“That’s everything.” Amari shrugged her hands and dropped them to her sides with a light smack. Confusion, anger, fear, all in varying amounts plastered each of them. Shock and awe about what the Morningstars are doing kept them silent.

  Orion dropped his head in his hands. Everyone became quiet at his whispered words, waiting, a beat, for him to repeat himself. A little louder, he lifted his face to Amari. “It's my fault. I agreed to the arrangement. I didn't keep a close eye on Mitchell. There are a thousand ways I could have stopped this and I took none of them.”

  “Mitchell is to blame. He crossed every essential rule, from the old ways and the new, we have. Humans. Tanas Iveld. Other fae like the Minotaur.” Amari grimaced as she knelt before him. Her small hands barely covered his. “Besides, I chose to support Nova in this, it is not your fault for supporting me.”

  “I'm your Alpha.” Orion drank in her features, his eyes saddened.

  “But not my King.” Amari nodded knowingly at him. “We both failed in relying on him.”

  A wry chuckle escaped his lips, Orion stood lifting her with him in a bear of a hug.

  “Benjamin, what can we expect from your family?” Elias leaned forward, brows raised at Benjamin.

  “Should we talk with other packs?” Max asked at the same time, he looked up at Rema.

  “To answer both of you. Without concrete evidence, the packs will not believe my family would do that.” Benjamin shrugged, it's not arrogance it's the truth. “Dad puts just as much time into cultivating inter-pack relationships as he did strengthening his pack.”

  Amari nodded with Benjamin. “We all know the reputation of the Morningstars plus I have no idea what the limits of Tanas are. When he was in my mind, everything felt impossibly real. I can still feel the brush of Benjamin’s fingertips and the bruises from Elias on my arms.” Amari’s fingers drifted across her arms, as her words grew softer, more distant.

  Orion cleared his throat.

  Amari looked up. With a sharp, quick shake of her head she smiled. “The packs cannot help us with a Fae as old as Tanas. He can get inside your mind. Twist things into your worst nightmare.” She turns to Orion. “They need to know.”

  Orion nods.

  “Know what?” Max looked quickly between half of his siblings before landing on Elias, who answered with a shrug.

  “We will explain everything, but Nova should be here for this.” Amari tapped a hand on Rema’s shoulder.

  “It is four in the morning, let her sleep. We can fill her in.” Elias sat straighter. The seriousness in Orion’s face as he stood, Elias sank back against the couch.

  Amari returned half-carrying a stumbling Nova.

  Nova tucked her feet under her, curling into the crook of the couch, eyes wanting to close again.

  Orion stood before the couch. Rema and Diana stood to his left, arms tucked behind them. Amari passed Benjamin to join them in front of the others. A swift motion and stern look Orion directed, with no room for debate, Benjamin to take his vacated seat. Very hesitantly Benjamin sat on the edge of the cushion, eyeing both Max and Elias.

  Orion stepped forward, hands already moving. “We have something to admit to you all.”

  Nova sat up straighter, sleep momentarily pushed back by curiosity.

  “You all have at one point or another asked why we chose to occupy this unclaimed bit of land. I gave you the vanilla answers. It is our home, we are a small pack and don’t need much territory.” Orion half smiled. “Whole truth, we were assigned this territory, we did not claim it.”

  “What?” The interesting chord struck by the voices all asking at once filled the room.

  Orion holds up his hands to quiet the questions before he has a chance to finish. Continuing, he clapped his hands. “There is a lot at play that you don’t know about. But I think I should turn it over to who it all started with.”

  Befuddled looks rippled across the couch as Rema stepped forward. “Max, Elias, do you remember the stories I told to you all at one point or another when you were struggling or needed to calm down during your transformations?”

  “About the..” Elias snapped his fingers. “Alpha King?”

  “I think we all have heard stories about him.” Benjamin glanced at Nova. “Except maybe her.”

  “What does he have to do with anything?” Max rubbed his chin.

  “I met him. Years ago. On one of my journeys. Before we were a pack. Actually before either of you were turned.” Rema gestured between Elias and Max.

  “Met him?” Elias leaned in, disbelief airing out his tone. “He is a legend. Books and stories lead many to believe he may have existed like a King Arthur. Maybe his story was based on someone that truly existed, but he is more myth than man.”

  “He’s not real. Is he?” Max leaned down on the hand resting on Elias’s shoulder.

  Those up front shake their heads.

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  “How does no one know about this?” Elias' voice sounded tight. “Why hasn’t he been speaking with everyone?”

  “He does. Just at the right time.” Amari stepped forward. “I never applied to that school. At the time I thought I was just exhausted and forgot that I did or that one of you did for me. But I saw what they offered and accepted. Not long after I met the Alpha King face to face. Though I didn't know it. I got to know him. Steadfast, wise, strong. He walked with me through difficulties and helped me understand. By the time he revealed himself, I would have followed him into fire.”

  “Why haven't you mentioned him?” Benjamin pressed his fists into his thighs.

  “She has.” Nova’s eyes never left Amari’s. “Is it Ric? The guy Benjamin is all jealous of?

  Amari smiled at her smart girl.

  “Ric? Wait.” Benjamin pointed a finger at all of them. “You all know him.”

  “We all had our own experiences. And in our own times came to know Asseric, or Ric as we refer to him in the presence of company that would believe we are delusional.” Diana chuckled at the nickname they used.

  “And you just believed him?” Stunned, Benjamin blinked a few times.

