Belladonna

Chapter 6

Spencer

I had ordered Chinese, and we were sitting on the couch as we ate it. The tv was on but muted. I sat cross-legged on the couch, facing Andrew.

"Tell me everything from the start."

"Alright." He cleared his throat. "The moment Marianne arrived at Idris's party, I knew something was off. When Axel walked up to her and uttered the word Mate, I was frozen on the spot. Because I was so sure, you would be it. And I knew he thought so too, until that moment. I knew Eveline had a niece in another pack, but she never discussed it with me to let her come over. I was blindsided by it all. I managed to get Marianne out of the house that night and he seemed to come out of it. He went to see you, but you were already gone. After that, she had her claws on him. With every passing day, she thought she owned the place and everyone in it. I had to put her in place too many times to count. I kept him from marking her for as long as I could, saying that school was more important right now and that he didn't even know the girl. So, for three years, I had pushed it off. Every time, he came home, I had sent her away on 'Luna duties.' But two years ago, they accepted the bond and marked one another." My heart broke again like it was just yesterday after hearing it. I knew it happened, of course, I thought it happened sooner, but still hearing it...

"They don't have an emotional bond. I've seen that boy in love." He looked pointedly at me, I looked away. "And I know he's not in love with her. I'm not sure he even likes her."

"That happens sometimes."

"I know, but this is different. He just doesn't care about her. She is only interested in money and power, that much is obvious. I try to keep her out of sight as much as possible. I heard Marianne and Eveline whisper right after they accepted the bond. They didn't hear me come home, so they weren't using the mind-link.

Marianne said, 'He finally accepted the bond. I thought I was going to lose it. You said it would work instantly, Auntie.'
While Eveline replied, 'With strong wolves, it can take a while, especially if they loved someone else. It took a while before he got over that she-wolf bitch even though he's Mated to you now.'

"After that, Axel came home, so drunk he could barely walk. So, he made enough noise to make them shut up. But ever since then, I tried to eavesdrop on their conversations, try to look in Eveline's phone. But she has a good lock on it. I've only managed to intercept a few messages.

Eveline: I need more. The Alpha is getting out of it.
Reply: Come over in two days, I'll get you enough to last six months.

"A few of messages in the same line, nothing really incriminating or giving me the information, I needed."

I thought it over. Everything he had said. It was a lot, could it really be possible to fool a wolf of a Mate? It seemed unlikely to me, but something was going on. And I will find out. For Andrew, for the pack. "Is there someone else you talked to about this?"

"Only Axel's Beta."

"Idris? You trust him to betray his best friend?"

"When Idris came back with Deacon after their night in the woods, he went absolutely livid. He started shouting and cursing. At Axel, at me, at everyone that crossed his path. He didn't care who we were. He only cared about you. He turned into his wolf and started to search for you. But since he just got his wolf form, he wasn't fast enough to track you. He didn't speak to Axel for a month. And I don't think he has spoken a single word to Marianne to this day. He doesn't believe she is his Mate. I informed him of my suspicions the moment I had them. He was the one who suggested I come here."