Chapter Twenty One: Meanwhile

Mateo had woken up to find himself alone in the bed he shared with his wife. He’d sat and listened for her, but all he could hear were his fellow pack members. Before he’d reacted, the sound of paper had crunched below him. He’d pulled it out, recognizing the handwriting immediately:

Dearest Husband

Please do not worry about me. I’m on an important mission, and I didn’t go alone either. I’m with Millen and we had to leave urgently. I’ll check in with you when I can. I promise to be careful!

I love you!

Marissa

She’d left him the note.

A week ago.

He was past worrying and stressing, and having Valentine down his back about ‘his cheating wife’ wasn’t making things any better. Zeus was restless and hungry for a kill. His mate was missing and with her being pregnant with their children, he felt like finding her and then throttling her for putting herself and their heirs in danger.

“She’s stronger than you think bro! She’ll make it home safely,” Orion comforted.

He’d been saying the same speech from day two of June’s disappearance.

“It’s been a week Ryan! She hasn’t even bothered to link me!” Mateo snapped.

“But you still feel your bond, correct?” Orion asked. The Alpha nodded solemnly.

“Then she’s still alive! For all we know, she can’t even link you from where she is,” Orion pointed out.

“That’s not making me feel any better,” Mateo growled.

“I wasn’t trying to make you feel better. I’m trying to make you see reason so that you stop stressing so much,” Orion defended.

“Wouldn’t you stress if my sister disappeared for a week without saying anything to you?” Mateo challenged.

Orion sighed. “Okay, I get it! But Rissa really is stronger than you give her credit for.”

“She’s also pregnant Ryan!” Mateo snapped.

“Fine! I give up!” Orion said before walking out of his best friend’s office.

***

Balthazar sat outside as he stared out at the nothingness before him. He was beyond worried about his daughter and her best friend. They’d both disappeared into the last place he ever wanted them in. He wasn’t exactly sure why they’d been led there to begin with, and he wasn’t having any luck figuring it out.

“Love,” his mate called out to him.

He turned to face her and she was dressed in a delicate peach dress. It clung perfectly to her now full and healthy figure. Her long blonde hair reached her waist, and she’d left it straight. Her eyes were filled with just as much worry as his and he opened his arms to her. She fell into them and inhaled his scent to keep herself calm.

He still couldn’t believe that he’d got her back.

“Anything?” she whispered.

“No,” he replied regretfully.

The last time they’d heard from the two friends was before they descended, or so he guessed. He knew that their powers were taken away once they reached their destination, and he hoped that for their own sake, they wouldn’t face anything challenging.

While Max could shift, his daughter would be defenseless.

“Can’t we go after them?” his wife asked. They’d got married as soon as Juniper had approved it, just days after her visit to The Passage of Secrets.

“We can’t Gail. It’s dangerous enough for them, but it would be suicide for anyone else,” he pointed out.

“We can’t just sit here and do nothing!” Boris’ voice joined them. He’d just come outside with some friends.

“If we’re freaking out like this, how’s Mateo? I can’t imagine that June actually spoke to him before she left,” Faith commented.

“According to Ryan, he’s losing it, slowly but surely,” Maya replied. While she was Luna of a different pack, she could still communicate with her old pack because she hadn’t cut ties with them.

“Has anyone actually spoken to Mateo?” Jacob asked.

“No, but I have a feeling he’ll be coming here anyway. In his mind, we’re the only other people who have answers,” Balthazar said knowingly.

***

Mateo sat in his office with a scowl on his face. His mate was gone, but he realized that there was also something that was missing from the picture in his mind. He felt like there was something he wasn’t attending to.

He got up and walked over to his cabinet. He hadn’t opened it since Marissa’s arrival back into his life, and he was curious to know what was in it. He took some folders that looked recent and opened them, spreading them onto his vacant desk. There was a bunch of information about things he knew nothing about, and he was intrigued by the depth of it all.

“What you got there?” Alexa asked him as she walked into his office.

“Stuff I can’t remember investigating,” he said as he handed her some papers. She sat down and looked through them with him.

“Why were you investigating stuff to do with Juniper Evigan? Isn’t she dead?” she asked.

“It would seem she isn’t, but I’m as confused as you are. I mean, if she’s the daughter of my enemies, why would I research her?” he asked.

