The Secrets We Keep

Chapter 16

Leanna

I was in my room when Lauren walked in, fiddling with her fingers.

" What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"Aunt Leanna, why didn't you tell us sooner?" Her question was full of hurt and defeat, but I had to make sure she knew it wasn't to hurt any of them.

"Lauren, listen to me, what happened to your parents was tragic, and I swore to your aunt Ayanna to keep you all safe. I failed at keeping any of them alive, but I was able to save you, you and your cousins. Your dad, me and your uncle did the best we could."

"So daddy isn't really my dad?" I hesitated but shook my head in shame, "but, what happened?" I looked out of my window, which was facing my old packlands and I felt the pain of loss heavy in my heart.

"There betrayal sweetheart, so much went wrong all at once, but your parents and family did all they could to make sure you all lived and you all did." I suddenly heard a loud crash down stairs, Arya screaming, followed by Lucas screaming for me. Me and Lauren ran towards the door, and the sight at the other end made my heart stop. I saw my pup with a hand wrapped around her throat and fear in her usually cheerful eyes. Lucas tried to run to me but the other hand was wrapped in his beautiful chocolate curls, keeping him on his knees, unable to move.

"Momma, I'm scared." I stepped forward but stopped instantly when a voice broke the tension in the air.

"No no no Iris," the hand my daughter was in pulled her back to the body it belonged to. I felt anger settle in my stomach, "I wouldn't do that if I were you. It would be a shame for me to rip her throat out and force you to watch her drown in her own blood."

"Okay Naya, you made your point, let her go." I was terrified, we grew up with Naya so I knew she wasn't bluffing. Naya cackled at my words.

"Oh come on Iris, you know that's not how this works, you give me something and in exchange I'll give you..... him..... give me something really good and I'll give you both of them. Dead or alive depends on you."

"Okay, what do you want?"

"The twins first, and the younger sister, we can start with that. Where are they?" I was torn, my children's lives were on the line, and I was trying to find a way around any of them dying.

"Okay the twins.... they're uhh..." before I was able to say anything else, Lauren came out of the bathroom, and to my surprise, she had bright green eyes, and looked exactly like Erika just with black hair. Contacts, she actually had green contacts.

"Let them go, please. I'll go with you, just please don't hurt them." Lauren started to walk to Naya slowly. Naya studied her from head to toe, and once she was certain she was looking at Erika she let Lucas go, but held onto Arya still.

"Great, now where's the twin?"

"He ran away, but if you let her go and take me, he will come after us. Zeric is very protective, he wouldn't just forget about me. It'll be the best way to catch him." I reached for her arm but she pulled away from me and gave me a glare, "I can do this! I'll go with you but you need to let her go and we need to leave now before anyone comes and can stop you."

"Hmm a diplomat huh? You are just like Ayanna and Liam," Naya giggled and let Arya go. Lauren willingly started to follow her, "Oh and Iris, please give my regards to my in-laws will you?" And just like that, they were gone. I pushed Arya and Liam into the bathroom to hide and went down to make sure it was clear. The closer I got to the bottom stairs I could smell blood. I made my way through my house back to the meeting room and it grew stronger. I braced myself for the sight I was about to see, and entered the room. I saw Dante sitting in his chair. The only problem with that was his head was being held in his hands resting on his lap. I felt my heart sink. It was the second time I lost a mate to this pack. Dante wasn't easy to love, but he was mine, and now it was just me. I walked over to his still warm body and fell to the floor in front of it.

Suddenly, I heard the front door open and I quickly jumped to my feet. I quietly ran and hid behind the office door and waited. I looked around to see what I could use as a weapon since it was to small of an area to shift. I saw someone's shadow walk into the doorway and I saw my chance to swing, but my fist was quickly caught and when I looked into the person's face, I realized it was my child.

"Erika!" She had the cocky smirk on her face she always got when she caught someone who tried to swing at her the way I did.

"Come on mom, that's the most anticipated move in the book." She let my hand go when she caught the sight of Dante, "what happened to him?"

"Naya happened."

