Alpha Prime: Her Retribution

Chapter Nine

ADELAIDE

I could see Uncle Pete's lips moving, but the ringing in my ears made it impossible to hear anything. I staggered to my feet, unable to breath, the room closing in on me. Uncle Pete grabbed me as I crashed to my knees. My ragged breathing filled the room.

It made absolutely no sense. How was Jacob Mont Blanc my true mate? How was my father able to have my mate change and why would Eda ask him to do such a thing? Shock, disbelief, pain, anger tore through me, growing and expanding within my chest until I felt my bones start to c***k.

"Adelaide, control yourself please." He pleaded. I snarled, fighting the rage as it tried to engulf me. I could feel my skull breaking apart and morphing underneath my face, my incisors growing larger and longer.

"Adelaide…"

I let out a slow breath, willing my body to stop shifting before getting to my feet as the bones melded back and I stood in front of my uncle, all human.

The air in the office was tense, with me not saying anything. Instead, I stared at the ground.

"Say something, Adelaide." he whispered. I glanced at him.

"What is there to say? What do you expect me to say after finding all this?!" I snapped, hating how my voice wobbled. Taking a deep breath to gather myself, I turned to him once more. "Did Harry know?"

"No, he genuinely thought you were his mate." He answered. Laughter bubbled up my throat and out my lips.

"So my father not only had me fooled, but he also had another innocent party fooled."

"Adelaide." He whispered, his tone full of concern at my current state. I shook my head, tears rolling down my cheeks as I continued laughing.

"This… this is unbelievable, it makes no fuc-king sense." I turned to face him.

"Your Father had his reasons for doing what he did."

"And those reasons justify the mas.sacre of an entire pack? 50 innocent people died! Including your mate. How can you stand here and defend him!!" I snapped. "Your pack lost their Luna, Liam lost his mum, several families have been wiped off just because my father didn't want me mated to a Mont Blanc."

Uncle Pete looked away, tears gathering in his eyes. It was as if at that very moment, the gravity of my father's actions dawned on him.

"50 people, Uncle Pete…" I whispered, tears filled my eyes, spilling down my cheeks. "Am I so important that he let an entire pack die? Is my life more valuable than theirs?"

"This is why I didn't want to tell you, the guilt…" He trailed off.

"That's not an excuse, those deaths should never have occurred in the first place." I blinked away the tears. "This… this is insane" I mumbled, looking down at my feet, a part of me still unable to wrap my mind around what Uncle Pete had just divulged. I had so many questions, but Uncle Pete didn't have the answers I needed.

"Where can I find her?" I asked, turning to him.

He raised his head to look at me.

"Who?"

"Agatha, the witch who did this."

He parted his lips, a helpless expression on his face.

"Please Adelaide, just let this go, let it stay in the past."

I ground my teeth, staring straight at him.

"Where can I find her?"

He shook his head, getting to his feet.

"I will not let you destroy yourself any further, Adelaide. I swore to your father that I would do everything possible to protect you."

"I would advise you not to make any assumption, that my staying in your pack makes you my Alpha or gives you the right to command me. I am still your Alpha Prime and you WILL respect me." I snapped, stepping closer to him, ignoring the hurt that flickered in his eyes.

50 people had died as a result of my father's actions, and I was not about to let their deaths go unavenged. Jacob Mont Blanc being my mate be damned. He turned to his table and scribbled down an address on a piece of paper before handing it to me.

"Here you go."

"Thank you." I replied, taking it.

"Be careful, Agatha is cunning, she will try to make a deal with you. Don't take it." He cautioned. I fiddled with the paper, glancing down at the address before nodding.

"You don't have to worry, I'll be fine."

With that, I made my way out of his office, back to my room where I changed into a pair of dark wash jeans, a black tank and a jacket. I put my hair in a ponytail, opened the last compartment of my bedside drawer and took out a small wooden box. Nestled in silk, was the Silverstone signet ring.

