ARI

"Liam Knight was the Alpha of a pack in Washington."

"Wait, you're father is Roderick Gary? Which makes you Jennifer's brother, right?" Alex asked, not knowing he was her brother.

Carter nodded and continued the story about Jen's father. "Almost 45 years ago, my father killed Liam. The worst part is, he was his Beta and his best friend."

"When Liam found out his mate was our mom, he was so happy and excited. Then a year later, Jennifer was born. They were one small happy family and my dad was jealous. He wanted the same thing but couldn't have it because he hadn't found his mate yet. Mom was his only friend at this point. Soon he became obsessed with her."

I sat intrigued with the story. I can't believe this Rodrick dick guy. How dare he tear this family apart.

"Half a year passed and with still no luck finding his mate, Rodrick grew frustrated and then one day, made the plan to kill Liam and snatch his power and get Mom."

"With careful planning, Rodrick decided to make it look like a suicide which was really rare in werewolves but somehow he managed to come out as the victor. When Liam was killed, his 'suicide' note surfaced explaining how he wanted my mother to marry his best friend. Mom was so delirious in her grief that she agreed to uphold his last wish."

My eyes filled with tears, knowing how difficult it must have been for Jen's mom after her husband died. I thought about my own mother and how sad she was when Dad died.

"A year later, I was born and mom was finally coming out her shell. It was only then that she realized what Rodrick had become. He was a power hungry monster. She never knew he killed Liam until he admitted it to Jennifer as she was dying. It was the way he acted and the way he was with her that she realized what a mistake she made with marrying him. But she couldn't leave now. She had you and then she had me, so she stayed."

I wiped the tears off my face. Alex gave me a concerned look and held my hand, comforting me. "Where is she now?" I asked Carter about his mother.

Carter's eyes flashed with sadness. "She died 6 years ago."

"Oh." I said sadly. A sharp pain went through my heart and it felt as if I had lost my own mother.

"Years passed and mom became depressed. She was beaten and treated like shit." Carter growled, his hands clenching into a fist.

I growled too, surprising myself.

"Then one day, just before Dad was about to hit mom, Jen stepped in and stopped him. She must have been about 12-13 years old then but she didn't care about the age difference. She was protecting mom. That was the day dad noticed her. Or, in other words, realized she was a threat."

"Jen was treated so terrible by my father but she never complained. She gladly took the beating for mom. Eventually, Dad stopped hitting her when I grew up and started to interfere. It took all the courage I had to even step up to him and Jen had done in a heartbeat. She will forever be my hero." A stray tear rolled down his cheek. Anna wiped it with her hand, kissing his cheek.

He smiled at her and held her hand.

I smiled at them, looking at Alex who was already looking at me with a certain look on his face.

I shyly looked away and waited for Carter to finish his story.

"The day I found my mate and the day I crashed Daisy was the day everything seemed to turn to hell."

"Daisy?" Alex and I asked at the same time. I giggled at him.

"Daisy was my fathers car. He was always an obsessive man but man did he have attachment issues. Anyways, I was afraid of taking the blame because I had just found my mate and when my dad punishes someone, he does it with the mate. For example, we had a guard in our pack who broke a rule and Dad ordered his mate to go without food for two days. They ended up leaving the pack but I knew I couldn't do that. So Jen went to my fathers office to take the blame but that was when my dad announced how he was going to give away the pack to the most ruthless man there ever was in history. Shawn King."

Alex stiffened next to me and looked to the floor. I rubbed soothing circles onto the back of his hand.

"What made him so ruthless?" I asked curious. Alex continued to look at the ground, not showing any emotion.

Nathan spoke up this time. "When we are in human form, the wolf that allows us to be a werewolf, is a part of our subconscious. It's not a separate being or anything but it is something that can lose control. So, when Shawn experienced something he could not bear, that part of him was woken up in human form therefore creating an animal that could walk, talk and destroy on two legs."

When Nathan noticed the confused look on my face, he continued his explanation. "Okay let's say all werewolves have two different sets of personalities. One is the one we use everyday as humans and the other is when we use when we turn. As werewolves we are never fully an animal so we are aware of our actions but if that human part becomes buried then you are left with an animal. That is what happened to Shawn and let me tell you, he was a dangerous mad man."

