Crossing Paths With The White Wolf
Chapter 85

Kassie POV

I put my forehead to his and sighed. "You have been at my side for almost two decades. Do you think I would keep you there if I thought you were any of those things you just said? "Then why Kassie? Why won't you let me help? Tell me why I deserve to be left behind." He cried.

I kissed his forehead as I felt a tear slide down my face. I looked him in the eyes and hoped he saw the truth in my words. "You are too precious to me. You are the only good thing I've done with my life. You are my weakness. My child. I need to go fight and know that if I don't make it, I will at least leave one good thing behind in this world. You have a chance at having a happy life. With or without me. Things might go well tomorrow or they might not." He opened his mouth to counter, but I put a finger to his mouth to stop him. "If you stay behind, you are safe whether I live or die. You. Will. Be. Safe. They will not look for you. If you come with us, they will target you, because you are an abhorration in their eyes and because you are precious to me. They will not hesitate to kill you." I pulled back and walked back to the sofa. "I can't lose you. You are mine to protect. You are my hope in a life full of death. The decision is made. If I make it back, you can hate me all you want then." I said as I put my arms on my knees and rested my head in my hands to help the pressure lessen. I heard the door slam and looked up. I sighed at seeing I was alone in the room and allowed myself a small cry. Soon enough, Gonzalo was walking into the room and pulled me into his arms. "He hates me." I cried. "He will come around. He's a good kid." He said as he rubbed his hand up and down my back.

"I just need him to be safe. He's happy with Elias. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I ripped either one from the other," I said.

"Is that the reason you didn't pick any other mated warrior?" I nodded and he sighed. "I kind of figured. I've got Helios smoothing some feathers with the ones we're leaving behind. Adrien wasn't the only one hurt at the thought of not being allowed to go." "I'm sorry. I'm causing nothing but trouble." I cuddled closer.

"You didn't cause this, Kassie. You're helping us finish it." He said as he kissed my head.

When it was time to leave, everyone gathered outside the packhouse. People from both packs were hugging their friends good bye. The mood was somber. I had explained everything I knew about the other assassins and guards and their skills and numbers. We were all clear that there was a high chance that not all of us would come back alive.

"Where is he?" I asked Gonzalo as we moved closer to the SUVS after saying good bye to everyone. Adrien was still not here.

"Kassie" Helios said from behind me, "I'm sorry. Elias linked me two hours ago. He was taking Adrien away for a few hours to try to calm him down."

I held back the tears and nodded at him before I entered the SUV. If I didn't come back, the last thing I said to Adrien was that he could hate me. I didn't want him to hate me. I thought about texting him but decided to just let him cool down. When/If I made it back, I would try to make it up to him. Gonzalo squeezed my hand as the SUV took off. I swallowed a sob and focused on the plan ahead. The flight to Paris was quiet. We arrived there the following night. I looked up at the sky as we exited the plane. It was 1 am. Less than 24 hrs before the full moon.

We picked up the cars. Gonzalo and Braden were in front while Karissa and I sat at the back. I could see Braden's staring at me for almost 20 minutes and I finally couldn't stand it anymore.

"What?" I asked, annoyed.

"What was he like? At the end?" He asked.

"Maybe you should have visited him once in a while." I spat, but he didn't look away.

"He barred me from visiting him," he said quietly, "I was only allowed to send him letters. I wasn't even allowed to call him."

"He had his reasons then." Wondering if it was true or this was just something he was feeding me.

"Yeah. I f****d up. He took the fall and after the first few visits, he forbade me from seeing him again. I begged him many times during the last 300 years and he would only respond to say that I needed to move forward and make his sacrifice worth something." I could see only pain and truth in his eyes and I sighed. Seriously, moon goddess, can't I just hate someone in peace? Do you have to rub it in my face that there's another side to every story?

"He was a cocky a*****e to the very end." I told him, making him laugh. I spent another 20 minutes sharing stories with him. Now that I knew who he was, I could see the mannerisms he actually shared with his father. I still wasn't sure if I trusted him, but it was nice to feel a connection to Miles this way.

We arrived at the meeting place and I focused on the plan. Repeating it in my head. No one was here yet and I hoped that Helios would be able to replace a place to hide nearby. I hated how many details were up in the air. "Are they near yet? Can you link them?" I whispered to Gonzalo. He shook his head in response, then tensed when we saw a car pulling up. They were early.