“Daughter of your enemies... Wait a minute! Isn’t she Marissa, Gail’s daughter?” she asked.

Mateo frowned. “She is.”

“And how old is she?” Alexa asked.

“Eighteen,” he replied.

“Supposedly how old is Juniper?” she asked.

“Eighteen,” he said as he narrowed his eyes, not understanding where the conversation was headed.

Alexa raised an eyebrow. “What month was Marissa born?”

“June,” he replied.

“And Juniper?” she asked, hoping he would catch on.

“June...” he trailed off in realization.

“Juniper Evigan and Marissa Beinvenido are the same person!” she stated matter-of-factly.

“That’s impossible! Juniper has green eyes and blonde hair, and according to this, she was considerably shorter than Marissa. Also, Juniper didn’t even shift, so I highly doubt she’s a witch, much less Marissa,” he argued.

“Then how else do you explain Marissa and Juniper both being Gail Evigan’s children when they’re the same age?” she asked.

“Rissa mentioned that she didn’t know about her mom until recently, and that Gail had been kidnapped and spelled. Perhaps Juniper is Dayton’s daughter who Gail was forced to raise,” he explained his theory.

“Oh! When you put it like that, it makes sense,” she nodded.

They continued to look through the information, but they couldn’t make any sense of it. Mateo trusted Alexa’s opinion and he valued her help. What many people didn’t know was that he’d considered making her his Gamma, but she met Trey before he could, and so he chose Max. He was actually glad with the way things turned out though.

“There was clearly a lot that happened before we had our memories wiped. Do you want to check some of these things out? It says here that you were investigating several vampire attacks. Maybe we can find out what that was about?” she suggested.

“You up for it? I could really use the distraction since Rissa’s missing,” he said.

“I figured you need the distraction, hence me asking,” she smiled.

He stood up. “Great! Let’s go!”

They were investigating the attacks closest to them, so they took off in their wolf forms. It was just the two of them, which offered Alexa a solace she never expected. They hadn’t hung out together in a very long time, and she’d been sure that she’d lost her friend forever.

But then he met Marissa.

She herself became best friends with the girl, but she was more grateful for the relationship between the girl and her Alpha. She’d begun to see glimpses of the happiness she’d always wished for him, and she knew that the young witch was all to thank for that.

What she couldn’t understand, was why Valentine was so hell-bent on proving something that only she believed. Everyone loved Marissa, but it would seem her sister-in-law had it out for her. Suddenly, a vision crossed Alexa’s mind.

“What did June ever do to you Valentine? Why do you suddenly hate her so much? Aren’t you guys friends?” Alexa asked her.

“She stole my brother, Lexi! He doesn’t care about me anymore, and it’s all her fault,” Valentine fed her the same excuse.

Alexa narrowed her eyes. “You’re lying to me Val. Your hatred goes way deeper than that lame excuse!”

“You’re on her side too Alexa, so just drop it!” Valentine snapped before storming out of the room.

Alexa hadn’t realized that she’d stopped running, until Mateo nudged her.

“Are you okay?” he linked worriedly.

“Uh, yeah, I am,” she replied, even though she was confused more than anything.

“Good! You had me worried for a moment there,” he chuckled.

“Pssh, I’m fine! Let’s go!” she said before taking off.

Mateo followed after her, knowing very well that something was bothering her or at least that something had startled her enough to stop her in her tracks. He was intent on finding out exactly what it was, but he needed her focused for their task first.

They arrived at the one location where an attack had apparently happened three months ago. They scouted the area but couldn’t find a single piece of evidence that suggested that there was ever an attack to begin with.

“Whoever was a part of the cleaning committee here sure did a number on the place,” Alexa linked in comment.

“I was just thinking the same thing. Clearly we gathered what we needed to and got on with it,” he replied.

“Don’t you think Dom would know about these attacks? I’m pretty sure you would’ve consulted him, considering the fact that he’s your best friend and all,” she pointed out.

“I guess I’ll give him a call later, but do you know what I find peculiar?” he asked.

“What?” she questioned.

“How quiet Litmus has been. Normally in three weeks, I would’ve already received at least four visits from Dayton to accuse me of one thing or the other,” he pointed out.