"Naya?" I heard my boy's voice and it almost brought me to tears. I walked up to him and cupped his face, then I noticed my girl didn't smell like her. I turned to face her, ready to cry.

"You have a mate?" Her face turned red and she looked at the floor. I lifted her chin up and wiped the tears that started to fall. "No, ma'am, you do not be ashamed, having a mate is the most wonderful gift in life, it is also the greatest burden my baby. Having a mate can give you courage you never knew you had, but the loss of a mate can also slowly kill you. So you listen to me right now, you and him protect each other with everything in you. He will be your greatest ally and your greatest protector, and you cherish every moment you have with him. Do you understand me?"

Erika

She looked more broken than ever. I didn't know it was possible, but there she was. The woman that raised me to the best of her ability, and tried many times to protect me from what she could, had no light in her eyes anymore. They looked empty, and I realized even though Dante was cruel in many ways, he was her mate. She had lost two in her lifetime. She turned and walked back to the man I called my father, sitting lifeless and collapsed on the floor in front of him. I started to make my way to her when I heard the voice of my baby brother. Leanna heard it too and it just made her cry worse.

I turned around so I could leave her alone for a little bit and let her mourn before we had to leave. I was almost to the door when I noticed my little sister's innocent face. Her sight was locked on her father's body.

"What happened to my daddy?!" She started to run to him but I caught her before she made it too far. I wrapped my arms around her and she let herself go heavy. I picked her up and carried her out and closed the door behind me. She tried to get me to let her go, but I handed her to Tyler. She was kicking and screaming, and then I wondered how we reacted to our parents' deaths. I was only a year younger, so I must have been hurt, right? Tyler's voice stopped my thoughts from continuing.

"Do you want me to put her in the car?"

"Take them both, I'll meet you out there after I give mom a few more minutes." They nodded in agreement.

"Come on buddy, let's get your car seats so we can get you and Arya buckled up for the ride." Zeric was always very good with Lucas and Arya. I, on the other hand, wasn't always. They walked out of the front door and I went back to the office Leanna was in. I wasn't sure how to go about this, so I knocked but there was no answer. I turned the knob and called to her before I walked in.

"Momma?" When I opened the door and stepped inside, she was sitting on her knees not really crying anymore, just sitting there. I walked to where she was sitting and sat right next to her and reached for her hand.

"You know he was an evil man, baby. I don't know why this hurts me so much." She never took her eyes off of where his body was sitting.

"Because no matter what he was, he was your mate, and the only man in your life for a very long time. He was all you had mom." No matter who she was before, she is my mom. She raised me when she didn't have to, she picked me up and rocked me to sleep when I had bad dreams, she got me through my first love. She held my hand for many firsts for school, cheer, she also fixed us up when Dante abused us. When he would chain us up like we were animals, before we knew what we were. There were times during fights he would pick us by the throat and just squeeze and she would try and get him to put us down, but all it would do was make him angrier, so he would smack her away. I didn't always hate him for us, I hated him for her, for how she did everything for him and he always treated her like his personal servant. I could feel the heat from the anger my memories brought rise in my chest.

I felt a hand squeeze mine. I looked down and it was hers. "Take a deep breath my sweet girl." Not once did she look at me while this was going on, so how did she know what I was feeling?

"Erika, I may not have birthed you but I raised you. So I know what goes through your head even before you do. You've always allowed your pain to turn into hate, but right now you just need to breathe. Being angry with him will get you nothing now, he can't hurt any of you anymore."

I looked down and started to calm myself, "it wasn't...... I hated him for you too you know?" I felt her gaze fall to me, "I hated him for hurting you when you tried to protect us, like the time you wwent into the basement of the old house to get us out of chains, and he found you..... he hit you and dragged you back up stairs by the hair."

"Oh my sweet girl, it wasn't your job to hate for me. I was the mom and I was the one responsible for you all." She pulled me into her for a hug, and I never understood why, but she always smelt of lilies and fresh linen. Now I know it's HER scent, and another one of my comforts.

"Why did you say was?" I questioned her words for a second and she looked at me confused, "you said , was the mom.... why was?"

