To Have And To Hold

The Heartbreak of Deception...Part II

Chapter Four: The Heartbreak of Deception...Part II

TATIANA

Sitting in what was once Ainar’s office with The Council and my sisters, a long discussion was had about Ursula, who lived and worked alongside my sisters when they were part of The Chosen. While Lorenzo and Soren were aware of her, after The Chosen’s lies and deceit were exposed and their coven disbanded, Ursula had not been heard from again—assumed to have chosen to live her life in quiet obscurity after being found innocent of any crimes.

My sisters remembered her well as they worked closely with one another making potions for their deceitful leaders. Persephone and Reina were quite fond of Ursula in fact, regretting that they had lost track of her after coming home with me, but in their desire to separate themselves from the past and the road they had once taken, my sisters chose not to seek Ursula out—something they now felt quite guilty about...

"Poor, sweet Ursula,” Reina despairingly sighed, “She was always a kind soul and a good friend to Persephone and me—to know that she’s being forced to help Igor—and that dear boy, Maxim—oh, it all just breaks my heart!”

“As I know of her vast talent of creating medicinal concoctions, I have no doubt that Ursula and her potions were utilized to help heal Arturo,” Persephone knowingly stated, before looking around at The Council members, “If it’s true that Igor controls her every move with this amulet that he holds over her, I hope mercy will be shown upon Ursula. I believe what she said was true—Ursula would never choose to help Igor—Reina and I can both attest to her character in that aspect.”

“As it has been many years since you have had contact with Ursula, that will need to be determined after lengthy questioning, Persephone,” Mahan stoically stated, “But as my Loa suffered similar circumstances, I tend to lean towards that being true. I can assure you that Ursula will be treated fairly and respectfully by The Council, as will Maxim, especially as the young man will have many shocking truths to deal with already.”

“That’s if Maxim indeed chooses to a different road than what has been chosen for him and Ursula brings him forth,” Soren thoughtfully sighed, “If not, we will need to try and find a way to rescue them both. It’s all such a very delicate situation. Damn that Kristoff--the boy is but seventeen and will find out that his whole life has been a lie. And then there’s the shocking news needing to be given to our dear Jade. While she is a tough young lady on the exterior, Keegan’s secret is bound to devastate her.”

“Auntie, Nicholas, and I will take care of Jade,” Madeline hesitantly exhaled out, thinking out loud afterwards, “We may need to involve Gavin, Remi, Zayden, and Zayn as well. They are all very close and knowing Jade, she’s going to need all the support she can get.”

“I tend to agree with you, Madeline. And I don’t feel we should have to overwhelm the boy with too many questions, other than to assist us in trying to locate their hideout,” Lorenzo stoically stated, “To our knowledge, Maxim has been kept out of any criminal acts the Blood Horizon rogues have committed. He is an unfortunate innocent in every way, I’m afraid.”

“There was really no indication of anything out of the ordinary with his birth?” Nicholas pressed, “Do you think Roman really didn’t know?”

“Quite honestly, I think this is one of the rare times where Roman was left completely unaware,” Lorenzo confidently returned, “I’ve gone over the whole thing many times in my mind. I remember when Oralia became pregnant, Roman was ecstatic. He was desperately hoping that it was a boy so Kristoff’s lineage would continue as at the time, Roman admired him a great deal for his strength and shared vision of Blood Horizon’s future. Both he and Kristoff were at The Council headquarters the morning Oralia went into labor. I do remember it was a long and difficult birth, lasting all day and well into the night, but to all our knowledge at the time, Maxim was born healthy and well.”

There was a knock on the door before Gavin entered the room. Looking around at all our downhearted faces, he hesitatingly greeted, “Hello, all. Why do I get the feeling that whatever is going on is bad news?”

“It’s both shocking and bad, my darling,” I sadly told him as Horacio supportively squeezed my hand, “But I’m afraid we are going to need you help and very soon, Jade is going to need you more than she’s ever needed you before.”

