Sins of the Father

by JJ King

  ♀♀♀

  Days passed and the conclave pressed on. Katherine cringed every time she saw one of her brothers leave their father’s office with increasingly deep signs of fatigue and stress etched into their handsome features.

  She felt for them and knew the process was excruciating but, try as she may, Katherine couldn’t help but seethe over the fact that she wasn’t allowed to participate alongside them because of her sex. More than once, she took refuge in her mother’s room, to rant and discuss the current efforts of the Sisterhood, since that made her at least feel proactive.

  Katherine loved the idea of a secret women’s club. History and politics were riddled with old boy clubs, filled with rich white men plotting ways to stay in power while sipping on aged whiskey.

  Sylvie commiserated with her, but she was often too busy to waste time griping about The Man. They all were.

  It was strange, Katherine mused, finally seeing the work her mother put into these diplomatic visits. In the past, she’d watched only her father, seeing only his role in keeping the leadership of North America in balance. Now she was seeing the other side of the coin, and Katherine found herself impressed on a daily basis as she watched Sylvie handle situations that would have tried a saint.

  Daphne and Rose helped wherever they could, each volunteering for her own reasons. For Daphne, this was the best opportunity she’d ever have to learn from an Alpha’s wife, since Jacob’s wife had been out of the picture for most of Keme’s life. While Keme had brothers, they showed no interest in leading their pack and so it was assumed that he would succeed his father.

  Rose, on the other hand, seemed to crave Sylvie’s approval and so she watched intently and stepped up whenever she saw a need. She, too, could someday be the wife of an Alpha, since Liam was in the running as the youngest son of the current Irish Alpha. He had more than ten brothers, though, so the odds were low that he’d ever rule.

  The men were making themselves useful, too, filling in the gaps left by Anthony, Ronan, and Teagan. Quinn was enjoying his work with the security teams and Keme was like a kid in a candy story, knee-deep in tech that had him bright eyed every time he came home. Liam helped where he could, joining Quinn some day and Keme others, and a deep friendship was growing between the three men. It was nice to see, since the three women were as close as sisters now.

  Katherine rotated her neck and arched her back, stretching out the muscles that had stiffened as she’d sat reviewing the files from the mountain for the past few hours. They were mostly useless, to her at least. The copies they’d sent to the lab had their scientists all aflutter with excitement. She read through each one carefully, though, unwilling to miss a single detail that might help them understand the extent of Raphael’s plans.

  The door to the parlor pushed open and Quinn strode into the room, motioning for Katherine to follow him. She laid down the file she’d been sorting through and rushed after him into the hallway, alarmed at his grim expression.

  “What’s wrong?” Katherine’s stomach churned with instant anxiety. She hoped no one was hurt.

  “There’s someone here,” Quinn rubbed the stubble on his chin as if the words he had to say exhausted him. “Someone… dangerous.”

  Katherine’s mind immediately flew to Raphael and her muscles seized up before the memory of his dead eyes looking up at her from the floor soothed her fears. She frowned, unable to think of who Quinn could mean. “Who?”

  Quinn grimaced and glanced around, ensuring their privacy, then whispered, “Keme’s mother.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Daphne paced the room and waited for Keme to arrive. Her skin buzzed with nerves, frustration, and pure unadulterated hatred for a woman she’d never met.

  She hated her on principle, for hurting Keme and his siblings, and for abandoning them. She was a monster, an abuser, an insane person… and her mate’s long-lost mother.

  How am I going to tell him? She pivoted and started back toward the bed, covering the same path across the room she’d already walked multiple times. Katherine had come to her as soon as Quinn had told her, and thank the Old Ones. She needed to be with Keme when he was told; she was the only person that could help him deal. Her stomach flipped. This was going to suck.

  The door pushed open and she whirled to see Keme enter holding a tiny motherboard that he looked excited to show her.

