Defiance: The Hybrid's Tale
Chapter 8: Hidden Agendas

Adam Wick.

I stood there dumbfounded as I tried to pull my thoughts together. This was the last place I expected to meet him again. And yet, it’s the second time he left me speechless and my heart fluttering around in my chest. I wasn’t one of those creeps who loitered around staring at people for no apparent reason. Good job idiot! I wanted to shove my head through a brick wall. After a few awkward seconds, the dreamboat glanced over at his mother, I assumed. Once they said their goodbyes, they made their way past us.

As he walked past me, I recognized his scent immediately. It was him! He smelled like the t-shirt left behind in the forest. He was the one who saved Joshua and our fellow pack mates—it had to be. But one thing still bothered me though; a werewolf inflicted the claw marks, snapped necks, and broken bones left behind on the bodies of the Hunters. And yet, he didn’t smell like a wolf. What’s up with that?

I scratched my head, glancing back as the SUV drove off. I had to replace out what he was hiding. There was something about him that didn’t sit well with me. Yes, he did save two of our pack members and the son of the Supreme, but if he had nothing to hide, he would have stayed and explained himself.

In search of additional information, I turned my attention back to the Supreme. “Mrs. Staten? Who were those people?”

“Oh! They’re new to Shadowdale and they wanted to introduce themselves.”

Riley let out a huff. “Are they witches?”

“And what if they are?” Joshua walked over to his mother. His eyes narrowed on Riley.

“Riley, shut up! You’re playing with fire.” I urged the idiot through the pack link.

“What! It was an innocent question.” I turned to Riley as he chuckled and said, “I knew there was something fishy about him the moment we met him.”

The Supreme smirked and said, “And what do you imply by that?”

With a single sentence, the Supreme had reduced my obnoxious friend to a stuttering mess. His eyes widened while he glanced nervously over at his sister for support, but she scoffed at him.

“That’s what you get for being an asshole.” Maisie shook her head. “Dig yourself out of this one by yourself.”

“Nothing! S-Supreme. I meant nothin’ by it...” He flat-lined to an utter silence, bowing his head in shame.

Joshua walked up to Riley. “Just so you know the town doesn’t belong just to your kind, so stop acting as if you own the place. Remember this, our ancestors,” he stabbed Riley’s chest with his index finger,” founded this town, and you should be grateful that they allowed your kind to stay.”

Riley took a few steps backwards. “Wow! Don’t get an ulcer. I just don’t like the prick, that’s all.”

“Ya well, nobody gives a shit.”

The Supreme walked up to her son and placed her hand on his shoulder. “That’s enough, Josh. You need to get back to work while I deal with them.”

Joshua rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Fine.” He turned around and stormed into the backroom.

“Sorry for my son’s outburst, young alpha. The events of late have shaken him up a bit.”

I gave Riley a scathing glance before smiling at the Supreme. “It’s nothing. My friend here should learn when to keep his yap shut. He has a tendency to allow his mouth to run away from his brain.”

The Supreme laughed. “So young man, what can I do for you?”

I walked up to her and handed her the documents my father had given me earlier. “My father told me to hand these files to you personally. These are the new candidates who wish to join our pack and my father’s asking if the Supreme would be kind enough to run a background check on them.”

“Very well, I’ll look into them. In exchange, I want a meeting with your father as soon as possible without his secretary trying to give me the run around.”

“Uh... I’ll see what I can do. My father’s currently preoccupied with the recent Hunter attack, but I’ll urge him to make time. If I may, what is the meeting about?”

The Supreme’s eyes ran over the twins and then she smirked. “It’s a sensitive matter so I can’t elaborate, but it does involve your father’s Beta.”

Maisie walked forward and cut off her brother. “Has my father done something?” I could feel the nervousness in her voice. I too had my concerns.

“Don’t worry, he has done nothing wrong. But there is an intriguing development that will warrant your father’s attention.”

***

Cassandra Pope.

My father had summoned me yet again, no doubt, to ask if I had developed a way to pave over the trail of corpses to save his worthless hide. After a long night of phone calls, a late evening visit to the dungeons below, and a long battle with a stack of bloody paperwork, I’ve been able to come up with a solid solution. I needed to keep my father complacent and happy. The things I had to do to keep his secrets ripped my guts to shreds. For the last couple of years, I have constantly reminded myself that the means justify the end. I’m not an angel and I don’t pretend to be. I’ve condemned a lot of people to death so I could keep my family safe. Their deaths would haunt me for the rest of my life, but if I didn’t do it, nobody would.

I strutted down a mirrored hallway that led to the dining hall, only to see my father in a heated argument with Aveny. Goddess, give me strength... Aveny took every opportunity to goad my father with her wicked tongue, the only way she could lash out at him. As usual, my brother hung in his shadows, glaring at me as I approached. Three Shadowstalkers stood a few feet away. I would have thought that their organization had suffered enough losses by now. I shook my head, while chuckling at their stupidity. If they were smart enough, they would have cut all ties with my father. However, it seemed that the remorseless killers would happily die for a suitcase full of money.

I took a deep breath as I approached the squabbling duo. Let the acting begin.

“What a despicable little man you have become. Haven’t you already learned your lesson? I would have thought so.” Aveny laughed. “How many of those worthless idiots have you sent after your daughter already? Twelve, is it?”

“Shut your mouth, whore! Keep your opinions to yourself!” The veins in my father’s neck throbbed. A few strands of my father’s gray hair fell out of place but he combed them back in place.

Before they could continue their senseless tirade, I coughed, announcing my presence.

“What do you want, daughter?” His lips curled with delight, now doubt coming up with another insult to throw at me. “I’m currently busy and I don’t have time to deal with your incompetence as well.”