************

“NO! It’s impossible! There were no secrets between us—Father told me everything!” Jade disbelievingly exclaimed in a tone filled with hurt and devastation.

Zayn enveloped Jade’s hand in both of his as we explained what I had seen, his normal jovial expression gone as he helplessly watched his mate falling into understandable despair, dazed as she aimlessly stared down at her lap. Remi was on the other side of her with Zayden next to her, both of their gazes the same as Zayn’s, full of concern for our fiery redhead who had been dealt a shocking hand.

I knew then that having Gavin present was a good decision as he slowly walked over to crouch down in front of Jade, soothingly urging, “Jade, look at me.” Her eyes full of tears, she slowly brought her gaze forth to peer down at him, as he gently stated, “If there is one thing I know about Keegan—he was protective of his little gem. He didn’t want to tell you about Evangeline until he convinced her to come to Mystic Fire, which unfortunately didn’t occur. Your father was protecting your heart because he knew how much losing your mother devastated you.”

Placing his hand on her knee, Gavin knowingly continued in the gentlest of tones, “And I also have no doubt that had Keegan known about Maxim, he would have stormed into Blood Horizon and reclaimed your brother. He would have brought him home to Mystic Fire to be with his true family. And now that we know, we need to bring Maxim home—to Crescent Moon—to be with his family, especially his sister—to be with you, Jade.”

Her brimming tears now streaming down her face, Jade looked over at me, “Can you show him to me, Auntie? Maxim?”

With a warm smile on my face, I nodded, standing up from my chair to make my way to Gavin’s side, reaching out to slowly retrieve one of Jade's hands from Zayn, my fingers comfortingly wrapping around hers as I engulfed them in my emerald green. Her dazed eyes widened as Maxim’s image appeared, before she gasped, “He looks like Father—but has red hair and green eyes—like me.”

“Two things Maxim inherited from his mother,” I quietly replied, “but his face and strong, muscular build leaves no doubt that he inherited much from your incredible father.”

Jade’s eyes continued to be distant, still focused on her brother as she breathlessly asked, “Do you think he will choose to let Ursula help him escape, Auntie? That Maxim will find his way to us before he is placed in any danger?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know yet, Jade,” I regretfully admitted, “but I’m very hopeful that will be the case for both Maxim and Ursula.”

“Maxim is the connection you’ve always dreamed about, Jade,” Remi sweetly breathed out, “A sibling—someone who keeps you connected to your father. He’s pretty lucky if you ask me—to have you for a sister. And you even get a little payback towards me—you’ve always said it’s not fair you have to share me with Gavin. Now, I’ll know what it’s like.”

“And my bonehead brother will be more than happy to teach you the ways of sibling torment,” Zayden kidded, “As his lifelong victim, I can assure you—he’s an expert.”

Zayn’s delightful good-natured fun returned in his reply as he laughingly replied, “Yeah, I am! I’ve got your back on that, Red! Trust me, there’s nothing more fun than torturing a little brother!”

“Who came out before you, you dope,” Zayden dryly and exhaustively exhaled out, “We're completely identical now, Bonehead. Little brother doesn’t work anymore.”

“See? What did I tell you? Fun!” Zayn boastfully countered through a bright smile, making Jade and everyone else laugh.

Jade’s humor faded quickly, however, peering up at me as she earnestly asked, “I know I’m not exactly the easiest person to get along with, much less love. Do you think—do you think Maxim will like me?”

“Maxim will love you, Jade,” Madeline adoringly assured her, “Just like we all do.”

“I think you two will be good each other,” Nicholas kindly told her, “Each of your hearts finding the missing piece and filling a void you’ve felt for far too long.”

Nodding, Jade looked around at us all, breathing out with great hope and anticipation, “Okay. So, for now, I just wait for Maxim to finally come home, whether it’s by his choice—or by our rescue—either way, I’m going to bring my brother home.”