  He looked so cute, like a boy with a new toy, and she hated the thought of taking that happiness away from him, but she had no choice. He had to be told. She opened her mouth to tell him.

  “I’m pregnant.” The words hijacked her intentions, spilling from her mouth before she could stop them.

  Keme stared at her with a slack expression that clearly said he didn’t compute. Slowly, he blinked and an incredulous smile spread across his face. Then she was being lifted into the air and spun around in a circle while Keme yipped and shouted sounds of pure joy. Swept up in the moment, she wrapped her arms around his neck and dissolved into a fit of giggles, all thoughts of his mother gone.

  “Are you alright? Is the baby? How far along are you?” He rhymed off questions as fast as he could speak, then sunk down on his knees and pressed his lips to her stomach. “Hey in there,” he grinned up at her, “I’m your daddy.” He inhaled deeply and stilled, frowning. His eyes went dark with instant fear, “Daphne…”

  “I know,” She interrupted before he could go to the dark place. We think it’s from the serum we used in Ireland.”

  “We?” Keme’s eyebrows drew down in confusion. As he climbed to his feet, Daphne winced.

  “I’m sorry. I found out just after Classiebawn and by then I knew something was wrong with my scent.” Daphne pleaded with him, grasping his hands in hers and praying he’d understand. “Everything was happening so fast and I thought…” she broke off when her voice cracked.

  Keme pulled her into his arms and cradled her head against his chest. “You thought there was something wrong with the baby, but you didn’t want to stop the rescue.” He sighed and tipped a finger under her chin, tilting her face up. “You must have been so afraid.”

  Daphne’s heart expanded almost painfully in her chest. How did she deserve him? He’d be in his right to be upset, frustrated that she’d kept this secret from him. Yet, he only saw her pain. Daphne stared up at her mate and fell in love with him all over again.

  “You’re not mad?” She asked quietly.

  “A bit,” Keme confessed, surprising her with his honesty, “but I know you had good intentions and were afraid. Next time, though,” he stared straight into her soul, “you come to me no matter what, deal?”

  “Deal.” Daphne strained up on her tip toes and met his lips half-way. He kissed her softly, moving his lips over hers slowly, tasting her with the tip of his tongue.

  When he pulled back, there were questions in his eyes. Daphne walked him to the bed and climbed in with him, laying her head on his chest. When they were settled, she twisted to look up at him and nodded, “Okay, shoot.”

  “My head’s spinning a bit, so this might take a while,” Keme grinned and tangled his fingers in her hair just as she liked. “Have you seen a doctor yet?”

  Daphne nodded, closing her eyes in bliss as he rubbed her scalp, “Yeah, Sylvie had her physician look me over a few days ago.”

  “Sylvie knows?” Keme sounded shocked.

  “Um… yes. Okay, so here’s the whole story. Rose found out because we were in a cell together and I needed to tell someone.” She rushed on when Keme opened his mouth to speak, “And it’s a good thing I did, because she took a pretty savage beating for me and the baby. You should thank her.”

  Keme looked stunned, “Shit. I will.” He blew out a deep breath. “Who else? Katherine, of course.”

  Daphne smiled, “She guessed actually, when I wasn’t drinking the other night. That’s why she kicked you boys out to discuss ‘feminine’ issues.” Daphne laughed at Keme’s face when she said the word ‘feminine.’

&nb
sp; “Did you see the baby?” Keme said the words carefully, slowly, and it broke Daphne’s heart to hear the hurt he was trying so hard to hide in his voice.

  She pushed up into a sitting position and turned to look at him. “No, I didn’t want to see our baby without you by my side, so I had the doctor turn the screen away. I wanted to experience that first glimpse with you.” Keme’s eyes went dark with emotion and she had to blink to hold back the tears that sprang up. “I can’t wait to raise this baby with you. I love you so much.”

  He asked her more questions and she answered, but as time passed, the knowledge of his mother’s presence began to press on her until every tick of the clock felt as if she were counting down to an execution. It was time. She’d shared the good news and now it was time to break her mate’s heart.

