Page 29 of Cruel Revenge (Jacky Leon #12)

“Well, this time there was this second voice, like speaking out of his mouth at the same time. Saying the same things…” I wrapped my arms around myself.

“I was trying to get up, but I was losing strength. He said if I survived, I could be useful and had three messages. Heath, you have to choose between your werewolves and… Carey,” I said, almost finding it impossible to get those words out.

“Subira and Hasan, he won’t stop until he wipes you and your influence off the face of the earth…

and Kushim…” I tried to remember the details.

“Something weird happened. There was like a moment that reminded me of the moon cursed, when we’re struggling for control.

The feminine voice grew louder, stronger.

He said he wants his necklace back? Maybe she wants her necklace back? ”

“No,” Kushim exhaled.

“I knew I recognized the smell of the magic,” Hasan whispered, stepping back. He didn’t stop moving until he was out of the building. His shock was pungent in the room.

“Your mother?” Zuri snapped. “Is she alive?”

“No. Hasan killed her ages ago. I buried her when I found her broken, dismembered body,” Kushim said. “I remember the place. I can take you there today.”

My head was spinning.

“What necklace?” Heath asked.

“It’s how Kushim and I met. It’s the one heirloom he kept of his mother for all these thousands of years. It’s lost all its magic thanks to time. It was stolen by a young werecat, and he ended up meeting me. We got it back from her,” Zuri explained. “And his mother…”

“Is the witch Hasan ran into before you and your brother were born,” Subira said. “I need to follow him.” She brushed a hand on my shoulder before jogging after her mate.

“But how is she doing stuff now?” Landon snarled. “I don’t care about all this fucking ancient history. What did she want with my sister?”

“Kushim, perhaps you should tell everyone here about your mother,” Zuri said, moving like she was protecting Davor’s phone.

“My mother was obsessed with the moon cursed,” Kushim answered softly.

“She was immensely powerful, like Subira. A little less so, because of the thousand years between them in age, but we’re still talking about a witch from over four thousand years ago.

She researched werewolves and werecats, and eventually found one she wanted to try her first spell on, a way to control them and keep them for herself.

She picked her favorite specimen …” Kushim trailed off.

“Our father,” Zuri picked up for him, letting everyone know it was Hasan.

“Yeah… I wasn’t there for what happened.

I wasn’t there for the entire time she had control of him, having only seen him once around the home, but not bothering to introduce myself or anything.

I had no idea he was that specimen until later…

She lost control over him, he killed her, and I found her body.

After I buried her, I went after Hasan to avenge her, not really thinking.

I was a young, stupid human at the time who never really…

paid mind to whatever my mother was doing or why.

He killed me. I woke up an Immortal, learned more of my mother after that by going through her things.

I destroyed whatever I could once I realized everything.

It should have all been lost to time. I never went after Hasan, knowing his killing of her was more than justified. She is dead.”

“Are possessions a real thing?” Dirk asked softly. “Because that’s… the only explanation, right?”

I just looked at Heath, who was once again silent, his lips firmly pressed together. I fought the urge to reach out to him. I fought the need to get up and touch him, wanting to fall into his embrace. It was all I wanted.

“Mother never played with the dead…” Zuri said, shaking her head. “They possibly are, but it’s not an area of magic we even research. I certainly want nothing to do with it. Jabari would never look into it. This is out of our depth.”

“I can’t go right now, but when all of this is over, love… we should get together with Jabari and your mother to go to her grave, and see if maybe… something changed or happened.”

“If you want a spirit, I guess that’s the place to start,” Zuri agreed. “The necklace?”

“Hidden. We put it in the vault, remember?”

“That’s right. Let’s leave it there. If she can’t find it and wants you to bring it, then it’s safe there.”

“That didn’t answer why she wanted my sister!” Landon snarled viciously, making even Zuri jump. I was shaking. Landon’s Talent was turned up to the max. Every cell in my body registered that he was a threat, and I needed to run. Not fight. Only run.

“Revenge,” Kushim answered, unaffected by Landon on the other side of the planet.

