Continuing Jossie's POV:
Zeke took me into the showers where I was able to privately take a quick one. He got me a new jumpsuit to wear before he brought me into father's old office. My sister was sitting down behind it and scrolling down something on social media via her phone. She glanced up at me when she noticed I entered the room.
"Zeke you can wait outside," she told him sternly.
"Are you sure?" Zeke asked.
"What we have to talk about is private," Juliette told him as she waved him off and to leave.
"Let me know when you're done," he instructed. I couldn't believe it as Zeke left and locked the door behind him. I walked over to the chairs and sat down slowly.
"They made you take a shower?" She asked in surprise. "What for?"
"You don't want to know," I told her softly as I looked down into my lap. I heard her sit the phone down on the desk.
"So something else was the cause?" She wondered as she got up and came to sit down next to me in the other chair. "You're right... I don't want to really know."
"Why did you come here?"
"I have something to tell you."
"What's that?"
She didn't come here to ask me anything... did she? She came here to brag about herself. This visit isn't about me. Was it ever about me?
"I'm going to be the lycan Queen."
'That's not possible. You heard it from Nathalie herself. The King wants you as his mate and as the next queen.' Well... That or Veronica. He must be one of my possible mates that fate wants to hook me up with. I don't know if I want him as a mate... He might have power... But, as I learned... Power comes with a lot of responisbility. There is also always someone trying to take your spot. Rather your life is involved or not.
"How'd you come to that conclusion?" I asked curiously. I would buy into her game. See what she's playing.
"Well it turns out King Camren is looking for this hot hussy that looks exactly like you."
"So you think that showing up looking like me will be enough?" I asked her as I tried to guess her plan. She does know that won't work... right? I still don't understand how he can just go off of my scent alone. We never even met before.
"No. I'm not going there as you, Jossie."
"You wouldn't even make it past the guards," I laughed out.
"I would if its the masquerate where we have been personally invited by his mother."
Wow... this guy's mother is even involved?
Now that Veronica is done dealing with me and Casimir... She'll probably be there to try to win his affections. I wouldn't doubt it if she's planning to woo him over with her scent. Surely she's heard he's looking for his mate. She's possibly his mate as well.
"Jossie you're dumb if you think I'm his mate. I know who his mate is." Well if its not me then it is her. "She'll probably be at the ball trying to woo him. You'll have some major competition."
"No. It's you," she said as she sounded like she was too certain of it. Nothing was going to change her mind about it. Maybe she was right...
But, there is still the possibility of Veronica.
"How exactly are you certain you'll be queen then?" I asked curiously. What is she planning on doing? I'm not exactly in the right place for her to do anything to me.
"Because..." She reached forward and plucked a hair. "Look... a gray hair," she said as she took it and put it in the trash can. I frowned and patted my head as it hurt a little. "Anyway... because I'm going to secure it by making him drink a love potion. It'll secure my future with him."
"A what?" I asked in disbelief. Those don't exist... do they?
'They do,' Jude said in worry.
"A love potion? You don't know what that is? It makes Camren believe I'm his real mate."
"You can't do that!" I said and frowned at her. "That's so wrong, Juliette." How would it even work if I was to show up around Camren ever again after he took it? Would he recognize my scent as his mates? Or would he be in denial... What about Veronica's poor sake? What if they're really mates? Juliette... She can't do this to him!
I believe in mates. I believe he should have his chance... with the one he's supposed to be with. He should have the right to pick and choose who he wants.
"Any worse then you killing dad?" She asked suddenly.
"You don't believe... that... do you? You know I didn't... I love him. I love dad."
"Well I'm sure he would say differently." Jude growled in anger. She wanted to take me over and beat Juliette's ass. But, I wasn't about to let her win. I settled my heavy thoughts by pushing Jude's own away. "Besides... there won't be any evidence of you existing... Your trial will be after the mask. You'll be buried with that rogue in an unmarked cemetary. I thought I would come by and let you know your mate will be safe with me."
"You can't do this... What about your chance at finding the real one?" I asked her.
"I doesn't matter. He's who I want."
"No! You just want the power that comes with it. But, power isn't happiness." I stood up as I went towards her. I wasn't sure what I was doing until I grabbed her by the neck. This didn't feel like me as I saw red. I wanted to stop her from breathing. I squeezed her as I looked into her eyes. "Don't do it!" I growled at her. I felt instantly pissed she wasn't paying any attention to his feelings. She yelped and kicked the chair back. We fell over as she rolled on top of me and started to choke me. I heard the door unlock as Zeke came into the room.
"What are you doing?" He asked in a panic and pulled us apart.
"She was trying to choke me!" Juliette screamed. I could see fury like no other in her eyes. But, I reflected the same rage back at her. This was not like me. I didn't understand this feeling of hatred I now had for her. "No more visits!" He said as he started to pull me out of the room. "I should have known better than to leave you two alone in a room together."
Zeke pulled me through the hall as I started to uncontrolably fight back against him. I was becoming hard to control. His hands fought to hold me together and I was fighting to calm down. But, I was too worked up for the first time. This felt the same as my first trasformation. I was really going for it this time. I believed I could do it in a shorter amount of time. I was going to attack him and everyone around me. Jude's thoughts were taking over as she was trying to force me out of my own head. Things were becoming to distance theirselves around me. I felt restricted. My movement wasn't my own. I was becoming distant from myself.
His voice raised, "STOP JOSSIE!" He screamed. Jude's vicious thoughts to stop Juliette began to flood my mind as I pictured her at the mask. Forcing Camren to love her. How much crueler could one be? Nobody should be put under a spell. No one! I couldn't stop my imagination of a dark king being forced to drink that damn love potion. What's wrong with me? Why is this just... getting to me?!