I had to choke on a few cursed words I wanted to hurl at him, but I kept it cordial. “I have come to inform you that I’ve been able to concoct a cover plan to pacify the Council.”

Aveny’s eyes turned to me while a scowl crept across her flawless face. “What are you up to today, witch?”

“None of your concern.” My eyes hardened on hers. “This has nothing to do with you, beat it!”

“Enough! This is getting us nowhere! Tell me or get out,” My father spit out. The five men in the corridor turned their eyes onto me.

Now for my performance. I took a deep breath and strutted up to my father with a wicked smile. “Early last night my agents brought me a small group of rogues led by a rogue alpha. With a few memory charms, I have successfully planted false memories of them attacking and raiding the Highlands pack. They are under the belief that they have suffered heavy casualties and are on the run from our coven for their crimes.”

“There’s a flaw in your reasoning, Sis. Why would a group of rogues attack a pack, especially a strong pack like the Highlands?” My brother’s eyes twinkled with delight.

Ugh! I hated the snake as he smirked at me, no doubt proud of himself for undermining my efforts at saving their grimy asses. But he’s an idiot.

“Easy, Brother. I charmed the alpha and made him believe that the Highlands pack had killed his non-existent mate in cold blood. It’s simple but elegant. Those mutts are easily riled up into a frenzy over something as trivial as their so-called soul mates.”

“That’s disgusting that you’d stoop so low!” Aveny screamed, but my father laughed while clapping his hands together.

“I love it! Smart move, my daughter.” I had to swallow the bile that threatened to escape my mouth. “It would seem there is still hope for you. But what of the rumors pertaining to your sister?”

Here we go again. “We will create some of our own. We let the rumor fly that when you announced Nathan as your successor, Victoria took the opportunity to accelerate her brat’s rise to power. We’ll also say that we exposed her crimes to the coven, but before we could capture her, she fled.”

Aveny prowled along the mirrors until she came to a stop a few feet away from me. “Isn’t that a little too late to spread your filthy rumors?”

I smirked at her. “No. For all these years, we kept a tight lip about the incident pertaining to my sister. We can say that we didn’t care about half-witted rumors and wouldn’t respond to baseless accusations. We’d rather wait until we captured the traitorous witch and her spawn before revealing the truth to the Council. As for the desertions of our coven members, we can say that they were her followers and that we were cleaning our house of their treachery.”

“Marvelous!” It seemed that my father was eating up my bullshit. Good.

My brother’s face flashed the color of red before he barked out another problem. “But what about the Council themselves? How are you going to convince them of your lies?”

With a straight face, I said, “I’ll grovel at their feet and stroke their egos while I whisper my lies into their ears. You see, my brother, there’s nothing I won’t do to safeguard the future of our coven. When I’m done with the Council they’ll come running up to us for our forgiveness.”

A smile appeared on my father’s ghoulish face. “Very well, my daughter. You have my blessing. You may proceed.”

My brother nearly choked on his spit. “Dad can’t seriously believe that she’s capable of performing such a feat--”

A loud crack whipped through the corridor, shattering the mirrors into pieces. Ethan’s body soared through the air and crashed to the floor. The three Shadowstalkers backed away from my father in fear that they’d end up in the same position.

“Don’t question me again you lout! You’ve been nothing more than a disappointment to me along with your wretched wife and pitiful son! At least I have a daughter left that has the guts and brains to carry out my will without any hesitation.” He gazed into my eyes for a second before returning to my brother.

Ethan slowly staggered to his feet and began with his incessant ass licking. “I’m sorry, father... I won’t question your decisions again.”

My father scoffed. “Just get these three fools the information they require before I slice you all to pieces.” He twisted around and strutted down the corridor. “And get this mess sorted out!” He waved his hands along the broken mirrors.

***

I slammed shut my bedchamber’s door and threw my day planner on the table. I paced around the room. It took me a while to get my emotions under control. Seriously. I deserved an Oscar for that performance.

“Well done,” Aveny chirped at me from her usual spot in the mirror.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I hated it when I had to pretend in front of my father and brother that I hated my angel. I knew she didn’t believe any of the hateful words I hurled at her, but it still stung. However, the gorgeous smile she beams at me made it all worthwhile.

I giggled. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“My pleasure. How are you going to gain the assistance of the Council?”

“There’s just one way. Go to the man that has despised my father as long as they have known each other. Councilor Elderick Vance.”

Aveny brushed her golden locks aside and smiled. “And you think he’ll help you?”

“I have no idea but I’m running out of leg room. He’s been searching for evidence to use against my father, which I have. I’ll use it in exchange for the information to free you from your imprisonment.”

“Does he even have it? Wouldn’t your father have tried to destroy all of the knowledge pertaining to the ritual?”

I walked over to the side table next to my bed and retrieved my cellphone. “He couldn’t have, the Council’s Archives still have the information, and even with the old man’s connections he wouldn’t have been able to destroy them without tipping his hand.”

“Well then. Let’s just hope this—”

A deafening knock echoed across my bedchamber, causing me to jump out of my skin. I turned to my door and rushed over. I yanked open the door to see my idiotic brother standing in front of me with a smirk on his face.

“What do you want?” I said in a huff.

His greasy eyes scanned my room. “Who were you talking to?”

I turned my gaze to the mirror. Much to my elation, Aveny had disappeared before I carelessly opened the door. It would have been difficult to explain to my oaf of a brother why I would even want to spend time with my so-called ‘dreadful’ sister-in-law without making them suspicious.

I held up my cellphone. “I had a phone call, stupid. What do you want?”

It seemed that my quick thinking lulled my brother’s suspicion and then he said something that made my blood curdle in my veins. “Father ordered me to accompany you on your appointments at the meetings with the Council members.”

Fuck!