“Terrible, painful, cruel revenge. For stopping her plans, for going against her, for trying to free your kind from her and the other witches, for fighting back. She and her ilk did this to hurt you. She was my mother, so take it from me. She was never a kind woman. She was never a forgiving one.”

“Fuck,” Landon growled.

“Is that everything?” Heath finally asked, looking at me. “Everything that happened?”

“Yes.” I nodded.

“Thank you.” He turned on his heel and started walking away.

“Heath, wait!” I said, jumping from my chair and going after him. “Please. We need to talk.”

“About?” Heath asked, turning to me with a puzzled and cold look, like I was an employee, not his fiancée.

“Everything? Carey. The wolves, those poor kids…” I trailed off, realizing none of it was changing anything about Heath.

“I can’t right now. I’ll be staying at the packhouse for a little while.”

He walked out.

My world shattered. Tears were falling down my cheeks as Landon went to follow his father. Dirk didn’t go with them, not immediately.

“Now, Dirk,” Heath snapped.

Dirk winced and left.

As I started to sink, Zuri grabbed me.

“It’s going to be okay,” she whispered. “It’s going to be okay.”

I shook my head, sobbing as the love of my life left me. I had lost everything in such a short time. Carey and Heath were gone now. I couldn’t handle it. I couldn’t handle the deep cut Heath just gave me.

I grabbed the sides of my head, the sobs and screams blocking out what others were saying. I was dragged from the room, not putting up a fight, but not moving willingly either.

“I’ve got her!” a masculine voice broke through. “Let her go, Zuri. I’ve got her.”

I was lifted and didn’t register anything except my own pain until I was put down. I clung to whoever was holding me. I cried until my chest was empty and my throat was raw. My eyes hurt, and my nose was running. Finally, I looked up and saw Hasan, just holding onto me.

“Breathe,” he ordered.

I did, taking a ragged breath in.

“Now out,” he continued.

I exhaled.

“Good. Now let me tell you why I’m here and not killing your fiancé.

” He rubbed my head. “He’s going through hell right now.

Jacky, we all grieve in our ways. He needs to remain in that state, or he’ll break, and there will be hell to pay for the entire world.

He controls over ten thousand werewolves right now.

If all of them went to war on his command, bombs would drop. ”

I stared at his human eyes, the brown that seemed so mundane for the man who walked through time and controlled the werecats.

“You need to think about how you can control yourself. I don’t like this.

” He grabbed one of my hands and showed it to me.

Claws, real werecat claws coming out of somewhat misshapen human hands.

“Your mother didn’t seem nearly as surprised as she should have been when we saw Zuri trying to hold you. ”

I pulled that hand back to my own chest. I recognized that my father had brought me to my room. My most secure and private place. A wild cat would have a den. This room was mine.

“I’ve seen it before,” Subira said softly from outside the door. “I’ve been trying all night, from when she woke up, to get her to contain it as best as I can.”

Hasan growled softly, looking away to glare at the door. I didn’t need to wonder what silent questions he had. I would have had the same if I was in his shoes. He didn’t ask any of them out loud, looking back down at me.

“You’re going to have to accept that, right now, Heath needs the space. He needs to focus on his own control. You’re lucky he didn’t see this. I know werewolves are very strict about signs of the Last Change.”

“Landon knows,” I whispered, tears filling my eyes again. “He’s going to hate me now. I destroyed their family. I lost Carey.”

“Don’t even think of those things right now,” Hasan snarled softly, his face close to mine.

“You must be focused, Jacky. One step at a time. Just as I am not thinking about the witch I hate most in the world, seemingly back from the dead after I killed her. First, we must investigate. We must discover where they have taken Carey and the other children. Then we must rescue them. After all that, we will figure out where you stand with the Everson family. After all that. He needs us to help him through all that. We need him. That will at least keep everyone close. Until this is over, you must steel yourself…” Hasan’s tone was hard, but his expression finally softened.

He brushed a hand over my wet cheek. “And when you need to cry, when the pain is too much, you can lean on us.”

I sobbed one more time and leaned into him, feeling now how wet I had made his shirt. He just rubbed my head as the door opened, and light steps approached. A soft kiss touched my temple.

“And when the tears dry, we work,” Subira whispered.