My Alpha's Mark

189 Price

Kacie

Jade eyes were filled with un-shed tears, the hurt evident in her face. I knew she didn’t care for me but I didn’t know it was to this extent. Her behavior reminded me of a child throwing a fit. She didn’t like something, she didn’t like that I was their sister or that the others treated me how they would her. She didn’t want to have to help me and didn’t like that they wanted to come to my aid, so she threw tantrum.

Except this wasn’t some little tantrum. This fit of hers brought danger to my lands, hurt my people, killed my family, and had blood running through their streets. I couldn’t let this go. I couldn’t forgive her.

I can ‘t let her live.

It became so clear to me. Our mission hadn’t changed. The three of us set off together to find the witch responsible for all of this death. We’d had our suspicions as I’m sure her sisters did. The one in charge being Jade didn’t change anything.

Didn’t she know what this meant? Didn’t she know that this would only end when she died?

“She is our sister and you’ve betrayed us all with what you’ve done,” Nyx said. The heat I felt in my blood lowered but still burned. Nyx knew as much as I did that Jade needed to stop this now or she would be forced to make an unimaginable choice.

“I’ve betrayed her and her alone,” Jade spat. She jerked her head in my direction.

“Help us understand,” Clara begged. She knew, she knew what this meant. It was starting to dawn on her. The crime that our sister had committed.

“Was the destruction you caused worth your self-pity and jealousy? Look around you, Jade! You’ve aligned yourself with bad men, armed them with an army, and killed innocents! You’ve done this. They couldn’t have done it without you. What have you done? What did these people do to deserve death from the hands of your creations?” Nyx cried mournfully. Her hand on her chest, her fingers clawed at the skin above her heart.

“I’ve done nothing wrong,” Jade said.

“Can’t you see what you’ve done? You’ve done what our ancestors did in the past! At least she had an understandable reason. It was love that drove her, it was her love for a pathetic man that drove her to drop her duty to her sisters. You’ve used your power, your gift for evil. You’ve done exactly what the world accuses us of. You’ve proven them right,” Clara said disappointingly.

“If we’re going to be blamed, then shouldn’t we do it?! Shouldn’t we at least do what they’re saying? Whether we do it or don’t they’ll still point at us, look down at us, and persecute us!”

“Did you do all of that, all of this because of your jealousy?” Nyx asked as she pointed out across the battlefield. “Did you murder these people because of your complex?!”

“Why? Just tell us why?” Clara pleaded.

“When you returned to us the second time, we knew that something had happened. You told us that you had found Harper,” Jade said.

“I don’t see what this has to do with you siding with the elders,” Clara said. She was clearly confused.

“It wasn’t long after that that a messenger came. It was originally for you but after we said goodbye to Harper, I couldn’t find it in me to give you the letter. I went in your place,” Jade said.

“Was this what they wanted? The destruction of my pack, my family, my home?” I asked. Jade ignored me and continued to stare at Clara.

“They asked for our help, they said they would strike a deal with us,” Jade said.

“What deal?” Nyx asked.

“They wanted us to kill Kacie,” Jade answered.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because you’re dangerous,” Jade said.

“And what are you? Are you not dangerous?” I asked.

“Witches have been banned for decades. Did you think that because you were mated to an alpha that that would protect you? You’re more of a fool than I’d thought. There was no way they weren’t going to come after you. This same situation had happened before!” Jade said.

“But I’m not a full witch! I wasn’t ever going to hurt them!” I said earnestly.

“You can’t fully control your powers. It may not be today and it may not be tomorrow, but one day you’ll lose it. You’ll kill everyone,” Jade said.

“You can’t know that,” I whispered. “If I keep training that won’t happen.”

“You are in a position of power. I’m not a danger because I’m not in a position of power. You shouldn’t be in charge of a pack, especially not the largest pack in the country. It’s dangerous and they couldn’t allow you to live after you mate when to talk to them,” Jade spat.

“How does killing my people not make the elders evil? They’re doing what they feared I would do. This is ludicrous, what is the real reason for this?” I screamed.

“At that point, why didn’t you tell us? When you came home you could have updated us, you could have told us!” Clara yelled.

“When I returned to the cabin the two of you were waiting for me. On the way I had received what the two of you had also received,” Jade said.

“The calling,” Nyx murmured.

“So?” Clara asked.

“What?” Jade asked.

“What else happened when you spoke to the elders? What else did they say?” Clara asked.

“In exchange for helping the elders what do you get?” I asked.

Jade looks at me. The hate in her violet eyes is so clear I wonder how I never noticed before. I wrote it off as hostility and not liking me, but it was always there.

“Freedom. They’ll turn over the werewolf ban that outlaws us and my sisters and I will be free. We’ll be free to roam, travel, stop in cities governed by wolves. For the first time since we breathed our first breaths, we’ll be free. Your life would be an easy price to pay,” Jade spat.