Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

Lilliana

By the time Azalea gets through all the details—interspersed heavily with expletives and a good dose of overacted remorse, I assume for Shuya—I'm tempted to go along with it. Jared and Landon arrived during her performance and inhaled the food Milo saved for them, listening with rapt attention.

The drama might be a little—or a lot—overdone, but it's easy to see that Azalea genuinely despises the Montrose Pack, especially the alpha.. She lingers quite a while on the details of how he disrespected her and controlled her. Something tells me not to rely too heavily on the embellishment, but the key factors are the same. Derrek is being tortured in order to force him to shift, and it gets worse every day until they break through.

Azalea mentioned people die during this process, apparently frequently. The magic of their pack lands is fading, and more children are being born without the ability to shift. People have been quietly disappearing for years in fear their child will die at the hands of their own alpha.

And Derrek, being half witch and half wolf, doesn't have nearly as good of odds as those people who are full-blooded wolf.

I catch the eyes of my mates, each one in turn, and get their silent agreement before speaking.

"Thank you for sharing all of this information, Azalea. It is helpful."

She nods magnanimously, like a queen accepting the gratitude of a peasant.

"But I'm still waiting to hear how you plan to help us get Derrek out, and why you're doing this in the first place."

Azalea actually looks affronted. "Didn't you hear me? Nielsen is a rabid beast. He's torturing Derrek and I don't know how many people in that house, trying to force them to shift. It's disgusting, and he needs to be stopped."

"So you'll help us get Derrek out, but that doesn't really stop him."

"Well…" she toys with the top of her paper cup. "It's more about getting revenge on Nielsen, okay? He tricked me into signing that contract, knowing he could control me. I'm new to having these powers. I didn't think to suspect him of abusing the agreement. From everything Grannie has told me, there's always been a code between a witch and her pack, sort of a ‘live and let live' kind of thing. I didn't know what he was like."

Azalea heaves a sigh. "And… I wanted the prestige of being a pack witch after being nothing for so long. I craved that recognition. I'm not ashamed to admit it. Even to the degree that I attacked you in L.A. Which, again, I'm really sorry for."

The sudden switch of topic surprises me, but she actually seems sincere.

"I didn't know you. I just knew that he wanted me to prove myself and earn my place. And I know that's not an excuse, and I'm not proud of it. I was so desperate to belong I would have done anything. I know now it was super shitty and I hope with helping here, you might see that I mean it.

"But anyway, he's been a complete dick, and I'm tired of it. I can't use my powers against him, full stop. But I can help others who aren't fans of his, and that way I get my revenge without breaking my contract."

That sounds like the closest to the truth we've gotten yet.

"So you want to help us because we can get you revenge on Nielsen, that you can't take yourself?"

Azalea smiles happily. "Exactly! I help you, you help me, it's a win-win."

"That gets Derrek out, but doesn't really resolve the issue of Nielsen abusing his pack," Milo interjects. "What's your plan there?"

She shrugs. "Honestly, that's not really my concern. If you guys want to do something about it, that's up to you."

That sounds like the Azalea I've come to know.

"But Leaf is his only heir. Nielsen is literally the end of his family bloodline, and without him, the pack will have to reform, fight for a new alpha. If Leaf were to step in, he could take over easily. But only if he shifts. Either way, I don't see Nielsen being around much longer."

Jared voices the same question on my mind. "Why do you say that?"

"I dunno if you've noticed, but Nielsen's kind of an old dog. The second he shows any sign of weakness, the pack will turn on him. Given how he's treated them, very few members of the pack truly respect him. They obey because he's the alpha, but when the odds look good that someone can take him down, the challenges will start. It may be five years, or ten years, but trust me, everyone is watching for it."

The potential for Montrose to have a new alpha soon is intriguing, but I have no way of knowing if I'd be able to claim them and reunite the packs at that point. The lunar eclipse is only a few weeks away and I have no idea when the next one will be. And what if the wolf who defeats Nielsen already has a mate?

A wave of sadness washes over me at the realization I may have to give up my dream of reuniting the packs. There's just too many barriers in the way, and the most important thing right now is saving my fourth mate.

"Well, hopefully when Montrose gets a new alpha, they'll work with us, maybe forge some kind of friendship so we can stop being at each other's throats."

"You haven't heard the best part yet," Azalea leans in, fixing me with that knowing grin. "The pack will only fight over the position of alpha if Leaf doesn't claim it. But if he shifts, and if he takes Nielsen out, you'll get everything you're after."

"I'm sorry, I'm not following."

"Look, I'm no dummy. You're not this intent on rescuing Derrek because you're just good buddies from way back. If he's not actually one of your fated, I can only assume you want him to be. And as the alpha, you can claim more mates than your fated ones.

"Leaf can take Nielsen out and claim his place as the alpha of Pack Montrose. That'll free me from my obligation to the pack, and I'm off the hook. You can claim his as your mate, and that will unite the packs."

Heat rises to my cheeks when I realize that she's figured out so much. "I don't know what you think you know about me, but you're better off not making assumptions. We already know that claiming the alpha of Montrose is the only way to unify the packs. But your plan also hinges on Derrek shifting, which you've already said isn't looking likely."

"Perhaps he just needs proper motivation. If he's actually one of your fated mates, and if shifts, and if you claim him, it not only unifies the packs. It breaks the curse that's held Smoky Falls for nearly a century."

My eyes immediately dart to Shuya for confirmation. "Is this true?"

The older woman nods. "It's true, child. And there's no point trying to hide it—I know you and my Leaf are fated. I felt it as soon as you walked through my door."

That takes me by surprise. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Bah, in front of these boys? Fists would have flown the second I opened my mouth. Besides, you weren't ready for the truth, not yet. You two needed more time to simmer."

"Well, there you have it, Harridan." Azalea leans back in her chair with a self-satisfied smirk. "I help you get Leaf out, you get to figure out how to get him to shift, and then all our problems are solved in one fell swoop."

"I don't know how to provoke someone to shift. For us, it just takes the right circumstances, and it happens on its own."

"Then perhaps you need to create the right circumstances. If anyone can motivate him, it's you. Maybe you just need to shake your furry little tail at him." She waggles her eyebrows, and Jared releases a snort of disgust.

Once again, my eyes travel to each of my mates in turn, waiting for them to object or come out with another question. Instead, they each give me a slow nod, as if to say, I trust you .

The certainty that this is right, that we finally have all the pieces to the puzzle and are ready to move forward, fills my body with energy and buoys my confidence. Even if Derrek doesn't shift and we can't break the curse, there's hope that the next generation could do it.

"Alright," I return my attention to Azalea and fix her with a determined stare. "Tell me how you plan to help us rescue Derrek."