A Devotion to Purity (The True Luna Series Book 2)

Chapter 5

Alpha Prince Steele chuckles over the phone as he’s listening to his beloved cousin, Jasmine, telling the story about her plan for the next four years. She was about to go to MIT with her high school boyfriend, but now that they found out that they’re not fated mates, the plan is kaput. Jasmine is no longer interested in going to college, but Luna Kara, her mother who is also Steele’s aunt, asked him to persuade Jasmine into going anyway.

She doesn’t have to go to MIT since she’s been accepted to NYU as well. Her father, Alpha Derek, had paid for the tuition hoping that Jasmine no longer entertained the idea of taking a gap year. MIT and NYU are located in two different states, Jasmine and her ex-boyfriend won’t have to bump into each other, unless on purpose.

“Besides,” Steele says, teasing her. “Joseph is not what your heart desires, isn’t he?”

Jasmine gasps, happy that Steele can’t see her face redden. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she says, acting nonchalant. “I love Joseph, I really do.”

“Come on now,” Steele says again, in a much gentler tone this time. “You love Joseph because you’re being conditioned to love him. He is a good boy, a wonderful boy and I like him for you. But if you’re being true to yourself, he’s not the one, isn’t he?”

Jasmine doesn’t argue. How can she? Her cousin knows her more than anybody. The truth is, Jasmine has been in love with Seth Roderick, one of Steele’s best friends, since she was nine years old. She followed him everywhere. Every time Seth came to visit her pack, Jasmine would glue herself to him. It was funny for everybody, but annoying for Seth.

It was even funny for Joseph too. Jasmine and Joseph were best friends since they were babies and only became lovers about a year ago. They were together in the last year of high school because Jasmine wanted to know how it felt to have a boyfriend. Joseph, her best friend, then volunteered. They were inseparable ever since. While they have deep feelings for each other, Jasmine’s heart has always belonged to Seth.

However, aside from the fact that Seth hardly gave her the time of day, their age difference is big. Nine years to be exact. Seth is now twenty-seven whereas Jasmine just became eighteen two months earlier. There is no way that Seth will start paying attention to her now even though she is considered legal now. She’s inexperienced and Seth, he likes his women, well, experienced

Steele laughs again. “Come on, Jazz,” he says. “Go to NYU, stay at the dorm and on the weekends, you can join me and the guys to the Upstate to visit your aunt. Now you can see Seth often. Don’t lie now, you’d like that, don’t you?”

“But it’ll be embarrassing,” she whines. “Seth hates me.”

“He doesn’t,” Steele answers. “Although when you were young you were annoying, following him everywhere when he was about to shack up with girls. You thwarted his plan often and there was nothing he could do about it because you were the daughter of the Alpha.”

Jasmine giggles. “Is he still a man w***e?” she asks, curious. When it comes to Seth, she is always curious. She can’t help herself.

Steele groans. “Live and breathe,” he says. “But come to New York and put this nonsense to rest forever, why don’t you? You’re over eighteen now. If you are his mate, he will stop his antics because of the matebond, you two will live happily ever after together.”

“What if he’s not my fated mate?” Jasmine asks, hating herself for asking the question.

“Then you won’t love him as much as you think,” Steele answers. “Trust me. The monkey love that you’ve had for him all this time will disappear once you’re of age. It will be replaced by the true love you feel for your fated mate. You know I have two best friends, right? You’ve never given Larry a chance.”

“Yeah, like he wants that from me,” Jasmine scoffs.

Steele laughs again. “Probably not,” he answers. “He thinks you’re annoying too. But in all honesty, you two are perfect for each other. You’re a tomboy and not easily intimidated. You’re tall for a girl and athletic. A fierce warrior, even though only eighteen. Larry would appreciate you more, he needs a woman who is not as fragile as a china doll.”

“Oh, I’m definitely not a China doll,” Jasmine answers, snorting for the extra effect.

