Alpha Maximus：The last lycan novel Chapter 25

　　Hope

　　My heart sinks with dread. My father is the reason his parents are dead.

　　‘I'm so sorry,’ I say, crying. He grabs my chin to force me to look at him.

　　‘It's not your fault. It's not like you had anything to do with it,’ he says, before kissing me on the lips.

　　‘Hope? You’re shaking,’ he says, concerned. He rests his forehead on mine. ‘You’re burning up,’ he says, standing, lifting me up.

　　He grabs his coat, covers me, and walks nude, upstairs to our room. I’m trembling and shaking. He lies me on our bed and goes into the bathroom to fill the bath.

　　He scoops me up, and lowers himself into the bath with me in his arms, so we are both in the water. My mind is racing one hundred miles an hour, before it fades into nothing.

　　I wake up in bed, nestled into Max, who is snuggled into me, with his arm around me. Sitting up, I rub my forehead.

　　‘How are you feeling?’ He asks, sitting up.

　　‘My head hurts. Otherwise, I’m fine,’ I answer.

　　‘You passed out in the bath. I haven't left your side since. You slept all through the night,’ he says.

　　‘Was I really out for that long?’ I ask.

　　‘Yep,’ he says, twirling my hair around his finger.

　　‘Do you want to rest in bed today?’ He asks.

　　‘No. I'll be fine. We have pack matters we need to address,’ I say, and he nods and sighs.

　　After dressing, and having breakfast, we go back into his office, where he puts some scrolls in front of me.

　　‘With half the packs gone, and now ruled by us, I contacted the alphas of the remaining packs to let them know of our new territories. And to confirm I now have a mate and Luna. So far, most are willing to sign peace treaties. Except for the Dark Moon pack. We’ve had bad blood between us for many years. The death of my parents, for instance,’ he explains.

　　‘What happened?’ I ask; part of me not wanting to know what my birth pack did to his.

　　‘I was really young. All I remember is that their friend, a witch, had broken a law, which resulted in a witch hunt for her. Even her own coven hunted her. My parents were killed for trying to protect her and going against the law,’ he explains.

　　‘What law did she break?’ I ask.

　　‘She fell in love with a werewolf. The alpha of the Dark Moon pack,’ he explains.

　　‘I don't understand. If they were in love, why shouldn't they be together?’ I ask. Max gives me a startled look.

　　‘It's forbidden for werewolves to mate or crossbreed with other species. It’s an instant death sentence,’ he explains.

　　‘Why should anyone in love be punished? Why should it matter if you fall in love with a vampire, a wolf or a witch?’ I ask, in defence.

　　‘Are you hearing yourself? It's forbidden because we don't know what a hybrid is capable of. Or how dangerous they could be to other species. We are all equally balanced. If a creature is mixed race, we no longer have that balance. A hybrid is a threat to all our species.’ He says, wrapping his arms around me.

　　‘Is that what you really think? That a hybrid is nothing but a creature and a threat?’ I ask, struggling to hold my tears in. He lets out a heavy sigh.

　　‘It doesn't matter what I think. Because hybrids don't exist,’ he sighs, and I take a few steps back, looking him in the eye.

　　‘You seem to have forgotten—’

　　‘Forgotten what?’ He asks.

　　‘I'll come with you,’ he says, gently taking my wrist, concerned.

　　‘No. I need to be alone for a while,’ I say.

　　‘I don't understand. Why do you need to be alone? Why do you need to process this? It has nothing to do with you,’ he says, confused.

　　‘It has everything to do with me!’ I snap, and he lets go of my wrist, shocked at my sudden outburst. I run out of the office and outside.

　　Pulling off my dress, I tie it around my waist, shift into Storm, and race over the castle walls, through fields of grass and flowers. I run until I’m exhausted, with our conversation playing over and over in my mind.

　　Shifting back, I put my dress on, sit under a large tree, and cry for hours. I’m happy I finally know who my parents are, but heartbroken by the way they were treated.

　　My mother was killed for being in love, and my father has been in a dungeon for the last eighteen years! How am I alive? How was I not killed? I was found in a forest as a new born baby. Max said it took Alpha Cal months to find my mother. I need to know how it all transpired.

　　The ruby heart glows, and I hold it in my hand. I’m suddenly transported inside a vortex to a dark and foggy forest. The moon is full and glowing. Someone nearby is running. Running, I follow them, and freeze when I see my mother leaning against a tree. She is gasping for air, and catching her breath. She checks her surroundings for followers. Slowly, I walk up to her.

　　‘Mum?’ I whisper, but she can't hear me; instead, she looks at the baby in her arms.

　　‘It's going to be okay, my darling. I’ll make sure you live. You won't be punished for the love your father and I have for each other. And the love we have for you,’ she says, kissing a baby on its cheek.

　　She runs off again, and I follow her to the forest, to the lake, that I often went to, to get away from Alpha Tate.

　　Voices yell in the distance.

　　‘Me and your father love you so much baby girl. I have to leave you here and lead them away from you. If anyone knows we had you, they will kill you. This is the only way for you to live, my child,’ she cries, giving me one last hug, before putting me on the ground.

　　In tears, she backs away, before running back into the forest. I look down at the baby, and caress her cheek, but my hand is transparent and ethereal. My Mum screams, and I run to her. ‘Mum!’ I scream.