I'm sorry. I'm sorry Zeke, I can't control myself!
I felt like the world crashed as my clothes were becoming tight around me. I felt restricted until they were loose and I was breaking every bone in my body. My world was changed as the trasformation happened and I went with it. It was fast and Zeke was able to pick up on what was happening.
"I NEED BACK UP!" He yelled. He was quick to trasform into his wolf as his bottom half of his uniform was taken off and the shirt was left on in the process. We were locked in a battle of time as we raced to be first as a wolf. He beat me as he didn't hesitate to ram my body into the wall. His goal was to injure me. I knew why. If he could hurt me just enough to get me to shift back then he would have control of me. Jude's mind pressed into my own. I didn't feel like myself as she pressured the rest of my trasformation onto me. My screams echoed the hall as they turned into a howl.
I caught a glimpse of Juliette's shocked face peak out from my father's office. I wasn't going to let Jude take over. I pressed to stay in control this time. I wanted my own blood.
'Not this time. I want this,' I told her as I felt confident.
I was here for a kill this time.
'You suck at fighting!' She groaned out. I knew it was true. How could I know what to do as a wolf? I was still new at this.
My trasformation was complete and I was now on all fours. But, Zeke was coming in for an attack as he aimed to bite my neck. I heard a gun go off twice down the hall. My heart pounded in my chest as I saw out of the corner of my eye- Matthew with a dart gun. I was hit suddenly and my mind started to grow numb. Zeke came off of me as he trembled and collapsed next to me. I didn't stay awake much further. It was too much as the drug took over.
Juliette's POV:
Matthew had the guards take away Jossie and Zeke's bodies. Jossie headed towards the cells while Zeke was rushed to the medical sector. Matthew comforted me with a semi-hug as he walked me out of the station and to my mom's waiting limo. He opened the door and let me inside. "April..." He trailed off and I felt my hair stand up. I wasn't sure how to feel as I felt fear rush into my heart he would tell her before I had the chance. It was my story to tell.
"Matthew."
"April, I don't think its a good idea for the two to visit again," Matthew said as he looked in at my mother. He waited until I was in to close the door behind me. The window was cracked slightly so my mother could speak to him.
"I tried to tell her not to," my mother said as she waved at him. "She just insisted she had something to say to her sister." He waved back. He looked me in the eyes. Like a sign for me to tell her what just happened. Of course I would.
"Let me make myself clear... I don't want it happening again. Nothing is too important to not at least have supervised visits," he said as he tapped the window. It rolled up. I gave him a warm smile in which he reflected a similiar one to me. He looked too much in a hury as he went back to the station. Probably to deal with what just happened. I pulled out the hair I collected. The limo began to drive off. I looked at my mother as I showed her what I got.
"You won't believe what just happened," I said.
"Great job," my mom said as she took it from me and put it in a zip-lock baggie and stuck it in her purse.
"You won't believe what I'm about to tell you..." I retried as I still couldn't believe it myself. I have to tell her about Jossie's wolf. "Jossie just shifted into a wolf, mom!" I said as I rubbed where she just had her hands around my neck.
"I didn't think the day would come," she said in amusement. "What did you say to make her do it?"
"Why are you assuming I said anything?"
"I'm not assuming anything. But, I was worried when I heard the gun go off. I was worried that rogue got out." I see she wasn't quick to come see for herself. I could have been in real danger.
"Jossie did try choking me."
"So it was you. You did say something."
"She got mad when I told her about the potion."
"Why would you say anything to her? I didn't tell you to do that."
I might have wanted to brag.
"It just slipped."
Lies.
"None of it matters now. We have to plan exactly down to the T what you will do the night of the mask..." She trailed off as she reached forward and took my hand away to look at my neck. "There's slight swelling... We'll get some cream to relieve the pain. You're lucky she didn't claw your eyes out. She must have been really angry... To trasform like that..." She trailed off in throught. "What did she look like?"
"It wasn't her first shift," I noted as I rememberd my first shift. All werewolves have the sticky substance from their first trasformation... But, it never comes back around after the first.
"What did she look like?" She growled out. I hummed as I thought over what to say.
"Like father... She was a black wolf," I told her. My mother looked away as she tightened his fist. "Why does it matter?" It just gives the pack another reason to hate her. A black wolf is a cursed wolf. Father was strong since he fought off his family curse for so many years. It's kinda funny though. I waited so many years wondering when she would trasform and become my rival. My mother has been fighting this whole time for me. But, was she also waiting to see her first born get to become a wolf?
No matter what... Josephine is... still her daughter. Still my sister. I wish it could have been different and I got to celebrate her first shift with her. Of course it matters to my mother. The fate of Jossie's fur is what hung in the balance. If she wasn't the same color of my father... then she might have a chance in this pack. The unspoken reality of Jossie's fur color is all anyone can think about.
"I doesn't," my mother said sharply. Her voice covering up the silence. "Your sister's fate still remains the same." She looked at me with promising eyes. She was still on my team. "She's still your father's murderer."
"When are you going to tell Grandma Della that Edith will inherit the Alpha's title?"
"Before the pack knows my dear." The limo drove us back towards the main road towards the house. There wasn't much to talk about now that I did as she wanted. But, I now had time to let what Jossie said sink in. It was wrong what I was going to do to Alpha Camren... I knew it. But, I just couldn't let an oportunity like this slip away. Better I have him then someone else that doesn't know how to run a pack... let alone the whole werewolf territories.