Uncle Pete had slid it off my dead father's finger, had it washed before presenting it to me, a month after the killings. I hadn't wanted it back then. I still didn't want it because it reminded me of my father and the life I once had. A life that was so cruelly taken away from me.

Tears of pain and anger welled in my eyes and I wiped them away. The time for tears was over… it had been over a long time ago, now it was time to act. With shaky hands, I slipped the ring onto my pinkie finger. It warmed up, shrinking to fit my finger. I gasped at the heady sensation, leaning against the bed frame to support myself.

It was as if all my cells were brimming and bursting at the seams with life, the power of all the Silverstone Alpha Primes before me surging through my blood, racing to my heart. My head snapped up, and a howl escaped my lips, piercing the very night. Several howls rang back, answering the mighty call of their Alpha Prime. I felt connected to every werewolf around me, pulsing with life.

I got to my feet, staggering slightly as I made my way to the mirror. A gasp escaped my lips. My eyes were a glowing silver, it was a wonder how I was even able to see. I raised a hand to my eyes as the glow began to disappear, my blue eyes appearing once more.

Shaking my head, I grabbed my keys and headed out of the house to my car, a black Range Rover Evoque. Agatha lived in Northumberland, which was approximately four hours from Ridgeway Valley. I was certain I would get there before or after 8am.

****

I arrived at the address Uncle Pete had given me. It was a nondescript two-storey house on a picturesque street. I parked my car, walked up the driveway to the door and was about to knock when the door creaked open.

Uh… what the hell

I frowned, before pushing the door in and stepping into the foyer, closing the door behind me.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" I called out, not getting any response. I continued on, walking into what was previously a living room that had been transformed into a shop. There were several herbs and crystals that hung from different parts of the room. The bar had been converted into a counter, behind it were several dream catchers, an assortment of candles and lots of weathered books.

"Sorry the shop isn't open…"

I turned to a woman who looked my age… probably a bit older than me. She was dressed in a black dress with a corset accentuating her figure. Her red hair flowed down her back, freckles dotted her sun-kissed skin.

"Well… hello there."

I stared at her, wondering if she was Agatha. She was certainly not a human, that I could tell.

"I'm Agatha."

Satisfied that she was the one, I ignored her and continued walking around the shop, examining whatever caught my attention. I could feel her curiosity deepening at my actions.

"How can I help you?" She continued, a kind smile on her lips, but the glint in her eyes told me there was little to no iota of kindness in her heart.

"18 years ago a wolf came to you asking for your help with something in particular." I began, still walking around her shop, she rounded the counter, her eyes watching me as my fingers trailed over several jars and pouches. I could sense the darkness rolling off some while others were harmless.

"A lot of werewolves have come to me asking for help, you are going to have to be more specific than that." She replied.

I stopped in front of a half-covered mirror, looking at her reflection in the mirror.

"Oh, I think you and I know no ordinary wolf came to you 18 years ago seeing that you had been relegated to the Cliffs of Moher at that time." I turned to face her, her eyes had widened a fraction before she shrugged.

"Like I said, that was a long time ago. I am not as young as before, so I tend to forget things."

Deciding I had had enough of her trying to play dumb, I immediately went for the kill.

"Charles Silverstone came to you 18 years ago. I want to know what he wanted."

She arched a brow, amused.

"Do you think I will give such information free of charge? How about a deal?" She offered. I pursed my lips, tilting my head to the side, pretending to think. I could see the gears turning in her head.

"How about this… you tell me what I need to know, and I don't send you back to the Cliffs? I hear Moher is quite chaotic this time of the year."

Her eyes darkened.

"You can't do that! The former Alpha Prime and I made a deal." She snapped.

"The former Alpha Prime is dead, and I'm the Alpha Prime, so your previous deal means nothing to me. As of this moment, you have not offered me anything valuable for me to consider allowing you to stay… with a single order, I can have you back at the cave…" I trailed off.

"Are you blackmailing me?!" She sputtered.

