Alpha Maximus：The last lycan

Chapter 24

Hope

‘Hope, could you hold Billy for me?’ Bella asks.

‘Of course!’ I say, excited. He is such a sweet little baby.

Sally and Nathan walk downstairs holding hands, and join us for breakfast. Sally's cheeks are

flushed and she is all giddy.

‘Good morning,’ I say, with a grin. She grins back.

‘Good morning, Hope. I mean Luna,’ she smiles. We both giggle.

‘Did you sleep well?’ I ask, trying not to laugh, and watch her bite her bottom lip, and look at

Nathan next to her, giggling.

‘Yes, I, um, slept very well,’ she smirks, and Maximus chuckles.

‘The whole house could hear how well you two slept,’ he says, grinning at Nathan, who slaps his

arm.

‘Maximus!’ I scowl at him. Did you really have to say that?

‘What?’ He asks, chuckling.

I try my best to change the subject so poor Sally can stop being embarrassed.

‘What are our plans today?’ I ask Maximus.

‘I'll be in meetings with the remaining wolf packs to organise peace treaties. I’d like you to just

settle in and find your way around the house. Seeing as it’s a castle after all. Nathan can give you and

Sally a tour,’ he says.

‘Really?’ Sally asks.

‘You’re Nathan's mate. We expect you to move in with us,’ he offers.

‘Oh, I couldn't. I wouldn't want to intrude,’ she says.

‘We insist, don't we, Hope?’ He says, looking at me. I smile and nod.

‘Of course! It would mean a lot. Not only to Nathan, but to us, as well,’ I say, smiling, rocking Billy

in my arms. Sally squeals.

‘I can't believe I'm going to live in a castle!’ She says, jumping up and down. Nathan kisses her

hand.

‘Shall we drive you home to pack your things today?’ Nathan asks her.

‘Yeah. We can head there later today, and be back by the end of the week. I’ll tie up loose ends at

home before I leave there for good,’ she smiles.

Maximus kisses me sweetly on the lips before going to his office. Sally and I follow Nathan as he

gives us the grand tour of the castle, that lasts for two hours.

‘This place doesn’t end,’ I laugh.

‘It does eventually,’ Nathan chuckles.

‘Guys, I'm going to go to the kitchen for a drink of tea,’ I say, feeling parched.

‘Want me to show you the way back?’ He asks.

‘I'll be fine,’ I say, skipping and humming, and admiring the intricate paintings and antiques along

the way. I swear the kitchen was down here. Maybe I took a wrong turn?

‘I think I'm lost,’ I say to myself. I slowly scan the corridors, trying to figure out which passage I

should walk down, before noticing a black hole in a wall. There are stone steps going down; it’s too

dark to see anything else.

Poking my head in, curiosity gets the better of me, and I hold the wall so I can find my way down,

in the dark.

One slow step at a time, I get to the bottom and see a small light in the distance. I walk towards

the light, with my hand on the wall. The light is coming from the moon.

The stone ceiling is missing a stone. I watch the moon in admiration for a moment before the wall

creaks.

I turn, and pressing my hands against the wall, it opens. I step into a room where a wall of shelves

on my left is full of scrolls. There’s a table against the wall in the middle, a large old book, an unlit

candle, and matches. The wall on the right has a red velvet curtain in the centre, with bookshelves

either side, holding different bottles of coloured liquids and jars of unknown substances.

Striking a match, I light the candle, and turn around, taking everything in. I place the candle down

on the table and lightly run my fingers over the front cover of the book. ‘History of Witches,’ I read

aloud.

I peer down at a list of names, dates of births and towns of births. I scan through the pages. The

last name on the list glows. ‘Anna Glint,’ I read aloud.

I take a step back, shocked. Suddenly, a breeze flies through the red velvet curtain, and I step

closer, and pull the curtain across. I’m in awe at the portrait of a woman who has the same white hair,

and same silver and blue eyes as me. Her arms are around the neck of a light grey wolf. I feel sense of

familiarity; like I’ve met them before. I study the picture closely; the way they’re looking into each

other's eyes; in love. The grey-almost-silver wolf is very large and proud. You can feel the love and

admiration in his eyes.

‘She looks just like me,’ I say, running my fingers lightly across her cheek.

‘She couldn't be my mother, could she? And he, my father?’ I say, stepping back in shock.

If Anna Glint is a witch from the Healers coven, and she is my mother, that would explain my

healing ability. That would mean I’m half witch and half wolf. I didn’t know we could be mated to other

species. If my mother’s name is here, my father's name might be here, as well. I unravel some of the

scrolls hoping to find more information.

Walking over to a bookshelf, I move some jars aside and scan the books, and something falls from

one of the books. I look down at the small shiny object. It’s a necklace with a red, ruby, heart pendant.

It’s so beautiful; the more I stare at it, the more I yearn to wear it. I undo the clasp on the end of the

chain and fasten it behind my neck. The ruby heart sits, nestled, beautifully, on my chest. I hold it, close

my eyes and feel content.

A note on the ground has fallen out with the pendant.

Anna, my love,

They can try and keep us apart, but love will always conquer. You are my heart, and I gift it to you

now and forever.

Eternally yours,

Alpha Levi of the Dark Moon Pack.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

This pendant symbolises his love for her. I hold it close to my heart and tears roll down my cheeks.

What happened to them? Where are they? I hear my name faintly called out.

‘Hope... Hope.’ Maximus is looking for me; I’ve been gone for hours.

I fold the note, stuff it into my sleeve on my dress, blow out the candle, and pull the stone door

shut behind me.

Following the sound of Maximus' calls, I hear the concern in his voice. I run towards his voice.

‘Max! Maximus... I'm here,’ I yell. I’m in his arms a few moments later.

‘Everyone has been looking for you. I was starting to think something happened to you,’ he says,

caressing my wet cheek.

‘Have you been crying?’ He asks.

‘I was trying to find my way back to the kitchen when I got lost and—’

‘Thank goodness you found her!’ Alex yells, running up to us.

‘She was lost,’ Max says, turning to smile at me. He takes my hand and leads me into familiar

areas, and into the kitchen.

‘Beth, could you get Hope a drink, please? I'm sure she’s thirsty’ he says, kissing my forehead.

Drinking the water, I turn to him.

‘There's something I want to talk to you about,’ I say, nervously.

‘Actually, there’s something I need to talk to you about as well. Pack business. We can discuss it in

my, our office,’ he says.

Following Maximus into the office, he sits in his chair, pulls me onto his lap, and nuzzles his face

into my neck; making me giggle. I cup his face in my hands and kiss his lips.

‘I thought we were going to discuss pack business?’ I ask.

‘Well, we were’ he says, frisky, sitting me on his desk.

‘Max!’ I giggle, blushing.

We make love on his desk, and he sits me back on his lap, and I snuggle into his chest.

‘What were you wanting to talk to me about?’ He asks, stroking my arm with his fingers, softly.

‘What do you know about the Dark Moon Pack?’ I ask.

He stiffens and his eyes darken.

‘How did you know that was the pack problem I was going to talk to you about?’ He asks, and I’m

confused.

‘I didn't know that was what you were going to speak to me about,’ I reply. He is lost in thought and

agitated.

‘What's wrong? What is it?’ I ask, worried.

‘The Dark Moon pack is just that...Dark. Their alpha is truly twisted and evil. He is the reason my

parents were killed!’ Max says, snarling.