The Dark Side Of Fate

~Sylvester~

I took the journal from Tamia and read the page she was on. I could not believe what I had just seen.

"What if this woman was trying to frame my mother? The letter was anonymous. What if that was what she was trying to do? Jenny was on the council, and my mother wasn't. My father had left the Balyaev seat vacant, making the Lawrences the most powerful family on the council. What if the council teamed up and decided to persecute my mother? There is always evidence to convict a person, whether guilty or innocent. What if that was Jenny's plan?” I said, still finding it hard to believe what Tamia had said.

She stood up and touched my hand.

"I do not know what to believe. But we must review the files and hide the correspondence about your father's murder. Marcel and Theodore are loyal to you, but their fathers were also killed. They might not find it funny and demand retribution,” she said to me, and I knew she was right.

So I left her in the room and rushed down, stared at where the documents were and started searching the files for anything that had to do with the correspondence between Jenny and my mother.

"Sylvester, is everything alright?" Marcel asked me holding Jenny's journal in his hand. It was clear they found what she had written amusing. I smiled at him and nodded.

"Yes. I just need to see the correspondence between her and my mother,” I said. He nodded and continued to read the journal in his hand.

I thought of the many things that could happen if the information Tamia just found out got into the wrong hands. The thought motivated me to search. Tamia joined me downstairs and helped me search the files.

We were at it for hours. We had lunch and talked about the content of the journal. We joked about what Jenny wrote. Tamia and I pretended to find it amusing because we did not want to alarm the others.

By evening we had gone through all the documents we had brought, and only four files consisted of her correspondence with my mother and father.

I found a copy of the letter sent to her by her southern informant in those files. It was authentic, but I could not tell if it was my mother's handwriting or not.

"Alpha Corrigan, I write you in good conscience. I do not believe in injustice, and I believe the wolf lord lost his mind because of his greed. Knowing how greatly your family suffered at his hands, I am moved to do this. Although I want to remain anonymous, I have discovered that the lord is out to conquer the south. He travels in disguise with his beta and gamma under the Alias John Michan. He plans to scout your territory as a tourist to develop his attack plan. I am writing you this letter so you can prepare yourself for what is to come. Your parents’ sacrifice should not be in vain. Leah Corrigan and I became friends in the harem. Where I found favour with the wolf lord, she didn't. I am writing you this letter to help keep her son alive. Please, the wolf lord with be in the south on Monday at noon. He will be staying at the Danes Inn in Pridewood Pack land Under his Alias. Be warned that there will be warriors around. You must intercept him in the inn. I hope for the sake of the south you succeed.” It read, and I wondered how Jenny would think my mother would write the letter.

The writer said she was in the harem, but Jenny had also said only my mother knew the Alias my father used to travel. Could it be possible that he discussed his trip with one of his girls, and she opted to betray him?

Tamia and I returned upstairs to pack the evidence, and I decided to talk to her about my thoughts. "Could it be that my father might have divulged his travelling plans to a girl in the harem?" I asked, and Tamia looked at me.

"You did not read some of the records in the journal. Jenny said that Leah Corrigan was never in the harem. He did not even sleep with her. She was thrown into service in Grizlo, where she died.” Tamia said.

"Maybe she was misinformed. My father slept with all the lunas he took. He might have told Jenny that, so she would not be mad. You have read her journals, Tamia; you know she is obsessed with him and possessive of him, too," I said, and she nodded.

"Still, you need to confront your mother on this. You need to ask her; she better come clean because this is serious. This can just ruin the entire Volkov family. We have a marriage coming, and we will soon welcome children into this world. We do not need lies and secrets weighing us down and haunting us.” She said, and I could understand her fear and her reasons.

I decided I wouldn't waste any time. Once we returned to the estate in the morning, I would ask my mother. I hope she tells the truth for all our sakes so I can figure out what to do.

We had dinner, and everyone joked about the things they read in Jenny's journal.

The woman believed my father loved her, and my mother was blackmailing him to keep him.

She was really delusional.

One thing that troubled everyone was that other than when she mentioned her son, she never talked about him again. It was as if he had stopped existing. According to Theodore, there was an entry where she claimed my father took her son from her, but that was all. She did not talk about it or tell us where he was living. It was as if the baby had stopped existing. It was weird.

We left for the Volkov estate the next day. I was eager to confirm with my mother on the matter. We arrived, and I went to my room.

After Tamia and I had settled in, I took the photocopied letter and knocked on my mother's door. I hoped she did not make it hard for my sake because I was tired of the lies.

My mother opened the door and was surprised to see me. She smiled and let me in

"I must have done something right for you to come looking for me this morning,” She said with a smile and offered me a seat. I sat and thanked her.

"How is Tamia? Is she alright? I hope she is eating and resting. These are the early stages. She shouldn't be going about with you,” She said, and I smiled and leaned forward.

"She is fine, mother," I said and sighed.

"I am here to have a private discussion with you, and I need you to be honest with me," I said, and her smile dropped.