“I didn’t even notice that! Do you want to visit Litmus and see what’s up?” she asked him.

“I’m curious, so yeah,” he said before they took off in the direction towards Litmus territory.

Mark was sitting in his office, worrying about his little sister. She’d been gone for a week, and they’d all already been warned against going after her and Max. They would all have to settle for being patient and awaiting the two’s return.

There was definitely improvement in the pack with everything and everyone working together to get the pack house finished. The structure was complete, so everyone was helping with painting and decorating it. The men were in charge of painting, while the women were in charge of decor, under the instructions of their Luna.

Mark smiled to himself when he thought about his beautiful mate. She’d surprised him just the day before about news of her pregnancy, but he was the only one who knew about it. She wanted to wait to tell Juniper before anyone else knew.

His mind traveled back to his little sister. He was worried about her and her children. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what Mateo was going through. He himself knew that he would be going insane if Faith disappeared while she was as heavily pregnant as his sister is. At six months, she should be with her mate.

“Uh, Mark?” Ben said from the door of his office.

Mark looked up. “Hmm?”

“Mateo’s at the border with a woman named Alexa. He wants to speak to Dayton,” Ben said awkwardly.

Mark shot up from his chair. “Shit!”

He grabbed his phone and called Balthazar. “Yes, son?”

“Uh Dad, Mateo’s here,” Mark informed him.

“And where is here exactly?” Balthazar asked.

“Litmus!” Mark replied.

“What’s he doing there?” Balthazar asked in confusion.

“Apparently, he’s here with Lexi and they want to see Dayton,” Mark replied.

“Oh, well that’s a problem! We need a distraction. I’ll get on it!” Balthazar said before hanging up.

“Who was that?” Gail asked him as he walked into the lounge. He’d been too far for her to overhear the conversation.

“Mark - apparently Mateo’s at Litmus and he wants to speak to Dayton. We need a distraction,” Balthazar replied.

“Well, we have one for you. We have new information on Mateo’s European imposter. We could head over there now and demand his urgent attention,” Dante offered.

“Perfect! Let’s go,” Balthazar said.

“Can we come with? I miss my dad,” Rose pleaded. She was referring to herself and Draxlon.

“Of course you can go, sweetheart,” Gail told her. It would be the perfect distraction for Mateo to have Rose around while June was on her mission.

Balthazar teleported Dante, Maya, Draxlon and Rose back to Vista before leaving them there. Dante and Maya explained the situation to Orion, while Rose went off with Draxlon to the room that Juniper had custom designed for her daughter in the pack house.

“What is it that I had to come back so urgently for?” Mateo asked, as he walked through the doors of his office with Alexa behind him. Orion had demanded his return before he got the chance to talk to Dayton.

“We thought you might like to know about your European imposter,” Maya informed him. That peaked his interest.

“What about him?” he asked.

“Well, he just attacked, except his attack was futile,” Dante spoke.

Mateo raised an eyebrow. “I don’t understand.”

“He attacked my pack Mateo. They are strong enough to defend themselves though. We know that he’s trying to get Alphas to turn against you for whatever reason. The reason why I say that his attack was futile is because he killed no one, and I’m already in alliance with you, so I know the truth,” Dante explained.

“Oh, well then that’s good. What’s the next step?” Mateo asked.

“We were thinking that you should maybe go to Europe and confront him. It’s about time anyway,” Maya told him.

“I’m not leaving without my mate,” Mateo told them.

“We don’t even know when she’s coming back,” Maya argued.

Mateo raised a suspicious eyebrow at them. “Oh, so you know that she’s gone too then?”

“We don’t know where she went, if that’s what you’re asking. The only people who know, are her parents, her grandad and Mama Deo, and they’re not saying anything,” Dante told him.

“You mean to tell me that if I left here right now and went to them, they wouldn’t tell me what I need to know?” he asked.

“No, they wouldn’t. We’ve all tried, but they told us that it’s Rissa and Millen’s mission and we can’t know or do anything about it,” Maya informed him.

While Mateo is a believing man, he didn’t believe that the Elders would keep information about his mate away from him. They would have no choice but to waver their decision for him, because there was no way he wasn’t going to not get an answer from them.

