Awakening (2 book series)
Awakening – Following Fate Chapter 130

Leyanne disappeared with Jasper to go summon Varro and left us standing here in this deafening anticipation. I know word would have travelled to surrounding wolves' mouth to mouth that I was waiting here to meet with him, so I know that's why Colton appeared. He would have questioned the sudden retreat of those foul creatures and heard I was standing alone awaiting him. True to his nature, he came to me in a flash.

"You're okay though? No harm, no one touched you? You aren't tired, dizzy, needing to lay down?" Colton brings his attention back to me, scanning me with that quick eye and I nod at him, completely distracted. I know he knew the answer to that the second he landed beside me, but he still has to ask. His eyes and emotion sensors all over me because he knows emotionally I am all over the place concerning Varro. He's trying to fill the silence in the only way he knows how.

"Hmmm...... I'm just sick of waiting. It's been fifteen minutes, where are they?"

"Right here!" The husky and powerful voice jolts me with the unexpectedness of it and I flinch, caught in Colton's arm as he pushes me slightly behind him and faces the direction in which it came. It's not Jasper, or any voice I have ever heard and my blood runs cold at the sheer sound. Strange yet there's something familiar in it. Like a forgotten feeling.

I clench my fists and try to cool the instant booming rapid thuds of my heart, legs finally losing all sense of solid as my entire body turns weirdly cold and light. Fear gripping my stomach in both wariness and yet anticipation. I take a deep breath and remind myself this is what I am here for.

The tall and terrifying figure seems to fluidly move from the darkness towards me, only the horrifying glow of dark red eyes visible at first and locked on my face as he seems to grow larger with his progress towards me. I am rooted to the spot, held captive by that eerie gaze and even Colton stiffens and bristles with this intimidating aura. It's obvious this is not a normal vampire, and we can taste his power sparking the air around us.

"Varro?" I ask with a timid shake to my voice, sounding feeble because he caught me off guard, but I inhale slowly to cool my nerves. Knowing I should show him no weakness. I am the Luna, I need to remember that.

"Father might be a more appropriate title.... given that's what I am to you." His smooth and low voice is like honey on warm cake and despite myself, there's something almost comforting about it when he adds that little tiny inch of charm. I push it down and remind myself of the decades of carnage at his hands, even if his reason is tangled up with me.

"I have never known you as such, and as you're currently killing my family, I am a little reluctant to acknowledge it." I bristle. Mood accelerating from fear to anger in a flash.

"No further. Stay there if you want to talk." Colton cuts in, moving fully between us as the gap closes and I am shielded with a strong arm behind his back, catching my wrist and holding me still. He starts to shift as claws elongate and his body bulks a little, fighting his own wolf to stay in control.

"You think I'll hurt her?" Varro fully comes into the moonlight glow in the center of the clearing, exposing a slender yet handsome face that could be mistaken for human. If it were not for his elongated and pronounced teeth and those devil eyes that match mine so effortlessly.

"I don't know what you want, but I'm taking no chances. She's my mate.... you won't get anywhere near her without my say so." Colton is fired up and ready to battle but Varro just smiles, a disarming and smooth change to his face, softening his angular features enough to take that hint of demon away. His teeth recede enough to stay within his lips, but those eyes glow brighter.

"She's my child... one I thought I lost and yet now stands before me. I want a chance to know her..... to see if her mother left anything of herself within her. I came here to replace a resolution to our issues." Effortless suave and oozing charm and I finally understand why the old books told us that Vampires could dazzle humans with their charisma. It's the first time I have seen a hint of it. It doesn't work on other supernatural's though. Especially not ones who are half-bloods like me.

