Chapter Nineteen
This is not going to go well. I can feel it,I think to myself.
I lean into Gregory’s touch almost impulsively. His firm grip doesn’t seem to be anything but comforting. I try to steady my breathing and control my urge to run away from all of them. After all, I’m still on enemy territory. “I’m not asking you to. I’m asking him.” I point to Gregory. “It’s his father we’re talking about.”
I grin and the wounded man grimaces.
“Why you chose to ally yourself with the literal enemy, I will never know.” Another man with tattoos on his arms and a large scar on his face steps forward. His eyes travel up and down my body and I’m suddenly reminded of how short and tight my dress is. “But there has to be a better way than giving in to her,” he sneers at me, “demands.” At this, Gregory sighs.
“We’ve been through this, haven’t we?” Gregory takes his arm away from my waist and steps forward. His commanding presence makes all of them take a step back, and I peek at their faces. Some are looking down, some are staring at him, and most have hunched over themselves, not willing to anger him. “Unless, you have unresolved problems with me?” He shrugs off his denim jacket and throws it hard against a nearby wall. “I’m stressed enough as it is. The plan was to get my father back through violence. It didn’t work, or have you forgotten exactly what she did to you, Jean?” He points at the man with the cut on his nose. Jean narrows his eyes back again at me and I can’t help but smile at him.
“Hey,” I said with a slight wave, “sorry about the, uh, cut on your nose. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing…” He scoffs at me and I trail off, not wanting to get things more awkward than they already are.
Off the side of the room, I spot Marnie, sitting on the steps leading to the main entrance of the house. She smiles at me sweetly, and I wave back a hello.I would be fuming if I were her. I guess she really is better than me. I grimace at the rough memory of the fight in the woods.
“And now that we might actually have a chance of changing things, you want to, what? Keep fighting? Keep losing more men? For what?”
“Have you forgotten what they did to our family?” The man with the tattoos gritted his teeth.
“No. But if you’re plan is to chase after revenge, when will this brutal cycle of violence end?” Gregory replies, rubbing circles on the side of his forehead. “We’ve got a very powerful person on our side. Aside from being born royalty, she’s also the chosen one of the Esperanza family. And she,” Gregory looks at me, his eyes searching mine for a moment, “wants to break the same cycle. And I believe her.” I smile at his words. “Stefan, fighting should not be the means to an end. It shouldn’t have to be our only way of life—”
“Yeah, and what’s in it for you?” Stefan cuts Gregory off and points a slim finger at my face.
“I want to be free, too.” I sigh and move a few steps ahead to where Gregory is. “I don’t want to be the villain in anyone else’s life. I want to be normal… human even.” I hear a gasp amongst the crowd, but I continue. “But I won’t be able to do any of that with my grandmother rampaging, abusing, and scaring people left and right. I understand that in your eyes, I’m always going to be tainted by the sins of my ancestors. After all, if not for us, werewolves wouldn’t even exist.” I look down at my hands, remembering the history taught to us time and time again. How we were the first clan to be gifted with the ability to shapeshift into wolves, how we were given immense power and strength in exchange for letting our souls be merged with demon wolf spirits from the depths of hell. And how we used that power to torment others who became like us.What kind of monstrosity am I, anyway? “And I’m not asking for anyone’s forgiveness. I’m not asking for your support,” I gaze at the faces of Gregory’s pack before me which were painted with cold expressions and an obviously unforgiving air.But I have to keep trying. “In fact, I’m not asking anyone to do anything for me. But he is.” I point at Gregory beside me. “Your leader is asking for your help. Your Alpha is asking you to trust in him. Isn’t that right, Gregory?”
Gregory nods and smiles at me. “We can finally change the tides. We can fight back without shedding blood. We can show every pack in the world that the Esperanza clan is not to be feared. We can live without ever having to lose anyone anymore. But we can only do that with Isabela around. She is the key to this future.”
“What I want isn’t important, and it should be the least of your worries,” I follow after his statement. “After all, I know that no matter what I do, I’m still going to be the bad guy in your eyes. And I want you all to know that I don’t care what you think.” I smirk as their heads snap in my direction. “I just want to leave this godforsaken place and live a life far away from everyone.” I exhale sharply.
“Even if it means the end of your clan?” The man regarded as Jean eyes me and steps closer. I don’t make a move at all.
“Even if it means the death of my own grandmother,” I say with full conviction.
“And how can you possibly help us?” Jean scoffs. I look at Gregory who is already staring at me.
I take a pregnant pause before speaking. “This is a little bit late what with all the commotion that just transpired. But, Gregory, I was able to do my own reconnaissance. And… I was able to locatehim—your father. He’s barely alive,” I state.
Chapter Twenty
“I’m telling you the truth,” I continue after the collective gasps of the crowd die down. “But it’s not my obligation to convince you to believe me. Either you trust in my words, or you don’t. Again, it doesn’t matter to me anyway,” I say and step back.
Gregory starts pacing across the yard. “You found him? Where?” His voice is frantic, shaky even.
“I was right—he was at the estate. In an isolated wing that only my grandmother can enter. She kept him in a locked room, with a glass partition inside. The room had no windows and no visible doors. It was behind a bookcase.” I recall the sorry state Gregory’s father was in and I shiver at the thought.
Jean laughs. “You heard her Gregory! She already gave us the layout of the land; we don’t need her anymore. Let’s just storm the whole place, and leave them high and dry right after.” He sneers at me and I fight the urge to slap his stupid smirk away.
“Right, I forgot to tell you. It was behind a bookcase locked with dark magic. Oh! And the glass partition inside? I suspect it was also enshrouded with magic. Also, don’t forget his father is paralyzed still. Even if you come and get him, can you undo the spell?” My snide retort shuts him up immediately. “I mean, if you want to ask my grandmother to reverse the curse, be my guest. But I don’t think she’s going to be as nice as me.” I smile and bat my eyes at him.
“And how did you get to that place?” Stefan asks me, too.
“I guess since I’m the one chosen to inherit the crown, my grandmother’s spells don’t work on me. After all, once I turn eighteen, I’ll get all the power she has, maybe even more.” I inhale sharply. “Not to state the obvious here, but I think you need me, whether or not you like it,” I speak shortly after.
“Right, you heard her. She knows where my dad is. She can get him out. It doesn’t matter whether you believe her or not. But I do. And it matters to me whether you trust in what I say,” Gregory sighs, “or not.”
A long stretch of silence follows Gregory’s words, and I worry a little if this is a good idea. Even I’m in disbelief at the words I just said.Going against my family? My entire pack? My own grandmother? What about my sisters, what happens to them? Am I really ready for this?Questions run through my head a mile a minute.
“Do you trust me?” Gregory’s voice bellows across the yard. Stefan steps closer to Gregory, chest to chest. Not one person dare move a muscle in anticipation of what’s about to happen, including me.