  “Yeah. It helped that Rema, Orion, and Diana all from a distance supported me getting to know him.” Memories of their careful insistence after they learned the name of the man she was getting to know, pulled soft singular chuckle from her lips.

  Rema stepped in a fond smile and faraway look. “We all met him along our paths in life. Got to know his character so when he asked we accepted being a part of his pack as well as being a part of ours. You are all going to meet him soon and need to make a decision for yourself. But we are with him to the death.”

  “He is coming here?” Max pointed to the ground.

  “He will be here soon. And though, as Alpha of this pack I would encourage you to accept the offer he will make you, I cannot make the decision for anyone else in this pack to also belong to the Alpha King’s Pack.” Orion placed one hand each on Rema and Amari. “We encourage you to take some time with him. But we are decided.”

  “I’m sorry, I cannot seem to fathom this. You are basically telling me you believe in Santa Claus and want me to jump on board.” Benjamin rubbed his temples. Looking up at Amari through his brows, he studied her.

  “Benjamin, you do not need to take our word for it. I know I may be the only one you trust here. And despite what your family put me through, I wouldn’t deceive you.” Amari took a half step, stopping short at his stern look.

  “We should be preparing ourselves for what my father has planned, not telling children’s stories.” Benjamin stood, reaching down as he accidentally hit Elias’ elbow. He straightened and stepped up to Orion. “Tanas Iveld is staged to break through the barrier. My father brought all those people into the pack to have a concentration of power against the Veil. He wants to bring what is beyond the veil forth to our world. The timeline is probably going to increase now that I got Amari out and haven’t gone back with a report. We need allies and a plan.”

  Amari slid between the taller gentlemen. Gently pressing she pushed Benjamin back and met his eyes. “Everything your father has been searching for, we have right here.”

  “What?”

  “The power, the access. He didn’t know it, but he has been searching for what the Alpha King gives us.”

  “The strength, the resilience, the gifts.” Benjamin’s weight shifted back to his heels. “You all have them?”

  “Yes. We all at some point trained with the Alpha King. Learned from him. Grew.” Amari wryly huffed at herself. “We are meant to continue that growth with our connection to Ruac. Some of us are better at it than others.”

  “Hold up, you’re saying these gifts are from the Alpha King?” Benjamin waved his hands in the air as if he could cancel the words in the air.

  “Who is Ruac?” Elias now stood over Benjamin's shoulder.

  “The wolf spirit of Asseric.” Diana answered Elias. Her words stumbling over Amari’s.

  “Benjamin, because we belong to his pack. The same principles of a normal Pack and their Alpha bond apply just more so with him.” Amari walked around him as she spoke. Reaching out her hand, Amari intertwined her fingers with Nova’s. The young girl looked shell-shocked, staring into space with unfocused eyes.

  “Hold up, hold up, hold up.” Max stood in the middle of everyone, his hands wildly gesturing. Waiting until everyone stopped talking and turned to look at him. Max breathed heavily as he ticked off his fingers. “So let me get this straight. You all have been part of the Alpha King’s Pack. You didn’t tell us. He is coming here. And we are on the brink of war?”

  “Sums it up pretty good.” Orion looked a little guilty as Max’s voice took on a sharper and sharper edge. “Though, truthfully, we are hoping to avoid fighting with the Morningstar Pack members. We will want to focus on whatever Tanas brings to the table.”

  “Tanas. With all his tricks. We are doomed.” Max began to pace the length of the room.

  “Not doomed. Asseric will be with us.” Rema stated.

  “Amari had him and fell for Tanas' schemes.” Max flung his arm towards Amari.

  “I didn’t fall. I stumbled but I am standing before you safe and sound.” Amari shot back.

  “Thanks to me.” Benjamin puffed up his chest.

  “You may have been used as the spark, but Ruac brought me back.” Amari squeezed Nova’s hand back. Momentarily looking down at her before she whispered her heartfelt gratitude. “But thank you.”

  “And for those of us without Ruac. I would like to know about what we are about to face.” Elias crossed his arms.

  “Asseric will bring his books. Possibly his library. We will get the upper edge on them.” Diana clapped Elias’ on the back. As the second biggest book worm she knew how to alleviate his fears and what would lead him to accept the truth about Asseric.

  “Books. Really?” Benjamin glanced around the room with obvious disbelief.

  “You don’t have to believe us.” Orion spoke sternly. “When you come face to face with him you will understand.”

  “Are we going through that weird gateway?” Nova piped up.

  “You saw that?” Amari felt the joy bubble within her.

  “What gateway?” Elias leaned down to Nova’s level.

  “The sparkly one out back. I thought you all saw it and it was just something you all accepted was normal. So I went along with it.” Nova shrugged, making timid eye contact with everyone.

  “And that is why we were assigned here.” Orion confirmed. “To protect the entrance to the Alpha King’s domain and our way to visit him tomorrow. Now we could go back and forth about this forever, but I suggest we all sleep on the information we all had dumped on us and reconvene after a few hours.”

  Most opened their mouths. Words were stopped short with the even look from Orion. Everyone reluctantly nodded their heads.

  “You can sleep downstairs.” Orion pushed Benjamin to the lower staircase. Taking up a place on the couch, he eyed the man.

  Everyone else chuckled and walked up the stairs. Nova clung to Amari’s side. Peace settled over the pair as they settled in. Contentment coated Amari’s chest, Nova was by her side and her loved ones knew the truth. Tanas’s trickery couldn’t turn into the same nightmares, Amari finally relaxed.