“Thus, my point,” Steele says. “Look, Jazz, you know I love you, right? I’ve got this strong feeling that your fated mate is someone that you’ve known all along. Someone that I’ve known. Maybe not Seth, but open your heart to the possibility of Larry, will you? You’re the only woman who can handle a man like him. He needs you; it doesn’t matter that you’re young. You are his equal.”

“What if,” Jasmine starts again, dreading the answer. “What if Larry is not my fated mate either?”

“Then you will spend your four years of college in New York with three men who will die for you no matter what,” Steele answers, meaning every word. “Even if neither Seth nor Larry is your fated mate, as long as you promise to stop being annoying to Seth. They too will love you the way I do.”

“Well, that’s nice,” Jasmine says, blushing a little even though Steele can’t see it.

Steele laughs again. “It is,” he says. “Look, Jazz, promise me you go to NYU, okay? Education is important. Just believe that everything will be just fine. I will make it fine.”

“Okay,” Jasmine says, loving the way Steele is so protective of her. “I promise.”

“Good,” Steele says. “I have to go now. Seth and Larry are coming to my office. Bye pie.”

“Bye Steele.”

Steele hangs up the phone and motions for both of his friends to enter his office. Gage, Roderick & West is one of the leading financial firms in the country. However, for a goof, instead of naming their firm North, Roderick & Gage, they changed the order from the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma to Gamma, Beta, and Alpha instead. Another thing they did to make it less conspicuous was by changing Steele’s last name from North to West. In the shifters’ world, Steele is the Alpha Prince of the Northernland Kingdom, that part of his life must be kept confidential.

In the human world he’s not a prince, they are equal although his office is still a bit bigger than the others. It’s located in the corner with two wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows. Their office occupies two floors in one of the skyscrapers in Manhattan financial district with their finance executives stationed on the floor below them. Their floor consists of Steele’s, Seth’s, and Larry’s offices along with a couple of conference rooms.

While their firm hires all human as their executives, the secretaries and the security guards are their male and female warriors from the Northernland. When it comes to the kingdom’s matters, they communicate thru mind-links.

“Who did you talk to?” Seth asks as he is preparing himself a drink. He motions to the other two, when they both nod, he prepares for them as well. Scotch, neat.

“Nobody,” Steele answers with a smirk.

“A woman then,” Larry comments, before taking his drink from Seth. “Are we discussing anything special?”

Steele doesn’t answer. He considers talking about Jasmine but stops himself, Seth is not a huge fan of her. Besides, there is something more pressing for them to discuss now. “Yes,” he says, also taking his drink from Seth. “My dad is coming to New York in a week to see my mom.”

“Okay,” Seth says. “Will do the usual. The King will want to see us to, right?”

“Yep,” Steele answers. “He wants to see us fight. Especially you, Larry.”

“I’m ready,” Larry says. “Bring it on. I’m better than his warlord now.”

Seth laughs. “That’s not saying much,” he says, mocking Larry. “Gamma Drake is how old now? Forty-seven, forty-eight? You’re twenty-years younger.”

“The question shouldn’t be whether you are better that Gamma Drake,” Steele says, agreeing with Seth. “But it’s whether or not you are better than Gamma Victor Kane of the Wolferaine Kingdom.”

“Now that is the man to beat,” Seth says. “That guy is famous. He’s won every battle.”

Larry groans. “He’s got the experience I have to admit,” he says. “Just give me time. We’ve been practicing but we’ve never gone to war.”

Seth nods. “True,” he says. “What’s the nature of the King’s visit this time? Why does he want to see us fight?”

“Yeah.” Larry joins in. “What’s the plan? Are we finally going to do something about the status quo that we’ve been having with Wolferaine? Your twin brother died in their territory, are we going to do something about it?”

“It’s suicidal, man,” Steele answers. “They are stronger than us and we have no reason to attack them. Even my father acknowledges that. But yes, we are going to do something. It’s always in my father’s head. I don’t think he will ever rest until we avenge my brother’s death.”