The Alpha and his mate stayed behind to discuss more plans with Mateo, but he was only listening half-heartedly. He was worried about his wife, but he also realized that he hadn’t taken the imposter situation seriously, and that he probably needed to start doing so.

He analyzed the pictures and information that he’d gathered about the attacks in Europe that were being done in his name. He figured that he must’ve known about the attacks before his memory was wiped out from the extensive research that was available to him.

The pictures were gruesome, and he realized that the imposter was out to prove some kind of point. From looking at the pictures, it was clear that the imposter had every intention of tarnishing Mateo’s name and image.

The question was why?

He knew that he had made a number of enemies in the past. He obviously wasn’t known as a ruthless Alpha for nothing, but he couldn’t understand what he could’ve possibly done to be on the receiving end of the consequences of such a scheme.

He thought about his enemies and realized that none of them really had the guts, the resources or the smarts to pull something like this off. Whoever was behind this was someone experienced, and clearly someone who despises him for more than just petty revenge.

This wasn’t revenge.

Whoever was behind this wanted him dead and finished.

“Rose is here by the way,” Maya mentioned after a while.

“Really? Where?” Mateo asked. Maya, Dante, Orion and Alexa were surprised to see the gleam in his eyes at the mention of his daughter.

“You know about the adoption?” Dante asked him.

Mateo offered a small smile. “I’m aware of it, yes.”

“What adoption?” Alexa asked.

“Rissa and Mateo adopted Rose as their daughter before you guys had your memories wiped,” Maya replied.

“They did? Is she a Santiago now?” Alexa asked.

“Yep! Rose Phyllis Santiago,” Mateo said proudly, once again stunning the friends.

“Does Val know?” Orion was the one to ask.

“No,” Mateo mumbled.

“So, more for her to bitch about then?” Alexa asked as she rolled her eyes.

She couldn’t understand her best friend’s attitude at all.

“Bitch about? What are you talking about?” Maya asked.

“Val’s been bitching about everything involving Marissa. She absolutely hates her!” Alexa commented.

Maya rolled her eyes. “Let me guess - she feels like Rissa has taken Mateo away from her?”

“How did you know?” Mateo asked.

“Call it a hunch,” Maya said as she shrugged. She couldn’t believe that even with a different form, Valentine still hated Juniper. She found it childish and thought that Valentine has attachment issues.

But she also knew that there was more to it than that.

“Why would she have a problem with Rose though?” Dante asked.

Alexa shrugged. “She’ll probably be upset about Mateo not discussing it with her first.”

“She’s not his mother, and she needs to understand that he doesn’t need permission from her to do anything,” Maya pointed out.

“She is my little sister though,” Mateo argued.

“True! You’re allowed to let her in on things going on in your life, but you don’t have to seek her permission for every little thing Teo. You’re an Alpha. It would be tedious if you needed Valentine’s permission for everything, don’t you think?” Maya countered.

Mateo thought about what she was saying. As much as he loved his little sister, he also couldn’t understand why she was suddenly so attached to him and why she’s suddenly so possessive. He was never really that close to her to begin with, so her accusations towards his mate definitely didn’t make any sense.

***

She watched the men move around her, wondering when they were going to make their move. They’d been in discussion for a week now, and all she wanted was for them to actually take action. She was itching to be outside again, but she couldn’t make that kind of decision by herself. She actually had to wait for these men to come to a decision.

“They do not look like a threat. If anything, they look like this world’s salvation!” Jupiter argued.

“I agree! The last thing we need right now is a war. I say we let them live and then watch how it all plays out. If we find them a threat, then, and only then, will we take action,” Klaus announced. As the leader, his word goes.

Duncan chuckled. “It took us a week to reach this conclusion.”

Yusuf patted his back. “Pros and cons, old friend.”

“Aerie doesn’t look very happy with our decision,” Jupiter noted, watching the young girl brooding in a corner.

“She’s yearning to go outside, and perhaps we’ve been too strict by not allowing her to go,” Francis commented. That caught her attention as her head shot up.

“Are you saying that I can finally go out?” she asked in hope.

“We will arrange it,” they said, nodding in agreement, effectively making her day.

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” she said as she went around hugging the older men, making them laugh.

“Are you really that eager, little one?” Duncan asked her.

She nodded. “More than you know.”

“We are sorry if it seems like we’re hard on you,” Francis apologized.

