- Josie -

I knew something had happened as soon as they walked through the front door.

In the way Jaxon bypassed me on the couch and headed straight upstairs...the unmistakeable scent of blood perfuming the hallway in his wake.

"What's happened, what's going on?" I crank my neck to turn in fear that another attack was happening, or they had heard something on Jace's whereabouts.

Whose blood was it.

"Mum, Dad?" Cleo stirs at their return, her eyes mirroring mine as she sniffs the air around us. That scent of blood also putting her into panic mode.

"Is it Jace, has something happened?" She sits bolt upright, her eyes still sore from lack of sleep and her silent sobs.

She was still blaming herself for his reaction last night, I know she was.

But all she did was ask him for a dance, he was the one in the wrong, he could have handled it better.

"No, we haven't heard news on Jace. Come on, let's give them some privacy." Uncle Orpheus walks over to Cleo, shaking Ares' shoulder to wake him up.

They swiftly exit the sitting room leaving me to ponder what on earth was going on.

My eyes lock back on my parents and Kit, who was standing behind them.

Then it dawns on me. The smell of blood, their unexplained disappearance in the early hours of the morning....Jaxon had taken care of George. George was dead.

"It's George isn't it?" I ask out, not really sure I want to hear the answer.

"Yes, he won't be a problem any longer." Dad signs out as he takes a step closer to me; his hand reaching out and stroking the side of my face. "My beautiful baby girl..." He gently brushes my cheek, his head tilting in a sympathetic movement.

He knows, he must know.

I swallow the lump in the back of my throat that threatens to take my voice away.

Even though I wasn't in the wrong, it's not something I want to discuss, not something I want to talk about.

I've relived it time and time again since the end of the attack. George's hands returning to me in my sleep. I've evaluated every part of it, what I could have done differently.

I should have fought him off me more, but I was close to passing out from the head wound. If it hadn't of been for Abel and Auntie Rosa...

"You did nothing wrong." He leans forward, planting a gentle kiss on my cheek, his eyes searching mine intensely.

"I need you to know that."

"I do know that." I sadly smile, my eyes flickering behind me to Kit.

Dad nods in acknowledgement before moving towards his office, he stops midway turning to Kit before whipping his head for him to follow. With a rolling of the eyes, and a small giggle from me, Kit reluctantly follows Dad into his office.

"What happened?" I ask Mum as soon as we are alone.

"You don't need to worry about him anymore darling. I'm just glad he was stopped." Mum moves around the couch, sitting down next to me. Tentatively she lifts my legs up and places them in her lap.

"By someone that you killed." I murmur out under my breath.

She sighs out at my comment.

"I stand by my decision. Abel had been sent to infiltrate our pack, from the moment he stepped onto our lands he had been lying. He wasn't who you think he was."

Maybe, but I had spent enough time with him to know you can't keep up with a fake persona.

He may have lied about his origins but I truly believe he wanted to help people, that he was also a healer at heart.

He had been forced into it.

"I want you to see somebody, someone that might be able to help you understand just how dangerous the White Moon pack is. Why Abel's betrayal couldn't be forgiven."

"Someone here?"

"No, she lives in isolation. She helped me, she answered questions that I had. I can answer your questions but I think it would help you to have another tell you.

I think it might help you to not feel guilty of what happened to Abel. You'll understand how long he had been planning to betray you, how long his corruption had been going on."

"I get that he had orders Mum, I'm not naïve but he didn't need to die. He wouldn't have hurt me."

"Yes but in trying to get to you, in trying to take you away...pack members have died. When his death isn't so raw as it is now, you'll understand that he couldn't live.

By choice or extracted from torture, he would have leaked key information to them, which would have given them the means to launch more attacks." I let her words sink in. I hadn't thought about that.

Yes whether willingly or not, Abel would have given details that would have been crucial to the White Moon pack in capturing Mum. In destroying this pack once and for all.noveldrama

"And George?"

“George's death was slow, painful...exactly what he deserved.”

"I'm sorry you had to do it. I wouldn't ask that of you."

"I am Alpha of the Clear Waters Josie, the punishment was for mine to do. As your mother...I want to do it. As your brother, Jaxon wanted to to it. As your mate..."

"You let Kit get involved?"

"No, I let him watch. I didn't want your life together to be tainted from the start.