Chapter 97: The True Conspirator!

"But what?" Evangeline almost shrieked, fear crawling up her spine like freezing waters.

"Malachi...grew attached to her," Beatrice said so silently they almost didn’t hear.

Even if they did, they did not look like they were in belief of her words, "What?" Jaime finally broke the stunned silence that had captured the room.

"Malachi," Beatrice said quietly, thinking back at all the moments he had hesitated to sentence her, or the look on his face that evening at the interrogation room when Della had walked in and confessed to the crime, "...I think he might be in love with her,"

Another stunned silence.

Jaime broke it again, "No, that’s not possible," He shook his head, laughing it out.

"Jaime is right," Evangeline propped confidently, emitting laughter that didn’t reach her eyes, "We all know Alpha Malachi. We’ve met him before. There’s absolutely no way...,"

"Yeah?" Beatrice’s eyes narrowed a little, still thinking back to that evening, "Maybe I’m wrong. But if I’m right, it would explain why he’s kept her alive for so long,"

"You can’t be," Jaime gritted his teeth, also considering the possibility of Alpha Malachi falling in love with anyone — and a Rotblood for that matter, "She might be his mate, but it’s not possible,"

"I completely agree," Evangeline said, "Maybe you’re just overthinking,"

Beatrice didn’t reply this time, because she understood why they would believe it was impossible for Malachi to love anyone. But if they had been present — if they’d seen the way he looked at her many times, maybe they’d understand.

"So, tell me," Evangeline closed the distance between them, taking her daughter’s hand into hers and caressing softly, "How has life been living at the most powerful Pack alive?"

"Interesting," A mischievous gleam carried across both her eyes, "And dangerous,"

"What do you mean?"

"It’s Selene Vale. The sister of the Alpha of Nightveil. She’s quite close to Alpha Malachi...,"

"You said in your secret letters that she assisted you in planting the Moonfire in the Pack’s banner, right?"

"Yeah, then she left me to suffocate in a room alone with the Alpha. When I confronted her, she said she was going to send an assassin to slice my throat before I would reveal her,"

"What??!" Evangeline’s soft eyes turned into yellow pools of wolf energy, "That wench!!"

"Don’t worry about her. I will eventually put her in her place. My priority right now is to make sure that Della is dead!"

Silence.

"Where did you say father was?" Beatrice asked.

"Right here," The voice of an older man replied from the door, forcing everyone of them into another stunned silence.

Evangeline’s heart was thudding fast, and cold sweat broke all over her face as she instinctively gripped her daughter’s hand tighter.

What the hell was Alpha Augustus doing here?! She thought he was in his study on the other side of the castle or something?

Even Jaime had gone silent, although he wasn’t half as surprised as Evangeline.

After all, she was the only one among the three of them who didn’t know the full truth about the matter.

"Daughter," He walked into the room.

"Father," Beatrice bowed quite low, unable to meet his eyes. Out of fear? Respect?

"Come with me," Augustus instructed, and for a moment his gaze shifted to his wife, who now had her hands crossed and was staring away from him defiantly, "Let’s take a walk," He finished, and left just as silently as he had entered.

Beatrice had to pry a little hard before she finally disengaged from her mother’s grip. Evangeline stared at her curiously for a second, and then watched her leave the room.

The moment she was gone, Evangeline’s gaze snapped to her son, "What just happened?!"

"What?" He shrugged innocently.

"Oh, don’t pretend like you do not know!" She sauntered to him, blocking his path so he wouldn’t think of walking out of his own mother, "Your father!"

"Yes?"

"Jeremiah Barrett!!" She growled, clenching her teeth so hard her gums almost started to bleed, "Better start talking or be ready to face my wrath!"

"Mother," Jaime chuckled softly, placing both hands on her shoulders, "You worry yourself too much."

"Do you think I’m a child?!" She shoved his hand off her and lowered her voice. She could hear Beatrice and her father’s footsteps down the corridor, "Now tell me, does your father know?!"

"Know what?!" He shrugged again.

Now, she definitely wanted to strangle him. Instead, she smacked his arm with as much strength as she could muster, "You know exactly what I’m talking about!" She flared, "Does he know about what we did to Della?"

"Like I said before—"

"I swear to the Moon Goddess I would stab my claws down that annoying mouth of yours and rip out your throat if you do not start speaking right now!!" Her eyes had turned to silver daggers by now.

Jaime only chuckled again, then he dragged a hand through his hair, "Fine, fine. I guess since he showed up here knowing you would get suspicious, he wants you to know too,"

"Huh?" Evangeline glanced back at the door, confusion in her eyes, "You mean...your father?"

"Who else?"

Her claws ripped out of her nails angrily.

"Fine, fine. Yes, I’m referring to father,"

"You’re telling me...that he knows?!"

Jaime looked at his mother for a long second before letting out a quiet sigh, "Mother..." The smile he’d been wearing slowly disappeared, "I don’t want you losing sleep over this,"

"Stop avoiding the question!"

"I am answering it."

"No, you’re dancing around it!" Evangeline hissed, glancing anxiously towards the open doorway. "Does Augustus know what we did to Della?"

Jaime scratched the back of his neck, "He doesn’t just know."

Her heart stopped.

"He was there from the very beginning."

Silence crashed over the room, and Evangeline stared at him as though he’d suddenly grown another head, "...What?"

"You heard me."

"No." She laughed nervously. "No, that’s impossible."

"It isn’t."

"Your father would never—"

"He would."

"He would’ve stopped us!"

"No."

"He would’ve—"

"He didn’t." The words came so calmly that they frightened her more than if he’d shouted them.

Evangeline took a slow step backwards, her face paling, "Jaime." She sounded like she couldn’t breathe.

He met her eyes, "You remember asking where we were supposed to get something as rare as Moonfire?"

A strange feeling settled in Evangeline’s stomach, and her lips slowly parted, "Yes. It was Beatrice, wasn’t it?"

"No." Jaime shook his head, then very quietly he added the words that made the bomb in her head go off, "Who do you think gave us the Moonfire we used that night in the first place?"