Unrelenting Destiny [COMPLETED]

12. Magical Interference

Jasper Orion Deveraux

Ivan sat on the floor of the basement cell, curled with his head in his hands. He drifted between long stretches of silence, spurts of sobbing, and explosions of distraught screaming to be let out. Jasper stood down there with Doctor Bea and Elder Elroy, Fighter Wilson guarding the door.

"Ivan, you need to tell us what you remember. It's the only way for you to clear your name." Jasper urged him. The two older wolves had spent the last hour trying to get something out of him to no avail. But Jasper's newfound Alpha voice certainly helped persuade him.

The male grumbled into his chest, his voice almost a whine, "I-I don't know. I don't remember."

"You need to dig deep, I." Jasper sighed, sitting on the floor just outside the cell bars, "We can't get you out of there if you let everyone believe you intended to hurt Sara and the pups."

"I would never!" Ivan erupted again, raising his head to show a red, tear-streaked face. It truly was the worst condition Jasper had ever seen Ivan in, "You know I would never do that. Not to Sara...not to the pups. Oh, Ilyana...my baby..."

Jasper pressed, "I know that, Ivan. Deep down, we all know that. But we can't get you released if you don't try to help us out here."

Ivan finally stopped visibly shaking, trying to steady his breath. He closed his eyes, straining to think, "I remember going to bed. I had fed Yana just after midnight. I...I just remember going to sleep and when I woke up, I was...standing over them." He lost it again, sobs taking hold of his throat.

Doctor Bea murmured to Jasper, "That could mean anything, Alpha. He could just be suppressing his consciousness out of trauma. It doesn't prove he was influenced in any way."

Elder Elroy added, "If that's true, perhaps we could unlock his memory better with...some magical interference."

Jasper looked to the Elder skeptically, "You want to bring a witch in?"

"It would certainly connect a few dots if he could remember anything but..." Doctor Bea pursed her lips, "Making him relive it may break him completely. He might lose his mind."

"We could at least try and see if magic was involved in influencing his actions." Elder Elroy insisted, "Wouldn't that be enough evidence that he was not solely responsible if we could at least prove that?"

He made a good point. Jasper nodded, dispatching the Elder to fetch one of the witches. There was a very small community of them in the pack, she-wolves who could not turn that practiced magic to earn their place. In their time of reduced numbers, any wolf was worth keeping in their ranks.

Arriving a bit later, Elder Elroy emerged with a she-wolf called Diana. She carried a small bag of things at her hip as she greeted them, "Alpha Jasper, Doctor Bea, I came as soon as Elder Elroy asked."

"Thank you for coming, Diana." Jasper got to his feet to shake her hand, looking to the now-silent Ivan as he whispered to her, "Is there any way to see if magic was involved with this? He doesn't remember anything before last night so we think he's suppressing his memories."

"But you don't want him to relive killing his family." Diana nodded understandingly, "If I can get a blood sample from him, I could test it for any magical properties. I won't be able to extract what kind of magic without looking into his suppressed memories but it's a start."

Jasper nodded in agreement as Doctor Bea produced a vial of his blood. She had drawn it earlier as part of basic assessments. Diana opened the vial, pouring the dark liquid on the floor. She dragged two fingers of each hand through the thick puddle, drawing a glyph in the ground and murmuring in an undetectable language. She continued tracing the glyph, repeating the chant until the blood began to fizzle like it was being heated up. 

Diana stopped and nodded, "Yes, he had ingested something that tainted his blood. It wouldn't react this way if it wasn't."

"That's...good to know." Jasper admitted hesitantly. At least he could argue that Ivan did not murder his family in cold blood, "Is there any way to detect how it was done? Or who did it?"

Diana washed her hands with the industrial sink in the basement, "I would have to enter his mind to see his memories."

Jasper sighed before also acknowledging, "We also have to consider the witches of Astral Twilight were involved."

Diana hardened her expression, "Do you forget that Luna Saravie was my cousin? I would never do anything to lead to her death."

"That is why I chose her to do this, Alpha Jasper," Elder Elroy added, "I would trust that at least she would do all she could to find the culprit."