  With a heavy soul, Daphne took Keme’s hands in her lap and looked him straight in the eyes, “There’s something else I need to tell you.”

  ♀♀♀

  The woman that was escorted into the room looked nothing like a raving lunatic. Daphne stared at her, not attempting to appear polite. She leveled her gaze with her foe’s and stood beside Keme with her head held high, as if they were both too good for her company.

  Beside her, Keme’s entire body was as stiff as a board, as if his very being rejected her presence here. Daphne didn’t blame him one bit. She rejected the notion as well.

  She wanted to growl, to snap, to claw at the intruder until she was no more, but it wasn’t her place, not even as Keme’s mate. This was hard enough on Keme as it was, but to put herself and the baby at risk, that would just make it harder. She knew from Keme’s stories just how dangerous she was.

  Dalia stopped just inside the room, her gaze as uncertain as she faced her son for the first time since his childhood. Daphne gripped Keme’s hand tightly and willed him the strength to get through this horrific reunion.

  “Mother,” Keme said stiffly. He leveled his gaze at her, looking for the world like the powerful wolf he was. Daphne swelled with pride for her mate and stood beside him, the only one aware of the fear tearing through him.

  “Keme,” Dalia took a hesitant step forward.

  Daphne growled. The sound reverberated from within her throat, without her even realizing it. She heard the sound and recoiled, clamping down her jaw to stop it from coming again. She looked to Keme in apology.

  Instead of being mad, Keme looked proud of her. He pulled her into his side, wrapping his arm around her and introduced the two women. “Mother, this is Daphne Dru, my mate.” He pressed his lips reassuringly against her head. “Daphne, this is Dalia Little Foot, my mother.”

  Neither woman made a move to shake hands, probably for the best considering the agitated state of Daphne’s wolf. The tension in the room grew thicker by the second until a gentle “ahem” shocked each of them out of their deep thoughts. All eyes turned to Sylvie, who sat like a queen in a wingback chair, watching them with appraising eyes.

  “I think,” she spoke softly but with a distinct air of command, “that we should all take a seat.” Sylvie motioned to the couches arranged around her in a circle.

  Daphne took her place next to Keme on a pale blue loveseat, opposite the traitor. That’s what she thought of the woman, what she wanted to scream at her until the oxygen ran out of the room. She’d betrayed her family, her husband, her people. She’d terrorized and broken her children. Daphne pressed a hand to her stomach instinctually, ready to protect the life within her, and barely held back her wolf, who demanded she shift now and attack.

  Dalia shifted forward in her seat and stared sharply at Daphne, then muttered, “Well, I’ll be damned…”

  Daphne felt the control within her snap and she growled, loudly this time. “You’re already damned, traitor! Why are you here? How dare you show your face?” She strained forward, held back only by Keme’s arms, which wound around her now, pulling her back against his side.

  “Daphne,” Keme’s voice broke through her rage, “Daphne, look at me.” He shifted her slightly so her body faced him, and after a moment, Daphne dragged her gaze away from Dalia. “You’re glowing,” he murmured, tracing a hand over her cheek.

  Daphne blinked, letting his words sink in, then she closed her eyes and lowered her head. She inhaled deeply and focused on her heartbeat, willing it to calm. She breathed until the overwhelming urge to tear Keme’s mother apart eased, a bit.

  When she opened her eyes again, Daphne felt her cheeks darken with embarrassment. This was exactly what she’d wanted to avoid. She’d managed to make a bad situation worse. Daphne looked at Keme and mouthed “I’m sorry.”

  He shook his head, almost imperceptibly, and squeezed her hand. Then he turned back to his mother and echoed Daphne’s question, “Why are you here?” His tone was flat and lifeless, as though his mother’s very presence had sucked the life from him. Daphne cringed, remembering the things he’d told her about the pain his mother had inflicted on him and his siblings, and felt her eyes begin to change again. Dalia might not be wielding her Alpha powers right now, but her being here was still causing Keme pain. Daphne’s wolf didn’t like that one bit.

