Her Mortal Mate

Chapter Seventy Two: Olive Branch

Jadea

“Look, Jadea, I’m honored you want me to join your pack,” Kristi expressed as we walked side by side around the perimeter of Lance’s property. I just asked her if she wanted to join our ranks and surprisingly she didn’t hesitate with her answer. “But I’ve found a home within the Demon Stronghold. I have friends, and my own family, with others in the demon guard. I don’t want to leave them.”

I completely understood how she felt and smiled, not at all offended by her decision. “I’m glad you have made such great friendships. If ever your decision changes, we would be more than honored and happy to have you join us.”

Her expression turned thoughtful. “While I may not be interested, I know someone who might if you would be willing to talk to him?”

“Who?”

She stopped and waited for me to fully face her before she stated seriously. “Chance. Your half-brother.”

I hoped my expression was impassive and controlled, even though I wanted nothing more than to scrunch my nose at the mention of his name.

She had to be suggesting this for a reason. “May I ask why you are recommending him?”

“I know it is an odd recommendation, seeing as how he worked for those against you. Or, perhaps coerced to work against you would be a better explanation for his actions.” She rambled on thoughtfully.

Curiously, there had been no talk of Chance while we were here. Though, I had to admit it was crazy busy. Constance had a s**t ton on her plate. There really hadn’t been an opportunity to talk about Chance other than the quick bit of information I’d gleaned from my father earlier. “Kristi, do you know what happened? I mean, how they obtained Chance? And what transpired after?”

I wasn’t quite so willing to trust him. He had been manipulated by Hans. There was still the very real possibility he was working for them, that he had been instructed to be overly cooperative so as to infiltrate our ranks. It felt suspicious.

“I know some,” she admitted. “I was placed on his detail and was present for most of his interrogation.” That would be rather helpful, I thought to myself. “Though, whatever you are wanting to know, he would gladly tell you,” she added.

“You are sure he would speak the truth?” I couldn’t keep the skepticism out of my tone.

She shrugged. “Ickarous was there, along with a truth mage, when they interrogated him. He was very cooperative and never once uttered a lie or tried to hide the truth.”

This was very interesting indeed. “Would I be able to speak to him in person?”

“I don’t think there would be an issue. We will have to ask Obsidian to teleport us to the stronghold, because he is being held in the dungeons until further notice. You would also have to get him cleared by Constance.”

This seemed overly complicated. However, if what she said was true, I would ultimately be abandoning him. If there was any truth to her words, I couldn’t just give up on him like that. “Okay, let us go talk with Obsidian,” I stated confidently. Nothing bad would come of a very simplistic conversation. If I felt he wasn’t a good match, then he could stay where he was and Constance could figure out what to do with him.

Obsidian seemed on board with the plan to see if Chance was a good fit with my pack. He teleported us to the stronghold and took us directly to the dungeons where he was being kept. “Take your time,” he assured me. “It’s going to be a while before Constance is done with your mate. When they are getting close to finishing up business, I will come find you. I hope everything goes well.”

Once he was gone, and most of the other guards posted in the dungeon left to stand guard at the entranceway—so we could have some privacy—Chance stepped forward, leaning against the solid bars of his cell. He had a mop of auburn hair and yellowish-green eyes. He was tall, skinny. Malnourished. There were bones sticking out where there shouldn’t have been. “I honestly expected you here sooner,” he stated, an empty grin crookedly spreading across his face. His eyes were sad, bellying that smile.

“Been busy,” I stated honestly.

“Are you here to beat information out of me? I’ve already told The Phoenix everything I knew.”

“What did Hans tell you about me?” I decided to change the subject, curious as to why Chance would think I would resort to violence to gain information from him. Didn’t he know I could just speak the command in his mind and he would spill all? Didn’t he know I had a mind reader in my pack?

“Not much, other than you ran away after you killed Benji. He told us you were so filled with grief and heartbreak over what happened you just couldn’t stay.”

For some reason, unfound rage ripped through my chest at this blatant lie. Chance’s gaze sharpened on me in my silence. “That’s not what happened though, was it? You didn’t kill him?”

I was a bit shocked by his intuitiveness. “No, I didn’t. But, you have no reason to believe me.”

“On the contrary, I have every reason to believe you.”

“Why is that?”

It didn’t make sense. Hans had practically made his own narrative of what happened to Benji. The reason he shifted the blame of his death on to me was annoying and hurtful—because Benji and I had been rather close seeing as we had been the black sheep of the family.

“Before father asked me to run for the councilor position, I wouldn’t have believed you,” he started, crossing his arms over his chest, his gaze falling to the floor. “I was so starved for attention. I was always made to feel incompetent and less than everyone else because I had no powers. I was useless. Scum. He always dangled the carrot of approval just out of reach. I did things—horrendous, terrible things—trying to gain his love and attention as I grew up. I presume you and Benji were made to feel the same way?” He asked and I nodded. He nodded sadly. “When I came of age and had the choice to leave, he realized I lost interest in staying. In order to keep me under his control, he told me he wanted me to run for the councilor position. He praised me, said I was the best option for the position because I was smart and independent. I didn’t realize, until it was too late and I’d already made an oath to him, that he was using me. Just as he used you.

“Even though father told lies about you, I found out the truth as I was integrated further into the scheme. Father wanted to make sure I was known, so he ensured I was at every meeting. He made sure my presence was visible to the public so they would be familiar with my presence as well. I spoke with other councilors, to get in their good graces. However, I was always held under father’s thumb. If I said something he disapproved of, made even one wrong gesture, I was punished, his love and approval taken away. Conditional only to how I performed.”

He paused, his eyes distant and I understood the trauma bond he had with Hans. I had once been there too. “It is hard to break that cycle. It is hard to accept the one you admired most and wanted to be loved by the most cannot and will not love you.”

His slight nod of agreement broke my heart. “It is a most painful and hopeless feeling.”

Reaching out, I rested my hand on his arm. His shocked gaze connecting with mine. “The important thing is, you survived. You were able to get away from him. You were strong enough to finally see what Hans truly was.”

“He’s the worst kind of being,” he sulked, looking curiously down at my hand and I had to wonder if he was speculating if the gesture was true or a form of manipulation.

“What do you want to do with your life, Chance?” I inquired, dropping the connection. “When Constance comes back and you are released, what do you want from life?”

“I just want to belong somewhere.” His heartfelt admission not what I was expecting. “I want to be loved. I desperately want some place I can call home.” He replied, his voice so small, as if it was a prayer. “Though, I don’t think I will ever be able to have that. Constance may never let me go for what I did. I broke the rules, Jadea.”

“You were under duress. You were being manipulated. Constance knows this. She is very caring and understanding.”

“It sounds like you know her well.”

“I do,” I confirmed, watching how he chewed on this piece of information. “Perhaps not like those within her inner circle. But my family and I have worked with her.”

“Yes. Lucien, your step father.” He sounded almost jealous and my heart hurt for him. I had been the lucky one to escape. I had been the one to find true love and affection outside of Hans’s world. A place where Hans always told us would be harder and more brutal than the safety and security he could provide.

Hmm… Chance wasn’t malicious. His feelings were genuine, even if he was feeling hurt and jealous. “I have to consult the others of my pack, but I would like to tentatively offer you a place in our pack.”