The car came to a stop and two guards exited the front driver and passenger sides. They came up to us and checked us for weapons. They walked back and one opened one of the back doors. She stepped out of the vehicle and I couldn't help rolling my eyes. She was wearing a black trumpet dress with a closed collar. The dress was gaping open in the middle, connected with a bustier and giant long sleeve. Her dress skirt was more for show than anything, given the size of that slit going up her left leg. The dress was adorned with black beading throughout. Her hair was in an elegant high bun. Not a hair out of place. Her makeup and red nails are perfect. That was how my mother liked things. Perfect. Stuck in another century perhaps, but always perfect.

"Seriously, mother? Aren't you hot in that thing?" I asked. It was 80 degrees for f**k's sake.

"That's your mother?" Gonzalo whispered, making me elbow him discretely in the gut.

"A Queen must always be prepared and immaculate. You never know when you'll meet someone of importance." My mother recited almost word for word the motto I had grown up with.

"Mie belle ragazze! I've missed you. I've been so worried." she smiled at us and I can't believe I ever thought her smile was sincere. It was cold and forced. Karissa looked over at me and I could see the same thought reflected in her eyes. "I didn't know you were in Europe again, Kassie. We were going to head out to replace you so we could help Karissa with her little problem."

"Karissa asked for help and I was in the neighborhood with my mate," I said.

"Oh yes, I heard you were somehow punished and mated to a werewolf of all things. Is that him?" He asked, her eyes burning with hatred as she looked at Gonzalo.

"Blessed actually, and very happy." I said as I grabbed Gonzalo's hand in mine and felt his love shining through the bond.

She made an unhappy noise in her throat but said nothing. Karissa spoke up then. "You said you had a way to prove my innocence, mother."

"Hmmm? Oh yes. Don't worry dear. Your troubles will be over soon. Come, we'll go to the Estate and clear all of this up. What an unfortunate mess you found yourself in." "Unfortunate mess?" I almost snorted.

"Why yes. Unfortunate." She said while motioning to Karissa to come forward again.

I put my hand out in front of her as I saw her moving forward. Karissa had never had the ability to say no to her mother. "The murder of our father and Karissa being accused of his murder by her Beloved is unfortunate?"

"Well no, you misunderstand things my dear." My mother smiled at me again. "The unfortunate mess wasn't your father dying. It was Karissa getting in the way. I'd been waiting for decades to get rid of the morose old goat. Then Karissa began to snoop around and I had to replace a way to get rid of both of them." "Really, just like that. You're just going to tell us you're the real culprit?" Gonzalo asked.

"Of course, mutt. What's the point? None of you are living very long after this. It's your word against mine. You're a mutt. Kassie is disgraced and these two are wanted fugitives. I just have to tell people you tried to finish the job and tried to kill me. Who's going to believe any of you?" She smiled again.

"Kassie. Now would be a good time for your friends," Karissa whispered to me.

"Oh, your other mutts? Don't worry about them. They had a few accidents on the way here. We've been following you since the airport." Gonzalo growled at her words. "Quiet mutt. Don't worry, I know I can't kill them. They are protected blah blah." "So, then what, are we fighting here and now?" I asked.

"Oh no darling. I don't fight. That's beneath a Queen." She answered with disdain.

"You're not the Queen though, are you mother?" I smirked. Her eyes flashed before she got herself under control.

"You know you would have been an amazing Queen. You have back bone and a good head on your shoulders. Sadly, that was also your downfall. Your independent streak was your undoing and your taste in men seems to be getting worse by the century." She eyed Gonzalo and I stepped in front of him protectively. "You disappoint me, Kassia. You had so much potential. Your sister, however, was never fit to be Queen. No. I should never have stepped down. Once we give you a quick trial and execution tomorrow, we'll make sure that doesn't happen again. I'll be Queen once again until there's someone worthy of the crown," She said as a hand went to her stomach. My eyes widened.

"You're pregnant?" I asked in shock.

"Not yet, but plenty of time. I won't make the same mistake again. The next child will be molded exactly how you two should have been." She smiled. Her guards stepped to either side of her and one of them whispered something in her ear. She nodded quickly and my body tensed, waiting to see where the attack would come from. I felt a mosquito bite me shortly before the world spun and I saw Karissa and Braden fall to the ground. Gonzalo was swaying, trying to cover me with his body as he tried to look around. Can't I just catch a damn break? I thought as the world spun and then everything went black.