“I know it’s for my own safety, so it’s okay,” she smiled weakly.

“The world owes you for all that you do for them,” Yusuf joked.

“I don’t do anything but stay hidden. That’s hardly anything to be thankful for,” she giggled.

“We beg to differ, young one. You may not be the most powerful of creatures, but you’re still important,” Klaus argued.

She scowled. “Gee, I didn’t say I was unimportant.”

Klaus mock glared at her. “You know what I meant.”

She sighed. “I know, I know! I just want to go out there you know?”

“We understand! We’re just afraid of the repercussions,” Duncan pointed out.

“You mean you’re afraid I’ll find my mate?” she called them out.

“Well, there’s that too,” Yusuf said sheepishly.

“I will always love you guys, and the heavens know I’ll always be grateful for what you’ve done for me,” she smiled, tears shining in her eyes.

“We know, young one,” they said before hugging her.

She would always cherish the moments she shared with them.

***

Luna Vargas was pacing around her husband’s office when the telephone went off. She swiftly went to pick it up.

“Vargas House,” she answered.

“Luna Vargas? Is that you?” Maya asked.

“Luna Iglesias, what an honor! What may I do for you?” Luna Vargas asked.

“Is your husband perhaps around?” Maya asked.

“Not at the moment! Did you need to talk to him?” Luna Vargas asked.

“Well, I could also talk to you. We’re still in the States investigating the imposter. We know you were also attacked, and we were wondering if you could send us everything you gathered from the attack,” Maya informed.

Anger surged through the Luna at the mention of the horrible man who had attacked her home just days before. She also knew that the man wasn’t Mateo, despite looking like an exact clone of him. When they were being attacked, the Alpha being imitated was in the States.

“Of course! Do you need anything else from me?” Luna Vargas offered.

“Do you mind tracking the imposter’s movements that side? It’s easier to do in Europe than it is to do from here, and we’re only coming back home briefly in two weeks,” Maya explained.

“It’s absolutely no problem Luna Iglesias,” Luna Vargas replied.

“Please, call me Maya,” Maya laughed.

“Then you shall call me Cheryl,” Luna Vargas returned the laugh.

After hanging up the phone, she got around her husband’s office, looking for the required documents. Her husband was actually out on a mission regarding the imposter. Their neighbors had just been attacked the night before, and her husband was on his way to keep the Alpha from signing a deal with the Devil.

Of the forty-one Alphas in Europe, fifteen had already succumbed to the imposter. Of the forty-one packs in Europe, only thirty had been attacked so far, but hatred for Mateo was growing nonetheless, despite the Alpha’s innocence in the whole situation.

She found the documents and sent them through just as her husband walked into the office. He looked surprised to see her there.

“Amor, what are you doing here?” he asked.

“I was waiting for you and then I got a call from Luna Iglesias. They are investigating the imposter situation in the States. My guess is that they’re involving Alpha Santiago himself, and they asked for any information that we have on the case. I’ve just sent them the information I found. How did it go?” she asked her husband tenderly.

“It was a massacre! They’re not as strong as we are. Most of their Warriors were killed, and women and kids were taken. They’re vulnerable right now, and Lucca asked if we would consider taking them in,” he informed as he walked around to sit in his chair before placing his wife on his lap.

“He wants to merge packs?” she asked, clearly surprised at the news. Her mate nodded.

“I told him I’d discuss it with you first,” he added.

“What do you think?” she asked.

“Well, we do stand to gain a lot from the merger,” he commented.

“Would he relinquish his control?” she asked.

“He would, and we’d make him co-Beta,” he replied.

“Does he know about that detail?” she smiled knowingly.

“No! We would surprise him with it. It can’t be easy being in his position,” he argued. Her heart melted at the thoughtfulness of her mate.

“You have a kind heart, mi amor,” she smiled.

“Did you ever doubt it?” he smirked.

“Never!” she laughed before kissing him.

***

She walked around the castle, desperately looking for her mate. She wanted to surprise him before anyone told him of her return. Being away from him for two years had been torturous and she was eager to be in his arms again.

When she couldn’t find him, she knew that she only had one other destination to search. She was proven right when she walked into the room to find him hunched over books that he’d spread out across the floor. She’d known him her whole life and he hadn’t changed.