It all made sense now. That scene in the field where they are holding Shawn and killing him, finally looked legit.

"What did he experience that buried his human side?" I asked in a whisper. Poor guy must have been really hurt or scared to let an animal take over.

Alex's hand clenched into a fist, his knuckles turning white with the pressure he had on them. Nathan looked at Alex with a curious expression.

"I don't know." Answered Nathan. "Whatever it was, must have been very tragic."

I looked at Alex who had his eyes shut and his forehead furrowed. He was thinking about something, hard.

Carter continued. "When Jen found out that Dad was giving the pack away, She was beyond mad so she challenged him to a fight to the death for the Alpha position but my father still won. Mom begged for her life and she was unconscious for a week straight." My eyes went wide with surprise. Did he really beat her up that bad?

"That's actually where Jennifer met Zander for the first time." Aimee told me.

"What was Zander doing in there?" I asked her.

"He was caught trespassing and was due for an execution." She said shrugging.

"Whoa!" I said with my eyes bugging out. "Execution for trespassing? Holy shit there are some hard rules in the werewolf world!" Who does that!

"Well he was due to get one someday because of the way he trespassed onto pack lands and beat people up. He was following his mate, or stalking her. She rejected him for a human she loved and broke his heart. He only traveled the entire United States trying to find her after she moved."

Damn that sucks. I wonder if he ever found love after that.

"When She did wake up, she became friends with Micheal." He then looked around the room. "Where is he Anyways?" He asked Aimee, who shrugged in return.

"Anyways, he betrayed Jen when he saw Shawn's army which was also filled with her old pack and her family." He looked far away, probably remembering the scene he was describing. "He's good now, he joined the pack a few years after he found his mate, who turned his life around."

"Wait." I clenched my fist when I heard how he said her family betrayed her too. "So you and her mother betrayed her too?" I said in a disgusted tone.

"NO!" He bellowed out. I flinched which caused Alex to tense and glare at Carter.

"I never betrayed her! I wanted to explain to her so many times that we were forced. Shawn threatened Jen's life, giving us no choice!" He placed his head in his hands. "He said we couldn't tell her the truth and if we did, then he would snap her neck in her sleep."

"But I tried to tell her anyways. I missed my sister and I couldn't talk to her because of that monster." He spat with hate.

I looked at Alex who had his eyes sealed shut and his fists shaking in his lap. I knew he was upset but it seemed like hearing this was unbearable.

I grabbed his fist and smoothed my hand over the white of his skin.

He stopped shaking but never relaxed his hand.

Anthony came up to Alex and sat by his side. "Remember what I said okay." He told him, placing his hand on his shoulder.

Alex slowly unclenched his fist and opened his eyes.

I eyed Anthony curiously. What did they talk about?

Alex looked at me and I smiled, showing him my teeth. He smiled in return making my heart stutter. His smile was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

Hearing about his past life must really be hurting him.

"Let's skip ahead to the part where Roderick kills Jennifer." I told Carter. I didn't want Alex to hear what a monster he was in a past life. He isn't one now so he shouldn't have to feel so terrible.

"Okay, well then we skip ahead to 3 and half years later. Dad had left to Germany for a while. He was doing this research on Alphas. He was looking for ways on how to use the Alpha power to his advantage." Carter said with disgust.

"I'm still not sure he found what he was looking for but when I investigated and went to Germany, following his footsteps, I learned he was looking for a way to stay younger through the power of an Alpha." Matt chimed in. "He spent years finding Alpha's all around the world and killing them for their power but he always spared the children that also had the Alpha so he could come back later and kill them, stealing their power."

"So you guys have been hunting him for years?" I asked them, feeling more terrified of this psycho.

Nathan nodded. "Zander was out looking for him now. His trail went cold for a few years so it's been harder to find him."

I almost shivered. "Okay, So he returned to the pack to kill Shawn and Jennifer for their Alpha power?" I asked, wanting to talk about the past and not think about the future.