**************

JADE

After we left Madeline’s office, Gavin asked Zayn, Remi, and Zayden to stay behind while he and I went for a walk. I thought it was sweet that my Remi-girl’s big brother was being so attentive and caring towards me, though I was still trying to come to terms with the fact that my father had kept his relationship with Evangeline a secret—especially me—and that Evangeline had kept their child—my brother—a secret from him...

Reaching the Enchanted Gardens, I stopped, peering out at the flowers when a sudden thought occurred to me, slowly turning to look at Gavin, “Oh, Gavin! I’m—I’m so sorry! I was so caught up in Maxim being my brother that it’s only occurred to me just now—my brother believes that he is Kristoff’s son!”

“I knew it would hit you soon enough,” Gavin knowingly stated, “I’m planning on talking to Maxim soon after he arrives to hash everything out. Hopefully he won’t hold the fact that I killed Kristoff against me. I may need your help there—glad you at least like me now.”

“I don’t think he will—not after he hears the whole story,” I confidently replied, looking back out at the brilliantly colored blooms as I elbowed him in the side, snickering, “And like may be pushing it. It’s more like I tolerate you.”

Gavin chuckled, before earnestly stating, “With you, I’ll take it. But just so you know, I happen to love you like a sister, which means I too must learn how to share you now.”

My gaze fell to the ground, biting my lip before hesitantly stating, “You’ve suffered through more of my difficult side than most. I guess if you can love me, anyone can, right?”

I had no sooner said my last word than I felt Gavin’s arm wrap around my shoulders, leaning down to fondly whisper in my ear, “I knew you were still worried about that. Maxim is going to love you, Jade! Just know it may take time for him to adjust after learning the truth. I know it’s not your strong suit, but you may need to be patient, alright?”

Exhaustively dropping my head back, I tearfully exhaled out, “I’ll deny it if you tell Remi or anyone that I said this—but I do love you, Gavin—like a brother in so many ways. Thank you for this—for being there for me today and for being here for me now. It means a lot.”

A long, humored sigh expelled into the air as Gavin pleaded, “Seriously? I have worked so long for this victory, and I can’t tell anyone? Not even our Remi-girl, who would be over the moon? Come on, Jade! How about Lorelei? She’ll keep the secret!”

I couldn’t help but laugh as Gavin pulled me in tighter and dramatically kissed the side of my head, “Fine! We’ll tell Remi-girl and Lorelei, but it stays between us and if anyone else finds out, I’m kicking your ass at our next practice!”

Gavin quickly—and laughingly—took me up on my rare concession with him. I didn’t mind so much to let Remi-girl and Lorelei know that I did love Gavin like a big brother. And I couldn’t wait to meet my little brother—I just hope that once he finds out the truth, Maxim and I can navigate through everything together and find our bond...and that he loves me like I already know I’m going to love him...

***************

TATIANA

I sent the rest of The Council and my sisters back home, leaving Nicholas, Madeline, Horacio, and I alone in their office. As I was aware that Gavin sweetly took Jade for a walk to make sure she was alright, I felt it was the perfect opportunity to bring Zayden back in for a little talk that had been delayed due to my busy schedule...

When he first came into the room, Zayden thought Horacio and I wanted to discuss Dusan’s trial that was beginning in the morning, assuring us that he had everything in place so we wouldn’t have to see Horacio’s former mate. When I asked him to take a seat, telling Zayden that the trial wasn’t the reason I had him come back in, our vastly intelligent, talented, and multi-tasking Crescent Moon Court Liaison and warrior-in-training looked very confused, leading me to giggle slightly...

“I hope you will forgive me, Zayden,” I warmly smiled, “I wanted to do this as an engagement present after you proposed to our Remi, but I was diverted in the unexpected bubble party for all of you and then things got a little hectic after that.”

Zayden peered at me quizzically, “An engagement present? I appreciate the thought, Auntie, but you don’t need to do that. You’ve already given me so many gifts. You’ve helped me a lot in my warrior training, gave me my Crescent Moon necklace—which I love and cherish—and thanks to you and your visions, my Remi is wearing her Mother’s engagement ring, which means everything to her—and in turn, me.”

