Chapter 407

Irene straightened at once as soon as the call connected. “Hello?”
“Hello? Who is this?” Nancy’s voice came through from the other line.
“This is Irene Hale, Alpha of the East pack,” she introduced herself.
“Oh hey, Irene,” Nancy’s voice peaked in excitement. “How lucky I am, considering I was just about to call you because I haven’t been able to reach my daughter for nearly two days now and I just found out from my husband that you’re supposed to lead the search for her…” She let out a deep breath and asked hesitantly, “Did anything happen to my daughter?”
“No, nothing happened to Violet. She’s safe with me right now.”
“Oh, thank God,” Nancy breathed in relief. “Thank you for finding her. And I hope Griffin’s fine as well?”
“Both of them are fine.”
“That’s good to know. I guess I have to pick my daughter up. Where exactly are you right now?”
“Urm, about that…” Irene scratched her head nervously. “There is something you have to know about Violet and Griffin…” How was she going to deliver this news exactly?
The pause from Irene’s side made something dawn on Nancy. “Dear God,” she said with dread, “Don’t tell me your son knocked up my daughter? God! Violet! Why do you keep on doing the opposite of what I ask you to do?”
“No, no, Violet is not pregnant,” Irene said quickly. “She requested a potent contraceptive this morning to prevent that.”
There was a pause from Nancy’s side this time before she asked with all seriousness, “Irene, what the fuck is going on right now?”
“Violet and Griffin are fate mated,” Irene let it out finally.
“What?!” Nancy was stunned at first, then she let out an ear-splitting scream of excitement that had Irene wincing and removing the phone from her ear.
“Oh my God! I’m so happy for Violet! My daughter has found her mate and it’s your son, Griffin!”
“Yes. I’m happy too.”
However, Nancy’s joy suddenly came to a halt as if something dawned on her. “Wait a minute…” she said, “Why are you the one breaking the news to me and not my daughter?”
Irene licked her lips nervously now, sitting on the edge of her desk as she explained, “There is something else, and Violet says she would only go through it if I’m able to convince you. That’s her condition.”
“Sure, hit me.”
“Violet needs to go through the Cnáimhseáil Anama ceremony tonight.”
“The Cnái-what?”
“It’s a marriage rite. Your daughter is now the future Luna of the East pack. She needs the blessings of the goddess and my people before she returns to the academy. It is our culture and a way of her solidifying her position,” she explained quickly.
“Wait a minute, let me get something straight,” Nancy said. “So my daughter, who by the way got kidnapped and I was informed about it through a phone call, is suddenly mated to Griffin and now she has to marry him and you want me to be a witness to this shotgun wedding?”
“It is the way of the East, Nancy. You would know that if you were a werewolf, but I do not take that against you. However, you’re mated too and must understand the certain responsibilities owed to your pack.”
But Nancy said to her, “I swear, Irene, if you don’t release my daughter and I have to get there on my own, not even the goddess would be able to save you from my hand.”
“Nancy, you aren’t being rational right now.”
“I don’t care a fucking damn about rationality, all I want right now is my daughter. And the gods help you if you’ve done something fetish to her.”
“I haven’t done anything to Violet. If you calm down a little, you would realize I do care about — hello? Nancy, hello?” Irene stared at the screen only to realize she had ended the call.
“Shit!” she cursed, slapping a palm against her desk, running her other hand through her hair in frustration.
At that moment, a knock sounded on her door and she grumbled, “Come in,” only for an unexpected guest to appear.
“Alice? What are you doing here?” she asked in surprise.
“I guess you weren’t planning to invite me to the Cnáimhseáil Anama tonight?” she asked, holding Irene’s gaze.
“You see everything anyway, what’s the need?” Irene answered casually.
“Mmhmm,” Alice smiled even though it didn’t touch her eyes.
She looked around the room, reaching out to stroke the flower in its vase. She said, “Your greed is beginning to get in the way, Irene.”
“I’m doing what is right or since when has the Cnáimhseáil Anama become a crime? Moreover, I’m protecting her,” she argued.
“The goddess’s daughter is not yours to protect!” Alice turned her head sharply. She added in an unsettling low, pointed tone, “Or keep.”
Then her voice went back to normal as she said, “Violet Purple belongs in the middle of danger. She is a child of war. That is what she was made for. Not even you can stop that. It has been written down. The chains of events have been set and we are heading towards that moment.”
Irene asked her, “If she is to unite all four packs, then why did the goddess bind her to my son only? Doesn’t that count for something?”
“Gratitude, Irene. Gratitude.”
“I am grateful, Alice. But the prophecy doesn’t make sense at this point. She’s not chosen by Elijah. If anything, that man would likely send her to the grave now just to hurt my son, Griffin.”
“Prophecies are always interpreted personally. The same way Caroline did. The same way you are doing right now. Humans take a piece of it and assume it’s the whole without seeing the clear picture. But you, Irene, have always been in line with the goddess. Don’t ruin it now. The girl cannot remain here any longer. Send her back. She has no purpose here. For now,” Alice said, turning to leave.
“What about the Cnáimhseáil Anama? What do I tell the pack? You think this is easy for me?” Irene asked, exasperated.
Alice stopped, then spoke to her from over her shoulder. “You’re the Alpha. Deal with it.”
She walked away.