I startled myself at my words and that I had just shared Mum’s secret with someone who was a complete stranger to me. Someone who was a potential danger.

I wanted to apologize to her with a look, but Mum just looked at the floor.

“Thankfully, that’s not the case,” it came from Amara.

“Yes, it is, Mum...” I looked at her. “Tell your friend that’s the only reason we’re here. Tell her to leave, and that this is all a huge mistake.”

I searched in vain for her gaze.

“Bayla, I know this is all a bit much at first, it’s the way a lot of young Quatura feel who didn’t grow up with a supporting Circle.”

I could no longer focus on Amara. My gaze continued to be on Mum.

“Mum...” I looked at her pleadingly. “Tell me that’s why you’re here.”

Silence.

“Please tell me she’s wrong.”

Why the fuck didn’t she answer!

With tear-filled eyes, I looked at her. That pain, that twinge in my heart, grew stronger, and suddenly, I felt alone. Abandoned and betrayed. On top of that, there was the feeling of being paralyzed inside.

“I’m sorry, Bayla...”

I just looked at Mum. With an empty look. As empty as I felt right now. And at the same time, I was so close to fainting.

Mum started to move.

I felt her arms around me.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

But I couldn’t. I didn’t want to, anymore.

I pushed her away.

“Bay...”

I shook my head.

“Understand, how could I have told you such a thing?”

She moved closer again, her gaze more desperate than ever. But I backed away.

“No, Mum, you should have told me!”

“It wasn’t possible, Bay. Just understand...” Some tears escaped her eyes as well, but I felt no pity. I was angry, disappointed.

“Please sit down, and we’ll talk about it...”

“No!” I yelled at her, and she backed away, frightened.

I ran past her, up the stairs, because I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Bay!”

“Give her time, Diana...” was all I could hear anymore as I finally slammed the door to my room behind me, vowing never to open it again.

Chapter 36

Adrian

“It couldn’t have gone any better, could it?”

Miles laughed out loud from the back seat, putting his legs up on the cream-colored leather of my sports car and stretching out. Actually, I would have liked to tell him not to do that, but my mood was just too good for that. Instead, I stepped on the gas and drove straight through the yellow light.

“Considering it was your idea, yes,” David laughed with amusement. Not only did he laugh as infrequently as I did, but his ash-blond hair was a little messy. It reminded me of when all three of us were young and silly, romping across the meadows of Nicolaj’s mansion. Back then, we hadn’t known that one day, we’d be chasing whatever was playing in the meadows.

“Just shut up, David, and finally realize that I’m the one with the good ideas.”

“Oh, the one with the good ideas, huh? Did you hear that, Adrian?”

I snorted in amusement and pushed the gas pedal down further, savoring the open road with my new black Ferrari.

The basic idea had been mine, however Miles had given it the setting and the schedule. None of this would have been possible if we hadn’t relied on the temperament of those involved.

“These mutts are unpredictable and can barely control themselves,” I just snorted, remembering Monday’s conversation, the alpha dog and his whole pack and how out of control his oldest son was behaving. When it was his turn next, the pack would go down, which would solve the problem itself, or worse, become our problem.

“Do you think the human girl will cause problems?” David asked now calmly again, looking at me.

“It’s working to our advantage right now. Believe me, if the Alpha sees that a human has been dragged into this, we’ll not only turn the pack and witches against each other, but we’ll also fuel each of the internal conflicts a bit,” Miles explained from behind me. There was satisfaction in his voice.

It was a coincidence that a human had gotten in the middle of this planned event because we had actually checked all the walk-throughs beforehand.

“The most important thing is that we have the camera footage,” David commented.

A stick flew forward from the back seat in confirmation, and David caught it between his thumb and forefinger.

“What do you think, little brother.” Miles sounded amused. Apparently, he was still resting on his accomplishments.

David just shook his head, being the older of the two at 23. And in fact, the three of us weren’t brothers. David wasn’t even a born DeLoughrey.

“Good,” I said and drove through the increasingly dark and foggy forest, finally turning into the DeLoughrey estate’s rough forest access road with a soft squeal of tires. A few ravens shot up in fright, almost crashing into my windshield, as they always did.

Since I was brought here, the fog has blanketed this territory and kept the wolves from venturing in. The forest is silent on this part of the island, and one can sense any intruder from miles away.

However, it was rare for anyone to stray in here, because what idiot would want to mess with a pureblood Ruisangor, or better, with Nicolaj? Prestige, fortune, and the best training ensured that he trained his clan to be an easily underestimated weapon. If one could put it that way, our clan had supremacy in all of Canada, if not soon in all of North America, were it not for the Order of Tenebris in California.