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“Wasn’t it?” Felix offered.
“Sort of.” Lex shrugged. “But what I suspect is he got a taste of a Tainted Time Keeper’s wrath thanks to not keeping his end of the bargain.”
“What would he possibly ask a Tainted Time Keeper when he already has so much power and control?” Fynn asked.
They all looked at me for the answer but Gaia spoke up. “He requested Lexianne’s future and found out she’d be sacrificed to the valley.”
All eyes were on her before I decided to ask the prime question.
“If he knew Nathan would have sacrificed Lexi, why wouldn’t he have gotten rid of him?”
“Who said Alpha Nathan was going to sacrifice Lady Heartwell?” Gaia offered, which left us frowning and Lex giggling mischievously.
“The Tainted Time Keeper was going to sacrifice me,” she announced like she’d seen it for herself. “Alpha Shade requested something from the Tainted Time Keeper and failed to meet his bargain. He suspected a consequence, but couldn’t handle the mere idea of me being sacrificed to the valley, especially when he had no clue if his ‘eldest’ son was still alive in the shadowed depths, as some rumors stated, or not. His fears were confirmed by Gaia, so instead of fulfilling his end of the bargain, he returned to the sacred lagoon and attempted to poison the waters thinking it would kill the Tainted Time Keeper. Instead, that backfired and plagued him with whatever consequences he had to deal with. I’m sure the coma was a lie, especially with this sudden haste in conducting a deal between Nathan and Lauren. His consequences probably have something to do with his ability to function which is why he’s been out of the limelight.”
“From Nathan’s perspective, he seemed to be in a coma, but then again, it was at a distance,” I voiced.
“Could have been an illusion,” Gaia suggested. “The public acknowledgment that the Alpha of Shade Moon Pack is potentially down for the count would help him determine who’s on his side and who’s ready to betray their pack at any hint of opportunity.”
“Still doesn’t explain why Alpha Nathan is attempting a deal with Lauren,” Fynn pointed out and looked over to me. I honestly didn’t have an answer to it, so I shrugged.
“My Astra is his own entity. I can’t fully grasp his intentions unless he returns to me, and we haven’t reunited in that sense for a while due to the recent circumstances involving Lex’s arrival in the valley.”
That actually reminded me of something as I glanced over to Gaia.
“Nathan killed you, didn’t he?” I asked because Lex had mentioned that.
“Indeed, he did.” She didn’t seem bothered by it. “I’ve endured worse. I’m pretty positive he knew I was a familiar. Your Astra side is just as observant as you are. Clearly, you got that quality from your mother and not your father. He’s reached the position he’s in all thanks to brash decisions, blackmail, and being a brilliant con artist.”
“Con artist,” Lex muttered. “Like a certain Travis Baker.”
“He learned from the best,” I grumbled with just as much disgust.
“Huh?” Felix’s eyes grew wide. “You’re saying your father trained Travis Baker?”
“We’ll talk about it later,” I dismissed. “I didn’t want to waste time on him, especially when we’ll potentially have to face him with this deal. Is there anything else we need to discuss before we get going?”
“Why does Gaia still call you Lady Heartwell?” Fynn actually inquired. “If you’re a part of the Monarch Empire, why doesn’t she call you Lady Monarch?”
“Habit,” Lex and Gaia said in unison and even shrugged at the same time.
“Right,” Felix and Fynn replied in return.
“Let’s leave the rest of the discussions for later,” I encouraged but turned my attention to Felix, Fynn, and Wallas with seriousness. “I’ll get to the point. All of you have the right to be angered by my hidden agenda and actions. However, I won’t lie and state that I regret them. The actions I took since my rejection were genuine and in hopes of making you all stronger. No matter the few missing memories that haven’t been triggered until now, I still do not regret my actions. My secrecy was in your best interest, and as Alpha, it felt right to keep hold of whatever wouldn’t positively reinforce your growth within the valley of my creation. If you believe my actions were in vain and ruined your life, simply state so and I’ll remove your respawn capabilities and request the god of your shifter trait to accept your soul in paradise so you can cross over in peace.”
The last part was specifically for Felix and Fynn, and their shock was evident with how massively wide their eyes were. I was giving them an opportunity to leave my sanctuary of shadows and be set free. They would have never gained such opportunities in their previous circumstances after their sacrifices were in vain, but unlike those bastards who only cared about further building their packs with nothing but overpowered men, I craved to find strong yet loyal individuals to serve me in the valley.
It would be a shame to lose them as allies, but those were the consequences I’d taken into consideration before committing the ultimate deed of building the valley. Back then, I may have had the intentions of sharing the ultimate truth regarding my duality and how my Maleficent Astra—Alpha Nathan Shade—played a role in all those who entered my valley of trials, but alas, time went by and more and more were sacrificed, to the point that I could only pick and choose those who were brought to our territory to be tossed away like trash.
Some were discarded at the hands of my father, while others reached the Residence of my world after I’d chosen and pushed them off the cliff when they could thrive the best in such unexpected circumstances—on the full moon.
I regretted nothing, and I could confidently say that again and again for the rest of my existence. If it meant doing the devil’s work and acting like a villainous advocate, so be it.
At least they got to see that they were never the problem for their lack and demise in the pits of their previous packs. It was all because they were ruled by Alphas who didn’t see their worthiness.
I caught onto their movement and braced to be punched or slapped in the face, but my eyes lifted to see the twins on their knees, their heads bowed in obedience. I hadn’t prepared myself to feel the magnitude of their gratefulness that flowed through me in that instance, but it rushed right through, to the point that I couldn’t fight the lines of astonishment that flooded my face.
“It’s always been a privilege to work alongside you, Alpha,” Felix began. “No one in leadership has treated us with the level of dignity, grace, and perseverance that you have.”