"Because I......" she fumbled her words, not sure what to say.

"No matter what goes on, YOU are the only mother we've known, and we wouldn't be who we are without you. You were the one to scare away our nightmares, you picked us up when we fell. You are my momma and that is never going to change." Her eyes filled with tears. I'm sure she wasn't expecting us to still love her after the truth came out, but, she tried her hardest for us. After a long hug, I helped her up and we left. As we walked out, I could smell burning wood. I looked back at the house and saw smoke. I paused for a second with my mom and then I looked back into the car at my brother, who winked at me.

"Come on momma." We got in the car and headed back for White Moon which was really not far. Of course, something bad always has to happen though. Before we actually made it to the border, we came to a screeching stop. There was someone in the middle of the road, a female. I was about to step out but my arm was pulled back by Leanna.

"Stop, you stay in this car! That is Naya." The name rang in my ears, like I'd heard it somewhere before. Then I remembered she was Anthony's mother.

Naya

After Ayanna's oldest came willingly, it should make the rest easy. We had the baby and from what Anthony said, the same glow was in the room when he was born as when Michael's pups were born. All I had to do was wait for the other two to show up. According to Rolland, we need the four of them in order for his plan to work.

Like clockwork, a car was driving back to White Moon. Oh this was so easy. I didn't care about Rolland's stupid plan, I just cared about my revenge. The Diaz line took everything I ever wanted! Michael and I were out of this world in love until he found out he was mated to Ayanna, then I found comfort in Liam and I thought he could be my mate. We were planning on running away together. We were going to leave when he turned 18. He didn't want to find his mate, but apparently fate had other plans.

I waited for him on his birthday at the river. When he finally showed up, he wasn't alone. He was with Michael, Ayanna, and Amelia. I knew it was supposed to be a big birthday bash, but he promised we would leave with me before it started, but then everyone showed up all at once. I was hurt, but not as hurt at what happened when he finally came to me.

He found his mate. It was Amelia, Michael's younger sister. He told me he tried to reject her but he couldn't and he was sorry. All the excuses that he could come up with he made. Ayanna was supposed to be my best friend and she knew everything that had happened between me and Michael and her brother, but not once did she try to make things right or even apologize.

It was luck that I ended up with Rolland. He was Michael's God brother so he came to the party we were throwing for Liam. Everything started to unravel from there. I was seventeen but him being nineteen, he knew I was his mate and I ran away with him. Rolland already had Anthony from a girl he dated before we were mated. Ayanna didn't have Amarie and Elias till two years later.

When Rolland found out about the circumstances of their birth, he started to dig around to try and find answers, but Michael ended up revealing everything about the pups, their wolves and the blessings given to them by the goddess herself. The last pup was a weakling and didn't survive, but Rolland ended up planning around that. The first born girl needed to birth a pup of her own when the time came.

It was luck that Elijah happened. I loved my grandson, but my hate for his family was stronger. I was eager to end Ayanna's line, and it started with the twins. The car skidded to a stop and there he was a mini Michael sitting passenger. The car was full, so this was going to be fun.

"So since you all seem to be having a hard time deciding who gets out first, Tyler, turn it off and come out beta pup!" The car shut off and Tyler did exactly that. Tyler was a handsome young beta and carried himself very well.

"Okay now, why don't you run home and tell Mathias I have his mate. I'd be quick with it too, your future Luna's life is on the line." He looked back at the car, little Michael nodded, and off he went. "Now Iris, you might want to have your pups go with him, you wouldn't want them alone in the woods after dark." Iris got out of the car and pulled both her pups out and told them to run after Tyler and they did just as they were told.

"Okay Naya now what hmm?" Iris wasn't usually very confrontational, so hearing her get angry made me laugh.

"Oh Iris, please don't get tough, you have always been a runner, not a fighter. I still don't see how you were mated to Carter," she growled, and her eyes glowed into her wolf's eyes. "Oh did I hit a nerve?" I loved taunting her, she was never the aggressor, so seeing her angry build for nothing was fun. Suddenly, I felt heat from behind me. When I turned around, a line of fire formed behind my vehicle.