"Correct. Somewhere along the line, Micheal was involved with Gray, I don't know for what but he was there with him the day they both died. He's good now. So, we think Rodrick came back to kill Shawn and maybe you for you're Alpha power, not realizing you both were human now."

"What." I said in a monotone. I cant even react shocked anymore because of all the shit that happens to Shawn and Jennifer.

"Well when Shawn injected-" Nathan said, starting to explain until I cut him off. I didn't want Alex to hear this and get even more upset.

"Never mind! So, overall we were killed because the dude didn't like us. Correct?" I shook my head in disgust. People are so messed up.

Nathan looked at Aimee who shrugged. "Yeah I guess so." She said not really sounding sure.

Matt suddenly stood up and bolted towards the door. "Zander's here!" He said like a little kid.

The front door opened to reveal a man in his forties that looked like he was in his thirties.

He didn't even notice me and went straight to Matt and hugged him tightly. "Hey man! I missed my bestie!" Matt cried, rubbing Zander's back and sighing deeply.

Zander peeled Matt off of him and faked puked. "Bro, you're gonna make your mate jealous!"

A pretty lady called from the back of the room. "NOPE!"

Everyone laughed and went up to greet the mysterious man. Alex got up too and embraced Zander. "Hey Uncle Zander. How was your trip?"

Zander gave him a weird look and looked away. "It was okay. Nothing spe-." He choked on his words when he finally noticed me sitting in the middle of the living room, watching him.

First he froze and gapped at me. It was only until I smiled at him that he pushed Alex out of the way and walked towards me. I stood up and looked at him with confusion.

The way he was acting was freaking me out. I could see the different emotions flitting across his face. Surprise, relief, love?

He looked to Nathan with his mouth still open.

Nathan only nodded his head and smiled.

Zanders eyes trailed back to my face and I blushed.

"Uh, Hi." I said awkwardly.

Zander unfroze and attacked me, wrapping his arms around my body. I gasped and caught myself before I tumbled to the floor.

Alex stepped closer but didn't say anything.

"What the heck man! I wanted to hug her too!" Matt cried and slapped Nathan's shoulder.

"Jen." Zander breathed, tightening his arms around my body. If I wasn't a werewolf, I would have probably been paralyzed.

"Zander..." I said trailing off.

He let go and pushed me off to look at my eyes. "You remember?"

I gulped, not wanting to disappoint this man who I barely met.

"I'm sorry. I don't. I have some memories but I don't remember anyone." I frowned when his face fell.

He brought me back into his arms. "It doesn't matter. I've missed you everyday of my life."

Alex finally moved from his position, probably to come and pry Zander off of me but my mother beat him to it. "Okay, Okay, that's enough touching." She grabbed Zander's arm but then gasped and pulled her arm away from him.

Zander shivered and sniffed the air before looking back at my mother and taking in a large breath. My mother froze in her spot and looked at Zander, her pupils dilating the longer she looked.

Everyone in the room looked at each other in surprise and shock.

"Mom?" I asked her when she didn't move for a few seconds. She snapped out of it and blushed. "Uh, yeah honey?" She avoided Zander's stare and tried giving me her full attention but couldn't stop peeking at Zander.

Zander only seemed even more shocked than he was when he first saw me. "Bu-But, how?" He asked Nathan. "My mate is Veronica?"

"Whoa whoa whoa, back up." I said. "Did you say mate?"

Zander turned to Matt, in confusion. "Why are you questioning the Moon Goddessses gift!" Matt said laughing and slapped his shoulder. Everyone started to congratulate him and he smiled in return.

Zander caught my mom staring at him. He smirked at her making her blush. "Hello beautiful."

I felt sick. "Oh God."

Zander ignored me and stepped closer to my mother but my mother only stepped back. Zander frowned and tried to step forward again only to see my mother step back again.

"I'm sorry." Mom whispered and clutched the necklace she gave me for my birthday and ran out of the room.

Zander ran after her in concern.

"Mom!" I shouted after her but Alex stopped me.

How is this possible? How can
Zander be my mother's mate?

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A/N: Please, please comment any questions you have that I haven't answered in the chapter. I don't want you guys to be confused!

Also, WHAT! Zander and Ari's Mom?!

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