The Alpha's Mother-In-Law's Forbidden Love (The Cresta Chronicles)

Chapter 160: Chapter 160: Fear for Jude



Ravyn POV

Bram's howls threatened to shatter the soundproofing spell that Ravyn and the others cast in the Great Hall to prevent others from hearing.

"MY FATHER IS NOT GOING TO SHARE A BODY WITH HADES," Bram bellowed, glaring with hostility at Ravyn, at Cyran and Garnet, at Tulaska, and at everyone. 

Ravyn cleared her throat. "Your father doesn't want the Dark Goddess to--"

"Fenrir's guts, Ravyn, you don't know--"

Mali piled on. "You love him. You fought for him. How can you possibly just let Hades take him over and make our father evil?"

She'd been bracing herself for the confrontation with Bram. And maybe she should have waited until Jude could explain to Bram and Mali himself about what had happened.

"I understand your feelings," she said softly, her head lowered.

Mali's eyes, so much like Jude's, wounded her with their contempt. "You call yourself my father's mate? How can you--"

Azandra stepped in-between them. "Ravyn brought your father back to life!" The healer looked ready to hit Mali over the head.

Jiro pushed Azandra aside and added his calming but strong presence. "Mali. Take a breath."

"Go to h*ll," Mali fumed.

Bram gave him a warning look. "You don't want to be within striking distance of her right now. Trust me."

"She can hit me all she wants," Jiro replied, with empathy in his eyes. "If it makes her feel better. It worked for Cyran."

Mali pointed wildly at Cyran. "It's HIS fault. If he'd only run away from Hades--"

In a quiet voice, Cyran said, "Don't you think I've said exactly that same thing to myself over the years? I'm so sorry. If I could take it back, I would."

Mali gnashed her teeth. "And yet you felt sorry for him."

"Of course I did," Cyran snapped. "You don't know what it's like. You haven't felt the Dark Goddess sink her claws into you. And don't say it could never happen. I'm living proof that it can. It can happen to anyone."

When Mali looked ready to rip him to shreds, Bram blocked her. "He's right. Mal. I felt that darkness. If she'd come for me ..."

Mali scowled. "You wouldn't--"

"Yes, yes, I'd like to think I wouldn't," Bram said animatedly. "We'd all love to think that, wouldn't we? But it's so easy to cross that line."

With every word, Mali seemed to lose steam. She glanced at her mate Eamon, who draped an arm around her. "We've all had our moments," he said in his steady way. "Most of the time, our family or our own stubbornness or our wolves talked us back from the edge. But it's always a battle."

Shoulders slumping, Mali whispered, "How ... I don't know how to treat him. Is he Hades? Is he Jude? Is he even my father?"

"The answer is YES to all of the above," Eirika reassured her, handing her a steaming cup of wild bittersweet tea. "He's both Jude and Hades, and he's still your father. And not a word of this to the council. They'd do something foolish. We need your father's leadership, and we need Hades to stay safely where he is."

Mali sighed. "But what about my father's wishes in all of this?"

"He seemed to be leaning in the direction of having a strange roommate," Garnet said dryly. "But he asked to speak to Hades alone in the dream, and he'll come to us shortly and let us know what he's decided."

Ravyn's chin firmed. "Until then, I'm the Alpha, and we wait for Jude's decision. The only people who know are people in this room. Jude can continue to recover from his 'illness' while he and Hades adjust to this new reality."

"How long?" Bram wanted to know.

"And what do we tell the pack?" Mali asked. "It's been tumultuous lately. They need to know that everything will be alright. That the pack is safe."

Both of Jude's children had their parents' strength and selflessness, Ravyn thought. 

"We can decide what to do after we hear from Jude," Ravyn said gently. "In the meantime, we just must wait patiently."

Bram paced so hard he'd probably be exhausted later. Dane blocked him, holding his shoulders. "I can't imagine what this is like for you, but your father is one of the smartest Alphas I know," Dane said gently. "He knows what he's doing."

"But HADES ... he's evil," Bram blustered.

"He's different," Tulaska assured him, with her kind eyes. "He's not the same hateful man as before. He understands what he did wrong." She brushed back her white-blond hair. "He'll get a second chance as part of Jude. He won't squander it."

Bram huffed. "No offense, but I have a hard time believing that someone so dark could turn to the light."

"You can believe it," Lilia said gently. "I despised him too, but he seems to have changed."

Bram paced the Great Hall, obviously wrestling with the decision. Mali approached him and they huddled quietly, talking in the way that only siblings do. Ravyn could see the depth of their family history, of their shared bond, They held each other and poured their hearts out, baring their souls.

Patch and Dirge watched them. "I bet Mali convinced him to accept Hades," Patch mused.

"Do you bet a month of doing dishes?" Dirge said with a canny light in his blue eyes.

"I sure do. Mali's a force to be reckoned with," Patch declared.

Lilia laid a gentle hand on Ravyn's arm. "You seem to be taking this so well, but you can confide in me," Lilia said in a low voice. "How are you, really?"

"Still mystified." Ravyn brushed the blonde hair back from Lilia's face. "But grateful for our family. I couldn't face this without you and the other Crestas and Sinsworths and Faolans."

A movement caught Ravyn's eye, and she turned to see Jude walk into the Great Hall, his brown eyes serene and his face tranquil. He radiated inner peace.

Everyone held their breath. What would Jude say?


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