The Dark Side of London

Chapter 11 Marcellus

It was New Year's Eve… And just a few hours before the new year would take over. And what a year it had been. It had been two days since Roe was cleared by the pack doctor, though he still recommended that Roe took it easy. It has always been a few days since my meeting with Julius Livingston and Antony Bennett, where we discussed matters concerning both the Londinium coven and Briton Pack. We came up with a plan to send Julius Livingston to Ireland to speak to this informant himself. To see if Octavia Bennett was in fact alive and living in Ireland. Once he finds out, he will return to the packhouse and report back what he had found. Then we could finally put an end to Edwina’s tyranny once and for all. Until Julius came back, both Antony and Aurora would stay at the packhouse under my safety. Julius was gracious enough to put a cloaking spell on the packhouse before he left on his mission. To keep Edwina from knowing that her children were here. This was to keep them safe from their mother, and to keep Valeria safe. Her life was put in danger the moment Antony found out she was his mate. Though the twins didn’t like this idea of staying at the packhouse. Octavia was their sister after all, they wanted to be the ones to find her. But  I didn’t want to put them in that kind of danger, that Edwina's spies were all over London, they would report on if Antony and Aurora had left London to travel to Ireland. And that would only bring further complications to the mission at hand. I knew that we could trust Julius, that he had lost so much by Edwina’s hand. He wanted to see her brought to justice for the murder of his daughter.  I could tell that Aurora was getting jumpy being cooped up in my apartment day after day. We had gotten into many arguments about the subject, she was quite stubborn. I found it very attractive, my wolf however didn't. So, I would not be persuaded to let her out of my sight. Not until I knew she would be safe. Antony had spent most of his time at Valeria’s apartment, getting to know her. Sometimes both would come upstairs and spend time with Aurora, so she wouldn't feel so lonely. While I dealt with pack business and managing the situation that was Edwina Bennett. At night even after we had the same argument over and over again, we would end in my bed together. Her head on my chest. We were getting to know one another after all, I knew that we would have fights. I had been alone for almost 300 years, having someone to come home to was different. It felt different. Holding her in my arms, hearing her frustrations and her anxiety about her sister. It felt like she was finally opening up to me. Now all we have to do is wait, wait for the answers that Julius will give us on his return from Ireland. 

So, we are all gathered in my living room, watching some old classic movies and eating Chinese food. It had become a tradition here at the pack. Usually we all gathered in the packhouse theater, but this year I wanted to keep Aurora all to myself. Though in the end it had become a little party. My gamma Liam Dallas, was now my new beta came along. In the end Valeria just couldn’t take the role as beta, she felt like the role was never meant for her. Liam stepped up and took the role, and Valeria took the role as my gamma. I hoped that bringing Edwina Bennett to justice would give Valeria some closure over her brother’s death. Because Valeria needed that closure, she needed that door to shut. So a new one would open. The new door was Antony Bennett. Antony had become like a candle for Valeria. A candle to navigate through her ocean of grief. 

“I am surprised that you have seen Casablanca before. It is a classic, I remember when it first came out in 1942,” I said looking over at my mate. Aurora’s cheeks were flushed from the red wine that we all had been drinking. Antony and Valeria were practically humping each other on my other couch. The tv was turned up as loud as I could have it. Since I didn’t want to hear their noises. Liam was sound asleep on the floor, his mouth was wide open. A container of Chinese food still in his hand.

“It is not a movie I ever had interest in watching to be honest. And ha, you are an old man,” Aurora replied. She snuggled closer to me. I pulled her into my lap, forcing her to straddle me. Causing her to gasp. I gently cupped her cheeks. Caressing her bottom lip with my thumb. She sighed and leaned into my touch. My wolf nipping at the barrier between us. Since hearing that she was cleared, all my wolf wanted to do was mark her.