Seth whistles. “After six years?” he asks. “What a long wait. And does that mean the King will announce Prince Damon’s demise at last?”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Steele answers with a shrug. “My father is still being cryptic about it, but I’ve got the feeling that he has a plan in mind and wants us to deliver.”

“So, this is going to be a test?” Larry asks. “Whether we are good enough to lead the kingdom.”

“A dangerous one,” Seth says. “What does the King have in mind for us to do? Sneaking into Wolferaine to assassinate their King?”

Steele shakes his head. “Assassinate the Alpha King Boone Wolfe of the Wolferaine Kingdom will not be possible,” he says. “That’s a suicide mission and I will not let one of my men do it. If we are going to assassinate somebody, it will be someone who is close to the King. Make him angry, give him a reason to attack us instead.”

“Huh,” Seth says, then points out. “But will we win, though? Going to war against them, will we win?”

“Probably not,” Steele answers. “But the advantage is that the war will be in our territory. We know the area more than them. Plus, they will be the one who attacks us, the shifters’ world will be behind us they might even send troops to help.”

“But we started the war,” Larry points out. “How would the shifters’ world defend us and condemn them if we’re the one asking for it.”

“Because we are the one who’ll do the deeds,” Steele answers with a smile. “And when I said we, I didn’t mean the Northernland Kingdom. I meant us. Do you need a reminder that my birth as my father’s son was never announced? When we were born, the palace was only announced the birth of my brother, Damon. He was the one who was raised inside the kingdom as the future king while I was taken to the upstate New York to live there with my mother. Everything I do, we do, will not be associated with him.”

“That I understand,” Seth says. “But then, how will Alpha King Boone Wolfe know that the Northernland is the one who starts the war if we’re not associated with them.”

“Good question,” Larry says. “I second that question.”

“That will be the tricky part,” Steele answers. “We still need to think about this long and hard. All I know is that my father wants revenge for his son’s death. He wants to have an active war and we should be the one who starts it because it seems like the Wolferaine is not planning to do that. Start the war, I mean.”

“And we will need to do that by making the Wolferaine attack the Northernland first,” Seth confirms.

“And they will only attack the Northernland if we kill someone who the Alpha King Boone Wolfe treasures,” Larry continues the train of thought.

“Again, though,” Seth argues, playing the devil’s advocate. He’s good at doing that. “How do they know that we are the representation of the Northernland Kingdom if we have never been acknowledged by our own kingdom? After all, death can happen for any number of reasons. You can’t just attack another kingdom just because someone you love die.”

Steele doesn’t answer. His men are correct, the Wolferaine Kingdom will not just attack the Northernland because somebody that the King loves die. The Wolferaine will need proofs that the Northernland is behind the assassination. However, if they have the proofs of the wrongdoings committed by the Northernland, then the shifters’ world will not be behind the Northernland and help them fight. If that happens, then the Northernland will not have the guarantee of winning even though the war will take place inside their territory. The Wolferaine is still too good. They’re the best.

“Wolferaine will only go to war if they are sure without any reasonable doubts that Northernland is behind the demise of whoever we are planning to assassinate,” Seth says again.

“Right,” Larry says. “And they will bring the proofs to the shifters’ forum giving the forum no other choice but to approve the war without partiality.”

“That means we need the proofs that can only be seen by the Alpha King himself,” Steele says. “We have to make him angry, livid, even. He will want to go to war no matter what.”

“And how do we do that?” Seth asks.

“The thing is, my father has never announced the death of my brother,” Steele says in a low voice, not quite answering the question. “At the moment, the whole shifters’ world still think that he is alive. Only a few of the on the need to know basis inside the Wolferaine Kingdom know that my brother died in their territory. Which means I have to be the one who does the assassination of whoever person he loves.”

Seth and Larry look at each other, bewildered.

“What?” Larry asks. “That’s a joke, right?”

The Alpha Prince Steele North smiles his devilish smile. “Nope,” he answers. “He needs to see my face as I deliver the body. He thought he’d killed me once; he’d do anything to kill me twice.”

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