for the king to dismiss the seeker.

　　"Just come in, Luca. We're in the middle of something, so don't expect me to send him away," the king said without looking away from the board. Luca sighed and walked toward the king. He glanced at the seeker who had no trouble staring at him without even pretending he wasn't.

　　"Actually, my mother wants to meet you," Luca said, desperate to get the king alone but immediately realizing he wouldn't be there to supervise. "King Leon, would you mind sending Triston with him?"

　　The king gave him a sideways glance and nodded. After a moment of silence and another move on the chessboard ending the game in favor of the king, he sat back and laced his fingers.

　　"Done."

　　Just as he said it, Triston, the king's beta, walked into the room. The king waved him over.

　　"Triston, you haven't officially met Nova yet. This is our new seeker. Nova, this is my beta, Triston. He is very reliable and knows everything you need to know about the palace. If you ever need anything and can't find me, please feel free to ask him for assistance."

　　"Nice to meet you, Triston," Nova said with a smile. He looked back to Luca, trying to maintain the grin. "Hello, Luca."

　　Luca let out a low, short growl and crossed his arms over his chest.

　　"Triston take Nova here to the gardens; I'll have some omega's escort Winnie out there. She wants to meet our new seeker."

　　"Of course, Alpha. This way, seeker."

　　Nova stood.

　　"Please, just call me Nova." He followed Triston out of the room, giving Luca one last glance before the doors shut behind them.

　　"What do you want, Luca? I was in the middle of teaching him chess."

　　"I just want to make sure you know what you're doing."

　　Leon couldn't help but growl as he stood. The words felt like a challenge, and his wolf didn't like it.

　　"You think I'm stupid?"

　　"No. I just don't know if we can trust him. For all, we know he's still mind linking his old pack. We don't know anything about him! Shouldn't we at least try to—"

　　"That's enough, Luca. I'm done hearing about this. He'll be my seeker by the end of the week, and that's final. When that happens, any links with other packs will be severed, and he'll officially be a part of my pack." He cleared his throat and shuffled over to a table with drinks. With his back to Luca, he poured himself one. "After," he turned and leaned against the table and brought the glass to his lips. "You will lead a search party for his mother."

　　Luca gaped at him.

　　"We're looking for his mother?"

　　"Yes. He requested it before agreeing to become my seeker. He wants her safe, and he doesn't want to keep working for the pack and doing their bidding. So, as a member of our pack, we'll look for her. I want you and any warriors of your choice to look for her. I have a feeling Nova will ask to go. I'm still trying to come up with a way to convince him not to. Either way, I've already spoken with Golden Falls. They're willing to send Basil here to help teach him the duties of a seeker. He'll learn from Basil and the doctor, and we'll have an adept healer again."

　　Luca argued. He always did if he didn't like something, but of course, he couldn't win against the king. Whatever the king said would happen, would happen, and there was nothing he could do about it. When the conversation was over, he immediately went to the gardens to find his mother and the seeker.

　　***

　　On his way to the garden, Nova racked his brain, trying to figure out why Winnie wanted to see him. She'd probably at the very least hit him. He couldn't get her angry expression out of his head whenever he thought of Winnie, and boy was it terrifying.

　　Triston was quiet next to him, but Nova could tell he was a bit on edge. Nova cleared his throat as they walked outside, the warm air washing over their cool skin.

　　"I haven't been to the gardens. I haven't been outside of the palace. Is it nice?"

　　Triston was surprised when Nova spoke. He shifted and little and nodded.

　　"My daughter loves the gardens. She comes with her mother almost every day."

　　"You have a daughter? How old?"

　　"Four."

　　Nova giggled.

　　"I haven't been around children for...quite some time. I'd love to meet her."

　　Triston glanced down at him and gave a curt nod ahead of them. Nova looked ahead and saw Winnie. She sat on a bench with rose bushes behind her. She had one hand gently caressing her stomach as she turned her face upwards towards the sun, letting it warm her. Nova swallowed and looked at Triston.

　　"Please stay close," he almost begged.

　　"She won't hurt you," Triston promised. "But, I'll be right here."

　　Nova nodded and took slow, tiny steps towards the beautiful woman. He stopped a few lengths away from her, trying to think of what to say first. Luckily, he didn't have to.

　　"Nova, right?" She opened her eyes and looked at him. She scooted a little and patted the spot next to her.

　　The bench was large enough for both of them to sit and not be close to touching each other. Nova couldn't bring himself to look at her. Especially not now that he knew she was his mates' mother, and after what he did to her. He put his hands in his hair and bit his lip with frustration.

　　"I want to know why," Winnie finally broke the silence. "Why did you do it?"

　　Nova bit his lip again and twiddled his fingers. He put them at his side and looked straight ahead, trying not to get distracted. After taking a moment to calm down, he explained to her what he had told the king and Luca. Why he was there and why he did what he did.

　　"I want to apologize. But I feel like it's not enough."

　　Winnie nodded.

　　"It's not enough. Sorry, won't bring him back." She looked at him and waited for him to face her. "Do you regret it? Do you regret killing my mate?"

　　He let his lip go. He gripped the edge of the bench and shook his head with anger.

　　"I regret everything. I regret the first time I did as they asked. I regret all the times I was too afraid to fight back. I regret all of it. There were times I wanted to end it. If I died, they wouldn't be able to hold my mother over me. Then I wouldn't have to keep doing what they wanted. I often regret not ending it. Especially now." Tears fell from his eyes, refusing to stop, no matter how many times he wiped them away.

　　"You were just a boy," Winnie said quietly, her tone motherly. "A boy afraid to lose the only thing he had left. Despite the way you grew up, you feel remorse for what you've done." She put a hand on his shoulder. "Sometimes...remorse is enough." She removed her hand and placed it in her lap. "It lets us know you know you've done wrong, and you don't want to do it again."

　　He cried. So loud, the entire garden could hear him. Triston and any guards or omegas turned away, trying to give him what little privacy he might have wanted. Winnie put a hand on his back and patted, but she didn't look at him or offer any words of consolement. She let him cry. She let him feel the remorse he needed to feel. But she offered him the comfort of touch.

　　Once the crying slowed down, Winnie withdrew her hand.

　　"All wolves have killed, Nova. We've all seen our share of fighting and war. Both me and my mate have killed wolves that could have been husbands, wives, children, a beloved friend, or sibling, and we don't think twice about it. It would be quite hypocritical of me to hold that against you, wouldn't it? I can't say I forgive you. But I won't hate you. I won't make you feel worse than you already do. Besides," she offered a smile, "I don't think I could ever face the parents or children of the wolves I've killed. You're brave, Nova. Very brave."

　　Before Nova could reply, he heard someone yelling. He looked towards the castle and saw Luca trudging over, calling for his mother. When he reached them, he was quick to get his mother to her feet and pull her away from Nova.

　　"I think this is over," he grumbled, shooting Nova a glare as he led his mother away.

　　"What was that for?" His mother asked, trying not to be angry at him for manhandling her.

　　"I could feel your distress. What did he do?"

　　Luca stopped walking when she started laughing. He let her go and groaned.

　　"What's so funny? Mom, what happened?"

　　"Nothing, dear. I'm fine. I think what you felt is your mate's distress, not mine." She continued laughing and walked towards the palace. Luca glanced back at Nova, still sitting on the bench. Triston stood in front of him, now saying something before Nova got to his feet and walked alongside Triston further into the garden. Luca shook his head and went after his mother.