“Well, the thing is—this gift will actually be for both of us, if you say yes,” I adoringly told him, “You see, after adding Caelus, Auntie’s army was placed at an odd number—nine—and I don’t like odd numbers. I prefer even. Gives me a better opportunity to be a deciding vote if needed.”

Nicholas, Madeline, and Horacio laughed as I kindly continued, “And then Jace talked me into allowing him to join my little army, bringing me to ten, which, of course, thrilled me.”

My humored gaze found Nicholas then, as I sighed out, “But then Nicholas pulled the Alpha card—and his Auntie’s heartstrings—not to mention temptation to be an Alpha to an Alpha—convincing me allow him to be a part of our special team as well, leading me to decide that an even dozen sounded perfect for Auntie’s army. And I want you to be our twelfth member.”

His eyes agape and mouth wide-open, Zayden’s normal easy-going and confident cadence had vanished, replaced with shocked rambling as he choked out, “I’m—sorry—what? ME? A—a part of Auntie’s army? We’re identical now—easier to confuse—are you sure? You called the right twin in here, right? ZAYDEN, NOT ZAYN?”

“Oh, I’m quite sure I have the right twin in front of me,” I giggled, leaning forward to earnestly declare, “I’ve watched you grow by leaps and bounds in your warrior training, Zayden. Between that and your intellect and foreseeing the actions and moves of others makes you perfect to work with us in planning and executing any attack we may face, my darling! Say yes and complete my army!”

Jumping up out of his seat, Zayden was beaming ear to ear when he lifted me right out of my chair in an elated bear hug, exclaiming loudly, “YES! Yes, yes, YES! THANK YOU, AUNTIE!”

I wasn’t prepared when Zayden twirled me around and kissed me hard on the cheek before ecstatically saying ‘thank you’ ten more times in a row as Nicholas and Madeline fell into a fit of laughter and Horacio mockingly warned, “Congratulations, but I’ll tell you what I told the twin—I’m sitting right here. Any thoughts of kissing the King of Fury’s mate on the lips is not advisable, Brains and Brawn.” With a chuckle, he added, “We may need to get Tink to come up with a new nickname for you.”

Zayden laughed, still holding me in the air as he enthusiastically promised, “I won’t let you down, Auntie. I’ll work hard—train extra—whatever it takes! I’ll make you proud!”

“Congratulations, Zayden,” Madeline grinned as Nicholas proudly boasted, “Yes, congratulations! You’ve earned it! Welcome to Auntie’s army!”

“Why don’t you go tell our Remi?” I lovingly whispered, “She has no idea!”

“Right! Yeah! Okay! I can’t believe I’ll be working with my Remi now!” Zayden excitedly stammered out, setting me on the ground, his eyes going wide again, but this time in excitement, “And I get to tell my bonehead brother! Oh, Zayn’s going to go NUTS! Bonus! Prepare yourself, Auntie—it may not be pretty!”

As Zayden bolted out the door—leaving it open—Nicholas chuckled, “He’s not kidding—brace yourselves, everyone!”

The first thing we heard was Remi’s squeal before she elatedly bellowed out, “Thank you for our engagement present, Auntie! I LOVE IT AND YOU!”

The next thing we heard was Zayn, who bellowed out, “I LOVE YOU MORE THAN EITHER OF THEM DO! And FOURTEEN is an even number too, you know! A dozen is so clique! Come on, Auntie! You know Red and I would be perfect for your army!”

Horacio stood up, taking me in his arms as he leaned down and kissed me tenderly, murmuring afterwards, “I’m suddenly glad I was one of the first chosen for your elite group, beautiful. Auntie’s army has become quite the sought-after honor!”

“Which is why Zayn is not the only one whose mind is at work figuring out how to infiltrate your army,” Madeline mischievously grinned, “Carson and I have already had several discussions on the matter. If you go to fourteen, we would appreciate vying for the spots.”

“I’m sticking with a dozen currently, my darling,” I grinned, “But we’ll see what the future holds. If the need arises, I may look to add more—two by two, of course!”