"I apologize, Diana, I did not know." Jasper sighed, scratching the back of his head, "But I wouldn't be a good Alpha if I wasn't thorough. You just proved magic was involved and the witches are the only access we have to magic here."

Diana kept her expression unwavering, "I know that. If it was another one of the witches, I will find them. But that brings me back to my point, I will need to access Ivan's memories to see what happened."

Jasper nodded, "Alright. I suppose that's the only way. But, we worry about Ivan's mental state if he is forced to relive those moments."

The witch sighed, "Yes, it would likely be very painful for him but..."

"Do it." The voice rang from the cell, turning their attention to Ivan. He was standing now, his expression hard and determined, "I need to know."

"Ivan," Jasper moved to him, concern in his tone, "are you sure about this?"

"This is my mate and my pups' death, Jasper." Ivan grumbled before repeating, "I need to know."

Luciana Faith Moore

Jasper had disappeared into the basement and had been there for hours. Luci had been led to a guest room by Orianna, who unabashedly leered at her with suspicion. As Luci stepped into the sparsely decorated room, she turned to close the door, but Orianna stood in the way.

"So," Orianna sneered, "you just spent the last 48 hours with my mate. And somehow charmed him into taking you back here when you should be a rogue."

"Ch-charmed?" Luci tried to put on an innocent expression, but her pale face flushed, "No, he was just being nice, I'm sure."

"My husband, who doesn't think twice about how I feel, was just 'being nice' to you, a stranger?" Orianna narrowed her eyes, "I don't know what you think you can pull here, but he does have a mate he cares about."

Her statement was sharp but contradicting, almost like she was trying to convince herself of its truth. Luci only shook her head again, "I'm sure he does. He talked about you."

Orianna softened slightly, "Really? He mentioned me?"

"Of course." Luciana was not entirely lying, "He told me he had a mate from The Claiming. He was telling me since...you know, I had tried to avoid it."

This seemed to have the right effect as Orianna nodded, "Yes, he had claimed me four years ago. We've been happily mated ever since." Again, her voice seemed strained, trying to convince herself just as much as she was trying to convince Luci.

Luciana bit her bottom lip before asking, "Do you believe your destined mate is still out there?"

Orianna's head snapped up, a curious glare as she folded her arms over her chest, "Why would you ask me that?"

The blonde girl seemed undeterred by the skepticism as she sat at the foot of the bed, lowering her gaze, "That's why I ran. My wolf believed that our true mate was out there. That The Claiming was just a deterrent that we needed to avoid." She sounded blissful, almost confirming her wolf's thought as she nodded, "I can't imagine trading the pull of true, destined mates for something like The Claiming."

Orianna paused before stepping further into the guest room, sitting by Luci on the foot of the bed, "I've thought about it. I wonder if maybe I just waited another year for The Claiming or maybe even, what if my true mate came the year before and claimed someone else?" She blinked slowly before continuing, "I wonder if it's like the Elders say, like this undeniable bond with someone who wants exactly what you do. The same emotions, thoughts, beliefs. Wanting pups like I do..."

Luciana tilted her head in confusion, "Jasper...doesn't want pups?"

Orianna shook her head, "No, he always said he didn't."

Luci paused, a hot flash of memory as she had desperately cried out during her tryst with Jasper about wanting his pups. He hadn't denied her. In fact, he had unloaded his seed into her as if that was what he wanted to. She briefly lost herself in the memory, her mind beginning to fill with more fantasies she wished to have with her mate. But she stopped herself as Orianna continued, "But I've found a good man in Jasper. He is kind and devoted to his pack, as you've seen. It could have been worse at my Claiming."

Right. Luciana was sitting next to her destined mate's claimed mate. This woman was clearly struggling with the idea Luci had presented her with and she almost felt bad. Orianna noted the silence and stood up, excusing herself and leaving Luci alone. The girl nibbled on her bottom lip, rising to look out the window. Her stuff still sat in the bed of the pickup truck, sitting outside the packhouse. She decided to at least busy herself with unpacking. It seemed she would stay there for now, even if it was just as a guest.