“Look at me, little one. I want you to be able to see me telling you the truth,” Draco ordered softly as he sat forward.
When Athena looked up at Draco’s order, she had to fight the glare she wanted to send his way. She wanted to punch him when he smirked at her.
“Dad said he mentioned one of our laws to you earlier. This law predates even us. It was made by the Shifter Council, generations ago. While I am now the Blackwood Pack Alpha, each pack has its own leader. As pack leaders, we answer to a higher Council. As shifters, we have several rules or laws as we call them, that have to be obeyed, or we have to answer to the Council.”
“Such as?” Athena asked looking at each of them for a few seconds.
“We can’t shift or talk about shifting in front of humans who don’t know about us,” Deidra murmured, her eyes begging Athena for forgiveness.
“But how are we to find out?” Athena asked, challenging them with a look at the men at the same time as she showed confusion in her eyes.
“Usually when they wind up in a relationship with one, or when something like today happens.”
“What happens if your Council finds out that I now know about you and how it happened?”
“Being one hundred percent honest, it depends on the situation in which it happened as well as the Alpha in the location it happened. Like the humans, who have homeless people or those off of the grid, we have what we call rogues. They don’t adhere to the laws or a pack Alpha’s rule. If one of those cross paths with a human, then nine times out of ten that human is going to be killed by the rogue.”
“The people at the party?”
“Most are shifters, yes. I’m human, like you are. Coren is my true fated mate. There were other humans there with their fatedmates. Male and female,” Katarina answered, smiling softly at her.
“Fated mates?”
“The ones that fate meant for us to be with. A rare pairing, in all honesty. Because of that, fated mates are protected by the Council. If another shifter kidnaps or harms, even kills a fated mate, the surviving mate is protected when they avenge their mate’s harm or death.”
“Oh. What if a person is mated to someone else that’s not their fated mate, then they wind up meeting their fated mate?”
“That’s up to the ones mated,” Draco answered matter of factly.
“They can choose to accept who fate made for them or reject it. If they choose their fated mate, the one they left behind cannot intervene,” Coren answered fully.
“So, what now? What happens to me?”
“Do you hate me?” Deidra asked, moving to the love seat hesitantly.
“No! I could never hate you, Dee. I get it now. You’re bound by rules that protect you. I’m hurt because I feel like you should have trusted me with that information as long as we’ve been friends. I would never betray you or your family’s secret. Especially those here in Blackwood. It will just take me a little to get past that hurt, despite my understanding.”
“I get it. You’re my best friend, Athena. My soul sister. I don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t. I just need a couple of days to adjust.”
“She’s had a lot thrown at her, Dee. Her house being destroyed, a she-wolf who wanted her dead, and finding out about us. She’s not going anywhere.”
“I promise, Dee. I will call you in a couple of days.”
Athena wrapped her arms around her best friend and held on for several minutes. She never could stay mad at the woman for long.
“You guys go home. I’m staying the night. I’m going to do a perimeter once you leave,” Draco told his family, hugging his mother and sister.
“Um, excuse me, don’t I have a say in this?”
“No. Arrow will be here tomorrow. She and Leo are dealing with Shades’ body. You have someone after you the way they destroyed your house. I’ll sleep on the couch. Your safety comes first.”
“Bossy asshole. I would say that is probably an Alpha requirement, but your dad has always been nice. So, I think it’s just one of your traits.”
“As long as you listen when I give an order in regard to your safety, then we will be good.” Draco smirked as he winked at her.
“On that note, we are out.” Coren laughed as he stood up from the couch.