"Blackmail, threaten, intimidate, call it whatever you want, I really don't care, but it's either I leave here with the answers I came looking for, or you leave here back to Moher. The choice is yours."

Her eyes narrowed, I could feel the anger frothing within her before she sighed and waved her hand. A chair floated over from behind the counter, setting itself down next to her, she plopped down.

"Fine, what do you want to know?" She asked.

"How did you make the mating bond?"

"As much as I would love to be able to make a bond as powerful as the mating bond, I didn't. I made a replica of it by layering two potions together."

"What were the potions?" I inquired.

"The first was a potion that suppresses the natural mate bond. You were nine when your father first came with his request, so I made one for him. You were to ingest it until you met the mate your father had chosen for you. Your body tried to reject it for the first few months, but it was no match for my potion."

Her answer hit me like a freight train. It all made sense. I remember falling terribly ill for a while. My parents had been extremely worried, especially Papa… now I knew why he kept hovering around, keeping vigil at my bedside. In the throes of a fever, he had kept whispering for me to forgive him for what he had done, but I had chalked up the entire occurrence to being part of a fever dream.

"You look a little pale. Would you maybe like to sit? I can brew you a calming potion." She offered, I shot her a glare.

"Really, I spent nine years of my life ingesting one of your wretched potions and this is what you say to me?!"

She shrugged.

"Sorry, that was in poor taste."

I knew she wasn't sorry.

"It doesn't matter, when did the second potion come into play?" I prompted.

"After nine years, your father found a suitable mate for you, Harry, a rather bland fellow if I must say so myself. I placed the attraction spell on him and your father gave you a mixture of an attraction and suppression potion for six months until you turned 18 and Harry magically walked into the picture. You made eye contact and boom!!! You two fell in love, marked each other and were supposed to live happily ever after, but well… you know what happened."

I sagged against the shelf behind me, completely drained by her revelation.

"Did he tell you why he did what he did?" I asked softly.

"He kept on saying it had to be done and there was no other way. Most of the time, his mumbles were unintelligible, but whatever his reasons were, he really cared and loved you."

I let out a snort.

"Oh yes, he definitely loved me. Slipping potions after potions into me screams overwhelming love." I spat, my voice becoming low and guttural almost beastlike, due to the anger and rage that threatened to explode within me.

I let out a shaky breath, reeling in the beast.

"Do you have any more questions? It's almost time for me to open my shop." She inquired. I nodded, pushing myself off the shelf.

"Yes, did you tell Mont Blanc about my father's actions?"

Her brows knitted together, a small frown on her lips.

"Why would I do such a thing?"

I shrugged.

"You tell me, apart from my father and uncle, you were the only party privy to that knowledge and I sure as hell know my uncle would never go behind my father. So, Agatha, did you betray my father?"

She got to her feet, eyes narrowed at me.

"I may be a lot of things Adelaide Silverstone, but I would never betray the Silverstone bloodline." She spat clearly outraged and insulted by my words, before turning away from me. I stared at her before sighing.

"I apologize for my words."

She turned to me.

"It's fine, I haven't given you any reason to trust me, so your suspicions are understandable. Besides, there is something strange about the Mont Blanc bloodline…" She trailed off, shaking her head just as the clock chimed.

"Well, it's time for me to open my shop. Are there any more questions?"

I racked my brain thinking of what else I could ask her, but nothing came to mind.

"No, for now." I replied. "I'll take my leave."

"Alright."

I turned to leave.

"Adelaide?" She called out.

"Yes?"

She gave me a serene smile.

"It's amazing to have a Prime after nine years. I am sure you will do an amazing job."

Not knowing how to reply to that, I gave her a curt nod instead and walked out to my car.

"Well, that was fun."

I spun around to see Nanna Ur standing next to my car, a toothy grin on her face.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" I demanded.

"You didn't seriously think I wasn't going to tag along after the explosive scene in your Uncle's office." She replied. I rolled my eyes at her reply about to unlock the door when a thought crossed my mind.