"Ooh baby Michael, I wouldn't do that, I have someone important you wouldn't want to put in harms way!" Opened the back seat and grabbed the girl, pulling her from the back seat, her wrists were bound with rope soaked in wolfsbane, so her skin was already raw and she was gagged. The flames instantly went out, and I smiled, knowing I was winning this.

"Now, why don't you come out and we can have a chit-chat." A door opened but not his, and out stepped a doppelganger of the little wolf I already had.

"Oh this is too good, you must be little sister! Ha, you were named after my sister, did you know that?" She didn't respond to me, she just kept her eyes on Amarie. "Oh wait they haven't told you all of your names yet have they? Ok well, let me introduce you all to yourselves. So the twins, Amarie and Elias Diaz Montoya, and yourself again named after my older sister Amaya Rose Montoya."

"What do you want, Naya?"

"Oh she speaks! And she has an attitude. I like it! Since we are on the subject, I want you and mini Michael, to get in the vehicle." I pushed the girl back into the car and waited. The boy got out of the car finally and they both started to walk in my direction.

"No! You two are not going to give yourselves to them so easily. I did not raise you to give up." I snapped my attention to Iris. I took a step in her direction but before I could go to her, and before she could move to stop them, flames formed a circle around her, she was safe from me and couldn't stop them. I started to clap, appreciating their little magic trick.

"Wow, I am impressed! You know Dante had mentioned you being able to cause fires but he made it sound like it was out of control! But this! Oh haha this is cool. Rolland is going to love this!" I put on some gloves and tied both of their hands with the same rope I used on the first one but noticed scars on them that the other one didn't have. Before I tied them up, I studied both of their wrists for a second, then I finished getting them tied up, and got them in the car. Once we were in and started driving the flames around, Iris went out.

"Just so we are clear, no tricks on our way there. There's a pup waiting to meet his momma, and if we don't show up he's to be killed." There was an uncomfortable silence all the way back to Silver Moon, I loved it. As we pulled up, there were three of our prison officers waiting for us, along with Rolland. I stopped the car and all three of the siblings were pulled out of the back seat. Rolland looked at the two girls and grew furious.

"Where is the second daughter?!" His rage thundered through is question.

"These are the only two girls that showed up!" He grabbed the first girl that I had taken and threw her to the ground in my direction.

"That is not their sister! The other sister didn't have black hair!" I looked at the other two and realized they were the twins, and this.... this was someon else. Rolland picked her up by and arm and threw her back to the guard, then walked to me and grabbed my face, "this is the second time you've managed to fail at a simple task Naya! Make another and I will find be finding myself a new mate." He released me, allowing me to move my jaw back in place from his grip.

"Take them to the cells! And Naya, you don't touch any of them, I need them alive till we get the sister!" I clenched my jaw and followed my warriors to the prison, through the pack house. As we walked through the house every pair of eyes were on the new prisoners that were bound by wolfsbane rope. Once we got down to the prison, we put each of them in their own cell that was meant for the really strong wolves, and since we don't know the extent of the twins powers or how they work yet, the twins were in the fully enclosed cells with huge metal doors, the only openings were meant to pass food trays through. He needed the siblings alive but this one, she's not neccessary. I looked forward to whatever torrment I could cause her.

"So who are you little imposter sister?" I asked the random stow away as I released her from the ropes, "you look like them but, your not Ayanna's child. Whats your name?" She stayed glaring at me, her bravery made me laugh. I wasn't going to move until she answered my question, so I held her gaze waiting when she finally gave in.

"I'm laur.... umm Audrey Monique Diaz, my parents were...."

"Amelia and Liam Diaz, betas of Hunter's moon pack, I know who they are," I let out a chuckle, "I killed your mother, and your aunt. Ha, how ironic right? Now I get to kill you too." She was braver than I expected her to be, she was exactly like her aunt and mother it sickened me. Looking at her all I could see was Ayanna, and all I wanted to do was rip see her blood run just like Ayanna's.