He still loved solving mysteries.

“What are you investigating now?” she whispered in his ear, hugging him from behind.

“A case of vampires attacking,” he replied absentmindedly.

“You’re really deep in it, huh?” she giggled.

Domitius did a double take when he realized who was talking to him. He turned around slowly, not truly believing that she was back. She was a whole year early. When his eyes landed on her amber eyes as they shone with mirth, he knew she was really there.

“You’re really here,” he whispered, not trusting his voice as yet. She leaned in and kissed him with everything in her.

“I’m really here Dom! I missed you so much,” she said before kissing him again.

“You’re a whole year early,” he commented breathlessly.

“I know! I couldn’t take it anymore,” she whined.

He chuckled. “Did you at least finish your training?”

“I actually did. Missing you as much as I did was a great motivator! They gave me the final test two days ago,” she smiled.

“And...” he trailed off.

“And what?” she teased.

“Crys,” he groaned.

“I passed, Dom! I got one of the highest marks on record. I’m second after your mom of course,” she beamed. He couldn’t help but kiss her again.

“I’m so proud of you baby! I’m pretty sure my parents will be just as proud, but...” he trailed off once again.

“What is it love?” she asked as she caressed his cheek. She knew him well enough to know that he was bothered.

“I haven’t been entirely honest with you these past few months,” he confessed as he stood up. He pulled her up and took her across to the couch in the room.

“About what?” she asked.

“Everything! I wasn’t being honest when I told you that all is well. All isn’t well at all, which means we’re going to have to postpone the take-over until everything settles,” he explained.

She scowled. “What’s it pertaining to?”

“A lot of things, but mainly Mateo,” he replied.

“Please tell me he’s okay!” she panicked. Mateo was just as much her best friend as he was Domitius’.

“He’s fine, or at least he will be. It will be better once you know the whole story,” he replied.

“This sounds serious, but I don’t mind if that’s what you think is best,” she smiled.

He smirked. “I promise to explain it all to you once I’ve actually enjoyed having you back.”

“You mean once you’ve had your dirty way with me,” she giggled, the tinge blossoming on her cheeks.

“There’s that too,” he winked.

She rolled her eyes. “Two years apart and you’re still the same.”

“Were you expecting any different?” he chuckled.

“Never,” she smiled before kissing him again.

Domitius took his time making love to his mate. He couldn’t believe that she was finally back. Crystal had to be sent away for training on how to be the perfect Queen for the Vampire Kingdom. It’s a tradition that they have that all future Queens have to go through. The Werewolf Kingdom works much differently in that regard.

The fact that she’d finished her training a year early made him both happy and proud. He’s a year older than her. They had been best friends since they were babies, and when she turned sixteen, they found out they were mates. They’d had a magical wedding when he was twenty-one and she was twenty.

She’d given birth to a beautiful baby girl a year later, but they both had to leave when Crystal left for training. They’d decided that it would be best for little Crystalline to stay with her mother. Domitius visited his baby girl as much as he could so that she wouldn’t grow up without knowing him, but he was never allowed to see Crystal.

He smiled at his mate as they lay in their bed. “Where’s our baby girl?”

Crystal sighed. “She was asleep when I arrived, and she most probably is still asleep. She was very cranky the whole way home.”

“But is she okay? Are you both okay?” he asked.

“We both missed you very much. She was excited when I told her that we were coming home and that she’d get to see you again, so you can expect lots of playtime schedules,” she giggled.

He smiled. “Anything for my little princess.”

“Well, enough about her. I want my me time before she hogs you all to herself,” she smirked before kissing him.

He got up the following morning to his wife sleeping peacefully beside him. He couldn’t believe that she’d come back, which made him even more eager to see his baby girl. He quietly and carefully untangled himself from his mate, before putting on his pajama pants and heading downstairs.

On the way there, he passed by his blushing staff, and he realized that his choice to go shirtless may not have been a wise one, but he was too focused on getting to his daughter, especially when he could hear her giggling in the direction of the kitchen. When he appeared, he found that she was giggling because she was being tickled by his mother. His parents had also made sure to visit her, so that she would know them too.

“Gwandma! I can’t bweathe!” she wheezed, tears running down her face.