"You know what I don't understand… how you knew everything about Jacob and yet you didn't bother to appear in my life until now." I walked over to her "What exactly is your end goal?"

I watched her fidget under my probing gaze, opening her lips, when another voice cut her off.

"You're finally asking the proper questions."

I glanced over at the glowing light that was Eda.

"Of course you'll show up." Nanna Ur muttered, scowling at Eda.

"Don't pretend to be righteous Eda, you instructed my father to have my mate changed. Your actions caused a ma.ssacre, so your hands are as bloodstained as my father's and Jacob's." I snapped.

"What happened to the Silverstone people was unfortunate, but I only did what I could to protect you."

I parted my lips.

"Protect her from what exactly Eda?" Nanna Ur demanded, stepping forward, glaring at Eda. I could feel the atmosphere becoming tense.

"Stay out of this Nanna Ur" Eda snapped, her glow turning dark and malevolent.

"And if I don't."

"ENOUGH!!!" I shouted. The two beings turned to me. "I don't know what s**t is going on between you two and, frankly, I don't want to know or be part of it. I don't trust either one of you, so stay the hell away from me."

I didn't bother waiting for a reply before getting into my car, starting it up and reversing out of the driveway and heading back to Ridgeway Valley. I had a lot to think about, and I hoped by the end of the five-hour-long trip, I would have reached a decision on what course my life was going to take.

*****

Almost back to Ridgeway Valley, I decided to take a detour to Silverstone. There was so much I wanted to say to my father and, since I wasn't ever going to get the chance to say it to his face, I was going to say it to his tombstone.

I slowed down as I approached the gates, getting out of my car and pushing the gates open before trudging on foot. The gravel and dried leaves crunching underneath my boots. I looked around the desolate area, nature unwilling to reclaim the area, refusing to hide the crimes of Jacob Mont Blanc.

I made my way to the burial grounds, past several tombstones until I got to the one belonging to my family. I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jacket, looking down at the tombstone.

Here lies Charles Silverstone. Father, son, brother, beloved mate, Alpha Prime.

"You have no idea how angry I am at you. If, by some means, you are looking down at me right now, I want you to know that nothing could ever justify the deaths of several people. And for what?! Because you didn't want me mated to some psychopath!!! Well congratu-fu.cking-lations!!! You got your wish at the expense of everyone and I hope, wherever you are, that it burdens your soul. What you did is unforgivable, but I will make it right, even if it's the last thing I do, I will kill Jacob Mont Blanc. I will avenge everyone… including you, not because you deserve it but because I deserve peace."

After my little rant, a part of me thought I would feel better, yet I felt even shittier. Groaning, I glanced over at Harry's tombstone, but something else caught my attention. Slowly I made my way, walking past Harry's tombstone to mine.

A single black dahlia flower was placed across my tombstone. My brows furrowed at the sight, a feeling of foreboding washed over me, fear and unease prickling my skin. I picked it up, examining the deep dark purple colour of the numerous petals.

I was certain I or any of the people had placed it here, and why on my supposed grave? I shook my head, looking around once more before heading back to my car, the flower still in my hand.

*****

By the time I got back to Ridgeway Valley, my head was even more of a chaotic jumbled up mess. I got out of my car and headed into the pack house and up to my room.

I was in desperate need of sleep, it wasn't that I was tired, no, I just needed sleep to escape the mess my life had become. I tossed my keys on the dresser, pausing when I noticed a white envelope on my bed.

Brows furrowed, I carefully approached it. My name had been written on the back, and it sent alarm bells ringing through my head. Who would send me a letter? It had to be someone in the pack, but my room was off limits for all pack members.

Something was definitely off. First the flower and then this…

I stared at the envelope once more before shaking my head. I was overthinking things.

I picked up the envelope and noticed there was something bulky within. I tore it open, a bloody ring and a letter fell out. I picked up the ring, my heart sinking into my stomach, cold fear gripping me as I realized what I was staring at.

Liam's signet ring.