"Colton, I'm okay." This is going nowhere fast and with my mate standing between us with all hackles up, then this isn't going to be resolved anytime soon. "He won't hurt me." I gently prod him in between the shoulder blades to stand down as my security guard. "You have a bone to pick with our pack, and we get it, we do. This isn't the way to resolve your feelings. Alora doesn't want this, and it won't bring you any kind of peace. Fighting here, killing each other, it won't get you what you want." Colton is still adamant he won't back down, so instead of arguing, I slide myself in front of him and hold his arm instead. Making it clear I want to do this myself. I love his need to lead, but in this my voice is what's needed.

"Who says it won't? Who says that taking down an entire bloodline in revenge won't satisfy some of us?" Jasper's voice filters through from behind Varro and he appears at his side in the blink of an eye. Eyes ambering out as his inner wolf grows restless. His stance is hostile, his eyes gleaming bright with rage and I can taste so much pain pulsating this way from my brother. It's almost like an overwhelming downpour coming at me from above.

"Jasper.... Do you really think this will bring mom and dad back? Do they all need to die to fix that scar in your heart? What about me? Do you not care what it does to me?" I know this is futile but I'm not ready to give up on my brother just yet. There's enough conflict inside of him to make me believe I still have a chance to help him through this darkness. I know his heart, who he was. He was never bad, never a killer, and all of this is pain and loneliness that's eaten away at him for a decade. He needs to heal. "I know nothing but pain and misery from their loss. Dad would want me to avenge our family. Mom would never lay down and let it go, she was a warrior. How can I just forget them?" He turns away, eyes glistening as tears make a show and despite his angry words, my emotions are hit with an agonizing sad pang. My brother is in agony and now we're here ready to do what he's wanted for a decade; his heart is wavering. I can feel his confusion even if his words contradict that. He wants so badly to do something for their memory, even if deep down he knows they wouldn't want this for us.

"Enough... I didn't come to listen to bickering. I was offered a solution and I want to hear it." Varro impatiently snaps, bringing my brother to heel with his tone. He snaps all our attention back to him and I have to let go of my brother's emotions for now. "I want this to end, tonight. The root of all of this is Juan Santo. He's here, among us. You want someone to blame, then it's him and his greed. We won't stop you. His thirst for power over a pack and his acts of murder, his actions that kept me a prisoner for a decade. I have as much reason to hate him as you do, so please, don't see this as some sort of weak compromise. This is as much for me as it is for you." I let go of my mate and bring myself up tall and proud matching Varro's stance. Words replaceing their strength and reminding myself that I can do this. My hatred for Juan is as strong as theirs, I need them to understand that.

"He didn't act alone. There were other Santo wolves who helped slaughter your entire bloodline." Varro raises a brow at me, seemingly dissecting my words and acting like he's considering them.

"His men are mostly gone. The few remaining are slinking around in the shadows trying not to be caught. You are welcome to all of them. As a pack, we won't stop you. As Luna, I encourage you to help free us form their burden. All we ask is that you don't touch anyone else. That this fight ends here tonight. Place blame where blame is due and not on the innocent around them. These are my people and they raised me, protected me.... I'm alive because of Santo wolves. Their own Luna for a start. Reward that.... Don't punish it." My chest swells at my own words as Sierra flits across my mind and it just strengthens my resolve.

"It's not that easy to let go of twenty years of heartbreak. This anger didn't just build itself up overnight." Varro is acting reasonable, even civilized and I wonder if this is an act or if he really is the kind to compromise and listen to logic. His actions of the past say no, but this being in front of me, he seems almost sane. I guess there had to be some qualities in him that drew my mother to one of their kind and I wonder if I am seeing glimpses of it now I've peeled away the reasons for his war on wolves. My mother was a good person, she would never have loved a monster.

"Then look at me and put it aside. What is it you want? A relationship? Fine.... I'll do whatever it takes to end this. I'm not scared of you. If you do this, I'll get to know you, take the time to learn who you are."

"My dear sweet child, I'm not asking for a sacrificial lamb. I never asked for you to be afraid of me either. I want my child to come to me willingly because she wants to know her father. The plan was to wipe the slate clean, free the world of these bothersome wolves and take you home with me for a better life. Where you belong."