"I need you to tell me the truth because what I discovered is explosive. It can ruin our family. I need you to come clean and tell me the truth, so I will know how to handle the situation,” I said, and she frowned at me.

"Why are you speaking like this, darling? I won't lie to you about anything. I love you and your brother, and your know it," She said, sounding a bit hurt, and I nodded.

"Okay, I want to know what transpired between you and Jenny Lawrence Babanin. There was a lot of bad blood between you two, so I do not understand why she would visit you in our house,” I said, and she became uncomfortable.

"She just came to say hello and reconcile,” She said, and I got irritated.

"Mother, you better tell me the truth. I have a letter from Jenny's records. She has a record claiming you wrote it and accusing you of killing father," I said, and she stood up and shook her head.

"How can you say such a thing about me? It is all lies. I warned her to stop spewing that nonsense about me. You do not know how that bitch was. She was obsessed with your father.” She said, and I cut her sentence to stop her from deviating. She always did that when backed into a corner.

"Tell me the truth, mother," I said, and she shook her head.

"Please sit down," I told her, letting my command through, and she reluctantly did as I said.

"I know he was unfair to you. I know everything. Tamia told me about Alissa, and I learned other things. I am not trying to judge you; I just need to know what to do," I said and sighed.

"She is lying. I can never hurt Maurice. He was my husband.” She said, and I shook my head.

"Yes, I know, but he hurt you, mother. He tried to divorce you because of his fated, made you care for her, murdered most of your family members, and tried to give your family seat to his son. He did a lot of hurtful things to you," I said, and she looked at me, shocked.

"How did you know he tried to take my family seat from me?" She asked me with disbelief. I bowed my head and then looked at her.

"I did some research and saw a letter Jenny wrote to you to alert you that father wanted to give your family seat to his son, David,” I said, and she was speechless.

I had her where I wanted, so it was time to ask again. Now that she knew I had information, she would not resolve to lie.

"Mother, please tell me you had no hand in this. Tell me that Jenny is lying and you did not have father killed." I said, staring into her eyes. Her tears were a dead giveaway. She was shaking and sweating. I could see it, but I needed her to say it.

"Answer me, mother," I said, and she wiped away her tears.

"She was fucking him, Sylvester. I had no choice. They were working against me, all of them, against us," She said, and my knees gave out, and I fell on them with tears streaming down my eyes. Everything she told me was a lie. Everything I knew was a lie. Every hate I harboured against Devin was doctored. I was a puppet. My mother's puppet.

"I had to. Maurice had done enough, Sylvester. My family headed the council. He did not only wipe them out but banned me from sitting on their seat because he wanted to make his fated lady and luna.

Things went back to normal when Alissa died, and we lived for many years.

I couldn't say I was happy because he kept a harem and had mistresses, but he wasn't trying to divorce me anymore, and you and your brother were growing into fine men. I was content.

Then Jenny told me he planned to give my seat to his bastard. I was livid. I was preserving that seat for Dominic, and the council had approved that he ascend the chair to lead them.

Maurice was planning on going on a pilgrimage when he decided to give my seat to his bastard. We had a heated argument after Jenny told me what he was planning.

I would later find out that she was his mistress and that she told me, hoping it would end my marriage and she could slide in. That bitch.

During our argument, your father threatened to deal with me if I did not comply.

When I told him I won't stand for it, and I would fight him for it, he came to the sickest decision. He said I could keep my seat and give it to whomever I liked because he would make David lord. After all, he is an Alpha and his son, even if he did not marry his mother.

I couldn't have it, and knowing he was serious, I was determined to end his terror.

He had shamed me so many times I refused to let him shame my children. So I did what I had to do. I sent a letter to the southern Alpha that Maurice was heading his way to wage war on his people.” she said, and I bowed my head. Bane wasn't lying when he said my father trespassed. I looked at my mother, and she looked away.

"I had to, Sylvester, or you won't be lord. He had sent the decree, which I had to bribe Vino's father and Jenny to overturn secretly. I did not even know he was screwing her then.

They agreed, but the Balyaev seat would be vacant in exchange, so Lawrence would head the council. I did it for you

That man wanted to take everything away from us and give Alissa's son. All my years with him, suffering and supporting him were going to amount to nothing. He wanted to raise a bastard above you, Sylvester.

He was a cold-hearted maniac, and I had to end him before he ruined what was left of our family and lives.

I loved him, but I couldn't take it anymore," She said and sat down and began to weep.

I did not know what to say or do. I was in shock.

"Then why did you have Dominic wage war against Alpha Corrigan?” I asked her, and she looked away.

"To cover my tracks. Jenny suspected I had a hand in Maurice's death, and she was hell-bent on exposing me. I had to cover my tracks. If someone is punished for the crime, there will be no need to dig into it."

"So why did you continue your friendship with Jenny?" I asked her, and She sighed.

"Ever heard of the saying that tells us to keep our enemies close?" She said, and I wondered what more she had done for our honour. A woman's scorn was truly dangerous, and my mother had proven it.