Leona laughed. “Take it back and I’ll let you go.”

“I take it back!” the little girl squealed. Her grandmother stopped her assault, and that’s when she spotted the new person in the room.

“DADDY!” she shrieked before running for him. He was already waiting with his arms wide.

Leona smiled at the sight. She understood just how much her son treasured that moment. Unlike with her and Paulo, Crystal and Domitius had a child before Crystal could go for her training. It is vital for a vampire baby to be around its mother for the first three years of their life, and so her son had to give up both his love and their daughter.

She was proud of him though. The time apart from them had shown her just how mature her son really is. He didn’t like that he had to let go of his family, but he had nonetheless. Instead, he focused his attention on important matters, proving himself to everyone who had ever doubted him.

He proved himself worthy to be King.

“I mithed you Daddy!” Crystalline sniffed, hanging on tight to him.

“I missed you too, princess, so much,” Domitius replied. He didn’t even realize that he was crying until his daughter wiped away his tears.

“Don’t cwy Daddy. Mommy thaid we’re back for good!” his little girl beamed, despite her tears.

“And I’m never letting you guys go ever again,” he kissed her forehead before hugging her again.

“You won’t ever have to baby. I heard Crys passed,” Leona smiled.

“We already celebrated,” he chuckled.

“I don’t think we needed to know that son,” King Paulo commented as he walked into the kitchen.

Domitius smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.”

“Gwandaddy!” Crystalline beamed as she jumped up and down in her father’s arms. He chuckled and put her down so that she could run to him.

“Hello princess!” King Paulo laughed as he twirled her around.

“Is she still asleep?” Leona asked her son, in reference to his mate.

“Yep! We had a long night,” Domitius absentmindedly commented.

King Paulo mock glared at him. “Again, we didn’t need to know that Dom.”

“Sorry,” Domitius chuckled.

“How are you coming along with the investigations?” Leona asked her son.

“I’m not getting anywhere honestly,” he admitted.

“What’s the problem?” King Paulo asked.

“Some of the covens that June uncovered are not registered in any of the books,” Domitius informed them.

“Not registered? Are you sure?” Leona asked.

“I’ve run them through every database I could find and nothing. I even referred to the books in the library and nothing,” Domitius replied.

“How many of the covens?” King Paulo asked.

Domitius sighed. “Eight of them are registered, but they’re wiped out. The other two are the ones I can’t find.”

“Well, perhaps your grandfather might know something. Have you bothered seeking him out?” Leona asked.

“Well no! I wanted to talk to you guys first and see what you’ve got to say,” Domitius admitted.

“I agree with your mother on this. My father may be able to help you,” King Paulo confirmed.

“I guess I’ll have to take the trip there,” Domitius said.

While he can teleport anywhere, where his grandfather was, was a place that he couldn’t teleport to for the mere fact that it was spelled that way. He could teleport to just outside the ‘barrier’ and then walk the rest of the way.

***

“This is frustrating!” Mateo grumbled for the millionth time.

“I swear I’m going to bash your head in if you say that one more time,” Maya mumbled.

“I can’t help it! We’re getting nowhere with this,” Mateo pointed out.

“That, or you’re so busy missing your mate that you lack concentration,” Dante argued.

“Let’s go with that!” Alexa and Orion jumped in.

Mateo frowned. “I’m not that grumpy, am I?”

“No, not really...” Alexa smiled.

“You’re worse,” they all finished off.

“Fine! I’ll just leave,” Mateo mumbled.

“Maybe spending time with your baby girl will do you some good,” Orion suggested.

“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea actually,” Mateo agreed before leaving the room.

“It’s amazing how attached he is to her,” Maya commented.

“It’s for the best,” Dante smiled.

They couldn’t agree more.

Mateo went to his daughter’s room, only to find her missing. He looked around and was about to give up until he found her cuddled with Draxlon lying beside her. They slept close to each other, with Draxlon putting a possessive arm around her. The sight made Mateo’s possessive side come out, but he knew that the two of them were just best friends, or at least that’s what his daughter had told him.

He shook his head with a smile when he realized that Rose was sleeping with a camera in her free hand. He took it out of her hand before putting a blanket over the two. He silently stepped out of the room with the camera in his hand, before heading outside. He was surprised when he found Valentine standing outside. She was speaking into her cell phone in hushed tones, and she looked highly upset.

