"Thirty-four years ago, way before we became the Alpha and Beta of the largest pack in North America, Drew and I were both working with the Council. The Tactical and Intelligent Department to be precise.
The Council had been getting reports about werewolves mysteriously going missing. Sometimes a whole pack of maybe about fifty to hundred man-wolves, she-wolves, and pups would just disappear out of their settlements into thin air without a trace, living behind their shacks and camps.
It doesn't make sense right? A whole community could not just up and leave when there are no threats to their lives and properties right?" He asks and Eric and I both nod in agreement with him
"Drew and I were assigned the case and our investigation took us to the mountains of San Francisco where we happened upon a gory scene. A small poor pack consisting of twenty-six wolves including pups was brutally attacked. Owen was the only survivor.
He was fifteen years old then. Since he had no surviving family, we got clearance from the Council Elders and brought him to the pack. When he turned eighteen years old, he got mated to a nice girl; she was the only female among the pack warriors then. They got married, he applied for the pack's recognition and swore an allegiance to formally become a member of the Silver Moon pack.
He was always hanging around us back then, tagging along with us everywhere we went. He was supposed to be given the position of an Omega since we don't really know about his roots but we made him a Subordinate instead, I guess because he successfully warmed his way not only into our lives but your grandfather's and other pack members.
Drew and Liv trained him and his mate, Carol, as the Sentinels that would take their place as my Beta couple if anything bad should happen to them in the future. And that was how he became my Beta after their tragic demise fifteen years ago" my dad finish saying and turn to Eric who is now staring fixedly at his balled fists
"Hey" I call to him softly and he looks up at me with a smile that assures me he's in control of his emotions. I would have been surprised if he wasn't since I've never seen him not being in control of any situation. He kept me sane and going after I witnessed my mom and his parent's death. I would probably have been committed to a mental home if it wasn't for him
"I'm sorry! I'm so, so, sorry, both of you for everything that has happened..." My dad's voice cut into our silent communication. We look at him to see he already has tears in his eyes.
"I failed you both as a father! After their death, instead of stepping up to responsibilities, I allowed my grief to consume me. I sent you both to Denmark not because I don't want to be around you, it was because I couldn't protect you from my unknown enemies!...
I'm an Alpha of the biggest pack in North America! An Alpha who couldn't protect his kids! An Alpha who chucked out his responsibilities to another Alpha, what kind of an Alpha is that huh?..." He asks us but I have no answer for him.
I'm lost for words. Seeing my dad cry for the second time in under twenty-four hours really makes things feel uncomfortable and awkward as I don't know what to do, or how to console him. Eric offers his handkerchief to him before placing his hand over my dad's, lightly squeezing it.
"Even though I'm sorry I missed out on your lives, seeing how you both turned out, I'm glad I made the decision because I know I couldn't have done a better job than what your uncle did." He says again
"Let's leave the past where it belongs and forge ahead now. Their death will not be in vain as everyone responsible will also pay with their own lives" Eric tells him fiercely before letting go of his hand. He had always known how to handle situations like this while I don't think I would ever be able to.
"So what happened? How were you attacked? When we searched the surrounding woods of the scene of the incident, Your Beta's bloodied shirt and a shoe were the only things we found. From how the shirt was shredded, It looked as if a claw ripped it off him and it was his blood that soaked his shirt, not yours." I ask after I see he has put his emotions under control.
He gave a short mocking laugh
"Smart son of a bitch! I believe he wanted to make it seem to the world that he was kidnapped while I was murdered. Like I was trying to tell you earlier before I had the heart attack. The bullets that were shot through the window were not the ones that hit me! Those were also shots by Owen after he had initially shot and stabbed me with a needle to the neck.
It all happened so fast. I was preoccupied with the thoughts of the argument we just had and also searching through my phone for something when suddenly the car swerved to the left and fell on its side inside a ditch.
At first, I thought we were being attacked. I sneaked a peek through the window and saw nobody was coming at us. I was scared for him and thought he was hurt since he wasn't moving, he was half slumped over the steering wheel. With the car tilted to the left, of course, I couldn't get out through that side.
The angle the car forced me into was awkward and I tried to open the door to my right but it wouldn't budge. I tried to kick it open with my foot when suddenly, my Beta turned on me with a gun in hand and rapidly shot me twice in the chest. Obviously, he was aiming for my heart but he missed. After shooting me, I fell back and almost immediately felt a stabbing pain in the neck which I later found out from the doctor was a syringe full of wolfsbane and vampire venom
He was my Beta! I've trusted him with my life so many times in the past I had no reason to doubt and suspect him of betrayal. I never in a million years would have thought he was capable of betraying me, murdering me!?... If he didn't try to carry out his evil deed by himself, you know I would have thought the Luna sent an assassin to get rid of both of us if I survived the attack"
I was shocked to hear what he said…
Why would your Luna send an assassin to kill you?" I ask incredulously. "I thought you loved each other!?"
"Love each other?" He repeats and snorts in disgust "Yeah, right!...
"I know she's capable of sending an assassin to kill me if it would stop you from returning home! She'd been turning the members of the pack against me, right from the pack's executive meeting where I announced there will be a duel between you and Justine.
She threatened me that there would only be a duel if you were able to come back home. How else would she be able to stop you from ever returning home than to kill me, the only living relation you have left in the country?"
I nod
"So apart from her saying those words to you, which one couldn't really call a threat since she never really says point-blank that she will kill you, there was no other evidence to support your claim?" I asked
"I'm afraid no, there wasn't! I also suspected she had a hand in the death of your parents but I could never pin anything on her!"
"You suspected your Luna was responsible for the death of my mom and Eric's parents!?" I ask, feeling anger rising within me