Meanwhile, at the Girbaud residence...

"Mate."

That was the first sentence that left Elisse Girbaud's lips upon her arrival back at her home to find Pietro Rivalde, the main secretary of Prince Zechariah Deveraux, talking with her father while her mother was getting dinner ready.

"Elisse," Nicholas breathed, watching his daughter stare at the dark-skinned descendant of Isladora in shock and admiration.

"No, Mr. Girbaud," Pietro replied gently, stepping away from the older man before making a cautious approach to the female werewolf. "She's right. She is my mate, my destined soulmate. That's why I mainly came here."

Emma gasped, putting down the spoon she was using to cook the pot of spaghetti with to the side before joining her husband in the living room. "Does the prince and his family know?" she asked.

"Yeah, been known for a while since I last spoke with my mother Isladora," Pietro explained. "You guys remember when Cronus and Rhea arrived when we discovered Tauren's remains?"

Everyone nodded, Elisse remaining silent as she kept her wolf Tatianna from shifting.

Pietro took a deep breath. "After coming out of my fainting spell, Isladora told me that I would be given a mate who was as loyal to her family and friends as she would be to me. And that someone is none other than Elisse Girbaud."

Elisse nodded, her gaze fixiated on the well-dressed fairy whose crystalline wings were on full display outside of this pale-blue dress shirt. "Mate," she purred, coming towards Pietro before beginning to scent him. "My beautiful mate."

Nicholas grinned to his wife. "I guess Anissa and Joel won't be the only ones celebrating a courtship," he noted.

"Quite," Emma replied as she giggled at the sight of her daughter being lovestruck. To Pietro, "Won't you stay for dinner?"

"Of course," Pietro answered. "I hope I'm not imposing."

"Well, son, you're going to be family in due time. And please, call me 'Dad.'"

"I prefer to be formal, Mr. Girbaud. Until Elisse and I make things official, I have to show respect to where it's due," Pietro intoned, his tone brooking no argument. "I am the son of the patron saint for the fairies, after all."

Elisse purred. "My mate's so proper," she cooed, kissing his cheek.

****************

Soon, the four of them were sitting down to a meal of spaghetti and meatballs, a quick salad, and croissant rolls with a pitcher of iced tea being shared equally as a plate of brownies were on the counter waiting to be eaten for dessert. After the blessing, the conversation began to flow. "So, how's Prince Zechariah?" Elisse asked. "He's been off the grid lately since laying Tauren to rest."

"He's been hanging on, but even I can tell that he's still heartbroken over the loss," Pietro replied. "From what I know already, he's been contacting various packs and covens to talk about the brutal murders of Omegas, sane rogues, and loners by your brother Eric's hands alongside those from Anissa's brother Trenton."

Nicholas shook his head in exasperation. "I don't know what I've done wrong to gain such a cold-hearted monster of a son," he said. "If I could turn back time, I'd gladly smack Eric around for his initial abuse on Tauren when he made that edict to deny the Omega of every divine right."

"I'd beat him silly when he started treating the other Omega kids like dirt when he was only a toddler," Emma piped up. "He always felt as if he's entitled to be the Alpha just because he's the oldest."

"Was he cruel to Elisse in any way?" Pietro wanted to know.

"God, no," Elisse interjected. "Eric may be an asshole of an Alpha- sorry, Dad, but it's true; but I could easily kick his ass to the moon and back."

"Damn right," Nicholas smirked. "I trained her too well to know that fact is true."

Pietro hummed. "Well, I can only tell you guys that things are not looking too good for Eric since any support he managed to gain through mutual agreement or blackmail is heading down the tubes," he replied. "From what the prince and his family know so far, he's placed the pack on severe lockdown after too many rogues who were sent by Cronus and Rhea to warn him were killed. He also killed two of his best warriors to spread his message of a lethal punishment for anyone who dares to leave the pack for any reason."

"Even for emergencies?" Nicholas asked.

Pietro nodded. "Even if it's a medical emergency. The ones who were spared such a warning were Trenton's sons and his father as well as Eric's sons and the hired nanny alongside her family since they were told to leave for their protection."

"This is getting way out of hand," Elisse muttered. "Someone has to put a stop to this madness."

"It's only going to get worse before things get better, my love," Pietro said, his voice full of sadness. "And I have to warn you guys since I was told this- hence the reason why I came here."

"What is it?"

Pietro sighed heavily, turning to his soulmate. "Elisse, you and I will have a brief courtship before you, me, Anissa, and her mate Joel Errie alongside your parents and Joel's family will be slaughtered by none other than Eric Girbaud and Trenton Knox," he said. "That was the main thing that my mother told me and what was repeated to me by Cronus and Rhea."

Emma let out a small cry of dismay while Nicholas let out a small growl of anger. "This cannot be," he said.

"But it is, sir," Pietro replied. "And the main motive will be when both Trenton and Eric will be hit hard with an act of pure terror aimed at their sons."

Elisse pulled her mate closer to her side. "Is there nothing we can do?" she asked.

"I'm afraid that it's all inevitable," came the voice of Aurora as she appeared in her ethereal form before everyone rose to their feet and bowed low.

"Ever your servants," Nicholas said formally. "Is it true what Pietro has said?"

"It is meant to be that you all will perish by the hands of Eric and Trenton as their bloodlust will be beyond control," the goddess of the dawn intoned with her voice laced with sadness. "Tauren has been told of this as well as his sister Anissa, the Errie family, and even Francis and his family back in Elysium. All of you will die before Zechariah will take his vengeance for his mate."

Everyone remained silent before Elisse stepped forward. "Then may it be so," she said with finality. "May we all face death with open arms and a smile on our lips like Tauren did."

"Have strength and faith, Elisse," Aurora replied, granting the teen a small smile. "You and those who remained faithful to Tauren until his death will be rewarded with high honors."

With that, she faded away as everyone returned to the meal with a somber feeling in the air. Gentle reader, there is no other feeling that can hurt the worst than the grim cold hands of death that would claim innocent lives before divine retribution could begin. But for every devastation there would be a new chapter of hope. And for every dark victory, there is a price to pay.

Let's move on, shall we?

Damn! I mean...can things get chaotic and messed up already than they already are?! Well, things will get worse before they can get better. As for Eric and Trenton, they're not going to have it easy, especially when their pups and family are in danger by rogues. And that's coming up in the next chapter, so don't you dare miss a beat!

Dedicating this out to none other than NadineMcgee, fellow Wattpad Creator.

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