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"What about my brother's pack?" I demanded.
"If he hasn't wormed his way in there yet, he will soon enough."
That wasn't good, not when three of the pack's five alphas weren't there to watch them. I needed to warn Javier. "So, Mordred has the New Moon's Curse?"
Pierce nodded. "You didn't think the full moon was the only one to select chosen ones, did you? Fate has decided to beat Selene at her own game. By finding someone strong enough to host the New Moon's Curse within themselves."
"But who is he, exactly?"
"I don't know." Pierce scowled. "It's the one thing that always puzzled me. I found no records of his birth or anything in any database. It's almost like he doesn't even exist. Yet his powers are unprecedented. Absolutely lethal and precise."
"Do you at least know what he is?" I asked, surprised that Pierce couldn't find any information on his own partner. "Is he a shifter or what?"
Pierce shook his head. "My best guess is that he's some kind of magic user. A warlock, or perhaps a sorcerer. Either way, his magic is strong." Pierce's eyes narrowed as he asked, "You have a magic user in your corner as well, don't you?"
I could've lied and say no, but considering he asked that question in the first place told me he already knew. "Roxanne."
"Is she Moon Chosen too?"
I nodded. "The Pink Moon."
"Then you better warn her about him. He has a particular interest in both the Pink and Raven Moon."
"The Raven Moon?" I tilted my head in confusion.
"Both gifts are magic based from what Mordred said. I'm sure you already know what kind of enhanced magic the Pink Moon has given to your friend. As for the Raven Moon, I don't know. As far as I was told, the Raven Moon's Chosen hasn't been found yet."
I did know what the Pink Moon gave Roxanne; the power to manipulate the mind. She said it was a trick that no other magic user was capable of doing. But Mordred could also do it since he was chosen by Fate to host the New Moon's Curse. Maybe there was a limit to his power. But if he got his hands on Roxanne's Pink Moon magic, it may be enough to manipulate those like me who are currently immune to mind manipulation. What about the Raven Moon? What was so special about that one, I wonder?
"So how do we stop him?" I asked.
Pierce seemed to think about that for a moment, but then said, "I honestly don't know. I don't even think he'll participate in our little get together."
"Why wouldn't he?"
When Pierce walked closer to me, I felt my haunches rise. My claws were still out, so if he tried something, I was ready to fight back. Pierce leaned forward, close enough for me to feel his hot breath tickling my skin as he answered. "This war is between you and me, my fated mate. Mordred already said he doesn't care what happens to the people of Kingsrose, or the wolves he currently has under his control. My guess is he's letting me have my fun, expecting me to return after killing you and taking the Wolf Moon's gift, then try to kill me to get it himself. If anything, he seems more fascinated with getting the Pink and Raven Moon's gifts first."
So, Pierce was my destined enemy, and Mordred seemed to be Roxanne's. At least I knew who our focus should be on. "There's one thing I can't figure out. Why kill everyone in Kingsrose? Not just your pack, but the humans? Why should they have to suffer when they don't even know we exist?"
Pierce's gaze darkened, looking away as his mind drifted elsewhere. He looked almost... distressed. "Just because they don't know we're shifters doesn't mean they don't know we exist as people. They know who I am and who my father was."
His father.
"He reminded me how heavily abused he was by his father, and how nobody cared enough to help him. Not even me or my mother. When Pierce had enough, he killed his father, ending the years of torment and ridicule, but that only seemed to fester his hatred more."
Joaquin's words about Pierce's father and the abuse he endured came back to me. About how nobody helped him when he clearly needed it. Pierce himself mentioned how his father made him who he was today in hopes of turning him into the strongest alpha alive. Now it seemed as if those wounds ran far deeper than I expected.
"Nobody in town helped you," I said quietly.
"Nobody cared enough to help me. My dad had connections around town, so running away or asking for help was nearly impossible. Anytime I asked for help, people turned their backs on me, or turned me in to my father. Not even your precious Joaquin did anything."
I took a moment to let that sink in. A young Pierce abused and broken seeking help with nobody around who could help. What could that have done to him mentally? The answer came clear as I thought of his plans to kill everyone. Revenge. That was what it boiled down to. Pierce wanted to make the town suffer for turning their backs on him. He wanted to kill everyone who turned their backs on him and keep only those who were truly loyal to him. There was no denying I hated him, and I still wanted him to suffer for making the people I loved suffer. But my heart still ached for the little boy he once was, and how much of his soul had to die in order to become the tyrannical man he was today.
"Nobody came to your rescue," I stated.
Pierce shook his head. "Nobody."
"You know Joaquin regrets not doing anything to help you back then." I reached out and pressed a hand to his chest. His heartbeat thrumming rapidly against my palm. This was the most intimate moment we’ve had together. I knew Pierce could still feel our fated connection, even though I couldn't. But somehow, I knew why Fate must've chosen me to be fated with him. Fate believed I could've been the one to save him.