  Dalia closed her eyes for a moment, looking pained at Keme’s tone, then she opened them and the look was gone. “I’ve come to speak with the Council.” She spoke directly to Keme, keeping her gaze level with his. Neither of them moved for a moment, then Dalia’s lifted a hand and reached out, yanking it back when Keme scowled at her. Her gaze sank.

  Daphne recognized regret in Dalia’s actions and she felt a moment of empathy for the woman. She’d witnessed Pierre’s outburst and seen his immediate concern for what he’d done, they all had. But his regret had been immediate and he’d stopped himself, Daphne argued with herself, feeling shame for giving Dalia one second of consideration.

  She was sure Dalia regretted hurting her children. That truth seemed etched on the woman’s entire being. She’d only been carrying the little life inside of her for a short time, but already she was its fiercest protector. Keme had told her he had memories of Dalia before she started using her powers, back when she’d been a good mom. What made someone go from that, to an abusive monster? Daphne just couldn’t image how a mother could turn on her children like that.

  Can’t you? A small voice in her piped up, flooding her mind with endless memories of her childhood. Her mother hadn’t used mystical Alpha powers to brutalize her, but she’d caused pain nonetheless. Daphne remembered the rejection and loneliness of being unwanted, and her heart clenched painfully. Her own parents hadn’t cared enough for her to make her feel loved or even accepted in her own home. At least Keme had memories of a loving mother, and a loving father who was proud to call him son.

  “Why?” Again, Keme’s outer composure remained intact, but Daphne could tell he was unravelling. There was a new tenseness in his muscles, one that was slowly building, slowly reaching the point of no return, and there was little she could do to stop it. She wasn’t even sure she should attempt to stop it, Keme deserved this confrontation. He needed it.

  Dalia twined her hands together on her lap, gripping them tightly as if to stop herself from reaching for Keme. She glanced down then, and as Daphne watched, she pulled herself together and looked up, a strong, confident, Alpha female. Dalia cleared her throat, “I didn’t just come to see the Council, Keme. I came to see you. The balance of our world is…” she paused to choose her words carefully, “shifting, and there are things you need to know.”

  “Things?” Keme scoffed, as the first evidence of his anger seeped out through the cracks in his armor. Things? After all these years, with no word?” He fisted his hands, “We thought you were dead! We…” he broke off. Keme pushed to his feet and just stood there, shaking from the effort of holding his emotions back. Daphne reached for his hand and gripped it, nodding her approval when he looked down at her with desperate eyes.

  “We were your children,” he flung the words across the room at Dalia like weapons, sharp and furio
us, “and you tortured us! You almost killed Sita!” Keme’s face distorted with fury, his lips curling back in a snarl. “And now you have the fucking nerve to come here, to ask to see me after all this time? You must be out of your mind if you think I want to hear a word you have to say.”

  “I was out of my mind back then!” Dalia’s voice shook as she jumped to her feet, holding her hands out in front of her, pleading to be heard. “I’m so sorry Keme, I can’t tell you how sorry I am. Words have no… I was mad with a power that I didn’t understand and couldn’t control. Please, Keme, just listen. Listen and then I’ll… I’ll leave if you want me to.”

  “And if I want you to leave now?” Keme stared her down, unflinching.

  Dalia’s shoulders slumped, but she kept her chin level and spoke softly, “Then I’ll leave.”

  Keme pivoted, turning away from the woman that had haunted his dreams as a child, a memory he’d shared with her. Daphne reached for him, taking him by the forearms to steady him. Her heart beat furiously in her chest but it was his she felt struggling. She heard Dalia’s plea, felt her pain, and the woman in her, the mother she was becoming, cried out for Keme to listen. But the rest of her, the unrelenting beast hiding just beneath her skin, demanded Dalia’s head.