“Val?” he called her.

“I have to go! Don’t screw up!” she said before turning to him.

“Now you acknowledge my existence?” she snapped.

“Come on Val! What do you want me to say to you? Do you know how devastated I was when the Elders told me that I couldn’t have a mate? I’ve barely been with Marissa for a year, so of course I’m going to want to shower her with my attention, but that doesn’t mean you’ve suddenly become irrelevant to me. You’re my little sister, and no one can say they have that role in my life. Can’t you just be happy that I won’t die alone?” he sighed. She looked guilty.

“Does she really make you happy Teo?” she whispered.

He nodded. “More than anyone else in the world.”

“Even me?” she sniffed.

“You offer me an entirely different happiness, Val. You can’t compare yourself to her,” he smiled.

“You truly mean it?” she asked lowly.

He nodded once again. “One hundred percent.”

“I’m sorry,” she said after a while.

“I’ll forgive you if you promise to be better,” he offered.

She gave a small smile. “I think I can promise.”

“Then I think I can forgive you,” he joked.

“Deal!” she giggled.

“Come here,” he smiled, opening his arms up to her.

“I love you Teo,” she beamed as she hugged him. Even with the night sky he could see her.

“I love you too Val,” he said before kissing her forehead.

“What you got there?” she asked.

“Oh! I found this in Rose’s hand. She fell asleep with it,” he replied.

She frowned. “Rose?”

He sighed. “Long story.”

“Well, I’m bored, so let’s go through it,” she smiled.

He shrugged. “Eh, why not?”

They chose to sit up in a nearby tree. They were sitting high up and started laughing at some of the photos that had come up. They figured that it had been pictures taken before their memories were wiped.

“Who’s that?” she asked. It was a picture of Rose and Draxlon.

“Draxlon, the Prince of Atlantis,” he replied.

“They look so cute together,” she cooed.

“She’s nine, and he’s twelve. It’s not happening!” he admonished.

She raised an eyebrow. “Someone’s protective.”

“It’s complicated,” he mumbled, before changing the picture. The next picture had them staring at it in confusion.

“Who’s that?” she asked. Something was stirring in him the longer he stared at the picture.

“I, I don’t know, but she looks like Rissa, but Rissa with blue eyes and black hair,” he said as he continued to scroll. There were many pictures of the woman and she looked to be naked in his bed.

He stopped when a still image of her appeared. There was a triangle in the corner, and he clicked on it before the video started playing.

“Say them again,” he heard himself say.

“All of them?” the blue-eyed beauty frowned.

“Just the important bits,” he laughed. She looked like she was in thought, but she spoke anyway.

The video played, showing the woman with the black hair and blue eyes; the same black hair and blue eyes from his dreams. Even her voice sounded familiar, and he listened to the words they were saying to each other - their vows.

Mateo watched as the video stopped playing. He was numb from watching it. It all looked very real, and a big part of him knew that it was. Something was tingling in his brain, and a million questions were buzzing around in his mind.

He thought back to how Mama Deo had told him that his mate’s name was Lee-Ann, which happens to be Juniper’s middle name. Could it be that that’s the reason why he was investigating her to begin with? Had he not trusted his mate from the beginning?

“That was...” Valentine trailed off in shock.

He scowled. “I know. Ryan said I was married to someone named June, and Mama Deo said my mate’s name was Lee-Ann. Juniper’s full name is Juniper Lee-Ann Evigan.”

“She looks like someone who truly loves you though. She doesn’t look like someone who would cheat on you,” Valentine commented after a while of silence.

Before Mateo could reply, the tingling in his brain grew and he had an instant migraine as images flashed in his mind. He clutched his head, and it took him a minute to realize that the things he was seeing weren’t just any images.

They were memories.

He could see everything from the very first time he met Juniper, to her very first shift. He could see the day they found out they were true mates, to the day they got married. He could see the day that her current form took place, as well as Marissa’s form.

He could even see how his mate had to pretend to be someone else because he’d forgotten who she was.

He could see it all.

“That’s because she truly loves me; more than I ever thought possible, and I’m going to get her back!” Mateo said determinedly.

“What?” Valentine asked in confusion.

“I remember everything!”